Written Sunday, Semptember 16, 2007
You would think that a family of computer scientists would have had a blog set up a long time ago... The only thing is where do we get the time to do it? Our lives are busy, but so is everyone else's, so I decided to bite the bullet and just start doing it. I hope to fill everyone in on what we have been so busy doing since we have last been in touch.
First and foremost we have welcomed a new little boy into our home. Alexander Robbie Haertel was born March 18, 2007. He will be 6 months on Tuesday. They grow up so fast! So that is one thing that has been keeping us very busy, but good busy. He has brought so much joy to our home. Like Jared he has a very happy tempermant. He is always smiling. He is a very good baby. He is usually very content and easy going. I thought he was going to be a terror because of how much he kicked in the womb but I was wrong. He is rolling over all the time now and has pretty much mastered sitting on his own. He loves his older brother. Jared will come and give him hugs and kisses and say "goo-goo, gaa-gaa" to him. It is pretty cute, except for when he almost smashes him trying to do it. He is eating solid foods and just loves his rice cereal. He also loves to just suck on his spoon, probably because he is teething. Who knows when we will see that first tooth?
So life has been an adjustment for me to go to two kids. I no longer have time for my little hobbies because if they are sleeping I want to be sleeping too. Even though Alex has sleeping through the night for 3 months now, I still don't seem to have much energy. Hopefully that will change soon because I would love to scrapbook again. We do go walking Mon-Fri morning with some friends from the ward, which we all enjoy. We either walk on the Provo River Trail close to our apartment here or at the University Mall if the weather isn't great. So Jared will get to run around at the park or the treehouse at the Mall, which he loves. I think there is a lot more crying in the house now, since it seems either Alex or Jared has to wait for me to finish helping one or the other before I can meet the other one's needs. It is hard to decide who to help first when they are both crying. I think I must be going to Jared's aid first though more often than not, because the other day Alex started crying while I was doing something for Jared and Jared said, "hold on baby, I comin', almost finished". It was so cute, but also sad.
The second thing that keeps me busy is Jared. He is such a fun 2 year old. He can by trying at times as 2 year olds are as they try to establish their independence, but he is really a good little boy. He loves to help me, is very animated and excited about life. This summer he has learned to ride his tricycle and swim in the pool with a flotation wet suit. We were hoping to add to that list to go on the potty, but we are still working on that one. Any tips, books that your recommend? Let us know. He is talking so well now and in 2 languages! Robbie is very disciplined and only speaks to him in Spanish, and Jared is doing great with it. He seems to understand the difference too, speaking the words he knows in Spanish to Robbie and in English to me. It is so cute to hear him speak in Spanish. A neighbor we recently met who is from Mexico thought it was so cute when she heard Jared talking about his "chanclas", sandals.
The third thing that has kept us busy is Robbie's thesis. He has been working on it all summer, and for most of July and half of August I would take the kids up to Robbie's parents' in Sandy on Monday and we would stay all week and come home Friday, do the laundry, make meals for Robbie for the following week and do it all over again. He just couldn't get much done at his lab on campus with all the distractions. So we left so he could work long hours at home and just get it done. I was like it is worth the sacrifice so he can just get it done and be able to concentrate on his Ph.D. It has been a thron in his side, but it will be (almost) all over in just one week. This Friday he will be defending his thesis. So yes it paid off! Jared loved being up at Grandma and Grandpa's house and I think they loved having their grandson's there too. It was nice for me to have adults to talk to, and I would help Ann (Robbie's mom) around the house which had been torn apart from renovations they have had done this summer, which have been very slow unfortunately. It was hard being away from Robbie all that time, but I think it was hardest on Robbie since he was left all alone and had to do his thesis 24-7, or 24-6 I should say.
Our summer wasn't all work though. We were very fortunate to be able to go with Robbie's family down to Rosarito Mexico in the middle of June. We caravaned the 12 hour drive down. Amazingly, Alex and Jared were so great! Josh (Robbie's brother and Jared's favorite person) helped keep him entertained. Jared hated the beach the first couple of days, but after he saw the older kids playing in the sand and how much fun they were having he decided to join in on the fun and make a sea turtle in the sand with his "papi" (Robbie). We swam in the pool which was nice and warm, so Alex even loved it at 3 months old because it was just like a bath. I didn't get in the ocean. I'm not in to self-torture. It is freezing! But, Robbie and his siblings and cousins had a great time boogie-boarding. Luckily, Jared was afraid of the ocean so we didn't have to worry so much about him going off and drowning. It was very relaxing. We had a lot of fun with Robbie's family playing and walking at the beach, swimming, and fixing and eating good Mexican food. It was a a good break for Robbie to get him ready for the months that would follow of intense work on his thesis.
We went to Rachel and Max's to take the kids trick or treating. They had a great time. My brother Brett came to join in on the fun and even dressed up as a "mexicano". Jared was a frog again and Alex was a duck (pond animals). Elizabeth was a bunny and Paige was a black cat, who had to hold her tail when she walked otherwise it would hit her feet.
Alex liked holding his calderon until he got a piece of candy in it and then it was too heavy for him. Jared would actually say "Trick or treat" this year. He would say "thank you" and exclaim "yummy candy" and laugh as he ran to the next house. Robbie had to tell Jared more than a few times to only take one piece of candy. Most people let them pick their candy and after they had all taken a piece he would try and sneak one more. Alex did a great job, getting lots of candy for his mommy. ;) Let's be honest, he is 7 months...who else is going to eat it? 
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