Esther Hope

Esther's Birthday Celebration

2011-07-31T16:05:00.000-07:00

We had a good time celebrating Esther's birthday this last Friday. We went swimming of course followed by pizza for dinner, Esther's favorite. Esther said she wanted purple birthday cake so that is what she got. It was a yellow cake mix that we dyed purple and covered it with chocolate frosting. Esther is into pretty things so she got jewelry for her birthday. It was fun to see her all excited for her birthday and I think it went a little bit to her head. I had to break the news that birthdays only come once a year and it would be a long time before she got another day all about her; wait everyday is about her. Happy Birthday Esther.

Esther's Birthday Tribute

2011-07-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

This last Friday we celebrated Esther's 3rd birthday. I can't believe that three years have gone by already. Here are a few things about Esther. She loves to run and chase and laugh. She loves Henry and has no idea what to do when he is not around. She loves Daddy and is the biggest Daddy's little girl. She loves all things pretty or shinny. She loves to "do it myself." She will eat just about anything or at least try it. She is a great big sister and loves to mother everyone. Her favorite word is why and her favorite color is purple. Esther loves to talk and is rarely quiet. Esther is sunshine in our day and there is not a day that goes by that we are not thankful she is apart of our family. We love you Esther, happy birthday.

Esther and her glasses

2011-05-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

Esther is now the proud owner of glasses. Back in February I started noticing that her right eye keep rolling in toward her nose or going "cross eyed." Michael and I thought she had developed a lazy eye and thought she would have to wear a patch for awhile. I made an appointment with an pediatric Ophthalmologist for the first part of April. We talked to her about wearing a patch and how she would be a pirate. I even taught her to tell the Dr. that she wanted to be a pirate. Well she does not get to be a pirate. Her eye appointment revealed that she is very farsighted. Her right eye keep going cross eyed due to the strain on her eye and her brain trying to make sense of what she was seeing. She desperately needed glasses. She will always need to have glasses or contacts this is not going to go away over time. The Dr. recommended a specific type of glasses for her. They are designed for kids, bendable, durable and hard to break. We looked around for the best price. One place wanted $80 for the frames and $340 for the lenses. Costco did not have the frames but would only charge $80 for the lenses and a small fee to have lenses put in frames that we bought some place else. So that is what we did. We ordered the frames from one store and had to wait for them to come in and then had Costco put the lenses in. This is why it has taken a month for her to get her glasses. We finally got them this last Tuesday and less than 24 hours she has ruined them. On the way home from Costco she popped the lenses out. That was an easy fix. But then the next day she was left alone with them for a few minutes and she chewed on them putting big scratch marks on the lenses. Thank goodness we did not pay $340 for the lenses, not that $80 was real cheap either. So we decided she needs two pair of glasses so that while one is being fixed she can have a backup pair. She will have to deal with the scratches till the new pair come in. Esther is really enjoying having them. She has been looking at books again and pointing out small details that I never noticed. We are so thankful that we caught this early and she can see again. She looks very cute in her new glasses and loves to wear them. Now we just need to teach her not to eat them.

What we love about Esther

2011-04-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

OUCH

2011-03-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Esther had to have three stitches put in her middle finger on her left hand this last Tuesday. Michael was putting up a new light in our entry way and put the box cutters up on a ledge. The box cutters where closed but Henry found them and figured out how to open them. Esther decided she wanted the box cutters and tried to grab them from Henry resulting in her slicing her finger open. I was out visiting teaching when after just 20min into my visit Michael called and told me I needed to come home right away because Esther needed to go to the E.R.
In the E.R. Michael asked Esther if she could be brave and she responded with a very sad NO. Everyone in the E.R. thought she was very cute and yes she was very brave. Every time we change the band aid and put a new one on she asks if it is all better. It is healing nicely and she will get the stitches out this coming Monday.

Welcome baby Ainsley Elizabeth

2011-01-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

Born 1/19/2011. The delivery went well. We are glad she is finally here. Esther and Henry love her and fight over who gets to hold her first. We are excited to get to know this new little addition to our family.

The Potty

2011-01-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

I know many of you will think that we are crazy but Michael and I decided to potty train Esther this last week. I know everyone says don't do it right before you have a baby but Esther has been ready for a while now and it just made sense for us. We used the three day potty program which suggests training as early as 22 months, which we would have tried if we weren't in the middle of the move. We talked with Esther before hand for weeks about going potty on the toilet and being a big girl. We took here to the store and she pick out her own underwear(she loved the ones with the kitty's). We made a sticker chart and bought a potty seat that fits on the toilet.
Day one: after three accidents in 30 minutes I was about ready to give up. Michael had three days off in a row to help out but had a work meeting in the morning on the first day. If I had to do the whole thing by myself I would have given up. After I cleaned up the three accidents and the mess that Henry made while I was cleaning up Esther I realized something. Here I was trying to make my life "easier" by not having three kids in diapers and in fact was creating more work. I did not realize that even if Esther picked up potty training and did great, having her use the toilet required more of my time. Now I have to rush her to the toilet help her get her pants off, get her onto the toilet, help her wipe, help her get her pants back on, and help her wash her hands. And of course she always needs to go in the most inconvenient time, like when I am changing a poopie diaper on Henry. I guess I will blame my stupidity on having a pregnancy brain. But despite my realization I did not want to give up and Esther did not want to either. After Michael cleaned up 2 more accidents he was about ready to give up though. Finally that afternoon we had a break through she got the idea of telling us she needed to go and running to the toilet. After one successful time and a lot a praise she had it down. It has been 10 days now since we started and she has not had an accident since last Friday. I don't have to ask her a million times if she needs to go, she just comes and tells me. We have had to put a pull-up on her at night because no matter what time I got her up to pee at night she woke up wet in the morning but, the last 5 out of 6 mornings she has woken up dry. She is very cute in her kitty underwear and her jeans are easier to get on without that bulky diaper. I know I have created more work for me but I think that it is worth it. Michael and I are now talking about whether or not to try Henry in a couple of months. I guess we will see.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning. Esther and Henry didn't quite get the whole Christmas thing but after a few presents they picked up on the idea very quickly. Esther received a play kitchen from Santa and a tea set from Grandma and Grandpa Eaton (Heather's parents). Ikea was sold out of the bottom half of the kitchen so this is just the top half. She receive the bottom half that following Monday.

Henry got a work bench and tools from Santa.

Esther also got some dishes to go with her kitchen from Uncle Thomas and Aunt Laura

and a baby doll and purse filled with baby bottles and baby food from Michael's parents. She is going to be all ready to help mommy when her new baby sister comes.

We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We love and miss you all.

Arizona

2010-12-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

We are here in Arizona and getting settled into our new house. Esther is enjoying her new room and the new house. We did not want to put Esther back in her crib because she is getting too big for the crib and we need her crib for the baby in January. So Esther has been sleeping on the floor on the crib mattress just until we buy her a big girl bed. For the most part she has done very well. I thought she would just play and never sleep. She does sleep but not always on the mattress. At first we would find her by the door asleep or by her dresser. Now she sleeps on the mattress but not always all the way as you can see from the pictures. Esther has her own walk-in closet which she loves to turn the light on and off. I have purchased new sheets for her new bed, we just need to decide on the bed.

Still in Utah

2010-10-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

Esther, Henry and I are still here is Utah. Michael started his job back in August and we are here till the house sells. We have had a lot of interest in the house this last week so we will see. Michael is comming for a visit this week and we can't wait to see him. I will try to keep you posted when the house sells and when we actually make the move.

Tantrum

2010-10-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

We took Esther and Henry to Thanksgiving Point to see the animals and when it was time to go Esther put on a show. Now mind you this is a very brief video. The tantrum had been going on for a good 10-15min before I broke out the camera.

Esther's Birthday

2010-10-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here is the first time we meet Esther. She was cute then as much as she is now.

I know that Esther's Birthday was July 29th but life has been a little busy. Here are a few pictures from the party. We spent the afternoon at the pool but forgot to take pictures. Then we joined up with some of Heather's family. Heather was unable to make it but her parents,sister and brother were there. I can't believe it has been 2 years since Esther first came into our lives. She has been a huge blessing to Michael and I. We love her dearly and look forward to many more birthdays.

Saint George May

2010-05-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

Since Michael has some time off we thought it would be fun to get out of the cold and take a trip to Saint George and visit Michael's parents. We left after church on the 2nd. The drive was very pleasant on the way down and the kids were angels in the car to both of our surprise. That night I was a little worried that we would have some sleeping issues from Henry and Esther since they were in a new place but to my surprise again they both slept through the night without a peep. On Monday we just hung out at the house. I was excited for Monday night baths because the kids would get to bath in a real bathtub and not the kitchen sink. Well it did not go so well. They both hated it. I got the water a little too hot and that turned them off to the whole idea of the tub. Even after we cooled the water neither one of them liked the tub. I was very sad. On Tuesday Michael and I attended a session at the temple while the kids took there afternoon naps. On Wednesday we took the kids to the library where they have a water fountain and a little stream to play in. It was about 85 degrees and gorgeous. Henry and Esther had a blast. Esther just jumped right in the fountain and as you can see got soaked. I wasn't sure Henry would like the water. At first he did not want to put his feet in but once he did he wanted to sit down and splash. Esther has a great time following the other kids up and down the stream. On Wednesday Michael's mom took us shopping for kids clothes. Esther was wearing shorts and fell on the sidewalk and got her first official skinned knee. Later that day we went back to play in the water at the library. On Thursday we packed the car and came home. We didn't have as much luck in the car this time. Henry and Esther cried from about Payson till we pulled in the drive way. Esther would cry for a bit then take a breath while Henry cried and visa versa. It was a long drive home but it was worth it.

Being Outside

2010-05-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

Easter 2010

2010-04-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter despite the weather. The annual Easter egg hunt was held at my parent's house. Esther wasn't sure what was going on but once she realized what she was supposed to do she took off. I would point an egg out to her and she would put it in the basket. She did not want to hold the basket and find the eggs at the same time so I held the basket for her. Henry was grumpy and did not want to participate. The next day I took out the candy and filled some of the eggs with gold fish crackers which Esther thought was great. She would eat the crackers then hand me the empty egg and I would fill it again with crackers and hand it back. Later she took all the empty eggs and hid them in Henry's dresser, which I found later that night.

The tantrum

2010-03-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

I think that we are starting to enter what everyone calls the "terrible twos." Today we took a trip to Costco. After Costco I let Esther play outside while I unloaded the car. After I was all done I told her to come inside for lunch. She hates coming inside even if it is freezing outside. I had to pick her up and bring her in, which is what I usually have to do. When we got inside I took her coat off and asked her to get in her chair so that she could have lunch. She can't actually climb in her chair but she will stand by it until I lift her in. So she is standing by her chair waiting for me but I am washing my hands and can't get to her right away and that is when it started. She begins to crying and wants attention now so she walks over to the book case and starts pulling off books, which she knows she is not supposed to touch and says "no no" while she is doing it. I repeat myself and tell her that if she wants lunch to get in her chair, that makes her cry even more. She then climbs on the couch and continues to cry and kick the pillows. I am not in the mood to fight with her so I just ignore her and get lunch for Henry and myself. The crying/tantrum goes on for about 20 min and then she stops. It is quiet for about 10 min when I hear her snoring, she has fallen asleep. How Esther can go from happy to crying to asleep is beyond me. So I took pictures and let her sleep. She is sure cute when she sleeps.

2010

2010-02-19T13:06:00.000-08:00

We had family pictures taken after Christmas and I just got them back. Here is a small sample.

Esther in 2010

2010-01-06T18:16:00.000-08:00

I wanted to give an update about Esther. Esther makes us laugh everyday. She is always happy and giggling except when she tries to play on the computer and isn't allowed. Esther loves all electronics, the remote, our cell phones, the camera, the computer, and the vacuum. Of course these are all things that she is not allowed to play with. She is very vocal but not a lot of what she says can be understood. She does say a few words: mommy, daddy, nana(banana),grandma, grandpa, baby(that is what she calls Henry), bye bye, and her favorite word, NO. Everything is no even when she really means yes. The funniest thing she does is when she is doing something she knows she in not supposed to, like getting into the plants, she will be standing by the plant and then will see me coming and will turn to the plant and shake her finger at it and say NO, NO.(Can you tell she has been told no before)

Esther loves to share with Henry but the things she shares are not always the best. Usually it's some paper that she pulled off the table which Henry puts in his mouth and then begins to gag on. Esther and Henry love to play with each other and they makes each other laugh. Esther is very social. She waves at everyone in the grocery store and babbles away as if she is having a very intense conversation. She will be starting Nursery at church in Feb and we can't wait. Esther loves other kids. She is going to have so much fun we are very excited for her.

Esther spends most of the day reading books. She is very into books right now. She will pull a book off the book case bring it to us and sometimes will sit long enough to hear the whole story. Sometimes she will read to herself. She sits on the floor flips through the pages and babbles babbles babbles.

As you can see from the pictures her hair is long enough to pull in pig tails but she hates anything in her hair. I am lucky if it lasts for 10 min. Esther loves to brush her teeth, comb her hair and help empty the dishwasher. She licks the plates as she hands them to me.

I hope that this paints a better picture of Esther these days. I have loved every minute with her and can't wait to see what she will bring in this next year.

PS: We have not finish the bathroom yet so yes they are still bathing in the sink.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-06T17:51:00.001-08:00

Christmas has come and gone. Esther did not quite grasp Christmas this year. She loved looking at the tree and pulling the ornaments off which then she gave to Henry to play with. It took Esther about 2 presents before she got the idea of tearing off the paper then she became a real pro. We had two Christmas'. One with just us and then one with Michael parents. Esther got a Popcorn push popper, books, stuffed animals, and new doll. I can't wait till she understands Christmas a little more.

Super Girl

2009-11-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

Halloween 09

2009-11-05T09:23:00.000-08:00

Here is our Halloween costums for this year. Michael had to work so my dad was very willing to help out. We are Goldi Locks and the Three Bears.

She finally did it!

2009-11-05T08:36:00.000-08:00

We have been waiting months for Esther to walk. She has been walking along the furniture for quite some time now. Then about three weeks ago we had just come home from church and she took three steps from the couch to Henry's bouncy chair. I could not believe it. Since then she has not stopped. Esther is now walking all over the place. She doesn't want to crawl anymore.

Dishes and Esther

2009-11-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

Esther's new thing is to help me with the dishes. She loves to play in the water but most of all she loves to eat the bubbles. She can hear the sink filling up from the other room and get so excited to help.

Cooking with Daddy

2009-09-24T20:16:00.001-07:00

Esther had her first cooking Lesson. She got to wear the pink apron Kathryn got her just for Daddy cooking time. The biggest cooking secret Esther learned was that, if you cook with Dad, you get to lick the spatula.

Summer activites

2009-09-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we took Esther and Henry to the Zoo. Esther enjoyed it more than I thought she would. She was so enthralled with all the animals especially the snake. She had so much fun that when it was time to go home she had a little fit. I think we will try and go again in October, maybe it won't be so hot then.

We took Esther to the pool about a month ago. She loves bath time so I assumed she would love the pool and of course she did. She loved that she could splash all she wanted and this time I didn't care if I got all wet from it. She wasn't afraid if her feet didn't touch the ground, of course I was holding her. Michael gave Esther her first swim lesson and had her float on her back. She could have spent all day at the pool. Even Henry got in on the action.

Oregon 2009

2009-08-22T12:56:00.001-07:00

Last week we had the opportunity to take a trip to the Oregon coast. Everyone had a great time. I was surprised how much Esther loved the beach. She just started digging right in the sand. She also loved to eat the sand, she loves to eat anything. The water was cold but she did not care she just keep wanting to go further out in the ocean.

Esther's first birthday

2009-08-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Esther's first birthday on July 29th. I can't believe a whole year has gone by. She is no longer my little baby girl she is becoming a big girl. Esther started her birthday with a birthday sucker, our neighbor gave it to her. She loved it and made a huge mess. Her birthday party was at Scera Park. Heather and her family along with mine and Michael's families were in attendance. Michael made Esther her very own cake. After a little coaxing she dug right in. I can't believe how much cake she ate. In fact she ate so much cake that she threw up later after we got home, it was worth it though.

Helping Grandpa

2009-08-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Michael's Parents came to visit and be here for Esther"s first Birthday. We bought a new faucet for the kitchen sink and Michael's dad was so kind to install it. Esther always wants right in the middle of everything so of course she wanted to help grandpa out.

Hanging out

2009-08-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

Crazy Hair

2009-08-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

Esther's hair is getting so long. This picture was taken after she woke up from her morning nap. She had a bath right before her nap and her hair was still wet.

I am ready for the sun

2009-07-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

Michael bought Esther some sunglasses for our trip to Oregon in August. She just wanted to take them off and chew on them. We will see if she will wear them to the beach.

How she does it.

2009-07-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry I could not figure out how to rotate the picture.

She Stands

2009-07-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks Esther has learned to pull herself up. She loves to stand in her bed. She also crawls now and is into everything.

New Brother

2009-06-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

June 7th at 3:30 PM Esther Welcomed a new brother Henry Michael to the family. To say that Esther is infatuated is an understatement. She was using all the wiggles and squirms she knows to try to get over to him. When they finally met up she was enthralled and patted him, at first gently and then not so much, on the head.

Esther also had a fun stroll down memory lane while checking out Henry's sleeping quarters, which she remembered fondly.

Fun with Daddy

2009-05-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

Bath time

2009-05-17T23:38:00.001-07:00

Here is a cute picture of Esther taking a bath. Her hair is getting long.

Cutie

2009-05-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures that Michael took of Esther outside in our backyard. She is eating a stick.

Teeth?

2009-04-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

Esther is the proud owner of two new bottom baby teeth. This last weekend Esther was a little more grumpy then her usual self. I just thought she was tired and didn't think much of it. She is really a good baby but like most babies she has her days. I didn't even think to look in her mouth since she has had no sign of teeth up to this point but, then yesterday Michael discovered two bottom teeth popping through her gums. She won't open her mouth to get a good look right now but when she does I will take a picture. I can't believe she is getting so big.

Easter 2009

2009-04-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry it took so long to post pictures of Esther and her first Easter. We had a Easter egg hunt at my parents house. Of course I looked for the eggs and Esther just wanted to put the basket in her mouth.

Conversation with Esther

2009-04-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when we put Esther down for her nap she talks to herself before she falls asleep. Today she talked for about 20min and then fell asleep. Could she be more adorable?

At the park

2009-03-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

Since the weather has been so nice this week we spent some time outside. Esther has never really been outside. She wasn't sure what to think at first. She didn't particularly like the sun on her and kept closing her eyes. She liked the grass. She found it very interesting and of course had to taste it. Every time she tried to put a handful of grass in her mouth it would poke her in the eye or the face, which she did not like. She didn't like the taste either, she stuck her tongue out until I got it out of her mouth. She just liked playing with the grass the most. We also went to the park. Esther likes the swing as you can see. She could have spent all afternoon in the swing. A couple of weeks ago we purchased a jogging stroller. We haven't really used it yet. But now that the weather is warmer I think that Esther will be Michael's new running buddy.

Enjoying outside

2009-03-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

2009-02-26T11:40:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we started giving Esther spoon foods and as you can see she enjoys it. She is not a big fan of green beans and peas but of course loves sweet potatoes and squash. When we first starting giving her spoon foods she would stick out her tongue a lot, which was hard to keep the food in. I talked with the occupational therapist at work and she said that the reason Esther does it is because that is how she swallows with the bottle, with her tongue. She suggested giving Esther teething biscuits or beef jerky, yes beef jerky. The idea is that Esther will learn to use the sides of her mouth and swallow with her tongue in her mouth. The beef jerky is hard enough that it won't break off either. Esther didn't want a whole lot to do with the teething biscuits at fist all she wanted was the beef jerky, go figure. But now she loves and prefers the teething biscuit and loves to make a mess. She is doing a lot better at eating and not swallowing with her tongue out of her mouth. She also has a new talent, she has learned to spit. I have to admit that it is really cute and funny until she spits up food and spits it all over everyone at church. I had to apologize a couple of times this last Sunday. I may have to get it on video so you see what I mean. She is just cute lovable Esther.

The Temple

2009-02-09T17:53:00.001-08:00

On Saturday Feb 7th we took Esther to the Mount Timpanogos Temple to be sealed to Michael and I. I am not sure words can describe that day. I wish that every family could have this opportunity because there is just nothing more spiritual or precious. I was worried that Esther would be fussy through the ceremony but she was a perfect angel. She was so cute in her dress. Michael's mom made the dress and she did a great job, I could not have asked for anything better. The day was just perfect. The next day in church Michael blessed Esther. She was not happy before the blessing or after but was perfectly quiet during. I think she'd had enough of the bonnet. I just want to thank all of our friends and family for your love and support. Where would we be without you? We love you all.

The Temple

2009-02-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

Going to Court

2009-02-09T17:34:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday Feb 3rd we went to court to finalize Esther's adoption. It was a neat experience. I was really nervous never being in court before. The judge was running late so we had to wait about 20 minutes. Then we all entered the court room. Our lawyer was there, our social worker, Michael's mom and mine and of course Esther. We all rose when the judge came in and then Michael, myself, and our social worker were sworn in. Our social worker then took the stand and presented her finding which were that Esther was happy and adjusting well and that she should remain in our home. Then our lawyer began to ask me my questions. There were about 15 questions most of which were yes or no. Then he asked Michael about 4 questions. The judge then said that according to the information that was presented the best interested for the child was to remain in our home and he signed the paperwork and that was that. At that moment I had a great sense for relief. But the week was not over.

Dinner with Heather and family

2009-02-09T17:28:00.000-08:00

The Saturday before we took Esther through the temple we got together with Heather and her family. It is great to see Heather again and for Heather to see Esther. We met at Village Inn for dinner. Esther was not quite sure what was going on but did not mind being passed around.

2009-02-09T17:25:00.000-08:00

Laughing with Daddy

2008-12-30T12:52:00.000-08:00

I forgot to add this one to the other giggle movie. The other person you hear is Michael. Esther always laughs the best when someone is doing it with her.

Time for firsts

2008-12-30T12:46:00.001-08:00

This last weekend Esther rolled over for the first time. I didn't think she was ever going to do it because in the past she has hated being on her tummy with a passion. She would always cry and get so worked up about being on her tummy. Now she does not mind it.

Baby's first christmas

2008-12-27T15:55:00.001-08:00

Esther' first Christmas was actually about 3pm on Christmas Eve. Michael had to work Christmas day and if we waited till he got home for presents Esther would either be asleep or ready to go to sleep. So we decided the best time for her would be Christmas Eve afternoon before the family party. She loved the wrapping paper. She actually did try to open her gifts. She got a new blanket from Michael's mom. From Michael's sister and her family Esther got a book, a stuffed bird, I think that is what it is, along with a place mat with all kinds of games attached to it and a soft stacking toy. Michael and I decided since Esther had more gifts under the tree from family than he and I put together that she did not need anymore gifts and we would not get her anything this year. We will have plenty of years to be Santa. We had a great Christmas and hope that so did everyone else.

Rice Cereal?

2008-12-27T15:33:00.000-08:00

We tried to give Esther rice cereal for the first time about 2 weeks ago. She had no idea what to do with it. She just spit it out. I guess she is not ready yet. We will wait a couple more weeks then try again.

Sunday after church

2008-12-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

Esther was being so cute after church a couple of weeks ago that I thought I would take some pictures. As you can see she is a little tired and ready for a nap.

Sunday after church

2008-12-27T15:25:00.000-08:00

The giggle

2008-12-27T15:16:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of videos of Esther just being her cute self.

Sunday Morning

2008-12-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

So Sunday mornings are hard for Michael and me. We have church at 11:00 and I don't know why but it is hard to both get ready and entertain Esther at the same time. So this last Sunday I came up with this great idea. She loves to see things above her head and especially if they are moving. So she is on the couch watching rings that are connected together and then connected to the ceiling fan. She has not figured out how to roll over so don't worry she is safe. She thought it was the best thing ever and it just helps so Michael can shower and I can do my hair.

New toy

2008-12-05T11:58:00.001-08:00

I couple of weeks ago Esther went through a fussy stage. It took us a couple of days to realize what the problem was. We realized that she just wants to be entertained more. This last month Esther has become way more active. She is always moving her arms and kicking her legs. She also wants to sit up. She can't sit up on her own yet but she does not care. So Michael and I decided maybe we should invest in a new toy. She wasn't quite sure what to do at first but now she loves it. It is still a little big for her so that is why she has a blanket behind her. We wanted to get something she could grow into. Her favorite thing is the flower. Esther loves to sing to it. The only problem is after a few minutes she gets mad because it does not respond back and she ends up yelling and hitting the flower, which then she finds fun. I may have to get it on film and show you what I mean. Michael and I just can't stop laughing when she does it. One of the sides has a little piano that plays music. It took Esther about a week to figure out how to get the music to go on. She figured out that if she hits it with her arm or elbow that the music will start. She is one cleaver child. I am afraid that once she gets mobile, watch out.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-05T11:46:00.001-08:00

Michael's family came over to our house this year for thanksgiving. Esther loved having lots of people around; she was held and played with non stop all week. Michael's mom just could not get enough of her. It does not help that Esther has learned to smile just at the right moment to melt your heart. Here she is getting loves from Michael's mom and helping Uncle Thomas on the computer. As far as thanksgiving goes, Esther slept through her first thanksgiving. I should have gotten a picture of her sleeping. By the time the actual dinner came Esther was fast asleep, I thinking watching all the commotion in the kitchen tired her out. Maybe next year she will be more interested.

Winter coat

2008-12-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

My sister in-law Melanie gave Esther a winter coat for her baby shower and since the weather is getting colder we tried it on. It is still a little bit big but very cute. Esther was not quite sure what to think. It is heavier than anything she has worn so far. She didn't mind it at first but soon decided maybe not. She may just have to get used to it. She got mad once she realized she could not move her arms.

2008-11-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

Esther turned three months at the end of October and she keeps getting more adorable every day. She has started to sleep through the night which has been great. Esther is a very happy baby she rarely gets in a bad mood so it is hard to have a bad mood around her. She is so close to holding her head up I think that in another week she will have it down. She loves to smile and is almost giggling. Every once and a while she will laugh and it just melts our hearts. We can't wait till she is more vocal. She is the happiest right when she wakes up. I love that as soon as she sees me peering over the crib she is all smiles. Esther has found her hand. When she gets hungry she sucks on her hand. I know that she is almost awake when I can hear her sucking on her hand. Since she is so good at sticking out her tongue we now play a game. If I stick out my tongue she will copy me and do the same. I went back to work last week and even though it was nice to get out of the house all I thought about was Esther. Michael is really enjoying his daddy day while I am at work. I am glad that Michael gets to have a day with Esther all to himself. Esther continues to grow like a weed. Everyday I have to put some clothes in storage because they don't fit anymore. I am not exactly sure how much she weighs right now but I would not be surprised if it is not around 15 lbs. Everyday I am so thankful for her and feel so blessed. I know that she will continue to bless our lives.

Esther's first Halloween

2008-10-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

It is hard to find a costume for a 3 months old but when I found this cute pea pod costume I knew what Michael and I had to go as. My family does a Halloween party every year so, we all went as vegetables. Michael is corn, I am a carrot, and of course the cutest pea pod you have ever seen. She only lasted about 10 min in the costume but it was well worth it for the picture.

Arizona

2008-10-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

The weekend of the 10th Michael, Esther and I took a trip to Arizona to visit Michael's sister and her family. The main reason we were going was because Connor, Jennifer's middle son, was getting baptized. We planned on flying and were supposed to leave Friday morning Oct 10th. I don't know if it was traveling with a baby or just bad luck that morning but many things went wrong and we missed our flight. Which wouldn't have been a problem except every flight leaving SLC for Phoenix was over sold and there was no way to catch another flight till the next day. We were heart broken. The baptism was at 10am and the earliest flight would not get us in till 9:40 which was not enough time to drive to Mesa for the baptism. We were going to miss the reason we were going in the first place. We debated on driving. But between losing money on the plane tickets and the cost of gas it was too expensive. So with no other choices we flew out at 11am on Saturday and missed the baptism. Esther did better than I thought she would on the plane. She was asleep as soon as I buckled my seat belt. She slept most the way and woke up right before we landed. Everyone was so excited to see us but more excited to see Esther. This was the first time that the Kirby family has seen Esther. Ethan, Jennifer's youngest, was the most interested in everything Esther did. He was always wanting to hold her and help put the bottle in her mouth. Every time she cried he wanted to know why she was crying. We had a great time. We mostly hung around the house and played ticket to ride. Even though we missed the baptism it was still worth the trip. There is nothing like taking it easy and hanging out with family. We love you guys and miss you already.

Heather's Birthday Party

2008-10-21T14:02:00.001-07:00

It was Heather's birthday on October 10th. We were invited to her birthday party the night of the 9th at Golden Coral. It was so much fun to see Heather and her family and for them to see Esther. This is the first time that we have gotten together since Esther was discharged from the hospital. We got to meet Heather's older and younger brothers along with her two daughters and friends of the family. Happy Birthday Heather.

Heather's Birthday Party

2008-10-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

Facial

2008-10-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Esther broke out in a lot of baby acne. While working in the NICU I learned that using Selsun Blue or Head & Shoulders on the head and face like a mask dries the skin and will get rid of the baby acne. So here is Esther in the bathtub with Selsun Blue on her head and face. She didn't mind it too much until she licked her chin and ate some. Too bad this does not work on adults.

Before the nursery

2008-09-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Well I am excited to say that we are finally finished with the nursery. Here are a few before and after pictures. You wonder why it took so long. This job was more than new paint. Back in February we had insulation added in our walls which left 4 inch holes between each stud. Those holes had to be mudded and sanded. Then we wanted to refinish the hardwood floor. The floor had to be filled with a wood filler first and then sanded. Then after a little trial and error and seven coats of lacquer and two weeks later we finally got it right. This time around we used a different lacquer than the downstairs, it was not as easy to use but the look is gorgeous. The ceiling was textured and a new ceiling fan installed. The original paint color that was chosen was hideous. It was way to orange and had to be repainted a softer yellow. The baseboards and door casings were replaced to match the rest of the house. Michael's mom bought Esther an awesome closet organizer that was not the easiest to put in. The blinds were replaced and curtains were hung. It only took two months to finish the nursery but worth it.
I still am working on the decorating part. I found these cute vinyl monkeys that are placed around the room. I have ordered pictures of animals to go above the bed and a shelf will be placed over the changing table. We still need to get new closet doors and we would like a white solid door for the room. I find myself just standing in Esther's room taking it all in. I can't believe that this is the same room as before. I am so glad the way that it turned out and I know that Esther loves it. She loves her monkey sheets and bumper she can spend and hour just looking at it.

Nursery

2008-09-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

Nursery

2008-09-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

New bed

2008-09-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

9 pounds 10 ounces

2008-09-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

So we went to the Doctors the other day to have Esther weighed and she surprised us. She is now 9 pounds 10 ounces. I knew that she was getting bigger but I never thought that she would have grown so much. She is doing so great. She eats great and even though she is not sleeping through the night she does not wake up as often. She has been off the home monitor for almost three weeks now. She is also 21.5 inches long. She is such a great baby. We could not ask for better.

Birth Announcement

2008-09-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pictures we took of Esther trying to capture the most perfect one for her birth announcement. It was hard to decided which one to choose because she is so cute in so many. If you have not received an announcement yet I am sure that it is on its way.

Esther

2008-09-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

St. George

2008-09-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

Michael, Esther and I spent last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in St. George visiting Michael's parents. Michael's parents have not seen Esther since she was still in the hospital. We had a lot of fun. Grandma and Grandpa loved having Esther there. They just could not get enough of her. We loved being there too. We decided to try and get a family picture while we were there. Here is the result of our attempt.

2008-09-15T13:09:00.001-07:00

Baby Shower

2008-09-06T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today was Esther's neighborhood baby shower. It is a rare occasion that the baby is actually present for the shower. We had a great time. Waffles were served with strawberries and yummy syrup. We played guess the candy bar in the diaper and name that song. Esther got lots of fun gifts.

This is a picture of two of the other little girls that were born in our ward in the month of July. The first girl is Kelsey who was born the same day as Esther. The second girl is Presley, who is Esther's new best friend. She was born on July 6th. There is also one other little girl that was born the same week as Esther. Halley but she was not present. Esther is going to have so many friends in the neighborhood.

Baby Shower

2008-09-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

This is our Neighbor Esther Heaton. So we now have two Esthers on the same street.

Who is going to win?

2008-09-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

Esther's new toy

2008-09-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

Esther got this cute pink monster from her new best friend Presley. Esther is so amazed by it and was interacting with the monster that I just had to record it.

Ahh warm clothes

2008-09-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

This morning was unusually cold so I had to find something a little warmer to dress Esther in. Thanks to my sister Carrie who passed all her daughter Roxie's grow out clothes to Esther, we had no problem finding something to wear.

First sunday

2008-09-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

We took Esther to church for the first time yesterday. She did great. She slept most of the time. Everyone was so excited to see her. She has all the ladies in the ward waiting in line to hold and dote over her. We feel so blessed to be in such a great area with so many people that love us.
Here are a few pictures that we took after church with Esther in her Sunday dress.

Oh Daddy

2008-09-01T12:47:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures that Michael took himself. As you can see Michael is getting better and Esther doesn't seem to mind.

Awake at 3am

2008-08-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

Michael got up with Esther last night for her usual 3am feeding and while changing her diaper she peed all over her clothes. She was wide awake and naked so of course Michael took some pictures. She is just so cute and getting so big. I can't believe how much she has changed in over a week.

On Tuesday we had our first doctors appointment. Esther is now 7 pounds 4.5 ounces and 20 inches long. Everything else looked great. We are going to stop the caffeine medication but keep the home monitor on her for a couple of weeks just to be safe. She has been on a higher calorie formula but since her weight has been doing well we plan on switching to regular formula as soon as we finish the higher calorie formula that we purchased. Which at the rate she is going that will be in about a week.

Bath time with Daddy

2008-08-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry that we have not added any pictures lately. Esther, Michael and I are doing well. It has been great having Esther home. I love being home all day with her. She sleeps through most of the day, as you can see, and is more awake at night. Esther will eat every four hours during the day and every two hours at night. She eats like a champ. We just finished our first can of formula in less than a week. Michael will help out with the bottles in the middle of the night if he does not have to work the next day. We had our first day out on Friday. We went to Home Depot for paint for the nursery. We had picked a color and I painted on Thursday but it was not a good color so we picked a lighter yellow. I will post pictures when it get all done. Tuesday is our first Dr.'s office visit. I am anxious to see what Esther's weight is now. We hope that everyone else is doing well.

Always sleeping

2008-08-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

First Day

2008-08-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

Our First day with Esther at home was interesting. We got home from the hospital around 11am. Michael and I were both hungry so Michael whipped up some eggs while Esther slept in her car seat. The day was going as I would have expected. Esther ate and slept. But then around 1:30 Michael went to change Esther's diaper and that is when we were christen parents. Michael decided to changing Esther on the couch. He had a pad under her but I don't think she cared because at that moment when the old diaper came off Esther grunted and Michael, the couch, and the remote control ended up covered with poo. Michael was so covered it was dripping off of him. It even went so high as to hit his collar. Michael, the couch, and the remote got a thorough cleaning. I could not stop laughing for 2 hours. Then about 9 o'clock that night she did it again. This time it was just on me.

Going Home

2008-08-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

It has been a long awaited three weeks but Esther finally gets to leave the hospital. Heather and her family were able to come the night before and spend some time with Esther. It was especially fun for Heather's younger brother and sister since they have not been able to see or hold Esther up to this point. We appreciated the opportunity to say good bye although not forever but for the moment. We love Heather and her family and hope that they will continue to be part of Esther life and ours. We would like to thank all our families for their love and support. Michael and Kathryn

2008-08-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

2008-08-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

Going Home

2008-08-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Esther update

2008-08-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Esther is just moving along. In the last couple of days she has decided she likes to eat and has been doing very well with her bottles. She is no longer requiring oxygen when she bottle feeds and we have moved to 3-4 bottles a day. If she keeps this rate up she will be home soon. She might even be home before next weekend. We will see. It is all up to her.

Thanks to all those who have given their love, prayers and support. We love you and Esther loves you. We will keep you updated as to when she will come home.

Special visitors

2008-08-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

We had special visitors last night. Heather and her parents came to visit Esther. We are so thankfull for Heather and we are so glad that she was able to come and spend time with Esther.

Special visitors

2008-08-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

Bath Time #2

2008-08-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

This time we remembered the camera. Esther enjoyed her bath for the most part this time. She just cried a couple of times and when she was all clean dressed and tuck into bed she spit up. I have a feeling that this will not be the last time that happens.

Other than some spit up Esther is doing great. We are excited for her to come home. It will probable be a couple more weeks but can't wait.

2008-08-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Sleeping with Daddy

2008-08-09T07:37:00.001-07:00

So the first picture is of the room at UVRMC that Esther has. There is only one room like this and all the staff made sure that Esther got the best spot in the NICU.

Esther's favorite thing to do right now is snuggle and we like it too. Especially Daddy.

Bath Time

2008-08-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

So we got to bath Esther on Thursday. It was not her first bath but it was the first time Michael and I got to bath her. I don't have pictures because I forgot the camera. Lets just say she was not too happy with us. Esther fussed and cried through most of the bath. I hope that in the future she learns to like being bathed. I will remember the camera at her next bath.

Sleeping Beauty

2008-08-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Here's Sleeping Beauty again. She did not want to eat very much but sure enjoyed sleeping. They took out her IV and she is doing well enough to not need oxygen. She looks like a real baby now. This was her last night at Timp Hospital as she was transferred to Utah Valley the next day. We sure loved Timp especially the Night Nurse Dannette and the nurse practitioner Kari, but man she is getting the pampered life from Kathryn's co workers at Utah Valley, She even has a private room with a view. It is also nice because it is easier to have visitors at Utah Valley. Pics of her new digs will be posted tomorrow.

Sleepy Baby

2008-08-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, 8/4, Kathryn went to feed Esther Hope in the morning and she ate 20 cc. Impressive numbers I know. After hearing that Michael was excited to go after work and see if he could get esther to post more big gains. Esther Hope was not having it though as she was content to sleep. Despite Michael's little pokes Esther remained asleep but showed us some of her grumpy faces. (Heaven help us when she is a teenager and we have to wake her up). So here are some Pictures of Sleeping Beauty.

First Bottle

2008-08-03T05:39:00.001-07:00

Las Night she was more awake and alert than she has been for us yet! She was looking around and as you can see from the pictures, having some good stretches. She had her first oral feeding last night and did fantastic!!! She surprised Kathryn, The nurse and the doctor by taking 13 cc from the bottle before she pooped out. (she has only been recieving 15 cc through feeding tube so 13 orally was great) This was no surprise to Michael though who after having spent the morning with her told Kathryn "I think she is going to do pretty well, I gave her a little pep talk and I think she listens to me". Also, from the pictures you can see they moved her IV to her head, a common spot for babies.

2008-08-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

Esther Hope is starting to open her eyes a bit more. Yesterday 8/1 she was actually looking around at us for a little while. Also, We were able to hold her for the first time yesterday. I have to say that for a guy who never really got excited about babies, It was awesome. Everyone had told me, it will be different when it's your own, and they were right. Both Kathryn and I were able to hold her for about 15-20 minutes each. It was great!

Michael Just got off a long 13 shift. Esther Hope was warm and we were both tired, so it was easy to take a little nap together.