Sunday, February 22, 2009

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Surge of Gratitude

I know that I haven't posted pictures in awhile, but, well, it will have to wait. I am writing because last night I was sitting in the rocking chair in the living room, rocking Caleb and singing him Primary songs, waiting for Patrick's mom to take him as she offered to watch him during the night again. While we were sitting there, Caleb brushed his little fingers over my face and I felt that that was a moment and a feeling I didn't want to forget. Somehow, too, the way I felt just overwhelmed me and I started just feeling happy and blessed and I felt that way last evening and this morning.

That's not to say it's been an absolutely perfect evening and morning. At 3:00, Mom brought Caleb down to feed and asked if I could keep him the rest of the morning since she hadn't been able to sleep at all (not really because of Caleb, although she said he had been fussy). Since that time (3:00 am), he has been trying to sleep, but he wakes up coughing a good deal. So neither of us got a lot of sleep since 3:00 am. Happily, he has fallen asleep for a nap in the car seat Dan and Michelle are loaning us and seems to be sleeping pretty soundly now. I am pretty frustrated that he doesn't seem to be improving very quickly. I am glad the fever is over (it only lasted last weekend), but I wish that we could get rid of his congestion and coughing. Also, this morning, he wet all over himself when I was changing his morning diaper. It wasn't a big deal since I wanted to give him a bath anyway, but it still wasn't very pleasant.

In any case, those things didn't ruin my good mood. I just wanted to share some of the little things that make me happy.

1. Baby fingers brushing my face. I already explained this above. It's possibly my favorite feeling ever.

2. Baby giggling. I never realized what a beautiful sound this was until I had a child. I love it! Yesterday, Mom was playing peekaboo with Caleb and he giggled for about five minutes straight while she played with him. So far that's a record.

3. Making up dog names. Whenever I hear a funny word I will say, "That would be a good name for a dog." The two latest are Zerbert and Zamboni. For those who don't know, "zerbert" is what my family always said for when you blow bubbles on someone's stomach or face and "zamboni" is the machine at an ice rink that smooths the ice. I think it sounds like a good pair, so we need two dogs to use these names-- two big dogs, I think.

4. Warm things. Specifically paper right out of the printer and laundry right out of the dryer.

5. Making lists. Um, that would explain why there are lists in so many of these entries. Plus, on to-do lists, it's so nice to cross things off.

6. Autumn. I love the season-- all the colors, especially in Wisconsin. I also love this word; I think it's much prettier than plain old "fall." I also love my niece of this name.

7. "Scumbag." I actually hated that Patrick said this when we first got married. He would call people "scumbags" and it seemed so mean to me, but I guess I've been desensitized to it because now I think it's funny. It's such a silly word, it shouldn't be taken too seriously. Plus when you're married to a tease, you need some word to use when he's driving you crazy!

8. Facebook and blogs. It's a guilty pleasure and I admit that it can be a waste of time, but I do love finding out who's getting/gotten married, who's having babies, and how people are doing. This is probably about the same as saying that I'm nosy.

9. Chocolate. I think I am gaining discretion in this area, though. I like chocolate cakes, chocolate brownies, and chocolatey ice cream in particular. Chocolate candy bars are best when they have the creamy filling (Lindor chocolates are good this way) or caramel filling (as in Caramellos). I generally prefer milk chocolate, but I think I like dark chocolate more than I used to since having a baby . . . strange, huh?

10. Games. My family didn't play games much when I was growing up, but since marrying a gamaholic I am realizing that there are some games I love. For instance, I am not good at Rook, but it's pretty fun. I guess I like getting ulcers because that game stresses me out but I like it. My favorite of course is when I have a hand with a ton of one suit and the rook, so maybe I don't like stress (since a hand like that doesn't stress me out too much), I play mostly for the good hands. I also like Clue and Catchphrase and Scrabble a lot. Recently we played a game called Blokus with some friends, and I think I like that game quite a bit too.

11. Listening to people's stories. This, too, might translate into nosiness, but so be it. It also could just be the sign of being a writer at heart. And some of it is due to my parents. They always taught me that people are important. There's a lot you can learn from listening to people and there's a lot of good you can do them when they know they're being heard.

12. Beehives. I haven't participated in Young Women's while we've been sick and I miss it. I was pretty intimidated when I got called to teach the 12- and 13-year-old girls at church, and they are pretty darn silly, but I feel like I've learned a lot from this calling and I have come to love the girls in my class. I wish I could take them with me when we move and keep teaching them and watching them grow. And I wish great things for them and I worry about some of them.

13. Compliments. Okay, that's a no-brainer, but I love compliments. My father-in-law gives the nicest compliments in the funniest way. (For instance, I got a haircut and he was studying me afterwards and said, "That really frames your face differently than we've ever seen before. It makes your face look puffier.") I've enjoyed those during their visit, and I'm not being sarcastic either-- they're flattering while making me laugh since I know he means well. Also, a while ago one of my Beehives' moms told me in the Mothers' Room at church how much her daughter enjoys my class and I haven't forgotten even though that was about five months ago.

14. Stormy, windy warm/cool days. I have lots of beautiful memories in the rain. (Also, lots of fun memories of water fights when it's not rainy.) I'm honored that my dad thinks of me when they have these sorts of days in Wisconsin.

15. Snow on my birthday and on Christmas. Snow from December 1-January 10 would be ideal.

16. Writing. I don't do this much right now except on this blog, and I don't know what will ever become of it. But it does give me such satisfaction to say things in the perfect way-- in a way that causes emotion in a reader, in a way that makes me remember what I thought or felt, in a way that brings something to life. I admit that I'm a little discouraged because I don't know where to go with it and I feel like there are a million people in the world who want to write and be published and not all of us will, but I love the process of writing and I appreciate my parents' encouragement to do something with it. They keep telling me I'm good, and they're pretty honest and well-read, so, yeah, I believe them.

17. Anticipation. I think I thrive on anticipation. I know this might seem like being discontent with life right now, but I think it's not the same. I just love to look forward to things. I look forward to when Caleb starts solids (at 6 months), I look forward to seeing people again once we're all not sick anymore, I look forward to the trip we have planned with my parents this summer, I look forward to introducing Caleb to his extended family in Arizona and Wisconsin this summer, I look forward to the new adventures of a new place and a new school in the fall, I look forward to having more children, I look forward to lots of things, and I think it keeps life interesting.

18. Being married. Sometimes I'm afraid that I come across negatively about this, but I love being married. I got married sooner than I expected in my life, but I wouldn't change it for anything. And it's not just "being married," but who I'm married to. I have a wonderful, funny, good husband. Patrick is just the type of person I want to be with forever. We are not the same and in some areas we don't even seem compatible, but we are learning together. It is true that marriage is a great teaching ground; we've both learned a lot already and we haven't yet been married three years. It keeps getting richer with time. That sounds like a silly thing to say when we've been married such a short time, but so far that's my experience.

19. The Gospel. I love the Gospel. I love the Savior. I love the scriptures. I love having hope and direction in my life. I love the Plan of Salvation. I love our prophet. I want to be good. Sometimes I'm not and in little ways sometimes I'm even a little rebellious and I'm still trying to make myself want to be good, but overall I want to be good. Not just good, but perfect and Christ-like.

20. Punctuation and language. I don't mean "grammar." I mean punctuation. I love periods and commas and exclamation points. I love playing around with them in writing and puting them (occasionally) where I know they probably shouldn't be and neglecting them in places they probably should be. I also love language. Patrick plays with words all the time and that's one thing I love about him. He throws on "-ifying" (as in "I'm pillowifying you" when he's beating me with a pillow) and other suffixes with abandon. It makes me laugh.

21. Friends. Some friends I had as a kid were Wittney, Krista, and Christopher. Two good friends I had as a kid were Debbie and Christine. We've all kind of spread out and moved on, but they are two amazing people and I'm grateful they were there when I was a teenager. In college, Michelle and I became great friends when we were roommates and I would like to think that we've been friends through an important period of our lives (all through college, and dating, and marriage, and our firstborn children) so we'll be friends forever. I know we will even if we don't keep in close contact. Since being married, I've made friends with Tara and recently with Libby and these friendships have been such fun. They've been important to me because being married has taught me that a woman always needs women no matter what a great man she has beside her.

22. Extended family. Patrick's family has just embraced me from the start. All of them-- aunts and uncles, cousins, parents, and siblings. This is especially amazing to me since we live so far from most of them. It makes me feel unconditionally like part of a rich community. My family is fantastic too. My aunt Jennifer, my uncle Roger, and my grandma Billie have all been especially important in my life for the support and attention they've given me since I was very young even though I've never lived that close to any of them. And my parents, of course, have been wonderful. I feel so blessed that I was born to them.

23. Hymns. I think the hymns and the Primary songs are actually my favorite music. They are certainly the music I know the best. It's been especially important to me during the first few months of having a baby. I'm always singing to him.

24. Adventures. My family has done some great adventures: driving around the country, taking trips without my parents telling us our destination, going kayaking with my dad (twice), white water rafting together, hiking the Grand Canyon, and various camping trips (especially daddy-daughter trips). I look forward to continuing this tradition and maybe expanding on it with our family.

25. Sign language. All right, I don't actually know it well myself. But my mom's passion has made it beautiful to me and I wish I knew it better. Really I love all languages, but this one has a special place in my heart.

26. Books. I love books. I love children's books lately because they are fun to read to Caleb and he already seems so interested. I love historical books and fiction of all kinds. Some of my favorites: Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, The Giver, Fahrenheit 451, Much Ado About Nothing, John Adams, A Tale of Two Cities, and many others.

There are many other things that make me happy, but these are some. And Caleb's awake now, so it's time to go.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Beware the Plague

Patrick's parents arrived on Saturday, January 31, 2009, welcomed by the smells of homemade pizza dough and yummy toppings, which we were in the midst of preparing for dinner. Patrick convinced them to come although, the timing wasn't exactly ideal for them in some ways, and we were pleased and grateful that his powers of persuasion were so, um, powerful. The first week was a delightful time, during which Patrick and I used a gift card to Outback and live-in babysitters so that we could go out on an exclusive date, no babies allowed. (In the early stages of Caleb's life he was quite easy to take out, but now he's a bit of a handful, and Mom often doesn't get to enjoy meals as much as she would like.) We also played games galore-- Rook in particular, as well as Backgammon, Sorry, Clue, and others. I also got to go participate in an excellent Young Women's activity-- ice skating at the Peaks Ice Arena. Ah, heaven. I love ice skating, thanks to my dad. I'd have to love ice skating. After all, my parents met at an ice arena. And besides, it's the only activity in the world where I attain some measure of grace.

On Saturday, while at the Young Women's basketball game, Caleb started being unusually fussy. I found a room, fed him, and took him home. From there, he developed stuffy nose and eventually sore throat, and cough. Poor kid is still suffering. And, generous and loving as he is, he's shared it with the rest of the family. Patrick and I are both fighting it too. As it turns out that it's a virus, we are all just stuck living with it until it passes. Happily, Mom and Dad extended their stay to take care of us. This means more sleep for a weary mama, namely me.

This has been quite the learning experience for me. I have learned:

1. that it is sweet to be needed. Sometimes Caleb would only settle down when I held him when he was first sick.

2. that I can be proud of myself because I do quite a bit when I'm feeling well.

3. that I have limits and can't do as much when I'm sick.

4. that there are definitely times to accept help.

5. that babies aren't supposed to get baby cold medicine until they are at least 6 months and for some of types not until they are about 4 years old.

6. that nursing moms aren't supposed to take cold medicine because it can dry up the milk supply. Plain old Tylenol. That is all.

7. that nursing is wonderful for passing along antibodies to babies, but it saps energy from the mom and may prolong her illness.

8. that there are definite benefits to having family near enough to help. We probably won't be in Wisconsin for law school, but afterwards we may settle there. We have always wanted to be fairly close to our families and in times of need I'm realizing that it's even more wonderful.

9. that we are very loved. Patrick's mom has taken great care of Caleb while I've been under the weather. My mom offered to come out and help as well, even though she had already bought cheap tickets for the end of March. We turned her down (which worked out fine since Patrick's parents could stay longer), but sure appreciated that she was willing to do that for us.

10. that having several kids and a husband who's working full-time, and being sick myself will be something I will dread while raising a family.

11. that babies are more adaptable than I realized. Caleb's sleeping arrangements have been changed several times based on temperature and nighttime caretaker, and he hasn't been any the worse for it.

12. that I'm somewhat creative when my mind is addled by germs.

13. that I would have made a lousy pioneer. All I want to do most of the time is sleep, sleep, sleep.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Up Early in the Morning

It's 4:54 am and Caleb woke up around 4:00. In retrospect, I realize I should have given him a pacifier and gone back to sleep. Instead, I fed him and put him back to bed. Now I'm at the computer listening to him talk to himself through the monitor. He seems like he's falling back to sleep, but then he wakes himself up and starts the whole process of mumbling himself back to sleep again. The last month has thrown me off because he's woken up in the middle of the night (sometimes several times) often and it took me a while to realize I didn't have to feed him every time. Even now, it's hard for me to judge when I should feed him and when he'll go back to sleep with just a pacifier. Most of the time it's the latter, but four months of having to do midnight feedings threw off my judgment so I often revert to the former.

Right now Patrick's parents are in town for two weeks. We keep saying that Caleb is getting spoiled. And there will probably be some time of trying to readjust him after they leave. As it is, Grandma holds him to put him to sleep for naps most of the time, so he gets lots of cuddling before naps and he wakes up when he gets set down a good deal of the time. There are also a lot of people around to give him attention all day, as well.

Having said that, though, I'm really getting more spoiled than he is. We have live-in babysitters so we went on a date without arranging for a babysitter -- just ask Grandma and Grandpa. We also both went out and shoveled snow together. Most of the time that's even a little tricky because one of us has Caleb. I can take a shower in the morning without feeling pressured to hurry out if Caleb gets fussy as well. I also got to go ice skating with the young women, and I've taken a number of naps, and I've recuperated after feeling sick one day, and I've taken time to write in my journal. I admit, I'm not even trying to not get spoiled. I'm enjoying it while it lasts. We'll both just readjust after they leave next week and we will both just be a little better for the two weeks of change.

I've reinserted the pacifier about three times and it seems that our sweet boy has gone back to sleep for awhile. That means I'm off to sleep as well.