I Heart Birthdays

I love making a big deal out of birthdays. I love having a day dedicated to celebrating someone and making them feel extra special all day. I have many great memories from my birthdays over the years. I can remember all of the awesome birthday cakes my mom made for me over the years, my favorite being my Little Mermaid cake for my 6th birthday. I remember my dad checking me out of school on my birthday each year and taking me to lunch. I remember my 17th birthday when I had High Performance Volleyball tryouts in Salt Lake over my birthday weekend so my mom got a hotel room for some of my friends to come up and celebrate with me after tryouts one night. I remember answering the phone at the cardiology office I worked at on my 19th birthday to my mom's entire 6th grade class singing Happy Birthday to me. I have always felt so special and loved when January 25 rolled around thanks to my mom. I try to make just as big of a deal about my kids birthdays. Let's be honest though, when you become a mother, you stop expecting a big hoopla for your own birthday. I was fine having my birthday be like any other Wednesday, but Mason had something else in mind. He planned an entire Heart Themed birthday party for me. On the way to preschool that morning he told my mom all of the big plans he had, so she took him and Brynn to the party store and let them pick out all the things for my party. When she asked him why he thought it should be a Heart party he answered, "Because we all love her." Thanks to Mason's planning and my mom and Scott's help executing his plan, I had the most wonderful birthday party ever. He had the party completely decorated with hearts. Scott even incorporated the hearts into the wonderful hamburgers he made for dinner.

What's a party without games to go along with the theme? Mason planned some heart activities for us like decorating the windows with heart decals (now perfect Valentines decorations) and playing pictionary with heart shaped notepads and heart pens. The party ended with Heart shaped ring pops as the party favors for everyone. The party was a complete success, but the best part was spending it with the people I love most. Brynn helped make the whole day special by saying, "Happy Birthday, Mom!!" every time I walked in the room, and randomly serenading me with the Happy Birthday song. Miles started off my day in the best way possible by giving me lots of sweet smiles.
Scott showered me with love and did thoughtful things for me all day. We took this family picture using the timer on our camera, and the result was the best family picture we have had taken in a long time. It must have been a birthday miracle!

I am pretty happy with everything the last 27 years have given me. Each year gets better and better, so keep em' coming.

Picture Messages

Scott has been out of town on back to back business trips for the last two weeks and we have missed him like crazy while he's been gone. Time zone differences and 14 hour work days make it hard to find a time he can call and talk to the kiddos, so we came up with a fun way for him to keep in touch with them while he's gone by sending picture and text messages back and forth to each other. Some of the messages consisted of Mason taking my phone and just sounding out random words and then sending them to Scott. Most were Mason and Brynn's messages I transcribed for them. It has been fun including Scott in the random and silly things that have happened throughout our day. It has really made it feel like he's not so disconnected and far away from us. Here are some of my favorite messages that we shared.

Mason: Dad, I am riding my scooter with my BYU sunglasses on. Cool, right? Mason: Look, Miles is doing the pledge!! Scott: Look who I met by the pool today.

(*author's note* Mason and Brynn love the old school Chip and Dale cartoons)

Mason: "Cool, Dad is with Alvin and the Chipmunks!"

(Mason is on a big Alvin and the Chipmunks kick, thank you McDonalds)

Brynn: That's Chip and Daddy, where's Dale?

Rachel: Look who fits in his 3 month clothes. Rachel: Just found Brynn asleep on the fireplace. Apparently she did need a nap today. Scott: Mason- Here's a picture of an alligator I saw at the hotel. They have a pond and river with lots of turtles and alligators.

Mason: I love crocodiles and alligators! Stay far away because it might bite you. Scott: Here is a picture of lots of gators and turtles laying on a rock. The other picture is a gator swimming in the water.

Mason: "They are in a cage because alligators eat humans. Turtles eat plants, so they aren't dangerous, but they are in a cage so they don't hit our heads with their shells."

Brynn: Go BYU! Grandpa gave me a BYU basketball and BYU shirt.

Rachel: How do you like my haircut. I cut off 4+ inches but still left it long.

Brynn: Appletore...Baltimore...Whose your friend...Dad!! Ptew!

(Brynn loves to play this game she learned from Chip N Dale)

Miles: Look, Dad, I'm doing pilates! Feel the burn!!!

(Miles was really not happy to be doing tummy time and almost flipped himself over he was so mad)

Mason: Optimus Prime and Rapunzel balloons at Provo Beach Resort on a date with Grandma and Grandpa.

It's been fun, but we can't wait to have Scott home on Monday.

Look Who's Awake

Crazy to think that today is Miles' due date. The doctors weren't kidding when they told me not to expect him to act like my other newborns until now. The last few days he has started waking up and having some actual awake time other than just for eating. Now when he opens his eyes I feel like he is really looking at me. Let the fun begin! Have I mentioned yet that I love having three kids? It just feels right.

Smitten

All of us here in the Murray household are smitten with our little Miles. It's been two short weeks since his arrival, but it only took one look for all of us to fall completely in love with him. There are so many things we love about Miles. We love the way he sleeps so peacefully. He is still trying to catch up on the three weeks he missed out on in the womb and spends the majority of time sleeping. The few precious moments of awake time I get with him each day are special to me, but for now I am happy to watch him peacefully sleep.We love his Mr. Magoo eyes and wrinkly skin that he hasn't grown into yet.
We love his long and skinny arms, legs, fingers, and toes.
We love when he has a slight smile on his face. I like to think he's happy to be here with us.

We love how he looks like a little burrito when he's swaddled up.

We love how he falls asleep after eating with his legs folded across his stomach. I think he might have been squished inside of me that way. I'm not the only one who loves Miles. Mason is a very proud big brother. After meeting Miles in the hospital for the first time, Mason came home and asked to print out some pictures of Miles. He carried them around with him all day and showed them to everyone who asked about his little brother. That night Scott sent me this picture of how our sweet big brother fell asleep. Mason stops whatever he is doing when Miles is awake and gives him his undivided attention. He loves to sing and read to Miles to help him get smart. Brynn has done really well adjusting to having Miles around. She has been so understanding as I haven't been able to lift her for the last two weeks because of my c-section and instead of being carried has been happy to just hold my hand. She likes to help me with diaper changes and bathes, but leaves if Miles starts to cry. Sometimes she just wants to be close to me, though. This is what Miles' 3am feeding has looked like the last three nights.
Brynn has wandered upstairs while I'm feeding Miles, cuddled up on my legs, and fallen back asleep. And yes, she really sleeps with her hands like that all the time. I am so proud of how well she is coping with this big change.
As always, Scott has jumped right in as a fun and loving Daddy. He claims he does much better when they are old enough to play with him, but I think he's a pretty great dad, even to a newborn.
Life is good.
* Aren't those first three pictures amazing!! My talented sister-in-law, Whitney, once again shared her talent with us and took some 1 week pictures of Miles before heading back to Arizona. Thanks Whit!

A New Look for the New Year

Mason loves his new "crunchy hair".

Picture Perfect Christmas

Christmas at our house was perfectly simple and sweet this year.

How couldn't it be when I got to spend it with these cuties. Instead of our usual Christmas Eve jammies we decided to do slippers and sleeping bags this year. Of course the kids had to put their new sleeping bags to good use and have a sleepover with Daddy out in the family room. As they were snuggling up in their sleeping bags to go to sleep, we heard Santa's sleigh bells outside our house (thanks Grandpa Val). It had the desired effect on Mason as he jumped in bed, squeezing his eyes shut and whispered to Brynn, "Hurry, close your eyes and pretend to be asleep!" Brynn on the other hand started crying because she was scared of Santa and didn't want him to come. It was nothing that cuddling up with Daddy on his bed couldn't solve. Soon the kids were sound asleep and Santa did come!

Thankfully,the day I had Miles I had gone out and finished all our Christmas shopping just in case the baby decided to come between then and Christmas.

While "Santa" was setting up Christmas, this little elf decided he wanted to be a part of it and was more wide eyed then we'd ever seen him.

The next morning the fun began. It was so much fun to watch the excitement and joy Brynn and Mason had with each present they opened. Despite Mason's prediction that Miles would hear the wrapping paper and want to open his eyes to see the presents, he was content just to sleep in Grandma's arms. Brynn absolutely loved the doll house Santa brought her.

Mom and Dad did give her the pink helmet she had randomly been asking for and apparently she really did want it because she wore it for most of the day.

Another favorite present was the tea set from Grandma Nancy that has provided hours of entertainment.

Mason was shocked when Santa not only gave him the Optimus Prime sword he had asked for, but also the Optimus Prime Cyberblaster that was a close second on his wish list. He must have been a really good boy this year.

Grandma knows him very well and gave him a real Batman costume to replace the makeshift one he has been using that was a blue dishtowel with eyes cut out of it.

I loved having Christmas on Sunday because we got to take a break in the middle of opening presents and Scott took the kids to church while I stayed home with Miles. Brynn and Mason both loved the musical program they had at church and I'm glad they were able to stop and think about Jesus on Christmas day.

When they got home we finished opening all the presents under the tree and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon being together as a family.

At the end of the day the kids got more presents than they needed, but they loved and appreciated every single one. It has been so great having all the new and exciting toys to keep the kids busy while I still am spending a lot of time feeding and taking care of Miles each day.

Miles had quite the Christmas for someone who had only been around for 6 days. We weren't planning on doing much more than the few presents that Brynn and Mason had already put under the tree for baby brother, but Mason's first response when he found out the baby was coming early was, "He must want a present from Santa." That put the pressure on Santa to bring something. Santa being the practical man he is brought Miles much needed diapers and burp clothes. He left it up to Grandma and Miles' aunts to put cute clothes under the tree for Miles. I could tell Mason felt really bad for Miles and all the boring presents he got. Who would want diapers from Santa?

Scott and I got a Kindle Fire from Santa (aka NuSkin) this year and I look forward to using it during Miles late night feedings. Scott spoiled me as always and put many surprise gifts under the tree for me. He on the other hand was left with only the things he knew about since his was the only shopping I hadn't completed prior to having Miles. I'll make it up to him sometime.

I am so grateful for all we have and the wonderful Christmas we were blessed with. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, too.

Grandma's Sleepover

It was the thrid annual Grandma's sleepover, where all of the grandkids sleep over at Grandma Nancy's house and my parents send all of the adults out to dinner together. I think kids, parents, and grandparents alike look forward to this every year. Brynn talked about getting in the hot tub at Grandma's sleepover all week leading up to the sleepover and Mason had a countdown going right along with his Christmas countdown. This year ended up being a little different for us since Miles and I were still in the hospital, so Scott and I spent our date night in the hospital with Mr. Miles. It worked out perfectly because it provided some extra special attention and fun for our kids and allowed Scott to spend the night with me down at the hospital. Even with the number of kids going up, my parents reported that this year was the best year yet. I wasn't there but it sure looks like everyone had a good time.

All the cousins, minus Miles, in their matching jammies. Youngest to oldest from left to right.

Andrew, Chase, Brynn, Rachel, Kennedy, Mason, and Cannon.