Another Newborn Shoot....

Today I was able to take some pictures of this little angel. Just under two weeks old...and only one pee accident and poop free. A success to be sure. I love doing newborns!

My little cherub

I am so in love. I really should be on the treadmill as I just put this little one down but I just had to post about him. Seriously, he is the most darling little cherub. Lately his new thing is to turn away from you, wait for you to say his name, then throw back his head and laugh like crazy. It is so priceless. This child is an angel during the day, and the devil at night.. but that is a whole new post and may have something to do with four incisors coming down at once.

photo editing

WOOOEEEYYY... the photo editing business is a lot harder than I thought. I am getting a lot better at shooting good shots straight out the camera but I have a lot to learn about photoshop. But I love it. It is now midnight and I promised myself I had to get to bed by then. This is what I worked on tonight. One I like to call "Cheese ball but you can't help but love a Christmas baby in a big Red Bow" and "Womb shot" (because there was a shot that looked similar to this is my 10 grade bio class of a highly specialized photo of a baby in a womb.

Mid-life Crisis

So last night a friend of mine implied that she has had enough of seeing Coco in her panties. So here goes a new post. Life for me has been strange lately. I think I am going through an early mid-life crisis. Can anyone relate? I am starting to recognize my own mortality and am feeling like I have so little time left. I know I sound morbid. I think I feel this way when I make my list of goals for the day and it has the following items...

Clean David's room
Clean up playroom, get rid of old toys (possibly organize a neighborhood toy exchange)?
Do 4 loads of laundry
Only let my kids watch 1 hour of TV
Exercise
Make dinner, clean up main living area.
Scrub kitchen floor
Remember to apply Coco's medicine
Get Danny new Running Shoes - get them sent off.

That is truly what is on my list.


This is what I thought my list would like like when I was young

Pay the maid
8:00 a.m. appt. with Personal Trainer
Meet with publicist, stylist
Shop for gift for Dinner party
2:30 MET rehearsal
5:45 Audition for The Magic Flute
8:00 Dinner party with So and So

Right now, I'm not sure if I wouldn't trade one for the other.
I know...terrible.

The Potty...

2 pair of panties

The famous head cock

My darling little Sister


Doing the potty dance

Is it fair to say that potty training is in the top five hardest things about Motherhood?

Before Coco, I would have said that. In fact, I was so worried about potty training her, after my experience with David and taking into account her personality, that I never suggested, hinted or even seriously thought about starting.
Then of course one day about a month ago, she decided to use the toilet herself. And amazingly there are no potty treats involved, just a rousing potty dance and song- which she loves to do. Although I rarely let her go around without a pull-up on- just in case- when she does get to wear panties she insist on putting them on herself and of course, 2 pair are better than one.

Sometimes I can't deal with how much I love this little girl. Although the other day, after finishing storytime, I said, as I often do, "Coco, when you grow up, do you promise that we can be best friends?" TO my chagrin this time she said, "No, Mama, Coco be best friends with Aunt Jenny. Now Coco call Aunt Jenny on the phone."

And with that she waddled off to retrieve the cordless. For those of you don't know her, my sister Jenny is a prettier, sweeter, smaller, and gentler version of me. Can't really blame the little tease.

Coco is a little girl after Jenny's own heart. They both shamelessly flirted with the male gender by 18 months of age, cock their heads to one side in all photographs, and sweetly laugh their way out of any trouble they may find themselves in.

Maybe Coco was meant to be her daughter. I'm sure glad she's not. I don't know if I would survive without her.

Lauren...my African Princess

For those of you who think that only black people live in Africa...here's proof thais not the case. This is my bosom friend (reference to Anne of Green Gables)Lauren. We met when we were visiting teaching partners in the One and Only 8th Ward. Actually no, I take that back. We met (is you can call getting bossed around as meeting) when I was teaching at the MTC and she was the Bossy Wossy at the Telecenter. Now some of you may not believe this, but I was afraid of her. Yes all 5' 10 One hundred and - no silly I'm not going to reveal my MTC weight right here. Except to say that it was a lot closer to 200 than 100. Oh those were the days- when I put on a l pound a day.
But I digress, this is about Lauren, not an expose on my body weight through the years.

Anyway, after a couple of short years, Lauren had to go back to South Africa, for her student Visa had run out. Last year she came to visit me and my little family and as you can see she and Coco took a special liking to one another. I mean how could you not like Coco and furthermore you can't help but loving Lauren either. So when 2 people like that meet, even though they are years apart in age...they take to each other.

Lauren trains and teaches Doctors and Nurses in South Africa how to Run Free Medical and Educational clinics for people with HIV Aids, malaria and all manner of death causing illnesses and also how to prevent contracting these illnesses. Pretty cool huh. She is pretty much taking part in changing the world. Oh, yes. SHe also is Stake Young Women's president and spends pretty much all her free time travelin around one of the largest areas in all the church keeping everyone in the Johannesburg Stake in line. So in future, I'll just call her Wonder Woman.

Also Lauren is single, (the pickins are pretty slim in South Africa) so if you know anyone who is into very very long distance relationships... let me know.

We Miss you, We love you Lauren!

The Costume

Ok folks, here it is. Even I have to admit it was pretty awesome. My husband starts thinking about his Halloween costume sometime in mid-September and this year was no different. I think once in our marriage I put on a cowboy hat and cowboy boots to go to a mandatory costume party... I think he wishes I got into it as much as he does. But I think he should just be grateful that I do so much to help him.

This year, my talent for thrift shopping, came in handy when I had to find a pair of dark overalls that would fit a 6'6 man. I found the elusive article of clothing in the 11 hour...at yes my favorite store, Savers. I think they should pay me to advertise. Then again they would probably say that I need to have more than 12 readers for it to be worth their while.

I also woke up at the crack of dawn - before James goes to work and skillfully shaved the MR. T. hairstyle into that white head of his. Then filled it in with $1 black make-up. Yes, I did inquire as to why, if we were going this far, we were not going to also paint his face brown.. I was informed he was the white MR. T.

In a different vein, I went to a shower/get together for my dear friend. Remember the one who is going to have 7 children in 6 years? One set of triplets and now a set of twins? It was so fun to see old friends. I am amazed at what great women they have become. In high school aren't we just a big blob of teeny boppers trying to fit in, to be liked, not really knowing who we are. All these women have come into their own, with incredible talents and gifts, lovely personalities and strong minds.

Here's a shout out to LJ (righteouslou.blogspot.com) who was absolutely appalled at the number of us who voted McCain. Congratulations my dear...and more importantly, thank you in advance for taking care of my kids next week so I can attend the devotional. That, in my opinion is the surest sign of a true friend, a woman who is willing to babysit all three of yours while having 2 of her own.

That reminds me, my father, C Terry Warner, is giving what will probably be his final devotional address at Brigham YOung University this coming Tuesday Nov 11 at 11 am. So if you have BYU TV or KBYU, tune in. Then there will be a reception honoring his retirement at the bottom of the Education in Zion exhibit at the new Joseph Smith Building on BYU campus. Anyone who would like to come and see this most amazing exhibit that he has spent the last 8 years putting together is welcome.

Family Photos

WE have never had a good family photo shoot. Or should I say we have never had a family photo shoot outside of the hideous creations made by Target last year while I was pregnant (Which ='s ugliness) with Gabe. So we decided to have them done. Mostly because a friend of mine from my photography class wanted to beef up her professional portfoilo and offered me a cant beat it price.... So here are a few. If you live in the north of Salt Lake area- actually anywhere along the wasatch front, and you like these, I can put you in touch with her. Actually- her name is Melissa Seamons at beelissa365.blogspot.com. Enjoy. Can you stand those blue and blown eyes of David and Gabe's?

Naps and Savers

Is is possible my barely two year old is giving up her nap or was she just so excited about going trick or treating, she couldn't go to sleep. I rarely go down even if she is screaming (not crying people). But I kept trying to explain to her that she needed to take a nap if she wanted to go Trick of Treating and she kept saying, "Yes Mama, Coco go trick or treating."

For those of you don't know Coco personally, she always refers to herself in the third person. "Coco coming Mama?" "Coco have a treat Mama?" "Coco go poopoo on the toilet!" etc...etc... I hope she never grows out of it. We'll not never but not for a long time, at least until I can get a lot of it on video.

So... I just wanted to publicly declare my love for Savers. I went there last night to look for overalls for James (his much anticipated and worked on Mr. T. costume.. one of these days in an argument about the state of the garage or our closet I will probaly bring that up, "I sure wish you put as mucch effort into keeping you workbench in order that you did on your last Halloween costume..." Not that I wouldn't be at Savers anyway, I certainly don't need hunting for a Halloween costume for an excuse (unlike my neighbors who were there who made sure they told me that was why they were there- while I was proudly shopping the women's jeans section. Which by the way was a huge success. I got two awesome pairs for $11. For someone who changes sizes as much as me, Savers is the place to shop. But for come reason, Bottoms, meaning jeans, pants skirts and really the only thing I can find there. It is definitely a rarity to find a really great top. But I have found so many awesome skirts - and I think that makes up for it. And FYI my friends- Nov 11- everything at Savers is 50% off. It doesn't get better than that.

Gabe....

Ok OK people... I mean the 6 people who check my blog. Here's the latest in my life. I have been exercising a lot- some of you are thinking if you have the time to workout, why don't you update your blog, actually I have been asked that.. well working out only requires will power people, posting a worthwhile blog that takes brainpower. SOmething I'm running a bit low on these days. In the background, James just asked while fulfilling my request to clean up the kitchen, "When do you think our kids will be old enough to do the dishes?" They're 4, 2 and 7 months. When do you think kids are old enough to do the dishes? And for your enjoyment, here's the cutest 7 month old living.

More pics from Cali Trip

If you ever think your husband doesn't read your blog, or really doen't care about what you say on your blog, you will think again when you are lying in bed and he says, so that all you are going to write about our Cali trip on your blog, and um.. those pictures of David you put on are pretty much the same....Classic...

Week At the Beach

We've been gone to California for ten days. It was great but we're glad to be home! We had so much fun with our Elton Cousins. We're sad we don't live closer to everyone.