What Regan Does

While Emma is away at school Regan rules. She is all about holding Lyla and watching her every move. She only plays with her toys when Lyla is napping. Her efforts are rewarded with Lylas smiles and coo's.
Since she was still bundled up from her nap Regan got a few good smiles from her...

She also enjoys reading to Lyla & finding the best books with the most colorful pictures.

My favorite thing is when she finds pictures in books, then dresses up like them...down to every detail! We adore (that's a fancy word for 'love') Fancy Nancy books around here!

She's silly & sweet and I'm dreading next fall...

Bulldogs.

Emma and Regan aren't big dog fans. Regan was victim of a dog bite that Emma witnessed and neither of them has been the same since. But they DO like the QC Bulldogs!! After watching aunt Kassady on the pom team last year they were SO happy to be a part of the clinic & performance during the halftime show a few weeks ago! It was a fun Friday night, although TERRIBLY hot!! (And it just happened to be on the same night as the ONLY Friday night byu game! It wasn't a question that he'd be there for his kids, but I thought it was pretty great.)

Lyla @ 4 Months

Red dress. Red blanket. Red...HAIR!!! That's right, Lyla's hair is red! And we have pretty much decided that all of our kids will look totally different! I love this picture because it's her 'anxious face'...when she wants what your holding or is excited to see you she'll stretch her neck out, raise her eyebrows and flap her skinny arms! It's hilarious and Emma and Regan go hysterical whenever she does it.

Lyla loved her first time eating cereal- she hates it now...choking and gagging every time. Feeding her the first time I was reminded just how messy it gets- glad I had a plastic bib!
Speaking of that, anyone know where I can find some girly/cute plastic bibs?
Dear Brooke,
Lyla loves her chair!!
Thanks.

Condolences...

via text!
That's what kept Brady's phone buzzing on Saturday night after a very disappointing byu loss. Again, I stopped to wonder if people realize that he's not actually ON the team. And then I thought it was funny-sad that people knew he'd be so down to send their well-wishes.
* So, thanks to all those who care more than I do*

Shortly after it started Lyla fell asleep and E & R were getting along great! So I decided to escape the announcers voices and wander around Ross...which isn't very exciting or clean, but it's close to home and I won't spend like I would at Target! Although if I shopped like he watches football my house would be STUFFED.
I returned an hour later to a fussy baby, bored kids, and a semi-messy family room...he hands Lyla to me and says, "this is craziness...I don't know what they need" (he's never like that mind you, he always knows how to handle things)
I say, "What's the problem?"
He replies, "They won't calm down!"
I take one look at the score and (besides smile, knowingly) realize that he's too mad at the game to think of anything else!
I took the girls upstairs to hang out/await the end.
We had to turn up the tv to drown out the cries of a fan in desperation!!
***
At least he sat down for this game...the first game he stood the entire time!!
Lyla played on a blanket on the floor and just stared up at him half the time, probably wondering what was SO exciting!
***
No texts this weekend please...he'll miss the "best game of the season" (apparently) to spend the weekend away!! From the kiddos &&& espn!

*fyi- he DOES read these posts...& he laughs.*

blah, blah, blah...

...college football has started...
Brady has officially checked into his other world.
Oh, he'll visit here...Sunday-Wednesday.
But did you know there are even games on Thursdays?
There are.
And even if there wasn't...espn will always have the latest.
And he's not just a crazy college football fan...
He's a byu fan (no, I did not mean to capitalize it..."Y" give it anymore recognition in our family?)
And we all know what that means!
***
I think I'll come here to complain, vent, & make fun of how crazy he gets.
And yeah, he'll read every post...
Then maybe he'll remember some of his 'episodes' that he has while caught up in 'gameland'...
because it's like he blacks out!
He snaps out of it pretty quick, but if his team happens to lose...
(because I think he believes he's actually on the team)
well then our week is just about shot!
***
So come on byu, for the sake of my husband...please just win.
And espn, for the sake of my sanity...find some announcers whose voices I can stand to listen to!

Loves Them to Pieces

Regan found a new love this summer.

Puzzles.
It started with a 25 piece Strawberry Shortcake & a few days later she sat by herself and did her 100 piece Fancy Nancy puzzle. Before I knew it she and Emma were completing a 300 piece High School Musical puzzle together!
Her latest is her 101 piece penny puzzle (the best $1 item in Target)
She's really quite amazing to watch.
Her concentration is intense & her method is her very own.
She doesn't turn all the pieces over first and she doesn't even do the edges first- it's all about finding the right shape!
I can just feel her becoming a little genius!

31, the oldest in the family!

He doesn't "prefer" cake. He doesn't "need anything". "It's just another day"...
How do you celebrate someone's bday when that's the response you get when trying to make it special?? So far our answer is: It's totally different every year.
This year I took Brady out for a movie and even forced him to shop for himself a little!
The next day E & R decorated the house and helped make rice crispy treats with melted chocolate. Throughout the day the girls had a great time reminding him that he is the oldest member of our family! It was awesome. haha
We love this guy.
We "prefer" to have him around.
He makes it so we don't "need anything" more.
It is not "just another day"...it's the day we celebrate him!

Lyla @ 3 Months

This little girl is just the sweetest!
She is happy & mellow.
She loves to be left alone to just watch.
And she watches everything.
But we don't leave her alone very much.
She's too adorable- someone should always be watching how fun she can be!
She sleeps in her crib now. Finally, I know.
She weighs an enormous 9 lbs, 2 oz.
And her favorite thing these days...HER HANDS- she clasps them together on her tummy to sleep and chews on them when she's awake.

Emotional for Everyone

That's how I would describe the first day of school for our family.
It needed to happen...the pools (that we didn't visit near enough this summer) feel like bath water, all the toys have been played with for hours on end, every movie has been watched, & it's so hot that leaving the house has to be absolutely necessary to be worth enduring the heat! So, why not begin the school year!!?
Emma is at a new school for first grade that we are totally loving and Regan started preschool 3 days a week with a teacher she adores!

I think I cried most of the day (can't believe I'm that mom!), but this week I see the light! The girls are so happy and Lyla and I enjoy lots of time to play. Emma and Regan both say they miss me so much, but they had a great time this summer and can't wait to play together after school. Gotta love that!
Things I won't miss about summer:
*always preparing or cleaning up a meal...these girls eat like crazy & some days I felt like I was running a restaurant.
*constantly being asked when Dad would get home "so something fun can happen"! What can I say... I told them a newborn was super-fun & lots of work.
Things I will miss about summer:
*No schedule!! We were chill & I loved it!
*No fancy hairstyles. I'm all for getting the girls ready & playing with new hairdo's but ponytails worked just fine for a few weeks!
*Cuddling with all 3 of my girls. Emma and Regan climbed into bed with me & Lyla (yeah...she was in bed with me, so what? :) every morning and watched tv until we couldn't wait any longer for breakfast...lazy mornings will be missed.

Making Cupcakes in "Swim-Swoops"

Emma and Regan both went through a couple summers calling their outfit of choice -a swimsuit- swim-swoops! The amount of time they got to go swimming this year was sad, but they still got plenty of use out of swimsuits & I just didn't care, whatever made them happy. They wore clothes on the rare days we actually left the house, but were content to be home playing "Kelli & Jessie" (yeah, we watched 'Saved By the Bell' every morning too- better for me than having to sit through Hannah Montana) in swimsuits with skirts over them!
The last day of summer was extra fun because Grandma and Alexa came over to make cupcakes with us...not just any cupcakes...THESE were awesome & easy to make!