Our Frolic with Colic

GREAT NEWS: Macy has been taking an acid-reflux medication now for a week and is a whole new girl. As you may have already heard, my little girl loves to cry. And we could count on unconsolable crying every night for a good 3-4 hours. Kaden cried a lot as a baby, but nothing like this. Unfortunately, there were a few full days filled with much crying also. There were gettting to be too many of those so I decided to see what the pediatrician had to say at her 2 month appt. I figured he would probably just tell me it was a stage, like what I kept hearing. We tried everything anyone ever suggested including cutting out anything edible to eat. I was willing to give up nursing if it would fix the problem since that is something I certainly do not enjoy anyway. But after much questioning, he determined that she may have an acid reflux problem. I was skeptical but willing to try anything.

Brad and I agree that she has made atleast a 75-85 percent improvement. But is any baby perfect? And we found out that she, in fact, does not always cry while awake- but is really cooing and smiling it up. We have always loved her, of course, but now I am thinking she may just like us back. Atleast until she hits the teenage years- right?!

Priest Lake in July 2

How I love to go to Priest Lake each summer! So many memories and the chance to get away to the beauty of nature. It is so gorgeous up there, and the weather couldn't have been better. The water was so smooth (and not just at sunrise) and really not that cold, although I do always demand to wear a wet suit....mainly because it is so flattering and revealing. :) My mom's family (Sharp's) were up there, and we stayed at the Inn at Priest Lake with Macey. Good times.

Here are some photos: Macey loved sleeping on the boat rides - perfect. Nothing like being wet suit sexy
This is the best action shot of me - pathetic. I need to get a new photographer, because I really did a few good...yet conservative jumps.
Brad shows off his skills
What a great action photographer he's got
Brad also did a lot of these moves

Priest Lake in July

JUMP!!!
Brandt exhausted after a few wake boarding trips. "Are we done yet?"
The boat crew - Charee, why isn't your hair wet?
My nephew Grady loved the boat rides

Macey on the beach
Notice the different speeds they would like to travel
"Look mom! No hands!" Both loved tubing.

Candid Brandt Comments

As I was driving late (as usual) to his dentist appointment, I was stuck behind a lady making a left turn at a flashing yellow arrow. Thinking out loud, I said "Go, go, go" And Brandt said "Mom, honk at her". Realizing I was genetically passing on my road rage, I explained that we really shouldn't honk at people. So he goes "Oh is she a grandma." Apparently, he may have heard me make a comment before about "grandma drivers".



After being highly medicated from the tooth pulling, Brandt was a little out of it. He'd be a funny drunk--let that be his only experience. He was flirting with the dental assistant and just plain silly. As he was slumped over in the car seat, he was mumbling something about wanting to drive the car. And I told him that I would be the one driving the car today. And he held up one finger and said with a slur "Just one time. Just one time."



During our Sunbeam lesson on loving our brothers and sisters, we were explaining the different things that we can do to help our babies. And Brandt chimed in several times "You pump. Mom, you pump."

Happy 4th of July!

On the fourth, we went to Camp Kiwanis for a Garner Family Reunion. We went there many times growing up and it is funny how my memories are so much larger. The pool was huge (really just normal size), the cabins could fit a million tween girls to talk about boyfriends we wished we had (cabins were not so big - fit 10-12 people in bunkbeds), we could run for miles out on the play field (really we'd be lucky to fit a volleyball game in such a small ballfield) and the creek was so fun to walk across (I'm not sure what the parents weren't watching but the creek is raging and I would never want my children to try to cross it.) Yet, it was so peaceful to be in "nature" and nice to see old faces. Macey made her debut smile there with the help of G'mas, Aunts and Uncles, which we were slow to get on camera. The boys loved swimming and catching sea creatures (they really were ugly creatures) in the creek. Kaden had plans to bring them each home, but we had to have a little talk about leaving them in their "natural habitat". (Sometimes pretending to be nature conservationalist comes in handy.) And to top it off, that night we happened to run in to Heath & his little girl, Amy, parked to watch the big fireworks. What a fun day!

Thanks Staci for the 4th of July headband!

Brandt showing off his new smile.

Kids' Photoshoot

After an afternoon of trying to photograph children, I have concluded that that must be the most frustrating job of all times. I won't be changing my occupation.
** My sister Charee's little guy, Grady, is included in some of the shots. No, I don't have a secret love child that you didn't know about.

After a picture or two in the wagon, this is how they ended up posing.