Mega Catch-Up Post (with Palmer Wives' Grad below)

There really shouldn't have to be one of these after not blogging for only 1.5 weeks, but life is really a little crazy right now, and apparently we've taken a lot of pictures. Many of them on Jeremy's camera, and I hadn't uploaded them to the computer in a while. He is in Chicago today (Saturday) again, trying to glean what knowledge he may from Dr. Dickholtz, so I'm just sitting around waiting for Katy to wake up from an abnormally long afternoon nap so the three children and I can go grocery shopping. Doesn't that sound fun?? Our fridge is seriously desolate. There's not much in there, and what there is, is possibly expired. That's what happens when Jeremy usually has the car (and I'm too chicken to go out, for the most part, anyway) and he is extremely busy. We really haven't seen much of him lately, and it's not going to get better any time soon. He will be gone part of next week, plus trying to get as many numbers (adjustments) as possible at school, and studying like crazy for part 3 of Boards for the next two weeks...

His birthday was last Monday, and he was at school from 7 am to 6 pm. Katy and I were both getting Jaina's cold, but I did manage to make him a cake, and we sang to him that evening. That's about all that happened. We haven't even had a chance to go out to celebrate his birthday yet because the evenings are just too busy!

A few of the things that have been going on:

Various ward activities, including this one, a Back-to-Basics night, where we learned about homemade bread, pancakes, and yogurt. Ironically, the pie-eating contest was done with (from what I hear) were some pretty icky little processed pies. Jeremy did not win. I am thankful!

I haven't been to the temple since a month or two before Katy was born, but Jeremy's made it down to Nauvoo a few times. He really enjoyed playing with his camera down there.  Half of it is the beautiful scenery, but I suspect half of it is also being there alone, and not having anyone bugging him while he does it! This is one pic I really like that he took in July.

Also, Jeremy's MTC companion (also one of the witnesses at our wedding), Stephen Merrell, his mother, and his two sisters stopped by briefly to visit us. They live in Virginia, and had been in Chicago for a baby blessing. Luckily, we are on the way to Nauvoo, where his sisters had never been. Jeremy has seen him a couple of times (and they talk often), but I hadn't seen him since our wedding! Reilly and Jaina thought he was pretty awesome...

Speaking of Reilly and Jaina, they're doing well. Their behavior is a little better most days, other than Reilly's inability to leave the DVDs and the projector alone. I have to watch them a little more carefully than I used to, because my little partners-in-crime have decided they can make some pretty amazing messes when they get the slightest bit bored. Rather frustrating, considering how well-behaved they used to be (at least Reilly), but they're still great kids, and we love them so much! We can't believe Reilly is about to be 4. They're both growing out of their summer shoes, and Jaina has grown out of a second size of clothes this summer.  She mostly wears 4T, the same as Reilly! We can't go anywhere these days without at least one person asking if they're twins.

Besides, who couldn't love two kids who get so excited about oatmeal for breakfast?

And Katy is wonderful. I'm really enjoying her.

I just have to know that she can't stay awake for more than an hour (for the most part) and then she needs her 45-60 minute nap. So we wake up and go to sleep all day long. She really does best when we just stay home and let her do her thing, but she tries to be a good sport when we're out and about.

She'll take a 2-hour nap here and there, but I never know when. She sleeps 3-4 hour stretches at night, mostly, with a 5 or 6-er here and there.  I look forward to her starting to stretch those awake and asleep periods out a little so we can actually get out and do stuff without messing her up too much. :)

This is Katy's friend, James. He lives next door and they like to hang together a lot. He is 6 weeks older and a lot bigger! He has more hair, too. Katy tries not to be jealous.

She has started giving us some pretty good smiles. Especially when her daddy comes home. She LOVES her daddy. She only sees him for a few minutes some days, but she still gets very excited.

She has also decided swings are not evil. She will sit in this one, especially, for 10-15 minutes at a time sometimes. Mommy is very excited! So are Reilly and Jaina. We do a lot of time outs because they can't seem to let her and the swing alone...

We're still working on tummy time, when we think about it. She's really not much of a fan...

And here is a picture from last night. We had a little campfire gathering in the back yard, and Katy got to wear one of her sleepers. (not so much because it was cold, but to protect her little self from mosquitoes!) My other kids lived in sleepers, but since Katy is a summer baby, and swaddled for all of her 6-7 naps a day, she mostly just wears onesies. This little sleeper is so cute on her though!

If you got this far, I'm impressed! By the time I posted this, I had, of course already done the shopping thing. It didn't happen until after 5 though, because Katy randomly was awake from 9:30 to 10:30, then took a 3 hour nap, then was awake for 45 minutes and took another 3 hour nap. She fell asleep an hour into shopping for a bit, was awake for a while at home, then took another nap, before getting up to eat and hang out for a bit before going to bed. She does act like she feels top notch. Growing? Hard to tell... Shopping was okay. A little crazy with a fussy little one, but Reilly and Jaina were awesome. Thank heavens!