We will just start from here.

So I am not going to try to play catch up with a lot of details. 
Poor Remi...  She is truly a third child.  I have not written much about her on the blog and/or kept a good journal on her.  I AM going to do better.  Remi is full blown walking!  It was at about 10 1/2 months that she really started walking everywhere and by 11 months she was a pro.  She kind of has 4 teeth, meaning her 2 bottom front teeth came in awhile ago and her 2 top front teeth are peeking out.  She had an adorable 3 toothed grim for a little while.  She talks a little too.  Dada, daddy, all done, kitty, Kenya and Jasmin (or her version of them), mama, stop and she says different words all the time but then doesn't use them again.  She is hopping right along on her speech.  Remi is definitely my most impatient baby.  She tells me that she wants it NOW the  first time she tells me something.  It has been that way since birth.  She loves to play and especially with her sisters.  Truly all of these girls love each other so much it is just fun to be around them.
Jasmin is growing up and loves to play!  Her and Kenya love to play "Mom, Kid" and "Baby" and really anything pretend.  Jasmin does a great job playing by herself if everyone else is busy or whatever.   She makes us laugh all the time.
Kenya is 5 years old and is kindergarten this year.  We opted to do "home-school" with her because that is what the Lord told us to do.  It really is an online school so she is registered in a public school and they send me the curriculum and then I teach it to her.  We are trying to figure this out together.  It think it would have been so much easier on me and her if we would have just put her in a tradition public school, but then again knowing what that the Lord told me not too, maybe it would not be easier.  Kenya was reading well before the school year started and is excelling in all of her subjects (1st grade math, second semester kindergarten reading, handwriting, science and social studies .  She sure is smart.  It is hard for her focus at home when Jasmin gets to play as she does school and a million other things going on at home.  Some days are way better than others, but we make it work. 
We are still in Idaho Falls and finally kind of feel this is where we may be for an extended period of time.  We like it here a lot. 
We did a lot of playing this summer that included trips to Utah, Oregon, and camping a few times.  We bought a "family size" car this summer.  A suburban and we love it.  We sure can pack a lot of stuff in that thing. 
Kenya and Jasmin are both still in gymnastics and love it!  They have been impressed their teacher and she has mentioned they work hard and really seem to shine.  Last spring at their recitals they each got a 1st place medal.  Kenya on balance beam and Jamsin on the bars.  It is so fun to watch them  grow and learn new things.  Speaking of new things this Sept they also started a ballet class.  They both love it too!  Watching the joy on their faces when they are having fun beats just about anything else in the world. 
Kenya has been asked to sing a solo in her primary program this Sunday.  She says she is nervous for it, but I think she is also very excited about chance to do it. 
Life here is good! You will hear from me again soon.  Remi will be 1 in just a couple of days and I cannot not post about it. 

It's been a long time, but we're still here!

Sorry we haven't updated the blog in such a long time. My laptop is the older of the two and it often takes a really long time to post or do anything and Lois has been keeping people posted on things via Facebook and so the blog went to the back burner. It also doesn't help that, to us, our lives have seemed normal and that there's nothing really to post. However, that is not quite true! There have been tons of things, changes taking place in with the Draper family in Idaho.


Here it is, now fall time and we're finally posting something. Halloween is approaching and we are all so excited!  Today we'll begin watching General Conference!! We are so happy that our girls get giddy and excited when we tell them a week in advance that General Conference will be next weekend and we need to prepare! This time they literally dance and giggled and ran around with joy that General Conference was on it's way! I hope this is something that will stick with them forever. It is so important and Lois and I have done and are still doing whatever we can to help them understand that.

Some updates: Remi is walking and has been since she turned 10 months old! She holds conversations with us, oft times in baby jibberish, but the tones, voice fluctuations and mimic patterns are legit!

Remi is Nearly 5 months old.

On the 29th of this month, in just a few days, Remi will be 5 months old.  WOW!
Remi is by far our happiest baby.  She loves to laugh and smile at just about anything.  It doesn't take much and she breaks out into a huge grin that lights up the room and anyone who can see it.  She loves her sister which is kind of a amazing because Jasmin smothers her any chance she gets.  Kenya is a great help but often things she can do whatever I do with the baby including carrying her around and bring her downstairs to me because she started crying.  That was scary!  And yes, of course she has her daddy (and mommy) wrapped around her little finger.
At her 4 month check up she was in the 25% (13lbs) for her weight and 75% (25.5in) for height.  Looks like we have "skinny mini" babies.  
She already gives 5, kisses and is working hard on sitting up.   She loves to chew and play with toys now too.  We are pretty sure she response to when you say hi to her by saying "hi" back. 
She spits up what seems like just about everything the eats after every feeding.  She has done this since she was a just a couple of weeks old.  She is healthy and growing so we are not worried.  We just smell like baby most of the time.  
She is fought over at church in our ward at who gets to hold her during the meetings.  She is a wonderful baby!  We love our Remi and cannot imagine life without her.  We thank your father in heaven daily for our wonderful little girls!

The rest of us are enjoying the weather changing to warmer weather by riding bikes and play outside.  Kenya has been riding her "big" bike since last fall and is doing great at it.  She is also doing amazing at reading.  She is not to fond of reading by herself yet, but I think that will come.  She still LOVES me to read her books but when I try to get her to read any book other than her "reading book" she does not want to. 
Jasmin's favorite saying since Remi came along is "I am big enough."  She thinks that because Remi is the baby now she is big enough for everything.  She will not let me call her baby anymore at all. 
Kenya and Jasmin have been in a gymnastics class since Sept and both are learning so much.  They are both excelling in it as well.  I have really enjoyed watching them learn and grow.  I feel like they are also learning valuable skills like listening to a teacher and are having a fun time with other kids.  I will have to post about Kenya's 5th birthday party at a later time.  We had a blast!  

Almost 3 months

Remi is almost 3 months old and that means a lot has happened that needs updating. 
She has a gorgeous smile that she is not afraid to show off.  She loves to giggle and has for quite some time. 
She has never really been a baby to like to be held laying down.  She likes to sit and stand so that she can see what is going on.  She is now rolling for her tummy to her back and very recently from her back to her tummy.  (Life only gets harder from here with baby # 3 on the move I am assuming.)
She is super strong.  She pulls away from you when she is sitting in her arms.  She goes from sitting to standing while you hold under her arms all by herself.  
Remi likes to play peek-a-boo.  She still sleeps a lot and that makes my life easier.
Really she is a great baby. 

Her sister are still obsessed with her and love her more than they can express in hugging, swishing and mauling her. 
Maybe some more updates like on Christmas and the fun excitement we had this year after I kick this strep thing.  Man, it is kicking my trash!!

A Well Deserved Update.

Last Tuesday (Dec 10) Remi had her 6 week checkup.  Here are the stats.  8lbs 11oz and 21 and 3/4 inches.  She is growing well and gaining weight.  Here is a super short recap of the first 6 weeks of her life.

Just before we left the hospital.

Daddy and his girls!  They are all so happy!

In the hospital Remi had a low temperature.  It was just low enough that the nurses were concerned and watched her a little more carefully.  A couple of time the had me hold her with skin to skin contact to try and warm her and it worked well.  Dr Hopkin came to the hospital the next day and discharged us to go home before the 24 hour observation was over.  While the nurses were doing their baby check out the observed that Remi had become quite jaundice because her bilirubin number had spiked from where it was before.  They almost made her stay another night just to watch it but the Dr said I could go home as long as got her checked the next day.  So that is what we did.  I went in to get her checked for the next 2 days and it continued to climb.  So then on day 3 Dr Hopkin ordered a biliblanket for her.  And we continued to check her number for the next 2 days.  After that we did not have to check anymore, but she stayed on it.  She was on her biliblanket for 6 days.  I thought that was quite a while for a baby.  At one point as Amy put it Remi was "neon yellow."  She was very yellow and quite lethargic for most of those days.  She has fully recovered although it took a long time fore the yellow in her eyes to clear up.  Within the first week the Dr office called and told us that Remi tested positive for a sickle cell trait.  This will not really affect her until she ready to have kids and then only affects her children if her husband had the trait or the disease himself.  Nothing to worry about there, but in talking with the nurse it could be a factor in her jaundice sticking around for so long. 

Remi with her second umbilical cord. That is what I called it because she could not go anywhere without it.

  

Just a cute picture of her the first week of her life. 

After her jaundice cleared up we got some newborn pictures done and few for Christmas cards.  They turned out great!  Pictures at the end of the post. 

Jasmina was a lion and Kenya was a spooky black cat.  Thanks Aunt Amy for making their costumes and doing their makeup.

For Halloween we dressed her up in a pumpkin costume because the girls (Kenya and Jasmin) had nicknamed her "Pumpkin Face" before she was born.  She stayed at home and handed out treats with Grandma and Aunt Amy while the rest of us went out trick-or-treating.   We had a nice Halloween and it wasn't too cold.  It was cold, but not too cold this year. 
 

The cutest lion you have ever seen.

Spooky!

Pumpkin Face

(Jasmin still tells people when they look at Remi, "Her name is Pumpkin face and her name is Remi".  It is the cutest thing in the world!

I was a Dr/nurse and Robert was MJ

Robert's boss at work as the "white" MJ. 

 Thanksgiving this year was small in number for us.  Just our family of 5 here.  It turned out great and we enjoyed each others company.

One day when she was about 2 weeks old Robert and I went to the temple.  When we were finished we took the girls back to visit the visitors center.  They love going there to feel the spirit of the temple. 

Kenya loves to hold Remi and does a great job.  She often hold her long enough for me to get a few things done. 

 This was Veteran's Day.  Robert and Kenya played outside almost the whole day in the leaves and Jasmin joined them quite a few times too.  It was a beautiful day and we all had so much fun!

 The Saturday after Thanksgiving we went to a thing here where they have Santa come and visit and fireworks to kick off the Christmas season.  It was COLD, but a lot of fun. 

 Our Christmas tree before any of the other decorations were up.  Yes, we have a fireplace this year!

 Kenya loves to play in the snow!!  She will stay out as long as she is allowed to.  Jasmin likes it, but does not handle the cold as well as Kenya.  I don't blame her.  We went through 2 weeks where the temp might not even reach zero some days.  It was cold!

 Here are the girls at a ceremony to honor the Veterans that we went to last Saturday, Dec 14.  They didn't really care too much for it, but we explained what we were doing and that it was important. 

 Robert got lights up on our house.  He finished them and we were able to turn them on Sunday Dec 15.  My first house with lights outside on the house and we all love it!

 Here is the tree with the rest of the Christmas decorations up. 

Remi has been quite a good baby and sleeps plenty.  She has slept almost through the night since birth.  While on her biliblanket I would wake her almost ever 2-3 hours because they told me the blanket could dehydrate them.  Once she was off of the blanket I let her sleep.  She now only wakes up maybe once a night to nurse and the again at about 6 AM.  What a wonderful blessing! She is smiling now and has been for about 2 weeks.  I always love it when they start to smile at you.  It makes taking care of them a little more rewarding.  Those pictures to come and hopefully sooner rather than later.   She has even began to laugh in just the last couple of days.  We are truly blessed to have Remi as our 3rd child.  She is the prefect addition to our family. 

Quick update on Kenya.  She is learning to read and doing very well at it!  She is smart!  We put both girls in a gymnastics class in Sept.  It is once a week and within a month Kenya had learned how to do a cartwheel and has continued to excel in her learning.  I am moving her up to a more advanced class starting in Jan.  She love both of her little sister and does a great job taking care of them  Kenya and Jasmin are best of friends.
And to Jasmin.  She is doing well in gymnastics too!  She is amazing at forward rolls and is excelling too.   Ever since Remi was born she has told us "I'm big enough."  No matter what we are talking about she is always big enough now.  She is truly growing up too.  Just in the last couple of weeks I have been seeing the transformation form toddler to preschooler and I am not sure I like it.  I want her to stay little.  She wants to hold Remi all the time, but she is still a little too small.  (Don't tell her I said that because she will be sure to tell me she is "big enough.")
We are so happy with our little/bigger family.  Robert and I find joy in our family everyday. 


I am sure there are things that I meant to had to want to post, but we are just trying to catch up with the bare minimums and then stay caught up.  So hopefully more to come and more often again. 

Welcome Remi Alexandria Draper to the World!

Here are the stats: Remi Draper was born October 29, 2013 @ 11:31pm, weighing in at 7lbs 4oz, measuring 20 1/2 in long, with a head of 13 1/4 in circumference and a chest width of 12 3/4 in wide. She, like her sisters before her has a full head of black hair, dark brown eyes, and according to Kenya "She's vanilla not carmel" as far as skin color goes!

Kenya really took to her new baby sister even though she was convinced before Lois was even pregnant that the next baby would be a boy.

I posted these pics post haste but there's still some more stuff to come!