Body-Slamming Babies

Big success at the toddler party!

 From observing Baby D today, I've concluded that:

1) Derek is going to be one of those flirting-through-torture kind of people. Let's just say that more than one little girl shed some tears.

2) Seeing as how this was practically the same party we threw for Luke (substituting cars for balls), we picked the right activity for the right boys. Derek loved the cars, the Duplo, and the baby strollers and babies that were contributed by his little female friends (and were part of the cause of the crying). Luke, on the other hand, played with a balloon for two hours. (you know, mostly ball-shaped)

3) We should be very concerned for our next child. Derek got ahold of a little baby doll and gave it all sorts of tough love (my personal favorite was a grab-by-the-throat, throw-to-the-ground, then body-slam combo move). But he did always make sure to say he was sorry and hug and kiss the baby afterwards! So I guess we've got that going for us.

Terrible Two-year-old Toddler

Baby D is all grown up and now longer fit to really be called Baby D. *sigh* He is old enough now that he asks "Why?" all the time, is quite articulate (his diphthongs are especially hilarious), and can count to ten all by himself (and backwards from five, since he hears that whenever we try to hurry Luke along).

Birthday dinner: bacon and blueberries. 

He is so nice and round and just...solid. Some ten-year-old kid at the playground this week tried to pick him up and said, "What is he made out of, rocks?!" He can out-eat Luke any day and is giving me some hope that he might be the foodie child I have been waiting for, in that he actually shows some enthusiasm for food (as opposed to Kenny and Luke, who couldn't care less).



Derek is very lovable and snuggly and very friendly--strangers are drawn to his happy little self who thinks everyone is his friend and everyone deserves a hug. Except for toddler girls, for some reason. They are the enemy and must be pushed.

But everybody loves Baby D! His grandparents love him, his brother loves him, the nursery leaders love him, strangers love him, the daycare person at the gym loves him, our neighbors love him. And we love him, of course.

Happy birthday, Big-Boy Derek!

"Malexa...

...play Star Wars by John Williams."

Me and my date Amy, plus third-wheel Kenny. 

(quoted from Luke 136 times Christmas of 2016 when he discovered the magic of Alexa's automatic music abilities)

"Luke, this is the absolutely last time, or Opa D is going to go crazy." 

(quoted from Opa D several times a day Christmas of 2016)

Have Some Ice Cream with Your Sprinkles there...

A Boy and His Rarr

The other day we were out digging around in our "garden" (a few pots with herbs in them) and I hear Derek announce "Dirty. Wash it."

So I followed him a few minutes later into the bathroom and found his Rarr (stuffed tiger) soaking wet in the bathroom sink, being massaged with hand soap. 

The rest of the conversation went like this: 

"Dry it." (in went the hand towel)

"Not dry! All wet!" 

"Rarr tubba."

Into the washing machine he went. 

Catch-up

A couple of weeks ago I had the flu (like the actual actual flu) and a few blog posts went by the wayside. Here's what you missed!

Peeps houses!

Acting out Palm Sunday!

 And Lukey starts baseball! (and Derek tags along)

Hooray for health!

23 Months

This has been a busy month for Baby D! He now has twenty teeth, is enrolled in his first sports class (soccer), has had his first x-ray (wrist), and owns his first cowboy hat. He has also learned how to crawl out of his pack-n-play and has crawled out of his crib once or twice (but not enough for us to take the actual bars away yet...). 

Most of all though, he's just turned into a talker! He has started pretending to talk on the phone and likes to call Mere Mere and Opa D especially and say "sorry" a lot. His vocabulary has exploded in the last month and he can now say pretty much whatever he wants. Sometimes he still likes to take advantage of his baby face though, and might not know exactly what he wants, so he will cry and wait until we offer enough suggestions that he figures it out. He likes to talk to his stuffed animals and his action figures and to strangers and Lukey, and has started yelling at the screen during sports games thanks to his two shining examples. He has also learned some very important exclamations, such as "Touchdown BYU!" "Sticks right now!" and "My do it!", which will serve him well in the future. 

Best of all, he has this hilarious absolute confidence in everything he does--watching him, he's so determined it's like he convinces you that that book does really need to be put in a sink full of water and that the toilet paper really must come off the roll and he really does have to pull out all of Luke's hair right this minute! At the very least he makes sure there is never a dull (or quiet) moment. 

Easter Morn

"Behold, they will crucify him; and after he is laid in a sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name." (2 Nephi 25:13)

Mom's favorite part of the day: conference on Easter Sunday! What better way to celebrate our Savior's resurrection. 

Derek's favorite part of the day: dying eggs--he hogged most of the colors for a good twenty minutes.

Luke's least favorite part of the day: when he found out that Kansas had lost and his bracket was ruined--he tearfully informed Kenny that his phone was lying and that Kansas had in fact won. And then he played his own little basketball game where Kansas was victorious! Oh to be four again.