Life With My Boys

My adorable boys

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Sat, 22 May 2010 04:30:00 +0000

Want to see a few pictures from our fun photo shoot? Check out what Kristin captured here!

Broken Paci - Day ??

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:19:00 +0000

Can I admit something to you?

I'd nearly forgotten we were getting rid of the paci. It hasn't been as rough the last few days.

Lets backtrack. Last week, Edward wasn't sleeping. And we had the occasional meltdown.

I'd planned to snip off more on Wed. But that morning, while we were having playgroup at our house, Edward spiked a high fever. I couldn't bring myself to make life any harder for him while he was already so miserable. So snipping was put off.

On the plus side, the fever made him so lethargic that he caught up on his sleep. (I have to admit that I chose to not medicate him and let the fever run its course specifically so that he would get some rest. Two days of intermittent high temps did the trick.) He has continued to nap just fine ever since. My sleeper is back!

How did the next cut go? Much more smoothly. The cut pacis have an edge that makes it hard to suck on, so Edward had already switched to simply holding it in his mouth. Cutting off more made it feel different, but he didn't have to break the sucking habit again.

For the last several days, Edward has used the pacis less and less. Except for when he goes to bed, he rarely has one in his mouth. And I'm making a point of redirecting his attention when he does ask for one.

All in all, I think it's going really well and hasn't been the ordeal I expected. I think that the next cut might be when we talk to him about throwing them out.

(Thanks Staci for reminding me to update!)

Broken Paci - Day 5

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:12:00 +0000

It hasn't been easy. But it also hasn't been horrible.

During the day, he'll occasionally carry one around to chew on or hold on the side of his mouth. It seems that he has a harder time talking with the broken paci in his mouth, so he's pulling it out to talk. Frequently, he puts it down and forgets about it.

That's the good stuff.

The bad?

He has yet to nap since I cut the pacis. Bedtimes involve lots of crying. But because he hasn't napped, a little snuggling or hand holding puts him right out.

Oh, and we did have an incident when he found an undamaged paci. I managed to distract him with a snack and cut it, but when nap time rolled around and he couldn't find it again, all hell broke loose. We have now thoroughly checked his room and think we've found them all...

Ultimately, I think it's working. It just might be a while before our great sleeper makes a reappearance.

Broken Paci - Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 02:14:00 +0000

Constantly switching pacis to try to find one that isn't broken.

2 hours of crying before he finally fell asleep.

Hope that Edward will decide the broken pacis aren't worth it before weeks of crying drives his parents insane.

(For anyone who's curious, I broke the pacis by snipping off just the tip. If he still wants them, we'll continue to cut off a little every week until there isn't enough to suck and he throws them out. And yes, I cut them all. There is no going back...)

Too Small

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:38:00 +0000

Today Edward said "Mom, you're too small for playground. You're too small."

Granted, the boy meant that I was too big and the playground too small. But it struck me that I haven't been too small for anything in quite some time. And that just seems weird.

Growing up, I was very accustomed to hearing "You're too small." It wasn't kids being mean. I really was too small for whatever kids my age were doing. Deficient growth hormone will do that. My mom rejoiced when I defied the doctors' predictions and not only made it close to 5 feet, but passed it during high school.

And I didn't stop! I'm a solid 5'3". Oddly enough, I'm still deficient. Could you imagine how tall I'd be if I produced normal amounts of growth hormone? I try not to think about it. I'm the shortest one of my siblings, and that feels right. Even as the oldest, I was always the little one.

That's why it struck me when Edward told me I was too small. I'm not too small. And I haven't been for years. Maybe it's time for me to change my mindset. I really liked being little. But if I could learn to enjoy being 30 (a whole post on it's own), I can learn to like being a normal size. (Height-wise at least. Even when I look thin, I'll never get used to the bigger number on the scale.)

My Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:20:00 +0000

It's been much too long, I know. We're still alive and kicking. Adjusting to a new house, a new work schedule, and my growing, changing boys has been a bit much for me. I'm getting there. Slowly.

Because they make me smile, I thought I'd share a few of my current favorite things.

1. Edwardese. Edward has stopped saying "no." He says "I guess not." On occasions we'll even get an "I guess.......yes." There's also "What chu talk'n 'bout!" And the ever classic "I'm all fine."

2. Ethan's bum. That boy can shake it! He discovered the joy of wiggling his bum a few weeks ago. (I think they did the chicken dance at school.) Ever since, he's become a dancing fiend and can shake that thang with the best of 'em. He'll even make up his own little raps to dance to. Totally cracks me up.

3. A clean kitchen. Now this is not something I have often. But when I do, it's inspiring! I just want to pull out a cutting board or mixing bowls or dust that long counter with flour and start kneading something. The layout of this kitchen makes it hard to keep tidy. But I'm pushing hard to create better habits for all of us. Because I love to be inspired to cook!

4. Edward's PJs. I'm sure I've mentioned Edward's tag obsession before. His taggies are his constant companions. It's evolved to be only clothing tags. His favorites are the ones in his pajamas. Especially the ones in the back of his pajama pants or shorts. BUT, Edward's favorite pajamas to wear are the full length footie ones. No lower-back tag on those. Edward's solution? Layers! He gets his footie pj's with a pair of shorts to provide a tag. All he needs is a cape and he'd make a great superman!

5. Ethan Drawing. Drawing has become an integral part of Ethan's life. He spends a huge portion of every day sitting at the craft table drawing us pictures. A few months ago, his drawings were simple (and unrecognizable) sketches of the things around our house. He's evolved to more intricate and creative works involving our family as books on a shelf, or racetracks with water hazards and short-cuts, or a bird in a cage, in a tree house, supported by several trees reaching over our house. We can barely bring ourselves to even put them in the mail to share. So grandparents, come visit and see Ethan's growing collection of work!

NEVER!

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:25:00 +0000

Edward after climbing onto a dining room chair: "No booster seat!! Hahahahaha." (With a fist pump) "NEVER!"

Love your Brother?

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:05:00 +0000

Not at my house. As much as my boys talk about loving each other, the obvious truth is that they'd LOVE to be only children.

Ethan can't wait for Edward's nap so that he can get out big boys toys or have mom all to himself. And Edward, when we're dropping Ethan off at preschool, literally drags me back to the car so that he can have the toys all to himself.

Maybe what we need is two toy rooms!

All joking aside, they do love each other and they show it in lots of ways. Playing together is just not one of them.

Cooking Again

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:44:00 +0000

In the adjustment back to a "normal" life, I've started cooking again. Old standbys for now while I'm feeling rusty. But more once I'm comfortable in my new kitchen.

To push myself along, I'm posting on my other blog again. Weekly menus and the corresponding recipes as I make them. Even if they're of no help to anyone else, it will get me back to my happy place and help me keep track of my recipes.

Is it over?

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:52:00 +0000

Can I open my eyes yet? Is 2009 totally and completely gone?

Whew!

It's been a rough ride. One I wouldn't voluntarily repeat. But would I change it? No way!

It would be wonderful to think that we would have ended 2009 on the high we did without the lows. But I don't think it was possible.

So I'll celebrate the growth. And the achievement of some of our long-term goals.

But no one can blame me for a little bit of relief that it's over.

Mom Math

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:52:00 +0000

1 Ignored dirty diaper on an otherwise naked boy

+

1 Boy who likes to play with the tag in the back of his pants

=

2 Messy hands waving a gross paci at mom while the boy spits at the yucky taste

+

1 Mom on a hunt to discover where else the boy wiped his hands

+

The New House

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:30:00 +0000

As per request, here is the new house. (No pictures b/c our camera was dropped. So you get John's walking tour instead!)

Poop!

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:10:00 +0000

Edward did it! On the potty! We're just so proud.

I should mention that the way it happened is not repeatable. And we have no expectations of it happening again in the near future. But it was still great!

Birthday Gifts for Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:08:00 +0000

I accidentally posted this to the wrong blog! But it's something that's becoming a beloved tradition at our house, so I though I'd leave it here too. Enjoy!

Our family has several birthdays during the month of December. A few years ago I realized that this gave us the perfect opportunity to talk about Christ's birthday.

Throughout the month, as we're talking about what to give and what each of my boys wants for their birthday, we make a point of mentioning Jesus's birthday as well. We discuss all of the different things we could give him and try to come up with the things he would most want from us this year. In the past, our choices have been things like obedience to our parents, helping our siblings, and reading our scriptures together more.

Even if you don't have December birthdays, the season of giving will offer many opportunities to discuss what we can give our Savior.

Or, try throwing a birthday party for Jesus as an FHE. Act out the nativity as your party game, celebrate with cake, and give presents by recording what you will give Jesus as a gift this year, either in pictures or in your journal.

I can attest to how wonderful it is to turn the world's focus on gifts back towards the true meaning of Christmas. Give it a try this year!

Homeowners!

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:59:00 +0000

That's right! We've acquired a mortgage! Merry Christmas to us!

This was our big project that's been in the works this last month. We were able to meet the realtor, look at a crazy number of houses, research our top options, and make an offer in under a week! It was intentionally fast so that John would be able to do the house-hunting with me before starting work. Then we closed a few weeks later.

I'll post pictures as soon as I remember to take some. These next few weeks will involve lots of cleaning, painting, packing and unpacking. We plan to be completely moved in to have Christmas in our new house.

The details? It's in a great town with a fabulous school system just a few minutes north of where we are now. The house is large, with enough rooms for a guest bedroom, a playroom, and an office. We're across the street from a park with several playscapes, a stream, a wooded area, and lots of open space to run. Also a pool! And as an extra bonus, the elementary school is on the other side of the park. We'll be able to walk there in less than 10 minutes.

So for Thanksgiving this year, I am grateful that we've come out on the other side of this year, not only stronger, but much better off than when the year began.

Round Two

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:24:00 +0000

Ethan was discharged from the hospital Thursday morning. With the meds, he was (and is) doing just fine. Still has the cold, but can breathe easy. So I went to make an appearance at work.

When I came home around 11:30 that night, John said that Edward was having a really hard time sleeping. He's had the same cold and was coughing and tossing and turning. I was pretty confident that I knew what it was. Unfortunately, I was right. The boy was wheezing and sucking hard to get air in. Not nearly as hard as Ethan had been, but hard enough.

Back to the ER we went. We weren't rushed right back this time, but ulitimately the experience was the same. Nurses, drs, and respiratory therapists. Breathing treatments and an x-ray. Our nurse from two nights before did a double take when she walked by and saw me. It was nice to be remembered. The respiratory therapist was one of the ones who treated Ethan as well.

After a few hours we were able to go home. New nebulizer and prescriptions in hand. (Now we have the full set of asthma treatments at home!)

Edward's diagnosis wasn't asthma, mearly a tightening as a reaction to a virus, called bronchiolitis. But it could be a sign of things to come.

This virus has been a nasty one for our boys, so if you don't see us around until it's gone, it's because we're trying not to share!

Hospital Stay

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:54:00 +0000

Two nights ago, Ethan had a cold. Not really a bad one, but oh did his body react. Ethan started to have trouble breathing, so we took him to the ER where he was diagnosed as having a major asthma attack. We'd hoped a breathing treatment or two would ease things and we'd be home. We weren't so lucky.

By that first morning, Ethan had figured out where everything in the ER was. (He was in the ER for 12 hours. First the PICU didn't have room, then they downgraded him and they didn't have a room in intermediate care, and finally they downgraded him again and we got a regular room.) Ethan was fine with it. He'd been introduced to the game cabinets in the ER and was happily playing away.

When we moved to his room, we hung out for a while to give the numerous drs, nurses, and respiratory therapists do their assessments. (Mom, your bag of fun was a big help during room-time.) Then Ethan asked where the hospital's toys were. So we spent much of the day in the Child Life playroom. Only popping out every hour or to be checked by the nurse and get his breathing treatments. We also discovered some garden areas that had fun things to climb on and walk around.

Honestly, if he didn't have to be woken up in the middle of the night, Ethan would love to live at the hospital. All the attention! All the places to explore!

He'll be coming home today, but the treatments and steroids will continue for a while. And we might avoid you if you're sick :)

We'd like to thank the friends who stepped in to make things easier. One who came over late at night so that we wouldn't have to take Edward with us. Another who took Edward all the next day so that mom and dad could take turns being with Ethan and sleeping. And yet another, with plenty of asthma experience, who volunteered to take both boys this afternoon if John and I need to make appearances at work. And of course, to all who expressed their concerned and offered prayers for our guy. THANK YOU!

Becoming a Smooth Stone

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:14:00 +0000

Things are looking up around here. (Very, very up. But more on that in the coming weeks.)

As we are finishing up this tough year and beginning new things, I've been particularly impressed to pay close attention to what we've been through. To see how each tough thing, no matter how small, polished off a rough edge.

Ethan asks me about the crosses on other churches on a regular basis. We always talk about how we don't celebrate the crucifixion, but the atonement and resurrection. Last week, it struck me exactly how different that makes us from other religions. We know that the plan we agreed to doesn't allow for the Lord to snap his fingers and make everything easy. The plan requires sacrifice, in many different ways.

Heavenly Father had to sacrifice his son to give us all the chance for eternal life.

Eve had to eat the fruit, sacrificing life in the garden of Eden so that the Lord's other commandment could be obeyed and we could all come to earth.

We've all chosen to sacrifice an easy life for the freedom of choice. To become the wondrous person the Lord sees inside, we have a lot of learning to do. And we all know that lessons stick when you've learned them the hard way.

So here we are. Coming out of a rough year. Feeling a little smoother. A little less rough.

On my mind

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:19:00 +0000

1. Ethan can sound out and write all of his letters now. So instead of "spelling" by yelling out a stream of random letters, he's working hard to hear each of the letters in the correct order. I love that he works so hard! He's even managing to read a few short words by sounding out the letters!

2. Edward backed off on wanting to use the potty for a while. But the interest seems to be back. He saw a potty at Target last week and fell in love. (It's frog shaped.) He's been sitting on it multiple times every day. No success yet, but the dry diapers all day and the overfull ones at night indicate that he's learning some control. We'll get there.

3. Please don't tell me how thin I look. I'm very aware. My pants are hanging off of me and all the baby weight has disappeared. (Wish the extra skin would too!) Even my face is thinner. This was not an intentional weight loss. It was achieved by a combination of stress, too little sleep, frequently eating only one real meal a day, and lots of Dr. Pepper to keep the blood sugar up and the headaches at bay. I am looking forward to gaining some weight back in Dec. Then losing it in a much more healthy manner.

4. So happy for John. He's loving his new job. It's exactly the type of growth opportunity he was looking for, and they need him there so badly. He jumped right in, meeting with people to figure out what he needed to learn, interviewing someone to do their SEO, and scheduling a business trip to get some hands on experience. Nine months was worth the wait!

5. Think I might attempt to fold the many, many loads of laundry and clean a bathroom or two before having to go to work. Better get started...

Goodnight Moon with a Twist

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:36:00 +0000

As a fan of speculative fiction, I absolutely love this review of Goodnight Moon. It's so good, I couldn't keep it to myself.

(Please don't read it if you want to continue to think of Goodnight Moon as a sweet children's book.)

Ummm... I think I forgot to mention...

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:30:00 +0000

We've been crazy busy this last week or so. Much, much busier than usual. All because we're making some big changes around here.

It all started when JOHN GOT A JOB!!!

That's right. After almost 9 months of unemployment, my husband will start his new job on tuesday! Can I tell you how relieved and excited I am?

We've been getting the ball rolling on a few major changes during this final week of joblessness. I'll be sure to let you know about them as they happen!

Listening

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:04:00 +0000

As we've been particularly focused on pleading with the Lord for John to get a job, I've been thinking a lot about how I listen for an answer. Or really, how He speaks to me.

Usually, it's a gut feeling kind of thing. Something just feels right. We're in Austin right now because of one of those. The more I fight against those feelings, the stronger He makes them, until there is no room for doubt.

I've had physical experiences when He needed me to know right then that something was right. As in, punched in the stomach, knocked the wind out of me experiences. Went to BYU and married John because of those.

I've even had an audible answer. If you don't remember, I got my Edward because of it.

I received the strangest one yet last month. While I was in the shower, BEFORE going to the temple, I received a clear picture in my mind. Literally a picture. A picture that will be a comfort to me for the rest of my life. Couldn't even focus on what we'd planned to pray about at the temple, because this picture was reinforced for me the whole day. It didn't even answer the question I'd had. Simply put it in perspective. With a picture. (No, I'm not going to share. Probably ever.)

Finally, I'm becoming more aware that He's talking all the time. And part of me has been listening. All those little day-to-day inspirations as a mom and a wife that I'd taken for granted. That somehow I hadn't realized I'd been enjoying. I'm sure there's even more that I'm missing because I'm not listening as well as I could.

Gotta love those big answers, but it's the little ones that affect me every day. I need to focus on hearing those better. To work on being a better listener.

It's the next morning and I feel the need to clarify. I don't mean to brag that I've had all these memorable answers to prayers. Not at all. In fact, I'm a little bit embarrassed by how the Lord has to talk to me. Because apparently I miss the little messages. I just don't get it unless he "sends me a sign". So I need to work on being a better listener.

Yummmm

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:06:00 +0000

Have you seen Foodzie yet? It's like edible Etsy.

The Pantry and Spices section makes me crave time in my kitchen to try out one or ten. Honey and Jam is making my mouth water. (Raspberry Cocoa Preserves! Macadamia Nut Blossom Honey!!) The Bakery..., well you know me and all things baked just go together. And I could spend my life's savings in Chocolate and Candy.

I'm having to force myself to think long and hard about what my first purchase will be. To keep myself from buying up everything I see. Maybe it'll be that honey...

I must be crazy

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Because I've been feeling like I don't have time to do anything for me, I decided to commit myself to something else. I've joined the Daring Bakers.

What does that mean?

Every month, a host (chosen from the membership) challenges us with something they've been wanting to try. The recipe is a secret for everyone but the membership until the end of the month when we all reveal how we did at once. It's a commitment because you have to participate nearly every month to stay a part of the group.

For September, we made puff pastry. Absolutely crazy. I've posted about how I did on my other, sorely neglected blog. So if you're interested in my massive failure, go check it out!

Pictures while cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Our house was an absolute wreck after a few weeks of a mom who was too busy, kids who were sick, and over-full weekends. We spent all day cleaning and have managed to get our house back into livable shape.

After cleaning the playroom, Ethan reminded me that we needed to make room for his preschool artwork on the walls. The picture is documenting the wall of artwork from last year. We took it all down and saved just a few. Ethan is so excited about filling it up again this year!

At the end of a very long, very busy day, John and I sat down for our "date night". Looks like fun, huh? Folding laundry while we watch a movie is becoming a regular thing.