Hair, Cache and other Tidbits

First of all, I always cut my hair and never post a picture. Then, months later when I try and decide if I want to cut it again, I can't find a picture of it. Which means hours of scouring through the Internet looking for that perfect cut, blah blah blah. Well, I cut it. And I am posting a picture so I have reference. 

Funny story about the curls. I came out of my room right as Tayden was running by. He stopped and said,  "Mom. Why'd you make your hair like that? It looks like a tornado." Not sure he meant it in a good way either.

Part two: Cache had his 6 month doctor appointment. He is healthy, smart and super duper social. He weights a little less than 17.5 pounds and is only 25.5(ish) inches. (I think closer to 26 with my measurements) That correlates into really short.  10th percentile short. But, given his echogenic bowel in the womb, it was expected. While I was pregnant with him, he wasn't able to absorb the nutrients as he was supposed to and therefore didn't grow as quickly. He only started off at 18 inches. He is growing at the same rate, if not faster, than the other two did at 6 months. He just has a little bit more catching up to do. The doctor was not at all concerned because his growth curve is fine and he expects him to catch up in the next year or two. But man, if that's the worst of it, I'll take a short baby. He is however following the Packard suit and has a nice big head. 

The doctor was impressed with his strength. Cache sits up like a champ. Way better then T or B did. He'd rather be sitting up than anything else, which is probably why he isn't rolling consistently. I talked to Dr. McGhee about that too. He said its fine. Sitting is more complicated than rolling, so its all up to Cache when he wants to start rolling. As soon as he sees the benefit of being more mobile, I'm sure he'll be all over it. But for now, the most beneficial thing is to be sitting up with his brothers. Laying down is for sissys. :) As for mom, I need to be more encouraging. When I'm ready to let him grow up.

Shots sure do a number on him. He's clingy the rest of the day and refuses to sleep anywhere but in my arms. I'm kind of okay with that.

And for the road, the aftermath of fishing. Scott didn't want to gut the fish, but Tayden would not let him throw it away. So it went in the freezer. The next day, that darn kid carried that frozen fish all over the dang house. I made him put it back in the freezer, which he did, but not before filling the bag up with water, because everyone knows fish need water. Whether they are dead or alive. We are cooking it tomorrow for fish tacos and the boys could not be more excited! 

One Fish, Two Fish

Last July we were able to do a little fishing with Grandpa Packard. Due to scheduling and some crossed wires with Scott and I, we never were able to go out on the boat or to an actual reservoir, but the fishing that we did do from Great Grandpa Packards creek was enough to leave a deep impression on Tayden. He has wanted to go fishing since then. Our awesome Grandma and Grandpa Packard sent some money to the boys for some fishing pools. So today we went fishing. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa! They had so much fun and we can't wait until you get to come with us!

We went to a Nevada Oasis called Tule Springs. It was a few degrees cooler, didn't feel like Las Vegas at all and gave us some room to breath. I like LV, but it can be pretty claustrophobic, which made today the perfect little get away. We started with a small picnic with some baby geese and then started the fishing adventure. 

G and G also got Cache the cutest little fishing shirt and of course he had to wear it today! 

Tayden and Beckett enjoyed almost every aspect of fishing, but Tayden really loved the worms. Alot. He could have played with the worms the whole time and been totally satisfied. There was alot of room for them to run and play which helped while they were waiting for the fish to bite.  After hour 3 or 4 they lost interest and we started packing it up. 

They did surprising well for their first time fishing. There was alot of reminders to stay out of stuff, stop touching the worms, quit dragging the poles, don't yell, come here, listen...and so forth, but all in all they did really well. 

And Cache loved it too. He hung out with me on the blanket and enjoyed watching the boys and the birds. 

 And one last funny story for the road. Scott was getting ready to release a fish on the edge of the bank. As he was releasing it, he kind of fell in. I laughed, Tayden was mad because Dad scared the fish away and Scott was just irritated his shoe and sock got wet. Not a good moment. I could tell Scott was frustrated so I decided to back away a little bit and let him breath...also so I could take one socked pictures. 

I loved today. It was a great change of pace and so fun spending the whole entire day as a family. We caught 4 fish and kept 2 and had 3 super happy and super tired boys.

Passioniate

Day 8 of 30: Five things I am passionate about.

This is a hard one for me. I've had to really think long and hard about things I am passionate about.  There are alot of things that bring me joy and happiness, but to have a passion about, it made me think. I really wanted to compile a list that didn't include any of the obvious things such as my family or the church. And sadly to say, thinking of five things that I am truly passionate about was a struggle. Here is the list I did come up with.

1-Running. In high school, my best friend and I used to run 5 miles a day. I loved it. It was a physical challenge that turned into a mental need. I loved having that time with her, but it was amazing what it did for my mental health. I felt strong and it gave me a huge sense of accomplishment. I have recently taken it up again. It's not quite a passion like it used to be, at least not yet. I can feel the love for it coming back. I get up early before Scott goes to work and run with classical music or peaceful hymns. I watch the sun rise and have the chance to take in all of Gods glory. It's amazing and peaceful and starts my day off just right. I'm grateful for those few minutes alone to think, to contemplate and to push myself. 

This is a picture from my morning run. Yes, I can definitely see a passion building.

2-Being Frugal. I love to save money. I feel like since I'm not working, it's my contribution to the budget. There is nothing better than finding a good deal. I take pride in the fact that Christmas never costs us an arm and a leg, nor do I pay full price for anything. Ever. Well, hardly ever. Most people would call me cheap, and to be honest, I am. But I love the feeling of saving money and bettering my family situation because of it.

3-Sports. I haven't had the opportunity to play as much as I used to, but whenever I see a ball on the court, I can't help to pick it up and shoot. Or bump around a volleyball with someone. It's exciting and brings my competitive nature to the surface. I love the sound of a basketball game with the squeaking shoes and steady rhythm of a dribble. I love sitting outside at a baseball or football game. I cheer louder than I should and probably embarrass my husband, but its all part of the sporting experience for me. I love sports and wish I had more of an opportunity to participate.

4-Wrapping gifts and my Christmas Tree. This is so silly and such a dumb thing, but I love decorating my Christmas tree. Really love it. I do it over a course of a couple hours so everything is just perfect (in my eyes...its a little too decorated for Scotts taste). The kids are aloud to touch everything on the tree as long as it is with one finger. I am lenient all year about touching things and getting into stuff and so on and so forth, so I have no problem having a Christmas tree with boundaries. And with that, I love displaying the gifts underneath the tree. Coordinating the wrapping paper is my favorite part and each gift gets a special bow. I love to make things beautiful and the tree and gifts are something I truly enjoy. 

5-Creating. I have started to take up sewing the past couple of years. I am not good at it by any means, but I love to do it. I don't know how to read a pattern, so everything I make is off the top of my head or a pattern I have drawn out myself. I have discovered that I enjoy piecing things together and quilting. I have a new appreciation for the craft the more I learn about it. Its a fun thing to do and nothing is better than finishing the last seam and looking at the project you created.

There it is, five passions. Anyone else?

1/2 Way There

Cache is 6 months old today! He is half way to a year. The 6 month point is interesting to me. The more babies I have, the less I want them to grow. When Tayden hit 6 months, I was excited--but I still wanted him to get bigger faster. I wanted him to start crawling and walking and talking. Then Beckett had his half birthday and I was a little sad. My baby was growing up and I wasn't too excited about it, but was looking forward to the day he could play with Tayden. It was kind of sixes for me. Now that Cache has hit the mark, I'm a little devastated. He is getting so big and while its exciting it truly brings tears to my eyes. I see him grow everyday and am grateful for it, but I wish he would stay little for a little longer. Now that I have experienced first hand how fast kids grow, I try to relish the moments we have. 

However, this stage has been so much fun with Cache. He is constantly smiling and laughing. He is the sweetest little boy I know and is a blessing to be around. I don't know how we got so lucky to have such a pleasure of a baby. 

He loves to eat. He loves it all. There is not one food that Cache has turned down yet. As soon as he sees me getting stuff ready his legs start kicking and his arms start punching. He knows what a spoon means and is thrilled every time he sees one. 

Cache loves to blow spit bubbles. He is a major drooler anyway, but the spitting adds to the mess. He is constantly wet and getting everything around him wet. It's kind of funny because Beckett hates it. Becektt thinks its really gross and says in the most disgusted voice, "EW!" every time spit touches him.

He is LAZY! Either that or really smart. He refuses to roll over. He can roll over, but he just doesn't. I think it has to do with that fact that he has two older brothers that are constantly entertaining him while he is on his back. Or as soon as they seem him get ready to roll, they rush over to help him. The other day he laid half way rolled for a minute or two looking around like, "Hello. Is anyone going to help me out, here?", then finally decided to do it on his own. I should be more encouraging of him to roll and tell the two olders to back off a little bit more, but there is a good chance this is my last baby and I'm just not ready for the baby baby stage to end.

He can however, sit like a champ. And he loves to. He will sit up and watch T and B play for a long time and be as content as can be. Lately though, he has preferred a little more entertainment and likes to have something to chew on or play with. He is strong and loves to jump when you hold him and whips his head back to see what is going on behind him.

Cache weighs in a little over 17 lbs. We'll go to the doctor next week to exact numbers, but as of a few days ago he 17 and a few ounces. He has no ankles, just rolls and rolls on his legs that travel clear down to his fat little feet and toes. It's delicious. 

He is happy happy happy. I love listening to him chat and laugh. He is a flirt with strangers and smiles at everyone. At this point he doesn't have stranger danger, but is really starting to take preference to his mommy. Which is good, because I love my Cachee Boy.

I'm grateful for my little boy. He holds a very special place in my heart. I am grateful that Heavenly Father knows our needs better than we do, because I needed Cache. I love him so much.

Happy six months little man. Hopefully the next six don't fly by as fast! 

Easter

Easter was especially sweet this year. Tayden was able to grasp the idea of the Resurrection and it was an amazing experience to watch his love for his Savior grow. I did a FHE about how the Easter Bunny and eggs tie into the Resurrection and the symbolization of it all. It was a stretch, but worked great for Taydens four year old mind. Beckett enjoyed the story as well, but mostly for the bunny aspect. Scott watched the movie, He is Risen, from lds.org with the boys on Easter morning. It helped them visualize the actual Resurrection and hearing Scott bear testimony to them about the Lord brought tears to my eyes. And then at church they both had Easter lessons. It was a great week reflecting on our Savior, his sacrifice and the amazing Resurrection that followed. Sometimes I underestimate how much my sons truly understand, but this week they proved me wrong. They are living proof of the truthfulness of the gospel and the pure love from Heavenly Father.

With that, we also had Easter egg hunts. We did one with the ward and then one at home on Easter morning. Tayden woke up at 6:15 in tears. He was devastated that he missed Peter Cottontail. He was sure he would hear him and wake up. But he didn't and it broke his heart. He quickly got over the heartache as soon as he saw his goods. 

 Some of his eggs had money it them and every time Tayden opened one with a coin he'd laugh and say, "How come I keep getting money? I have 40,000 monies!" It was pretty funny.

 Tayden and Caleb. Best buddies.

We hosted an Easter dinner with our friends. It was a blast. Best friends ever. They are seriously our family and we love them so much. It was great to spend the evening together.

 Yes, Beckett is in his unders. At some point during the night, I quit trying to get him dressed. Haha. He is his own person.

 Beautiful Hannah.

 The awesome Cowdins.

 Sheena and her sweet kiddos. 

 Melissa representing the Turney family.

 Matt and Cori with handsome baby Tyler. 

And of course we had to take a picture of all the babies! 

Oldest to youngest: Tyler, Avy, Cache and Audra. They are all within 6 or 7 weeks of each other! 

 I know my Savior lives. I know he died and then was resurrected and I can be to. I'm grateful I have an eternal family. I'm grateful for the gospel. I know its true. And it brings me so much peace and happiness. 

What a great Easter.