Pictures of the Day

Isn't my baby Joe so cute?! And aren't these pictures awesome!! I took a photography class from my amazing friend Lesley about, what, a year and 1/2 ago, already? I haven't done anything with it, until now and I am getting the bug again. That's pretty much how my hobbies go, I'm really into them for a while and then I totally drop them and I change to something else. Hopefully by the end of my life I will have mastered something! But I got out my camera yesterday and snapped these cuties! My focus is a little off in some pictures which makes me mad, but if anyone has any advice, please share! I want to improve! ... especially you Tiff!

Stinker

Madeline wrote her first word by herself the other day: Poop. I laughed, and when I asked her what it said she pointed to the letters and sounded it out: "Da-ddy"!

This was in the car: "Mom, the other day daddy took me to the liquor store and we got a lollipop"... oh really?

In primary, her teachers were teaching about the plan of salvation. They were explaining how Jesus's plan offers you a choice and Satan's plan offers no choice. Madeline raised her hand and said "well, my mom doesn't let me choose what to wear on Sunday!" Thanks for comparing me to Satan! What about the other 6 days of the week that I let her choose?

Adam and she have been discussing getting a guinea pig. Let me just say, I cannot handle a guinea pig right now so we haven't gotten one. The other day in the car, with all the black-lady attitude she could muster, she said "Mom, whats it gonna take to get my guinea pig!?" It doesn't sound that funny writing it down, but just trust me, it was hilarious.

We were over at my friends house and she was giving her girl some candy because she got a boo-boo. Madeline, obviously wanted a treat too but didn't get a boo-boo, tried to invoke some sympathy from my friend said matter-of-factly "Sometimes my dad hits me." What!? Nice way to throw your awesome dad under the bus just for a lollipop! If you know Adam, you know that is not true. In fact he is way nicer than I am. It would have been more believable if she said her mom hits her, which is also not true, but more believable, I guess. My friend who is a former elementary school teacher just burst into laughter and said "if I didn't know you guys so well I would be calling Social Services!"

Picture of the Day

What a lucky girl

Thank you Nana!

Somebody got a package today!! Madeline LOVES to get packages, basically, because the packages are always for me and Adam and now baby Joseph, she feels a little left out, so when she got a package today from Nana, saying she was excited is an understatement!

And what was in the package?! Every little girl's dream! A rapunzel movie, dress, hair brush and accessories and doll!!! and this cute tote bag! It is rapunzalloza at our house today! Forget any plans I had we have stayed home and watched rapunzel. Am I ok with this? You betcha! Right in time for conference!!!

Madeline below dancing in her dress after we have watched the movie. Thank you so much Nana this is such a fun package! Love you!

Baby Jo...seph

I was talking to baby Joseph this week and I called him "Baby Joe", it's cute, right? Keep in mind that we have not let Madeline be called anything but Madeline because we are not fans of Maddy or any other shortened version of her name. We know that eventually it will probably happen, i.e. when she goes to school, but we named her Madeline because we loved it not because we loved Maddy. And she has caught on, she corrects grown-ups all the time, and is not shy about it, which, of course, we LOVE, our self-confident little 3 1/2 yr old! So when I called my beautiful new boy, "Baby Joe", Madeline hesitated for a second, looked at me weird, and then said "seph" completely satisfied with herself. Well, I just laughed out loud. At least I know I will have someone to take care of me when I forget my keys and to put my dentures in when I'm old and especially to help me when I don't call people by their full names! (It reminded me of the part in 'Waiting for Guffman' where the lady says "Keanu Reeve...es..")

So anyway, here's pictures of our beautiful 6 week old boy:
Trying to get that head up! Actually this is pretty weak sauce for him, he can hold his head up pretty well- he's been working on it since day 1!

Joseph is such a good baby! He just eats, sleeps and poops! He hardly cries at all, and has just become the love of my life these past six weeks. He is so good, and I am so grateful to be his mama!

This picture was taken seconds before I collapsed on that bed behind me (obviously!), but what a cutie-bam-boodie! Adam couldn't help but take this picture of our little baby burrito!

My cute boys! Don't they look alike? I mean, besides the obvious hairline... hehe;)

Our New Arrival

Diana, Madeline, and I are delighted to announce the arrival of Joseph Spencer Heder! He came Wednesday evening at approximately 5:30, weighing a perfect 7 pounds and measuring 19 inches. Diana loved the hospital, the nurses, her doctor, and really the entire experience. The doctor let me "deliver" the baby, which was fantastic. Madeline is absolutely loving her baby brother and every time he cries, she assures us that its because she isn't holding him.

Yellowstone 2010

An awesome burger joint in Ashton, Idaho on the way
In front of the Artist's Paintpoints - one of the geysers at Yellowstone


A close encounter with a black bear at about 6 in the morning
A second black bear
Madeline and dad cooking breakfast in the snow
The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Madeline after a long night of sleep and me after a long night . . .

This year for mine and Diana's 6th Anniversary, we opted for the ultra romantic option of camping in Yellowstone with Madeline. In sum, it was great. You'll notice from the pictures that there is snow on the ground. That's right, despite going on June 18th, we woke up our first morning to about a half inch of snow. When I say woke up, I mean decided to get out of our sleeping bags as the cold kept me and Diana awake for all but maybe one hour during the night. Takeaway lesson: If you go to Yellowstone, always prepare for the cold. It was a great trip. We hiked down the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, saw lots of geysers, tons of buffalo, jack rabbits, heron, deer, antelope, elk, bald eagle, moose and two black bears. Madeline loved the wildlife and slept like a charm through the night even when her parents couldn't. She was surprised to see a big jack rabbit waiting outside of our tent one morning and was a little disappointed when I informed her that we couldn't go pet the bears.

All in all, it was a great anniversary.