Train Museum Photo Shoot

I think after Mike took the picture of Kai in my grandma's suitcase I really fell in love with old fashioned, sepia toned photos again. So to mark Kai's almost 2 month {and because Asa really loves trains}, we took a trip to the train museum for a little sibling photo shoot.

Annabelle is such a cooperative model and such a cutie {I don't care if you think I am biased}, so I have a lot of favorites of her.

Kai was pretty cooperative as well, even if this one is a little precarious. Don't you just love that sweater? 

Asa, just driving the train, no big deal

 The walking rails is a remake of an old favorite {check out #20}, 

I can't decide if I like the color or the sepia more.

Saturday Morning

We had a perfect, slow Saturday morning this last weekend. With no one in town and no where to be it felt like our first truly lazy wake up since Kai was born. Annabelle and Asa joined us in our room to snuggle up with the baby. They all looked so darling in their pajamas and with their bed head I grabbed the camera and got a few priceless photos of the kids adoring their sweet little brother.

Sometimes Asa is gentle, but we have to keep a close eye on him because sometimes he is not!

Can't you just hear her giggle?

It is moments like these that I am can't believe how blessed I am.

The McKeans Come

The McKeans (and a few Sherwoods)

My entire family plus Nona were able to come down for the weekend of Kai's blessing. Mike's parents had just returned from Colorado so they didn't come back but we felt their love and support. This was the first time since my mom's cancer diagnosis that we were all together. Everyone else had been home at Christmas, but I was too close to my due date to travel. We made the most of being together by taking family pictures, celebrating Jeremiah, (my nephew's), 2nd birthday and of course Kai's blessing.

Nona and Kai getting in a little snuggle time.

Our Eternal Family of 5

Annabelle, a cute and sassy big sis 

Asa, a little unsure

Kai, snugged up & sleeping

The original plan was for some family members to share a hotel and some to sleep here. As the special weekend got closer and closer everyone said that they would rather sleep at our house. No one wanted to miss out on the fun! So we slept all 14 of us at our house and it was fun, so long as privacy wasn't a priority.
With Jeremiah and Asa both loving trains we had to take a trip to Desert Breeze park. They have a carousel and a train to ride. It was the perfect thing for little boys!

Don't be fooled by their expressions, they really liked it.

Trudy made the train pieces of cake at home and then frosted them here. As you can tell, Jeremiah was thrilled! 

It was really fun to see Jeremiah and Asa together. They are only 4 months apart in age and I am hoping that they will be good buddies. Every now and then we'd catch them doing something silly like this and we'd laugh.

My mom stuck around for the rest of the week after everyone else had to head home. We didn't actually take any pictures of her stay, the kids had colds, so she just helped me take care of them. We made chicken noodle soup, lots of smoothies and went for long walks in the neighborhood each afternoon for fresh air. I kinda wished we had been able to do some fun things but maybe a low key week (while keeping Annabelle home from school) was just was we needed. I just wish we hadn't sent her home with our sickie germs.

Blessing Weekend

We decided to bless Kai in church earlier this month. February 6th is a significant day for our family, as it is my maternal grandfather, Papa Campbell's, birthday. My mom remembered that my older brother Adam was also blessed on Papa's birthday. My mom felt well enough to travel and so we seized the opportunity to be together and introduce our new babe to the McKean clan.

Our family before church

These two are hilarious! I seriously think that Jeremiah looks like Calvin (from Calvin & Hobbes). 

 Mike blessed Kai with my Dad, Adam, David, Bishop Campbell and friends Michael Brande and Loren Smith also stood in the circle. We recently took these photos Kai in his blessing outfit which was the same outfit that Mike and Asa were blessed in.

3 Weeks

I love this boy! He is mellow, snugly, sweet and fits into our family perfectly.

I love his dark hair! I wonder if it will stick around.

My friend Katie sent this blanket in a package this week and Mike thought it looked so soft he had to use it in this week's photo shoot. Thank you Katie!

How am I holding up? Pretty well. Sunday at church I was sitting in Primary and I started FREEZING! I didn't know what was going on so I just sat there with Kai in my lap. Over the course of the rest of the evening I felt off and on better and worse. Once I had a fever and noticed that I felt like Asa had elbowed me in the chest I put two and two together. Mastitis! My awesome Doc called the Rx in for me and I am feeling better. Thanks to my good friend Rickie for picking Annabelle up for school Monday morning - I was a little too out of it to drive. Other than that I am doing well. You should know by now that Mike does all the real work around here anyway!

A & A

When Mike's parents took off earlier this week they left me with a clean house and a full fridge. Annabelle had the day off of school for a holiday. With nothing else to do but curl up with my baby and a book, the kids and I camped out in the toy room for the afternoon. It was all I could do to keep from laughing when after an hour or so I looked up to see what the pair were up to.

Asa is sitting in the toy baby stroller here!

Seriously, does that say love or what??

2 Weeks

Our little Kai is two weeks old. The 2 week mark has been significant for me. After the first week Mike was back to work, but after the 2nd week Mike's parents went home. It is officially up to me to keep things going. I've had so much help with getting Annabelle off to school, keeping Asa entertained, the house tidy, the meals planned and errands run. I've been spoiled. Thank you!

I am feeling good. Pretty well recovered (don't tell my doctor but I started picking Asa up again). At my two week check he saw my incision and double checked my chart that I wasn't in for my 6-week check. I think his surgical ego got a boost as my 2 week old incision already looks like an old flattened scar. Hurray! He says that if the inside of my body has been healing as well as the outside of my body then I'm in great shape.

Kai makes the greatest little facial expressions in his sleep. I have no idea what a newborn dreams about, but it must be a riot. Look at this little stink face! Doesn't he look like he is just causing some mischief and loving it? If only we caught more of his smiles and expressions in photos, they are so fleeting.