B, C, J, & T

New Years Eve Chocolate Waffles & Ginger Bread Houses

2011-12-31T14:41:00.001-08:00

We held our second annual ginger bread house decorating gala with the Wyne family. This year we had some delicious chocolate waffles (that were to die for or to die from due to over eating). Below are a few photos of the finished products. We had a ton of fun. Thanks Wyne Family! -Brian

Christmas Morning - 2011

2011-12-29T19:44:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick look into Christmas morning at the Merrells.

Bonus shot!

Christmas Dinner with the Queen

2011-12-29T16:41:00.000-08:00

We had the pleasure of dining with the Queen for Christmas. Queen Shirls treated us like royalty and we had a dandy of an evening. Here are a few candid camera shots of the fun.

Queen Shirls and Caroline reading Johnny his new book.

Tyler opening presents.

Johnny showing off his new talking bear. The bear makes comments spontaneously as you read him the book from the first photo.

And last but not least the evening would not have been complete without Johnny sneaking a big smooch on the lips with the Queen. Good thing for the poparazzi. -Brian

santa uses amazon

2011-12-15T20:17:00.001-08:00

A package came in the mail today. The mailman rang the door bell and left it on the front step. When we opened the door, it appeared that a brown box from Amazon had magically appeared. I said, "Johnny! What is it?!" "A present!" He said. And after a pause, he added "From Santa!" I told him that if it was from Santa we had better wrap it up and put it under the tree. He didn't like that response and insisted that we needed to open the present. He carried on like that for a few minutes until he realized that I wasn't going to budge. At which point he said, "Mom, it not from Santa. It from the mailman!"

Nice try Johnny!

conversations with johnny

2011-12-04T15:11:00.000-08:00

Johnny: Mom, what happened to my diaper?

Me: I don't know, did you go potty?

Johnny: No, I not go potty. I have a wedgie.

* * * * *

M: What do you want Santa to bring you?

J: A goat!

* * * * *

J: [patting my stomach] Mom, do you have a baby in there?

M: No honey, I don't have a baby in there.

J: [pointing to Tyler] Do you have a baby in the high chair?

M: Yes.

* * * * *

J: [grabbing random letters & numbers] D is for dog. R is for bunny rabbit. No. 4 is for ice cream.

M: 4 is for ice cream? 4 scoops?

J: Yes.

* * * * *

J: Mom, are you my honey bunny?

M: Yes! [kiss. kiss. kiss]

* * * * *

M: Johnny, I made you a snack.

J: [rubbing my cheek] Thank you mommy. You are such a good mommy.

* * * * *

Most asked question -

J: What's going on here?

* * * * *

J: Mom, you are my best friend and I am oars best friend.

* * * * *

And now for a few recent pictures -

Helping me set up our {obviously fake} tree.

Wearing the tree skirt for a collar.

Decorating the tree.

Ready for his part in the Christmas program. Lamb or Goat? We're not quite sure.

Enjoying his time on Santa's lap.

Asleep on the kitchen table after we had 7 toddlers at our house for the morning. You think you're tired, Johnny?!

last minute visits from grandma are the best

2011-12-04T13:02:00.000-08:00

My mom called me on a Sunday to say she was coming on Monday! She spent an entire week with us. The boys absolutely love her. I love these pictures and love that my boys will have these memories of my mom. She is as good as they come.

Thanksgiving in St. George

2011-12-02T21:49:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in St. George with Brian's wonderful family this year. It was a fun trip and we really enjoyed the great company and delicious food. Barbara was so good to us. Not only did she slave over our Thanksgiving feast, but she let us take over her bedroom for 3 nights. I'm not sure I could be that gracious of a host. She's a great lady and wonderful mom and grandma.

Tyler opening a birthday gift from Grandma.

What? Johnny LOVES cats? More evidence that he is ALL daddy.

Cute cousins Valerie and Kate.

These two are just one month apart. Precious.

Tyler turns 1!

2011-11-21T21:09:00.001-08:00

The poor little birthday boy was sick the week of his birthday and especially on the actual day. It was very sad! We still haven't celebrated yet, but to mark the occasion, I wanted to post a little video of him taking a few little steps. He's starting to gain confidence and will take 4 or 5 steps on his own. I love this stage. I can't get enough of this boy.

sing a song of sixpence

2011-11-21T20:46:00.001-08:00

Johnny loves to sing. If he's not sleeping or eating, then he's singing. I've been keeping a running list of songs he knows and it's getting pretty long. He surprises me almost daily with a new song that I didn't know he knew. We have been attending a little Music Makers class at church for the past year. He's very shy and reserved in class and doesn't ever sing along or do the hand movements or participate like many of the other children his age, but I'm realizing that he's like a little sponge soaking it all in. The songs are starting to come out little by little and it's so fun to see how much he is learning. This is one of my favorite songs that he sings:

October

2011-11-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

The pumpkin patch at Underwood Farms is my favorite fall-time tradition. We drug our city slicker behinds up to the farm twice this year 'cause it's so darned nice to breathe in some fresh air (all be it, smelly due to some livestock).

Riding in the wagon is so much fun.

Johnny and his two best friends, Eleanor & Ella. Cute hu?

Halloween was fun this year because Johnny really got into it. We put up a few decorations like this here skeleton. And believe it or not I actually dressed up (if you can call it that - I just painted my nose and wore a hat) for the first time in 20 + years. It will probably be another 20 before I dress up again, so here's one more picture.

Instead of handing out candy at the trunk or treat, we made a big jug of homemade rootbeer complete with dry ice. It was a real hit with the kids. You can't find this stuff in L.A. so I had my mom send me a bunch from good 'ole Walmart in Idaho. We have enough to do it again next year.

We also had a visit from our awesome Uncle Mikey. The boys had a great time getting to know him.

Well, that's it for the pictures. In other news, Brian became the bishop of our ward on October 16th. The first few weeks I was feeling a mixture of shock and denial. I'm a bit more used to the idea now, though every day brings new surprises. Brian has jumped in with both feet and is giving it all he's got. He's as cheerful and positive as ever. I'm proud of him for being willing to serve.

Anyway - Happy Fall!

A Family of Strawmen

2011-10-31T22:58:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

We made homemade rootbeer for the trunk or treat.

Thanks Grandma Liz.

september

2011-10-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

This month went by so fast. I think I'll post a few of my favorite pictures and write about them. Sounds easy enough but it will probably take hours! So, here we go. This is Johnny getting ready for church. Have I told you that he loves to sing hymns at the top of his lungs during sacrament meeting? Don't believe me? Come sit in front of us and you'll find out. He could be under the pews, two rows down, rolling around on the floor with his toy horses (who would let their child do that during church? not me) and as soon as he hears the organ start, he pops up, grabs a hymnal and starts wailing. I love it.

Tyler has a lot of personality and is such a fun little person. He does things that surprise me all the time. Like his latest fetish, sucking on this rooster's foot. He puts it in his mouth so purposefully. As if he really thinks that's what you are supposed to do with a rooster. He'll pick it up, hold it in both hands, flip it around until he finds a foot and then bam, right into the mouth it goes. He'll crawl around all day like this if I let him. He also loves balls and pushes everything from trucks to chairs around the house. I know those things aren't out of the ordinary for a little boy, but Johnny never did them, so it catches me by surprise.

Meal time is a favorite for this guy. I'll stuff him chuck full of baby food then sit down to eat my own meal only to watch his eyes following my every bite (mouth wide open too, mind you). He'll continue to eat as much of my food as I will give him. Should I be worried about feeding him too much? I don't know! I love this look. "Oh c'mon, mom. Just one more bite."

The way the boys interact has evolved so much in the last month. Since Tyler really started to crawl and get around, Johnny has been very possessive of his toys and has subsequently learned all about "time out." You would think Tyler was an axe murderer the way Johnny screams when he sees him coming. It's hilarious and annoying all at the same time. I'm trying to teach Johnny not to panic and to distract Ty with other toys. But that doesn't always work because Tyler wants to do exactly what his big brother is doing.

They have also been doing a lot of wrestling and rough-housing. They can't keep their hands off of each other all day. I always have to pay attention or Tyler will end up on the bottom. Most days, like this day, it's cute and fun to see. I just don't like it when someone (usually Tyler) gets hurt.

I should mention though, that Johnny is super sweet and knows when he's done something wrong. He often puts himself in time-out and he always says "I'm sorry" and gives a hug after he's hurt his brother. The other day after hugging Tyler, he looked up at me and said, "Mom, I yove oars (your) baby."

Johnny loves books. It makes me happy that he enjoys them so much. He has a great memory and will catch us when we try to ad lib or skip lines. I will often overhear him reading himself a story, which is pretty adorable too.

Why are empty baskets and boxes so irresistible to little kids? I remember playing in them when I was little too.

If it were up to me, the back of Tyler's neck would look like this for the rest of forever. It's delicious.

Speaking of deliciousness. Brian made puff pastry. We kept it in the fridge and made apple turnovers for like 3 nights in a row. How could something so wrong feel so right?

For Grandma Barbara

2011-10-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

The boys are really enjoying the cow that you sent...

Thank you, Grandma! We love you!

Tyler's fake laugh

2011-10-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

do you need validation?

2011-09-11T20:58:00.001-07:00

Last week I went out to eat with some girlfriends from church. It was so fun and a much needed break from my darling babies. As we were finishing up, the waiter came by and asked if we needed validation (for parking, of course, because we live in L.A.). My friend Heather said, "Yes, actually, I do. How do I look today?" It was funny and I laughed. And then I remembered that I have been getting a lot of that kind of validation around my house lately. All thanks to Johnny who suddenly became the most complimentary little person I know. I don't know exactly where he learned this, but it must be from being around lots of ladies. Brian gives me compliments, but not usually about my hair or clothing, and certainly not about my accessories! The first time Johnny did this, I was completely caught off guard and melted into a puddle on the spot. The cutest thing about it all is how completely sweet and sincere he is. A few examples:

I had my hair down one day (it's usually in a pony tail). Johnny ran both hands through it and said, "Ors hair pretty, mommy. I yove it."
I came home with a new purse to which he said, "That cool Momma, that cool! Let's go shopping!"
I came upstairs after getting dressed for church last week. Johnny said, "You have a pretty dress, mommy. I yove it."
Today I wore a pair of hoops to church and after I thought he might rip them out of my ears with excitement he said, "Ors earrings are nice, mommy. I yike them."

That Johnny boy. I think I'll keep him!

johhny in the kitchen

2011-08-27T09:32:00.001-07:00

This boy is an expert bed-time putter-offer. He squeaked an extra 30 minutes out of this day because he looked so cute in his apron next to daddy in the kitchen that I had to grab the camera and take some pictures. Only Brian would start making egg rolls at 9pm.

Ty @ 9 months

2011-08-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

22 lbs

29 inches

claps all the time

loves to splash in water

tries to take toys from his brother

loves to be tickled

lights up when daddy comes home

is a scavenger for big people food

crawls like a champ

eats two jars of baby food back to back

loves to be in johnny's business

cruises around the furniture

sings in his crib in the morning

loves, loves, loves bath time

almost has his first tooth

drinks out of mommy's water bottle

goes by Mem, Memmy, Ty-O, Ty-Ty, & Turkey

brings us immeasurable joy & happiness every single day!

beth & mark

2011-08-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you for coming and spending an entire week with us. It was so fun! I wandered around my own house like I was lost and confused for like 3 days after you left. Serious withdrawals. Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip!

the byu dodgers

2011-08-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

We watch a lot of BYU sports around our house. So much that Johnny thinks every sporting event is a BYU game. When we went to Mormon Night at Dodger Stadium this year he kept on calling them the BYU Dodgers. It was cute.

I guess going to Mormon Night has become a family tradition. This year Elder Cook threw the first pitch. He looked pretty coordinated, actually. Not to mention he looked so cute with the jersey over his shirt and tie.

photo and article here

Its fun to see how our lives have changed in such a short period of time. Here we are in 2010.

And 2009

2008

man of many talents

2011-08-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

I don't mean to make any of ya'll jealous, but I just have to document my husband's awesomeness today. He made biscuits and gravy for breakfast and homemade pasta for dinner - and every last bit of it was from scratch! Yep, we're talking rolling pin and pasta machine and flour everywhere. But I'll clean up after him any day of the week if it tastes this good. So, are you jealous?

growing up too fast

2011-08-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

The best time of the day

2011-08-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

is when dad comes home. Could Tyler look any happier?

And how about this smooch?!

The last hour or two before Brian comes home are always exhausting for me. It kind of compares to the last period of the school day as a teacher only I have two kids, not 30+ Still if there's any time of the day that I lose it, it's most likely this time. Patience is short, tempers are hot, babies are fussy, and dinner needs to be made. I think Johnny & Ty's happiness in seeing dad is not only a reflection of how much they love him, but of how relieved they are to get away from mom! Thank goodness for our good natured, happy, easy-going, cheery and extremely fun dad.

I'd like to thank the world

2011-07-12T19:34:00.001-07:00

I'd like to thank the world. But mostly I'd like to thank my mom. She's the one that prayed dozens of kind people to my rescue. It started with the man at the counter who turned his head in the other direction when my suitcase weighed 2 lbs over the limit. Then there was a TSA officer who let me bypass a very long line at security. I'm sure he thought there was no way my already sobbing toddler and extra wiggly baby could handle a 30-minute wait. TSA officers aren't usually the friendly type, but there were three more who went out of their way to help me through the line. One helped me fold up and load the stroller onto the belt. Another set it back up for me on the other side. A third helped me gather all of my things together.

I've never been the recipient of so many reassuring smiles from perfect strangers. As I sat on the floor next to a clingy and weepy Johnny and began to put his shoes back on, three women walked by and smiled so warmly. They must have remembered what it was like to be in my shoes. One even said, "You make it look easy!" Bless her heart.

Then there was the lady at the gate who picked Tyler up off the ground, held him and made him giggle. Another woman opposite me on the plane held Tyler for a half an hour while I rocked Johnny to sleep. And can you believe that I didn't get so much as one crusty look or unkind word from a single passenger on the plane even though my children were crying for a combined 1.25 hours of the 2-hour flight?

There were so many people who helped without asking. The business man who lifted my stroller off the luggage rack and didn't leave until the kids were situated. The shuttle attendant who bumped me to the front of the line and helped me lift the kids and gear onto the shuttle. The man who stood at the door of the shuttle waiting for us, the last ones off, in order to grab the front of the stroller and guide us safely down. The security guard who kindly explained that the elevator was out of order but that he would help me down the escalator, no problem.

There were so many kind words too like, "I don't know how you do it." And "Your children are so beautiful." And "You are doing great." Of course, I heard lots of "you've got your hands full" too but I didn't even mind because it was usually followed by some kind gesture or another.

What these strangers didn't know was that Johnny had been up all night with croup, a fever, and a horrible cough. They didn't know that we had made an early morning visit to urgent care or that Johnny had missed his afternoon nap in order to catch the plane. And I'm quite certain they didn't know that they were the answer to my mother's prayers that someone would help her girl when she herself could not.

Have you ever felt the power of someone else's prayers? I definitely felt it on this day. So a big thank you to all of these people whose faces I still remember but whose names I will never know. Most importantly, thank you to you, Mom for your never-ending prayers and love.

And while I'm on the subject of my amazing mom, I thought I show off her incredible talent for doing wedding flowers. She did a wedding while I was home and I absolutely love the way these flowers turned out!

Johnny Turns Two

2011-07-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

For Johnny's birthday we met Brian at a park near work to celebrate with our little family. The weather was delightful and it was really relaxing and fun. We had peanut butter & jam, chocolate milk and cupcakes for lunch. Johnny had a great time opening his presents - a book about potty training, a bike helmet to go with the hand-me-down bike with training wheels that he is currently learning to ride, and a big Tonka truck.

And finally, no post is complete with out a picture of this fuzzy bear. He is the sweetest boy.

grandpas are the best

2011-07-06T20:32:00.000-07:00

We are having so much fun in Idaho! It will be the saddest day of Johnny's life when we have to go home to the big city. He loves the farm about 10 times more than I thought he would. And I knew he would love the farm A LOT. From the time he wakes up until the time we drag him kicking and screaming to bed, he is begging to ride the "cycle" with grandpa. They check on the cows and learn new words and wear farm hats (not pictured here). It's adorable.

More pictures and updates to come!

Choo! Choo!

2011-06-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

So, Johnny has been doing a lot of 'thinking' these days...or...he has been spending a lot of time on the thinker but mostly for diversion. The other day he was thinking for a long time and was surprised by a choo choo. Someone in the family always says, "where there is a choo choo there is a train," and sure enough the next time Johnny was deep in thought...the choo choo and then the train. I am not saying that Johnny is trained but rather enjoying training. At this point he still enjoys the choo choo's the most.

Monkey See Monkey Do

2011-06-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

Tyler is in love with his brother and is even learning to imitate him already.

Yeah, Johnny isn't really very excited about it as you can see. :) And, it looks like Tyler is going to be a lefty.

Johnny's Favorite Lunch

2011-06-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

sick day

2011-06-23T19:30:00.001-07:00

When you've been cooped up in the house all day with a sick family you sometimes do useless (well, very important for basketball recruiting, but otherwise completely useless) things like project the height and wingspan of your children when they are fully grown.

As a disclaimer, this method isn't at all scientific nor is it accurate. But it has been proven (sorta) a couple of times in our family. Here's what you do. When a boy (I don't think this works for girls) turns two years old, you double his height and viola! That's how tall he will be when he's an adult.

My grandparents, who are kinda short (sorry grandpa) were sure that my dad was switched at birth when he kept growing and growing at a very swift rate. At two years old he measured 3 feet 2 inches. They couldn't imagine that they would have a son that was 6'4". But sure enough, that's exactly how tall he is! And he totally looks like them, so no, he wasn't switched at birth:)

However, Brian and my younger brother Doug both exceeded their doubled height by 3 inches and 2 inches respectively. Brian was 3'2" at two years and is 6'7" now. Dougie was 3'3" at two and is a tall drink of water at 6'8" (home from his mission and available in Jan '12, ladies).

Johnny turns two next week and so we can finally double his height. I'm happy to report that all of the people who took a look (stared) at me and Brian and said something very insensitive like, "Woah. He's going to be 7-feet!" are totally wrong. He's only going to be 6'11". Just kidding. He measured 3'3", just like Dougie. So he's not that tall. Just tall tall.

Dear Johnny, you are awesome. We love you to the moon. Even if you never grew another inch. We would love you just the same. You are our little buddy, son-son, turkey, sweetheart, honey, lovekins, Johnny boy, Noni. Happy Birthday next Tuesday. These have been the best 2 years of my life.

A very cooperative Johnny at two:

height - 39 inches

weight - 35 lbs

wingspan - 39 inches

head - 21 1/2 inches

feet - 6 1/2 inches

Mem sure loves his Johnny!

2011-06-14T23:20:00.000-07:00

You are going to like this video!

hobbies

2011-06-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I actually have a hobby. Life was so busy for a while (work, grad school, teaching, then newborn baby, then newborn baby again) that I almost hated being asked the question, "What are your hobbies?" Though I still don't have a lot of time to spare, it's been fun to channel some creative energy into an actual, for real hobby. It's also been fun to discover that my husband is actually a natural at sewing. Who knew?! We've done a few sewing projects together lately. This is the latest. A stack of pretty pillows for my sister in-law.

6 months

2011-05-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

The other day Brian was talking to his mom on the phone. She asked him to tell her about little Tyler's personality. He thought it was a funny question because in his words, "babies don't have personalities yet." I laughed when he said that because I know so many of you would disagree with that statement. But at the same time we both had to stop and think before we could answer the question. Baby Ty has sort of tricked us into thinking he doesn't have a personality because he is so good natured. He doesn't really demand much attention (though he does love it), he doesn't make a lot of noise, he loves to nurse and sleep and plays well on his own. He also adores his big brother and spends lots of time quietly smiling at him in admiration. Like I used to say about Johnny as a baby, Ty is just happy to be here. He is pure joy to his momma. He is patient, calm, sweet, so lovable and happy. At six months he loves to jump enthusiastically in his bouncy toy, grab everything in sight, chew on his hands, get mauled by his dad, snuggle with Johnny, sit on his mom's lap and take his evening bath. He still wakes up once during the night to eat and though I'd love for him to sleep through the night, I secretly enjoy our night time feeding. It's the only time Tyler will fall asleep on my shoulder after eating and I can hold him tight and sneak as many kisses as I want on his soft, smooth cheeks. At the park the other day with a friend and her little boy I had to interrupt Tyler's feeding to help Johnny on the slide. I returned to my spot on the park bench and didn't immediately resume feeding Ty. She couldn't believe how patiently he waited to continue eating when he was clearly still very hungry. That's my Ty. He's an angel baby. He has made being a mother of 2 a little easier than I thought it would be. And so much more fun!

6 month stats:

21 lbs (95%)

28 inches (95%)

18 3/4 noggin' (97%)

the egg hunt

2011-05-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Johnny really enjoyed hunting for eggs this year. We had the first of many egg hunts in great grandma's back yard. Each egg had a single m&m inside. Plenty of incentive for a 22-month old. (Johnny wiped out on the pavement a few minutes before we took these pictures. Hence the scratches on his face. Poor guy.)

When we got home, Johnny wanted to do it again. We probably hid the eggs around the house a half a dozen times and every time was as exciting as the first. We didn't even bother with the candy after a while. It was the actual finding of the egg that Johnny loved most.

family time

2011-05-21T06:35:00.000-07:00

I don't write or journal about our family as much as I would like to. Writing is a very labored task for me. I'm not one of those people that can sit down and pour out my thoughts and feelings easily. It takes a lot of time, effort, and backspacing:) That's why I'm posting these pictures. I think they say a lot about us and how we like to spend our time. We love to be at home together. We took these photos while we did our best to listen to general conference.

wondering

2011-05-01T12:59:00.001-07:00

I don't want to get too graphic, but I'm curious. Tyler blows out of at least one and sometimes two or three diapers a day! I've bumped him up to size 4's and occasionally I'll put him in Johnny's size 5's hoping to avoid a disaster, but nothing seems to work. Is there anyone out there that has/had this problem? What did you do about it? Yesterday the blow out was so bad that we stripped him down and plopped him in the sink on the spot. The look on his face seems to say, "Did I do something wrong?"

I neeeeeeeeeed MULK!

2011-05-01T12:32:00.001-07:00

It's very appropriate that Johnny's first complete sentence would be, "I neeeeeeeeed MULK!!" shouted across the house at the crack of dawn as the rest of us were barely opening our eyes. This boy is an early riser and loves a cold bottle of milk more than any almost two-year old I know. Which leads me to my next thought. How on earth are we going to break him of the bottle come June?!

saturday morning

2011-04-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

We've had some beautiful mornings here lately. This Saturday we took advantage of the blue sky and took a walk down to the little park on the beach.

Johnny is a man-child, as Brian likes to call him and has graduated to the big swings. He can even pump on his own!

Ty has a new trick -- he can reach his second chin with his tongue. He does this all the time now. Not sure why. He usually does a fake laugh afterwards. I think he might be turning into a ham like his daddy. Oh, and he also took his first ride on the swing this week and loved it.

Hope you are enjoying some sun-shiney spring weather where ever you are!

sew what?

2011-04-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

Pillows! It took me two years to start this project and only a couple of days to finish. I may have never started had Brian not been so encouraging. He may live to regret it though. I had so much fun that I can't wait to make more! As I finished my last pillow yesterday, I said, "you know this means I'm going to have to buy more fabric, right?"

Picking out the fabric was just as much fun as sewing. I had no idea how gorgeous and expensive home decor fabric can be. I don't want to admit how much time I spent looking through the high ticket designer fabrics before I settled on these budget prints.

It's kind of an eclectic mix but I think they look cute on my couch. Anyway, I'm sure I'll be switching them out often as Johnny likes to use them to wipe his nose. Another good reason for going with the budget fabric!

a fun week

2011-04-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

We felt spoiled last week with so many visitors in town. I anticipated it for so long that it was over in a flash. My youngest brother Marky was here as well as my older brother Dan and his family. We also spent a day at grandma Shirley's house. It was so much fun. When can you all come again?

Johnny loved being one of the boys at the Long Beach Aquarium

I caught Cache patting Johnny on the head. It was so sweet. Johnny reciprocated with a hug.

Two of my favorite photos from the week. Baby Ty and Brooklyn. Aren't they a photogenic pair?

And here is Marky. The best uncle ever. Johnny was beyond delighted all week.

A cute photo of the kids together. I love Bellamie's bright orange cast!

Johnny almost blends into the background with those big blue eyes and blue shirt.

Tyler is such a good baby. We hauled him all over L.A. and he was a perfect angel.

Cozied up on the couch at home. It was SO nice to have an extra pair of hands. I can't believe how much more I can accomplish in a day with someone to help.

Ty and Grandma. She made him a bunch of cute bibs like the one he's wearing.

I love both of these photos of Marky and Ty on the beach so much that I posted them both (even though they are almost identical). Uh, who's the lucky girl that will someday marry this awesome boy? I'd like to meet her because she must be amazing.

We were at the beach with a bunch of my friends from church and their kids. A lady walked up to one of my friends and asked her if we were from Utah. My friend said, "No, why?" The lady said she'd never seen so many modest people at the beach before. I hadn't thought about it, but I guess we were wearing a lot of clothing for an 80 degree day.

Why does my child always have to wander? Johnny found the seagulls a million times more interesting than the water.

Johnny's New Friend

2011-03-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

Johnny made a new friend today while shopping at Old Navy.

And yes they are holding hands!

Mem @ 4 months

2011-03-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

So this week Mem (Tyler) turned 4 months old. He is very cute as you can see below, and his brother Noni (Johnny) is seriously in love with him. Caroline took him to the doctor for his regular check-up and everything seems to be going okay...which is good because Johnny had the 'croup' this past weekend and it gave us a bit of a scare.

So at 4 months Mem weighs in at 18 lbs 7 oz and is 26.5" long. That is pretty hefty. It puts him near the top of the charts in both categories. If you are wondering how that compared to his brother...at 4 months Johnny weighted 20 lbs 15 oz and was 29.0" long which is way off the charts.

And here are few bonus shots from our recent trip to St. George to visit our cousins.

Valerie, Tyler, RyLee

Johnny is seriously fascinated with kitties

Johnny and Kate

Johnny and Jared

Johnny getting ready for his bath

Finally

2011-03-05T22:00:00.001-08:00

My mom and dad have attended a lot of high school basketball games. At least 800, but probably more. They followed 8 kids all over the state of Idaho in snow and rain and on icy roads. They sat on hundreds of hard bleachers, yelled thousands of encouraging words, endured many a horrible referee and only got tossed out of a handful of games {dad!}. They watched us win, they watched us lose. They saw school records broken, MVP awards won, district championships clinched and even a state championship final. When it comes to high school basketball, they've pretty much seen it all. Except one thing. They never watched one of their kids win the ultimate prize, a state championship... well, that is, until TODAY!!

Today my siblings and I lived our dream vicariously through our baby brother, No. 8, our last hope, Marky Mark, when his team won the 2A State Championship against all odds. I couldn't be there to cheer, to call the referees names, to jump up and down and celebrate with my family, but I was there in spirit. I'm so proud of Mark. Not only is he a great athlete, he's an even better person and an awesome little brother. I'm so thrilled that he could experience this game as a senior, in his last basketball game. And I'm happy for my parents too. Not because they care whether we win or lose. But because all they want is for their kids to be happy. And I know that today, all 8 of us were very, very happy.

{photo and article here}

{Mark Beus #5}

Captain Adorable

2011-03-05T21:59:00.001-08:00

Last week some of my wonderful friends from church threw me a baby shower. Though it was a bit late (they joked that if they waited any longer they would have to pitch in and buy him a car for his 16th birthday), I decided that the best time to have a shower is 3 months after your sweet baby has arrived. Bringing my smiley little love to the party was so much better than a packing a big, uncomfortable belly. Here are a few pictures of Ty wearing one of his new outfits from the shower. He is such a fun baby right now. He smiles a ton and is even laughing. Sometimes he starts laughing out of nowhere. Its so funny. He also recently decided that he loves pacifiers which has made our lives much easier!

A lot of people ask me if I think Ty & Johnny look alike. What do you think? Here they are side by side, at almost 4 months old. They both happen to be wearing little sailor suits which is beside the point, but kinda cute. I think they share a lot of features in common, yet to me they look so different.

do you like samoas?

2011-03-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

{photo and recipe here}

then you should probably make these. they're sooooo good.

I'm wondering...

2011-03-05T21:07:00.000-08:00

How much t.v. is too much? Ever since 101 dalmations came in the mail from netflixs we haven't been able to bribe Johnny away from the t.v. Sometimes I prop his brother up next to him and take pictures. He's so into the show, he doesn't notice that either of us are there.

Tyler is not nearly as interested.

He'd much rather smile for his momma.

America's Next Top Chef

2011-02-22T20:15:00.000-08:00

For all of you non-believers, check out this awesome video. Johnny is seriously the best 1 year old chef that I have ever met. The other day I was making a crust for a pot pie and pulled the raw dough out of the fridge and took it over to the flat surface. He saw what I was doing and went over to the lower cabinet, opened the door, and pulled out the rolling pin. I didn't even know where the rolling pin was. In this video Johnny demonstrates the Army way of cracking eggs and the French-Italian pastry chef way of cracking eggs.

Well done Johnny, well done!

-brian

a couple parents about to get real

2011-02-12T20:58:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, guess what? We are the proud owners of a Swagger Wagon. We're filling this wagon up with our swagger.

I think its embarrassing yet awesome that as of yesterday we became a minivan family. We didn't even realize how cool we were until after we bought it. We were showing off the new wheels to our friends Heather and Chris who, as it turns out, were actually quite impressed with our "Swagger." And we were like, "What?! Where my kids at?"

* side note - before ya'll start gettin' all jealous, we didn't get a 2011 alright? ours is a little older. but still.

Blessing Day

2011-02-10T19:05:00.001-08:00

Sweet baby Tyler was blessed in church this last Sunday. I told Brian that we had better invite a lot of people to stand in because he's such a chunk at almost 12 weeks. I don't think most people wait as long as we did to bless their babies. Usually you see a dad hold up a teeny tiny little thing wrapped in a blanket. In a 6-9 month collared shirt, a pair of overalls, with a double chin and elbow rolls, Tyler's presence in front of the congregation was a little less dainty. Yes, he's a manly little man and we think he's pretty neat.

We were lucky to have my mom and dad and grandma Shirley come for the occasion. Besides making the cute little overalls for Ty's blessing, my mom also ironed our clothes, washed our dishes, changed dirty diapers, read stories, rocked babies and took great care of us as always. Johnny loves Grandma and behaved like a perfect little angel around her. Though it took a little while to warm up to Grandpa, whom he hadn't seen in over six months, Johnny was repeating the words, "hi grandpa" over and over by the end of the weekend. We had a great time and hope they can come again soon! Grandma Shirley came bearing gifts and lots of kisses for the boys. We are so grateful that she lives close by and that we get to see her often.

Its so fun being a family of 4.

I love this picture for Ty's furrowed brow and for the goofy way Brian is holding Johnny.

So Big!

2011-01-30T21:03:00.000-08:00

10 weeks of Ty

This little boy has already brought so much joy into our home. He is so loved by us all.

The best way to eat mac n' cheese

2011-01-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

is fresh out of the pot!

Johnny LOVES to help us cook. The only thing he might like more is doing the laundry. How did I get such a domestic child? Not sure, but I'm hoping it will last until at least 18. :)

sunday morning

2011-01-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

We finally got that new camera we wanted for a really long time. I have no idea how to use it, and probably won't have the time to sit down and read the manual for a while. But even using the automatic setting, it takes much better pictures than our old one. I love practicing on my new little model.

Happenings

2011-01-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

Baby Ty is really starting to fill out. He's a whopping 7 weeks old now. And oh man, we all love him to bits and pieces. Although no one manifests it quite as much as his big brother Johnny. He can't leave Ty alone, kissing him about a hundred times a day (granted, he probably thinks thats normal because he's been kissed at least that many times, if not more, every single day of his life too) and saying "hi baby" in between kisses. But oh, I can't blame him one bit. I mean, look at those cheeks!

First smile caught on camera! Melt my heart.

Its pretty obvious who the subject of Brian's photography is...

More attempts at the perfect sibling shot.... Weird eye. Try again.

Maybe if I just push him down a little bit.

Getting closer. If we could only keep his lips off the baby.

Almost there. I guess you can't expect a newborn to smile on command.

Maybe if I back up a little bit... ahhh, well, we'll keep trying.

Our big Christmas present - a double stroller!

Johnny recently took up cooking. He wants to be in the middle of everything we do in the kitchen.

A big boy haircut

This teething business stinks!

When you can turn it on and pull yourself into it, I think you might be too big for the swing

More general cuteness

Our Little Christmas

2011-01-05T20:25:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks, I can't get my act together enough to write a real post, so I'm sharing a slideshow instead. Hope you enjoy!

Christmas 2010

today

2010-12-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

don't be jeal.

2010-12-15T01:03:00.001-08:00

Don't be jealous that I am married to this tall drink of a man. Don't be jealous that it's been 3 glorious years and that it keeps getting better. I know, it's hard.

Happy Anniversary, B!

Tyler - 3 Weeks Old!

2010-12-09T21:38:00.000-08:00

Tyler, one week old...already!

2010-11-28T22:47:00.000-08:00

Our New Baby!

2010-11-18T21:19:00.000-08:00

Tyler Adair Merrell

Born at 11:46am

Thursday, November 18, 2010

8 lbs 14 oz

22 1/4 inches

We can't wait either!

2010-11-15T22:20:00.000-08:00

Today was the latter of my two due dates but still no baby! Hopefully we will have an update soon!

Trunk or Treat!

2010-11-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

Daddy was a bear, and Johnny was a pumpkin.

Mommy was a witch (we forgot to take a photo).

Hungry for More

2010-10-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

For Mom & Marky. Sorry to dissapoint with the last post. It was pretty lame. The sad thing is that it took me for-ev-er to write one paragraph. Ask Brian. It was ridiculous. I should never try to write at night when I'm sleepy. I also haven't been very good about posting pictures lately... or taking them for that matter. I only have a handful from the last few months. And they're all of Johnny. I avoid belly shots at all times. I somehow don't feel like I will regret that... ever! Johnny is so fun these days. He is learning a lot of new words and lots of naughty tricks. He likes to carry the step stool around the kitchen and pop up next to the stove or the sink or wherever I am working to help. He is in the middle of everything I do, actually. Laundry, folding clothes, putting away groceries, cleaning, sweeping, checking the mail, everything! And I love it. It keeps me on my toes. And off of my backside, which is what I really want to be doing these days. He's my little shadow during the day. But as soon as his dad gets home, he doesn't even know I exist. He and Brian play ball, wrestle a LOT, take out the garbage, go on walks and read lots and lots of stories. Right now Johnny is really into word books. His favorite books have animals in them. And when we are out on walks, he can spot any dog within a mile radius of where we are. He definitely doesn't take after me. I still don't like dogs.

What else? Ahhh. Our new house. We love living in Santa Monica. It has been a really easy adjustment for us all. First of all, the apartment is great. I feel spoiled to have so much space. And with more space I feel more organized and the house feels cleaner. And organized and clean = a very happy Caroline. Brian and I both feel like the 3 flights of stairs (from the garage to the 1st floor, from the 1st floor to the 2nd and then up to the loft) are working wonders for our bums... I'm sure you wanted to know that. Although, hauling groceries upstairs with Johnny "helping" is turning out to be my least favorite thing about the stairs right now. Brian's commute is only a few minutes longer each way, so that's been great. Our neighborhood is full of cute houses that we like to look at and dream about. Many of them are currently decked out for Halloween which Johnny loves too!

Honestly, when we chose to live in Santa Monica, it had absolutely nothing to do with proximity to the beach. B and I never go anyway. But I have to say, I am now a convert. We go all the time and it's BEAUTIFUL! It really is. It's breath taking. I love to sit and watch Johnny play in the sand while I think about how cool it is to live on the edge of a continent and see the ocean stretch out endlessly before me... and then inevitably my mind turns to tsunamis and I'm grateful I don't live RIGHT on the ocean because that could be bad news if some day, you know... Oh man, I'm my mother's daughter. For sure.

Another reason we love it here is because we've made some really fun and wonderful friends. We've really enjoyed doing things with them... walking at the beach, going to the park, church events and other stuffs. It's so nice to have friends. I feel really blessed.

Well, now for the pictures.

If I'm lucky, Johnny will look at me when I'm taking his picture. In this one, I said, "smile for Uncle Doug." And he did!

Bath time. Brian gives Johnny his bath every night. After he pulls him out and wraps him up in a towel, he holds him up to the mirror and says, "Look how cute you are!" Johnny gets really shy and smiley. It's precious.
Here he wanted to be wrapped up in a blanket. It didn't last too long because he realized he needed his arms to look at the book:)

Sitting up to the table at Minnie Mouse's house in Toon Town.

Brian's mom sent Johnny this little BYU sweatsuit and he would wear it everyday if he could. Sadly, he always gets a leak in his diaper or falls in a puddle when he's wearing it and I have to change his clothes. He also lives and dies for that bottle!

And why not throw in a quick baby update? Johnny's little brother is only 2 1/2 weeks from making his grand entrance. I think he'll come on or after his due date, just like Johnny did. My doctor tells me he will come any day but I'm not falling for it this time. Why put myself through that horrible waiting game?! Anyhow, Brian and I are really excited but Johnny has no idea what's about to hit him. I hope he adjusts well. He practices with a little baby doll. He give hugs and kisses.

Well, I hope that satisfies a little bit of your hunger for more! xoxo.

The Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

With just a few days left before Halloween and a few weeks before we are homebound for a while, Johnny and I took a 50-mile drive out of the city to a cute little pumpkin patch in Moore Park. We went with some really fun friends who let us pile into their mini-van for the ride. It was so fun to be out in the open and let Johnny run. There were a lot of animals and pumpkins, of course and a little train ride Johnny loved so much that I almost went into labor trying to pull him off. All the work and effort is worth it to see this little guy smile... or not smile, which is what he decided to do in 32 of the 35 pictures I took :)

New Place

2010-09-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

We loved our cute little one-bedroom apartment. We really did. It was cozy and warm. Everything we needed was literally right within our reach. I was sad to leave it behind. I was nervous about putting Johnny in a bedroom all by himself! I was going to miss all the traditions we made in our first home. Like standing on the balcony to say goodbye to our daddy every morning. And welcoming him home the same way every night. We would miss the neighborhood, our walking routes, the park, a Trader Joe's up the street, our friends and neighbors. But then....

We moved into a two-bedroom apartment and suddenly there is a place for everything. It all fits! There's an entire room for the crib... no need to remove any closet doors in the master bedroom to make room for baby! The kitchen table doesn't have to be pushed up against the wall to make room for the office furniture. And the office furniture, isn't in the living room anymore. It's in the office! The kitchen looks and feels more like a kitchen than a hallway and we actually have a hallway too! So I guess I'm trying to say that I sorta like our new apartment and I might have already forgotten all the things I was going to miss. Except the people that we love, of course. They can't be replaced. But the great thing about moving a mere 5 miles away is that we can still see those people! Even if it takes us an hour to get there in traffic :)

Here are a few pictures from the move. Johnny was a huge help!

Packing up the pantry

Stacking boxes

Packing himself for the trip

Mormon Night at Dodger Stadium

2010-08-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Play Ball!

All of the fun wiped "little man" out!

One year ago today we looked like this:

Hard to believe how much a baby can change in one year! Even harder to believe is that next year we'll have 2. Eek!

Johnny Got a New Pony

2010-08-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

Johnny loves to ride his new horse. And he likes it when the horsey gallops...really fast!

Catch Johnny Catch!

2010-08-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

"Bugga Bugga"

2010-08-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

Here is Johnny eating bananas and saying his favorite words...bugga bugga!

Crazy Post

2010-07-27T23:00:00.001-07:00

This is Brian and this is a crazy post!

Check out this photo of Johnny:

Isn't he awesome?! He is sporting a Peruvian made hat that says MERRELL, has ear flaps, and thingy on top.

Here is an awesome video of Johnny in one of his new suits:

Crazy, huh?!

Oh yeah, and the craziest thing of all ... Caroline went to the doctor this afternoon for an ultrasound and he sent her home with a cute little picture of our "baby girl." It is labeled "extremities" and highlights something that is unmistakable and rhymes with ping pong. I am thinking that maybe we should name her Richard.

new camera

2010-07-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

I think it's time for a new one of these...

The way my photos are turning out these days, I feel like I'm using this one...

I need some camera intervention, folks! So friends, any suggestions? What should I get?! What camera do you use? I need something nice, that can be used by a complete novice (we're talking fool-proof!) and that's not going to cost me my second-born child. And it would really help if it was indestructible and waterproof and so ugly and unappealing that Johnny doesn't want to rip it out of my hands every time I try to take his picture ;) !

Give me some feedback! I'm tired of being jealous of your gorgeous photos.

And if I have to beg.... I will.

We are missing out on major milestones here in the Merrell household. Like the day that Brian gave Johnny a mullet because I couldn't bear to part with the curls in the back...

See what I mean?

Our Trip to Idaho

2010-07-21T21:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the farm.

First thing that we did was our chores.

Next we had a triple birthday party for Briggs, Eli, and Johnny.

With Monster Truck Cupcakes (thanks Connie).

That Johnny LOVED!

We also celebrated the Fourth of July with a big fat cake.

And an awesome parade in Melba.

Last of all we played a lot.

Johnny decided that he is a little farmer.

Girls in white dresses

2010-07-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

... with blue satin sashes;

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes;
Silver-white winters that melt into springs;
These are a few of my favorite things.

We are having a girl!

{Due November 15th}

Happy Birthday Johnny!

2010-06-28T23:11:00.000-07:00

No better way to spend it than in your birthday suit.

A little bit wobbly but pretty cute!

Uh oh!

2010-06-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

Walking! Well, only when he feels like it. Which isn't too terribly often yet. But while at the airport on our trip to CT last week, the wide 0pen spaces in the airport enticed Johnny to take a little stroll. He's soooo wobbly and like you'll see in the video, his legs turn into wet noodles when you try to pick him up and get him walking again after he falls down. But it's pretty cute if you ask me.

Bonus Shot

2010-06-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

Watching Mom and Dad wash the cars with his new AWESOME shades on!

Today

2010-05-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

We went to the beach today to celebrate Memorial Day. So did everyone else in Southern California. But I guess it wouldn't be the beach or L.A. without a million other people and no where to park. So, we just go with the flow and pretend like it's not ANNOYING. Plus, parking 10 blocks from the beach means we got a little extra exercise today. Oh goodie.

Johnny spent most of the time clutching the skin on the back of his dad's neck. He was terrified of the water!

I think he might be looking for me in this picture. What a sad, desperate look on his face ...

He slowly started to loosen his grip and enjoy the scenery.

After a few tries, we had him smiling ...

When I came over to join the picture, he wrapped his arm around my neck. He tickles me pink.
An hour later, Johnny and I were ready to leave not having dipped as much as our big toes in the water. What stamina! Brian acquiesced after taking a few rides on the boogie board and nearly losing his trunks! Since we went with our friends from church, we are all grateful he was able to catch them as they slid past his knees. Eek!

P.S. Happy Memorial Day. We are so grateful for the soldiers who have bravely given their lives for our freedom.

Johnny at 11 Months

2010-05-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Standing but not walking.

Johnny reeeeeally wants to play with the camera!

Favorite Things

2010-05-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

Unrolling the toilet paper

seeing how close he can get to the edge

playing with the flour and sugar in the pantry

story time with dad

getting his teeth brushed

standing up in the bathtub
unloading the dishwasher

Cafe Rio (okay maybe that's my favorite thing)

at 10 months:
25 lbs
32 1/2 inches

Getting Ready for Work

2010-05-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

1st Trip to Disneyland

2010-05-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

Here is Johnny with his dad at Disneyland. They have the same smile. I love it. We couldn't wait to put Johnny on his first ride.

First up, the carousel. I didn't know there was an art to choosing a pony on the carousel. But apparently there is, because Brian must have tried out five different ponies before settling on this one. And it sure was a nice one. Perfect for Johnny's first ride. All settled in a ready to go.

The ride hadn't even started yet and Johnny was already having the time of his life.

And here they are waiting...

And waiting...

Still waiting...

Right before we started moving, Brian decided that Johnny was ready for his own pony.

"Are you sure about this, Dad?"

Then dad let go... and he was all by himself! His knuckles were white from holding on so tight.

But it was worth it for that rush of adrenaline. :)

Then we moved on to the Dumbo ride which was so exciting that we couldn't get Junior to focus on the camera. Here's the best shot.

And I guess we only went on two rides, because I don't have any more pictures. I always do that... start out so ambitious in the beginning that I just can't keep up. Oh well. At least we captured a few precious smiles. Disneyland is SO fun!

And here's the reason we went (I stole this picture from Connie's blog). Our adorable cousins, Cindy, Sarah, Ana & Jared.

marky's visit

2010-03-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

My baby brother Mark has been coming to visit me every year since he was 11. He's turning 17 this year, so it's definitely a long standing tradition that I hope we can always keep up. I'm sure his future wife won't mind coming to my house for her honeymoon. Mark and I are just about that tight :)

We've already done all the big stuff, Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios, etc. etc. This year Mark just wanted to hang out with us. We tried to do a few fun things like a visit to Grandma Shirley's, a UCLA volleyball game, bike riding on the beach and a trip to the Long Beach Aquarium. Here are a few pictures from the week:

Marky took a few photos for his Facebook page. You know, to rub it in to all his friends in Idaho who weren't spending spring break in California:

Notice the lady passed out on the sand. I always find it strange to see people laying fully-clothed on the beach like that. Hmmm, I hope she's not dead. It'd be tragic to die so close the the lifeguard tower.

I thought Johnny might be too young to enjoy the Aquarium, but I was wrong. He loved it! He splashed in the wave pools (which you're not supposed to do), pounded on the glass of the fish tanks (which you're also not supposed to do), and crawled all over the filthy ground (after which he put his hands in his mouth, of course).

A few pictures on the pier in Long Beach. It's so pretty there!

Poor Brian had to stare at a computer screen all week long:

sunday duds

2010-03-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

leaps and bounds

2010-03-11T20:41:00.001-08:00

Junior seems to be reaching a lot of milestones lately. It is so fun to watch him grow. Only two days after I wrote a whole post about how he couldn't wave...he did! And to a complete stranger in the doctor's office, I should add. No one warned me about how proud and weepy this would make me feel. I might have gotten a little teary-eyed. Here he is waving to me at home:

Today he crawled on his own for the very first time. Though he doesn't make too much ground and teeters on the edge of a face plant the whole time, it's unmistakable. He IS crawling! Here's the raw footage. You're watching history here, folks.

He's also...

Standing up in his crib when he should be sleeping (I should really do something about those blank walls!)

Sitting up to the table like a big boy

Getting into all kinds of trouble in the kitchen

Practicing the get-away

And just getting bigger and sillier in general (is that a word?)

is he waving?

2010-03-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

I have to share this video because it's so cute and so funny. I'm sharing it even though my laugh in the background is way too loud and kind of embarrassing. Sometimes I just can't help it. You know? So in the video, it looks like Johnny is waving at me. But he's really not. That's why it's so funny. He's never waved at anyone in his whole life (8 months is a long time to go without waving. you try it). So what he's really doing is trying to reach back behind himself to touch the bookshelf. He's really into surfaces and textures. I don't know how else to explain it. It's just his thing. Brian stood him up and I guess you could say we were both a little surprised that 1) Johnny can stand up by himself and 2) he can wave ;)!

2010-02-20T22:27:00.000-08:00

Johnny - 7 months

My friend Amy came over to capture a few everyday moments in the life of little Johnny Merrell... playing on the floor, lounging in his undies, splashing in the tub, and playing with his momma. She did a great job of catching Johnny just being Johnny, wide-mouthed grin and all. I find myself cherishing these everyday moments and wishing that they wouldn't go by so fast. I feel so grateful for a healthy baby and for the chance to be his momma. Hope you enjoy!

Día de Amor

2010-02-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

Johnny spent Valentine's Day with his favorite lady, Great Grandma Shirley. She absolutely adores him, which tickles me pink. But as much as Johnny loves Shirls, he has recently discovered that he is strong enough to launch himself out of anyone's lap. And so he did his best to escape. He just wants to go, go, go!

Grandma managed to distract Johnny with his valentine, a card with a few dollars inside. He went straight for the envelope and had it shredded in no time. Partly because he's obsessed with paper, and partly because he just got his first little chomper on Sunday!! Hooray! Grandma said that next time she's just going to give him an envelope!

I know, this one is fuzzy. But I like this picture of Johnny with his dad. They are both so handsome.

Did anyone watch the show, "The Worst Cooks in America?" It inspired us to make molten lava cakes for Valentine's Day. The trick is to not overcook the cake so that it oozes when you cut into it. It only took us two tries to get it right. Darn. If it were up to me, we'd keep getting it slightly wrong so I could keep eating our mistakes. I don't mind if its not gooey inside... I'll take chocolate in any form I can get it! Don't these look so purty?! Brian made a delicious vanilla sauce to go with it and made it look so fancy.

Here's the crew getting ready to dig in! Happy Valentine's day!

Big Hands

2010-02-13T16:34:00.000-08:00

If "palming" were an Olympic sport... J. would win the gold. He can palm his snack canisters. Is that an amazing feat 0r what?

funny boy

2010-01-30T21:38:00.000-08:00

This boy cracks me up. He makes so many funny little faces. And I love them all. I love that open-mouthed, I'm-watchin'-you-like-a-hawk face in photo number 1 and the I'm-a-big-fat-ham, cheesy grin in photo number 2.

At 7 months old Johnny...

weighs nearly 25 lbs (24 lbs 13 oz)
is 31 1/2 inches long
has a 19 inch noggin'
got his first ear infection and was such a sweetheart through the whole thing
can pick up a rice puff and put it in his own mouth!
loves blueberries & applesauce
can pull himself up and peer over the edge of the crib looking for mom or dad
really wants to go! go! go! but hasn't quite figured out the crawl
has HUGE feet! size 5
is still toothless!

saying goodbye to dougie

2010-01-21T08:48:00.000-08:00

Johnny and I went to Salt Lake this week to send Doug off with a big hug and a kiss. This boy has grown up so fast, it got me thinking about some day in the not so distant future when I'll be the momma sending her boy far far away to serve the Lord. I'm so proud of my brother. And I'm proud of my parents for raising such a good boy.

Get It!

2010-01-18T10:26:00.000-08:00

Johnny is a really happy baby and smiles all the time. But he makes us work really hard for a laugh. So it's always surprising and adorable when he finds something you didn't intend to be funny, to be the most hilarious thing ever. Like when he sat on Grandma Shirley's lap and belly-laughed every time she said something. Here I was trying to teach him to pick up a little rice puff and put it in his mouth. The video camera happened to be close by and Brian grabbed it just in time to catch this...

lesson learned

2010-01-14T19:29:00.000-08:00

i thought i'd be really clever and make dinner early today. see, johnny has a bit of a cranky time from 4ish until bath time at 6. and of course that coincides with my cooking time and makes for a disaster in the kitchen. so here i go today, thinking i'm so smart and organized. i started dinner around one o'clock after johnny started his nap. being me, i was of course trying a new recipe. something with too many things to chop and stir and blend and all the rest. 30 minutes later he was up. i'm not going to get started on how i have no idea how to cure my son's short nap syndrome. another day.

so i gave him some food, changed his diaper, made sure he was good and happy, and put him in his little jungle gym thingy as close to the kitchen without being in the kitchen as he could possibly be (and that's not hard in my little apt) so that i could get on with things. i mean we were practically holding hands.

we're good, right J? nooooooo way. nope. he was soooooooo fussy. he just jumped and fussed and fussed and jumped until i decided he was ready for another nap. these pictures were actually taken on another day when he wasn't totally ticked-off. but just so you get the idea.

and now i'm going to cut this long story short. we went back and forth like this until the end of the evening when there was nothing left to do but strip him down to his baggy underwear and take pictures... hoping to delay bath time until dad got home from work so that he could take over.

we may or may not have had a fight over the remote control which J clearly won.

so what did we learn today? johnny's fussy time is whenever i'm in the kitchen cooking dinner AND from 4ish til bathtime... so, better to overlap the two as to avoid TWO fussy times and a 6-hour dinner prep! but lucky for me, i love the little guy so dang much that i could go without dinner and trying new recipes altogether and still be happy.

And finally, i have to report on the brussel sprouts from my previous post. sadly, i ignored the advice i was given on how to cook them because i couldn't bare to stand in front of the oven and saute them with a fussy baby on my hip. so i followed this recipe and tossed them in the oven, which was easier but reeeeeaaaaallly not that good. darn.

I don't know what to say

2010-01-11T20:34:00.000-08:00

I needed a few things from the store, so I sent B. I told him to pick up something extra that he'd like to eat this week. Most men might grab a large piece of meat. Right? Mine, well... this:

Honey, sweetheart, dear. Why are you so weird?

2010-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

6 Months

2009-12-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

At 6 months little Johnny:

can sit up all by himself
eats sweet potatoes, carrots, peas and applesauce (he doesn't like pears or peaches)
wears size 18-month clothes
grins from ear to ear when he wakes up
makes us work really hard for a laugh
loves to jump in his Johnny Jump Up and MegaSaucer
is still toothless but drools a whole lot
loves bath time more than any other time of the day
got his first bruise (on his chin from trying to go from his bum to his tummy)
is the love of his momma's life

Here are a few pictures:

First Christmas and a new sweater

Who needs presents when you can have the wrapping paper?

Big boy pajamas
Silly sweet potato mug

Four generations. Great Grandma Capener, Grandma Merrell, Dad and Junior.

We love cousins. Sweet Kate.

Almost 4 yr old Cutter

Gramps' WWII Letters

2009-12-23T22:26:00.001-08:00

I just finished compiling Gramps' letters from his time in the Navy during WWII. It has been a work in progress this year and surely there will be more updates, but I thought you'd like to see it so far. There is a map in the back as well and a list of the movies he saw while on board the USS Mindanao.You can view it by clicking on the picture of Gramps above or send me your email address and I will send it to you as an attachment (merrell3@gmail.com). It is about 4.5MB so I can email it to most email providers.

Johnny Jump Up

2009-12-17T07:22:00.000-08:00

Uh oh! Hello, that's 5 months!

2009-11-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

My little Junior boy is 5 months old today. This clip captures my feelings well. (Watch it up until about the 2:40 minute mark)

Helloooooooooo! 5 months! It's strange that on one hand, I feel like he's been here with us forever. And on the other hand it seems just like yesterday that we brought him home from the hospital. Oh man, he's a sweet little guy. He's growing and changing so fast now.

This week he discovered his toes! Mmmm. They taste delicious.

He can also sit up on his own now by leaning on his chubby little arms.

I had a feeling that at 23 lbs and 31 inches, he was going to love "big boy food." And he does. He smacks his lips and says, "Mmmm." And before I can load up the spoon again, he's got his mouth wide open, ready for the next bite.

We went to the San Diego Zoo today. He wasn't too keen on los animales silvestres... but he totally digs sleeping on his momma's chest for hours. He's in there somewhere.

I'm sure loving my boys.

The end.

China Town

2009-11-21T22:41:00.000-08:00

There's lots of stuff to do in this big city of ours and we don't get out nearly as much as we should. Now that I'm feeling a little more confident about taking the baby out and about without a serious meltdown (I'm talking about Brian, of course), we stopped off in China Town on our way to Grandma's house. We found out that there isn't really that much to do, except take pictures to prove that we do actually get out and eat sesame balls filled with lotus flour paste. Next time I think I'll pass on the balls. Ewwwh. I do however, love the pictures, especially the last one. Poor Johnny! He has no idea what's going on.

And because we love her so much, here's a picture of Grandma Shirls with her Johnny boy.

Dad's big ears are good for something...

2009-11-21T22:34:00.001-08:00

new toy

2009-11-21T22:18:00.000-08:00

I've been trying not to clutter up the house (aka one bedroom apartment) with tons of baby gear cause it sure ain't getting any bigger. And there are so many baby things out there - bouncers, play mats, excersaucers, walkers, jungle gyms, climbing walls, etc., etc. I've been weary of buying any of these things... before you know it, you're moving the regular furniture out to make room for the toys. And what if he doesn't even like it? Well, I found this little jumper thing for $10 online... and it had the baby's name all over it. Literally. So, I thought we'd give it a shot.

And the verdict... he LOVES it! $10 well spent. And even better, it folds up real small like when it's time to put it away! Can't believe my baby is jumpin' around!!!!!!!!!!! Oh no, he's growing up;)

J & M

2009-11-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

That stands for Junior and Mom. We're pretty much best friends these days. I can kiss his chubby cheeks thousands of times a day, and never get tired of it. I figure that I've got to get as many in as possible before he becomes an adult and won't let me do it anymore. He is such a happy baby. He's a lot like his dad. Just happy to be here. My favorite time of day is when he wakes up in the morning. His eyes are always puffy and squinty but he gives me the biggest smiles when I peek over the edge of his crib. He makes me soooo happy.