What Takes Me Out of My Happy Place
Okay, truthfully, I'm going to start with something that frustrates me like crazy: putting Caleb to bed. That is right, I absolutely hate it. I feel myself almost getting angry because it takes more than an hour a lot of time even when I know he's tired! I set him in his crib, and he stands up again, and again, and again, and again, and . . . well, you get the point-- argh! Patrick sometimes holds him down and has success with that, but I'm not much good at it, and either way, it doesn't always work either. Sometimes, now I've started to leave after I've laid him down from standing up five or six or seven times. And then he just stands in his crib and cries until I think he's going to make himself sick (the longest I have left him is ten minutes). At first, it sort of seemed to make him tired enough that at least he'd finally relax and go to sleep, but now when I come back in and lay him back down he just stands up. I am going out of my mind! I thought I might ask the doctor for suggestions since he is supposed to call me Monday with some results on blood work Caleb had done, but I'd be interested to know if other people have had similar problems and what they have done. I am going out of my mind.
What Puts Me In My Happy Place
Two quick points 1.) This is another list. Sorry if you hate them. 2.) These are not all equal in worth and they are not in any sort of order.
1. Going to the Temple: Since we've been married, Patrick and I have been able to go to the temple every month. I doubt we'll be able to manage that once we move and the temple is more than 5-20 minutes away (5 to Provo, 20 to Timpanogos). Also, we have been fortunate to have aunts and friends who have been so kind about watching Caleb so we could go together. We went today, and it felt so good to be in such a beautiful, peaceful place.
2. An Adventurous Baby: Since pretty early on, Caleb has been a mover, and now he is into everything. Even though I joke about the messes he makes, they don't bother me that much. I love how curious he is. I love watching him explore. I think it's fun that he climbs the entire flight of stairs, that he tastes all the rocks in the rock garden, that he opens and closes the drain while taking a bath, that he puts his hand under the faucet when it's running, that he knocks things down just because they're there.
3. Writing: Aunt Mickie called a few months ago to tell me about the BYU Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference. I went to the afternoon sessions of the conference and felt really enthused about writing. I won't say how successful I've been about doing it consistently since then, but I learned a lot and I was inspired by all the authors who are moms while also being successful writers. Many of them gave good tips on how to manage it. And I felt like, if they can do it, so can I.
4. Houses Growing and Changing: Since marriage, Patrick and I have laid silent claim to houses that were going up near where we lived. There was one right next to our old apartment that we watched go up and felt some possession of, and there's one nearby here with a round room on the second floor that has a steep, pointed roof. (Disclaimer: I don't know much about architectural terms.) We love that room even though we've never been in it. We like to think about what our house would look like if we were to build one. There's something very refreshing about a new house. It's like a clean piece of paper-- very hopeful--waiting to be filled.
5. Walking in the Rain: Today, what made me think about making a happy list (which I know I've done before) was that I went walking with Caleb in the rain while Patrick was at work. I put a cover over the stroller and then went walking over around the park and around our neighborhood. It was a warm (slightly dusty) rain, and quite a few people were out so that two different women visited with me a little bit and were very friendly and kind.
6. Books: Recenlty I've read Larger-Than-Life Laura and Heartbeat, two middle-grade books which had good messages and didn't absorb too much of my time and energy (which is a plus). Although, before that, Patrick and I got into the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and it did absorb a lot of time and energy, but it was fun and somewhat educational as well.
7. Packing: We're not leaving until the end of July, but since we'll be out of town for two weeks before that, I've already started loading stuff in boxes. It might be a little premature, but I am enjoying it. It's nice to get things done before your stressed about it. And it's nice to be filing down our stuff and making friends with DI. And it's nice to watch our lives get simpler and simpler as I pack away more and more of our stuff and our house begins to look like we're leaving, which we are. And I'm happy to say that I think "unpacking" will also be something that makes me happy once we reach Virginia.
8. A Fresh Start: I am so excited for something new! I have loved my time here in Utah, but I am so ready for a change. I am ready to be around new people in a new region of the country with new weather (where the rain doesn't smell dusty), and a new stage of life for our family, living in a new apartment, and making new friends (though I love the friends we have), with new adventures ahead. I don't kid myself that it will be completely easy, but I still think that all-and-all it will be a wonderful thing for me personally and for us as a family.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Living With an Eight-Month-Old Is Too Much Fun
These pictures could have been organized better for better effect, but I'm sorry to say this is what you get. And even if they're not beautifully or comically organized, the subject matter is fantastic!
So, living with an eight-month-old turns out to involve messes more so than any previous stage so far. . .
but there is also the sweetness of modeling cute new outfits sent by grandparents and a wonderful great-aunt as well as the progress of learning to drink from a sippy cup . . .
and then there are more messes, of course.
And around all the fun of baby, there are also family celebrations, like a quarter-of-a-century birthday party for Dad . . .
with all the blaze of 25 candles.
And there are also celebrations like seeing off missionaries, like Patrick's cousin Thayne. This is at our last family dinner before he entered the Missionary Training Center. Caleb is progressing lizard/monkey-like by crawling and climbing.
There are also adventures to conquer.(Please notice the super-cute Tigger overalls from Patrick's parents and his aunt.)
And there are friends, like Juan and Cami, to get reacquainted with.
And there are more messes to consider, while practicing the art of kneeling.
And there is bathtub splashing to do. He was having so much fun splashing here-- that's why the water is all ripply in this picture and why he is so smiley. He was going crazy!
And eventually it's time to face those former dreams and make them come true.
And there's the hard work of a successful garage sale.
Fortunately, we had two sets of friends do the garage sale with us. This was a blessing for me because I'm sure I sold more since they helped fill up the garage, and because Patrick was at work and, as you could see from the previous picture, Caleb was worn out.
And there is the adventure of escaping into the "wild" outdoors . . .
though, of course, it's hard to move very quickly on hands, knees, and bellies, so I could get a picture before they ran away completely.
Here Jay and Libby watch them face the vast outdoors -- so much uncharted (to them) territory to explore!
And there is happiness in the morning for everyone after 9 or 10 hours of sleep for this little rugrat. (Yes, you heard me right, this baby is unquestionably sleeping through the night.)
And there are weekly occasions to dress up and look as grown up as Dad . . . or almost.(I only wish it weren't so blurry.)
And, yes, there are more opportunities for messes. Especially when there's two.
And there is just general happiness and fun at this stage from all the progress and development and interaction and giggles and cuddles.Monday, June 1, 2009
Happiness Is . . .
Anniversaries
This year, during this last week, we celebrated three years of marriage. I know people often post sweet, romantic things about their spouses on their blogs for their anniversaries, but as my husband doesn't do the blog thing and I write these entries more for my grandma and any other interested parties, I will just say I love my husband and I'm grateful to be married to him. He's a wonderful husband and father.
Also, it was fun reflecting on our last three years together. In retrospect, I thought, the first year was fun and so, so happy, but it was also a little crazy because we were still getting to know each other and we were learning how to live with each other on the most basic level, dealing with issues like how to squeeze the toothpaste out and who does the dishes. The second year was even more fun than the first I think and a lot of the really basic issues had been dealt with, so the big thing to face was pregnancy since we found out in December that we were expecting. And the third year has been a year of change-- I graduated just before our second anniversary, Caleb was born, Patrick graduated, and he decided to go to law school all in this last year of marriage. In some ways all that change has been hard because it's involved a lot of adapting, but it's also been so exciting! This next year will involve major change as well, but we say, "Bring it on!" To celebrate this anniversary, we had a nice morning going out to breakfast and a nice evening pan-searing some stakes we'd bought on sale awhile ago and eating brownies and ice cream.
Patrick's Birthday
Patrick celebrated his birthday this last week. I made him breakfast of bacon, sausage, and toast, and then he opened his presents. I think he was pretty excited and really grateful for the gifts he got this year. The strangest gift? My mom got him a "cat-a-pult" which is a little gun that shoots out these plastic cats. The animal issue is a funny joke between my mom (an animal lover) and Patrick (a walking allergy). Patrick probably wouldn't dislike cats if he weren't so allergic to them, but as it stands the "cat-a-pult" was pretty funny.
Patrick had to go to work for the day, but mostly it wasn't a hard day there so he could read the comic book I got him (Get Fuzzy) and mess around with the GPS my parents got him. Then when he came home we had got pizza for dinner--pepperoni/meatlovers pizza is Patrick's favorite food--from Pizza Hut, and then had cake and ice cream with friends in the evening. We called this his Quarter-of-a-Century Party. After the cake and ice cream, we headed over to the park and played baseball and then a bunch of kids that were there ended up playing a very non-competitive game of volleyball with us.
It was so nice to spend this time with our friends. Here is the story with our friends. One set, that we spend the most time with and we have the most connections to, is headed to Michigan for a master's in social work. Another set that we made and love from our first married ward is headed to Flagstaff, Arizona for physical therapy school. Another set that we're friends with because the wife and I grew up together in Wisconsin will be staying here in Utah and have plans to eventually move to Texas possibly. Another set that we're friends with because Patrick grew up with the wife in Wisconsin is headed to Oregon for chiropractic school. Two other sets that couldn't come to the party will probably always live in Utah as far as we can tell. So our friends will be all around the country. It is a strange but interesting stage of life to be in with many of our friends starting families and moving onto graduate school and jobs.
An Eight-Month-Old Baby
He's almost nine months now, but I would say this is my favorite stage with him so far. He's doing so much--crawling, making noises like "mama" and "dada," starting to pull himself up, etc.-- and for the first time I'm not in a hurry for him to do something else. I think in the past there was always something: I wanted him to smile at me, then I wanted him to laugh at me, then I wanted him to sit up, then I wanted him to roll over, then I wanted him to crawl. I don't think I worried about it too much but it was there in my head that I wanted him to do these things. And now I'm not in a hurry for him to do more. Of course I want him to do stuff when he's ready, but I'm not stressing about it. He's so interactive and interesting now without doing anything more. Also, yesterday, for the first time we spotted a tooth. Not only that, but these last three nights he's slept through the night. It came after two nights of getting up, checking on him, and then letting him cry himself to sleep. The first night he was out after fifteen minutes or so and the second night it took less than ten. This morning he seemed to wake up at 5:30, but after I went to the bathroom he'd already gone back to sleep. So he's figured out this going back to sleep thing, and that is another victory in our lives.
He definitely has a preference for his parents, and Patrick and I are both enjoying that. He still likes other people, but he comes to me and looks for me. I think that Patrick and Caleb are especially building a good relationship now. Patrick has always played with him and interacted with him, but he just really seems to be having more fun lately. Both of us are constantly amazed by the changes Caleb's going through and we are loving being a part of his life.
Finding Housing and Making Friends
Yes, that's right, we've found a place to stay in Virginia. Patrick contacted two of the LDS students in law school at William & Mary to ask them questions. One of them recommended three places that students frequently live and we contacted the management of the cheapest place. I think that they actually got us an apartment in a different, possibly older, complex than the one this student recommended (as they are differentiated by roman numerals I and II), but the two bedroom is cheaper at the I, so we are satisfied with it already. We were concerned about the price because it is so much more expensive than anything we've had to pay for here, but one of the students assured Patrick that it's pretty average. There are more expensive places right next to campus and there are cheaper places in the more ghetto areas (where he didn't recommend that we live). So we already have these two connections and we have a place to stay. We still have to fill out paperwork and make a deposit, but we've talked to a woman in the office and we're feeling pretty satisfied with this option. You may wonder when we can move in: August 1. So we are headed out of sweet old Provo come the end of July.
This year, during this last week, we celebrated three years of marriage. I know people often post sweet, romantic things about their spouses on their blogs for their anniversaries, but as my husband doesn't do the blog thing and I write these entries more for my grandma and any other interested parties, I will just say I love my husband and I'm grateful to be married to him. He's a wonderful husband and father.
Also, it was fun reflecting on our last three years together. In retrospect, I thought, the first year was fun and so, so happy, but it was also a little crazy because we were still getting to know each other and we were learning how to live with each other on the most basic level, dealing with issues like how to squeeze the toothpaste out and who does the dishes. The second year was even more fun than the first I think and a lot of the really basic issues had been dealt with, so the big thing to face was pregnancy since we found out in December that we were expecting. And the third year has been a year of change-- I graduated just before our second anniversary, Caleb was born, Patrick graduated, and he decided to go to law school all in this last year of marriage. In some ways all that change has been hard because it's involved a lot of adapting, but it's also been so exciting! This next year will involve major change as well, but we say, "Bring it on!" To celebrate this anniversary, we had a nice morning going out to breakfast and a nice evening pan-searing some stakes we'd bought on sale awhile ago and eating brownies and ice cream.
Patrick's Birthday
Patrick celebrated his birthday this last week. I made him breakfast of bacon, sausage, and toast, and then he opened his presents. I think he was pretty excited and really grateful for the gifts he got this year. The strangest gift? My mom got him a "cat-a-pult" which is a little gun that shoots out these plastic cats. The animal issue is a funny joke between my mom (an animal lover) and Patrick (a walking allergy). Patrick probably wouldn't dislike cats if he weren't so allergic to them, but as it stands the "cat-a-pult" was pretty funny.
Patrick had to go to work for the day, but mostly it wasn't a hard day there so he could read the comic book I got him (Get Fuzzy) and mess around with the GPS my parents got him. Then when he came home we had got pizza for dinner--pepperoni/meatlovers pizza is Patrick's favorite food--from Pizza Hut, and then had cake and ice cream with friends in the evening. We called this his Quarter-of-a-Century Party. After the cake and ice cream, we headed over to the park and played baseball and then a bunch of kids that were there ended up playing a very non-competitive game of volleyball with us.
It was so nice to spend this time with our friends. Here is the story with our friends. One set, that we spend the most time with and we have the most connections to, is headed to Michigan for a master's in social work. Another set that we made and love from our first married ward is headed to Flagstaff, Arizona for physical therapy school. Another set that we're friends with because the wife and I grew up together in Wisconsin will be staying here in Utah and have plans to eventually move to Texas possibly. Another set that we're friends with because Patrick grew up with the wife in Wisconsin is headed to Oregon for chiropractic school. Two other sets that couldn't come to the party will probably always live in Utah as far as we can tell. So our friends will be all around the country. It is a strange but interesting stage of life to be in with many of our friends starting families and moving onto graduate school and jobs.
An Eight-Month-Old Baby
He's almost nine months now, but I would say this is my favorite stage with him so far. He's doing so much--crawling, making noises like "mama" and "dada," starting to pull himself up, etc.-- and for the first time I'm not in a hurry for him to do something else. I think in the past there was always something: I wanted him to smile at me, then I wanted him to laugh at me, then I wanted him to sit up, then I wanted him to roll over, then I wanted him to crawl. I don't think I worried about it too much but it was there in my head that I wanted him to do these things. And now I'm not in a hurry for him to do more. Of course I want him to do stuff when he's ready, but I'm not stressing about it. He's so interactive and interesting now without doing anything more. Also, yesterday, for the first time we spotted a tooth. Not only that, but these last three nights he's slept through the night. It came after two nights of getting up, checking on him, and then letting him cry himself to sleep. The first night he was out after fifteen minutes or so and the second night it took less than ten. This morning he seemed to wake up at 5:30, but after I went to the bathroom he'd already gone back to sleep. So he's figured out this going back to sleep thing, and that is another victory in our lives.
He definitely has a preference for his parents, and Patrick and I are both enjoying that. He still likes other people, but he comes to me and looks for me. I think that Patrick and Caleb are especially building a good relationship now. Patrick has always played with him and interacted with him, but he just really seems to be having more fun lately. Both of us are constantly amazed by the changes Caleb's going through and we are loving being a part of his life.
Finding Housing and Making Friends
Yes, that's right, we've found a place to stay in Virginia. Patrick contacted two of the LDS students in law school at William & Mary to ask them questions. One of them recommended three places that students frequently live and we contacted the management of the cheapest place. I think that they actually got us an apartment in a different, possibly older, complex than the one this student recommended (as they are differentiated by roman numerals I and II), but the two bedroom is cheaper at the I, so we are satisfied with it already. We were concerned about the price because it is so much more expensive than anything we've had to pay for here, but one of the students assured Patrick that it's pretty average. There are more expensive places right next to campus and there are cheaper places in the more ghetto areas (where he didn't recommend that we live). So we already have these two connections and we have a place to stay. We still have to fill out paperwork and make a deposit, but we've talked to a woman in the office and we're feeling pretty satisfied with this option. You may wonder when we can move in: August 1. So we are headed out of sweet old Provo come the end of July.
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