The Purple Hat

This is my favorite purple witches hat.
The kids just love it and wear it more than I do.


Hewy

This is our friend Ben.
We love Ben.

This is "Young" William.
We love him too.



This is Hewy in the hat again later the same day.
Do you see the bandaid on his cheek?
While all three of my boys were playing at a friends house he was hit with a gate that was slammed shut by an angry friend. Of course this was just as I was heading out the door already late for a meeting. He got knocked pretty good, so glad it wasn't his eye. It took every ounce of Momma control not to unleash the Momma Bear and go attack the culprit. Instead my kids learned the valuable lessons of "it doesn't matter who is right or wrong or who wronged first - apologize first (it was Liam that had made the friend angry enough to slam a gate) and also if some takes your brother out you had better stand up for him! I am very proud of Liam who showed quick compassion for his injured brother.

Hey, I remember you. . .

This is Joseph with his friend Afton.
It was very sweet to watch them together.
Were they communicating somehow that we don't know of?



Afton is my friend Sarah's baby.
It's a good thing she is around so that my parents have a baby girl to love on. (My parents have 8 GrandSONS and 5 Great GrandSONS and ZERO Granddaughters) "Afton" is also my Mom's mother's name, so we love her just little bit because of that too.

This is Joseph and Afton at the fire station from earlier week. They both slept through most of the adventure. (We Mom's think that is a success story, they can visit the fire station in a few years!)

Bestest Childhood Memories

Licking the beaters!
Wasn't that one of the best things from childhood?



Hewy is licking away at Orange Buttercream Icing.

Grandmama Love

Joseph had a good snuggle with Grandmama.

Look what I found sleeping on my couch!

It's a Hewy Dragon!



This is his costume from two years ago. However two years ago all he would wear was the hat/hood. Now all he wears is the body part. It is a little small but he loves it.

Read On!!!

At the start of October I wanted to inspire our sluggish start at Back-To-School-Post-Baby. I asked everyone to set reading goals for the month. I am happy to report that we have all met our goals and most have far exceeded them!

The Goals

Noble: Read FOUR (4) - one hundred (or more) page books

He read: (Classic Starts) Red Badge of Courage, Frankenstein, Dracula, Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island; The Percy Jackson Series books 3 & 4, The Titan’s Curse and Battle of the Labyrinth; and he is now reading George’s Secret Key to the Universe and The Mysterious Benedict Society. That’s about 1,000 pages!!!!!

William: Read 200 pages

He read: (Classic Starts) Three Musketeers, Oliver Twist; The Knights of Right and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm. That’s about 400 pages!

Hewy: Have 100 different picture books read to him by family

I won’t bore you with all one hundred titles – but that’s a lot of reading! And I know we missed putting a sticker on his chart here and there. We read more than 100 books to him!

da Momma: help everyone reach their goals and FINISH at least one book on her own.

Princess Academy finished (in two days) and I am in the middle of several: My Life in France; Kenny and the Dragon… and whatever else I find laying around wherever I am nursing the baby.

day in the park

We packed a lunch and went to a park today.
It is so nice to be able to be outside and not melt!
No humidity.
No excessive temps.

Fire Station #46

Hewy's Preschool went to the fire station today for a field trip.
Bonus of homeschool - we all got to go!



The firemen showed us the firetruck and fire engine, let the kids shoot the fire hose and gave us a fire safety lesson. Liam claimed he had been to the fire station when he was in preschool and therefore would not participate in anything. Noble got into it and asked the firemen all sorts of questions and it was clear that the men liked having someone above age 4 to talk to and teach.

The fireman in the yellow truck showed Noble how the computer in the truck worked. Noble thought that was really cool. It could show you the address of the last call, a map to get to it and it could also tell you where the "other" firetruck was - it was nine minutes away on it's way back to the station. Noble also didn't need the fireman to hold the hose while he tried it out. The little kids needed help, but not Noble.

Preschool friends!

I tried...

I wanted to get more pictures of Joseph in his blessing outfit. One day last week it was beautiful light outside, overcast but bright. Apparently, it was too bright because he wouldn't open his eyes. Nor would he smile. These are my favorites however.



(he's really not asleep)

"This is what I think of your pictures Mom!"

"I'm done!"

favorites

I know, I am not supposed to play favorites.

And if you go by strictly the blog right now, it looks like I have a favorite. But really folks, they are all my favorites - Joseph is just so stinking adorable right now!

But I had a different "favorite" in mind when I titled this post.

The outfit for one.

oh.

It is a favorite.

Someone in my ward gave it to me and it is from a nice-n-fancy store that I never shop at because I cannot afford to. Even the clearance rack is out of my price range. But, I must say, I love this outfit. L.O.V.E. it. Sometimes I take it out of his dresser just to look at it and feel it's softness in my hands. As soft as his cheeks I tell ya.

And look at the back side of it.

oh.

And I think I love it as much as I do because I know that he can't pull off an outfit like this very much past the newborn stage. Nor can I pull off dressing him like this. He is the youngest of four boys - he has got to be a tough kid. Super cute, ultra soft, darling bottomed outfits are not going to make him tough. But he isn't just "a" baby, he is "my baby." My last. My final. My Caboose. I have to allow myself some indulgences. And this outfit is one of them.

And the blanket is another favorite.

When I see it and it's many pieces - I see love.

I feel love.

Who? Who on Earth would love me enough to cut and sew those little squares in such perfect rows for me, for my baby, for him to spit up on.

love I tell ya. It's a powerful thing.

Mr. Personality

Still hasn't mastered smiling for the camera
but I did capture some Joseph expressions.

seven weeks

Joseph Dalton Dunn shows off!



I was hoping to capture a smile - but I got punched instead.

Seriously have you ever seen a more sweet baby?

Puffies

One of my earliest memories of Alec.
Puffy Pancakes.



Alec would make Puffies on Sunday nights when he lived at home. After Sunday dinner, later in the evening - he would make Puffies for everyone. This last weekend while his parents were here, he made us Puffies Sunday night.

One of those things that make me happy.
Sunday nights and Puffy Pancakes.

The Blessing Day

Monumental days tend to be a little stressful.
I didn't want that.
I tried to get everything organized, the clothes, the food, the people. I was happy when Alec's Dad said that morning before we left for church, "I can't believe how calm this morning has been." Whew, Mission Accomplished.

But one thing I had to let go of - was pictures. I would have liked to get pictures of everyone all dressed up and all together. But we were all ready when it was time to leave for church and my back up plan to take pix during Sunday School was foiled by Alec volunteering to help in Sunday School. So the plan as of now - is to re-stage the day and outfits another time for pictures.

I did manage to snap these on the big day.

What Handsome boys I have!

Alec's Parents came from Utah.
Todd and Brenda came from Dallas.
My parents are here - and were there.
Dell and Anna family too.

Other men that stood in the circle:
Bishop Don Lindberg
Tim Cragun
(Bishop) Rick Miller
Brad Tobler

thank you for your patience

I know, you are all waiting for updates, posts and the latest on our family.  Ah, where does the time go.  NOT to sleeping consecutive hours in a row, that is for SURE! 

But right now, baby is sleeping.  Two older boys are happily playing video games – even though they didn’t ask, I don’t care right now.  Hewy just ran past me towards the kitchen – and oh look, has returned with a snack in hand, snicker-snicker, he looked at it, wrinkled his nose and went back to the pantry – not what he thought he had, eh?  And he is back with apparently what he thought he had the first time, Bunny snacks.

So lets see if I can catch you up.

Alec’s parents came to visit for their Joseph visit.  It was nice to spend time with them and be to the recovery point that I felt like I could enjoy them too.  We have pictures of some of our outings and doings – however they are on the little camera and I cannot seem to find the cord that magically moves my pictures from the camera to the computer.  Ah, now what?  So, you just have to wait until I find said cord.

We also “blessed” Joseph.  What that means to all you that might not speak “Mormon” is that our little baby bundle was taken into the arms of his Priesthood holding Daddy, Grandpas, uncles and close friends and as they stood in a circle around him gave him a name that he will be known upon the records of the church and a blessing.  Very touching and special moment, especially for da Momma. 

And then Hewy got sick.  Yucky sick.  Strep-ornery-three-year-old-in-pain-can’t-speak-ouchy-cough sick.  And then his odd when-I-get-sick-my-legs-hurt-so-much-I-can’t-walk-syndrome started.  Poor kid.

Liam had a dentist appointment to fill a few cavities.  Not really cavities, “pits” in the side of his teeth that both his Dad and I have – he’s/they’re DOOMED.

So, that is the basic’s.  I will pull pix of the Big Camera and share those.  But just know, there will be more catch up pictures later – when I find the magic cord.

What Noble has to say about Joseph

He is a great baby.
I love to take care of him.
He is just starting to smile, which makes it even better.
He is easy to take care of.
He is just so cute.

Dr. Pepper Million Dollar Shootout

Last week Alec made a Hole-in-one to qualify to hit one ball in the Dr. Pepper Million Dollar Shootout.  Although making another hole-in-one would be incredible, as would a MILLION dollars, it was unlikely that he would make another hole-in-one.

But he did come in 3rd place for closest to the pin.  (No one got the million dollar hole-in-one)  He walked away with the following prizes: Dr. Pepper free for a year, a Dr. Pepper t-shirt, more free Rudy’s dinners and a two night stay at the Marriott Downtown.

As for the free Dr. Pepper for a year – some of you may know that Alec never would have survived Law School if it weren’t for the Doctor.  It was his drug of choice for those long hours and the stress load for the three years.  He hasn’t been drinking as much of it recently. . . trying not to consume caffeine.  But you see, my non-naturally-talkative husband becomes extremely chatty when he drinks it.   I request that he drink it on all dates so that he will talk to me!  :)  Free Dr. Pepper for a year is a lot of talking – what a great prize for me!

Priceless

The homemade gifts continue to come.
I am so touched that people give so generously of their time to make the beautiful gifts for us, especially Joseph.



We have a quilt from my best law school buddy, Ruth, that she had made for herself if she had a boy - but she had a girl two weeks before I had Joseph.
Another great receiving blanket from my BFF's Mom, Gloria, in Cache Valley Utah.
A warm afghan and thoughtful quilt from my Mom's friend from High School, Marth, now in Arizona. (note: Hewy has taken over the quilt) I don't quilt, knit or crochet - so all of those amaze me.
And the cuter than all get out Bear that a Sister in my ward made.

Too cute!
Thanks so much to everyone that has given so generously to our family!

5 weeks

His shirt says: I love my Mummy.



Joseph is starting to smile. We can't get the smiles out of him all the time, but he is starting to smile when we talk to him some times. He throws his head back or to one side and coo's after his attempt to smile. That is how we know it's not a "talking to angels" or gassy smile. We can see him really working to figure it out.

I have also been waiting to get a good picture of him sucking his thumb. I have never had a natural thumb sucker. Today Alec and I watched as he put his hand to his cheek and slowly turned his head and moved his hand towards his mouth and then "caught" his thumb in his mouth. It was as if he thought he had caught something - not knowing that it was his own hand, or that he was controlling both. Quite humorous to watch.