Bugs

Aimee has really gotten into bugs this summer. While several of the other little neighbor girls shy away, Aimee jumps right in. We have lots of older neighbor boys who are semi-pros in the field of bug capture and keeping (torture). When her manual dexterity fails her and she can't pick them up she just tries to step on them. Porter has also caught onto this and does his best to coordinate his eyes and feet. It usually takes him 3 or 4 steps before he hits his target. Luckily for them, Aimee's latest catch it was slow and big. We found a big fuzzy caterpillar on our front door when we came home from music class one morning. We went inside and found an apple sauce bottle I had washed out a few weeks prior for bug collecting and gave the poor thing a new home. Thanks to the help of the neighborhood boys it has a lovely "habitat" complete with a stick, several leaves, dirt, and some "friends" which include ants and rollie pollies. Pretty much any animal or insect unfortunate enough to get caught in this neighborhood has a death sentence. I must admit I think that entertaining kiddos is just part of them filling the measure of their creation. Plus, I think it is pretty cute. Aimee had a nap with the caterpillar, took it to Wal-Mart, and had dinner with her new fuzzy friend. Until we are in a situation where we can have a puppy, I think these kind of pets are just gonna have to do. Sadly, the next morning the caterpillar had gone into a cocoon. It isn't nearly as fun to watch now, but Aimee is pretty excited to have it turn into a butterfly/moth.
I have a few videos of Chad helping the kids "play" with a cicada and making it chirp, but I can't find the cord to my camera to load them so I will have to post them later.

Horton

By now most people know that little number three is on the way, so I thought I would give a little background info. We found out about this one a little differently than Aimee and Porter. It makes sense now, but at the time it really didn't cross my mind. When I got so sick in July with oral herpes, I went to the doctor to get a prescription for a mouth numbing rinse to help me eat. While I was there he wanted to prescribe some narcotics for the pain and asked me if I was pregnant. I told him that I didn't think so, but he thought it best to be sure. Five minutes later I learned that I had not in fact miscarried as I had thought. However at my first doctors appointment a month later I was wondering once again and so was Dr. Martin due to more than normal blood loss. He ordered an ultrasound to check things out and we learned that all was well. About this time Chad and I thought we could let Aimee in on the secret. We told her all about the baby in my tummy that was growing so that when it got big she could have a new brother or sister. Because there are so many births around these parts the whole thing sunk in pretty well. She thought it was great. We asked her what we should name the baby and due to recently watching Horton Hears a Who we now refer to it as baby Horton. Dad Williams is concerned about this little nickname, but I'm sure Aimee will learn to call it what ever we choose in the end. I am currently 16 weeks, and my pants that got too big when I couldn't eat now fit again. Horton's official due date is March 7 and we are pretty excited around here!

itter man

My friend Andrea graciously took a few pictures of Porter when he turned one. Oddly enough it has been several months since then and I failed to post my little guy. He is now almost 15 months old, and a lot has changed since then. He has really grown into his personality. Chad and I figured the poor kid was sick nearly from birth until just before he turned one, and it has been awesome to see him change. While he and Aimee are most of the time "the best of friends" they are very different. Aimee is very independent and outgoing. Porter is a momma' s boy. Don't get me wrong, he is definitely all boy. He loves bugs and dirt, cars, trains, and airplanes, and he has a thing for sitting in anything that is wet. Going outside to play after it has rained always means extra laundry with him. However, most of the time Porter is still happy to sit on my lap in church if I give him something to look at or eat. Aimee felt, and still feels, that is an infringement of her freedom. Porter is comparatively cautious. If a hill or slope is steeper than he feels comfortable with, he either wines for help, or scoots on his bum. If he is running and starts to loose his balance he slows down and regroups. He is happy to be a part of the action, but doesn't need, and often doesn't like to be the center of attention like his big sis. Porter is also a very quick learner. Aimee got her fingers flipped seemingly dozens of times before she was convinced that she really had a certain boundary. Porter is much fast to decide it isn't worth it. That, or he will take the punishment personally and cry, followed by the need to be cuddled and loved, and assured that we still love him. He loves books! Sometimes it can be frustrating how much he loves them. He likes to bring me a book, and then gets pretty offended when I will only read him the one. He learns especially well when Aimee is the teacher. She was the one that taught him to fold his arms when we pray, and say at least half of his entire vocabulary, which is pretty big. She is definitely his hero. When hugs and kisses don't solve his problems, Aimee does by playing chase with him, or taking him on an imaginary wolf hunt.

While I admit it has been a little hard for me to adjust to his personality differences in some ways, like his constant need for affection when I think he should just play or get over an ouch, I have also come to adore it. I have a pretty big mom crush on him. It is hard to see my little man getting so big, but luckily he doesn't make me feel left out. He needs me and it is great!

aimee funnies

Since my computer downstairs is in an uproar, and won't connect to the internet, I am forced to do a post without pictures. I thought maybe the next best thing I could post would be some of the funny things Aimee has said to me lately.

1. We were at the mall, and the kids were playing in the little padded playland. Just behind it was some of those little coin opperated rides.
Aimee: "Mom, can I please ride the car?"
Me: "Baby, those rides are lame, let's just stay here."
Aimee: "Mom, I want to ride the lame."
Me: "Aim, lame means that they are not awesome."
Aimee: "Mom, I want to ride the not awesome lame."

2. This one is more sweet than funny, although I admit that I turned my head and laughed when it happened. Not that long ago, Aimee got a nasty little stomach flu. She woke up in the night throwing up. After we got her all cleaned up, and moved into the other room, where the bed was already made, and clean (so conveinient) Chad gave her a Father's blessing. We explained that Daddy was going to put his hands on her head and say a prayer with his Priesthood so she could sleep and feel better. Last Sunday we had a new couple over that just moved into our ward. While we were visiting, Aimee went over to Chad, who was sitting on the floor. She put her hands on his head and started saying a prayer. She was trying to give him a blessing. It was so sweet, and such a testimony builder of how impressionable she is, and the importance of what we are trying to teach her.

3. The sad truth is that I can't remember what story I was going to put here. It was one that Chad asked me to post, so I will ask him to remind me when her gets home and add it to the post later. Stay tuned I guess.