Our little Houston is 1!

- Houston is almost always happy. If he's not its usually because he's hungry or needs a diaper change.

- He's super picky about his diaper being yucky or wet. Im hoping that means he might potty train easily : )

- He loves to point. He points at everything.

 - He absolutely loves Heath. He follows him everywhere. He often will just sit with his legs strait out and watch Heath from a distance. Other times he's right there getting into trouble right along side him.

- He doesn't so much need his binkie like Heath did. He prefers to have it when he's going to sleep, but it's not a necessity.

- He's very particular about having things done his way and in his order. He is very good at throwing a mini tantrum if things aren't exactly as he wishes.

- He loves his belly button. If he isn't wearing his shirt he'll sit there and play with it forever.

- Houston loves to pound on his belly like a drum. It's pretty cute.

- He loves the bath tub. Anytime someone goes into the bathroom he comes a runnin'. He can climb into the one at our new place so we have to be super careful about making sure the door's shut.

 - While he's waiting to get in, he shifts his weight back and forth between his feet in anticipation. Someday he'll understand that this actually makes it much harder to get his clothes off and makes his wait longer.

- He's really really good at splashing and making a huge water mess even times when there's very little water.

 - Right now he still just has two bottom teeth

- That doesn't seem to stop his eating though. He eats very well when he can feed himself. You try to hold the spoon though and he'll have nothing to do with it. Give him control though and he can out eat Heath easily.

- Houston loves music. If he can hear any kind of beat and he usually starts dancing. 

 - We usually have oats and raisin cereal for breakfast each morning. Houston loves this, but won't eat it in a bowl or with a spoon or from my spoon. It has to be on the table and eaten with his hands or he won't eat it.

- Houston is a very clean eater for a little guy. He uaually doesn't make much of a mess until he's finished eating, then he just starts chucking everything off the sides of the table.

- I wear a pair of blue rubber gloves when I wash dishes because my hands crack and bleed if I don't. Houston is terrified of these. If Im wearing them he wont come anywhere near me.

- Since about Christmas time after he was born Houston's been a horrible sleeper at night. He still usually gets up at least 3 times a night. Usually I can just feed him and he'll go back to sleep, but since he's picky about his diaper too I usually have to change him at least once during the night. Ive tried several different things, but nothing seems to work. Someday we'll get it figured out. I really miss being able to sleep at night.

 - Houston's favorite place is the tupperware cupboard. He loves to pull all the tubs out and put things into them. While Im making dinner thats usually what he's doing.

- He loves to scream. Its not even always because he wants something, sometimes I think he just screams because he knows he can make a cool loud noise. Its so loud! Im sure the people above us often wonder what we're doing to our children.

 - Houston loves cars. He pushes them all over the place.  He is really good at making a vroom noise while he does it.

- He also loves to growl and does it a lot when he's happy.

- He walks super cute. Does little high knees to take steps.

- He loves to bang his head on things, repeatedly. The other day he gave himself a bruise on his forehead by banging it on the wall over and over again.

 - He has recently learned that he can climb things. We've had to rearrange our living room because he kept climbing up into the window and almost fell out one day. He tries so hard to climb up just about everything.

- Houston loves to have his picture taken. (notice how he's smiling in almost every single one) If he sees a camera he's usually looking at it and smiling. Maybe that's the trick to being photogenic.

- Houston loves his Daddy very very much.  We have a bell on our door when it opens and as soon as he hears that sound he drops everything and goes running to the front door with arms wide open squacking, "Da DA DA DA DA!" and gives Matt a huge hug and kiss.  I'm often criticized for not giving Matt as good of a welcome as Houston. But man, how do you compete with that face and squeeze?

- He's really really good at giving hugs. He just squeezes tight and doesn't let go .Its so sweet!

 - He's also really good at giving kisses. He'll come up to you with his lips puckered saying, "mmmmm" then as soon as you lean in he'll open his mouth as wide as he can and give you a good slobber.

- When Matt's home Houston's usually following him around begging to be picked up. Like I said the boy loves his Daddy. Then if he is picked up he just sits there with such a satisfied grin on his face.

 On his birthday I found the stroller we'd been looking for for super cheap on craigs list, so we went and picked it up.
It folds down to about 4'' high and the wheels pop off so it easily fits into our car. The bar that connects it to our bike folds away underneath it when not in use and the front wheel is super sturdy but comes off easily when pulling. Its pretty much the best thing ever. Happy Birthday present Houston.


We needed a few things from the store for dinner so we walked over after Matt got home from school.

Houston made a nice mess of himself

 and we sang happy birthday. Isn't he so cute!

 He did a much better job of messily eating his birthday cake this time.

We sure love our little "Fussin' Hussin" .

 He has such a sweet influence on our home.

 Im not quite sure what Heath's doing in these, but I think Houston's faces are so adorable!

 I can't believe this was only a year ago! You're so big and so capable now. Since I didn't blog about it at the time, this is what was in my journal when you were born.
 Sept 17 - Took Heath to Rebeccas last night. We left the house at 4 this morning to be at the hospital by 5. I actually slept really well last night. I guess it's not as nerve racking when you've gone through it before. It took a long time for things to get going. They finally started the IV and Pit about 8:30. By 10 I was having heavy regular contractions & got the epidural around 10:30. Dianna Allphin was there,

 She brought flowers and rubbed my feet & legs and painted my toe nails for me. It was SO nice. There was a Notre Dame football game on so we were watching that. (which we also did when Heath was born) It seemed like we were waiting forever for you to come. Heath was so much faster. I thought for sure you'd go as fast if not faster being the second. Finally around 1pm things started happening & you were born at 1:12pm. It was the nicest delivery, we were all laughing and talking and having a great time. You were really buttery & so cute! You were immediately so calm. You gave a good squawk at first but then just sat contently looking around. They said normally that would affect an agar score, being quiet, but they could tell you were just mild mannered.  When they  put you on my tummy right after you were born you grabbed my finger & squeezed it SO tightly until they

 took you away to be cleaned up and weighed.  You seemed so small. They asked what we guessed your weight to be & I said, "oh maybe 8-8.5lbs" You just seemed so small. When they got you on the scale though you were 9LBS 4oz. 21 3/4" long & your head was 14.5'' around. (that's probably why you took longer, heath's head was 13.5" and they said that was pretty big") You are so alert and aware and look us right in the eyes when you're awake. You have huge feet and hands and snore a little when you're sleeping. You are such a sweet well mannered boy. Hardly ever cry and just sit contently most of the time.
Grandma and Grandpa Forsyth, Nile, Kayla, Sterling & Dallin came to visit you today. Rebecca and Ben also came and brought Heath. Heath loved you instantaly and gave you lots and lots of kisses.

Sept 18 - Your names either Clyde Oliver, Houston James, or Houston Mitchell. It's dad's decision since he agreed not to name you Leroy Bernard. Today was Stake Conference. Grandma and Grandpa Hansen, Johnny, Luke, & Sam came to visit you today. I've been doing really really well, sleeping a lot & very hungry.  You are so good. You sleep about 3-4 hours then eat and go back to sleep. The nursery girls say that you're one of the best mannered babies they've had here. Dad worked all 

 night on the tornado damaged room & has it almost finished for us to come home.
Sept 19 - Brought Houston Mitchell home. Moved bed into the fixed room & got things set up and situated. Heath came home with Rebecca & she brought us a tasty Lemon Chicken Dinner. Heath really likes Houston & likes to talk all high pitched & squeaky around him.
 Sept 20- Sam & Amy came over and gave us their bassinet. They said it's been used by 9 babies, so Houston's #10. He slept alright last night. Got up with him for a couple hours but nothing like Heath's first night home.

 Sept 23- We sure love our little Houston!
1 week check up - 8#11oz. Doing really really well.

Sept 26- Really hard day. Heath really missed Daddy & kept pushing Houston away wanting me all to himself.

Sept 30 - Houstons 9#15oz.

Oct 2 - General Conference weekend. Went to Spfld to watch it and G&G Forsyth's house. Had a good visit. Went to see Vondra & Pohlsanders at Grandma Stamn's house. Heath was scarred of Tai's little boy Treyton, he was a crazy little boy!

Oct 7 - Houston's 3 week check up. 10#13oz. 22.5", head 15". Gaining about a pound a week. Doctor's really impressed. Said for babies to gain 6oz in a week is considered really good.

 I've lost 30pounds since he was born 3 weeks ago. After his Dr visit we came home and played outside for a bit. I started feeling really yucky and running a fever.
Oct 8 - I have mastitis. It sucks! Matt has been so wonderful doing everything. I ruined his work on the house day.
Oct 13 - Grandma Forsyth came to visit. played with Heath and helped with laundry. Had a fun visit. I'm starting to feel a lot better.
Oct 17- Houston's 1 month old. Hes such a good baby. Pretty content most of the time and sleeps so well. We sure love him and are so happy hes in our family.

So there's Your first month. Happy Birthday sweet Houston!

 Some of my family came to visit us last weekend. We were so excited anticipating their arrival. Heath talked about it for a few days leading up.

 Houston made his way into the garage while they were carrying things in and climbed right up into dad's driver seat. He kept saying "whoa, oh, whoa," then started growling. It was pretty funny to see his reaction to a bigger car. Houston loves cars, Heath always liked balls the best, but Houston is definitely a car boy. He'll push one around on the floor happily for an hour sometimes.

 We decided to go to the botanical gardens first thing in the morning. They close in about a month or so, so now would be the time to see it or wait until next year. It was a really nice day, not hot, but not cold, just nicely cool.

 Heath sure loved following around his Uncles.









Matt has fun trying out all the settings on our new camera. As always everything was so beautiful there.

 We fed the fish and watched them open and close their huge mouths. Heath cried when we had to move on. 

 Dallin, Grandma, Heath, Sterling, Me, Houston

 We had a picnic outside the park, then moved on to the zoo.










It was CRAZY there. I'd never seen that many people. I was telling a friend about it later and she reminded me that it was the weekend of the balloon lights so that's probably why there were a lot of extra people. We parked way far away, and walked on up.

So Grandma really wanted to see the new sea lion exhibit, and there was a pretty good line, so we got in.

 I love Dallin's face in this one, it pretty much describes waiting in line. I say that, but it wasn't that bad, we had fun talking and laughing and eating Grandpa's Kettle Corn.

 Heath was kinda crabby from staying up late with all the excitement, but both he and Houston did so good that day with all the dragging around.

 We finally made it in. It's such a neat experience. Very comparable to what it was like to scuba dive, but you'r not wet.

 Heath took this last picture, hence the finger on the lense.

 The chimps put on a pretty good show, playing monkey see monkey do, copying everything the other did.

 The boys really loved the grizzley. Heath said, "It's bear bears daddy!"

 Houston just growled at it very loudly.

 Then we checked out the penguin house, which we had to wait in line for again, everyone I talk to has said they've never had to wait in line for the penguins, that's how busy they were.

 It's pretty cool in there. The penguins are so cute, they almost look like robots the way they move.

This little guys was out on the edge so naturally Matt held our baby up to him. Houston buzzed his lips at him. Looking back at it, I'm not sure if that was so safe, do penguins attack?

 Not sure how this got our of order, but I think this is such a cute picture of Grandpa and Heath. : )

 Heath didn't like the penguins or the penguin house at all. It was too cold and windy in there for him, and he thought the penguins were creepy.

 He's just SO cute!

 Dallin and Sterling helped Heath "squish" his penny into a Monkey. He was so excited about it, and played with it for days following. They said when they got up to do it they said "Heath would you like a monkey" "No" "a bear" "no" "a penguin" "NO! I want a monkey"

 After we took this a lady loudly said to her children, "No you may not climb onto the seal statue, you're old enough to read, you can see that sign that says 'do not climb on and part of this statue"

Oops! missed that one.

 I think these are all so sweet!

I love him!

 After the zoo the boys went window shopping and we came home for the boys to take a nap and make Houston a birthday cake.

 His birthday wasn't until Monday, but Grandma and Grandpa wanted to celebrate, and well never turn down a reason to eat cake and icecream!

 He is by far the cleanest 1 year old cake eater I've seen. He's always so particular about things, and is really a clean eater until he's finished, then things start flying.

 As usual he did lots of growling.

 Grandma and Grandpa brought presents too!

 This was such a perfect gift, he and Heath both play with it all the time.

Heath got a present too! He was so excited! He's been asking me when his birthday is. I had a big 1 on Houston's on our calendar and Heath wants to know where his is. Since i don't have a calendar for next year yet, i was a bad mommy and told him the star on Christmas was for his birthday. Now he flips to December and says "there's Heaffer's birthday!"





We had so much fun. Its always so wonderful to be with family!