Baby Clayton Pics

Thanks for the reminder, Fern! From my past few blog posts you wouldn’t know we just had a baby! Here are a few pics of our easy going little guy!

 

The Month of June

June has flown by for us. I must say, I do feel a little miffed since we haven’t had much summer weather yet. We’ve been doing lots of indoor stuff while waiting for summer to finally arrive.

One of my favorite books when I was a kid was The Penguin Who Hated the Cold. Sounds appropriate given the weather, right?

Well, we had some fun with the book and we made in igloo out of an apple, peanut butter and marshmallows. Bad weather certainly inspires creativity!

 

This year for Ethan’s birthday we went to the Rainforest Cafe!

Sienna was a little nervous with all the sights and sounds of the rainforest, but Ethan (who’s always been a wild little monkey) was right at home.

We came home that night to a homemade Lego cake. The Lego pegs were frosted marshmallows cut in half. Unfortunately, the cake did not pass this Lego lover’s test. He was pretty confused by it and had a hard time accepting this was a “Lego” cake. Ugh. Once he dug into it though, he was pretty happy.

 

A little decorating bit…

When we moved in, the inset area above the stairs was the same shade of brown as the rest of the wall. We lightened it up a bit by painting it a lighter shade (here, we were deciding between two colors).

A sweet and design savvy friend of mine, Melanie, had this on her wall, which I have always admired.

So, I copied her idea and Jeff and I came up with this:

Of course, we’ll eventually put pictures of our own family in those frames, but those details can wait for another time :)

The other day Sienna was going to the bathroom and began calling for me to come. She sounded pretty irritated. The problem was this guy:

He was sitting on the bathroom floor and was giving her the creeps. She made me remove him so she could have her privacy. Funny girl.

So, Jeff and I adore our children, but let’s admit – they are a little wacky. In March I found myself sitting in urgent care because Ethan stuck a pea in his ear and we couldn’t get it out. Such circumstances have led us to lose our sanity. One night during FHE of all things, we had an epiphany. Check out the similarity:

We are proud parents indeed.

Recent Events

Here are a few pictures of the recent happenings in the Carlsen household (mostly a great excuse for me to brag about my husband and kids – but isn’t that what blogs are about, right?)

Jeff switched the light fixture in the kitchen (a really ugly, outdated one to two lovely pennant lights. Thanks, Jeff! Did I mention he did it with two very “helpful” young children? Jeff is amazing at multitasking and very patient (and loves being a dad).

On Memorial Day, we drove to downtown Seattle and saw Jeff’s new office building, Pike’s Place Market and a few other downtown attractions.

Climbing on the pig at Pike’s Place

In front of the Seattle Art Museum

We finished up our tour at the Memory Wall, a monument to the fallen soldiers from WWI to the present. The kids were obviously a little too young to understand the need to be reverent, but it was worth a try. I’m so grateful for our freedoms and more grateful for those faithful soldiers who bravely stood between the evil and the innocent on my behalf. Two quotes for Memorial Day:

"Only two people have ever offered to die for you. One was Jesus Christ and the other is the American GI. One died for your soul, the other died for your freedom."

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13)

Our garden – thanks, Mom, Dad and Jeff! It’s doing really well!

Baby Blessing

On May 2nd, we had Clayton’s baby blessing! We were also grateful that so many members of our family came to the event.  It was such a touching experience. I am so thankful that the priesthood of God (the power to act, bless and serve in His name) is here on the earth.  We love having Clayton a part of our family. We couldn’t imagine life without him. 

Still Catching Up

Here are a few random pictures that describe the happenings in the Carlsen household…enjoy!

Yes, I know a picture of Sienna on the potty isn’t what you were expecting, but we had to document the 13 pairs of panties. At first, encouraging the switch to underwear was difficult at best, requiring the use of candies, chocolate, etc. Now, she has obviously made the switch and now enthusiastically wears not one pair, but as many as she can find. I love toddler logic.

We are the proud owners of a lawnmower! If you’ve ever heard us describe our house, you’ve heard us talk about our yard; we love it! I’m sure the thrill of yard work will wear off soon, but right now we are still enjoying it! Isn’t Jeff so handsome?

I love this picture of our little rascal – is he up to something?

Washing the floor – I love kids at this age. Everything is fun; especially when you are wearing Daddy’s shoes.

Love this little girl’s pig tails!

Jeff got the kids ready all by himself and snapped a photo just before church. Thanks, Jeff!

So when my sweet mother came out help with the baby, she did endless dishes, laundry, cleaning, organizing, unpacking, reading to kids, potty training, shopping, being my therapist, and meal preparation. Did I mention she also put in a garden? She even allowed the grandkids to help? Of course, This tripled the amount of time it took to complete the task, but what’s a loving grandma to do?

While working in the yard on a rainy evening, we saw a rainbow! It was a little chilly, so Sienna requested Grandpa hold her in his jacket. Grandparents are the best!

Why sleep in a crib when you can take a nap on Grandma?

Here is a man who loves being a Dad! Jeff is such an involved parent. He will play with the kids for hours, but is still a good, consistent disciplinarian. The kids love him and it’s not hard to see why.

Ahrrrrrrrr!

So Ethan went to a pirate themed birthday party a few weeks ago, and I caught a few pictures of the little shindig. I love children's birthday parties. Now matter what is planned they all show up excited and have a great time. I dressed Ethan up in his best pirate attire and he stormed the vessel!

It takes a brave man to hold a piñata that a bunch 4yr olds are swinging at.

More baby pics

Okay, so I’ve had my hands a little full the past few weeks, but here are a few pictures of the newest addition.

Introducing… Clayton James Carlsen

In the wee hours of March 30th, 2010, Clayton made his big debut into the world. He came quickly; here is the time line -

2am: Julie wakes up with contractions

2:30am: We leave the house for the hospital

2:50am: Arrive at the hospital in record time

3:25am: Dr. Morel comes in the room; I’m told it’s too late for anesthesia – which I wasn’t thrilled about.

3:39am:Clayton born! 8lbs 1 oz, 20 3/4" long. Dr. Morel invited Jeff to don gloves and help deliver the baby. He guided Jeff’s hands as they maneuvered the head and shoulders out. What an unforgettable experience for a dad!

I actually did more yelling and screaming than Clayton did. Afterwards, I apologized to the doctor and nurses and assured them that I was generally more pleasant to be around.

Enough with the story; enjoy a few pictures of our little guy.