Porter Haircut & Time Out

The night before we left for Nashville (5/2) after I had packed, I asked Aaron to cut Porter's hair. Since he was a baby we had done it with him sitting in the Bumbo seat on the kitchen counter but the last two have been different. Time before last he was sitting in his little kid chair in front of the TV. This time he was in his Bumbo seat sitting on a bar stool. He looked like such a big boy! He wasn't too happy about having a haircut--it was late and he was tired--but he was a very good boy and happy to get chocolate for a treat afterward.


Sunday May 15th (also our wedding anniversary) Porter got in trouble for hitting Chancho. Aaron reprimanded him and I told him to go to time out. Usually that requires me to carry him or take him by the hand to time out and most of the time he cries, but this time he walked himself to time out, stuck his nose in the corner, and didn't make a peep! It was adorable! I had to cover my mouth not to laugh, it was so cute. I was proud. After I few minutes we told him to come out and he apologized to Chancho and gave him a kiss.

The 2011 Garden

Monday May 2nd (the night before we left for Nashville for almost two weeks) I FINALLY got around to planting my garden. Been wanting to do it for months but it worked out okay this year I think since we've had such a cold/cool spring with very little heat. Aaron and I went to a local nursery (Sandia Nursery) to buy some starter plants and I already had seeds I had purchased earlier this season on sale. We went to Star Nursery to buy a few bags of soil to put on top as well. We didn't have to plant strawberries because those came back from last years and will continue to do so. This is only our second year to have a garden and we definitely learned some things last year that have changed what we do this year. (First lesson--KILL squash bugs before they kill the entire garden!) Hopefully this garden will be even more of a success and we will continue to learn and improve our skills and knowledge.
I mapped everything out brick by brick--just like last year--so I knew what I had planted and where. Porter decided to "help" and wanted to "color" too. Cutie-patootie! Took me couple hours and I started to late so I did a quarter or third of the planting in the dark with outdoor lights. It was tough at the end but I was so happy to have it finished. Here is a list of everything I planted (from right to left; mostly from seed but some starters in there): strawberries, cilantro, parsley, dill, basil, lettuce (2 kinds), spinach, radishes (2), onions, carrots (4 varieties), green peppers, several hot peppers (including red chili, Santa Fe, jalapeno), tomatoes (4), peas, lima beans, green beans (3), cucumber, zucchini, squash (3), watermelon, and corn. Still want to plant more squash and melons but only if we build planter boxes to put over on the rocks where the huge leaves can grow and take over empty space.
Maybe he wasn't coloring; maybe he was evaluating Mommy's work and grading it.
Aaron laid down the soil and I did all the planning and planting...the hard, time-consuming work. So I will continue to refer to it as my garden and that's why: I'm the one planting, who will weed, pick, maintain, and care for the garden. Aaron says it's his too because he built the planter box and set up the sprinklers. Well that was like two and three years ago honey so that claim to the garden is no longer valid. =P Progress reports to come and continued garden growing to detail.

Pregnancy Update-So far so good!

20 weeks--half way!!! The size comparisons start to change now to compare foods to the baby's length; not so much the size of the baby. At 20 weeks baby is the length of a banana--6.5 inches. Approximate weight is 10.5 ounces. At this stage the online info says I can expect to gain another pound or so each week from here on. I was 20 weeks on April 21st but picture taken the 23rd.

At 21 weeks the baby is the length of a 10.5 inch carrot (that's about 4 inch growth in a week). Baby is estimated to be 3/4 of a pound. I was 21 weeks April 28th but didn't take the picture until May 1st.
May 5th marked my 22 week mark but picture taken the next day. We were in Nashville that week and the following week as well. Baby said to be about length of a spaghetti squash--11 inches--and almost a pound.I was 23 weeks on May 12th but picture taken the 14th--the day we left Nashville. *sniff* Baby size comparison was about the size of a large mango--just over a pound and just over 11 inches long. I intended to go buy a mango for the picture but never did.May 16th--24 weeks along--I had my 3rd appointment with the perinatalogist and saw Dr. Jackson again. The actual 24 week mark was May 19th (my niece Eliza officially became a one month old!) and picture taken that day. Baby is about a foot long (length of an ear of corn) and over a pound. Caleb was such an active squirmy-worm during the ultrasound. Little dude does not hold still! The technician was a quirky, nice lady who called Caleb cookie, noodle, stinker, and honey. Most of the time his legs were crossed Indian style and he kept moving and hiding his face when he wanted a face picture. I feel move him A LOT. Mostly mornings and evenings; he must sleep in the afternoon. I never felt Porter this much. Porter was such a calm baby, but Caleb I feel all the time. Comforts me to know he is moving because that's a good sign of baby being okay! At 24 weeks they start charting the blood flow in the baby brain that tells them how anemic the baby is and how at risk they are. There are four linear curves and today Caleb was on the very bottom curve which is great because it means he is on the low end of being in danger/anemic/at risk/sick. Now let's just hope and pray he stays on that curve! Next regular OB appointment is in a couple weeks and I'll see the specialist the following week, so we keep truckin!

Aspen Baby Blessing

Charity (one of Aaron's 4 sisters) had a baby girl March 21st--Aspen Marie Sherman. She was 6 lbs 9 oz and 20 inches. She was blessed in Las Vegas May 1st and we went down for that special occasion. What a beautiful family! Matt's parents were there and 4 of the 6 Bergquist kids (Aaron + siblings) were there with families and their parents. Baby Aspen was just a doll. She was blessed in a dress Lenore (Aaron's mom/baby's Nana) had as a baby. A couple other grand-babies were blessed in that dress as well.

The Bergquist family

After the blessing at church we went over to the Sherman household for lunch. It was wonderful and tasty! Pretty sure I ate the best salad I've ever eaten there. Before we ate we took family pictures and the kids went lady bug hunting. Porter had a blast hanging out with his cousins and playing.

Porter also found a scooter that he loved riding back and forth the patio on. I didn't know he would know how to do it (meaning standing on it and pushing off the ground with the other).

We are excited for our precious new little sweet niece!

Naughty Porter

Porter does not get in trouble very often, but once in a blue moon he does something he's not supposed to. Easter weekend was full of fun activities and candy so that busy Saturday he did NOT want to take a nap. He cried for a long time (not totally uncommon) but this day he cried so hard and when I told him he could come out, he didn't. I thought that was strange so I went in to check on him and I found him on top of his dresser. What in the world?! He's never climbed up that before! Plus he pulled out every single wipe from the brand new box. He's NEVER done that before either (that's usually something babies do). I made him clean them up and put them back in the box and we're using them all up. Little naughty stinker pot! Guess there are just some things kids have to do to fulfill the typical childhood mischief requirements. I guess next will be permanent marker on his face or finding scissors and cutting his hair. Better go knock on some wood. (4/23)

Hopkins the Frog

I went out in the backyard one day to poop scoop and went to pick up what I thought was a smooshed poo in the grass. To my sheer and utter horror it was a nasty, ugly, big horny toad (or some kind of frog thing). I'm okay with spiders, bugs, snakes, etc...but I don't do lizards, frogs, or rodents. They creep me out. I screamed and went to tell Aaron he needed to take care of it or my lawn mower blades would. *shutter chill* Ew ew ew. (4/27)
Aaron put him in a box and showed Porter. The dogs were very curious about this moving thing. Porter named him Hopkins (his pronunciation was "Ho-kins") which was ADORABLE. Reason being that is the name of the animated frog on the sign language series "Signing Time" by Little Hands Productions.
The next day (4/28) we went to the river just outside our neighborhood and set the green thing free. Adios. I did not shed a tear. In fact inwardly I cheered. I don't want to be afraid in my own backyard for fear of running into that thing!


Freeing the frog. I stood at a distance in case he could super jump and touch me. Yuck.
The cutest thing was as he hoped away Porter kept saying, "Bye Ho-kins! Have fun in the ri-ber!"
Random picture but after Porter finished his breakfast of pancakes one day this is how I found his leftovers and Teddy. (4/29)

Porter Bedtime Routine Perfection

There are some days Porter is such a perfect kid during his bed time routine. He is getting really good about brushing his teeth and not being made to or begged to do it. This day he was the picture perfect kid and did everything as soon as I asked! (pictures April 30)

Brush brush brush brush.
Pearly whites! No cavities here.
After brushing his teeth he just evaluated himself in the mirror. Then he entertained himself (and me) by doing dinosaur faces and roars.


Next he fixed his hair by brushing it down with his hand and even saying "Need haircut," which he did. Cutie pie!
When we say prayers he usually folds his arms, but every once in awhile he folds his hands. He was so cute I had to grab my camera. That's why he's giving me the "Really Mom??" look.

Precious precious precious!!! Makes my heart warm that my little son prays (usually just repeats after us) and even requests prayer time or reminds us before we get to it.
After a bath, brushing teeth, and prayer, we usually read about 4 books which he now chooses. I used to always pick them out but he is now old enough to make requests or just pick them out. His new thing is saying "One more bookie" after every book. I love him so much!