until grandma gets here to await baby's arrival. :) i make no promises about when that date will actually be. i do know that i will be 40 weeks one week from today. so take that as you will.
in the past two weeks, we've had some adventures. it started last weekend when Dean puked over the side of his bed. that was awesome. two days later Max got sick (but not on the carpet this time, thankfully). the adults managed to escape this little virus, but it made for a few days of stir-crazy mommy and kiddos. it was also when the wildfires were close to us, causing much smoke in the air--so much so that there were advisories about whether schools would cancel because of the air quality. so we didn't leave the apartment for about three days. the saving grace was when my friend came over to help me. i was kind of joking when i said, "well, we can start in the kitchen, and then there are bathrooms and vacuuming to do," and she said, "ok!" and we went to work! she emptied the sink of dishes, scrubbed the stove, took out the trash, and then moved on to the dining area while i wiped down counters, scrubbed burners, and cleaned the floor. i think just being around someone who had some energy did wonders, but the fact that she got started on the seemingly herculean task of cleaning my house really helped me feel like i could do something. we each have two boys roughly the same ages, so they were playing happily most of the time we were cleaning. after she left i finished vacuuming the living area, which i have been meaning to do for a couple weeks but felt too daunted to start.
the three days before thanksgiving i was extremely blessed by friends who knew i was suffering. i was able to get a pedicure, go to the dr. sans children, and go christmas shopping sans children. and rather than feel guilty about having other people watch my kids this week, i have just felt rejuvenated. when was the last time i spent an hour in a bookstore?
and then troy was home for a long weekend! my lovely husband scrubbed our bathroom floor this weekend, on his hands and knees! i've been able to stay in bed in the morning and get naps in the afternoons because he's been home. it's been so nice to have so much help and really not feel like i have to do it all but can't because my body won't let me. delegate!
we got pretty lucky as far as thanksgiving was concerned: we got to do it twice! and make pies! thanksgiving day we went to aunt mary alice's house and spent the day with her children and grandchildren and a couple of in-laws of her children. lots of good food, and card games into the night. saturday we went to aunt heidi's house and spent the evening with her and aunt dori and their families. i was expecting leftovers and maybe fresh mashed potatoes or something, but no. this was a whole other turkey, stuffing, yams, mashed potatoes, the works. it was great! and all the cooking i ended up doing was a pumpkin pie. troy did the rest of the pie-baking: an apple pie and chocolate pudding pie for thanksgiving at aunt mary alice's, and then another apple pie to bring with my pumpkin pie to aunt heidi's. he's really good at peeling apples! :)
another blessing i feel much more because i'm so pregnant right now: the weather has cooled off considerably this weekend. it actually rained early this week, and today i don't think it got warmer than 70 degrees. AND it's foggy. love it! (i know, for all of you living in harsh climates, it's hard to hear me complain about the weather in southern california, but the metaphor of "cooking" a "bun in the oven" has a sure foundation in the collective experience of expectant mothers.)
so we end the week on an up. thank you to all who are praying for us, and especially for the little babe inside me. he's strong, trust me! now we're just praying for patience and a speedy delivery. i've never done well in the homestretch of a pregnancy, but i'm trying! my bag is packed and in the car, even! i'm ready to go. :) so thank you for all your help and prayers.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
more recent news
of course, foremost in my mind is the countdown to baby's arrival. today marks 37 weeks. huzzah! i'm down to weekly dr. visits, and i'm feeling guilty that my bag isn't packed yet. i guess i subconsciously don't believe it "could happen any time now." then again, i was induced twice. anyway, highlights from the past week or so:
1. the election is over!
2. prop 8 passed! (although it doesn't feel over on that one)
3. Wicked was amazing. really thought-provoking story, witty dialogue, great music. kudos to troy for getting tickets and initiating a date!
4. dean got his first "big poop" prize--rocky the crane car. all he could talk about once it was out of the package was taking it to kansas grandma's house so rocky could help gordon get back on the tracks. so, kansas grandma, we're coming for you! (for those of you unfamiliar with our potty training terminology, a "big poop" is one that is completely on the toilet--not some here, some there, let's pick some up from anywhere)
5. the weather cooled off for a couple days. that was awesome. i wore long sleeves one day, even.
6. i got to play my flute with the stake choir in stake conference today. i think the practices were more fun, but it's such a pretty piece, and several people commented on my playing afterwards. yay mommy!
things i learned (maybe for the first time, maybe again)
1. protests that block the streets make it hard to get from our house to the theater in under two hours. (our date just happened to be the same night as the protest in front of the temple, causing the temple and sections of santa monica blvd to shut down, which made traffic, well, wicked.)
2. expecting to complete three errands in the same outing, with two kids in tow, is just too ambitious for one as pregnant as i.
3. expecting to be able to recover from such a morning quickly is also too ambitious for one as pregnant as i.
4. the secret to a clean (enough) house is just doing something every single day.
5. it's really okay to call someone for help when i find myself drowning--it's what friends are for. i don't have to do everything myself. (thanks, ellen!)
6. the list of things that need to be done is often shorter on paper than it is when everything is swimming around in my head. and not everything is really an all-day project, even though it seems that way. deciding to do one thing per day and then actually doing it is really satisfying.
7. i can change the mood in our house by singing a song.
8. potty training really is a process. all processes have ups and downs. the bottom line is, as long as progress is being made, things are moving in the right direction.
parting thoughts:
perspective breeds patience. when you step back far enough, an hour, a day, a month gets shorter in the grand scheme of things. anything that is not eternal is temporary. we need to use the stages in our lives to learn eternal truths that we can take with us.
i need to remind myself of this often, especially when i'm changing diapers or picking up every toy we own again, but knowing that it won't be this way forever is what keeps me going sometimes. i know i will miss things about this time in my life in the future, so i'm trying to just enjoy the ride--and i do, often. my dad told me, "these are the good old days," so i try to think of things that way. these are the stories our kids will crack up about in 10 years and the rest of their lives. life is good.
1. the election is over!
2. prop 8 passed! (although it doesn't feel over on that one)
3. Wicked was amazing. really thought-provoking story, witty dialogue, great music. kudos to troy for getting tickets and initiating a date!
4. dean got his first "big poop" prize--rocky the crane car. all he could talk about once it was out of the package was taking it to kansas grandma's house so rocky could help gordon get back on the tracks. so, kansas grandma, we're coming for you! (for those of you unfamiliar with our potty training terminology, a "big poop" is one that is completely on the toilet--not some here, some there, let's pick some up from anywhere)
5. the weather cooled off for a couple days. that was awesome. i wore long sleeves one day, even.
6. i got to play my flute with the stake choir in stake conference today. i think the practices were more fun, but it's such a pretty piece, and several people commented on my playing afterwards. yay mommy!
things i learned (maybe for the first time, maybe again)
1. protests that block the streets make it hard to get from our house to the theater in under two hours. (our date just happened to be the same night as the protest in front of the temple, causing the temple and sections of santa monica blvd to shut down, which made traffic, well, wicked.)
2. expecting to complete three errands in the same outing, with two kids in tow, is just too ambitious for one as pregnant as i.
3. expecting to be able to recover from such a morning quickly is also too ambitious for one as pregnant as i.
4. the secret to a clean (enough) house is just doing something every single day.
5. it's really okay to call someone for help when i find myself drowning--it's what friends are for. i don't have to do everything myself. (thanks, ellen!)
6. the list of things that need to be done is often shorter on paper than it is when everything is swimming around in my head. and not everything is really an all-day project, even though it seems that way. deciding to do one thing per day and then actually doing it is really satisfying.
7. i can change the mood in our house by singing a song.
8. potty training really is a process. all processes have ups and downs. the bottom line is, as long as progress is being made, things are moving in the right direction.
parting thoughts:
perspective breeds patience. when you step back far enough, an hour, a day, a month gets shorter in the grand scheme of things. anything that is not eternal is temporary. we need to use the stages in our lives to learn eternal truths that we can take with us.
i need to remind myself of this often, especially when i'm changing diapers or picking up every toy we own again, but knowing that it won't be this way forever is what keeps me going sometimes. i know i will miss things about this time in my life in the future, so i'm trying to just enjoy the ride--and i do, often. my dad told me, "these are the good old days," so i try to think of things that way. these are the stories our kids will crack up about in 10 years and the rest of their lives. life is good.
halloween!
i have a confession to make: these pictures are a reenactment of halloween night. it's not really halloween, but we wanted to document the cutest lion and monkey in history.
we carved our jack-o-lantern for FHE the monday following halloween. troy decided to get creative with the holes in the pumpkin, because i think there was a moldy spot on our pumpkin before we started! anyway, that explains the hand coming out of jack's head, for those of you wondering.
and we have to admit to some cruelty here. max didn't have any idea that we weren't REALLY going trick-or-treating again. poor little guy! but don't worry--he had a fun night on all hallows' eve, got plenty of candy and "awww, that's the cutest lion i've ever seen!"s. dean understood what was going on eventually, but they both needed a "trick-or-treat" to settle them down right before bedtime. (we
are the awesomest parents EVER)
are the awesomest parents EVER) again, i apologize for any funky text-to-picture-nonmatching.
little trip
so, the same week we had our carpets cleaned we also went to the bay area to make troy's boring business trip a mini-vacation. the boys and i dropped daddy off at the airport, and then got back on the highway and drove to mountain view. kind of crazy, but it was fun. the boys were really good in the car (many answered prayers) and i managed to stay sane on I-5 for five hours. all those cows...
anyway that was thursday night, and we got to see a former mission companion of troy's at his apartment--in mountain view!
here is tro
y with his former companion, darcy. oh, and that's max, rummaging through the toys. (get a load of that hair!)
y with his former companion, darcy. oh, and that's max, rummaging through the toys. (get a load of that hair!) 
darcy has two little boys--and they had trains. so, do you think dean ate dinner with us?
yeah. that's tidmouth sheds right there, folks. dinner comes waaay after that on dean's priority list.
friday the boys and i played at a park and then went to see a friend from LA who recently moved to santa rosa. they were in the midst of getting into a house that weekend so we drove all the way up to her house and then all the way back to mountain view. it was an adventure--and of course i forgot to bring out the camera. :( hope you're in your house by now, lezlie!
saturday we went to san francisco and took the alcatraz cruise, which of course included a boat ride. :) it was a lovely day. it's really beautiful there (in the city--probably not from inside the prison, eh, dean?) 
that was our little family mini-vacation in the bay. i must admit it was pretty exhausting for my oh-so-pregnant body. the drive home was peaceful as well--so much nicer with another adult to talk to!
i apologize for leaving the blog alone for so long. i was on a roll for a while! i must confess i get pretty disappointed when i check blogs of friends and family and there's nothing new week after week, so i'm trying not to disappoint. :) speaking of disappointment, sorry the text and pictures don't line up exactly perfectly. i'm learning.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
hooray for clean carpet
i promise our week was more exciting than getting our carpet steam-cleaned, but that's what i am most excited about right now. i figured out that our carpets haven't been this clean since we came home from our vacation last summer--that's over a year! we deciphered through the "english" on our bill (can you write with an accent?) that we are being charged extra because our carpet was "xtra" dirty in the "dinnen room." (i want to save the bill as a memento of our LA experience) not surprising when you consider a year's worth of max learning to use a fork happened over that carpet.
so i've been struggling a lot in the past couple of weeks. i am just too tired to be patient some days. i can't bend over or see my feet; i can't make the baby stop moving when i want to sleep, or really relax, or find a good position to sleep in, which makes sleeping difficult if not futile. this means that i have very little energy to spend on the boys or housework. and if i do use what energy i have to do something like sweep the kitchen floor or go grocery shopping, i have none left to try and understand the needs of my children. this makes for cranky mommy and cranky kids. i had a particularly harrowing grocery store episode this week, and it's probably a good thing i didn't do a post about it because i would have sounded a bit monstrous.
today at church i really felt that i got the answers i have been seeking with regard to my struggles. of course i want to be patient with my children, not constantly yelling at them. anyway i had several thoughts based on talks and lessons from the day:
1. focus on having the Spirit at home--help my children feel it. that's how they will learn what the Spirit feels like and build their testimonies. i can't give them a testimony or make them understand anything. it has to happen within them. my responsibility as their mother is to be worthy of the Spirit myself, create an atmosphere where the Spirit can dwell, and help my children recognize the feeling.
2. the first thing the Savior does when He is troubled is pray to His Father.
3. i should pray every time i need help keeping my cool--in the moment, not just a sweeping request in the morning, expecting it to be easy to then control my temper all day.
4. i need to be willing to work before i pray, and present the plan i have to the Lord in a prayer rather than just a wishlist.
5. there has to be a correspondence of wills as we submit our will to Heavenly Father.
6. prayer is a privilege--if we had time with our Father in person, what would we say? how would our prayers be different? what a powerful image!
also, i have had many offers of help from people in the ward lately (i think my belly is inviting more greetings of, "how are you doing?"). so i think that this is a message to me that i can't do everything on my own, and it's okay. i have people around me ready and willing to help, so ask for help! there's no shame in it. i have two energetic children and a very active baby inside me that taxes my body and emotions. so there you have it. i need to pray more so i have the Spirit more, and ask for and accept more help without any guilt. accepting help from people who offer does not make me a failure.
so i've been struggling a lot in the past couple of weeks. i am just too tired to be patient some days. i can't bend over or see my feet; i can't make the baby stop moving when i want to sleep, or really relax, or find a good position to sleep in, which makes sleeping difficult if not futile. this means that i have very little energy to spend on the boys or housework. and if i do use what energy i have to do something like sweep the kitchen floor or go grocery shopping, i have none left to try and understand the needs of my children. this makes for cranky mommy and cranky kids. i had a particularly harrowing grocery store episode this week, and it's probably a good thing i didn't do a post about it because i would have sounded a bit monstrous.
today at church i really felt that i got the answers i have been seeking with regard to my struggles. of course i want to be patient with my children, not constantly yelling at them. anyway i had several thoughts based on talks and lessons from the day:
1. focus on having the Spirit at home--help my children feel it. that's how they will learn what the Spirit feels like and build their testimonies. i can't give them a testimony or make them understand anything. it has to happen within them. my responsibility as their mother is to be worthy of the Spirit myself, create an atmosphere where the Spirit can dwell, and help my children recognize the feeling.
2. the first thing the Savior does when He is troubled is pray to His Father.
3. i should pray every time i need help keeping my cool--in the moment, not just a sweeping request in the morning, expecting it to be easy to then control my temper all day.
4. i need to be willing to work before i pray, and present the plan i have to the Lord in a prayer rather than just a wishlist.
5. there has to be a correspondence of wills as we submit our will to Heavenly Father.
6. prayer is a privilege--if we had time with our Father in person, what would we say? how would our prayers be different? what a powerful image!
also, i have had many offers of help from people in the ward lately (i think my belly is inviting more greetings of, "how are you doing?"). so i think that this is a message to me that i can't do everything on my own, and it's okay. i have people around me ready and willing to help, so ask for help! there's no shame in it. i have two energetic children and a very active baby inside me that taxes my body and emotions. so there you have it. i need to pray more so i have the Spirit more, and ask for and accept more help without any guilt. accepting help from people who offer does not make me a failure.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
small triumphs
1. i did not pick up any poop off the floor this week.
2. i did not kill either of my children.
3. i have the best husband in the world--he bought tickets to a broadway show AND did everything this weekend so i could have a break.
4. i am no longer out of sweet things to eat after the kids are in bed.
5. i will probably make it through this coming week, too.
2. i did not kill either of my children.
3. i have the best husband in the world--he bought tickets to a broadway show AND did everything this weekend so i could have a break.
4. i am no longer out of sweet things to eat after the kids are in bed.
5. i will probably make it through this coming week, too.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
potty training continues
potty training lessons of the week:
1. dean does well when forced; i.e., when his choices are peeing on the floor or in the toilet.
2. dean does not do well when his bowels are either diseased or unbalanced. i won't go into how i know that exactly. let's just say thursday evening was not my favorite time this week.
in other news, troy (months after i made my list) went through the baby names book and made his list. here are the only coinciding names we came up with independently: brigham, hal/henry, reed, sid/sidney, ty/tyrus. thoughts, anyone?
pregnancy continues to go well, although i think it's a little more achy this time. i feel like i should only have maybe 4 weeks to go based on my energy level and aching back, but i really have about 9. so it is getting close, and i'm trying to be patient and not wish away the time i have with "only" two kids because i don't want to be pregnant anymore. i do well most days, and the boys are really cute about my belly. dean likes to play games with binko (that's his name for the baby) and ask me if binko is having a party for him, or laughing because dean is being silly. max likes to be soft ("kaah") on my belly, stroking very gently. i think he's picked up "binko" as well--he says "eeko" sometimes when dean is asking me what the baby is doing.
i have had many moments this week of pure joy and gratitude for my family. i have been in awe of how beautiful my sons are, how precious their lives are, and their absolute joy in finding an ant on the sidewalk and letting it crawl on their arms. i am living the life i always wanted, and i think i'm learning to appreciate it while it's happening. my loving husband makes things fun again when i can't give any more, which happens pretty often these days; my two boys are learning every day, working on becoming who they will be; my body responds well to the rigors of pregnancy and lifting my solid 20-month-old so often; i have good people all around me who have been or are where i am in life and are full of encouragement and help for me; i know my Heavenly Father knows me, loves me, and approves of my efforts to keep a good home and raise our children in light and truth.
1. dean does well when forced; i.e., when his choices are peeing on the floor or in the toilet.
2. dean does not do well when his bowels are either diseased or unbalanced. i won't go into how i know that exactly. let's just say thursday evening was not my favorite time this week.
in other news, troy (months after i made my list) went through the baby names book and made his list. here are the only coinciding names we came up with independently: brigham, hal/henry, reed, sid/sidney, ty/tyrus. thoughts, anyone?
pregnancy continues to go well, although i think it's a little more achy this time. i feel like i should only have maybe 4 weeks to go based on my energy level and aching back, but i really have about 9. so it is getting close, and i'm trying to be patient and not wish away the time i have with "only" two kids because i don't want to be pregnant anymore. i do well most days, and the boys are really cute about my belly. dean likes to play games with binko (that's his name for the baby) and ask me if binko is having a party for him, or laughing because dean is being silly. max likes to be soft ("kaah") on my belly, stroking very gently. i think he's picked up "binko" as well--he says "eeko" sometimes when dean is asking me what the baby is doing.
i have had many moments this week of pure joy and gratitude for my family. i have been in awe of how beautiful my sons are, how precious their lives are, and their absolute joy in finding an ant on the sidewalk and letting it crawl on their arms. i am living the life i always wanted, and i think i'm learning to appreciate it while it's happening. my loving husband makes things fun again when i can't give any more, which happens pretty often these days; my two boys are learning every day, working on becoming who they will be; my body responds well to the rigors of pregnancy and lifting my solid 20-month-old so often; i have good people all around me who have been or are where i am in life and are full of encouragement and help for me; i know my Heavenly Father knows me, loves me, and approves of my efforts to keep a good home and raise our children in light and truth.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
this calls for a celebration!
i just wanted everyone to know that Dean pooped in the toilet today. HUZZAH!
we didn't take pictures, so there's nothing graphical to post (you're welcome), but this is a momentous occasion. he ran up to us in the kitchen asking for a wipe, which to me meant, "help! i've pooped on the floor." so while troy asked him if he had any more that needed to come out and shepherded him to the toilet, i got the poops up off the floor. then max wanted to go potty. he kept trying to take his diaper off, grunting all the way. maybe we'll have two potty-trained boys soon! how awesome would that be? but i'm not holding my breath.
sure enough, dean had some more in there and it went into the toilet! first time since a rather traumatic experience two summers ago in BC. (for more details on the BC event, you can ask me individually.)
we didn't take pictures, so there's nothing graphical to post (you're welcome), but this is a momentous occasion. he ran up to us in the kitchen asking for a wipe, which to me meant, "help! i've pooped on the floor." so while troy asked him if he had any more that needed to come out and shepherded him to the toilet, i got the poops up off the floor. then max wanted to go potty. he kept trying to take his diaper off, grunting all the way. maybe we'll have two potty-trained boys soon! how awesome would that be? but i'm not holding my breath.
sure enough, dean had some more in there and it went into the toilet! first time since a rather traumatic experience two summers ago in BC. (for more details on the BC event, you can ask me individually.)
time flies
It's hard to believe that Dean was once just two years old, getting his first haircut. Now he has a little brother almost as old as he was the last time we posted on our blog! This is little Max getting his first haircut. (We let a professional do this one.) He did such a good job sitting still in the chair!
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