The Mortenson Family

Helping Mommy

2012-01-21T17:49:00.001-05:00

We were having some friends over today, so I decided to make brownies. The girls were more than eager to help....or rather, lick the spoons!!! :-)

A little more of Christmas...

2012-01-21T15:43:00.001-05:00

While all of Kevin's side of the family were together the day after Christmas, Kevin's sister, Georganna took some pictures and we even got one of all of us together! Quite the clan we've got going now...when we got family pictures taken about year after we got married, there were only 16 people in that picture...now there are 28!!! That's quite the increase in almost 8 years!! Anyways, Georganna forwarded some pictures from that day, so now I'm sharing them with you.

Grandma and Grandpa with all the grandkids!!

..::Barrett: 9 Month Stats::..

2012-01-20T17:20:00.003-05:00

Barrett had his 9 month check up with Dr. Swanson this morning. Here are his stats:

23.5 lbs (95th percentile)

30" tall (98th percentile)

46.5 cm head circumference (95th percentile)

Healthy and Happy!!

..::Barrett: 9 Months::..

2012-01-18T20:49:00.003-05:00

NINE months!!! You know what that means?????.....only three months left of buying formula!!!

Wooooooooooooooohooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not excited, so don't think I am!!! :-)

******

What's been goin' on this past month??

*started waving - December 20th

*got 2nd tooth (bottom right central) - December 24th

(he got his two front teeth just in time for Christmas!!)

*experienced his FIRST Christmas

*stands up in crib (which is now how we find him each time we go in to get him) - Dec 29th

*starts clapping his hands - January 6th (does this ALL the time now)

*****

We have his 9 month checkup on Friday so I'll have to update his stats at that time. I'm guessing though that he's weighing in around 26 lbs!! I just cannot get enough of our little man. I seriously love. having. a. boy! LOVE it! I love my girls too, don't get me wrong....but there's just something different about having a boy, despite the obvious. :-) Maybe because after two girls it IS just that, different! Whatever it is, I just want to squeeze and smooch him all day long. He has a special hold on my heart and seriously can do no wrong in my eyes. I know I'm in trouble...he's going to be that crazy, tantrum-throwing 2 year old and I'll just say, it's okay, have whatever you want! Hahaha...okay, not REALLY, but that's how I feel at this point. He could ask me for a car for his 1st birthday and I'd buy him a real one. Lol...needless to say, I adore him! And what's even better, he absolutely, 100% adores his mama! I am sooooo the favorite. Even though, when daddy comes home from work, if he doesn't pick Barrett up within seconds, he's crying like we chopped his arm off...he still prefers mommy 99.9% of the time. :-) Oh goodness...I could go on and on (and on) about all the cute, adorable things about Bubba...but I'll spare you all!

Sufficeth to say, we all love him so much! He pretty much has each one of us (his sisters included) wrapped around his chubby little fingers!

Childhood Reminder

2012-01-18T19:10:00.002-05:00

Do you remember Fun Dips? I sure do! I remember riding my brown, banana-seat bike from my house, down the road, to the little convenience store to spend my hard earned (or hard found) money on this sugary confection! There was something about dipping a stick of hard candy into colored sugary powder. And having my tongue and lips turn crazy colors...so much fun!

So fast forward almost 30 years and my kids happened to come across some of these Fun Dips! It sure took me back...especially seeing the absolute delight on their faces!

Today is Barrett's 9 month and since I always take his picture to document this milestone, the girls have gotten into the routine of wanting to get their picture taken too. I thought today's pictures were too cute not to share. I sure love these girls! (*said through clenched teeth as I sit listening to one said girl throw a complete fit as I write this!!)

Get yer Motor Runnin'...

2012-01-14T19:43:00.002-05:00

...Head out on the Highway!!!

I think he's ready to hit the open road, don't you??!!!

Mr. Barrett is L.O.V.I.N.G. his new found freedom. Crawling, pulling up on things, cruising around furniture....life is goooooood for him these days!! He can quite often be found hangin' out under the table, like so:

And he loves it! He gets that big smile on his face and you know he thinks he's such a big kid!

Oh how we love this boy!!

Snow in Arizona

2011-12-30T18:49:00.000-05:00

There are many fabulous reasons to live in Tucson...but one benefit for Kevin and the kids is that Tucson is located at the base of Mt. Lemmon and during the winter, Mt. Lemmon receives a fair bit of snow. I would be completely fine to never see snow again in my lifetime...heaven knows I've experienced my fair share of the fluffy white stuff. But Kevin and the kids think it's great to check it out once in awhile. Where they get these crazy ideas, I'll never know!! :-)

Anywho, so we headed up to Mt. Lemmon since we could still see white at the top of the mountain from our house and Alexa has been asking and asking (and asking) to go play in the snow. And then they played in it for all of about 10 minutes! Oh well, at least they got to experience it, and we did have a fun day as a family!

A Whole New World...

2011-12-28T18:41:00.003-05:00

Now that standing has been achieved...a whole new world has opened up to Bubba Man!

{Mortenson Family Christmas}

2011-12-26T22:34:00.001-05:00

Today was our Mortenson Family Christmas Party. We all met at Duane & Emily's house this morning. The kids had a great time playing spies and finding all the Reindeer. We had a yummy lunch, played at the park, opened presents, played some basketball, visited, had a yummy dinner, played some games and just had a great time spending the day with family!

{Christmas 2011}

2011-12-25T22:34:00.003-05:00

We had a much lower-key Christmas this year thanks to the stomach bug hitting our house Friday night after getting home from seeing the lights at Winterhaven. Poor Payton was hit the hardest, followed by Alexa. Kevin and I both felt a little nauseous most of the day yesterday but thankfully Barrett seems unaffected at this point!!

In light of dealing with the pukeys, we didn't do our annual visit to the Desert Museum yesterday. :-( We stayed close to home and I kept my washing machine going constantly for almost 24 hours straight just to catch up with cleaning all the puked on clothes and bedding!! I know, you can't contain your jealousy! :-)

Anyways, the girls were feeling pretty good by the afternoon on Christmas Eve...looks like it was just a 12-hour kind of bug! Phew!! Being sick didn't take away any of the excitement of Christmas...they couldn't wait to open up their Christmas pj's.

Oh. My. Cuteness.

We (Kevin and I) managed to stay up late enough to find that Santa had snuck in without us knowing!!

He even left a note for the girls....they LOVED it!!

Christmas Morning....and ready to see what Santa brought them!

Opening their stockings...

Checking out the goods that Santa brought them in their stockings.

Time for presents!

We even had Grandma and Grandpa Mortenson over for lunch today! The girls couldn't wait to show Gramma what Santa brought for them!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Winterhaven Festival of Lights

2011-12-23T23:16:00.000-05:00

There is a community here in Tucson called Winterhaven. With a name like that, it's only fitting that they go all out to decorate for the Christmas season, don't ya think??!! We went to check out this spectacular display of lights tonight and it did not disappoint. Despite the chilly night, it was fun to get out and walk around this neighborhood to see all the lights!

There was even a snow machine that the girls got a kick out of!

That's the kind of snow I can handle!! :-)

Awwwwww....if you can't tell, that is mistletoe that we're standing under!!

And I didn't even have to twist Kevin's arm to get this picture!!! (okay, maybe just a little!)

A Visit with the Jolly Big Guy...

2011-12-21T16:11:00.001-05:00

I took the kids to visit Santa today at the mall. They were so excited to see him and talk to him and tell him all their wishes for Christmas this year. That is, until it was actually our turn...and then Payton didn't want to go anywhere near him, so I got to be in the picture for the 2nd year in a row!!

***

Merry almost Christmas!!!

Daddy/Daughter Date

2011-12-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

Payton got her very first official one-on-on date with daddy tonight. AND it was also her very first UofA Basketball Game. We were a little worried how she would do since the games are about 2 hours long, and she's only 2 1/2...but she lasted the entire game!! She kept her eye on Wilbur the Wildcat the whole time and enjoyed some popcorn...but best of all, she got daddy all to herself! Have I mentioned how happy it makes me to know that this is so important to Kevin...to establish these daddy/daughter relationships with his girls?!! I LOVE it! And I love how much they look forward to these dates with daddy! I hope it always is this way!

..::Barrett: 8 Months::..

2011-12-18T15:42:00.003-05:00

8 Months!!

*****

The happenings for Bubba Man this past month:

*Sat up from crawling position - November 23rd

*Took forward crawling steps - November 30th

*Sat up in crib for first time - December 1st (he's now sitting up every time we go in to get him)

*CRAWLING!!!!! - December 5th

*Clicks tongue - December 10th (he finds this pretty funny when we do it back to him)

*Says "Ma-Ma" - December 10th

*Starts pulling himself up on things - December 15th

*****

So we're in major baby-proofing mode now that Barrett is a full-fledged crawler! He is like a little puppy....ANYthing he gets his hands on goes straight to his mouth! And now that he's pulling up on things, there's more to get into! It's so fun to see all the learning he's doing though. He is such a sweet, funny little boy!

Happy 8 Months Bubba!!!

Tubby Santas

2011-12-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

I'm not usually one for posting pictures of the kiddos in the bathtub. HOWEVER, as they were giggling and splashing away tonight, I went in to make sure water wasn't all over the floor...and I found too little Santas playing in the tub! So I quickly handed them some washcloths for modesty and snapped a couple pictures! Pretty cute bubble beards, don't ya think??!!

Oh these girls make me laugh!!!

~Letters to Santa~

2011-12-17T15:23:00.000-05:00

Today was our annual trek to Santa's special mailbox at the mall so the girls could send their letters to him. I think Payton actually gets it this year. Even though last year she was all about pointing out each and every Santa she saw and saying "ho, ho, ho" all the time...this year, she understands the whole concept of Santa, and being naughty or being nice, and the consequences of both.

We even started a new tradition called 'Elf on the Shelf' where an elf joins our family, we name it (ours is "Fizzy") and this elf sits on a shelf and SEES and HEARS what goes on each and every day. And each night, Fizzy reports back to Santa. The kids can't touch Fizzy or her magic goes away and she has to return to the North Pole forever. Part of the fun is finding where Fizzy comes back to each morning. The girls LOVE it and I have to say that it's helped in the behavior department....to a degree. At first, it was like a Christmas Miracle...it helped Payton stay in her bed at night for a full week straight. I think that novelty wore off already!! :-( But it's been great reminding the girls each and every day, sometimes MANY times a day, that Fizzy can hear them and do they REALLY want her to tell Santa how they're behaving?? Needless to say, it's a tradition we'll be keeping for as long as we can! We're already looking forward to Fizzy coming back next Christmas season!! Can she stay all year????? :-)

..::Barrett: Pulling Up::..

2011-12-16T19:47:00.001-05:00

Our little Bubba man is now pulling himself up on things!! He actually started doing it yesterday but today is when we decided to document it on film!! Way to go Barrett!!!

-Gingerbread Houses-

2011-12-13T21:40:00.000-05:00

This is totally a messy and time consuming Christmas tradition but the girls loves it...so it's worth it! It didn't help that the icing package split right next to where it dispenses from and so it made it EXTRA messy this year! Hopefully we'll continue to improve on our gingerbread making skillz as the years go by!!

Christmas Pageant - Preschool Style!

2011-12-12T22:06:00.004-05:00

Tonight was Alexa's Christmas program at her Preschool. She has been sooooooooo excited about this. They have been practicing their songs for weeks. Her class was dressed up as the shepherds and she couldn't wait! I love that she thoroughly enjoys going to school and learning, she just soaks it all up. Poor little Payton though, couldn't understand why she didn't get to be up there with her sister. We had to pull her back down to where we were sitting probably 3 different times! Next year, Payton, next year!! :-)

*****

(Alexa is the cute little shepherd in purple stripes, if you're having a hard time locating her. She was especially excited about the song "Come Let Us Adore Him" and so, although you can't really see her, I had to put that video in too!)

Temple Lights

2011-12-03T23:55:00.001-05:00

Today, we headed up to Phoenix for our nephew, Connor's, baptism. It was a great day to be able to spend time with family on Connor's special day. And since we were already up there, we figured it'd be the perfect time to go see the Christmas Lights at the Mesa Temple. The girls loved it last year and we knew we wanted to make it another family tradition at Christmas time. However, today was a very rainy day for Arizona and COLD to boot! But we knew it was going to be chilly and perhaps rainy so we came prepared with umbrellas and warm clothing. Thankfully though, the rain stopped while we were walking around so it was still pretty chilly for us not used to that kind of weather, but at least we weren't getting wet too! :-)

****

(My camera was set on a weird setting so all our pictures from tonight are dark and fuzzy!)

It was a fun evening with our little family, enjoying the Spirit of Christmas right on Temple Grounds. The lights were beautiful but they only added to the beauty of the temple!

This Girl...

2011-12-03T19:50:00.001-05:00

...is such a girly-girl and totally a stinker, and she knows it! I fear she's giving us a good taste already of what her teenage years are going to be like...and the forecast isn't good! But OH if she isn't so darn cute!!! Attitude, sassy-ness, drama, emotions and all...she's a keeper!! :-)

Oh the places he can go....

2011-12-01T17:29:00.004-05:00

After tubby time tonight, I came back downstairs with Barrett and put him down on the floor so I could make up a bottle for him. When I turned back around, this is what I found. He'd scooted himself over to the exersaucer and then crawled in. He was so proud of himself. It really won't be long now until he is crawling all over!

******

And just for fun, I had to do a comparison of all three kiddos...it's been a long time since I've done one of these. You can definitely tell the kids are siblings but Barrett is just a much more masculine version!

~Family Pictures~

2011-11-30T21:56:00.001-05:00

About a week and a half ago, we decided we should probably get some family pictures taken so we could send out our annual Christmas Card. It worked out nicely that Kevin's brother, Duane's father-in-law (who dabbles in photography) was in town for Thanksgiving, and so we went over to their house and used their backyard. I'm pretty happy with what we ended up with. Here are some of our favorites:

And here are some of the funny ones...

Be on the lookout for our Christmas card, coming to a mailbox near you soon!!!

Season of Thanks

2011-11-25T22:43:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving 2011

Football

Playing

Being Cute

Lots of sliding

Conversations with Cousins

Chillaxin' with buddies

(Barrett with his cousin, Christian, who is 2 months older)

Eating

Lots of yummy food

(the luscious 4-layer pumpkin cake I made)

Making turkey rice-krispie treats

Jumping on the trampoline

Turkey Hunt

"I Found One!!!"

More sliding

More being cute

(he can't help himself!!)

Snuggle time

Hangin' with Gramps

******************

We had a GREAT Thanksgiving. We went up to Darron & Ann's this year, along with David, Kevin's parents, and Georganna and her family. As you can see, we had a lot of fun! We have so much to be thankful for; our Savior and the Gospel, our family, our health, wonderful friends, a good job...the list goes on and on. We're grateful for the time we were able to spend with family this weekend and look forward to the upcoming Christmas Season and the time we'll have to reflect more on the birth and life of our Savior and Redeemer!

******

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Happy Birthday...

2011-11-20T22:34:00.001-05:00

Alexa is FIVE!!!!

Five years ago today, I became a Mom. Kevin and I became Parents. It. Was. A. BIG DAY! And today, that sweet baby girl has turned into a beautiful young little lady!

I cannot believe she is five!

****

A little bit about the birthday girl:

*She became a big sister again this year and thoroughly loves her baby brother!

*She started preschool and LOVES it! She asks every day if it is a school day!

*She does not like crusty food (totally not my daughter, the crispier the better for me!!!)

*She loves blankets and sleeps with several of her favorites each night

*She loves pretty things...dresses, skirts, shoes, purses, jewelry, hair

*She loves to sing and I can quite often find her during the day making up songs as she's playing

*She's 43 1/4 " tall (75th percentile) and 39 lbs (50th percentile)

*She would live in dresses if I would let her (I love her in jeans and a t-shirt too!!)

*She loves anything princessy

*She has a growing infatuation with Justin Bieber thanks to her cousin, Norah (I do not feed or encourage this infatuation)

*She still sucks her thumb but only at night now (too bad we can't just get rid of the thumb)

*She took a gymnastics class and had a lot of fun with her friend Evie

*She loves going to Primary at church and gets so excited when it's her turn to give a talk

Alexa decided that she wanted a family party and since her birthday fell on a Sunday this year, this worked out perfectly. We went out to dinner yesterday as a family, to Chili's...Alexa's choice, so she could get the free chocolate cake! Then today, she got to open presents before church. After church, I made her requested birthday dinner...steak, risotto and fruit salad. She has good taste!! She went back and forth all year as to what kind of cake she wanted but she finally settled on a strawberry cake with vanilla frosting and she wanted purple flowers. Easy peasy! Pretty low key...but I'm pretty sure she still felt special all day! I think her favorite part was probably getting her birthday card from Grandma and Grandpa Mortenson and her birthday package from Grandma and Grandpa Baker. She absolutely LOVES to get mail just for her and she was equally excited to find birthday money from both grandparents!

Happy Birthday Alexa!

We love you too much! :-)

A little too much love???

2011-11-19T15:30:00.000-05:00

Little do the girls realize, for all their love and good intentions, one day Barrett is going to be bigger than them!!! :-)

..::Barrett: 7 Months::..

2011-11-18T23:56:00.003-05:00

Seven months have come and gone. My baby is 7 months old!! He is getting soooo big and he's just so much fun to have around! His funny little personality is really starting to shine and I love it!

***

The Happenings this month:

*Says Da-Da - November 4th

*Gets up on all fours - November 4th

*FIRST TOOTH!!!! - November 16th (bottom left central)

****

Barrett is still scooching backwards and rolling everywhere he wants to go. Now that he's getting up on all fours and rocking to and fro, we know it won't be long until he's crawling all over the place! The girls love to make him laugh and he enjoys watching all of their antics! I hope they are always as protective and loving of him as they are now!

***

Happy 7 Months Bubba!

..::New Tradition::..

2011-11-18T23:43:00.003-05:00

One thing I really enjoy with my own little family is incorporating traditions that Kevin and I had growing up into what we do and especially starting our own new traditions. Last year, Kevin and I went to the Christmas production at The Gaslight Theatre and decided that would be a fun NEW tradition to start with the kids...something to kick off the Christmas season each year. And so we took the girls tonight. We got a babysitter for Barrett as he wouldn't have enjoyed it and then neither would have the rest of us!! Anyways, the girls LOVED it. It was so fun to watch them totally enthralled with the singing and dancing and fun of it all, especially when Payton would get her little bootie shakin' along with the music! Soooooo cute!

We will most definitely be keeping this one as a favorite Christmas tradition!

Sooooo close...

2011-11-08T17:07:00.001-05:00

...to crawling!!! Barrett can pretty much get wherever he wants to these days, but it's usually by rolling to and fro or scooting backwards on his belly. But now, he's up on all fours and rockin' away. He wants to be crawling like there's no tomorrow!!! Man, this kid just melts my heart. I mean, look at those baby blues!!!

These videos are for my family who doesn't get to see Barrett very often. Don't mind my crazy-person laugh in one of the videos...it's what was making Barrett laugh!! I love that I'm the most funniest person in the world to him!! He gives my ego a boost on a daily basis!!

-happy halloween-

2011-10-31T23:48:00.002-05:00

We had a fun Halloween this year. We, once again, went to IHOP for their free scary face pancakes for the kiddos! I sure hope next year is easier because me vs 3 kids was a little much! The girls had a fun day and couldn't wait to go trick-or-treating.....their anticipation was huge! So we got them all ready and headed out the door at 5:30. Back in Louisville, that would have been late. Here in Arizona...apparently, that's too early. We were practically the only ones out and there were several very dark houses still with no one home (or at least not answering their doors yet). But by the time our two fairy princesses and one fierce lion were heading home, the sidewalks were packed, lights on and people answering their doors!!! We'll know for next year that we better not start until at least 6pm!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Annual Painting of the Pumpkins!

2011-10-24T22:46:00.000-05:00

The girls were so excited to finally paint their pumpkins that they picked out at the pumpkin patch a couple weeks ago! One day they'll actually get to carve their own pumpkins, but for now...painting is MUCH safer, so we'll stick with it for a few more years!

Primary Program 2011

2011-10-23T16:42:00.001-05:00

Today was Alexa's second Primary Program at church. She was sooooo excited about it. We even had to cut our trip to Gramma & Grampa's house short so we could be back for today, otherwise we knew Alexa would be heartbroken. She loves to get up in front of our congregation and sing her little heart out. She works hard all year to learn the songs and she memorized her little part. She's such a confident little girl...had no trouble or nervousness over getting up in front of all those people, unlike her mama!!! I sure hope she can keep that confidence as she gets older! We're so proud of the little lady she's growing into!

To Grandma's House We Go...

2011-10-22T19:17:00.005-05:00

We ventured down to Elfrida this weekend to visit Kevin's parents. It had been way too long since our last visit! And the girls had a blast! I was a little wary, seeing as both Payton and Barrett had their flu shots on Friday morning, as well as Barrett's 6 month shots, and you never know how kids are going to react to shots. But they were troopers and handled it like pros! And we all had a great time. We played with the bazillions of grasshoppers in Gramma and Grampa's yard, jumped on the trampoline, rode horses, gathered eggs from the chickens, rode tractors...just to name a few things!! It was a fun-filled, activity-packed 24 hours!

Thanks Gramma & Grampa for a fun weekend!!

..::Barrett: 6 Months::..

2011-10-18T22:41:00.003-05:00

HALLELUJAH....Barrett is 6 MONTHS OLD!!!!

*****

I look forward to this milestone like none other!! Yes, half of my baby's first year is over....but that also means that HALF OF MY BABY'S FIRST YEAR IS ALMOST OVER!!! :-) I do enjoy the tiny-ness and snuggles of a new baby but everything else that goes along with having a newborn in the house...not so much. But now that we've reached 6 months, not only am I feeling more sane and more in control after having a baby...but Barrett is getting to a point where he's just easier. He's always been a good baby...but now, he's started to play with toys more and is interested in things around him and has started to eat baby puffs which helps for times when I'm making dinner and just need a few more minutes before feeding him. It just seems like things get a little bit easier each and every day, starting at 6 months.

****

His stats at 6 months:

Weight: 22.5 lbs (98th percentile)

Height: 28" (95th percentile)

Head: 46 cm (98th percentile...yay, he's actually ON the charts now!)

*****

Milestones this month:

*Rolled over back to front - Sept 22nd

*Starts shaking head side to side - Sept 29th

*Has started eating baby puffs

****

Barrett, we love you more than we can possibly imagine. Our family would be lost without your funny little personality, your sweet smiles and snuggles, your adorable laugh, your squishy-ness!!! We just can't get enough of you!

Halloween Cookies

2011-10-18T16:40:00.002-05:00

There are some traditions you just have to keep up with...even if it means dealing with a big mess to clean up afterwards. It's worth it. The kids LOVE making Halloween sugar cookies. And who am I kidding...despite the mess, I sure enjoy nibbling on a warm sugar cookie covered with frosting, or two...or three...!! :-) And it's even more fun when you have friends over to share in the fun!

~Pumpkin Patch 2011~

2011-10-15T21:38:00.003-05:00

It's tradition every year to head to a pumpkin patch. And this year, one opened up just 20 minutes from us. We had heard a lot of negative things but the close proximity sealed the deal for us and we decided to check it out anyways. And we enjoyed it. Yes, they were charging a lot for the activities going on but there were still plenty of FREE things for the kids to do. And we like free!!! The girls enjoyed picking out their perfect pumpkin and we had fun continuing on with our yearly "Fall" tradition...even though the 100 degree weather didn't really feel very fall-ish at all!

We will definitely be heading back next year!

Thanks Marana Pumpkin Patch for a fun afternoon!!

..::Tasty Toes::..

2011-10-09T16:35:00.001-05:00

This funny boy has discovered his toes and boy does he LOVE them!!! He is constantly putting them in his mouth. And I just love that he can actually get them up that far with all his delicious rolls!! Look at that thigh....oh my, he's just so darn squishy and I can't get enough of smooching on this poor boy! One day he'll push me away, but for now, I'm gonna enjoy that he lets me do it!!

{Eating Crow}

2011-10-08T22:03:00.005-05:00

It's NO secret...I've never been a big fan of minivans. Never liked them. Never wanted one. Never wanted to own one. It wasn't me. I'm more of a Tahoe kind of girl! Always have been. Always will be. And one day will most definitely own one! Howwwwwwwevvvvvverrrrrrrr.....at this present juncture of our lives, a Tahoe just isn't practical. And since having Barrett and squishing 3 car seats side by side in our Rendezvous, the picture became clearer and clearer that a van would be the most practical approach...for THIS season of our parenting. I stress THIS! As soon as the kiddos are big enough...you can bet we'll be shopping for a Tahoe! :-)

******

Anywho, onto the eating crow portion of this post...

MEET LUPE! (loop-ay)

She is the much younger, prettier sister of Kevin's car, Rosa!

And we are oh so happy to welcome her into our family! :-)

There...that's it...We. own. a. minivan. Crow eaten!!!

*****

Now onto cuter things...I was feelin' a bit festive this morning so I decided to put Barrett in a Halloween shirt. Good thing I was thinkin' ahead when I bought it several months ago and got the 12 month sized shirt otherwise it wouldn't be fittin' our little chunker-munker. Oh goodness...I could just eat him up!

I know I have my hard days....but I have been sooooo blessed! I get to call these three adorable kiddos mine, M-I-N-E, mine!

Happy October!

..::Barrett: Just Because::..

2011-09-30T21:36:00.002-05:00

I LOVE THIS KID!!!!!

..::Barrett: 5 Months::..

2011-09-18T13:27:00.004-05:00

5 Months! Wow! Really??? Could it be that I am starting to feel a bit more "normal" now after having a baby??? This feeling usually creeps in for me around the 5-6 month mark! And I am welcoming it with open arms!! :-)

****

The happenings for this month:

*He responds to his name - Aug 22nd

*1st trip to Canada - Aug 23-27th (got to meet MANY family members for the first time!)

*1st trim haircut - Aug 25th

*Found his feet - Sept 1st

*Started solid foods - Sept 1st

*Rolled over for his first SECOND time, back to front - Sept 11th (he rolled over at 12 days old and then nothing since)

*1st major haircut, we buzzed it! - Sept 17th

**** Barrett is sooooo social! He loves to smile and laugh at his sisters. And he loves to be held. And he loves to eat! As long as he's fed and being held, he's one happy camper! We are getting more use out of the exersaucer these days, which gives me a break from time to time....but any floor time ends pretty quickly as he immediately rolls over onto his tummy and then gets frustrated! We need him to learn how to roll back ASAP!! Barrett has also started sleeping LONGER stretches for me. While we were in Canada, he slept 10 hours straight one night and then 10.5 hours the next night. It. was. dreamy. But then we came home and he started waking up a couple time each night again. However, he's gradually worked his way back to giving us nice long stretches (some between 11-12 hours) the majority of the time. It really is heavenly! The girls didn't do this so young so I am seriously loving it! We all just love this little man so much. I know I say this every month...but I honestly don't know what I'd do without him in my life. He brings a smile to my face every time I look at him. I'm so grateful to be his mommy!

Here's a little clip of his latest rolling trick!

..::Barrett's First Haircut::..

2011-09-17T12:07:00.003-05:00

When I was in Canada a few weeks ago, I gave Barrett his first "trim". I just took a little off the top so his curly fauxhawk wasn't so long. But his hair was starting to just get too long all over. I debated over whether or not to try and leave some longer on the top...but he was just too squirmy to try and create a STYLE. So a buzz he got!! But I think he still looks pretty darn adorable!

..::Can't Get Enough::..

2011-09-14T11:59:00.006-05:00

Since starting solid foods a couple weeks ago, I can't keep up with bubba!! He. loves. it. all! You name it, he's eating it....cereal, fruits, veggies, meats! He seriously can't get enough. If I can't spoon it into his mouth fast enough, he cries. When I'm done feeding him, he cries. He just always wants more. I'm kinda worried about what life is going to be like when this little guy is a teenager!! He's already eating us out of house and home, I can only imagine what it'll be like when he's older and bringing his friends home!!! But I love having a good eater....I'll take this over a fussy one any day!

::Picture Perfect::

2011-09-13T21:55:00.004-05:00

Alexa was soooo proud of the chalk-drawing she made on the back patio today. She grabbed the camera and took a couple pictures of it herself before I had a chance to help her with it. And then she insisted on being in the picture with her drawing. I loved though that she knew it probably wouldn't last long, being outside and all AND having a younger sister who likes to destroy things, and so she knew a picture would keep it forever!

***

Love my little lady and her boundless imagination. She continually amazes me with the stories, songs and pictures she comes up with!

~Camping~

2011-09-11T17:43:00.003-05:00

So my idea of camping is a nice cabin on a lake somewhere with said cabin having running water and electricity. And perhaps a couple jet skis on the dock...one especially for me, and one for everyone else! :-) THAT is MY idea of camping. Unfortunately, that's not the type of camping we experienced this weekend. I must really love my husband! :-) I was able to get out of the Mortenson Family Camp Out back in June because I'd just recently had a baby, only to have it cancelled anyways...so fast forward a couple months and it's not so recent that I just had a baby anymore and my husband. just. really. loves. camping. And really REALLY wants to go. So we plan a camping trip with his brother's family and their parents. The girls are super excited. Alexa well remembers her camping experience last Fall with her daddy and grandparents and can't wait to go again. I'll admit...I got a little caught up in their excitement too. However, it. is. a. lot. of. work. I think that's my biggest issue with it....it's sooooo much work to get everything all packed up for one day, to get there and get everything all set up, just to take it all down, get it home and put it all away again.

That would have been all fine though....if the Monsoon that had been absent for the past 3 weeks hadn't decided to come back with a vengance THE day we planned on going camping! Despite being stuck in our tent from about 7:30pm on due to pouring rain, thunder and lightning, and it being a lot colder than we'd anticipated, AND not getting to make s'mores by the fire :-), we did have a fun time, and thankfully got our camp set up before the rain set in. The girls had a great time! We had fun cooking over the fire, making a swing, finding a little horny toad named "Flowers", eating marshmallows, seeing a flock of wild turkeys and spending time with family!

Oh and here's my hottie chopping wood for our fire!!! Love you babe....you may just get me to go camping again, maybe!! :-)

..::Tummy Time::..

2011-09-05T17:42:00.001-05:00

..::baby food::..

2011-09-01T17:41:00.001-05:00

After Barrett's check-up yesterday, and the doctor's advice to put some prune juice with some rice cereal to help out with our little man's bowel issues....we decided to start baby food today! Barrett wasn't so sure on the first couple bites. But then he LOVED it! Couldn't get enough of it. I'm pretty sure our bubba man is going to eat us out of house and home...!

~Until We Meet Again~

2011-08-28T21:22:00.001-05:00

My dear, sweet Grandpa Leavitt passed away this past Monday. He is, without a doubt, one of the most amazing people I have ever known. He has been a true and wonderful example to me my entire life. The last time I saw him (pictured above) was almost 3 years ago at my little brother's wedding. His health went downhill after that time and I'm grateful that I'm able to remember him as the same funny Gramps he always was! After getting the news Monday morning, I spent the rest of the day crazily trying to arrange things so that I could actually go to Canada to be at the funeral. Thankfully, we had known it wouldn't be much longer and so shortly after Barrett was born, we applied for his passport so we'd be able to travel with him if something like this should occurr. But seeing as this was so last minute, only Barrett and I were able to go and so I had to arrange things for my girls while Kevin was at work. I am sooooo grateful for wonderful friends who stepped in and saved me this past week and helped us out so much! It wouldn't have been possible without them!

*****

So, on Tuesday morning, Barrett and I ventured off to Canada. Even Payton hasn't been to Canada (unless you count me being pregnant with her the last time we were there!!!), so hopefully she doesn't hold that against Barrett when they're older!! :-) Barrett was such a good little traveler! I was able to get a row all to myself on the plane and Barrett slept the majority of the time! LOVE him!!!

The funeral was a fabulous tribute to a wonderful man. My mom, aunts and uncles did an amazing job pulling this together so quickly. It was so great to be able to see my sweet grandma and so many other family members who I haven't seen in so long! How grateful I am for the knowledge I have that families are forever and that I WILL see my grandpa again.

After the funeral, I was able to go back to Calgary for a couple days and spend time with friends who I haven't seen in years as well!

And, of course, I spent more time with family! Barrett was seriously loved by all! I'm pretty sure he was the life of the party, the center of attention every where we went!! :-)

It was a fun, fast, long whirlwind few days but I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be there! I'm thankful I was able to see my family and good friends. And now I'm looking forward to taking my WHOLE family back to Canada next summer for the Leavitt Family Reunion.

'Til we meet again Grampa, 'til we meet again! Love you tons!

-Three Little Wildcats-

2011-08-20T22:03:00.003-05:00

To say Kevin is excited for football season to start is a GROSS understatement!! He attempted to take Alexa to the scrimmage last year but it got cancelled ten minutes into the game, due to lightning. Soooo...with no rain or lightning in the forecast, he wanted us all to go. He insisted that Barrett NEEDED to go to his first football game!! I'm sure it's made all the difference in the world! He's sure to be even more of an Arizona fanatic now!! :-) Anyways, despite it being sweltering hot, we had a great time and we even got Coach Stoops to sign a little football after the scrimmage was over! Let's go Wildcats!

Don't we have the cutest little wildcat fans ever??!!!

.::Barrett: 4 Months::..

2011-08-18T21:45:00.001-05:00

FOUR months have passed since Bubba joined our family! Our little man has certainly beefed up...his stats from his 4 month check up are:

***

26 1/2 inches tall (98th percentile)

20.4 lbs (off the charts)

48cm head circumference (off the charts)

***

He is just a BIG kid! I'm pretty sure his rolls have rolls! And I LOVE it!! I absolutely love how squishy and delicious he is. I sure enjoy smooching on those cheeks ALL day EVERY day!

*****

What's happened with Barrett this past month:

*He started sleeping in his own room - July 23rd

*His (and all of ours) 1st trip to the Grand Canyon - July 30th

*He met his Grandpa Baker for the first time - July 30th

*He started putting himself to sleep!!! (LOVE this one!!) - August 3rd

*Started blowing raspberries - August 8th

*Has discovered his feet

*Continues his love affair with his hands!

*****

It's been a fun month....OH, I think the biggest thing this month is that Barrett is now completely on formula. I started weaning him right after 3 months and we are officially done nursing!!! He was a great nurser and I enjoyed that special bond with him, but it was time. It has definitely helped me feel less overwhelmed...now that others can help with his feeding!

Barrett, we sure love you and are enjoying each new day with you!!!

Barrett's First Trip to the ZOO

2011-08-13T20:24:00.003-05:00

We ventured to the zoo this morning. It was Barrett's first time and he was so excited that he slept through the entire thing! He didn't wake up until it was time for our picnic lunch after the zoo. I'm sure he had a great time though!! The rest of us sure did...we got to see the the trainer with the Jaguars and with the Elephants too. And then we had a fun picnic by the pond. The pigeons tried to horn in on our lunch but the girls enjoyed chasing them away, over and over again!!

..::A Big BIG Day::..

2011-08-10T16:52:00.004-05:00

A new chapter has begun....the school years!! Alexa turns 5 in November, which means she missed the cutoff for Kindergarten by only a couple of months....so we opted for preschool this year. Three mornings a week, Monday-Wednesday-Friday, from 9am-noon at Lord of Grace Preschool, just under 10 minutes from our house. It's fabulous! Alexa was soooooooooo excited for her first day! She had no problem walking right into her classroom and getting settled. No tears here...for her OR for me! We were both soooooo READY for today!! After I picked her up and asked how her day went, she asked "mommy, can I go every day??"! I'd say it's safe to say that she likes it! I know she's technically ready for kindergarten...but this will be a good transition year for her to get ready for all day-every day kindergarten next year!

****

Good luck, Alexa...mommy and daddy are so proud of you!!

Are They Related??

2011-08-08T16:34:00.004-05:00

I'm pretty sure people can tell these 3 cute kiddos are siblings!! These are all my babies right around 2 1/2 months old. Of course, the headband/bow gives it away who the girls are...but Barrett fits right in too, even if he does have his own "look". However, can you believe how much BIGGER Barrett is than the girls were at his age...I mean, just the length of his legs, wow!! I don't think it'll be long before he towers over his BIG sisters!!

Look who is...

2011-08-07T19:42:00.001-05:00

Our little man is growing up WAY too fast!! He's only 3 1/2 months old and already sitting up. Albeit a bit wobbly but sitting nonetheless!!

..:Goin' to the movies:..

2011-08-05T19:41:00.002-05:00

I know this is a really dark picture...but it's the only one I got. Daddy took Alexa to HER first movie last summer and we never got a picture of that, so I wanted to make sure we documented Payton's first movie experience. It was the last day of the kids' summer movie program at our local theater and so we ventured out...me and the three kids! Payton was mesmerized for the first 45 minutes. She just sat eating her popcorn and watched the "big TV". But that quickly wore off...and then I was soooo glad that it was a bunch of other moms and their kids there too, as Payton was constantly in and out of her seat and both girls were asking me for snack after snack, meanwhile I'm trying to take care of Barrett, who didn't want to nap! BUT, we made it through the whole movie so I consider it a success! And the girls had fun so that makes me happy!

~Weekend Getaway~

2011-08-02T19:38:00.003-05:00

This past weekend we got out of town for a little, much-needed vacation. We headed up to Flagstaff on Friday afternoon to stay the night before heading to the Grand Canyon on Saturday. My parents were flying in from Canada to meet us there for the adventure. So as soon as Kevin got off work on Friday, we loaded up and headed out of town. We got up to Flagstaff at dinnertime and so we popped into a hometown burger joint, Bun Huggers, that was recommended by a good friend. It did not disappoint. And even if we hadn't been told about it, we probably would have gone just for the name!! :-) After dinner, we checked into our hotel and then went for a swim. This was Barrett's first real time going for a swim, with his cute little swim trunks, not just a dip of the toes! He didn't really seem to care one way or the other. The girls just wanted to swim in the "mommy/daddy pool" (aka the hot tub), which they weren't allowed to!

After the swim, and quick baths, we headed down to the firepit they had in the courtyard of the hotel. The girls thought it was pretty cool to sit by the fire, but they REALLY thought it was cool when a complete stranger came up and said she had all the fixins for s'mores!! Yummo....it was so kind of her to share with all of us. The girls absolutely loved it....we probably should have waited to give them tubs until after the sticky treat, but oh well!

My parents arrived at the hotel after all the kids were asleep so they were all excited to see each other first thing on Saturday morning. My mom brought Barrett this adorable hat! As you can see, he enjoyed gettin' down with his bad self right away!! :-)

And then it was on to THE GRAND CANYON!!! I had never been there. Kevin went once when he was ten. If you have never been, and have only seen pictures....you just have to go and experience it in person. It. Is. Amazing! For reals. It is so HUGE and magnificent and breathtaking and beautiful and....I could go on and on. And it is definitely not something you can experience in just one day. That's all the time we had AND we had 3 small children, so I feel like we experienced it the best we could given our circumstances...but I definitely want to go back some day when our kids are a bit older (once we don't have to pack diapers bags but before they're teenagers and think it's too boring!!) so we can enjoy it a bit more. Seriously, if you have the opportunity, go. see. the Grand Canyon!

The rest of the quick visit from my parents, the kids just enjoyed having Gramma and Papa around! We went went to church, played in the rain, wore silly hats, went shopping, played at the mall play area, had lunch at the mall and went out for dinner. We crammed alot into our weekend but we sure had fun doing it!

Thanks Mom and Dad for a fun visit! The kids miss you tons and tons!

::Miss Sassy Pants::

2011-07-27T20:26:00.002-05:00

Otherwise known as Payton...but more commonly called "Stinker Jae" at this present juncture in her life! She is sassy through and through these days. We hope this phase passes soon...but it's not likely, I'm sure! She IS, after all, a girl...and we have yet to hit her teenage years. Definitely something to look forward to!! ;-) Oh. Boy.

--Transformation--

2011-07-26T16:15:00.004-05:00

It's finally time for Barrett to move out of our room and into his own room. So Alexa's old room needed to go from THIS:

To THIS:

And finally, to THIS:

Out went the Princess (peptobismol) Pink, and in came the Arizona Navy Blue. One of the hygienists that works with Kevin had this huge stencil for the Arizona block 'A' so we spent hours and hours and even more hours on our own 'A' for Barrett's room. We're quite happy with how it turned out. And a special thanks to both my mom and Kevin's mom for the beautiful UofA themed quilts they made for our sweet boy!

****

So there ya have it - Barrett's Wildcat Nursery!

(we still have a couple projects in the works for his room, so stay tuned!!)

Lovin' on Baby

2011-07-22T20:40:00.001-05:00

We do a lot of this these days! The girls love to hold their baby brother, they love to give him toys and are always willing to share their own loveys and stuffed animals with him. I sure hope they always continue to love and adore each other!

..::A Visit From Our Pieps::..

2011-07-19T22:46:00.007-05:00

The Piepgrass Family (aka the "Pieps") came to visit us for the past few weeks. This is my sister, Jenn's family. It had been 2 1/2 years since we last saw them and we were soooooo excited for their visit. They drove all the way from the Great White North and we're so thankful that they did. They got here just in time to spend the 4th of July with us! And what a star-spangled good time we had!! :-)

****

I made my traditional cake, Jenn made a red, white and blue punch and I made teriyaki burgers for the 2nd year in a row. I think we'll make that a tradition as well. We also had Kevin's brother, Duane, and his family over again this year too....lots of family = lots of fun!! We loved it!

Let's see...I have now known my brother-in-law, Steve, for over 17 years...and I think, at least when we're in the same vicinity anyways, there hasn't been a time when I have developed a roll of film (I know, I know...totally dating myself), or downloaded pictures from my camera, only to find a most glorious up-close, mug-shot-esque picture of Stevie P.! And this time was NO different!! I had a little fun playing around with it a bit on picnik.com! Thanks Steve for making my picture developing/downloading over the years a surprising experience!

While the Pieps were here...fun times were had by all. We spent a LOT of time at the pool! It was so nice to have the extra help so my kids could actually enjoy going to the pool this summer! I've been feeling a little bit overwhelmed with how I was going to get this done with THREE kiddos. Alexa, Max & Norah also took swimming lessons from a girl we know at church and they loved it, they all made big improvements!

We spent a lot of time just hangin' out. After 2 1/2 years, it was just nice to be together. It's easier in this day and age to feel like you stay in touch a lot more, what with Facebook, email, Skype, etc. etc....but it's still nice to be able to visit in person! And my girls absolutely loved and adored their cousins! They had so much fun with them and were always wanting to do what they were doing!

We even got a much needed date night out of it since we had FREE babysitters staying with us!! It was perfect! So we took Jenn and Steve to The Gaslight Theatre. As you know from previous posts, we absolutely LOVE Gaslight and any opportunity we get to go, we take it! This particular show did NOT disappoint and we're so glad Jenn and Steve enjoyed it too!

Ever since we moved into this house, I've been wanting, needing, dreaming about...shelves in my garage! And guess what...while my super-talented BIL was here, he made that dream come true. Kevin and I were both flabbergasted by his engineering mind...he literally went into the garage and took 3 or 4 measurements, then took about 10 minutes and had it all drawn up, amounts of wood, tools needed, everything! So off Kevin and Steve went to buy materials and then spent a couple afternoons working on our project. When all was said and done, they had about 6 inches of scrap wood left over. WOW! And thank you sooooooo sooooooooo much. I absolutely, WE absolutely love the extra storage space in our garage!!

Then we absolutely had to take the Pieps for amazing Mexican food at Mi Nidito's in South Tucson. It's pretty much our go-to place when out-of-town visitors come!

And last, but certainly not least, we all ventured to the Desert Museum. It's a fun place to take my family especially, since the desert is not something the average Canadian gets to experience on a regular basis!

We crammed a lot into the 2 1/2 weeks our Pieps were here, but we sure had fun! We look forward to their visit again next year!! :-) Thanks so much you guys for making the LOOOOONG drive down to see us!

Say It Ain't So...

2011-07-18T22:20:00.004-05:00

We have another thumb-sucker on our hands! Who needs a binky when the thumb is permanently attached???

..::Barrett: 3 Months::..

2011-07-18T14:19:00.002-05:00

Bubba is 3 MONTHS old!!

We love our little man more than anything! He started giggling this past month and "talking". He's so alert and gives us the biggest smiles. He discovered his hands and they apparently are the most tasty treat for him these days as he constantly is trying to fit his entire fists into his mouth!! He loves to be held and there were definitely lots of extra willing people the past few weeks to hold him! He was in heaven! We are so blessed to have little bubba man in our family!

~Let Freedom Ring~

2011-07-03T20:04:00.003-05:00

Love,

The Mortensons

OH CANADA...

2011-07-01T10:48:00.003-05:00

**Side note: I still have more to update from the month of June,

but thought I'd get this cute picture up on the actual day!**

:: Fun In The Sun ::

2011-06-22T20:53:00.003-05:00

Our good friends, the Gardeas, are moving this weekend. :-( So we've been getting together as much as possible this week before we don't see them as often. They're only moving 2 hours away, but we're SURE going to miss them. When you find a good friend, that you get along with sooooo well, and then you have kids that are the same ages and get along also...well, it just bites when that good friend has to move. Anyways, we had a GREAT time at the splash park today with said good friends. I'm bummed that I didn't get any pictures of all the kids together though. Pictures or not, just know, Gardea Family, that we will miss you bunches and bunches and bunches!!

..::Barrett: Two Months::..

2011-06-18T15:46:00.003-05:00

Wowza...you've beefed up just a bit my little man!!

Two Month Stats:

****

Height: 24 1/4" (98th percentile)

Weight: 15 lbs (98th percentile)

Head: 42 cm (off the charts!)

****

So this is what has gone down this past month:

****

*May 23rd - smiled for the first time

*May 27th - went to first UofA sporting event (baseball game)

*June 5th - Blessing Day

*June 17th - 2 Month check up, got shots (you were so brave)

****

We just all love and adore Barrett soooooo much! He's such a good, happy baby. He has his fussy times in the evening, but other than that, he cries when he needs something, hungry, diaper change, sleep. We are so grateful he's a part of our family.

~Smiles~

2011-06-13T22:41:00.005-05:00

Look who's smiling and "talking"!!! I am LOVING this new stage!

::Mortenson Family Party::

2011-06-12T20:33:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was supposed to be the Mortenson Family Camp Out...however, due to all the forest fires in the State, the camp out got cancelled. But everyone still wanted to get together. So we all ventured up to Phoenix and went bowling. I think everyone had a great time!

Marial even got a strike!!!!

Payton wanted NOTHING to do with the camera...silly girl!

All of the Mortenson grandkids together at one time....quite a goodlookin' bunch, don't ya think?!! :-)

After bowling, we all went over to Darron & Ann's house for lunch, then most of us parted ways for an afternoon siesta, and then back to Darron & Ann's for swimming and dinner. Fun times had by all!!!

***

Look at these cute cousins: Hadley & Payton.

And Mr. Barrett just sat idly by, watching everything, just takin' it all in.

And to top off the fun-filled day, the kids got to crack open a pinata!!!

I'm so grateful for the family I married into. Thanks Mortensons for a great day. It's sure fun to spend time with family!

..::Barrett's Blessing Day::..

2011-06-05T21:33:00.002-05:00

Our little family of five on Barrett's special day!

We loved having everyone over to celebrate at our house after church.

Our special little man on his big day. Kevin gave him a beautiful blessing at church today. I hope Barrett will always know that he is surrounded by so many family members who love him! My Aunt Marina made him his blessing outfit. She had made the girls their beautiful dresses and I wanted Barrett to have something made by her as well (she's an amazing seamstress) to pass on down to his children if he chooses. Thanks Aunt Marina!

With G & G Mortenson

Don't you just love baby feet??!!

Thank you to everyone who shared in our day and who contributed to our lunch afterwards. We are so blessed and so grateful for our family. We wish my family could have attended as well...but it's quite the drive from Canada! We love you all!

..::Family Party::..

2011-06-04T21:43:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is Barrett's Blessing Day so since all of Kevin's family will be in town, his brother invited everyone to his house for a BBQ and pool party this afternoon. The girls absolutely love being able to go over to their cousins' house to go swimming...and adding ALL of their cousins into the mix was so fun for them!

Payton is no longer scared of the little waterslide.

She wants to go down it again and again...and again!

It was a fun-filled afternoon with the family and we're so grateful they came to share in our special day tomorrow.

~DIVA~

2011-06-03T16:44:00.001-05:00

Is she a girly-girl or what??!! :-)

Party Time

2011-06-02T15:55:00.001-05:00

Today was our little friend, Pierson's, birthday. His party was at Pump It Up, a fun play place here. The last time we went, I was about 1/2 way through my pregnancy with Barrett and all Payton wanted to do was go down this huge slide...but she needed my help going up the stairs/ladder part of it. Needless to say, I was just a little bit exhausted by the end of that excursion and vowed I wouldn't go back whilst prego! Sooooo fast forward several months, and we're invited to a birthday party. Of course we'll go...I'm no longer pregnant AND I think Payton is big enough to do it on her own! Sure enough....here she is, going up (all by herself)!

And COMING DOWN!!!

Hahahaha...she's going to resent me for posting these pictures later, I'm sure, but I can't help getting a kick out of them. She only face-planted a couple of times but I just so happened to capture one on film and I love how it shows the progression of said face plant!!

Anyways, we had a GREAT time celebrating with our good friends! Happy Birthday little buddy, we're sure gonna miss you when you move!

Take Me Out...

2011-05-27T23:43:00.004-05:00

...to the Ballgame!!

LOOK at this little Arizona Wildcat Fan!!

Barrett got to go to his first Arizona sporting event at just over a month old, the lucky little guy! There was a great Groupon deal for tickets to an Arizona baseball game, so we went with our friends, the Changs and the Gardeas. We all had a great time, even Barrett who slept through most of it!!

..::Barrett: One Month::..

2011-05-18T23:42:00.004-05:00

Barrett has decided at One Month Old that he wants to try out for the Strongest Man Competition! Waddaya think...will he qualify???!!! :-)

One month already! We absolutely LOVE and ADORE our little B! Even with a fussy period starting now in the evenings, we just can't get enough of this little man! He's a great eater, even taking a bottle of mommy's milk when needed! The girls never took a bottle, so this is a nice break for mommy, giving me a little more freedom! He still sleeps the majority of the day and is just the sweetest thing! He even rolled over at 12 days old!! Yikes, he's gonna keep me on my toes his entire life, I think! We love you Barrett!

::Barrett's Newborn Pictures::

2011-05-15T22:42:00.008-05:00

Thanks to our wonderful photographer, Jessica!

Check her out here.

Announcing...

2011-05-15T22:38:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I think it goes without saying that we've added a new member to our family...most of you are probably already aware (especially with my last post and its plethora of pictures!!). But here is our OFFICIAL announcement. Once again, thanks go to Kevin's assistant, Jessica, who was kind enough to put this together for us! And my apologies to all my Canadian peeps...yours are on their way in the mail, it just takes longer to get to Canada!! :-)

~Lately~

2011-05-13T21:40:00.004-05:00

WARNING: Picture overload, proceed at your own risk!!!

****

Isn't this boy just the cutest thing? We were given several newborn sized outfits and are having to get them on him ASAP otherwise they won't fit!! This cute little number was given to him by his Aunt Emily and Uncle Duane...I think it'll be the only time he wears it!

We are loving having this little man in our home! He's such a good baby, we all just love him to bits. If you could see what's on his green onesie...it says "Am I really related to these people?" Isn't that true...I think we've all wondered that about our own family members from time to time!!! :-)

The girls love their baby brother. When we ask Payton his name, she says "Barrett" and we'll say, "his name is Barrett?" to which she adamantly responds, "NO...BABY!!" Or vice versa! She's having the hardest adjustment to a new baby in the house...it's not easy having to suddenly share mommy, more than she was already used to anyways, and by someone who takes up a LOT more of mommy's time!

He DOES occasionally open his eyes!!

I thought these pictures of the girls were cute. Daddy brought home a treat from work and they were so excited to eat the yummy cupcakes! Needless to say, a bath was very much needed afterwards!! Totally worth it though!

One of the big projects I had my mom help me with while she was here, or rather, DO mostly herself, was paint Payton's room in preparation for moving the girls together to share one room. Alexa and Barrett were big helpers!! Especially Barrett.

Here are the BEFORE pictures:

The DURING pictures:

And the AFTER pictures:

I'm really quite happy with how it turned out! Thanks Mom!!! Now I just need to mentally prepare myself to actually put the girls together and deal with the adjustment that that is going to be!

****

Payton has been quite cute with her baby brother. She definitely has many moments when she doesn't want mommy to touch him, feed him, hold him, look at him, etc....but she loves to hold him and sing to him. Here she is singing her current favorite song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star:

It was so great to have my mom here. I honestly don't know what I'd done without her here! The girls absolutely LOVED having Gramma here and were so sad to see her go. And despite just having had a baby, we were able to get quite a bit done and get out of the house quite a bit!

This poor little man, he's going to have to get used to a whole lot of lovin'!!

My wonderful friend, Julie, back in Kentucky made this cute little blanket for Barrett...and even though he wasn't in the best of picture-taking moods, I wanted to get a picture of him on it while he was in a coordinating outfit!! Lol...I know I'm silly AND he's a boy, but I can still have fun dressing him up in his boyish little outfits, right??!!! :-)

Last weekend was our good little friend, Reaghan's, second birthday, so we ventured out as a family to celebrate with her and her family. Alexa and Payton had so much fun finger painting and blowing bubbles.

Last week, I got a surprise phone call from my brother, Ron, who I haven't heard from in a long time. He and his new wife, Penny, were going to be in Phoenix and wanted to know if they could come stay with us for a couple days since they'd be so close. It was great to catch up and meet his new wife and have him meet my little family. The girls absolutely adored both Ron and Penny right away and had so much fun with them. Thanks guys for coming and spending Mother's Day with us, we had a great time!!

Mother's Day was also Barrett's first outing to church. I forgot all day to take pictures until the very end when he was once again NOT in a picture-taking kind of mood! But at least I got a picture of him in his Sunday outfit! The cute blanket he's laying on was made and given to us from the Young Women in our ward.

I had to show proof that I am still here...I don't think there are many pictures of me and Barrett but every now and again, we remember to take one! I sure do love our little man!

Yesterday was Alexa's last day of the gymnastics class she's been taking. She did this class with her friend Evie and they had a great time! Payton always felt a little left out but she'll get her turn...maybe in the Fall!

My sweet cheese ball! She was super sad after Alexa left with Evie for her class, so I had to cheer her up with juice and some crackers! Surprisingly, she actually smiled for a picture!

Evie's mommy was kind enough to take some pictures at Trinity and share them with me. I'm so glad Alexa was able to participate in and enjoy this class.

And today, we played in the water in our back yard. It's gotten quite warm here already but I haven't been able to quite yet go to or handle the thought of taking all 3 kiddos to the pool...so this is the next best thing. I can leave Barrett napping inside (or bring him out so he can eat!!) and let the girls play with their friends. We love having Pierson and Reaghan over!

Well, I think that about covers it for now. I'm sure there's still plenty to blog about...but you'll have to be patient with me. Geesh, you'd think I just had a baby or something with how behind I was!! :-)

::Look Who's TWO::

2011-05-01T21:53:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday Payton!

I canNOT believe my baby girl is two years old! Seriously, where HAS the time gone? I swear she was just this:

But now she's:

Up until just a couple days ago, when we'd ask the birthday girl if she was turning two, she'd say "NO, I Naynon (Payton)!!" But she now gets that she's TWO. I love how she uses her thumb and forefinger to show us! Payton is definitely our spunky little lady! She has so much personality, there are times she just doesn't know what to do with all of it! She merged into being TWO with all the finesse of a well-seasoned terrible two-er!! She can be the sweetest of sweet but started in on the tantrums and meltdowns a few months ago. It's going to be a loooooong year! But one full of fun times too, I'm sure! :-)

****

We had Payton's two-year check up and her current stats are:

Weight: 28 lbs (60th)

Height: 35 inches (80th)

Head: 49.5 cm (90th)

She is healthy as can be and the doctor was very impressed with how well she can talk (she can say just about anything you ask her to) and all that she can do for a two year old! Thanks to her big sister showing her the ropes, she's well ahead of her age-group.

On the afternoon of Payton's actual birthday, Kevin's assistant, Jessica, came over to take newborn pictures of Barrett. So we took a couple 3 generation pictures while Gramma was here. These two pictures were taken by Kevin on our camera, but you can see Jessica's photography work here. I'll have post her actual pictures once we get them back from her! Thanks Jessica!!

With several things going on the past few days, we decided to have Payton's actual birthday party today. There was eating, playing, present opening, singing and cupcake devouring! A big thank you to our family and good friends who came to celebrate Payton's big day with us!

****

A few tidbits about the birthday girl:

*She no longer needs her binky (we got rid of it about 2 months before Barrett came)

*She loves her "bubble dress" and has to wear it almost every day (it's a polka dot dress)

*She loves, and I mean LOVES, french fries

*She loves Dora the Explorer

*She finally has a full set of teeth (those canines took FOREVER)

*She is very strong-willed

*She is very independent

*She varies between Daddy's Girl and Mommy's Girl (depending on who's home)

*She always wants her daddy when she gets hurt

*She wants/has to do everything that Alexa does

****

Happy Birthday Stinker Jae...

we sure love you to pieces and are so grateful you're a part of our family!

~First Bath At Home~

2011-04-24T23:33:00.003-05:00

As with any new baby, there are going to be a lot of firsts. So here is Barrett's first bath at home...get ready for a whole whack of FIRSTS over this next year (hopefully I'll actually remember to document them!!). Barrett wasn't too sure about this whole bath thing! Maybe he'll enjoy it a bit more when we can actually put him in some water instead of just this crazy sponge bath business!

..:Hoppy Easter:..

2011-04-24T16:16:00.001-05:00

Our community held a big Easter Egg Hunt yesterday and we decided to venture out to it. We had to get tickets ahead of time and they had all of the children grouped into ages. It worked out really well and the girls had a great time!

After enjoying the community Easter egg hunt, we came home and Alexa and Gramma had fun decorating Easter eggs. I bought a new kit this year that you could just paint the eggs...way easier cleanup than dyeing the eggs!! And way easier cleanup when Gramma is there to do all the work and all I have to do is sit back and enjoy my new baby!! :-)

Then this morning, while Kevin took the girls to church, the Easter Bunny visited our house. He even left some eggs out in our own backyard, so the girls got to do another little hunt.

Despite all the floofy stuff attached to Easter, I am so grateful for this time of year to reflect on the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. I know He gave his life for me and that He rose again so that I too can return to live with my Heavenly Father again some day.

***

Happy Easter!!

=Happy Birthday Kevin=

2011-04-22T21:52:00.003-05:00

Initially, we planned on celebrating Kevin's birthday this coming Sunday and combining it with our Easter celebrations, as I did JUST have a baby earlier this week and wasn't quite feeling up to making a cake and everything. AND...we had one of Kevin's assistants coming over this afternoon to take newborn pictures of Barrett, so it was a busy day anyways. But then we decided last minute to go out to eat at this little Mexican place not far from our house. Payton LOVED the salsa and has to be a big girl every where we go now...no more sitting in highchairs for her!

I just LOVE this picture of her, salsa drippings and all!

Barrett slept through the whole thing...

Alexa and Gramma!

Then we went home and dove into the Eclair Cake I had tutored my mom on making this morning as it's one of Kev's faves! I needed to do something on his actual birthday!!

This is the cake I made for Kevin's official birthday celebration...it was deeeeelish!! And yes, I AM tooting my own horn!! :-)

Happy Birthday babe! Thank you for all you do for our family! The girls adore you, Barrett will idolize you and I'm madly in love with you...what more could you ask for (besides your Arizona Football Season tickets??!!)??!! :-)

~Barrett meets G&G Mortenson~

2011-04-21T21:37:00.003-05:00

Kevin's parents came over today to meet our new little man! He was pretty excited to meet Gramma but not so sure about Grampa!! :-)

Then we all ventured over to Kevin's brother Duane's, house to play in his new pool! The girls were so excited! Although, once Payton got wet, she wasn't too happy about it and immediately wanted to get out of the pool...it MAY have had something to do with the fact that Kevin tried to drown her going down the slide and taking her completely under the water before she even had a chance to get used to things!! :-)

Alexa loves to make a splash!!!

And little Barrett just maxed and relaxed on his first big outing since coming home from the hospital. Not a bad life at all!!

..::Barrett's Birth Story::..

2011-04-20T23:25:00.010-05:00

Here it is...Barrett's story, together with a plethora of pictures for all to enjoy!

***

Last week, my doctor scheduled me for an induction on April 18, 2011, due to me measuring so far ahead for the past couple months of my pregnancy. I was only too willing to be induced a week early as I was already quite nervous about having a huge baby! So I was advised to call the hospital at 5:30am on Monday morning to see if they were ready for me to come for my scheduled induction at 7:30am. AND THEY WERE!!!! Yay....we got ready and off we went! I was in my room by 8am and hooked up to pitocin by 8:30ish. My nurse said I was already contracting on a pretty regular basis which surprised me because I wasn't in any pain. I was still at about 4cm dilated and just felt some random tightening and things stayed this way for a couple hours (with Alexa at 4cm, I was crying through the contractions and with Payton, I already had my epidural!!). Then my doctor broke my water around 11:30 and the very next contraction had some kick to it! I tried to be brave for about 3 or 4 contractions until they were already getting too intense and so we summoned our nurse and asked for my epidural STAT!!!

Things got much better after that and I actually progressed quite quickly but we waited around for a bit until my doctor was available. As soon as she came in and checked me, she said I was good to go and after about 15 minutes of pushing...

...this sweet bundle of joy entered this world!

***

Barrett Michael Mortenson

9lbs 15 oz, 21 inches

April 18, 2011 at 5:10pm

****

Here is my wonderful doctor, Dr. Amy Schneider, who delivered Barrett!

What a proud new daddy!

Since it was already dinner time when Barrett was born, Kevin quickly went home to get the girls and my mom to come meet him before it was bedtime for the girls.

***

Here's Big Sister Alexa. She was soooooo excited to meet her new baby brother!

And Big Sister Payton, who wasn't so sure about all this!

But once the girls opened their gifts from Barrett, Payton was all smiles!!

Then Gramma Jenny got to hold him for the first time!

Our sweet kids!

I can't believe we have THREE now!

And our new little family of five!

We had a wonderful nurse who was there for me every step of the way! (I need to go back and consult Barrett's journal that I keep for him though as I can't remember her name for the life of me!!)

Baby Barrett's first bath...it was kinda cool to be in the room when this happened as they took the girls away to have this done when I had them.

Me and my sweet little man! He is soooooo worth the long, painful 9 months it took to get him here!

Finally, he's snug as a bug in a rug!

The next day, my mom brought the girls back to see Barrett again! Payton was much more eager this time to see and hold him! Kevin brought me some beautiful flowers and the girls made me a cute card!

We couldn't bring home our new little man home without putting something UofA on him!

All ready to get in his carseat for the first time and leave the hospital!

We are so blessed! Barrett arrived safe and sound and he's healthy as can be! And we have two beautiful girls who bring us so much joy. I am so grateful for these sweet spirits my Heavenly Father has entrusted me to take care of in this life!

We were welcomed home by Alexa who had been busy with Gramma making us a chalk sign on the driveway. I loved it...she had done the same thing with Gramma when Payton was born too!

All tuckered out and ready to begin his life! We love you Barrett and are so grateful you are a part of our family!

~Barrett Michael Mortenson~

2011-04-20T17:01:00.007-05:00

He's here!!!

***

Barrett Michael Mortenson

April 18, 2011 at 5:10pm

9 lbs 15 ounces

21 inches

***

More pictures and his story to come...but just wanted to get these up for now!

My Last Day...

2011-04-17T20:16:00.001-05:00

...of being pregnant!!!

***

Yay...the day has FINALLY come! Tomorrow, I will be able to meet our new little man. I can hardly wait. Physically, emotionally, mentally I am SO ready! This pregnancy has been a challenging one and I'm now looking forward to the challenges of having a newborn in the house! I wanted a picture of me with my girls one last time before their world gets turned upside down but it turned out blurry! Oh well...

I thought it'd be fun to do a pregnancy recap! Wowza, I've gotten big this time! I'm also looking forward to shedding this pregnancy weight!! :-)

See you tomorrow little man!

~Gramma's Here!!~

2011-04-16T21:51:00.000-05:00

Since my parents were here back in February, Alexa has been counting down on her calendar to the day that Gramma Jenny would be back in preparation for Baby Boy's arrival! Well, the day is finally here!!! My mom arrived late Thursday evening and the girls were sooooooo excited to see her first thing yesterday morning! After Alexa got home from the football game this afternoon, we turned on the sprinklers for some fun with Gramma! Looks like all had fun!! :-)

Spring Football Game

2011-04-16T21:46:00.002-05:00

Kevin is doing quite a good job at instilling a love for Arizona sports in our girls! He's been talking about the Spring Football Game for quite some time and Alexa was super excited to go on a daddy daughter date to it. I'm not sure if she was more excited at the prospect of meeting Wilbur and Wilma the Wildcats or spending time with her daddy!! And as you can see....she DID get to meet Wilma! Yay!!! However, Wilbur was unable to attend the game that day, maybe next time!!

..::Baby Bump Update: 9 1/2 Months::..

2011-04-14T18:06:00.003-05:00

38 weeks

OY VEY!!!! Well, I'm a little surprised this big guy hasn't wanted to make his appearance yet. As of yesterday's doctor's appointment, I am just about 4cm dilated and 70% effaced with my doctor thinking my water could break at any moment. And as of last Friday, I was 3 cm and 60% effaced...but yet nothing. I had another ultrasound last week which showed baby boy ranging in the 8 lbs 6 oz area so we're hoping, praying, wishing that he comes in under 10 lbs when all is said and done. So far, no contractions or anything to speak of...but my mom comes tonight so we're good to go now. Maybe that's what he was waiting for??!! My babies have seemed to go according to my own personal plan so perhaps he's just following in his sisters' footsteps! Regardless...I am scheduled to be induced on Monday and cannot wait to be DONE being pregnant! This has been a hard one, to say the least! Come on baby boy...come on, I'm sooooo ready to meet you!!!

::Date Night::

2011-04-10T21:16:00.001-05:00

We figured with baby boy making his appearance in the next week or so, we had better get in one last date night before it gets rather difficult to do so. So we tried out a new restaurant downtown and then went to the historic Fox Theater to listen to the Tucson Symphony play. It was such a fun night with my Mr.! We had a great time together and are sooooo ready to meet our new little man now!

~F-f-f-f-freeze Tag!!~

2011-04-08T15:40:00.000-05:00

Kevin's parents came into town yesterday to spend the night on their way up to Phoenix this weekend. The girls were sooooo excited to see Gramma & Grampa! As soon as dinner was over, they were outside playing freeze tag, one of Alexa's favorite games right now!

And Payton just sat by, content to dig in the rocks! The picture on the left is what she does when I tell her to smile!! Silly girl!

The Mortenson Family

Helping Mommy

A little more of Christmas...

..::Barrett: 9 Month Stats::..

..::Barrett: 9 Months::..

Childhood Reminder

Get yer Motor Runnin'...

Snow in Arizona

A Whole New World...

{Mortenson Family Christmas}

{Christmas 2011}

Winterhaven Festival of Lights

A Visit with the Jolly Big Guy...

Daddy/Daughter Date

..::Barrett: 8 Months::..

Tubby Santas

~Letters to Santa~

..::Barrett: Pulling Up::..

-Gingerbread Houses-

Christmas Pageant - Preschool Style!

Temple Lights

This Girl...

Oh the places he can go....

~Family Pictures~

Season of Thanks

Happy Happy Birthday...

A little too much love???

..::Barrett: 7 Months::..

..::New Tradition::..

Sooooo close...

-happy halloween-

Annual Painting of the Pumpkins!

Primary Program 2011

To Grandma's House We Go...

..::Barrett: 6 Months::..

Halloween Cookies

~Pumpkin Patch 2011~

..::Tasty Toes::..

{Eating Crow}

..::Barrett: Just Because::..

..::Barrett: 5 Months::..

..::Barrett's First Haircut::..

..::Can't Get Enough::..

::Picture Perfect::

~Camping~

..::Tummy Time::..

..::baby food::..

~Until We Meet Again~

-Three Little Wildcats-

.::Barrett: 4 Months::..

Barrett's First Trip to the ZOO

..::A Big BIG Day::..

Are They Related??

Look who is...

..:Goin' to the movies:..

~Weekend Getaway~

::Miss Sassy Pants::

--Transformation--

*Lovin' on Baby*

..::A Visit From Our Pieps::..

Say It Ain't So...

..::Barrett: 3 Months::..

~Let Freedom Ring~

OH CANADA...

:: Fun In The Sun ::

..::Barrett: Two Months::..

~Smiles~

::Mortenson Family Party::

..::Barrett's Blessing Day::..

..::Family Party::..

~DIVA~

Party Time

Take Me Out...

..::Barrett: One Month::..

::Barrett's Newborn Pictures::

Announcing...

~Lately~

::Look Who's TWO::

~First Bath At Home~

..:Hoppy Easter:..

Lovin' on Baby