Say "Cheese"!

Palmyra!

2011-11-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

We had a great family reunion with my parents and brothers/sisters plus approximately a billion grandkids. New York. In the fall (bing!). First Niagra Falls, then Palmyra, which is a historical sight for our church. Here are some of my favorite pictures.

Mom and Heber, her firstborn. Checks out their highly visible gums--it's almost like they're related.

The oldest grandchild, Allen. He was a huge sport and took off his coat, even though it freezing (like 54 degress or something) so I could take this art shot in the Sacred Grove. Notice the carpet of leaves...it was so fun to crunch our way through as we walked around this beautiful and inspiring place.

Audrey, Laura's 3rd little girl. Gorgeous child!

Stephanie, the caboose in Heber's family. Doesn't she look like an angel?

I have my own angel. This cherubic child would never fight loudly with his brothers on the way home from the bus stop...wait.

Nothing but love here! Sacred Grove again.

We got lost for about 20 min. looking for the exit from the Sacred Grove. Adam was concerned. Right after I took this picture he said "Are we going to have to live here from now on?"

My beloved Dad on the Joseph Smith farm. This picture kind of lets you know what he would look like with a big orange afro, in case you ever wondered.

This tree was on the Hill Cumorah, which I loooved. The sky was grey, the wood was dark and wet. It almost seemed like the leaves were producing the light on some trees.

Color!

I loved lots of things about the reunion, including, but not limited to:

1.) Hanging out with my awesome siblings until far too late at night (in the hall of the hotel so we wouldn't wake up our kids--kinda surprised no one yelled at us for loitering).

2.) Holding my new little niece, Brianna (Laura's), and nephew, Elliot (Grant's).

3.) Basking in the presence of my parents, who are most dear to me.

4.) Seeing the historical sights (Joseph Smith Farm, Hill Cumorah, Sacred Grove) with so much importance to me in my life...although I did get the distinct feeling that even though sacred things happened on these sights, that any place can be sacred if your heart is turned to God. But still.

5.) Relishing in the beauty of nature in two of its most audacious displays, Niagra Falls and Autumn in New England.

PIctures for Mom

2011-11-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

A couple of pictures I've taken (or had taken by someone with my camera) in the last couple of months:

Mom and her little brother, Uncle Gary.

Me and James at the big family reunion in Heber.

3 Little boys snatched from blissful bug-catching.

A snapshot of Danielle at the park.

Love ya Mom! Don't despair, eventually I plan on posting pictures of Palmyra. :)

The Wrong Idea

2011-02-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

People have the wrong idea about having kids, they really do. Not ALL people. But a lot of people. There is so much talk about the diapers and the teething and the messes, but honestly--it takes like 45 seconds to change a diaper (usually--every once in a while you have a Hiroshima diaper event). You are very likely going to spend more time doing stuff like this than changing diapers on an average day if you have an 18 month-old:

It's a sweet sweet life that's flavored with baby giggles.

Surprise! Surprise!

2010-12-28T19:01:00.000-08:00

We just had a lovely visit with James' parents--Wayne and Sandy.

It was the very best part of Christmas, in my book.

And the best of the BEST was this:

Imagine you live a billion miles away from your children, who each happen to live in separate states. Then you rustle up the frequent flyer miles to go visit one of them. Then while you are there, the doorbell rings unexpectedly, and THERE right before your eyes is one of your OTHER children with their 5 beautiful kids. I bet you'd be surprised. I bet your face would look just like this:

First you would be shocked to your foundation

(although the fact that your daughter-in-law had been wearing her camera for at least an hour might have given rise to slight suspicion, if you're the suspicious type).

Then you would probably begin to feel great joy.

Beloved grand-daughter Megan is now on the scene! (Wonder where she got her red hair?)

Then you might realize that your mouth had been open REALLY wide.

Then you might get kind of teary and say something like "Oh You...[sneaky sneak beloved daughter-in-law]." Although the whole thing was probably organized by your sneaky sneak twin sons, if you have them.

And if you DO have grown-up twin sons, then you probably wouldn't be too shocked that within 30 min. they'd be discussing fart apps for their smart phones. As in, you jiggle your leg and the amazing motion-sensitive thing makes *ahem* a noise.

Families--gotta love 'em.

James on the left.

P.S. Here is a lovely picture I got of Sandy while she was here. Hopefully it will make her forgive me for the goofy ones I posted earlier.

Isn't she lovely?

P.P.S Wayne was surprised too.

Joey Takes the Big Dip

2010-11-26T00:20:00.000-08:00

Joey was baptized on November 11th. He was soooo excited!

Grandma and Grandpa Farnsworth were able to come all the way from New Mexico for the event.

It was a very sweet day for me. There were 7 kids getting baptized in the stake that day, so there were a LOT of people. The chapel and the over flow area was full. James and Sam sang a special musical number. It was an arrangement of "Come Follow Me" and "How Great the Wisdom and the Love" that I wrote for the event. (Which made me crazy, but nevermind that.) It was so precious.

After the baptism Joseph was asked in Sacrament meeting how he felt while he was being baptized. He said he just felt "really peaceful." I felt really peaceful too. I was relieved, *whew* another one safely in the protection of Jesus' atonement. But one person did not feel peaceful AT ALL. Guess who?

Danielle screamed bloody murder when he went under the water. She couldn't understand how we could let him drown like that. (She never saw him come up cuz she was too busy pitching a MAJOR fit and they closed the curtain.) Kind of nice to know you are loved, I guess.

An Abundance of Sam

2010-11-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

Sam in an interesting little fellow. His goal in life is to grow up and buy a house that has stairs. It is quite a trial to him that we live in a one-story house. I say it has helped keep him alive.

Never boring. He is the only child I know who spontaneously sings scat.

Very humble. He loves to tell adults how they should do things differently. He has all kinds of ideas for improving the energy grid.

He is especially prone to hilarity. He will obediently do anything I ask him to do, except calm down and stop laughing.

What would we do without him?

A LOT LESS.

Love you, big guy.

In Which I Brag...

2010-11-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

I know there are lots of things I need to post. I still haven't posted our trip to Disneyworld, Danielle, Sam, Joey's or James' birthdays, and Joey's baptism. I know some of you are waiting patiently to see these things. Unfortunately, I am NOT going to post any of those things right now. Because, apparently, it is urgent that I brag about my recent photo shoot with a sweet family in our ward. They took care of Adam while James and I went on the pioneer trek with the youth of our ward. So as a thank you, I took some pictures of their kids at the temple. Look!

I guess I can't take credit for how cute their kids are, but I can try. I think she looks like an angel.

Littlest man in the family. 7 months old or so.

The biggest brother lookin' cool.

Bambi eyes on this little guy.

I think this is my favorite. I can't handle the dimple! Too much cuteness.

You know how you get cute pictures of kids?

Start with cute parents.

All Danielle

2010-10-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

Danielle is so funny.

She looooves to flirt.

She likes to try on everybody's shoes.

What she craves most in the world is a big ol' peach or some other fruit that mommy won't give her because of the terrible gastrointestinal consequences that follow.

She makes really cute excited sounds when you go to read a book to her.

People at church love to watch her smile and play peek-a-boo with whoever is behind us. People tell me they have never seen a baby smile so much.

Our humble parishoners are NOT as fond of her eardrum-shattering shreiks, which she employs, ya know, just to keep things interesting.

Life is just a big adventure when you are one.

I love my little hija.

Spotlight on Adam

2010-09-15T22:40:00.000-07:00

Check out the puppy eyes!

This little guy is just starting kindergarten. He loves to learn, and can remember things very easily. Because his birthday is in January, he was in our church's nursery until he was nearly 4 years-old. By that time he could recite the 1st 4 Articles of Faith, which surprised his leaders a lot.

Doesn't this picture make you want to tickle him? He's a goof, and he loves to laugh. His specialty right now is knock-knock jokes that are not funny, but nevertheless still provoke laughter because he is so exhuberant about joke-telling. Most of the punchlines have something to do with an eyeball.

Last Christmas he asked Santa for a pet squid.

He was disappointed.

Look how green his eyes look in this picture! His eyes are sloooooowly turning green. How is that possible? James and I both have very blue eyes. Maybe it is because green is his FAVORITE color, and he is VERY SAD if he must ever drink from a cup or eat from a plate that is not green.

I love my sweet and silly Adam-boy.

How to Handle a Summer

2010-08-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

At first there is trepidation...oh no, here comes another Arizona summer with its 100+ days of 100+ degrees. How will we ever survive? (The real question really should be how the heck was this valley ever settled before air conditioning?)

But it takes you firmly in its grasp, and you learn to love it for what it is...HOT, which is perfect for swimming, so what's the harm in that?! It also makes snow cones, popsicles, and ice cream more wonderful.

And then all too soon it is coming to an end!

(But don't worry, it will be hot for a while yet.)

Better enjoy it while you still can!

Check out how James can part the waters. How very biblical of him.

Hope you are enjoying your summer as much as this little girl is enjoying this swing!

"Neigh-h-h-h-h-h!"

Her favorite word is now the horse sound, FYI.

Joey's Portraits

2010-07-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

This little man is going to be 8 years old this fall.

He has puppy dog eyes, and he knows how to use them!

He is the most sensitive of my children, and is vocal as well. This guy knows how to emote!

He is the most affectionate of the bunch, and a good singer to boot--both things that are treasured qualities to a mother.

He is my hardest worker, and will plug diligently along on tedious tasks until he is triumphant. Go Joey!

I love him infinity, which is little-boy-speak for SOOOO MUCH.

My Life in One Picture:

2010-07-14T02:08:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge)

At certain points in your life you strive for different things. At some points you try to be as gloriously wonderful as possible in every way. And at others, you just try REALLY hard to make sure all your kids survive to adulthood.

BUGS and Other Inescapable Draws

2010-07-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

I can't help it. I love to take pictures of bugs. *Sigh* I know you all come to my blog for pictures of bugs, right? I, of course, recommend that you expand each picture and salivate over the amazingly intricate little creatures that surround us (until we kill them).

I was all focused on this flower, ready to shoot, and this little guy zoomed in for a cameo and departed right after the click. I luff him...er, her. All worker bees are female, did you know that?

Geez, go find a roach motel, right? They were like miniature June bugs. *Pretty*

Well hello there!

You are not quite as inconspicuous as you think. You are practically Farnsworth-house green.

Ooooh, my favorite bee shot ever! And that is saying a lot because I have a BILLION! You're welcome, you only have to see 2. Wait, 3.

I kind of like this one too. Face to face with the Pollinator hard at work.

Be grateful, be very grateful because I did not post all my millions of cactus flower shots. Ok, maybe just one.

This picture makes me feel like chocolate is coursing through my veins. Ahhhhh....

Sojourners!

2010-06-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a major trip. Traveling with little kids is sooooo convenient!!! (Not really, but at least there are a lot of helpers to schlep suitcases.)

The first part of the trip was a visit to Nauvoo, Illinois. Beautiful Nauvoo. It is all about church history, pioneers, beautiful red brick buildings, and gorgeous green stuff all over the place (on the ground of all places!). But to me, it was really about seeing 5 of my 6 siblings, and all 17 of my nephews and nieces on my side.

All three of the little Farnsworth girls born in 2009. Alivia, Kendra, and Danielle.

The Matriarch and Organizer of the Event.

Hats off to you, Mom!

The Patriarch, and most competent stilt walker in the group (also the most addicted to Starcraft, but let's not bring that up).

There were a few moments like this...

Occasionally we got one of these...

And once in a great while we saw a face like this...

But overall, it was a wonderful experience, and a good time was had by all.

We had to pull Sam off of Joseph Smith's shoulders to take this picture.

Making rope...COOL!

Sam really got into the pioneer games.

Joey would've been a very cute pioneer kiddo.

Adam is pleasant wherever he goes.

Danielle handled the trip like a champ.

My oldest brother Heber had been there a lot, so he knew all the fun things to do.

Two of his kids, Natalie and Hyrum, playing pioneer games.

My oldest sister Rebecca has the most kids (6), but for some reason I didn't get any pictures of them. Blerg!

Let's call an emergency re-reunion!

My second brother Nathan didn't come...booooo!

My second older sister has 3 lovely girls.

Soooo cute!

Cute Again!

My little brother, Grant, and his sweet wife Ashoflower (Ashley).

Learning how to weave....

Grant + Ashley = Kendra the-pizza-eating-queen

Or Kendra-Cuteness-of-Gerber-Baby

My Youngest brother, Seth--the doctor in training.

Seth's sweet wife Kristina and lil' Alivia.

Alivia's cheeks and eyelashes--zoom them up to appreciate!

Together our family majorly overwhelmed the small buffet at our hotel every night.

My favorite picture taken on this phase of the trip--Sam looking solemn in Carthage Jail, where the prophet Joseph Smith was killed.

Very moody, no? I love the lighting.

Thank you, Beautiful Nauvoo! I hope to see you again soon.

My Heart

2010-06-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what makes my heart go pitter-pat? Would you like a paddleboat ride through the deepest fjord of ecstasy of which I am capable? Well then, watch this video . . . I have watched it like 50 times.

I can assure you that I taught him to wipe the spit off his teeth, grimace on the high notes, and lose all concentration whenever anyone starts clapping. It is all part of the charm.

It was a church talent show. And I was soooo proud of him for not freaking out, because he's never done anything like this before, and it was a big audience for such a little boy.

Overheard on a Sunday Morning...

2010-04-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a family...

A family of TORPEDOS!!

And there were 3 brother torpedos and a big ol' daddy torpedo. Mostly the daddy torpedo showed up to yell "STOPPIT SONS, THAT'S DANGEROUS!!!"

But then there was a crisis because aliens landed and attacked...Iowa. So the torpedos dashed off to rescue Iowa. It was a very noisy battle. There were many explosions. Spit, I mean, shrappnel was flying everywhere. The aliens were vanquished, and left in a hurry.

But then there was a problem because one of the torpedos decided NOT to invite another torpedo to his birthday party. Negotiations were tense and almost tearful. Finally Mommy intervened. Now we have a family rule that all torpedos are invited to all parties. Happiness ensued.

And you thought they were just pool toys...

Danielle's 9 Month Pictures

2010-04-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

Momentous day! Danielle is now 9 months old.

Such bright blue eyes, such a trusting expression

Nicely Framed by the Mesa Temple

This is a good capture of her personality. She delights in being delighted, and smiles so easily...as long as I hold her...constantly.

Her lovely features--a cupid's bow on her lips.

"Whacha doin laying on the ground, Mom?"

"Trying to seize the day, Love."

"You're just lucky I'm too young to be embarrassed of you in public."

"Exactly my point, my dear."

So, nine month milestones:

She has been out of the womb longer than in it
I am supposed to be back to prepregnancy weight. (So close! Just 3 more pounds...)
It is time to start freaking out a little that she is not crawling. (Or is it? My boys may have skewed my perspective--they were all soooo eager to get going.) What do you think?

And most importantly of all, I need to really just enjoy her even more, because the next time I turn around, she will be out of the baby stage, and become a vivacious toddler (which is also cool, but still).

Happy Easter!

Inspiration here and here.

Introducing Holly

2010-04-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Holly. Isn't she lovely?

You'll never guess how many kids she has.

Six! Six little ones.

She has lots of responsibilities.

And yet she still has time to have fun and be silly.

She leads a balanced life. She is giving and selfless, but also takes good care of herself.

My 3 favorite things about Holly:

1. She is a good listener. You have to be a little careful around her or you'll find yourself pouring out your deepest darkest secrets with little or no provocation. There's something about those green eyes!

2. She is funny. The only pictures from this photo shoot I had to delete were the ones where she was saying something funny after I told her she looked lovely.

3. She makes motherhood look good. Motherhood does NOT equal FRUMPY DUMPY AND GRUMPY! We need more motherhood ambassadors like her.

One more thing...this is a woman who has her priorities in order! She is a Mother in Zion.

Macro! Vote For Your Favorite.

2010-03-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

Most of my posts are about my family, or about me. But THIS post is about YOU. I've taken all these macro shots. And now it is up to YOU to define yourself. Are you the kind of person who goes nuts for a divine yellow flower? Or are you more a closet bird-watcher? Maybe patterns in nature get your seratonin flowing. Decide, and then let the world (or at least me) know. Vote for your favorite in the comments and I'll do a special happy dance just for you.

(Click on them to see full size.)

#1 Beckoning

I like how I can almost feeeeel the texture of the petals.

#2 Fauna

This bird was so tame! I was about 6 inches from it when I took this shot.

#3 Crystal Fortress

I love water. Water is amazing. People who "don't like water" need to fast more often.

#4 God's Eyes

Notice how not a single flower is perfect, but they are still beautiful. Just like us.

#5 Crown Princess

I have absolutely nothing to say about this photo.

#6 Fragrant

Sweet Alysum. My mother used to say that I was named after this flower. She called me "Sweet Alysumbeth." There's a shortage of teeny tiny flowers that are always in bloom and have a sweet scent. Sweet Alysum is the answer.

#7 Fractal Attraction

I wasn't going to say anything...but that's just, just NOT my style, is it?

This one is my favorite! I vote for this one!

#8 Supernova

That is a naturally occuring water drop, I promise! Although I might've squirted it with my water bottle if it hadn't already been wet. I have very few qualms, I guess.

#9 Refreshing

Hopefully this is not marijuana.

#10 Eruption

Danielle's first tooth. I missed a lot of sleep for this shot.

The photographer

"Has anyone seen my keys? I thought they might be behind this palm tree."

You can't vote for this one. (I'm looking at you, Mom.)

This Beach is NOT for Sissies

2010-03-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

We went to a really interesting beach while we were in California. It wasn't the kind of beach where you wade in up to your waist and splash around. It was very rocky, and exciting!

From what I could tell, it was mostly just a natural photo shoot--a haven for women who want to use their new cameras.

Sometimes it was peaceful, like this:

I love this picture! Expand it, so you can see the water running.

But then a big swell would come in and explode against the rocks, like this:

You can't possibly grasp how big this wave is. Here, I'll include a husband to show scale:

Expand this picture! It is more impressive.

Joey loved the drama.

I like the airplane.

Sam loved the opportunity to explore.

"I hear the siren call of an adventure..."

He would have waded in if we had let him.

Adam said the hermit crabs made him "uncomfortable," and so that's why he kept trying to smoosh them.

We had to talk about tolerance.

I love the halo he gets in this picture.

Danielle mostly beguiled other beachgoers. Every time she sees a new person, she tries to catch their eye, dazzle them with her special smile, and then act bashful about it. Here she is in action:

(Some random lady is walking by.)

What a flirt!

Probably she gets it from James.

The setting sun turned everything golden.

School glue has many uses, btw.

Overall, a good time was had by all.

But I think that my trigger-happy-picture-finger and I definitely had the the most fun!

Achievement and Reward!

2010-03-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

We interrupt this rousing game of "cops and dragons" to bring you a very important announcement: The jar of magic beans is full. (Actually, they are pinto beans that I spray painted gold.)

So you know what this means, right? No? Well then, you must not be a child in our home. All little kids within my jurisdiction are required to get dressed, put away their pajamas, eat breakfast, put away their dishes, and brush their teeth every morning (hopefully without reminding). When they complete their morning routine, they get to put 3 to 5 magic beans (depending on accuracy and speed) in the jar. I told them that when it was full we would take them someplace REALLY cool. They were thinking Chucky Cheese.

I was thinking DISNEYLAND!

WEEEEEeeee!

They were very excited just by the tram ride to the park.

Watch out, Disney, here we come!

Prepare your security forces to look for lost little blond boys...

Adam wisely passed on many of the scarier rides.

But he still had fun!

Sam is not afraid of heights. I sometimes wish he were.

Joey loved charming the locals.

"Calmly Waiting for Death"

After this shot, Adam asked me why Darth Vader didn't try to kill him.

Then we had to have a rather painful discussion about how Star Wars isn't real. He was quite shocked to learn this.

"Fuel for Future Therapy Appointments"

I'm sure Danielle will remember this trip forever.

Joey was so tough. He didn't scream once during the "Space Mountain" ride, and even proudly announced that it "wasn't even scary." I screamed the whole way. I suppose I don't get out much.

"Lybi's Main Attraction"

James and I were just really proud of the fact that at the end of it all, we still had 4 kids, and we knew their geographical location and all.

I loved Disneyland, but my favorite part of the trip was probably getting to hang out with my beloved best friend Shae, who very conveniently lives close to Disneyland.

P.S. Overheard the night before:

Adam: Dear Heavenly Father, tomorrow we go to Disneyland. So please bless that it will rain so I can use my new umbrella...

BINGO!

It totally rained. All day. But it kept the lines really short...just the way we like 'em.

Someone That I Love

2010-02-14T20:22:00.000-08:00

It's Valentine's Day. I should do a really cute blog about love. I should tell the story of how James and I fell in love. I should write about "how to win a woman" (hopefully I will get to that one eventually). But I'm a stinker. So sometimes I don't want to do what I should do. So, throwing convention to the wind, I am just going to leave you with a picture of someone that I love just...being lovable.

My dad "sleep reading." Love ya, pop!

(Notice the hat. No wandering photons are going to find their way onto his scalp--ever. Not even in the winter, in the house.)

Now stop reading blogs and go cuddle with your sweetie, people!

Best of the Web: Look-a-Likes

2010-01-24T08:05:00.000-08:00

I had an acute laughing attack yesterday when I found this website about look-a-likes. I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to fall out of my chair. Here are some of my favorites, enjoy! I liked 'em so much I had to award prizes:

Most Disturbing

Truest Likeness

Best Eyes

Poor Eli Wood, I can't give this one an award, but geez..LOOK!

The Just-Add-Hair Award

"Missing Link" Award

also "Lost in Time"

(Is this the face of our past or our future?)

Best Personality and Third Place

Most Noble, and 2nd Place

Most Likely to Ruin Your Appetite and First Place!

AND THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER! EAT that sub, Jack Nickolson!

Baby Cuisine

2010-01-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

Danielle is starting to eat human foods. She is always very eager to try a new one, but always quite shocked at the different textures. So far she's had sweet potates (not from a jar), rice, oatmeal cereal, smashed peas, applesauce, and...er...ham. Joey REALLY wants to feed her a radish because that is currently his favorite. I'll have to be very watchful! When Adam was only 2 months old I caught Joey stuffing pieces of steak into his mouth...

In any case, she doesn't appear to be lacking in nourishment.

Self Portrait

2010-01-12T23:09:00.000-08:00

Feeling a bit down these days...

It is normal, but not pleasant, for me to feel this way when I have a 6 month old.

Anytime you can cry over things like dishes in the sink, it is appropriate to blame hormones. It's temporary, and part of the price of having a whole new kid.

James has a kind face, don't you think?

Whoever said that laughter is the best medicine has never been hugged by this guy.

The Christmas Present

2010-01-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

How was your Christmas? I hope you felt like this on Christmas morning:

(Sam 12/25/09)

I know I sure did.

Santa brought me the best toy EVER! A DSLR camera--a Nikon d3000, to be exact.

*Sigh* This is the camera I knew in the pre-existence. It was love at first sight. THIS is a camera that will command respect at little league soccer games. THIS is a camera that will translate my baby's ethereal loveliness into a true likeness that all can appreciate.

THIS is a camera that will show me at all times in a lovely and photogenic light, right?

(The first picture I ever took with it, with him, with Charles. Charles the camera.)

EW! And when I saw how crappy I looked, I felt like this:

(Adam being ALL BAD in his new policeman costume--happy birthday little one!)

NO FAIR!

But I immediately launched into taking about 300 pictures that have little to zero relevance, like this:

(A Christmas Bow, I like the color.)

and this:

(the staples in my mom's head from a recent injury--STAY OFF THOSE LADDERS, MOM! I missed the focus a little, but still! My old camera would never have shown this detail.)

And this cow that is soon to be hamburgers:

(Tardy, may she rest in pieces--in my parents' freezer.)

And I even tested its limits by taking lots of pictures of my Mom's pictures--straight out of the photo albums.

(My mom as a baby. Not too bad for a picture of a picture! Isn't she cute?)

So...nothing is certain but death and taxes, but it also seems quite likely that you shall all be subjected to a lot of extremely amateur photography by a certain madwoman photographer in the near future. Merry Christmas.

2009-12-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

Guess who's about to turn 6 months old?

How can it be? Seems shorter, and yet seems like much much longer. Was she ever not a part of this family? Awareness flinches at the thought.

Dearest Danielle,

Thank you, darling, for consistently being the bright spot in my day. Nobody can coo like you.

And your smiles are worth a golden Buddha, every one.

Even if you do klonk me in the face with your chubby mitts every time I feed you...

And claw me with the little nails that are so nerve-wracking to clip.

I love you so!

Love,

Mommy

(maybe I should spell it Mahmi, it is afterall, a nickname....)

P.S. Small one, it is time to start growing some hair!

Trouble in Christmas Town

2009-12-20T20:56:00.000-08:00

We made this little Christmas village out of gingerbread. It was a nice little town, simple yet homey. Unfortunately it had very little time to live out its short destiny--less than 24 hours as a matter of fact.

Oh, the carnage!

Absolutely unconscioncable!

(By the way, notice Joey's completely ridiculous eyelashes...it's amazing the child can even keep his eyes open under the weight of those puppies.)

P.B. (Post Blog, of course) All the credit for this year's gingerbread event goes to James, who made these with the guys while I was down with the flu. Thanks hon!

Role Reversal

2009-12-08T22:48:00.000-08:00

A couple of nights ago I had a nightmare. I was swimming with Adam (who is a non-swimmer) and he had slipped under the surface of the water. And I couldn't find him. Trauma! I awoke in a panic--EXREMELY agitated. There was to be no falling peacefully back to dreamyland. I tried to re-enter my dream and give it a happy ending, but it didn't work. (How come that never works?)

So after laying there, miserably awake for a good long while, I finally decided to go check on him. I laid down on his bed and just watched his little chest rise and fall with each breath. He is okay. He is fine. Finally he rolled over and looked at me.

"Mommy?"

"I had a bad dream," I explained.

"Well, Mommy, it was just a dream, and now it's time for you to go back into your own bed."

And so I ended up walking back down the hall, scratching my head and thinking that something seemed just a little out of place here...

All hail the indisputable King of Precociousland.

Long live the King!

Who Does She Look Like?

2009-12-05T21:18:00.000-08:00

People often ask me who Danielle looks like the most. They mean James or I, of course. But look:

Danielle 4 months

Sam at 4 months

She looks most like her doting big brother!

The Best Thing About Homeschooling

2009-11-21T06:11:00.000-08:00

My 2 favorite things about homeschooling:

1. It works--the kid can learn a LOT, fast.

2. I have a lot more time to spend with my kid.

Sam's favorite 2 things about homeschooling:

1. Recess between every subject, and

2. There is no penalty for excessive celebration.

He likes to do a happy dance every time he gets 100%.

It Happens...

2009-11-17T13:40:00.001-08:00

What is this lovely hardware doing on the floor of our bathroom?

Just ask Adam.
"How come TOWELS get to hang on these, and I don't?"

Someday I will tease him about this.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2009-11-12T22:03:00.000-08:00

Danielle and I have a lot in common...

Blue eyes...

Double chins/chubby cheeks AND

We are in love with the guy behind the camera.

P.S. I hope she doesn't get my konk.

"Awesome"

2009-11-11T19:48:00.001-08:00

I just love the way Adam says "awesome" like he is a teenage surfer dude instead of a 4 year-old kid. You have to listen carefully because he was feeling camera shy.

By the way, I think he got all the information about these guys from a book.

We don't watch this show.

With the killing...and the violence...and being a preschooler and all.

Let's Put This One in the "Tragedy" Column...

2009-11-08T20:10:00.001-08:00

Here's the thing. I can sing. I mean, I've got a decent set of pipes and my parents forked out dough for four years of private voice instruction. I've even sung in LDS General Conference and the General Relief Society meeting and everything. And MAN, you should hear me in the shower...just like Gloria Gaynor, almost. So surely, SURELY it should be no big deal to sing in front of a few ladies for a Relief Society board meeting. Cake, right? WRONG. Depite all my preparation and prayers, I avoid singing solos at all cost. Scares the dickens out of me and alters my voice beyond recognition. Duets baby! Or better yet, a double quartet.

So why did I say 'yes' when they asked me?

I am 32. That 's old enough to leave basically all my inhibitions behind me (and I didn't have very many to start with). I thought I was old enough to move past this ridiculous fear of solo singing, and what could be less threatening than a relief society meeting? What's the worst that could happen, right? Well I'll tell you...

You could be standing there starting to sing and have a noise like a migrating Canadian Goose come out of your throat. Your normally pleasing, gentle vibrato could morph into the affectations of an extremely old woman--who is being ELECTROCUTED. At times your voice might actually resemble the plaintive calls of a newly born GOAT. And even then it could get worse...

You could start blubbering.

You could start squeaking as tears come out and grimaces seize the muscles of your face.

You could start staring at the ceiling and try to think of anything other than singing about Jesus Christ, and then start seeing spots.

The entire piece could be recreated using only the words "honk, and blubber" and have it not sound very different from the original.

And then, when the public humilation phase of the horribleness was over, and you were in the bathroom, crying in earnest this time because you feel so ashamed, and everyone, EVERYONE who heard you "sing" might come and tell you what a fabulous job you did.

And in their over-eagerness to make you feel a little better about it all, they might stumble over themselves and ask you to sing the same piece on Thursday at the Relief Society meeting formerly known as "Enrichment."

And in your eagerness to end the conversation, you might accidentally say "yes."

Bubbly

2009-11-04T21:21:00.001-08:00

I am a Mormon. We don't drink alcoholic stuff...

But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy a little bubbly now and then.

P.S. This is what happens when a 4 year-old starts learning to pour his own shampoo. Gotta love it.

Sneaky

2009-11-02T20:56:00.001-08:00

Notice anything unusual about my freezer?

Possibly the 80 superdoughnuts plus, & the 80 breakfast bars?
*****

Remember that I have a super skinny child, Joseph. Said child likes these doughnuts & breakfast bars that are part of public school breakfasts. They are chock full of vitamins, made with whole wheat flour, and infused with protein and fiber... all my favorite things. They are fattening, but in this case, that's a plus. The only problem is that they are not sold in stores! You can't get 'em, so don't even try! They are only made for the schools. So I went to a school and bought a case of each. (Did you know you can do that?) It was like my own personal Costco, and parking was a dream! No lines! Now I feel so darn sneaky...and today Joey weighed 41.2 pounds. That's the first time he's cracked 40. Life is good.

Grow, Joey grow!

P.S. 4 Year-old Adam weighs 42 pounds.

Dolled Up

2009-11-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

I never played with dolls as a child. Too girly. But I'm making up for it all now! I feel the need to dress up Danielle over and over and find matching accessories etc. etc. Poor thing. Here are some of my favorite outfits:

4 Days old in her birthday suit. Sweet!

One month old in the bathtub. Okay, so it's not an outfit, but I like to see how she changed over time. Look at that lil' belly!

Six weeks old and looking pretty.

Seven weeks old and hangin' out.

3 Months old and getting glitter everywhere from this little number.

Today I thought she looked especially fetching. Salmon instead of pink, what a relief!

I made matching bracelets for us. You see what she has to put up with?!

But she doesn't seem to mind.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T21:59:00.000-07:00

Are you wondering how our Halloween went?

***

Pumpkin seeds were baked and eaten....

Jack 'o Lanterns were carved...

Jengo Fet and Bobo Fet "shared" a baby (they both wanted to hold her, so I said one could hold her and the other one read to her)

Costumes were worn...

(He is a clone who can't find his helmet)

Han Solo made an appearance...

Another holiday was successfully executed!

Game Face

2009-10-29T21:51:00.001-07:00

I see this face every single day. This is Sam's game face.

The game, of course, is chess.

The following is an actual transcript of...well, every single day.

*****

Sam: Can we play chess now, Mom? I'm all done with my school work.

Me: Uhhhhh...

Sam: You promised!

Me: Okay, but just so you know, I am going to win! You're going down!

Sam: [Game Face]

Then, as often as not, he proceeds to beat me at chess.

Unquiet

2009-10-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

Danielle hardly ever cries, but that doesn't mean she's quiet.

Warning, there are about 10 seconds of fussiness. Don't let them deter you.

She loves to make these sounds when I take her shopping. Then people throughout the whole store think that Mariah Carey is somewhere close by...and being jabbed with a red-hot poker.

Talented...

2009-10-27T21:21:00.001-07:00

Adam is talented. He is a lego master.

He makes very complicated "creations." They are always perfectly symmentrical.

He explains the function of each of the parts: shooters, jets, and machinery nonsense words like "the motranator." He looks at me as if I have a very tiny brain.

He has been making these humongous things since he was very little. He was three when he made this one. Symmetrical...and bigger than him. Just the way a battleship should be.

Trouble

2009-10-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

I am in trouble. I have received threatening calls, guilts trips, bad karma, and severe looks...

All because it took me so long to post this:

...so cute in pink and brown...

and this:

Danielle was blessed in this vintage blessing dress that was hand-stitched by Bubby (maternal grandmother). I wanted to do a big photo shoot with her in it, but her little arms were so deliciously plump that the dress almost didn't fit. I had to take it off right after the blessing because I thought it might cut off the circulation to her hands.

More atoning to follow. I am much too tired to fight the computer just now by adding new images, which violates some intergalactic cyber code...apparently.

Lovely Little Girl

2009-07-09T20:23:00.001-07:00

We had these pictures taken when Danielle was just six days old...seems like a long time ago already. She's changing so fast.

Look at those little baby wrinkles on her back! She looks like a little sharpei puppy!

It takes many kisses to raise a child...

James' hand is on the bottom, mine on the top. This is probably my favorite.

She's posing so well, no?

This is the one that shows what she looks like the best, I think.
The funny thing about this picture is how pink she looks compared to my skin, and how tan she looks next to James' skin. Is it an optical illusion?

I made these bracelets for us the night before I went into the hospital to have her. Everyone who saw it was sure that the one for Danielle was going to be too small. It's about the right size for my thumb! But it fit her perfectly.

Danielle's Exciting Birth!

2009-07-06T16:18:00.001-07:00

Just barely born, and already beautiful.

Danielle Elizabeth Winzenz

Born July 3rd at 12:12 am

7 lbs. 8 oz.

She's got that "newborn smell."

Plus she has this ultrasoft peach fuzz that is really fun to kiss.

She's here! All the waiting, the grumping, the swelling, and stretching is over. I am no longer a pregnant woman. Now I am just a blissful, but slightly dazed mommy of a precious little girl.

Isn't she beautiful? To me she seems to be the most lovely thing in the entire world.

Her debut into this world was an exciting one. Would you like to hear the story? Warning, it is graphic:

It started off as a very boooooring day. I'd been waiting and waiting to go into labor for the last couple weeks. Several times I had felt like I WAS in labor, only to have it all stop and go back to waiting. But July 2nd I checked myself into the hospital with the firm resolve that I was NOT leaving without this baby! The Doctors' plan was to flip her, if she was still breech (she moved around a LOT), and then induce me right away so she wouldn't have a chance to flip into the wrong position again. But, as luck would have it she was already in the right position so we got to skip right to the induction.

I wanted as a natural a birth as possible. I asked them to just break my water and I promised I'd get her outta there in just a few hours. I pleaded. I persuaded. But what actually happened was that they put me on a slow pitocin drip for what felt like eternity--14 hours. The contractions never got all that hard or uncomfortable. James and I just laid around in the hospital room watching TV and reading books. I wanted things to get going! Something had to happen! I kept thinking that if only my water would just break...I KNOW things would get moving then. So when I felt a rush of fluid that soaked my bed to my knees, my first reaction was joy. Hooray! My water finally broke--let's get this show on the road! But when I looked under the covers, all I saw was a sea of bright red blood. Oh gross.

I knew from the amount of blood that I saw that it was a dangerous situation, especially for Danielle. So I took the little button to call the nurse and *doink, doink, doink* hit it continuously until the nurse came in. Luckily she was close by and came right in.

"There's a lot of blood coming out." I said calmly. I am always so dead-pan when faced with emergency. She started to explain about bloody show until I threw back the covers. She stopped mid-sentence and gasped. I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but suddenly there were about 8 medical personel in the room. The doctor, who I KNEW was not available, because another lady she was treating was practically crowning, came in and told me that I was going to have a C section...right NOW! All the people in there had a job to do, and they were all asking me questions about allergies and drug reactions etc. etc. but the only one I really paid attention to was my nurse, who was having a hard time finding the baby's heart beat. That was the most frightening moment for me.

Within a minute or two of the appearance of the magically apparating medical personel, I was wisked in my bed down the hall towards the Operating Room. Every time I squirmed or moved in any way, I felt another disconcerting gush of fluid from between my legs. Yeag, I'm getting nauseated from reading my own entry. Sorry people.

I started to pray. I prayed for Danielle over and over until the moment I heard her first cry. Then I started to pray that, if possible, I would like to not die too. :) How dramatic of me.

I was given 2 shots in the back to numb me up. It was much faster than an epidural, and strange too, because it didn't keep me from feeling anything, I just couldn't feel pain. The doctor poked me twice and asked if it hurt. I said it just felt like she touched me. "Okay, let's go."

The next 3 min. were very strange. It felt like the doctors were tugging, pulling, pushing, and overall just arm-wrestling on my tummy over who got to make the first incision. And then she was out! Danielle announced her healthy, strapping presence with a hearty, high-pitched squall. How DARE we pull her out like that with no warning whatever?! I've never heard anything so beautiful in my life. And she was gorgeous, too. Even covered all over with the waxy stuff and blood, I couldn't take my eyes off her. What a lovely round head and perfect features!

The doctors spent the next hour or so finishing up with the procedure--making a little Lybi barbeque by the smell of it. And then it was over. Within an hour I could move my legs. So what can I say about this delivery? I was LUCKY! I had a pretty serious placental abruption (placenta pulled away from the wall of the uterus), and I just happened to be just meters from an O.R. when it happened. If I HAD gone into labor on my own at home 9as I had been fervently praying to do) and had this problem, I would have had a 15 min. drive to the hospital, during which I probably would have bled within inches of my own life, not to mention Danielle's. As it is, I lost 3 pints of blood in about 10 min. (most people have about 7 total). My hematocrit count before labor was 37, afterwards it was 21. My hemoglobin count before was 13, now it is 7. But since I have felt pretty good and haven't fainted at all or anything, I didn't even need a blood transfusion. Yea...

My overall take on the delivery is that it was absolutely optimal given the obstacle of the abruption. I am fine (although I am pale and weak) Danielle is great--life is good. I feel like I was prepared for this unusual delivery by some promptings that things were not going to go smoothly during delivery. In fact, this is why I made James significantly increase my life insurance at the beginning of the pregnancy. Did I almost die? Nah. But this COULD have been the end of Lybi if I hadn't been in exactly the right place at the right time. Do you belive in miracles? I do.

Milestones

2009-05-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

We have had some pretty big steps taken by young men in our household recently!

(Anything in the last 2 months is recently to me.)

Sam got braces.

It is not that we are freaking out about the aesthetics of his merely 8 year-old smile, it is that he had a pretty bad cross bite that needed braces, in addition to a palate expander. He's been very stalwart about the braces. They're no prob! The palate expander, on the other hand, has us all longing for ear plugs at the dinner stable...er, table. *Ssssshllurp!*

Joey lost his first regularly-scheduled tooth.

He is eating gingerly these days, with 2 more wiggly teeth getting ready to launch.

Adam learned to pee into an empty water-bottle.

It was an emergency...a DIRE emergency. We were STUCK in a traffic jam, surrounding by witnesses, and the pitch of his whimpering warned me that we only had about 30 more seconds to disaster. What was a mommy to do? He didn't spill one drop--what a champ!

No mommy could be more proud.

Be sure to expand this picture, because it's a great one.

2009-05-03T17:54:00.000-07:00

Check out the massive cuteness:

We got new suits for the boys, and I thought they were sooo GQ!

These guys are my personal armed bodyguards.

"Lybi's Angels"

How could any woman not feel like a princess walking into church with so many dashing excorts?

The Glow

2009-04-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

Just for the sake of posterity, check out how weird this is....

From the front I don't really look pregnant.

But WHOA! When I turn sideways a big ol' tummy appears like magic.
I am adjusting to my new size and shape. No more turning sideways to fit through small spaces. Front entry only! Unless I want to back in...beep...beep...beep!

I am always looking for an opportunity to lay down. Even in a photo shoot. Must...conserve...energy. How much do I really want that small item that just dropped to the floor? Usually, not enough to actually bend over and get it.
But lounging can be lovely, can't it? A time and a place for everything.

Thanks, Catherine, for taking these lovely pictures! You are amazing!

Star Girl--Saturday Salute to Grandma Farnsworth

2009-02-28T09:35:00.000-08:00

This is my Grandma Farnsworth--my father's mother. Isn't she beautiful? I'm proud to say that 25% of my genetic make-up comes from this woman.

Of course, she looked somewhat different from this picture when I met her--curly gray-white hair, horn rimmed glasses, soft wrinkles around the eyes and jawline. But she was always beautiful and fascinating to me. When I was a little girl, I loved to feel her super soft skin and the smattering of very light peach fuzz on her neck. (She didn't like it when I did that!) But it wasn't just her skin that was soft. She was soft, and harmless as a butterfly--but less gaudy. She had the quiet beauty of a star--nothing too garish. Subtle, quiet, easy to miss even, if you aren't looking. Prone to be taken for granted, probably.

Thelma Ruth Sexton (Farnsworth) joined the Church of Jesus Christ when she was a teenager. She said it "felt like coming home." That is where she had the opportunity to meet my grandfather--an affectionate man prone to talking your ear off. (Love you, Grandpa!)

Grandpa was immediately taken with her deep blue eyes. He said he had always liked blue eyes best, and hers were the bluest he'd ever seen. (She was generous enough to share her blue eyes with me. Of my 4 grandparents, she was the only one with blue eyes. She gave them to my father, and he gave them to just 2 of his 7 children--Laura and me.)

She was an efficient little lady. Grandpa always said she could clean the whole house from top to bottom by 10 am, and then set about her other business. She spent years and years of her life researching her geneology and preparing names for temple work. She also did the most difficult puzzles I've ever seen! 1,500 pieces of a black and white photo of zebras. Aaaaah! How did she have the patience? (I honestly don't know. She was not generous enough to pass on this particular trait to me...) She was sweet, modest, and unassuming, but you'd better believe she'd get the job done if it was within the realm of her percieved duty.

Grandma Farnsworth died of cancer when I was just 18 years old. We were actually en route to her house in Arizona to see her one last time when she passed. I felt awful that I didn't get to see her...didn't get to say goodbye. And I had spent the previous summer in Washington state when the rest of my siblings went down to see her. I lamented it for a long time.

When I got married, I was presented with this beautiful quilt:

See how the light goes through it? It is a very light, Arizona appropriate quilt, in a beautiful star pattern. Grandma Farnsworth made it for my wedding before she passed away. Isn't it wonderful?

This quilt is one of my favorite possessions of all time. I get it out for special company, and especially when my dad comes to visit. I figure he'd like to sleep with his mother's handiwork comforting him. And sometimes I wrap it around me just to feel close to Grandma.

I like to think about how her nimble fingers touched this quilt in every possible place. See the tiny handstitching?

Sometimes I flatter myself that she was thinking about me when she was working on it. Blue eyes AND a wonderful quilt besides? Thanks so much Grandma! I love you.

My Favorite

2009-02-11T09:27:00.000-08:00

My mother always told me that you love all your kids equally--they each get all the love you possibly can hold. But if you press her, she will admit to having "favorites." It is always whichever of her children is sick, or struggling, or suffering. Basically whoever is most in need of love.

Joey after eating his Christmas pomegranate 3 years ago.

Well, today my favorite is Joey. This scruffy little guy just had oral surgery today. What? you say...Surely he is too young for oral surgery! Yes, he is young--only 6, and small for his age at a minimal 38 pounds. But he is no stranger to surgery. Actually, today was his 5th surgery. None of them have been serious surgeries--2 eye muscle surgeries for strabismus (crossed-eyes), and 3 oral surgeries.

*****

It is all my fault, of course. I consciously choose a path that would ruin 4 of his baby molars forever. But let me 'splain!

When Joey was first born, I noticed that he tended to choke a little bit every time he nursed. He always had to cough a lot and nursing was a slow going process. Still, he gained weight and seemed to be doing fine. Look how cute he was at 6 months:

He has "Bambi Eyes."

Sometime around 6-8 months we started having real problems feeding Joey. He didn't seem to want to eat--solid or liquid food. He would pull off while nursing a lot, like he was too excited or wiggly to eat. I started to loose my milk. He stopped gaining weight. I had to transfer him to formula around 7 months. It was SO hard to get him to drink even just 3-4 oz. at a time. When I took him to his 9 month appointment, I told the doctor about the problems we were having with him. The pediatrician said not to worry and that he was just a skinny little guy--and too interested in everything else to eat much.

Joey began to have chronic diarrhea and continued to refuse to eat. When I took him back to the pediatrician at around 12 months, his pediatrician was hysterical. She said he was in the "failure to thrive" category. I still remember how traumatic that visit was. We had him tested for allergies, for parasites, for lactose intolerance, for genetic diseases that might cause his ongoing diarrhea. I tried different formulas, I took him to "natural" doctors, I tried hokey alternative treatments, such as fancy oils, homeopathic medicine, chiropractice (the weird kind), difficult diets. Nothing produced results.

By the time he was 18 months, we had enlisted the services of a feeding therapist as well as a physical therapist and an occupational therapist. It was discovered that the "choking" problem was due to poor muscle tone in the esophagus.

Here is the part where I ruin his teeth--I started feeding Joey almost nothing but pediasure every day. He liked it and would drink almost the full 8 oz. But he would only drink it on one condition. He had to be completely alone--with no distractions, laying in his crib.

Every day for at least 6 months, probably closer to a year, he drank 4 pediasures a day in his crib. Often he would fall asleep with the bottle still in his mouth. I knew it was bad for his teeth. I KNEW it. I had read all about it in my child developement classes, but I didn't care. I was too worried about his brain and the rest of his body. He had started to seriously lag behind in physical and even cognitive developement. (He didn't walk until 18-19 months.) Drinking the pediasure was good for him in lots of ways. He started to gain weight again. He got back his adorable chubby cheeks.

*****

Around his 2 year mark we had a breakthrough as to what was causing a lot of his problems. Joey had never really slept well at night. He woke up coughing almost every single night--croupy, often. I had to put him in a steamy bathroom during the night about 4 times a week, so he could start breathing easily again. I attributed this to his tendancy towards asthma. And there was always a large drool spot on his pillow in the morning. Always. The doctor finally put all this together. Coughing at night, spots on pillows, refusal to eat=really bad acid reflux.

*****

Remember the low muscle tone in his esophagus? The acid from his stomach was coming up and burning his esophagus and throat. This made it hurt to swallow food. He had learned that eating was a painful thing. It had also caused inflammation of his airways so that it was very easy for him to catch every illness on the planet, and get croupy at the drop of a hat. I'm not sure, but I think that the inflamation in his throat was somehow related to the inflamatory response in his intestines that was leading to the unending diarrhea. All I know is that everything fell together when we started treating his reflux. The diarrhea stopped, he started responding to the feeding therapy, he gained weight and he looked this adorable by the time he was 2 1/2:

Perfectly healthy, right? Well, almost...

He caught up to all the regular developemental milestones quickly, running, jumping, talking, counting. The one casualty in this whole process (besides my mental health, possibly) was his teeth. Those months and months of drinking in his crib led to really bad decay on his first molars. All four had pulpotomies (root canals) and had to be capped (surgery #1). I felt a little guilty, but I still think it was a fair trade. Teeth or brain? So he had 4 silver little teeth in the back of his mouth. We got used to it. This is Joey at 3 1/2. He has 4 silver teeth, but who can tell?

Then one day about a a year and a half ago, one of the bottom silver teeth just popped out. I freaked, I shreiked, I cried... The dentist told me that he had never seen anything like it in his whole career. Sometimes, he told me, the teeth don't like the fillings from the pulpotomy, and the roots start to dissolve a little in protest. He had seen this VERY occasionally in his practice, but he said he had NEVER seen the entire root dissolve, until Joey. (Of course HE would be the exception!) So surgery #2 was placing a spacer to hold the spot for when his adult tooth finally comes in (around 11, I think).

Then last week Joey bit into a raw baby carrot and said ow! He indicated that his bottom silver tooth on the other side was hurting. I touched it, and it wiggled precariously. Ug. Here we go again. It fell out, but THIS time, the root was not completely dissolved. 2 shards of root remained embedded in his mouth below the gum line.

Sooooo, today I took my little sweetheart to the dentist for his 3rd oral surgery. He had to drink something nasty, and breathe in a funny gas until he was quite loopy. The dentist removed the 2 pieces of root (which was difficult, he told me later--he ended up having to remove some bone tissue to get them out) and placed another spacer. Now my poor little Joey is in my bed, with bloody drool coming out the corners of his mouth. But he was such a little champ. He did not fight the dentist at all.

So it's been a little bit of a bumpy ride for Joey, growing and eating and all. I still stress a little bit about his eating. I always wish he would eat a little more. But all's well that ends well, right? He is a healthy, active little guy. He is at the tip-top of his class at school, and his permanent teeth will eventually grow in and replace his spacers. So all is good in the long run.

*****

But for today, he is my very favorite-ist of all little kids. Ever. I am going to sing to him and spoon feed him apple juice until he is lucid enough to hold his own popsicle. And sometime tonight we might be brave enough to venture a cracker or two.

Well...Ultrasound Results!

2009-02-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

Are you curious about our ultrasound results? Did you have a hard time falling asleep last night because you were so excited? Did you wake up before your alarm went off this morning, positively itching for the day to begin? No? Just me then.

As you all know, I have been hoping against all possible hope that our next baby would be a girl. Almost my whole marriage, I have often found myself thinking about the things I learned as a teenager that I want to pass on to my girls. I go on and on in my head explaining the importance of wearing modest clothes and make-up, etc. I get pretty far into these discussions with these imaginary female descendants, until I realize that I don't have any girls, and there is a very good chance I will never have a girl. And though I have been blessed with just about every ardent desire of my heart, I could still work myself up to the point of eeking out a tear or two at the prospect of being girl-less forever. So you know my hopes...

But this morning I woke up with the feeling of certainty. It is a boy. I just know it. And he will be cute and blonde, and I will treasure him forever and ever. But for the second time in my life, my motherly intuition on gender prediction led me completely astray. See?

A GIRL!!!!!!!!

If you can't tell it (SHE!) is a girl from this picture, don't worry, you are not alone. But the ultrasound tech was quite convinced, and she typed those little letters in the left corner "GIRL" that mean so very much to me today, so I believe her!

Wanna see some more pictures? Warning: it looks like her head is about to pop off because her neck is so kinked, but the ultrasound chica assured me over and over that she is, in fact, okay and normal.

Profile of head, chin to chest. Cute, huh?

Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes, knees and toes...and look at those little fingers!

Are you shocked! Are you stunned into silence? I was. If I had been less excited to find out it was a girl, I would have shouted "yea!" right there in front of the doctor and everything. But I was SOOOO excited, I couldn't talk--I couldn't say a word. The tech must have thought we were hoping for a boy. For the second time this pregnancy, I just couldn't express my happiness with words and just let the tears roll down. (Read about the first time here.) I feel like I just won the gold medal at the olympics. Every simple, normal, little life is entitled to just a little bit of absolutely exceptional joy, and today was one of those days for me.

Thanks to everyone who prayed for us!

You're prayers are darn effective, I must say...now start praying for peace in the middle East, ok?

"Showing," "Quickening," and a Plea for Help

2009-02-02T21:07:00.001-08:00

I've missed a few days, sorry! In an act of penance, I shall now show you pregnant photos of myself.

Here's the best shot. It's pretty accurate to real life. 18 weeks--4 1/2 months.

This (above) is the one in which I suck in really hard and plead with James to hurry up taking the picture so I can breathe. I am trying VERY hard not to get too humongous before my time. This (below) is what I am doing to avoid premature hugeness:

Yoga. This is the "star" pose. It's my favorite.

I had fun with James tonight showing him some of my yoga stuff. He made me laugh because he told me it was all easy, but c'mon, he was totally shaking--but he said that was just because I made him laugh. (Yea right!) But it must be said, my guy is very tough. Doesn't he look like those male gymnasts that for some reason all walk around the corners of the mats on floor looking like tin men who need oil in their elbows and their knees? (Why do they all do that?)

In other news, I can feel our little baby kicking me from the inside. Awww! But sometimes it is just gas, probably. (I figured that out after my first delivery and I thought I felt the baby kick--NOPE!) But I'm SURE that sometimes it IS real, and that tickles me to the core.

By the way, I hope you are all praying that this baby is a girl. We find out on Friday. I am nervous! Everybody--think pink! Eat lots of sugar and spice (that's what I've been doing). You may say that it has already been decided and there's nothing you can do about it, but that's just a looser's way of saying that you won't help a pregnant woman in need!!! Now c'mon, everybody--send me girl vibes!

Weevils in the Jewelry Box

2009-01-28T19:02:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine once told me that the longer you've been on a mission, the more easily amused you are. He told stories of stopping the car in jubilant amazement, because the speedometer read "54,321". It was quite a moment for the guy who had been out 22 months, while the greenie was wondering about his companion's sanity. As added proof, he told me about how he had relayed his theory to his mission zone at a restaurant. They had debated while they waited for their food as to whether or not it was true. But the elder who had been out the longest--the zone leader from Provo who was going home in just 2 weeks--did not participate. He was too busy batting around the blind cords from the window treatment like a cat.

Well, let me tell you...being a mother is kind of like being on a mission. Before motherhood, it might take a stirring discussion on the intentions of the founding father's to blow your mind. After being a mother for a couple years, with a combination of sensory deprivation and overexposure to innane children's shows, you may go into rapture over a ball of wax that came out of your baby's ear. So just keep it in mind that I have been a mother for over 8 years....

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One of my most prized possesions is a bran flake that came out of my son's cereal bowl. It is true. I still have it, months later. I keep it in my jewelry box.

The reason it is so precious to me? I was just sitting there, eating cereal with m' boys, when suddenly Sam (7 at the time) gasped. He excitedly sifted through his bowl and ran up to me with this little flake, dropped it into my hand and said, "It's a heart! This is just another way to show you how much I love you, Mommy." And I have been gonzo for it ever since. I value novelty and creativity, and of course, my kid. I think it is the most unusual act of love that I have ever witnessed, and I LOVE that it came from my own firstborn.

I've considerred having that darn flake bronzed, or spraying it with polyurethane, or just letting it decompose in my jewelry box with all the earrings that I've lost one of, but still have sentimental value. Sheesh. One of these days I'm going to get weevils in there, and then how am I going to explain that to the pest control guy?

Quotable Quotes and Daily Giggles

2009-01-26T20:23:00.000-08:00

This is my youngest son, Adam. Isn't he a doll?

He was supposed to be a girl, you know. With his 2 older brothers, I had felt like I knew they were going to be boys. But my cosmic woman's intuition (AKA wishful thinking) CLEARLY indicated that the next one would be a girl. I told everyone that I was having a girl, and commonly referred to my monstrous tummy as "Suzanne." To this day my boys still occasionally ask me where Suzanne is. There was never a woman at her 20 week ultrasound as surprised as I was. I am fallible? Oh noooooooooo! He he he.

I already had two little boys. I knew what I was in for--destruction, noise, hour long sessions of baby wrestling during sacrament meetings. All the books pulled out of the two bottom shelves...once a day...every day...for 2 years. Daily percussion performances (pots and pans). Pencils on the wall. Little action heros buried daily in my large potted plant. Sharpies on the couch, etc. etc. Did I have the energy for this? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!

But God, in his infinite wisdom, gave me a big break. For my third son he sent me Adam. A true boy in every way, he is convinced that he is destined to become the Green Power Ranger. He loves to play in little boy ways, holding matchbook cars in the air and making spluttering sounds while he dashes around the house. He likes to "save me" from monsters and bad guys. He likes to attack the bushes with his appropriately green light saber, and make wounding sound effects. But you know what he doesn't do? He doesn't make my load heavier. He just doesn't! Everything he does seems to delight my little heart.

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He...hmmm, yes, he DOES make messes (although not as many or as terrifying as his brothers made at this age) but for some reason, to me they seem to be adorable messes that make me want to run and get the camera to immortalize the cuteness. Like the time he took all the carefully folded clothes from the drawers (I had just replaced winter clothes for the spring set) AND all the piles of folded clothes I had set on the floor to pack away and threw them all in a heap. When I came back from the bathroom he was pretending to "swim" in the pile.

"Look Mommy! It's the OCEAN!" I laughed until tears came out of my eyes, although one or two tears may have been because I was really tired and had woken up an hour earlier than usual to accomplish this task. But still. How adorable.

Anyway, Adam is at the age of adorableness. He has always been a very advanced talker, and his large vocabulary offers such interesting insights into the barely-four year-old mind. I'd like to share some of them with you.

He dashes around the house, pretending to fly, and calls out "I'm Atonement Man!" Something from our family home evening lessons is sinking in, I guess!
He came up to me yesterday and said, "Mommy, I have issues." Me: "issues? [already?]" Him: "Yes, I have booger issues. I nee-a tissue."
Overheard while he was playing with little plastic characters, one to the other: "Accor-ing ta my research..."
He came in and saw me putting on my morning makeup and said "What are you doing?" Me: "Putting on makeup." Adam: "Why are you doing it?" Me: "To be pretty." Adam: "Well I think you're pretty." Darling child!
The other night he had a nightmare and came into my room. I was surprised that he didn't just wake up crying like some kids do. Instead he walked up to me and said: "I had a bad dream. In my dream there was the story of the missing eye-ball." I took him into the front room so Daddy could sleep and explained to him that eyeballs don't pop out by themselves and chase people. "If Sam had a missing eyeball...THEN what?" he perused. And we had to go through each member of our family and reassure that they would all still be very healthy and happy even if they did loose an eyeball (hopefully they don't!). Eventually I took him to sleep with Daddy and me, because this 31 year-old lady started to get a little bit scared of the dark after listening to the 4 year-old's nightmare. But Daddy made us feel safe. Lil' guy got to stay there for a short while--until he got passport revoked when he started kicking sleeping Daddy. (Why do all our kids do that?)

Someone with four kids once told me that her first 2 kids were nothing but work, and her second 2 were nothing but fun. I only had two kids at the time, and I thought she was full of SOMETHING. But now I believe! All the worries at unexpected difficulties have been used up in rearing the first 2. Now every challenge is expected, and every fun moment is enjoyed whole-heartedly--for now I know how fleeting each adorable stage is. These little guys don't last. They grow and they grow! Despite my urging them to not eat their vegetables and stay little (that is the only way to get them to eat broccoli) they continue to change, which is wonderful and a bit sad at the same time.

Anyway, every single day of my life these days Adam says or does something that makes me want to swing him in my arms and laugh my happiest of all happy laughs. He was sent to be my angel.

Whale Song

2009-01-23T10:05:00.000-08:00

You know what I'm supposed to be doing? I'm supposed to be guest writing a post for my awesome friend Lyndsay. She has been doing a series on "Supermoms." She wants me to write about "the Spiritually Prepared Mom." But the problem is, I'm not feeling like a spiritually prepared mom. I really feel and behave differently from the way I was 5 months ago, as a super enthusiastic ward missionary--testimony ablaze and eyes alight. What do I feel like now? Hmmm. A beluga possibly.

Actually, I don't want to insult belugas. They are a beautiful animal. I just, I just, I'm so much less functional (nevermind exemplary) when I'm pregnant. I'm not qualified to advise anyone on anything other than possibly just hanging in there when you feel like crap. Consider the facts.

Not Pregnant

Run several miles on most days
Thoughtful Prayer and meditation each morning and night
Enthusiastically pursue many fun hobbies/interests
Can't wait to go preach the gospel every Tuesday
Keep a house of relative order
Eat a diet nearly free from white flour, sugar, and red meat

Pregnant

Lumber around the house only as needed, and get breathless in the process
Pray in bed (for SHAME!) and often fall asleep before I get to "amen"
Enthusiastically pursue cookie dough when it is available
Can't wait until my kids go to bed so I can lay around an do nothing for the rest of the evening
Get by with "the minimum" including fishing clean but rumpled clothes out of laundry baskets every day
Eat either "whatever will stay down" or "whatever is most fattening," depending on the stage of pregnancy

So anyway, if you have any ideas on how to be an amazing and spiritually prepared mother, please leave them in the comments. I'll be happy to pretend I thought of them and send them on to Lindsay.

"Burnt" and Super Powers--My Very First Tuesday Tribute

2009-01-20T20:27:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted to do something cool? I mean, have you ever wanted to do something REALLY amazing, and so you sit around thinking about this amazing thing you are going to do and practically frothing at the mouth to get started. Buuuuuuuuut by the time you get around to finally doing it, you feel a little too daunted by the fabulousness in your head to...actually...get...started? Well, this post is all about avoiding that situation. I've wanted to have a family blog for a really long time now. I've had a post in my head every day for the last several months. So many ideas! So little time. I am going to have the ultimate blog! MWAHAHAHAHAHA! That has been the tenor of my interal dialogue for the last several months, so, as you can imagine, I've been running away from the actual writing of the first post.

So to take the pressure off, I decided that the first post doesn't count. It's a dry run! It's kind of like when you make crepes. You know the first one will either be burnt or end up on the ceiling (spatula-free flipping!). I like to think of it as an offering to the disposal gods. First crepe never turns out. It's a law of nature. Same here.

So this is my burnt post. And just like the other burnt stuff in our family, Daddy usually ends up getting stuck with it. So my very first Tuesday Tribute is to....***drumroll*** my beloved husband James, or Jimbo for short.

Now I know that you probably all know that James is a wonderful athlete--marathon runner (and I do mean runner, not jogger). You probably know that he is a computer genius and security software guru. You know that he gets sunburned if any fraction of his skin is left exposed to the sun for longer than 15 minutes. You probably have guessed that he is extremely patient and forgiving just because you know he is married to me. If you know him at all, you know that he is reliable and loyal. You know he loves technology, blueberry pie, reading books over and over, playing golf with members of his family that have no skill in the area *ahem,* and watching "Dirty Jobs" on TV. BUT did you also know that he is a superhero?

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It is true. I thought he was a normal guy at first too. I mean, of course he was a hunk, and a sweetie, and quite solicitous, but it took me a few weeks to discover his secret power. Well, actually he has 2 powers that I have discovered so far. One is defensive and one is offensive...darn offensive, actually. His defensive power is to be able to calm people (me) with the slightest touch. I could be mad as heck over a small misunderstanding, and I swear (yes, I swear) that all he has to do is come over and poke me in the head with his finger...and immediately I am transported to another realm of complete peace and understanding. I melt, I quiver (not really), I agree that whatever large-ticket item of technology he wants to buy is a good idea....

I first noticed this ability of his when we were dating and he held my hand at church. Ahhh. Isn't church relaxing? Doesn't it just make you want to go around flinging flowers in the air and singing wordless songs of joy? Sure it does.

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Even more amazing, though, is all the times that I've been convinced that every single thing in the world is going all wrong (this happens on a monthly basis or so) only to have every single problem fade into the category of a slight inconvenience, or even a blessing in disguise, when he creeps up behind and wraps his super arms around me. (I try to avoid his gift when I am feeling really dramatic, so sometimes he has to be sneaky.) Inevitably we end up snuggling and laughing about said problems. I just looooooove problems, for the awesome opportunity they provide for snuggling. Bring on the expensive dental procedures! How 'bout a nice little recession! Where's the flood and/or famine? We are ready. Because, thanks to James' super power, whatever challenge we face, even if we have different viewpoints, we are still on the same team.

P.S. James' secret offensive power is sweating an awful lot of extremely repellent fluid when he runs. There is no predator alive that would be able to tell him from a water processing plant based on smell alone. So I don't worry about him when he runs off into the desert. He'll be back, and he'll need a shower. Pronto.