My Baby Ate My Computer Mouse!

I don't have any great excuses for not posting for so long. I can't say that I have been too busy because everyone could say that and then we wouldn't have any blogs to read! So I haven't posted since October. I will do some catching up here in the next few days. I will mostly just post some photographs because that is what people want to see anyway, right?

Halloween was fun this year. Kiara got the hang of trick-or-treating and eating candy and did not want to come home. She dressed up as a cowgirl for Dereck's work Halloween parade and then we dressed her up as Minnie Mouse to go around the neighborhood because she didn't like walking around in her horse too much. Katy Bug was a red hot chili pepper and what a cute one she was! (There is a photo of her in a previous post.)

My sister Alicia and I dressed up as Nacho Libre and Alicia's roommate was Sister Encarnación from the movie. My favorite picture is the one without me in it. Those wrestling clothes just aren't very flattering for a woman who has borne children (or for anyone really).

Dereck's parents came to town right before Halloween and we got to spend almost a week in St. George with them. It was wonderful.

A Morning in the Life of a Stay-at-Home Mother

At 7:30 a.m. I am awakened by not 1, but 2, babies crying. The younger one, Kate, seemed to want to eat all night instead of sleep. After many failed attempts to get Kate to sleep in the conventional parenting book ways, I finally nursed and rocked my fussy baby to sleep at 11:30 p.m. and thought, “It’s okay. I bet she will reward me by sleeping until 6:00 a.m.” At 1:30 a.m. I realized that Kate did not understand the conversation we had as I laid her in her crib and again nursed my baby to sleep (and again at 3:30 and 4:30 a.m.). These are not the kinds of things I share at my pediatrician visits. It seems as if my children know that they are to be good in the weeks leading up to an appointment so I can brag about my wonderful sleepers and eaters. Then immediately following an appointment I come up with all kinds of questions about my children’s behavior.

Anyway, I drag myself out of bed and am encountered by the first difficult decision of the day---which crying baby do I retrieve first? Do I open door A or B and what will I find behind it? I choose to open door A to find my toddler, Kiara, who is not quite 2, trying to hand me her baby. My first thought is, “Oh no thank you, I can’t handle another baby right now.” I smell the reason that Kiara was crying for me and quickly change it while she kicks and hits me. Good morning to you too, I think. I get her pj’s halfway back on before she takes off running. Then I go to door B to find my 4-month-old Kate all kicked out of her blankets and smelled another item to change. Kate wants to be held this morning, so the first mommy trick of the day will be to hold and nurse Kate as I spoon-feed Kiara her Cheerios and yogurt.

Breakfast is accomplished while I can barely keep my eyes open. The thing that wakes me up is when Kiara hits me in the eye with her toy. As I come to, I start to remember the things that I was to accomplish today and the first being to make it to play group at 10:00 a.m. I momentarily contemplate not going. My hair is too messy, I am too grumpy, the girls’ cute clothes are dirty and that means I might need to do laundry, my in-laws are coming tonight and that means I should pretend that I keep a clean house. Ultimately I decide that my girls need me to go to play group and interact with other adults. I need my girls to go to play group so they can interact with other toddlers and babies. Perhaps my children can form a support group of other toddlers where they can talk about what a stress case their mother is. I have found a support group of mothers where I can talk about what a stress case I have become.

The next item of business after breakfast is to try to make myself and the girls look presentable. I start to peel off Kate’s pj’s that she has worn since the night before last and she scratches her face with her claw-like nails. Kate starts to cry and I start to clip her little 1/8 inch nails. Kiara is trying to swing in Kate’s baby swing and is upset that it stops swinging the moment she sits in it.

I precede to get Kate in the bath and as I pull her out of the warm bath and enjoy her clean hair and skin she throws up what looks like curdled milk. It does not smell as sweet as the baby wash I lathered her with. We start over and I am wondering why I did not call in sick today.

After a few more battles and time-outs (for mommy and Kiara), we arrive safely to play group where other mothers have braved the storm and victoriously made it to play group on a Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m.

Jenny Lake in the Fall

The Tetons in the summer are spectacular, but the Tetons in the fall without the crowds---even more spectaluar. We like to make a tradition of being with my father for his birthday. It is a real treat for us to be with him any time, but it's especially nice to share his birthday with him. Dereck was unable to take work off, so my sister Alicia braved the drive---and the hotel room---with the girls and I. Thanks for the great weekend, Dad, Alicia, Grandpa, Lezli, and Zach!

Extinction Distinction

Where have all the dinosaurs gone? This is a question we pondered on Dereck's day off when we went to the Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Museum. I am just glad I found a good man to marry before they went extinct. Kate's nickname is bug. She just is "cute as a bug." And she's quiet like a bug. I love my little Kady Bug.

Quilt Show at Walker Lane Mansion

It's hard to understand the addiction unless you are a quilter, but there is a need within us to see fabric, to touch fabric, to buy fabric, and to view other people's creations with fabric. My mom and I and our quilt group friends enjoyed this quilt show on a rainy Saturday. It made me feel very amateurish in my abilities, but I can appreciate other's talents.

Elmo

One of the sweetest things happened the other night when Dereck got home from one of his longer business trips. I went and picked Dereck up from the airport while my mom was here at home with Kiara to put her to bed. When we came home Kiara was still up. We opened the door and she was squealing, "Daddy! Daddy!" and jumping up and down. She started to cry because she was so excited. She was much more excited to see Dereck than the Elmo he brought her from Ocean City, Maryland. And I will admit that I was tearful too. Oh, the joy of family togetherness!

Kiara loves her baths and recently discovered how to give herself a beard made of bubbles. She is starting to play with the other kids at play group (I wondered when the day would ever come). And I think that she is starting to realize that Kate just might work out to be a good playmate for her. She went and layed by Kate under her floor gym and gazed up at the smiling star.

My Little Hot Pepper Baby

September 24, 2006
Here's a preview of this year's Halloween costume for Baby Kate and some recent photos of my smiley Kiara. She is constantly giving hugs and kisses. I am so thankful for my sweet girls.

Family Foto Failure

We could only get one photo with Kiara on our lap, and well, the rest of us weren't looking at the camera. Kiara loves to run around and explore.

The Sisters Update

August 29, 2006
Kate continues to be a joy in our home. She smiles easily and rarely cries. Kiara seems frustrated that Kate can't play Ring Around the Rosies and Patty Cake yet, but we hope they will be good friends some day. Kiara's new favorite shoes are her pink boots, but the problem on this particular day was that she did not want to wear pants with her boots.

Glacier National Park

August 25, 2006
If you have not yet seen Glacier National Park and driven Going to the Sun Road, please add it to your list of things to do before you die! I am not even going to try to describe it with words. I could never do it justice.

The photo of the dock on the lake was the view we had from the deck of the cabin we stayed at with the Jacobs family at Echo Lake. That sentence had a lot of prepositions.

Grandma & Grandpa J

August 24, 2006
I loved these photos of Kiara and her grandma both in curlers. Usually Kiara won't let me touch her hair, but Grandma Jacobs just has a way with her grandchildren and Kiara acted so proud to look like Grandma. I am sure that one day Kiara will be grateful to have Grandma J in her life, the way that I am grateful. I sometimes call her Saint Linda because that is how I see her, constantly kind and loving. She is an inspiring example to me and I am so thankful to Broyce and Linda for how they raised their children. I get the feeling that they mostly taught quietly by example because this is the way that they teach me.

The Gardens

August 17, 2006
Before my sister Alicia started school we wanted to have one last fun day together, so we drove down to the Thanksgiving Point Gardens in Lehi. Kiara and Kate slept in the stroller as we walked around the main gardens. Alicia and I really enjoyed the "Secret Garden." There were hummingbirds everywhere and we always think of Grandma Lois when we see hummingbirds. When one of the little birds flutters by our ears we say that it is Grandma Lois telling us hello. I miss Grandma more and more each day. I miss her energy and unconditional love and concern for me. I hope to keep my memory of her alive as I try to be more like her.

Kiara enjoyed the Children's Discovery Garden, especially the fish as you can see. She must have thought the fish were trying to give her kisses because she kept kissing them back.

Cousins

It was a lot of fun to see family this month. Our little Kate was blessed on July 30 and it was a joyous day. Dereck's sister Jolene and her family were able to stay with us for a while during the time their oldest son was at EFY. Some of these photos were taken down at the Gateway Olympic fountain. The kids had fun staying cool in the shooting water.