5 Months

The Britton household is celebrating the fact that Devin has grown to be 5 months old.

Here are some things I should write down so I remember what he was doing at this age:

*He loves the chain that hangs from his carseat (thanks Jo!), and clutches it the whole time we're in the car. He just won't let go. Even when he falls asleep.

*He's rolled from his back to his tummy once, but couldn't figure out how to get his chubby arm out of the way, so he just rolled back the other way. He's getting closer and closer to figuring the whole movement out, but for now he just rolls to his side and hangs out for a bit.

*He still loves tummy time (naked tummy time is his favorite though) and gets excited about being able to reach out to things on the blanket in front of him.

*He has started to arch his back. Intensely. There is usually a grunt involved, and some holding of the breath, so his face turns all red. He has started doing this whenever he is bored, mad, or tired.

*He is getting close to sitting up independently. He can sit up all by himself for about 30 seconds before tumbling down, but he will sit on my lap by himself for a lot longer than that.

*He loves to grab onto things and suck on them. He is discovering the world around him, and it's so interesting to watch him gain control over his hands and to see when he realizes he can now hold onto something.

*He discovered his toes over the past few weeks and loves to hold onto them and pull off his socks, which immediately go to his mouth.

*He is still a happy, easy-going boy--most of the time--and loves to smile at us, laugh, and to be tickled.

*He is still pretty enthralled with his hands. There are only mere moments in the day when I look at him and he doesn't have at least one hand in his mouth.

Usually he is trying to stuff both hands in at once.

He just gnaws on his fingers or sucks on his whole hand or sucks on the heel of his hand.

*He has started talking so much more. He loves squealing now, and makes the best bird noises. How he can get his voice that high is beyond me. I think the house echos a bit, so he likes making these noises even more since being in the house. These little squeals always make me smile. The best is when he's all by himself on the blanket and just starts squealing at the top of his lungs.

*He has been a good sleeper (March was not a good sleeping month, thankfully, April and May were not repeats of month three's sleep schedule) and goes down for naps great, and he started truly sleeping through the night (10-12 hrs sometimes) over the past few weeks. He's not consistent, but I feel like the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.

*He loves the song "A You're Adorable" and if I start singing it when he's fussy and I need to finish something before picking him up (like sweeping), he'll stop fussing and either smile at me or just watch me sing to him.

*He's still a drooler and spits up a lot. So you know, he's a normal baby.

Pretty cool kid if you ask me.

4 Month Photos

I finally got some professional pictures of Devin taken when we were in Utah for his blessing. I really wanted some cute pictures of Devin, and it was about time we had someone who actually knew something about photography document our cute kid.

I think they turned out so great. Course I have a vested interest in the subject. 

My friend's husband, Matt McFarland, took the photos, and we couldn't be much happier! Of course these are just a few of the pics we got. I love his shots, and thought he caught a lot of Devin's personality. If you're looking for a great photographer, you should give Matt a call! Link to his Web site here.

All About the House. Long Form.

We are moved in. To our very first house. Feels so great to say that.

Getting things ready took longer than we thought--things always go that way, no? But we are happy that we waited till the paint was dry and the floors were mopped before moving all the boxes in; it made moving day and our first night in the house that much better.

We are in the stage where we cannot find anything because it's still all packed away, but I've been trying to go through boxes as fast as possible. The kitchen is almost put together, so then we can have our first official meal in our house. I'm not counting the things I've made thus far, because Totino's pizza is not going to be our first family meal in our house :)

We repainted the whole house except for the bathrooms and the 4th bedroom, which will all get painted at a later date. Rich also had to fix a crack in the tape of the drywall on the ceiling and had to put back together things like the disposal and lights, and build closet shelves. He really was the Energizer Bunny the past two weeks. He would work every night till almost midnight--or even later--then come home and get up early for work. He can honestly say that he did most of the work to get us into this house. And that's why we love him. Because he watches out for our family and makes sure we have things nice and wonderful!

This is the view from our front porch:

If this were the Academy Awards of Houses, the awards would be handed out as follows:

Best Actor in a Leading Role: RICH--he probably will never want to paint again. And he will continue to be the best because I already have a long "Honey-Do" list forming.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Eric Redford--he helped so much! He built shelves, painted, and let us borrow all his tools.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Marinda Redford--she watched Devin multiple times, painted, and even cleaned my bathroom for me!

Best Original Score (Musician): Garth Brooks--he serenaded us through many hours.

Best Director: Brianne--I stood around a lot and told Rich what I thought looked good, took many pictures (though still not enough), and gave him my opinion whether he wanted it or not :) And I did paint, just not as much as Rich!

Best Animated Feature: Devin--he was pretty animated the whole time, whether it was just entertaining himself or talking up a storm, or crying because he wanted to be held, or just being pretty dang cute.

Honorable Mentions go to the following actors and actresses for all their help painting and moving and watching Devin: Jake and Kathy Watson, Eric Olson, Val and Sue Allred, Steve and Erin Cherry, the missionaries, Tania and Maria Nance, and Grandpa and Grandma Britton--and I'm sure many others that I'm forgetting.

There will be pictures once it looks like our house is more than just stacks of boxes.

Grandpa and Grandma Britton came to visit the weekend of our move. They'd planned their trip long before we knew we would even be getting this house, so we didn't get to spend as much time with them as we would have liked, but we did appreciate their help moving! And we still had a nice visit, and we're glad they got to see our new digs, and Devin, because he really was the star of the visit. 

Rich and his parents were able to go golfing on Friday night so he could show off the new clubs they got him for graduation. It was a cold, windy night, but I think they still had a nice time. Then we all had some pizza at the good pizza place in town. 

Saturday was the move, and it was a long day for us all! We were famished by the end, so we drove to Santa Rosa to get some food and to get some things from Home Depot. Rich and I had put off our birthday presents from them until we'd decided on something for the house. We picked out a nice chandelier to go in our dining area--Rich is really excited to figure out how to hang it. Thanks to them for giving us the gift of light!

The first night in the house was fun. We realized just how dark it gets in Hidden Valley. Our master bedroom was pitch black! Thankfully Devin has been sleeping through the night because I would probably stumble over many boxes trying to get to him at three in the morning! The house already feels like home, which I guess means we picked the right house! I thought for sure Devin would be all messed up from the move, but he's a trooper and just kept keeping on. I'm pretty sure this is an example of how I worry too much.

My parents sent us a "new home" box with all sorts of fun things that really highlighted how well my mom knows Rich. 

 For a guy who doesn't show much excitement, can you see the joy over salad dressing? I never buy the expensive stuff, but Rich sure does love salad at my mom's house because she buys the good stuff!

 She also spoiled him with a toaster. This is just going to make the toaster oven debate that much more intense.

 I got some fun new dish towels, a salad bowl from the Philippines, and a cutting board.

Devin was spoiled with some new clothes from Grandma and Aunt Dawn, a new toy that he loved the minute he saw it, and, of course, a book from Grandpa.

All in all, we're very excited to say we're homeowners.

Before and After

Rich and Eric worked on the pantry shelves Tuesday night. 

And since that was the only part of the house that was clean, I stocked it up immediately. 

All those bottles make my heart happy.

The house is ready for cleaning tomorrow, and then moving in on Saturday! Can't wait!

Picture of the Week

This little guy has been so patient for the past two weeks. 

He says, "I'm just lounging around, waiting for you to be done with all this house stuff."

Socially Unacceptable.

I'm not a person who loves the small talk. I'm the type of person who puts on their headphones the minute we reach an altitude where it is safe to use approved electronic devices. I don't feel the need to fill up the empty space whilst waiting in lines. I understand that others don't feel this way. I respect that. But I would also ask that if you insist on talking to me, you keep an appropriate distance so as to not invade my personal space. (Yes, I'm talking to you lady at Walmart.)

However, the wee one has a way of making people flock to him. Random people are now suddenly my best friend. I do understand that my babe is the cutest and I do like to hear that he's the cutest. But, random Home Depot worker, I do not feel that you and I close enough yet for you to touch my baby. I will not tell you get away from the child because I really want you to show me where the dryer cords are. But please, how would you feel if I walked up to you and started playing with your feet. Beyond being disgusting, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't like it.

Can you see how he feels a little awkward about the random people touching him? (And, on a side note, can you see how excited Devin is about books?)

 

Now when I'm around people I know, though I only know them semi-well, I understand that they want to play with the baby. Devin's hands are adorable. And people want to hold them. I can live with this. I can even live with people who I know on a weekly basis touching his cheeks. 

They are gushable. (Can you see them all squishing up? Aw.)

Plus, hands and cheeks are cleanable. What am I not okay with? When anyone, whether I know them well or not, STICKS THEIR FINGER in Devin's mouth so he can gnaw on it. I would like to tell these people that I'm not okay with that behavior. But I don't want to offend them. And also, I'm so dumbstruck that someone would think that it's socially acceptable to stick their finger in my child's mouth that I can't say anything. I mean, I cannot swab the inside of the wee one's mouth. Why don't you just pour a test tube full of germs and disease down my child's throat?

I might be overreacting a little. (Though I don't think I am.) And I'm sure that this is something that every mother has to deal with. 

But let's discuss how to make it stop.

And let's look at his squishy cheeks again:

Annnd, end vent.

Working up a Storm

Good things are certain to come from all our hard work on the house. It's been a tiring week, with more long days still to come. We were perhaps a bit ambitious to think we could paint the entire house, ceilings and all, in one week, so we shall be putting off moving day a bit just to make sure everything is exactly right for us.

Rich has been such a hard worker. His energy is amazing. He has figured out how to do some home improvement tasks he's never done before. He's so handy! 

I feel so bad that I can't do more, but the wee one doesn't really let me do work in lengths longer than about 20 minutes. Gratefully some wonderful women in the ward have watched him during some work times. 

We finally started putting actual color on the walls, which made all the primer painting seem worth it!  I'm excited to see how Devin's room turns out.

 (I'll post final pictures when it's all done.) 

Also, appliances were delivered yesterday. It's interesting how happy a fridge can make me. 

This sight probably makes me a littler happier than the new fridge:

Can you see the wee one smiling away at his daddy?

The Apartment

We've been living in the apartment here for about 3 months. I wasn't going to post pics bc it's always cluttered, but then I thought I should remember the joys of living here. And really, it's never not cluttered. And soon we will be in a house, so right now, I can look fondly upon the apartment.
Course this post is really just a long complaint.

Let's start with the deep freezer. It's hanging out in the kitchen area being bigger than the refrigerator. And no, we haven't taken the bubble wrap off the handle, even though it's all been popped.

Half of our food pantry is located on the freezer, which is very convenient given that I'm not 7 feet tall.

 

The deep freeze sort of blocks the laundry area. I'm grateful to have a washer and dryer in the apartment, don't get me wrong, but the set up is a little, shall we say, difficult. 

 It's under the stairs, so I almost always hit my head on the ceiling. And the door situation doesn't let me move the clothes from washer to dryer without either, A) taking everything out of the washer, stacking it on the dryer, closing the door, and then moving everything from the top of the dryer into the dryer, or B) leaning over the dryer into the washer while trying to find all the tiny baby socks in the darkness of the washer, and then hitting my head on the low ceiling once I finally find them. I know. My life is so hard.

Now we come to the real fun. The U-shaped kitchen. 

The cabinet space is minimal (thus the food stacked precariously on the fridge and freezer and also stored in the upstairs hall closet). And only a man would put these handles on kitchen cabinets. 

 They are tiny. They are hard to hold onto. They always feel dirty no matter how much I wash them off. They don't distribute the weight properly, causing me to strain to open the drawer containing the silverware. 

Once we get the doors open, our apparently over-sized dinner plates do not fit inside, causing us to have to take them out on a slant. Sometimes I'm afraid I'll never get the plates back out again.

The range has no simmer temperature. I can boil and I can keep food warm. But I cannot simmer. I spend much of my recipes' called-for simmer time turning up the heat, then turning it down, then turning it up again. I have been dreaming about the day I will once again live in a world where things simmer. I no longer want to go without the simmering. No one should be simmer-less. 

I know I'm complaining about a tiny kitchen that really isn't that tiny. I really do remember living in a  New York apartment where the kitchen was also the living room/my bedroom. Or the other apartment where the bathroom was in the kitchen, and the kitchen had a total cabinet space of perhaps a one foot by one foot wood slab that had to be put down so you could open the bathroom door. But I have acquired much more stuff since living in these locales. And for 2.5 years I cooked in my mother's kitchen, which is the size of our current apartment's living room and kitchen combined. So I'm still adjusting.

But don't worry, in all my tiny kitchen living, I have room for 7 bottles of cinnamon. And 3 bottles of basil. And 3 bottles of paprika. Apparently I am a spice hoarder. And I would feel bad about this, but the dinner plates won't fit in that cupboard either, and the location of the spice cupboard is such that I cannot actually reach everything inside of it without climbing onto the cabinet (where there is actually no cabinet but rather the sink), making it unideal for everyday food stuffs.

I would share highlights from the rest of the apartment, but I'm feeling ungrateful. So I won't tell you about the bedroom where Rich has to climb into bed from the bottom of the bed. Because he only has to do that because we bought a king-sized bed. And we love the king bed. 

And really, this cozy living situation is making us all sorts of grateful for the future!

Some things we won't miss about the apartment  
(we started making this list last week):

-The teeny, tiny sink where it is nigh impossible to wash the giant pans I use to cook with.
-The sharing of the walls. Little old man next door, we like you, but why must you talk loudly in your sleep?
-The ants. Why won't you die? I've killed you many times. Yet you keep coming back. How can there be so many ants in the world?

We were treated to this sight one day after coming home from a shopping trip. So gross. Makes me feel all creepy crawly. I promise we are clean people.

That's all the ungratefulness for now.

4 Months Big

Guess who's 4 months old? The star of the family, of course! I mean, do I really talk about anything but the wee one anymore? One-track mind, that's what it's called.

He says, "I'm pondering and looking back over my long life."

This is what he looked like the day he officially turned 4 months old, he was pretty excited, as you can see:

Current scouting roster reads as follows:

Weight: 14.8 lbs (50th percentile)

Height: 24.5 in (25th percentile)

Since turning the big 4 months, Devin's been living it up. He rode on a plane, bought a house, learned to grab his toes, etc.

Here are some other things he's been up to in his first week as a four-month-old bouncing baby boy.

He says, "Could you not look at me right now? I'm trying to eat the Bumbo."

Pleading for release from the pack-n-play.

Enjoying time at our new house.

Helping me do the laundry.

Spending time sucking on his jacket.

Telling me that he likes walks but that his stroller straps are honestly too big for him.

Can't believe the little monkey is 4 months old. And I can't get enough of his tiny baby laugh. I pretty much want to tickle him all day. But I try to break up the activities and only tickle him part of the time. The other part I spend gnawing on his adorable cheeks.