Blessed

Pieper was blessed on Sunday. It was a beautiful blessing given in the middle of a "3-ring circus" (according to Kyle). We got to church and realized we were without a pacifier, and I knew that trouble was ahead! But our friends lent us one, and I gave it to Uncle Christian with the instructions to plug her up as soon as she got a little fussy. Well she got a LOT fussy. The crying began the minute I handed her over to Uncle Andrew as they walked to the front of the chapel for the blessing. The pacifier didn't help either--she just kept spitting/ pulling it out. And to complicate things, she is at the stage where she locks her legs and arches her back. So the men in the circle were trying to juggle her and the pacifier. But between all the crying and the stiffening and the pacifying and re-pacifying...Kyle gave her a very nice blessing. This is not the face of a little stinker, is it?

2 piepers

uncle Andrew. The picture doesn't capture it, but that boy sure is good at making her smile.

Auntie Lars

Uncle Christian

grammy and papa, with pieper in her party sash version of the blessing dress (we joked about having one of the uncles make the switcheroo in the middle of the blessing and then holding her up with her new look, but considering the way the blessing went, it's probably best we didn't add to the crazy!)

under the supervision of my competent mother and mother-in-law (and consultation from sister and sister-in-law) i made the dress. it turned out just about how i wanted. And i have fun memories of sitting around my kitchen table with the sewing machine talking to those women while i tried not to botch up the whole thing! Gramma did the beautiful flowers.

gramma and pieper (man this girl's got chubby cheeks, doesn't she?...pieper, not gramma)

The Campbell cousin representative: cute Abbey

uncle ryan and aunt kari, with perplexed pieper

4 generations: pieper, daddy, papa, and grandma campbell

Thanks to everyone who came for the occasion. We had a wonderful time with you all and missed those of you who weren't with us. I feel happy we were finally able to get the blessing done. She feels like a more official person :) It was a happy weekend. I feel grateful for family and that this little one was sent to ours.

Granny Pie

We spent last week with Granny Pie. Our time with her is precious, and we loved being with her again. She got to meet little Pieper. I'm happy that when Pieper thinks of her name, she can remember my grandma Pieper.

Jake also enjoyed his time at Granny Pie's house. I wasn't sure that he would based on his reaction the first night that we arrived. When we pulled in to Rigby at 2:00 in the morning, he woke up. Commence tantrum. He wanted to go home. After a good 30 minutes of de-escalating, we talked him into going in to see Granny Pie. The room was dark and the setting was unfamiliar, and you can imagine a child's reaction to all that. But when Granny Pie reached out her hand to shake Jake's, he sweetly took her hand and kissed it. There's just something so lovable about that Mary Pieper! I'm happy that Jake recognized it!

Jake did end up having a great time, despite the fact he missed Dad and Noah. But without Noah there to direct all activities, Jake was free to do his own thing. And he even got to be the Incredible Hulk (the real green one) instead of the Orange Hulk (who Noah always tells him to be). Jake in his Hulk attire:

On our last night there, he made a superhero picture museum. He worked so hard on each of the drawings and wouldn't let us look until he was finished. He was excited to show the display to Chief and Granny Pie. It was very impressive!

And here are a few pictures with Chief and Pieper (aka Bald Eagle and Bald Eaglet). They are two peas in a pod.

I am happy that my kids have such love from extended family. During the week, I was reminded of the importance of family and the influence that we all have on each other. My grandma has meant a lot to me throughout my life. She is a faithful woman, and it is a real blessing to be a part of her family!

Snow Everywhere! (part 2)

If Jake's reaction to our st. george snow was 'excitement', I don't even know how you would classify his enthusiasm for the Idaho snow. Here he is, all bundled up and ready to go:

"so this is what snow looks like!"

In front of the old homestead:

Jake, building his very first snowman

the finished product:

Gramma using her brute strength to transport the snowman to a better location

Thanks Idaho, for teaching us the true meaning of snow :)

3 month old Pieper

in my favorite little outfit that she is outgrowing too fast:

with her toys

she likes the jungle mat.

just don't flip her over

her happiest times are hanging out with mom and dad after the boys go to bed

It's been a great 3 months with this sweet little face around!

a story for our friends up north

Yesterday morning we woke up to some wintery weather. Our snow-deprived boys were ecstatic. Noah announced dramatically: "I've been waiting sooooo long for this snow to come! and Jake waved his arms around and screamed: "It snowed EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!"

And this is the picture, in case you are curious what the "SNOW EVERYWHERE" looks like:

it doesn't take much to get us excited.

one more Pieper picture

...because she got all dressed up today for church

p.s. thanks Aunt Kari, for the awesome quilt. we LOVE it.

2 Month Old Pieper

I will go ahead and start it off with the cliche: my baby is growing up so fast! I feel like time is slipping away from me--I barely blinked and our first 2 months were gone! I loved pretty much every minute of those two months. I have enjoyed little Pieper more than I imagine any mother could enjoy a baby! Maybe it was the fact that this is my first girl, or that it has been two and a half years since I had a newborn, or that my boys are more rambunctious than ever...the point is, I just can't seem to get enough of this sweet little baby. I love holding her, and I feel like most of the first 2 months were spent on the couch doing just that. Before the baby came, many of you heard my worries about being a mother to a daughter, and now I understand why everyone was so ready to offer the reassurance that having a daughter is a wonderful thing. I can't comment on what it is like to raise a girl and all the emotions and dynamics that come with that...I guess we'll cross that bridge when it comes...but I can say that having a baby girl is especially special. The tenderness I feel towards her is different than with my boys. I do feel a different connection with her. At the moment, I am watching my boys chase each other around the house, clothed only in their shorts (the standard uniform when they pretend to be the Incredible Hulks) with their current weapons of choice. Jake just clobbered Noah over the head with a large shark toy as Noah fought back with a refrigerator attachment. They are laughing hysterically and throwing shoes and seem to be enjoying their fight...but it all just seems weird! Being a boy must be a crazy thing. And so they are proving my point: boys are different than girls. I love all my kids, and I am happy to report that I do love that one of them is a girl!

What Pieper is up to today: she is sleeping through all the big brother commotion! She does still nap for most of the day, but during her waking hours she is alert and quick to smile. She has started cooing, and I just love those first sweet baby sounds. She holds her head up very well--one more sign we are moving past that newborn stage. It went by so fast, and I already miss that little newborn. I would never have called myself a "baby kind of person", but Pieper has converted me :)

Her mom isn't the only one who loves her! She has had a softening effect on all of us, especially the boys. I call Jake and Noah the "Kissing Brigade" on account of the countless kissing attacks launched on the little sister. She is a good sport about it all and takes all the love like a champ. They are big on the baby talk and also make up beautiful songs about our little Pieper girl. In closing, I will include the lyrics of a Noah-original song that captures our family's feelings about her.

you're the best baby ever

you're the best baby ever

you're the best baby ever

you're the cutest girl i ever saw

the cutest baby i know

the cutest baby in the world

you're the baby who i love

awwww