summertime at the Dardano's

Just thought I would share a few more family pics from the past week down here in D-town. We haven't been up to much except for swimming, boating, and wrestling (the boys- not me). Little Lex is such a sweetie and the boys can't keep stop kissing him. They always want to hold him and 'feed' him -not breastfeed-but with their plastic food- or with real food now that I think about it.. Cash has grown up so much in the past few weeks I can't believe it. He is talking so much now- it almost makes me a little bit sad. He isn't my baby anymore:( He sure is funny, though. In this first shot you see him naked on our back porch (not a change from the norm- my boys live in diapers/underwear/or completely naked, as I'm sure if you have eyes you have noticed) but what you don't see is what happened in the few minutes after the photo. He took a little poo on the ground without mauri or myself noticing (not white trash at all)- and we only realized it when he picked up one of the tiny turds and handed it to Mauricio. Mauri, not realizing what it was and assuming that cash was trying to hand him fake food or something- took it from him with such enthusiasm and then put it up to his nose...I am laughing out loud right now...if you could have seen his face!!!

The New Fam!

It has been a busy busy busy few weeks here at the casa:) I think I am going to make it through the next couple of years...I'm not certain- but hopeful. My four boys are definitely going to make it interesting! Pierce and Cash are crazy. they are starting to play together more and more- (probably because they realize that they are eachothers' best bet for a good time- I'm no longer fun and interesting I guess) and they are loud and rough and everything else you would expect two boys to be. I used to freak out when they would start to wrestle or when one of them would get a little bit rough- but now that I have to let things run their course a little bit i am surprised to see that they actually really enjoy themselves when they are in danger of getting hurt. I don't understand boys- probably why I got stuck with them...

We are starting to get out a little bit more- and its a good thing because I think they were starting to get a little bit stir crazy...see below:

I looked out the front window yesterday and saw this...

Pierce loving on Lex- he started to cry in my arms the other day and Pierce said "here, let me hold him.." love it..

I tried to do a little work out video at home- then the boys confiscated my weights and took over my spot...

My three little boys..

This is my favorite. Cash has a little bit of a shoe fetish- he always wants to wear shoes- mine, Pierce's, dad's, Lex's- whoever- but his absolute favorites are these snow boots- fur lined snow boots that we try to keep hidden. We hide them because he will NOT take them off for any reason but he will cry and cry when he gets super hot and sweaty. obviously he found them this day and right in time to go to the pool!

This is Pierce break dancing in the bathtub. and yes, that is a bobby pin in his hair. Mauri was giving the boys a bath and when I walked in he (Mauricio) had pinned his hair back with my bobby pins and then decided that the boys needed it, too. I wish I had gotten a pic of mauri...
I guess this is what happens when a new baby comes home from the hospital with a pacifier. Neither of them EVER took a pacifier when they were babies- but now they 'need' one.

You can't tell here, but they are pushing eachother around in a carseat I just brought in- at full speed...



Here they locked me out of the study- so they could scream at the top of their lungs without getting in trouble-

And here they are saying "Thank you, Aba for our shirts! We love you:) Come see us!!!!!!Here's cash with the shoe thing again... hands and feet:)

Happy Birthday Little Lex!!!!!

He's here! It took me too long to post...but Baby Lex made his debut May 7, 2009 at 5:53 PM after a painless labor thanks to that heavenly epidural:) He is so sweet!! I don't even want to say anything and jinx it- but the past five nights he has slept for a good seven hours straight- and then I feed him and he's out for another four...he is truly an angel. Pierce and Cash are doing so great with him, too. I could not have imagined that they would be so sweet to their baby brother. They like to take turns kissing him and patting his head... and 'helping' to change his tiny diaper. The only problem I am currently having is being a little bit out of commission while I nurse him. I swear my boys get a gleam in their eye when i sit down to feed him and in no time they are jumping off the ottoman on to the couch and onto each other- which is fine for a while- and they laugh hysterically when they fall or when they get a good body slam occasionally- but inevitably one of them ends up in tears (usually poor Cash) and then I feel like octomom as I try to comfort one while nursing the other.

I am so lucky to have such an amazing husband, too. He has been so great with me and the boys. Every day when he comes home he takes the two older ones out and has really let me have time to just heal and spend time with the wee one. I don't know what has gotten into him- but I am LOVING him this past week:) Thank you, my angel. They sure do have his number, though.. He took them out the other day and came back with like five huge bags from toys r us- he can never say anything to me again about my super target habit.

I truly love all my boys. I could also never have imagined that I would love THREE boys so much. Lex was definitely part of our family before, and I am so glad he is finally here!

Easter!

I really need a new camera. I did not get any really cute pictures of this easter- and, of course, none with the whole family :( The boys were cute, though! It was raining pretty bad all morning so we just hid eggs around the house- then we made some delicious blueberry pancakes and got ready for church. You will see here that before church we were happy and loving (usually the case) - and after...due to the fact that we don't get to have a nap on sunday- well- see for yourself. At least when the picture was taken Pierce was not sitting on Cash's head or anything.

Pierce is potty trained!!

I know this is probably not as exciting for most of you as it is for me- and yes, he is three years old- but I have been dreading the PT for months, putting it off in fear of failure:) I must say that it was not THAT bad! He really only took about three days and since that time he has not had one accident. and pipe down friends that were at the park with me the other day...he told me and I just couldn't get there fast enough! Oh and I guess one other time, too- but lets not split hairs.... He got lots and lots of toys- and his brother did not like to be cooped up with us all week in the house (i don't like not leaving the house either, though) but looking back on it I think it was a good time:) Other than that we have been back to our old routine. When its warm outside I open the back door and turn the hose on and easily buy myself an hour of silence. I am really looking forward to the summer when they can play all day in the pool and splash park...

Their new favorite game is "crawl up on the arm of the sofa and fall down and try and hit eachother". probably not the safest activity, but it sure does keep them occupied!Mauricio loves it when I put headbands on the boys. Do you think we should try for the girl?

Cash likes to watch his nightly movie snuggled up like this. its one of the only times of the day that he is cuddly

One of Pierce's first potty toys! I think this one might have done the trick- and now I want to break it:)

Do you think this water is clean? I checked for bugs and mold and found nothing- but Mauri said this is why Cash sometimes gets diarrhea....

SNOW!!!!!

Well, our wee tot got to see snow (real utah snow- on the actual mountains) for the first time last week! We are so lucky to have such fun friends and family around:) We took Pierce to our good friend's the Crofts' cabin in sundance while my wonderful sister-in-law Vanessa and my wonderful mom and dad watched Cash for the weekend. It was so nice- and so easy with just one monster! The whole trip was a dream- Pierce played so well with Kate and Taylor (thank you Kate and Taylor:) they were so nice- and they had so much fun sledding, building snowmen, tubing, playing in the cabin, etc. I think he's going to be a cougar like his mommy! (BYU cougar, that is) Mauri went snowboarding and just can't get enough of it- and while the highlight of my trip was definitely relaxing in a beautiful place with beautiful scenery, no- i did not think skiing would be good for the baby... I must say the pinnacle was the trip to- you know what I am going to say- that magical restaurant they call cafe rio. I have to thank Brian and Rachel for the many good laughs we had, too- they always provide....