Best Valentine's Day EVER

Valentine's Day has always been a day of fun (good and bad) memories for our family. Way back when Nate and I were dating the "Happy Valentine's Day" inside joke began. This year I thought it was going to top that year with how it started (too personal to blog about). I will just say those gorgeous bouquet of flowers started out as the biggest "SORRY" flowers I had ever received. I started my day busy and it ended busy. First we started the morning with some presents to the kids from us both. Then I helped with Jackson's Valentine's Day party in his class then lunch at Cafe Rio with Grandma Kay while she was in town watching Jared's kids. I wasn't in the "love" mood to stop at Nate's office but I couldn't let the kids down. They were so excited to give him their present I helped them make with their hand prints on it. Then we stopped at Nana's school real quick and then made it home for a quick power nap. After that we were back on the road to take the kids to Nana's house while Nate and I went out on a date. Weeks before this I had saw an ad about Matt Townsend's Valentine's Date Night with Hilary Weeks. I thought it would be something fun and different to do together but after the way our day had started we weren't on the best terms getting there but we had already paid for tickets so we figured we shouldn't let them go to waste. I will be the first to say that was the best $50 we have ever spent. Not only was it a fun night together but it will be the night that changed everything (for the better) for us and our relationship. And to top of the already incredible night I got to meet Hilary Weeks.. one of those people I have wanted to meet for a long time! At the end of the day Valentine's Day was just another day (besides all the "extras") but it was such a good day to help me remember how much I love those around me and how much they love me.

Thirty-One and Counting

We love birthdays around here!! and it just wouldn't be the same to celebrate Nate's 31st birthday without some cake and presents all weekend long just like the kiddos. Nate's birthday landed on a Saturday this year so we started celebrating Friday night. Nana watched the kids while we went to dinner at Tepanyaki... our favorite. With us making it to dinner so late, there wasn't much to do afterwards so we just went back home. Saturday, his actual birthday, was quite busy but we still made time to celebrate. I can't remember everything we had to do that morning but I know Nate had to coach Jackson's basketball game. After the game it was still kind of early for dinner so we went back home to open presents. Nate got spoiled this year and he deserved it! With Christmas and Birthday always being so close his birthday usually gets cut short, but not this year. He got some new shoes and clothes and finally his own set of snow clothes... snow pants, gloves, coat! (not to mention everything else he got from our parents) Then we went out to dinner followed by some Rothe style "crack" cake per Nate's request (its a cookie dough, chocolate pudding, whip cream layered cake...SO GOOD!) Next day we celebrated at Nana's for our Sunday dinner. Can't believe I met Nate ten years ago, just fresh off his mission. Can't wait to share many more birthdays with you Nate. Our family loves you... always and forever!

Toothfairy Visits Jacks... finally!

This was a big day at the Rothe home... Jackson finally lost his first tooth! I remember one night after he had gotten out of the shower and I was helping him brush his teeth I asked him, "when are you going to lose your first tooth? Let me see if any are wiggly". Sure enough he had a tooth that was starting to get loose. I totally had a mommy moment and was so excited for him. It wiggled and wiggled for a couple weeks and we even had to make sure it stayed in one night while Nate was out of town so Daddy could be apart of it. The night Nate got home Jacks bit down on it while eating a Subway sandwich and pushed it forward completely. Jackson couldn't stand it anymore and it was hanging by a thread so I grab some tweezers and it was OUT without a tear shed on his part! So proud of him for being so brave. I work with teeth all the time and hate doing that to other kids, but for some reason it was second nature to do it for Jacks... and I kind of enjoyed it! Jackson was beyond excited and he willing went to bed, no questions asked! The only thing he was concerned with was that the Toothfairy was going to take his tooth and he wanted to keep it. So before he went to bed he left this cute note with his tooth under his pillow. The Toothfairy listened and he woke up with his tooth and $2. A couple days later Jackson got this adorable card in the mail from his Aunt Lynne and another $2 to celebrate with. Definitely another reality check that my baby is growing up... how can one be so happy yet sad at the same time! Just like this card reads on the inside..."and to tell you the truth, you look cute without your tooth!"

Swimming in January!

The boys LOVE having the Herriman Rec Center so close and have been begging to go swimming for weeks. Finally, with Alison's planning, we made it to the pool with some of our buddies. The boys were loving the water and playing somewhere else besides inside someones house because of all the snow and cold weather we've had lately. Maelyn loves the bath tub, but I wasn't sure how she would take the colder water in the pool. I didn't put her in all the way but she was loving having her feet in at least. Even all the splashes she was getting from her brothers weren't phasing her. Lets hope this summer we can spend many more days at the pool with these kiddos!

Maelyn {4 Months}

The 4 month visit is just as dreadful as the 2 week PKU testing I think. This check up Maelyn got a few more shots. I think she knew what was coming because I laid her on the doctor table and she instantly gave me this cute frowny face. She weighed in at 10.8 lbs (2%... crazy!!) and 24 1/2 inches long (58%). Her brothers were this weight at their 2 week check ups! The last two months Maelyn has made some personal achievements. She started realizing she could move her body around. I had her playing on the family room floor one night while I was cooking dinner and would go back and forth to check on her. Every time I checked on her she was in a different position. She figured out how to spin her body around in 360's and hasn't stopped since. As time went on I was noticing she wasn't holding her head up properly or developing the strength in her neck and core like other babies  her age were. I asked our doctor about it and he didn't seem too concerned, but I decided to get our chiropractors opinion as well. His professional opinion was she is just little and lazy. He was thinking the signals from her body weren't getting to her brain and suggested we do a couple adjustments on her. Sure enough after just the first (out of 3) adjustment she was already able to hold her head up, finally started pulling her legs up and holding some of her weight in her core.  One of my favorite pictures so far of her was the day I was painting her toe nails. I love that she lifted up her legs in excitement and gave me the cheesiest grin! I am loving having a little girl to doll up and accessorize, lets just hope she lets me continue to do it as she gets older. These past weeks we also started her in her bouncer chair and rice cereal. The bouncer was a whole new world of entertainment. She is still tiny in her seat and her arms drop down in her chair sometimes but it keeps her busy and having fun long enough for me to get something done around the house. Surprisingly she LOVES her cereal and starts shaking her arms in excitement as she anticipates me making it for her. It only took her two times to figure out the spoon and now we can't feed it to her fast enough. We love her little personality coming out and I love how chill she is. She is always so calm and just along for the ride where ever we are going. I keep thinking its going to change one of this days and were going to get a little sass out of her but until then we will  keep on loving our little princess!

Maelyn {2 Months}

Our family is in LOVE with this little peanut! This month we had her 2 month check up with Dr. Boud. Maelyn weighed in at 8lbs and 13 ounces and measured 22 inches long. Almost caught up to her brothers birth weight! So crazy to have such a small little baby, but I am not going to complain. We have loved the extended newborn time we have gotten because she is so small. She is finally getting enough weight though to fit into some of her clothes and it has been so fun dressing her up, especially in little dresses. Two of my favorite things happened when she was about 6 weeks old. We started getting the biggest gummy smiles on command and she started sleeping through the night. It wasn't just a good 6-8 hours, but the full 10-12 hours every night. I kept worrying if she was breathing every night because I have never had a child sleep so well, but she is a girl after my own heart. She LOVES her sleep! She also is loving her brothers but I think they are loving her more. I am always catching Jackson and Andersen giving her hugs and kisses while I am not looking

Jesus wants another SUNBEAM!

                                                                                                                                                                                      We spent the first Sunday in 2013 sending this little goof ball to Primary. For Christmas we gave him his own set of scriptures just like his big brother Jacks did before he went to Primary for the first time. As you can see Andersen was SO excited to go and to have his own set of scriptures for himself. The first Sunday he went no problem, now a month or two into he started to get nervous and shy and wouldn't go to class without Nate there with him. Unfortunately (thank goodness!) Nate can't stay with him, because a time or two of him having a hard time going he now officially loves being Sunbeam. He is the only one in our family that doesn't enjoy changing out of his church clothes and will stay in them until he changes into his PJ's for the night. I love watching him carry his scriptures like big boy and can't wait until his first Primary program this fall. I just hope this love for the Gospel and learning of Jesus Christ touches his heart and stays a constant desire throughout his life

Just me and the kids {New Years Eve Style}

Usually we have some sort of fun plans scheduled for New Years Eve but this year we kept things low key. Little did we know it would be even more low key than we planned. With it being the last day of the year for Nate's work, him so close to hitting his quota and a deal on the edge of signing he stayed late to make sure things went through. The boys requested Red Robin for dinner so we had planned as soon as Nate was done we would meet him over there right after work. As each hour went on, our plans of being together as a family were dwindling and I was starting to have some really hungry and disappointed kiddos. It was probably 7:00 that I had decided rather than scratch all the boys plans I would take one for the team and take all 3 kids to dinner... by MYSELF! I was a little nervous to go plus it is kind of awkward seeing a mom with 3 little kids out to dinner, but the boys were beyond happy that we still went out. Surprisingly they were super obedient and on their best behavior. The only problem we had was Andersen spilling his drink not once, but TWICE! After dinner, Daddy was STILL at work so to continue the "mom to the rescue" moments so their night of fun wasn't ruined I stopped to get them a redbox. We came back home, blew up the air mattress, had popcorn with our movie and had a sleepover in the family room. The boys were so happy that it made the night without Daddy just a little bit easier. Maelyn was our first party pooper and fell asleep long before midnight. The boys didn't stay up until midnight but they did last a little bit longer than their sister. Sometimes a last minute change in plans turns out to be the best plans, just like this night, but the only thing we were missing was our Daddy. Hopefully next year!!

Maelyn's Ears Pierced... TWICE

When I was younger my parents pierced my ears when I was only 3 months old. It was a spontaneous decision they made one day walking through the mall. I have always been so glad they pierced my ears when I was young so I knew if I ever had a girl I would do the same. So this was a day I have dreamed about long before I even knew I was having a baby girl and long before I was even pregnant for that matter! With Maelyn being old enough right around Christmas time I decided to have my parents get her ears pierced for her Christmas present carry on the tradition. I spent weeks before this day searching every store I could find for the perfect pair of piercing earrings while my dad searched everywhere around him and even online. I eventually decided we would take her to the piercing pagoda in South Town Mall. It was a snowy Christmas Eve and we met at the mall so we all could be apart of it. I was one big emotional mess!! I would cry just talking about it so there was no way I could hold back the tears during the actual piercing. It was the regular process of cleaning and dotting her ears to make sure they pierce in the right place. The whole time Maelyn was smiling like crazy. The lady couldn't believe she was so happy. She said most babies are crying even during this part. Then piercing time came... thank goodness Nate met us there too so he could be the one to hold her. It felt like it took forever, but it was just a matter of seconds and a few tears and whimpers from Maelyn and she was back to her happy little self... WITH EARRINGS! Oh she looked beautiful.

It was only a matter of a couple days of cleaning her ears and earrings that I accepted the fact that her left ear was pierced wrong. Rather than the earring going through the lobe, it was going through the hard cartilage in the back. I called the store to ask their opinion and even took her in so they could see it as well and they agreed I should take out her earring and let the hole grow back in. A week of her wearing only one earring,  her ear lobe was ready for round two but they were sold out of the earring I needed! We had to wait an extra week for her earring. I finally got a phone call one Thursday afternoon that it had came in. We had a busy weekend coming up that I decided to take her that night while Nate stayed home with the boys so we could just get it taken care of. Luckily my neighbor Alison was willing to be my emotional support because I was anticipating it to be the same as the first time... thank goodness it wasn't and I knew what to expect. The hardest part was making sure we got it right this time. We cleaned, dotted the lobe and then it was pierced... again! She cried for a bit again and then was back to normal and we officially had two pierced ears. I think I have starred and analyzed her earring holes way more than anyone should ever do and I can tell they are slightly off, but everyone I ask never sees what I am seeing until I tell them. Weeks later I have accepted where her piercings are at and just hope they stay looking good as she grows up. I am loving her ears pierced and I am so happy we did it. Way to go Sis... You were so brave!