Acting for a Good Cause

If you want to know what Eli has been up to for the last three months, here's your answer. (And if you don't want to know, you may stop reading.)



Our stake put on a musical production of Savior of the World. Eli was approached by the director and asked to try out, at which time we discovered he can act and sing! He played the part of Ezra, a temple boy and helper to Zacharias and Elizabeth. The performers and crew worked hard and sacrificed their weekends for the past few months. I thought they did an excellent job (despite some glitches with the sound system.) It was apparently a testimony builder for many people, including cast, crew, and audience. The stake members were encouraged to use it as a missionary opportunity.



We weren't allowed to take pictures during the performance, but here are a few behind the scenes shots.




Eli was excited about the makeup--not.


Elizabeth and Zacharias.
These sweet people drove Eli to and from practice, thus saving our family from a massive headache.

When it was all over and Eli was receiving many compliments, I asked him if he would like to do something like this again and he replied, "Not in the near future."

Quarter of a Year

I'm three months old now. These pictures were actually taken a day after my three-month birthday, since my mom forgot to take my picture on the actual day.


My mom likes me because I let her snuggle me and I sleep through the night quite a bit.


I'm very smiley, especially in the morning, and I even laugh occasionally.


Everyone comments on what a chunker I am.


I find my fist quite fascinating. I'm really not cross-eyed.


I like a good bath.


And a good milk coma. I hope to have a neck some day.


Notice my post-bath fuzzy hair.

Mini-Me

This is how The Farmer and Malakai roll when they're together. They don't sit in the house gazing into each other's eyes. They farm. When Kai was just two weeks old, Greg had him out in the pasture and the baby stuck his fist way up into the horse's nostril. We joked that there may be some Spiderman-like reaction, and he would turn into Horseman.

It may have been a mistake to choose another "M" name for our child, since The Farmer can't stop calling him Micah. I'm guilty of it too, I'll admit.

Getting dressed up and high on sugar.

Mo-Tab

The Farmer and I dressed up for the first time since newly wed days, thanks to our fun friends who had a fun party for grown-ups. We're already planning next year's get-up.



TV reporter in TV

I told him that he was getting too old to go buy or make fancy costumes complete with swords and stuff and he needed to come up with something creative that we could put together. This was completely his idea. Greg helped a little with the box.



Daniel Boone

Seth ate his last piece of Halloween candy from last year just minutes before leaving to go trick-or-treating yesterday. I'm not making this up.



I've been calling this a leopard, but Eli informs me that, based on its color and spot pattern, it's actually a jaguar.



Monkey boy

He wore this outfit for about 20 minutes, just enough time to spit up all over it and leak pee on it.


I like the idea of making Halloween really fun for my kids, i.e. throwing a fun kids' party, making great costumes, decorating the house awesomely, making donuts like my mum did, etc. But I'm actually a pretty lame Halloween mom. And today I've thrown out a couple of half-hearted "Better stop eating so much candy" statements but haven't followed through on them at all. And that's the other thing: what should be done with all that candy? Better moms have come up with good solutions involving the kids trading in most of their candy and such, but I've never heard one that would actually work for our family. The best I can do is to slowly sneak Micah's candy over a few days, thus diminishing his stash without him noticing. I know: lame. I suppose there's always next year.

Stats

Kai had his one month check-up last week (on his 5 week birthday.) In other words, another excuse to post cute pictures of my rapidly changing child.

Here is the report:
Weight: 12 pounds (97th percentile)
Length: 23 inches (90th percentile)
Head: 38 3/4 centimeters (50th percentile)

I don't get to have little babies for very long.



And he sits up!

Seven Milestones

1. We have smileage from Malakai! Also, acne and cradle cap and an oily head.





2. Micah is riding sans training wheels.



In an effort to make me a bit crazy, he's already acting like Mr. Stuntman Daredevil.






3. Seth had his first car accident, involving an out-of-control wheelie and the van in the driveway.





4. Eli baked and decorated his first birthday cake, which he described as his greatest cooking accomplishment yet. I don't know; I thought the Mother's Day pull-aparts were pretty good. (I just noticed the stray hand picking at the front of the cake.)




5. Greg turned 38!



I included a second picture, because it's so cute.

6. This thing weaseled its way into my house, despite the fact that I clearly forbade indoor pets. I'm not sure how it happened, but it had something to do with the eldest animal-loving son, multiple attempts to trap a stray kitten in the barn, two big dogs outside that like to chase and eat small animals, etc.

The Farmer and I had a discussion as he was petting the kitten on our bed. I told him that I like to look at animals in a zoo or read about them in a book; I just don't like to touch them or have them touching my bed. He replied that he didn't understand how someone wouldn't want to pet and hold their animals. Apparently, I wasn't born with the animal-loving gene like everyone else in the family.


7. I slept for 6 hours straight!!!



Thanks baby.

Bear With Me

I've been camera-happy during the past 12 days.





This is the big brother that can't wait to start playing catch in a few years.



This is the brother that wouldn't hold the baby at first, but now does so eagerly.






This is the brother that's actually a big help to me, at least during the one day since Grandma left to go home.



The aforementioned grandma. We miss her big time.



We call him "finger-toes." Or "monkey-toes."



I have a dad-zonked-out-on-the-couch photo series with all the newborns; (you know how exhausting it is to have your wife get up several times each night to nurse the baby). With all the stuff that's been going on with the other children and with work, this has been the only chance this dad has had to zonk out.



Check out the cowlick.



Chillin'



Bros.

I'm Not Pregnant Anymore!!!!!!

But more importantly, we welcomed our precious son, Malakai Bradford, into our arms at a hefty 8 lbs 2 oz and 22 inches long. According to my obstetrician, approximately 5% of babies are born on their due date. Malakai decided to join this elite group and, as The Farmer likes to point out, he came at high noon--You can't get it any closer than that. Would mid-day on your due date be considered your "due minute?"


BEFORE

Here is a picture of the baby and me walking into the hospital.


I don't want to post the profile shot.

Okay, fine. I will.


The fetus seemed to me to be growing rapidly during the last two weeks, but I was still shocked at my size when I saw this picture.

AFTER

Three hours later, here we are:



Sorry if this is too much information, but I want to document the slightly funny labor story. Don't feel obligated to read on. The evening before the birth I felt like I was going into labor and started having strong contractions every 3-4 minutes. Then they kind of fizzled out for a while and just came irregularly through the night. I was able to sleep here and there. When Greg's alarm went off at 6:00, he asked if he should go to work or not and I told him that since I'd been asleep for the past 1-2 hours, he was probably fine to go. I called him back an hour or two later and said he didn't need to rush home, but I thought things were still progressing. He got home around 9:00; we decided to call the doctor's office and were told to go to labor and delivery. At that point, I didn't really think I was in full blown active labor yet, but was hoping at least something had happened and they wouldn't send me home. Turns out my cervix had dilated to 8 cm. So apparently, it was the real thing. Having been induced with Pitocin for the first three babies, I had a much different (i.e. slower and less intense) experience this time around. Greg was glad his nightmares of me delivering at home didn't come to pass.


I forgot how much I adore my newborns. I'm not quite so fond of them when they're still inside me.

MONKEY D

Each of our boys has been given a special nickname by their father: Monkey A, Monkey B, Monkey C, and now Monkey D.



He did look quite monkey-like right when he was born, but, as you can see, he is quite cute on day of life #2.


Awake for a minute.


A decent amount of dark hair.


We're not sure who he looks like. He changes quickly and different people have said he looks like Greg, Eli, Seth, and Micah. One thing we do know is that he doesn't look like me.

FOUR PEAS IN A POD


Monkeys A and B are thrilled. Monkey C isn't quite so sure yet.


A proud mama with her four peas.



I like my boys.


A WORD ABOUT GRANDMAS AND HUSBANDS


I feel sorry for women who don't have an amazing mother to come stay with them for two weeks at baby time and basically handle all aspects of the family members' lives with ease. I am so lucky.


The best husband and father in the world. And becoming a decent farmer.

THE WHOLE FAMILY


We feel extremely blessed to have four healthy, beautiful children and that our baby made it into the world safe and sound.