Ian showing his bunny the snowflakes. 
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I warned him not to push it over...
And this. More than 20 doses a day. This is when I become very organized.
But, since 80% of a situation is always good:
Ian, Joseph and I are sick. Really sick.
Ian was the first to exhibit symptoms including high fever, terrible cough, "productive" sneezing, and a general overflow of mucus. Joseph and I joined Ian several days later. Scott employed positive thinking to avoid this one.
Yesterday I decided a little fresh air may do our bodies some good. Since Joseph was asleep upstairs, we postponed a walk around the neighborhood and Ian and I just went for a stroll in the backyard. I decided my poor satsuma tree needed some moisture, so we came back in to fill a water pitcher.
While the water was running, I heard Joseph coughing, then chocking over the baby monitor. I put Ian down and dashed upstairs. When I got there, Joseph was breathing just fine, so I set about giving him his acid reflux medicine and soothing him back to sleep.
Usually when I leave Ian behind, he protests, demands to know where I am going, and throws a tantrum/hits the blinds/throws things at the satellite box until I return. But as I soothed Joseph, I didn't hear any of this going on downstairs. I smiled to myself and thought it wonderful that Ian was concerned with his brothers safety and was so patiently awaiting my return.
When I did return, about 10 minutes later, Ian was no where to be found. (Cue panicking mother) I looked first to see if I had left the back door open. It was shut tightly. Then I searched in all the usual and unusual hiding places, but found nothing. And then finally, I spotted Ian out the window in the back yard. I guess I had left the back door open, and he had just been nice enough to shut it behind him.
Despite the fact that he was barefoot and strolling among fire-ant landmines, he was perfectly safe. Since Joseph was now crying upstairs, I decided we would take a walk around the block afterall. So I put Joseph in the baby carrier and Ian in his stroller and we set out. Wanting to travel light, we left through the garage and used the code to shut the garage behind us, instead of bringing my keys.
Turns out the boys hated my fresh-air idea, and both cried from the moment we left. Ian wanted his bunny. Joseph hates his baby carrier. Both were hungry and tired. And sick. So I shortened our route and tried to cross a street by driving the stroller off a curb, instead of waiting to encounter a ramp. It was a high curb, but I was still surprised at how long it was taking for the front stroller wheels to hit the street. Ian was still crying. I finally look down and saw that I hadn't locked the stroller into the open position -- it had folded up with Ian's chest pressed to his thighs. So sorry, Ian.
I locked the stroller into the open position, and we proceeded immiediatly home. Both boys were still crying. This walk was such a bad idea.
When we arrived home, I parked the stroller beside me and attempted to open the garage door. The code just wasn't working. I entered the code over and over again. Ian stops crying and starts chanting "Try again! Try again!" So I tried again. Again and again and again.
Finally, my little coach gives up and starts saying "Uh-oh! Uh-oh! Uh-oh!" Eventually I notice that his little voice is getting quieter and quieter.... the stroller that was just beside me was now rolling backwards down the driveway! I ran after him and reached him just as the stroller jolted to a stop in the street. Ian looked nervous, but thankfully was perfectly fine.
I rolled Ian back up the driveway, and now instead of feeling frustrated, I kissed his little blond head and felt thankful a car hadn't come by at just the wrong moment. I tried the code 8 more times, and then finally called a friend to come rescue us. As soon as I dialed her number, the garage door magically lifted open.
We unloaded our weary, sick selves into the house. Ian got his bunny and then went to find his beloved "Dingle Bells", which I'd hung over the front door knob. They were "stuck" and he yanked on them 'til the string split. Dingle Bells and beads showered the front hallway. Now I stay awake at night wondering what hidden corners those little chocking hazards were flung to.
Sigh.
Ian loves the carol-playing moose from my childhood. When my sister finds out this moose now lives at my house, I bet she will be a little jealous...
Ian found a strand of bells and enthusiastically shouted "Dingle Bell! Dingle Bell!" The singing leader in nursery brings similar bells for the kids and Ian was eager to show us what he had been learning. But by this point, Ian was tired of all the pictures I was taking. So he took his bells and went to hide in the corner.
Our tree-topper is a pair of doves that adorned a present we received at our wedding. 
Good to the last drop.
Finding and then kicking back with "Daddy's buttons". They are forbidden, and therefore he loves them.
Rearranging the furniture, hiding cars under the cushions, and then taking a nap with "Da bunny an' da binkie"
Growing another mullet.
Haircut number 2. He did not remain calm during this procedure. 
Helping Daddy with the dishes, i.e. banging a whisk on the sink. Check out the new haircut.
Here is Ian on his first day of nursery
Joseph is now nearly 6 weeks old. Here are some stats from his one month appointment, though the measurements were taken when he was 5 weeks old.
Weight: 11lbs 4.5 oz, 90%
Height: 22 1/4 ", 75%
Head Circ: 15, 50%
Joseph has gained 3 lbs in just 3 weeks, and has grown an inch and a half since birth! It is fun to see his cheeks fill out, and now that he feels sturdier, I worry less about what Ian can do to him.
While Ian is working on being "gentle" and "soft" when he touches Joseph, these sentiments usually surface after he has flung a block at Joseph, or pretended --oops-- actually, stepped on Joseph's back during 'tummy time'. I love that after Ian is scolded for his treatment toward Joseph, Ian always gets a sympathetic look and then makes a motion like he is tousling Joseph's hair. Which is really funny, because Joseph is completely bald, except for a fringe of dark hair that hangs around the back of his head.
Here are Joseph and Andrew. It was fun to get out and see some of our friends and introduce them to Joseph.
I want to brag about my little Ian. Several nights ago, Scott asked Ian to pray at dinner time. And he did! Scott helped Ian with what to say (with Ian giggling every few sentences) and then Ian completed the prayer with "Jesus Christ, Amen!" all by himself. He has since done it two more times, with help. I am so proud!
Ian has been clasping his hands for prayers for a while now, but kneeling down for a prayer before bedtime is a newer skill. Several nights ago, I heard Ian get up and roam around the room during his bedtime prayer, but I peaked to see him drop to his knees and fold his arms just as Scott finished the prayer. What a little sneak! Several weeks ago, I went to get Ian up in the morning and he was kneeling in his crib with his little hands clasped and he kept saying "Pear! Pear!" Wearing his blue stripped footy PJs, it was adorable.
Last night we noticed Ian had quickly learned many of the words to some new children's songs. So we decided to test him and see if he had already learned the words to some of the songs we have been singing since his infancy. Sure enough, when we sang the first part of a line from "I am a Child of God," and then paused, Ian would smile and then complete the last few words of the line! He knows almost the entire first verse of that and several other primary songs. All those days singing the same songs over and over and over and over again... it wasn't in vain!
Joseph is 3 weeks old today. It seems like much longer, and simultaneously, I can't grasp how 3 whole weeks have passed so quickly. It must have something to do with all that sleeping I did while my mom was here to help out, followed by the lack of sleep Scott and I have experienced in the last several nights. As a side note, I often catch a quick snooze on the couch while Ian plays on the floor, and because of this, Ian tells on me when Scott gets home, saying "Mommy seeps", as if he is exposing a big secret.
The whole family went for a walk about 2.5 weeks after Joseph was born. It was so nice for me to get out of the house, even if I was too sore to walk very far. It was actually quite cold that evening, so we tried out Joseph's car seat cover.
Ian likes to come lay near Joseph during diaper changes and tummy time. Doesn't it look like they are elbowing each other?
Joseph doing "dummy dime", as Ian puts it.
Scott had his 28th birthday on Saturday! He counted it as a good birthday because he played flag football with some guys in our ward, and then watched a BYU game that night.
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