My Boys Are Growing Up!

The boys had their 1st birthday on Sunday.  There is something weird about the 1st birthday.  I remember this happening with Liv too.  All the sudden now that I say they are one, they just seem so grown up to me.  They don't seem like babies any more.  They seem more like little boys.

See what I mean?  He looks so grown up!  Sniff sniff I get teary thinking about it too much.  Derek is so anxious for these boys to grow up and get on some sports teams already.  Not me!  I want to freeze them and keep them my little sweet baby boys forever.  We're still nursing if you can believe that and 3 times a day.  Working on weaning--sort of, but none of us are all too anxious to give that up just yet.

Uncle Nathan came up for the birthday weekend.  It was so fun to have him.  Liv begged to wake him up from the minute she woke up every day he was here and attached herself to him all day.  We went swimming on the day it snowed (indoor of course-- all the kids loved). 

I tried to go for a dynamic duo themed party for the boys.  This was the Evite text I sent out: What are chips without salsa? What are cookies without milk? What is peanut butter without jelly? What would Camden be without Carter or Carter without Camden? What would the Marshall family be without "the brothers"? And what would their 1st birthday party be without you? Come celebrate this "dynamic duo" with us, and if willing, bring your favorite edible dynamic duo to share.

It was fun.  I got crafty and made a banner for the boys and hung pics from each month.

The pics are still hanging up on my kitchen wall, and I think I'm never going to take them down in protest of them getting big too fast.  I printed an edible picture of the boys and put it on top of their cake- my kind of decorating!

D's family came by, a few neighbors, some good friends.  The boys have been way too spoiled with way too many new toys all of which Olivia has confiscated as her own.  D and I gave them their much needed first pair of shoes in an effort to keep their feet warm in this wintery weather.  They won't keep socks on and I was so tired of missing socks everywhere we went that I was just started taking them barefoot everywhere.  Negligence?  Maybe...

We put out a whole cake and plastic wrap on the floor and let the boys crawl to it.  You can guess how that went, but if not here is the video footage:

Then Camden insisted on attaching himself to me.  Guess I shoulda stripped to my underwear too not sure what I was thinking there!


In other news:
The boys stats from their recent well-child check
CAMDEN: Wt- 21 lb 11 oz (33%), Ht- 20 in (24%), Head- 17.9 in (24%)
CARTER: Wt- 21 lb 6 oz (27%), Ht- 29 in (24%), Head- 17.3 in (3%)

A few kitchen accomplishments that need to be documented...
Pumpkin pie from a pumpkin

and the most delish cauliflower soup.

Doesn't it look gourmet with my little butter swirls on top?

A cute pic from possibly one of the last (I really hope not, but probably) nice days of the year. 
And, just needed to document this cute little thing that happened this morning.  It was a bad night last night.  All my kids sleep through the night now, and yet at the same time, it seems like there is never a night where everyone actually sleeps through the night.   It seems that every night at least someone wakes up.  Last night, everyone woke up at different time and Liv woke up twice.  I was soooo tired this morning.  I used to get woke up all night and seemed to deal just fine, but now that I am used to sleeping it's hard when I don't.  Anyways, I was exhausted and Liv woke up this morning (which always feels too early every morning--usually 6:15 and still dark) her usual chipper self and came in our room to get us.

She said: "Mommy, I have to tell you something..."
Me: (half asleep) Mmmmhmmm?
Olivia: "I'm sorry I came up here two times last night."

Cutest, sweetest thing ever!  Made up for all the exhaustion I felt all day!  Guess she could tell she really set me back.

We've Had a Super October

 

I guess we will start with Halloween.  All the kids were super heros thanks to Uncle Nathan who provided the costumes this year.  Liv took a little convincing.  She really wanted to be "Beauty and the Beast."  I figured she would change her mind every few days, but then week after week when you asked her what she was going to be for Halloween and the answer was always "Beauty and Beast" I knew I had to build enthusiasm some how.  I got online, found a picture of a pink super girl, and talked up how cool it was, and then easy as pie she now wanted to be a pink super girl for Halloween!

 

Liv loved trick or treating.  She carried her plastic pumpkin all by herself all night.  Towards the end it looked heavy and was practically dragging on the ground, but she would not let me hold it.  I think she was afraid if she admitted to getting tired I'd make her go home.  I was a fun Mom and made clever themed meals for breakfast (ghost bananas and ghost toast),

 

 lunch (monster sandwiches and apple o lanterns), 

 

and dinner (jack o lantern casadillas and a vegetable skeleton man) .  Yay me!

 

A few milestones of note:  Camden has finally been relieved of his helmet!  He has also officially started taking steps, and that kid is trouble.  He gets into everything.  He picks the thing he knows he shouldn't (the dog's water bowl, the toilet bowl, the stairs, the plugs) and always goes for that.  He first makes sure you are looking then giggles and army crawls as fast as his little arms will take him before the pursuit begins. 

 

I have finally gotten brave enough to venture to the grocery store with all 3 kids.  It's still a little crazy, but nothing stuffing them all full of crackers and bribes can't take care of. 

The boys can now pull themselves up in their crib.  It's hilarious.  Before going to bed and when they wake up they both pull themselves up on the railing of the crib that faces each other and just giggle and jibber.  So fun...really want to catch that on video but haven't figure out how yet.  I think I need to set up a hidden camera in their room.

A few examples of how we survive these days:  The markers are a favorite toy for everyone. 

One day when everyone was crying (including myself), I found that a big bowl of ice cream made everyone feel better

 

Then we jogged to the park to make me feel better about the big bowl of ice cream.  The boys were so cute snuggled up next to each other.

I'm a firm believer in you choose your battles.  This is one I have quit fighting.  Every day Liv wants to wear her snow boots, so I just let her.

 In other news:  Derek had a birthday, and all I have to prove for it is this picture of his half eaten grasshopper cake.  You can tell all my energy went into somehow making a cake and juggling the kids rather than documenting his birthday.  Sorry babe!

 Tanner left a little over a week ago for the Mexico City MTC.  He will be serving Spanish speaking in the California, Ventura mission.  Every night Liv blesses Tanner on his mission in California Adventure and all the princesses in California Adventure as well.

 I started playing on an indoor soccer team with a bunch of friends.  I'm no good and we lost our first game 7-4, but we had a blast and I can't wait to get on the field again!

Annie got me to go to Pumpkin Land at the Vinyard nursery with all my kiddos.  It was fun.  She packed Carter on her back for me and I packed Camden.