Vernal Family Trip

Mason had a conference in Vernal and we decided to make a family vacation out of it.  When I first heard it was in Vernal I wasn't too excited because I couldn't imagine much being out there.  But I got excited after seeing all there was to do!

We started the weekend off by hanging out at the motel while Mason went to the conference.  The kids swam and Wyatt attempted to take naps from partying the whole night before.

We also explored the town.  We visited Dina the pink dinosaur that welcomes everyone to town.  We got a little Dina to adorn our Christmas tree.

Then we went to the history museum.  The kids got to dig up fossils and see lots of dinosaur bones.  Dinosaur National Monument is right outside of Vernal.  The whole town had dinosaur things all over.  It was fun to see.

The night when Mason was done with his conference we went to McConkie Ranch and hiked to the Petroglyphs.  The kids were such good sports and loved what could have been a slightly strenuous hike for them.  It was fascinating to see the ancient drawings.  I would have loved to have known the story behind each.

Marae drew her own petroglyph to hang on the wall at the beginning of the hike.

The next day we went to Dinosaur National Monument.  It was INCREDIBLE.  There was an entire museum built around the mountain filled with fossils.  There was a small hike back to the parking lot that we did with the kids.  Luckily it was cloudly most of the time on both hikes and not scorching hot.

Sunday as we were getting ready to head out we decided to go on another hike out to Moonshine Arch.  We got lost and had a very scenic detour through a slotted canyon.  Once we finally got on the trail the kids were tired and the sun was shining making it pretty hot.  But we'd come so far we weren't about to turn around now.  Everyone made it through and the arch was totally worth it.

Happy Father's Day Daddy!  You are so loved.

Then we hiked back to the car and drove the rest of the way home.  While driving we found Boonie's long lost secret diary.  I laughed until I cried once I read his deep dark secret that he had written in his locked diary.

I wear diapers.

Mason snapped this picture of motherhood on his phone.  It brought me joy.  I'm dripping with children.

Wyatt 4 Months

Weight: 14.1 pounds - 25th percentile

Length: 24 1/4 inces - 50th percentile

My baby dolly is just getting so big.  He's just a big, fat, chunk of love.  He's the happiest thing that just spreads sunshine constantly.  I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF HIM.  He's just so fun, squishy, and sweet.  Pretty much, if he's awake, he's got all of our attention.

Fun things about Wyatt at 4 months:

• He likes to try and roll still.  He's rolled front laying on his back to his belly about 2-3 times.  He doesn't know how to get back over.  
• He likes to constantly move his head from left to right.  He'll do this while he's being held, laying down, where ever.  This has created a silly looking bald streak on the back of his head.  He's got hair on the top and hair on the bottom, but he's bald through the middle.  Silly baby.  He's just got to see what's going on at all times!
• Nicknames: Bear, Wiley Coyote.
• He's become a much better sleeper.  He'll get up once in the night around 2 or 3 and then sleep until 7:30ish.  Every now and then (like last night) he'll get up around 5:30 am and party with the birds.
• He makes this silly froggy sound where he sucks in his breath.  He makes it when he's excited.
• He's just a happy camper that loves to smile at anything or anyone.  His face explodes into that gummy smile making everyone around him melt.  He's so beautiful.
• I won't let him grow up.  I still squeeze him into some 3 month outfits.  I still make him wear size 1 diapers (partially because we still have some that need to be used up, but it makes me happy that he's still little even though they look as tight as kids underwear on his chunky thighs).  The doctor yesterday that we can start him on solids - ABSOLUTELY NOT - is he out of his ever loving mind!?!?  That will NOT start until 6 months.  He's still a newborn.  He still likes to be swaddled even though he busts out all the time.  I love that his left eye duct is still clogged because that means he's still a new baby as well.  But he no longer needs his new baby insert in his car seat and can't be left in his swing along of he'll roll out.  *tear*
• He gets so confused in the middle of the night during his feeding when I switch sides.  I hold him up to burp him and he is so out of it.  He bashes his head all around (often into my face) and can't hold still and just wimpers until he's back in his burrito and feeding again.  I just love his craziness in the nights.
• He's ticklish but only when he's in the mood.  He likes to play peek-a-boo and any silly baby game that involves a high pitched voice.
• He is a DROOL MACHINE.  That little boy drools so much it's crazy!  We keep a baby bandana on him to catch the drool.  If not, we have to change his outfit after about 30 minutes.
• He still doesn't love baths - which is strange bc all my other kids have loved them... he gets so tense and clenches his little fists SO TIGHT.  Sometimes he'll clench his little first with a fist full of baby flesh pinching himself til he cries.  He tenses up whenever he' naked.  I guess his clothes give him security.
• He doesn't take a binkie anymore.  Ever.  At all.  I mind as well throw them away.  I swore I'd never have a baby that didn't take a binkie... it just comes in so handy... but he decided this himself.  I guess that's thing we won't have to wean him of.
• He feels the need to roll onto his tummy quite often when he is playing on the floor.  He gets VERY angry and can't figure out how to even push himself up.  Sometimes at night he will flip over too and scream out in rage.  Time to build those muscles baby!!