Comet

Colin was a puke factory all day yesterday, especially at church. This has prompted me to give him a nickname, Comet. That would be a combination of Colin and Vomit. (Spelling has been adjusted to make sense.)

almost 2 weeks of pictures

Shame on me! I feel like I've posted a lot recently, but I haven't really posted pictures of Colin in about 2 weeks. I'd like to correct that heinous oversight by posting some pictures now.

Colin loves, and I do mean LOVES, pulling himself up onto anything he can reach. We have a stack of boxes in Nate's office that Colin uses as a jungle gym. He likes climbing up people when they're sitting on the couch. He likes hanging over the edge of his crib. He likes scooting along the edge of the coffee table. He smiles so big, like he's so proud of himself, like he's doing something awesome. It's been a lot of fun to watch.

I guess I got a little carried away cleaning up the living room.

What a poser!

Colin loves, and I do mean LOVES, his Christmas blanket from his Granny. It's the softest snuggly material. When it's time for a nap or for bed I just grab this blanket and he snuggles right down into it. It's nice that he has something that lets him know it's time for sleep, and it comforts him when he wakes up in the middle of the night. I check on him often when he sleeps because I'll find him completely covered up, and I like to uncover his face so I don't worry about him suffocating.

Here he is getting ready for church last Sunday. I wanted to buy him a little tie to wear, butI thought the really cute ones at the Children's Place were too expensive, but it turns out they're about the same price as everywhere else. So I guess I'll be heading back to the mall.

Matchy matchy.

Colin cheesing it up in his cage.

Oh, naked time. Colin's had a lot more of that recently because he's been a bit of a pill when it comes to putting on his diaper and pajamas after his bath. And since he can pull himself up on the railing he's much more interested in that than in getting dressed.

I had to edit this next picture because as I went to post it I noticed there was a little surprise hanging out. Good thing I'm a pro at this so you can't even tell!

That looks like a picture of Nate's son to me—crinkly eyes, cute smile, dragon.

There was something about the way the food was on his face that made me laugh. So I took a picture. And then I posted it.

Pulling himself up on the laundry bin.

Yes, Colin still loves playing by the mirror. And yes, he's figured out how to stick his own finger inside his pacifier so he can chew it more easily. He was cracking me up because he had it stuck on his finger, and then he would bang it against the counter and then shake his hand. He thought he was so funny.

These next pictures are the same one with a couple of different tints I was playing with. I was trying to take a picture of Colin looking like a sweet bro with his hood up, but he was mad at me for putting him on the floor, so his head is down. I snapped a picture anyway, and I kind of like how it turned out. It had a simple enough background that it was fun to play around with.

Thank you Ikea! Colin loves to play with these bowls almost as much as he loves to eat from them.

Nate teased me this morning about Colin's outfit, but it really was just a filler between his pajamas and his church clothes. Also, Colin chose the hat. Really. Ask him.

And if anyone cares what Nate and I have been up to, we finally got to meet Nate's friend Renn's fiancee. She's nice. We like her. Nate has been busy with work and the World, and I have been dominating my new favorite game, Star Wars Legos on the Wii. Yes, there are several 6-year-olds who are better at it than I am, but I like it. It's fun! Also, I made bread bowls for our soup tonight and I'm quite proud of myself. Way to go me!

Recipe Friday

Red Lobster-style Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

Nate and I like these biscuits quite a bit. They're a quick alternative to rolls, which are delicious but time consuming. And they're a little bit classier than regular ol' baking powder biscuits. We eat them with soup and stuff. 

2 c. Jiffy or Bisquick mix

2/3 c. milk

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 400. Mix Jiffy mix, milk, cheese, and garlic powder into a sticky dough. Drop by spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter and mix with garlic salt. Coat biscuits with garlic butter as soon as you take them out of the oven while they're still on the pan. 

give oh give away!

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it would be really fun to have a reason to make something for some friends. So I commented on her blog and reposted the info here (after editing it because Random capitals BUG Me, as, does, improper punctuation?). Good luck to all who read! I'm excited to get crafty! (Obviously copious exclamation points do not bug me!)

The Rules

1. Be one of the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post. This will entitle you to a handmade item from me.

2. If you win, you must post this on your blog, which means that you commit to pay it forward, creating a handmade gift for the first 3 people who leave a comment on your post about this giveaway.

3. The gift that you send to your three friends can be from any price range, and you have 365 days to make and ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And remember, it’s the spirit and the thought that count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it. If you are not one of the first 3 to comment on this post, you can still play along. (And I encourage you to.) Post the rules on your blog, start your own pay it forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!

Also, I will need your address if you are one of the first 3 to comment. I'm super excited to see who plays along.

Edited to add: Don't be scared by the number of comments. There is actually only one "winner" at the moment. We're still waiting for lucky peoples two and three!

Recipe Friday

Chicken Enchiladas

This is a Nathan-ized version of a recipe I originally got from his sister Lenna. Nate doesn't like sour cream, and he doesn't like them to be too soupy. I like to use my food storage chicken or turkey when I make these, so that's why it says "cans" of meat. I suppose you could use a couple of chicken breasts and be just fine.

2 cans of chicken or turkey chunks, drained (I really like the stuff I've gotten from the family cannery. I say "or turkey" because Nate wasn't able to tell a difference when I used the other meat.)

1/2 c. salsa (I think I usually use more. I kind of adhere to the just dump some in method of cooking. The same goes for basically all of the other ingredients listed here.)

1 small can diced green chiles

1/4 c. diced tomatoes

1/4 c. diced olives

2 c. shredded cheese

1 tsp. chili powder

1 pkg. tortillas

1 can green enchilada sauce

Lenna's recipe also calls for 1-2 c. sour cream and a can of cream of chicken soup

Mix ingredients and spoon into tortillas. Place a small amount of enchilada sauce in bottom of 9 X 13 dish so enchiladas don't stick. Roll tortillas and place on sauce. Top with the rest of the green sauce and some shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

crawling for reals!

So it looks like Colin's getting the crawling thing down. When I took his pants off and let him play on the floor this evening he started crawling on his hands and knees. It still slow going, but he's doing it! After a while he gets frustrated and falls down on his belly to get where he wants to go. I guess I just need to give him more time pantsless so he doesn't slide around so much. Also, here's a video of him trying out pushups or something....

kiss and cry

Colin loves to look in the mirror. It's one of the few things that consistently cheers him up when he's grouchy. He'll sit and coo at himself, laugh, and occasionally try to eat himself. The last one is the part that cracks me up because it looks like he is kissing his reflection. I finally thought to get the camera out and capture it for you all.

This is a video of one of Colin's first experiences with his Christmas present from Lenna and Scott. It's easy to see how much he loves it! Thanks guys!



Okay, I should probably add that he was only scared of it that night. He cried every time I turned it on. But by the next day he was over it and now he loves to listen to the tunes! So thanks for realsies.

My First Born

Here you go moms - a different kind of survey for a change - it's all about your first born! Just copy and paste it in a new note for yourself.


1. WAS YOUR PREGNANCY PLANNED?
Yep. We waited a long time for Colin and were thrilled to finally get him.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
Yes.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
I was beyond happy and beyond terrified. Colin came after two miscarriages, so I was freaking out for approximately 9 months that something was going to go wrong with this one too.

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU?
Never.

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
23 when we found out, 24 when he was born.

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
I kind of knew. Having been there before, I knew what it felt like. I made myself wait a few days to be sure because I was a little test-happy in the past and Nate liked to tease me about it.

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
Nate, naturally.

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX?
H-yes I did! I figured I could either be surprised and excited at 20 weeks or at 40 weeks. I went with the former.

9. DUE DATE?
July 4, 2008

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
Ha. Morning sickness. I had 9 month sickness. Looking back now it's kind of hard to remember just how bad it was, but I puked my guts out for the first few months, and only occasionally after that. Oh, and that was while taking the phenegren suppositories.

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
Grapefruit, orange juice, fruit smoothies. I'm sure there were other things but I can't remember.

12.WHAT IRRITATED YOU?
Taking my medicine, vomitting, not being able to participate in the things I wanted to do, going to work, being told how pregnant I looked every day at work. I guess a lot of things.

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX?
Male

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
No. I told Nate when we were first married that I wanted 6 boys. I'm rethinking that now, but I still like boys! Nate has always wanted a little girl, but he loves his boy.

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY
40-ish. I'm okay with admitting to that, but not with admittng to how much of that remains with me today.

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
I had 2.

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
I knew about both of them.

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
If profuse vomitting is a complication, then yes. And Colin had a bit of a rough time coming out, but other than that, no.

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Mountain View Hospital, Payson, Utah. Nothing wrong with the hospital, other than that is was in Payson. :)

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
We started the pitocin at 9 am or so, and I started pushing around 10 pm. He was here about an hour after I started pushing. I was in labor for about 14 hours. I would like to sign up for a shorter one next time. Thanks to the meds I wasn't in pain, but I was bored and super tired.

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?
Nate.

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Just Nate and the team of nurses and Dr. Porter. Nate told me through the whole pregnancy that he wasn't going to be in there (he doesn't care much for blood and guts), but he ended up watching and I'm so glad he was there. I think he was too. (Except for the part when he saw the episiotomy. He said that was worse than everything else.)

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
It was vaginal, not natural. There's a difference.

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
I got the epidural. I liked not feeling any pain, but it was weird to not know when to push. Also, one of my legs was completely numb and I couldn't move it, which was weird.

25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
7 pounds 7 ounces (22 inches)

26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN?
June 29, 2008

27. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Colin Sam Silvey. Colin was the only name Nate and I agreed on. It was not on my original list, which was extensive. I was inspired with it when Nate and I were in the temple the day after finding out we were having a boy. Sam was my father's middle name, and Samuel is Nate's father's name, so while other middle names may have sounded nicer, this one meant more to me. The Silvey part seems like a no brainer.

The End! I won't tag anyone, but I would like to read about your kids if you'd like to share!

star wars

This is hilarious! I found this video online (thanks to a link from Andrea) which is the story of Star Wars as told by someone who hasn't seen it. Man I laughed hard at this. Hilarious!


Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Recipe Friday

My Recipe for Orange Julius

Put the following in a blender. Then blend.

Some orange juice concentrate

Some ice cubes

Some milk

Some vanilla

Some sugar

If you want to be extra classy, you can add any or all of the following:

Some strawberries

Some bananas

Some raspberries

Some other type of fruit that sounds good to you

colin's bringing sexy back

Yep, just check out that slammin outfit. Colin is working that printed top and sassy red pants. He is so funny to me these days. Now that he can move he is curious about everything in the house. I spend my days following him around and laughing at the things he tries to do.


I put my chair and the exersaucer in front of my desk to barricade Colin from the plugs and cords. That obviously didn't do any good because he crawled right through and got the cords anyway.


Colin tries to pull himself up on anything he can reach up and grab onto. This includes his swing, the bottom drawer on the stove, the laundry basket, the boxes in Nate's office, the buffet cabinet in my bedroom, etc. Oh, and he likes to bite all of those things too.


Here are some pictures from the Cherrios tasting day. I've offered him Cherrios a couple of times since then, and the response has been pretty much the same...except that he now chokes on them when he gets them in his mouth. So Cheerios are now a banned substance.




One chilly morning Colin crawled over to the vent in our bedroom and camped out over it enjoying the warm air. I guess Nate used to do something like this when he was a kid too.


All Colin wanted was to go in and play with his daddy.... Poor naked baby.


Oh yeah, doors are fun to pull on and bite too. My favorite part is when he scares himself by shutting it.


I don't remember why the BYU blanket is on his head, but it was, and it was awesome.


Here's one of Colin's favorite toys. He loves playing with this box. It still has one of the pillows inside, so there's enough weight in it to keep it on the ground for the most part. He pulls himself up and then kind of walks/scoots around behind it while he tries to play with it.



Look Granny and Papa! Colin loves his BumbleLion. It might not look like it so much in this picture, but he does like to play with it now. I think he was chewing on the wings in the back here.


I have nothing to say about this picture. That face speaks for itself.


Adorable Colin wearing Adorable Uncle Grant's hat. Our family got together and had dinner Tuesday night because my cousin Elizabeth was here waiting patiently to be dropped off at the MTC. We had good times playing games and listening to Grant give Elizabeth advice about the Philippines.


I skipped work on Wednesday because I didn't have a ride or a real babysitter or much to do at work that day. Also, I didn't feel like going. When I cleaned the floor I decided to move the furniture and the rug so I could really make things clean. Colin liked having all the empty space to play in and the vacuum hose to play with.



Colin's fauxhawk has reappeared! His hair on top is getting long enough to "style" again.


I guess toys are a lot more fun to play with when you're laying inside the exersaucer. He loves this. He'll crawl through, turn around, and crawl back. Then he'll go half way and play with something. Then he'll toss a toy inside, crawl in after it, and bang away.