A typical day

It's that time again . . . time for another typical day post.  This one is for Tuesday August, 14th. This is what life is like with two almost two year old girls and a 4 month old boy.

7:00  Derrick wakes me up by crying.  I get him out of his crib (he doesn't sleep on the window seat anymore) and feed him on the living room couch.
7:15  Brandon hasn't got up yet so I go into our room and wake him up.  I also take Derrick with to grab the battery charger from the car.
7:18  Lydia is awake.  Brandon makes two bottles and changes Derrick while I hold Lydia.  I've figured out that Lydia needs a few minutes of being held every morning.  Otherwise she whines for it all day long.
7:35  Brandon leaves for work.  Charlotte wakes up and I give her a bottle and change her diaper and Lydia's too.
7:43  Breakfast time for me - sort of.  As soon as I start pouring my cereal the girls decide they want to eat too. They hop up into their highchairs by themselves.  I give them cereal and milk in little bowls.  They are learning to eat with spoons.  Derrick doesn't want to be left out so he starts crying.  I put him in his blue chair on the counter and feed him rice cereal.  When the girls were 4 months old they could care less about eating cereal.  Derrick on the other hand LOVES it. He is so happy to finally eat food along with the rest of us.

7:50  I finally get a bite of my own cereal.  Good thing I hadn't poured the milk yet.  I eat while feeding Derrick, making scrambled eggs, making toast, feeding those to the girls, and planning my day.
8:00 ish  It's Tuesday which means Kenny D is on the radio today.  He is 101.9 The End's movie critic and I've become addicted to his Tuesday and Friday segments.  On Tuesday he does a top five list.  Today's list is Upcoming Teen Fiction movie adaptations.  He also has a website. I finish up breakfast and get the kids  and me dressed and ready for the park while I listen.
8:38  Somehow everyone is dressed and wearing shoes, the girls are in the stroller, Derrick is in the front pack, I have the diaper bag/water pack with me, the girls have sippy cups, Derrick has his hat, and I know where my phone and keys are  . . . . we are ready to go to the park.
  The park is only about 5 minutes away.  It's too hot and Derrick is getting too heavy for me to walk any further.  I've ordered my triplet jogging stroller so soon we should be able to go for long walks again.
  Some how we have the park to ourselves and the girls enjoy running all over without worrying about bigger kids pushing them around.    

There are certain things we do every time we go to the park.  One of them is get a drink.  I always like it when the bench is pushed up against the drinking fountain.  That way I don't have to lift the girls up while trying not to squish Derrick in the front pack.

This is what Derrick and I look like.  I've liked carrying him around like this, but now that he's getting close to 16 pounds my back is ready for him to move into the stroller.  

 Charlotte is kind of a clean freak.  If she finds any trash she knows where to throw it away.

 Charlotte also loves the teeter totter.  It's a good thing she has a twin to balance her out.  She's pointing her finger at me to tell me to get back to pushing the teeter totter up and down.  (She's the boss of our family)

The girls switched spots and then decided to get really adventurous.

Derrick conked out.  He usually sleeps for about 45 minutes at this time of day.

Soon it was time to go home.  The girls don't give me any problems about leaving the park.  It's pretty hot by about 10:00 so they are happy to climb into the stroller and head home.
10:04  Home.  Charlotte needs a diaper change so I lay Derrick on the couch while I do that.  I expect him to cry but he is content to lay there.  That rice cereal must be keeping him full.
    Derrick needs a diaper change too.  As I change him I'm thinking about what to do next. I'm thinking that I'll go clean the girls room.  That all changes as soon as Derrick does something that has never happened in our house before.  He starts to poo while his diaper is OFF!  I freak out and start saying "Eww, Eww, Eww"  which the girls start repeating.
    I decide he's telling me he needs a bath so I get that ready.  The girls are still carrying on with a chorus of Ewws.  They want to get up on the dryer so they can play with his bath water like usual.  But there is poo on the dryer so I don't let them.  They both cry.
10:23   I'm done washing Derrick and put him in a towel.  Right then Lydia falls off of something and starts crying hysterically.  So I go hold her and Derrick.  I hope that Derrick doesn't poo again until I can get him in a diaper.
10:30  Lydia has calmed down somewhat and I can get Derrick in a diaper and dressed.  I want to just turn on the TV and let Lydia watch it, but the Digital box remote has been missing for a little while.  So I have to look for that first.  I think it's under the couch.  I move the couch and find a bunch of Lydia's beloved Phase 10 cards.  But no remote.  
10:38 Lydia gets her head stuck under the couch and starts crying again. This is getting really ridiculous.  I give up on TV and turn on the DVD player which has "The Emperor's New Groove in it."  We all watch that while I nurse Derrick.
11:00  Derrick is done (he's a fast eater) and I'm able to go clean up his mess.  I start a load of laundry among other things.

Charlotte has wandered into her room and is playing with her toys.  (I wont find it until the next day, but the remote is actually stuffed between the quilts on the quilt latter.)

Lydia and Derrick hang out on the couch.  

11:15  Charlotte comes up to me with a tiny little play plate that she like to eat fruit loops off of.  She cries until I give fruit loops to her and Lydia.
11:25  Girls are crying again.  It must be nap time.  I make them bottles and put them to bed.  They are quiet right away (which is the point of the bottles).
    I put Derrick into his bouncy chair and set him by me while I work on the computer on a photoshop project.  I listen to the commentary for the Emperior's New Groove.  Derrick falls asleep while I work.
12:30  Derrick wakes up.  I take a time out and nurse him.
12:40  Then I wrap Derrick up in his swaddling blankets and put him to bed in his crib.  He falls right to sleep.  I wish there was a lever I could pull that would send confetti in the air.  Getting three kids down for a nap at the same time deserves a celebration.  Instead I take the trash out to the dumpster and check the mail.  Then I go back to photoshop.
1:00  I'm at a stopping place and the movie commentary is done.  I pull out my latest book, "The Pixar Touch."  And read that.  (Yes I'm slightly obsessed with the entertainment industry.  One of my dreams is to be a movie producer one day.)  I also eat something.
1:15  I only get a little bit read because the girls wake up.  Thankfully they are happy.  They get diaper changes.

Charlotte helps me with the laundry that Derrick created.  I filmed this movie on another day, but this is what she does every time she helps me with the laundry.

1:24  We go outside to play.  Danielle, my neighbor, has some fabric she is giving away so I go through that while the girls play around.  The girls love to push these chairs around on the sidewalk.

 They push them back and forth and back and forth.

 They also love to draw with Daneille's sidewalk chalk.

 Thankfully, she lets them.  I would hate to have to keep my kids away from all the interesting things on her porch.

2:05  I'm done picking out fabric.  I'm also hungry and pretty certain the girls are too.  So I say good bye to my neighbor and we all go inside to eat.  I also check on Derrick who is surprisingly still asleep.  

2:30 We all have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch.  Just as we are finishing eating my neighbor, Alex, walks by the window with his dogs.  The girls see him and hear the dogs and immediately want out of their highchairs so they can say hi.  So we go back outside.  We talk to Alex and walk around the building for a little bit.
3:00  I bring the girls back inside because I'm convinced Derrick must be awake by now.  He's not. (But he is still breathing).  I have reading time with the girls.  We all sit on the couch and look at books together.  Well together is kind of an over-statement.  I look at a book with one twin on my lap while the other twin sits next to me and looks at her own book.  Then the lap twin gets off to find another book and the other twin takes her place.  We do this everyday for about 20 to 30 minutes.
3:30  The girls have lost interest in reading books.  Charlotte sits in a box in front of the TV, points to the TV, and says "Tee."  The remote is still missing so I turn on Emperor's New Groove again.  The girls watch that while I straighten up the apartment.  I also start packing my diaper bag for tonight.

3:48  Derrick finally wakes up and I nurse him. Normally I would watch Anderson Cooper at 4:00, but with the remote gone I have to be happy with Emperor's New Groove.
4:40  Nobody is really paying attention to the movie anymore so I turn it off and start making dinner.  The girls get into their high chairs and I keep them happy with peanut butter spoons and chocolate chips.  Surprisingly they got tired of chocolate chips and wanted out of their chairs.  They wanted to see what I was doing so I put them on the counter.  (This is so not normal! But I needed dinner ready when Brandon got home.)

5:20  Brandon comes home to a chorus of happy cries of, "Dah deee!"  We pull the girls high chairs over to the table and we all eat burritos, rice, and chili.
5:45  We're done eating and we start getting the girls ready to go.  My aunt Cheryl is helping my cousin Hannah learn how to babysit.  Our kids are the guinea pigs.  And we get a free date night.  Everyone is happy.
6:10  Brandon's parents stop by on the way home from work to drop something off.
6:15  Then we all go out to the car and drive to my aunt and uncle's house in Kaysville.
6:35  We drop the kids off and are free for the evening!
7:00  We drive to the Kaysville Theater and get tickets for Men in Black 3.  It's a very funny movie.  I used to hate seeing movies in the theater but now I love it because I COMPLETELY forget about my kids.
9:20  We go back to my aunt's and pick up the kids who had a great time.  Derrick needs to be nursed so I do that before we go.
9:50  We say goodbye and get the kids in the car.  On the way home I call my mom who I plan to visit the next day. I leave a message with my sister Hillary to tell Mom that I'll be out there after dropping Brandon off at work.  Then I look at the clock and realize how late it is.  I do not want to have to repack the diaper bag tonight and get the kids up early tomorrow.  Brandon offers to ride his bike to work so I can go to my mom's later in the day.  I call Hillary again and tell her to tell Mom not to expect me until the afternoon.  (This was a really good idea because I was able to clean my house in the morning.  Plus catch up on some sleep during the kid's nap time.)
10:20  We get home.  The girls are asleep.  Brandon carries them both in and puts them right to bed.  We give them bottles to ensure they stay asleep. We skip the usual bedtime routine.  Derrick stays up while we get ready for bed.  For some reason the palm of his hand is super tickelish at the moment.  I rub it and he cracks up with laughter.
11:00  Its bed time for Derrick.  Only he doesn't understand that. We put him in his crib and he cries off and on for the next 20 minutes.  We read our scriptures and say prayers.  Brandon falls asleep, but I stay up reading until I know Derrick is asleep.
11:40  I'm done with the chapter I was reading so I fall asleep too.
1:30   Derrick is awake again.  I get up and nurse him on the couch in the dark.
2:20   I must have fallen asleep because I'm still sitting on the couch with Derrick who is also asleep.  I change his diaper, put him back in bed, and go to my own bed.
4:00ish   I'm vaguely aware that Brandon gets up with Derrick and feeds him a bottle.
6:30   Brandon gets up to get ready to ride his bike to work.
6:45   Derrick wakes up and I get up to nurse him.
7:00   Brandon leaves.  I consider going back to bed, but the girls wake up a few minutes later and the fun begins all over again.

Happy Birthday Blog!

Illguthlife is four years old today!  Since this blog is basically my oldest child I thought it would be fitting to have a little party to celebrate.  (And I wanted an excuse to eat cake.)  

Check out my first post from 4 years ago.  Back then I was married, working, and bored.  Now I'm still married, I work even harder, and I'm hardly bored.  But I still love blogging.  I expect this blog to last at least another 4 years.

On a related note, Derrick is 4 months old today!  Here are his stats:

Height    27 inches        97%
Weight   15 lbs 10 oz   66%

Head      42.5              58%

Living within our means

I've wanted to do this post for a while, but I've been hesitant to do it.  It's kind of weird to give advise about managing money when money has been so tight for us during the past 2 years.  But I realized that I should talk about how we have managed to make our money last.  Brandon and I have survived some really tough money situations.  Our tips from "the trenches" should mean a lot more than someone's theories. 

1. Pay your tithing.

This may seem so trite and cliche, but paying 10% of our money to the LDS church has given us blessing way more than what we paid.  Here are some examples:

I debated paying tithing on some money that a family member gave us as a gift when I was pregnant with the twins. I decided to pay the tithing.  I wrote the check, gave it to a member of the branch Presidency, and then sat down in Sacrament Meeting.  Not even 20 minutes later the Relief Society President passed me a note to let me know that someone in the stake was going to donate 2 car seats to us. 

Last summer all my clothes were getting pretty ragged, but we didn't have money for me to go buy more - even at the DI.  I was visiting my best friend Ashley before she moved to Korea.  She gave me two large bags full of clothes that she didn't want to take halfway around the world because they didn't quite fit her.  Suddenly I went from having maybe one pair of good jeans to having eight.  On top of that she also gave me a HUGE box of baby clothes for the girls.  Me and my girls have been stylish for months thanks to Ashley's generosity.  

I have many more stories like these.  Brandon was given 2 pairs of shoes right when his old ones were about to bite the dust; the Branch President's wife gave me a bag of plums the day before we ran out of fresh fruit; and we've had so many hand-me down clothes given to us that the only - and I mean only - clothes we EVER had to buy the kids were two preemie outfits and the girls winter coats.     

See what I mean?  Paying tithing has greatly blessed our family.  We have been able to survive even when our money was tight.  

Avoid debt

I've told you before that Brandon has quite a bit of student loan debt.  We hate that debt and are doing our best to pay it off as fast as possible.  But there is a small benefit to having so much debt - it prevents us from getting into any more debt.

We aren't tempted to go get the greatest new barbecue grill, or car, or jet ski what ever else it is that people get into debt for.  And we don't have credit cards, because we don't want to deal with those on top of the student loans.  

And really, even after the student loans are paid off we aren't planning to go into debt ever again.  We are going to pay for everything with cash.  We even have a dream of paying for our house with cash.  (Because wouldn't that be the coolest thing ever!)

You may be thinking, "Don't you want a good credit score?"  To which I answer "NO! I want a credit score of zero!"  Your credit score is only an indication of how good you seem to be at paying back money.  If you never plan on needing to borrow money then you don't need a good credit score.  

Some people say that you need a good credit score in order to rent an apartment or get a job.  That is somewhat true.  However, if you have a good history as a renter than you don't need a good credit score.  And if a company is going to not hire you based on some number then you probably don't want to be working for that type of company anyway.    

Be smart with car loans

I will admit that we did take out a loan when we bought the jeep.  But that was because I would rather pay a car payment every month on a reliable car, than worry about what would need to be fixed next on an unreliable car.  We qualified for the car loan because I actually do have an okay credit score thanks to the fact that I always pay off any money I use from my checking account line of credit.  (My money is usually all in savings  . . . I'll explain more about that in a minute.)

We could have paid large monthly payments on a short loan, but we were unsure what the future held for us income wise.  Instead we opted for a 60 month loan with smaller payments.  I'm glad we did that because money got tight when we moved and I stopped working.  We were still able to make our monthly payments. When we received a large income tax return thanks to the birth of our girls were went ahead and paid off the rest of the loan.  It's so nice not to have a car payment any more!

Save your money from yourself

We all know we should be saving, but actually doing it can be hard.  I always struggled with remembering what specific things I was saving the money for.  I'd look at my bank account and see a couple hundred dollars, but I couldn't remember what I planned to do with that money.  

I solved the problem by signing up for sub-savings accounts.  They are accounts that are all part of my savings account, but separate from each other.  Kind of like a piggy bank with different compartments.  Years ago I started out with just a separate tithing account.  As soon as I got paid I would move the tithing money into that account so I wouldn't spend it on accident.  I liked that system so much that I added more and more sub-savings accounts.  This is my current list: baby; car savings and insurance; food; gas; phone, electric, water; rent; student loans; tithing; and vacation.  

Back when we were both working I would divide up our paychecks into the different accounts.  Then when I paid the bills I would move the money into the checking account.  Now a days I use these sub-savings accounts when we receive our large tax refunds.  I like to try to fill the accounts up so we have 3 months of savings in each one. "Hiding" the money from ourselves keeps us from spending it all on crazy stuff. 

Over Estimate Bill Amounts     

I guess I should talk a little bit about how I pay my bills.  Some bills, like rent, are always the same amount.  But other bills, like water or electric, vary every month.   I decided a long time ago to over-estimate the amount of those variable bills.  For example, if my water bill is any where from $25 to $30 then I would plan on it being about $35, and put that amount into the sub-savings account.  Then when I get the bill and its only $27 I can pay that amount and leave the remaining $8 in savings.  

Of course when money is tight I pay the exact amount of the bill and don't even worry about the sub-savings accounts.  And when money is really tight I start pulling money out of the sub-savings accounts.  Because that is what they are there for - to help me save for rainy days (and months). 

To be continued . . . 

Well I have some more advise, but the babies are waking up and this is getting to be a long post anyway.  Expect a "part two" post in a few more days.  (And let me know if you have any questions.)  

Oh Hi There

Wow, did I really go a week without publishing a blog post?  That was odd and unintentional.  I blame my cousin Melissa.  She handed me a book the other day and woke up the part of me that loves reading.  I've spent the last few precious nap-times reading instead of blogging.  

But don't worry.  I've been writing a lot in my head during Derrick's late night feedings.  So once I get time to write on the computer there will be some awesome blogs coming.  (Three of which I've had inside of me for a while and the timing is finally right.)

For now though, you will just get a nice little picture review of the last few weeks.  

Here are the girls enjoying breakfast.  I'm fairly certain Lydia is the one in the white pajamas, but I could be wrong.  Charlotte climbed up into her high chair for the first time ever the other day.  Neither Brandon or I saw her do it.  One second she was on the ground and the next she was in her chair waiting for her tray.  

 Brandon is enjoyed these last few weeks before he goes to Basic Training.  He spends just about every free minute with the kids.  The girls love him.  Lydia loves to point to pictures of him and say, "Dah dee!!!"  I'm dreading the day they realize he isn't coming home for a while.  I just hope they figure it out on different days and I don't end up with two inconsolable children on the same day.

 Charlotte has become quite attached to several stuffed animals.  Check out what she's done with them.  I guess it's bed time for them too.

Lydia still loves her 75 cent baby doll that I gave her for Christmas.  I have every intention of making that doll a real dress . . . . maybe.

 It rained a few weeks ago and the girls had lots of fun with the water from the down spout.

 Lydia has been on an anti-jeans kick for weeks.  She refused to wear this dress until I showed her it had a skirt and was not pants.  Then she was just fine with it.

 Charlotte has a denim dress too.  But this picture is actually of the lovely pen artwork she drew on her leg.  She's started scribbling on everything lately.

 This picture was actually taken a few seconds too late. I heard the girls giggling like crazy.   I went into their room and discovered both of them standing on the arms of these chairs and looking out the window.

Here is Charlotte with her dolls again. This is how they usually spend the night - stuffed between the crib and the wall.

 The other day I went through all Derrick's clothes because he now fits the 3 month clothes. (It's new for me to have a baby who's size matches his age)  Lydia insisted on wearing one of his onesies.  It fit around her torso, but as you can see she was too tall for it.  (And if you look really closely you can see Charlotte in the box)

We slept over at Brandon's parent's cottage on Friday.  The girls loved the breakfast that Bestefar (Grandpa) made them.

 We also went up to see the property where the new house will be built.  Here are Steve and Brandon determining where the corner stake will go.

 When we got home from our vacation Derrick refused to sit in his swing.  He'd arch his back every time I put him in it.  Luckily he still liked his bouncy chair.  He spends a lot of time in this chair.

We also started putting him the floor a lot too.  For the most part the girls know not to step on him. (Emphasis on for the most part)  He rolled from front to back for the first time the other day.  He is 3 1/2 months.  The girls didn't start rolling until 5 1/2 months.

We had a branch barbecue the other day.  Lydia wanted to play with all the balloons that were hanging from trees as decorations.  We didn't let her have all of them, but she still ended up with a lot.  Both girls love balloons, but I feel like balloons are just heartbreaks waiting to happen.  We got some balloons from Little Caesars once and Charlotte's deflated pretty fast.  She wanted me to blow it back up.  I told her, "Sorry, I know it's sad, but I can't blow the balloon back up."  Then she walked around the house holding the balloon and saying, "Sowwy, Sowwy, Sowwy" in the saddest little voice.  The same thing inevitably happened with these balloons.

 After the BBQ I gave the girls a bath.  Brandon was helping clean up so poor Derrick had to be all by himself on the floor.  He ended up falling asleep this way.  I was very tempted to just let him sleep the rest of the night in this position.  But I ended up moving him to his bed because I was worried I might step on him.

Well that's all the pictures for now.  I think I'm going to go read.  (I'm reading The Big Year in case you are wondering.)

What to do with cards - Part 3

I hate saving cards, but they are too pretty to throw away.  So I've come up with a solution to appease both the utilitarian and sentimental sides of my personality.  

You long-time readers know the drill:  I cut all the cards up, save the cute stuff, and put them together as one big card.  This is my latest creation, made from the cards we got when Derrick was born.  

And for those of you who are new: Here are the links to the collages I made out of my wedding cards, and  the cards from when the girls were born.  

All about Derrick

I have a huge backlog of blogs to write so that is why I'm sitting at the computer, and not sleeping in with Brandon on this beautiful 24th of July.  And Derrick is awake which is the other reason I'm up.

I thought I'd take a minute and tell you all about my little Derrick-boy (that's the closest thing he has to a nickname right now.) Derrick is the happiest baby.  He loves to smile at people.  All you have do is smile at him and he will start grinning and not stop. He's also started to laugh.

 I realized I don't have a lot of pictures of Derrick.  Mostly he just lays or sits around and that's not as interesting as what the girls are doing.  So I forget to take his picture.  I'll try to do better.  In the meantime, here is a video of Derrick that sort of got hijacked by Charlotte.  

Derrick LOVES to get his diaper changed.  As soon as I lay him on the dryer he starts smiling, cooing, and blowing bubbles.  I think he likes it because it's the only truly one on one thing we do.  Even bath time usually has an audience.  


He hates to have his face washed.  Bath time always goes really well until I have to wash his face.  


We often refer to Derrick as "our late triplet." Sometimes I wonder if he may have started out with the girls and then he was what I miscarried when I thought I lost the girls. I'll probably never know.  But what I do know for sure is that these three kids are all great friends with each other.  Lydia tries to share everything with Derrick.  And the other day I overheard Charlotte doing "This little piggy" to Derrick's toes.  It sounded something like this.  "Garble Garble Garble Weee Weee Weee Garble Garble Garble Weee Weee Weee"  

Derrick loves to be swaddled.  He usually falls right asleep after being swaddled.  He likes his binkie when he is starting to fall asleep, but he usually spits it out and forgets all about it.  (This is such a nice change from the two binkie addict girls.)

Derrick is the most considerate baby.  I suspected this about him even before he was born.  He waited to be born until after Brandon was done with the pinewood derby track.  Once he got here he continues to be very considerate.  What do I mean by that?  Well he seems to know when I'm busy with the girls and he will wait to cry until I'm done with them.  The other day we all came home from the park hungry and thirsty. I wanted to get the girls situated in their high chairs with food before I would start feeding Derrick.  He started to cry and I told him to wait just 5 minutes - and he did!  He's also really good in church, especially on weeks that I have to teach.

Of course he still cries and fusses and does other normal baby things too.  He's still not sleeping through the night, but he's getting closer.  And really I don't mind getting up with him because there is just one of him.  I don't have to sit there and worry that the other baby will wake up before he's done eating.

Derrick has shown me why so many people breast feed.  You may remember that I hated breastfeeding the twins.  When Derrick was born I told myself I would nurse him for 6 weeks and then I'd see if I wanted to keep doing it.  And much to my surprise I liked it.  At six weeks it was a no brainer to decide to keep nursing.

At the end of May Derrick started to have blood in his stool.  At first it was only a little and the nurse said not to worry, it was probably just a fissure in his colon.  But then he had a bowel movement with lots of bright red blood in it and so I called the doctor again.  He had me bring Derrick in.  The doctor took a look and told me it was probably caused from Cows Milk Colitis.  I was occasionally giving Derrick bottles of formula so I thought he was going to tell me to stop doing that.  Instead he told me to stop nursing because it was the cow's milk that I was drinking that was upsetting Derrick's digestive track.  He told me to start feeding Derrick soy formula.

That advise didn't sit right with me.  I realized that I actually liked nursing this time around.  I liked that I didn't have to worry about bottles.  That I could just sit and nurse my baby.  With the twins I would have been overjoyed to have an excuse to stop nursing.  But nursing one baby was pretty nice.

The doctor told me that WIC would help my buy the expensive soy formula.  There was only one problem, it was Friday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend.  There was no way I could get a hold of WIC until Tuesday at the earliest.  So I decided to do my own little experiment.  I didn't feed Derrick any formula that entire weekend.  And surprise surprise, he stopped bleeding.

So after that I just started breastfeeding him exclusively.  Sometimes, in a pinch, I'd give him formula and he would start bleeding again.  He had one or two "mystery outbreaks" but then I discovered Lydia sharing her bottle of whole milk with him and that answered the question.

I was a little worried about what I was going to do when I left Derrick for 3 days while I went river rafting.  I didn't really have time or the milk supply to pump enough milk.  But then my friend Michelle offered me a lot extra milk she'd pumped and frozen.  We'd shared a dorm room in college and so sharing milk really wasn't that weird for me.  She gave me a whole bunch of milk and I felt so much better about leaving Derrick.

I also covered my bases and left formula too.  It's a good thing I did that.  My Mom's response to a crying baby is to immediately feed them. (It must be a Grandma thing) so Derrick went through all Michelle's milk in one day.  Here is an actual conversation with my mom when I called home to check on the kids.

: Derrick's already had 6 oz and he's still crying.  I guess he wants more,
Me (in my head): Have you tried burping him!
Me (for real): Thanks for watching the kids and letting me have a break.  I'm going to go now.


Anyway, I was worried about how much blood I would find in his diaper after that weekend.  But miraculously there wasn't any.  I guess he outgrew whatever was bothering him.        

Well, Derrick's asleep now, but the girls are awake.  So I better finish.  Basically I love Derrick and I can't imagine my life without this little baby in it.  Oh and here is one more video:

A different type of road trip

A few weeks ago Brandon asked me if we would want to represent our branch in our stake's part of the Bountiful Handcart Days Parade.  Participating would mean pulling a handcart with the kids inside.  I thought it sounded like a fun idea.  The fact that I agreed must mean my PTSD from my youth conference handcart trek 10 years ago is wearing off.  

The parade was held the evening of July 20th.  We met at our appointed spot at 5:00.  The spot was just up the road from our apartment so we walked up there with the kids in the stroller and front pack.  Then we put everything into the handcart.  

 The parade started at 6:00 so we spent a lot of time just trying to keep the kids happy. 

 We were supposed to wear pioneer clothes.  I wanted to put as little effort into our costumes as possible.  The girls wore dresses that my friend Melissa made them for Christmas.  I knew they wouldn't wear sunbonnets so I brought straw hats from our costume box just in case they felt like wearing hats. Which they didn't.

 There were 5 other handcarts families from our stakes.  We had the youngest family by far (with 3 kids under 2 years old we ALWAYS have the youngest family) but there were a few other babies around.

 Soon it was time to start walking in the parade.  The cart actually wasn't that heavy.  Brandon wore his church pants and his shirt that he made several years ago. He was worn it for every Halloween costume since. He's been Robin Hood, a Mountain Man, and a pirate with this shirt.  I joked that I should wear my Indian costume, but I ended up just borrowing my cousin's skirt and bonnet.

 We had Derrick in his bouncy chair and he bounced to sleep almost right away.  The girls didn't really know what was going on but they stayed seated and waved at people when I told them to "Say Hi."  We gave them water and animal crackers to keep them happy.

 I was so surprised at how many people were at the parade.  Usually we just run up and watch it on the corner close to our house.  But walking the route showed me just how many people attended.  The streets were lined with crowds about 5 rows deep.  It was crazy.

 Sometimes the parade got backed up so we would stop for a second.  Brandon took this picture of me during one of the stops.

The sister missionaries took these next two pictures of us.  We had so much fun waving at people we knew.  

 At the end of the parade we had to walk the handcart to the drop off point at a church.  It wasn't as fun to pull when there weren't crowds cheering us on.  The girls got bored and started playing with the wheels.  After we dropped off the handcart we put the kids back in the stroller and front pack and walked home.

All in all we probably walked 4 miles.  I love walking, but I probably should have done it in something besides my little flat shoes.  My feet killed for two days.

I'm glad we agreed to do it.  I'm especially glad that I have a new, happy experience with handcarts.  If you click here you can see some news footage of the parade.  We are in it at minute 1:25.