Latest

I seem to only post stats on Colten lately. I am usually on my iPad and not on my computer to add photos and get more detailed! We have had a fun summer so far! We have played with friends, been swimming, done a cake decorating class, visited Nana and Papa, experimented in the kitchen, sent off 2 missionaries, eaten lots of good food, watched movies, played games, gone bowling a bunch, went to the drive in movies, slept in....library.... Hmmm.. I think that's most of what we have done.......? All Re doing well. Chandler is about 2 inches taller than me now and most definitely perfected the art of being a ornery teenager..Addie's feet are the same size as mine, she is learning all kinds of new songs on the piano just for fun...Brinley is working hard on reading and perfecting her flips on the tramp....Colten is rolling everywhere! He is 16 lbs and 26 and a half inches tall! He got his first shot yesterday because I am paranoid and like to take it slow with my kiddos being so small and early and a winter baby! He has almost mastered sitting up. Most recently he likes to " talk" and I pat his mouth to make Indian sounds. Sorry for not being pc.....not sure how else to describe it. Oh yes, he is eating a few foods too...squash, prunes, rice cereal, oatmeal and puffs! Derek is having knee surgery in a week.....old man! Hopefully he can bounce back quickly since he has scout camp the end of July....should make things interesting. I guess it's my turn to wait on him for a change....after the past year of taking care of me!

Updates

Well, Colten of course is growing like crazy! At 4 months he is 13 pounds 9 ounces and 24 1/2 inches tall! He started rolling over on April 25th. I had my blood pressure meds cut in half again, so hopefully in another week or two I will be off of them! On another note, Derek and I celebrated 15 year anniversary this week! Woohoo! Here is to 15 more! Love ya, Derek!

more firsts

Guess who started laughing this week? On April 2nd, Colten did his first little laugh! Oh so cute! On another note, he screamed all the way home from Target today. He made himself turn purple according to Addie and Brinley who were crying in the back with him. Unfortunately there was a wreck on the freeway and it took 15 minutes to get to the next exit before we could get off and zig zag our way on the back roads home, by that time he had screamed himself to sleep. So, our usual ten minute drive home ended up being about 30... His paniced sister's were sure glad when we got home! And so was I.....although it didn't phase Chandler much... He was too busy texting all his "girl friends"....hmmmm:-O

firsts

This morning while we were getting the kids ready for school, Colten smiled for the first time for Addie and Daddy! What a sweetheart!

Not Fair!

Look at that face! I could just eat him up! What a sweetie! This is Colten most of the time...unless it's dinner time and then he's fussy, fussy, fussy!

Not happy! I love the crying pictures! He looks so darn cute!

This is cousin Emma and Colten. Emma is Kenny and Andrea's cute baby who is only 3 weeks older than him! He's catching up!!

My sweet little man!

Here's Colten on Valentines Day!

It's Brinley and Colten at Daniel's Baptism.
Isn't he cute in his little church clothes?

It's not fair how fast our kids grow and how stinkin' long it takes to get them here! My little Colten is 2 months old today! We had his well baby check and he weighed in at 10 pounds 9 ounces and just a hair under 22 inches! He's more than doubled his birth weight! He is starting to smile, and coo and is just so much fun! We waited an awfully long time for him to join our family and he's growing like a weed! We love you little guy! Slow down so we can enjoy you even more! XOXO Mom

Already?

Today was Colten's one month check-up. I can't hardly believe he is a month old already! Last Friday was his due date and Sunday he was a month old. My how time flies! He now weighs 7 lbs 12 oz and is 20 1\2 inches tall! He has grown 2 1/2 inches and has gained 2 lbs 10 oz since he was born.

I had a Dr appt last week and my blood pressure has gone down by 10 percent. My Dr cut my meds in half and hopefully in the next month I will be off of my blood pressure medication. It is now 133 over 88. Sooooo much better than it was! I am feeling better each day, my family is enjoying that I am making dinner,starting to clean and can participate in our family again. Derek deserves the husband and father of the year award. He has endured a lot! Our little man was worth it, but it wasn't easy!;-)

Colten is very sweet content little baby. He however, is sooooo noisy! He grunts all of the time! Kenny (my brother) has started calling him goat boy because that is what he sounds like. He is very loved by all of his siblings. Once they get home from school Derek and I have to fight to get a turn holding him. Lucky for me, I am his only food source.:-) It will be fun to see how long Colten will allow them to smother him.

It has been fun starting over, I feel blessed to have 4 wonderful children. I wish I could just stop time and enjoy them all before they grow up even bigger than they already are.

I think I'll keep 'em! (all of 'em:)

finally!

Colten Derek Russell arrived December 29, 2011 at 2:07 P.M. 2 days short of one month early. He weighed in at a whopping 5 pounds 2 ounces and 18 inches long. He is healthy and doing well. We came home on January 2,2012. Its been quite an ordeal for me with my high blood pressure and all, but well worth it for him! I will blog more about it later. Just wanted to let you know that he's here! Thank goodness I am not pregnant anymore!

Pretty Please!

Dear Baby,

Get out of my belly!

Love, Mom:-)

12 year old Humor....

As my pregnancy is winding down, (not soon enough I might add), I have the pregnant waddle down pact, I am not quick on my feet, I have raging heart burn at any given moment, nausea and vomiting at the drop of a hat, elephantitis of my feet and legs (and several other areas I might add), and have now developed in the past few weeks pregnancy induced carpal tunnel in both of my hands, if that isn't enough, I now have Chandler calling me names....

Last week we were grocery shopping at my most favorite place...Wal-Mart! (jk) Anyhow I stopped to look at something and Derek ditched me. Nothing new.... But he was so far ahead of me I knew I would never catch up. Lucky for me I had Chandler walking with me, so he so nicely sent Derek a text. Here is what it said..... "Dad, hold up for the Wide Load!"

Lucky for him, I have a good sense of humor.....that darn boy!;-)

We're having a boy!

The kids came prepared with signs to let everybody know what we're having... There was a "boy" sign, a "girl" sign, and on the back of one of them there was a "puppy" sign... just in case. Addie's idea.

Russellsprout #4!

Exciting news to report here at the Russell house! We are pregnant again! This little one is due to arrive in January sometime! Since I always come early, I'm thinking the 1st week in January sometime! We are all super excited especially the kids! They have been trying very hard to keep it a secret for as long as possible. I think the wait is over! Now hopefully I'll stop throwing up and get to feeling back to my old self soon!

Look What I Can Do!

Brinley insisted on having the training wheels taken off her little bike... so we let her have her way (no surprise there) and she took right off! There's the proof!

Mario

My kids thought they were so funny one evening as we were out and about. I obviously need to clean my car out more often! They found these pipe cleaners and made what they called "Mario mustaches." They chanted for most of the ride....Mario, Mario, Mario. Where do they come up with these things?

Beans

Another funny conversation with Brinley.

Me, being the lazy mom I am decided to get Taco Bell for dinner a few weeks ago. (In my defense there isn't much to choose from here in Johnstown it's either Taco Bell or McDonalds since they are the ones with drive thrus!)

Me: Brinley, what do you want to eat at Taco Bell?
Brinley: I think I want some beans.
Me: Ok, I'll get you the pintos and cheese
Brinley: I don't want pintos and cheese.
Me: Brinley pintos and cheese are beans, and you like beans.
Brinley: No I don't
Me: Yes you do, they are the beans that you like. They are called pintos and cheese here.
Brinley: Mom, are they sharp?

Get it? Pin-tos? Made me laugh right there in the drive thru! Too funny!

Another year bites the dust!

I can't believe we are once again done with another school year! This whole year has been so bittersweet for me with Chandler finishing elementary school and this being Brinley's last year home with me! I cried a lot this morning when I watched Chandler getting on the bus for his last time heading to Pioneer Ridge! He's on to bigger and better stuff and he is very excited about it.

I AM excited for summer! I have signed Chandler and Addie up again for swim team. That kept is very busy last summer. We also had a lot of fun doing it! I am hoping to get Addie into a pottery class camp for a week and Chandler in a babysitting class. It just all depends on those darn finances! I am sure we will have many, many lemonade stands and lots of time out at our pool. I love the lazy days of summer and I'm looking forward to it. Now if we could just see the sun? It's been raining for a week now and it doesn't look like it's planning on stopping anytime soon!

Then and Now

2011
This is the MAN driving home from Nana and Papa's this spring. Don't you love the blue teeth?


Doesn't he look like he just woke up? He's getting out all of his trains to build a new track.



This is his science fair project, thank goodness that is done!!

2005

This is on his first day of kindergarten.



His first year of soccer

I think this the morning of his 6th birthday. I loved that toothless smile he had for so long!
And his first lost tooth thanks to the dentist who had to pull it! I see this little face and just want to grab him and kiss him!!!

His first father's and son's campout.

His 1st soccer game and yes he loved to play defense way back then. I think it runs in the genes!

I've been feeling so emotional with my Chandler finishing elementary school and my sweet Brinley starting. When Chandler started kindergarten I was just barely pregnant with Brinley. I was very, very sick with her. I remember being so emtional when he started school. I also remember crying every Monday when he had to go back to school. I missed my little guy! Now he teases me constantly! He is such an amazing little man who is right even with me in the height department and isn't afraid to give me grief about it! Too bad Chandler, EVERYONE is taller than me! I am excited for this new journey that middle school brings and sad too! I just can't believe how quickly times flies! Love ya Chan-man, Chief, Bubba Jones and of course Georgie!!

Hi Peoples:) The End of my Last Year at Pioneer Ridge Elementary School

Brinley is always asking when she is going to get glasses. Mom found these for her and she has loved them!

If you look between the two boys in front it's me! Addie and I participated in an after school choir. It was called Gotta be Jazz. I had a lot of fun with it!

Here's Addie she's right in the middle.

Here is Brinley wrestling me. She gets me laughing so hard that she pins me!

I'm not used to typing on my mom's blog (by the way it's me, Chandler). I've been up to a lot of stuff lately. All my tests are done except a math and shurly english test. Other than that, I'm done. I've also been driving my parents nuts. I keep bothering them about what I want for my birthday. It's quite funny. There always saying, "I don't need to know!" but I tell them anyways. After I tell them, they always say, "I bet you're going to change your mind tomorrow!" but I never do. I usually add on something or two somethings and a tell them again. It's hilarious. I also did a play last yesterday. It was on the American Revolution. It was very fun. I'm so excited for 6th grade, too. The middle school is getting a new pricipal because the old one, Mr. Long, is moving to the high school. The new principal's name is, Mr. Ruby, and he seems very nice. On Easter, the Easter Bunny brought presents for everybody (except mom and dad). Addie got silly bands, gomu, and a bunny care game. Brinley got a princess game set. I got lego Harry Potter- Years 1-4, and a lego City Police- Canine Unit. Well that is what is happening right now.

Funny Things

I know it's been forever since I posted, but here are two different funny things Brinley said to me last week that I don't want to forget.

Last week I was driving carpool for something and it was just Brinley and I on our way to pick up kids and she said to me, "Mom, which dude am I going to marry?" I replied I don't know. She then said " I think it might be Noah." (Noah is our neighbor he's in the pirate post pictures)

Then on Saturday we had a couple of neighbor kids over and the boys were in Chandler's room and the girls were in Addie's room. I looked in Brinley's room and she was sitting on her bed with a very sad face listening to Michael Jackson all alone. I asked her why she wasn't playing with the kids and she burst into tears and said "I wish I was a teenager!"

Turkey or MMMMmmmm Ham

Here is a Turkey story Chandler had to write for school. November 2010

Ham, ham, ham, humans love ham. Ham is delicious. Aww fine, I'm a turkey who HATES ham, but people LOVE ham. Oh, you think I'm tasty, well, I'M NOT! I'm absolutely disgusting. You would NOT want to eat me. You know Wilbur, from Charlottes' Web? Well, he was meant to be Thanksgiving dinner!

Ham is delicious, Ham is delicious, turkey is disgusting, but ham is delicious. Sorry, I felt like singing. Ham is good with stufing and potatoes, so is beef. They taste better than me. Most of the turkey meat comes from my BEHIND!! Look at that delicious slab of ham. Now look at that disgusting, salty, and runny turkey. Disgusting aren't I right? Surely you would like ham for Thanksgiving or you'll soon be in the emergency room.





Too late for us! We had turkey...although I do LOVE ham! Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!