A couple more

I haven't posted very many pictures of the baby, so here are a couple more. Here is Kyla holding Jeff's finger. She has four or five times a day when she is awake and alert. It is fun and I don't remember either of my other kids being so calm and alert this early.

In this one, I know it looks like she's crying, but she was actually smiling. Not necessarily at Allie, but in her general direction.

One of her relaxing on her Boppy.

Graduation Day

Today Damon graduated from preschool. My mom and sister took Damon and Allie to his graduation ceremony (which was the classes singing a couple of songs and getting presented with a certificate of achievement before the procession outside). I'm sad that I missed it, but Kimmy video taped it so I could watch. A couple weeks ago Damon had his picture taken in cap and gown and how could I resist this picture?

Here are Damon and Isaac holding their "diplomas."

In other news, we're doing good here at home. Kyla had a rough start (she didn't sleep very well at all in the hospital, and consequentially, neither did I), but has loved being home. She has slept in her bed the last two nights and has had at least one stretch of three hours uninterrupted both nights. That is a big improvement for us and I am feeling much more capable during the day.

Here are some things that have been on my mind. Things I don't love about having a new baby:

1. Lack of sleep. It's hard being tired all the time and having no idea what to expect, but

2. The sore body. From the contracting uterus every time you nurse to the other pains you feel when the pain medication wears off, having a baby is hard on the body.

3. The adjustment of a milk to baby ratio. I would actually take the sore body over the sore chest any day. Kyla is a good nurser, but she can't even begin to keep up with the milk I am producing right now. And it is painful!

4. Every time I sit down to eat, babies think they should be eating too. You start thinking that it's not a meal without a baby on your lap.

But here are some things that I love about having a new baby:

1. Snuggling with a newborn. I know they have no choice because they can't even hold their own heads up, but it's so much fun to have a tiny baby fall asleep on your shoulder.

2. The facial expressions. Kyla has smiled at us a few times, and even though I'm not 100% convinced she knows what she is doing, it is the sweetest thing.

3. The way they recognize voices. Kyla has turned to look for Damon a couple of times when she hears him laugh. We don't need a hearing test to tell us that she has been listening to us for the past several months.

4. The incredible feeling of love you get when you are taking care of this tiny, helpless person. There are a lot of emotions that come with having a baby, but love is the strongest of them all. I am amazed at how much love I feel, not only for the baby, but for all my kids. It's awesome.

Okay, here is a pic of the three kids. Allie has liked having a baby (she "wants to hold it" occasionally), although she has enjoyed the baby's swing 10 times more. Damon, though, has been so loving and has held the baby several times a day since we've been home. It makes me a little crazy how he keeps sniffing her and always has to be right up in her face, but I love that he loves her and I really try to encourage him to love her hands and feet more than anything.

Baby pic

You know how it is, no picture that you take of a newborn looks that much like them, but this is the best we could do. Her hair is a tad darker than this shows, but not much. More details to come, but we're home now and all doing well, although very tired.

Kyla Collette Trapnell is here!!

Hi everyone, this is Heather, Krystal's sister. I got all the details, I'll tell ya everything I know!! Krystal can fill in the rest when she gets back.

First of all, everything went great, and mom and baby are doing well. The hospital called at 5:00 a.m. to say they were too busy then, but later, around 8:00 a.m. they called and said they were ready!! So Jeff, Krystal, and my mom headed to the hospital while Kimberlee stayed with Damon and Allie. They started Ptsoin around 9:30, and she got her epidural around 11:00. By 12:45 Krystal was dilated to a 5, but by 2:15 she was a 9!! Nice! She started pushing around 2:30, and the nurses were coaching her a bit (she had to do some pushes while on her side, Kyla was coming out sideways.) Anyway, she said her epidural had almost worn off, and she was feeling lots of pressure. Once the doctor came in, it only took about 3 pushes and Kyla was out!! She got to spend about an hour with Krystal and Jeff, then they took her and weighed and measured her.

She weighs 7 pounds 4 ounces and is 19 inches long. (Krystal says that's almost exactly what Allie weighed, at 7 pounds 2 ounces.) She also said Kyla does not have much hair, and she is very light skinned. Can't wait for pictures!! Oh yes, one last thing, Collette is Jeff's mom's middle name. And Krystal likes that "Kyla" comes from all the letters of Krystal's name. Congratulations to Jeff and Krystal, and welcome to the world, baby Kyla!

Update

So...no baby yet. I am basically where I was last week (dilated to 4, 50% effaced), but the good news is that she should be here tomorrow. My blood pressure is creeping up and my doctor decided it was borderline reason to induce so as long as the hospital isn't too busy tomorrow morning, we should be good to go. Yay! Three cheers for an epidural and no rushing to the hospital in the middle of the night (as long as she cooperates). I will try to have someone post the details when she gets here (want to volunteer, Heather?), but for now I am going to enjoy my last night large and in charge.

Waiting

So, today I am officially pregnant longer than I ever have been before. Allie came 9 days early, Damon was three weeks early and Chance was 4 months too early. I don't know what to do with myself! The waiting is so hard, especially knowing that it could happen at any time. Every little pain I feel I start wondering, "Is this it?," but so far it hasn't. I don't think it would be so bad, either, if I hadn't been so lightning quick last time, either. I don't sleep very well, wondering if I'm going to wake up suddenly with contractions and have to rush to the hospital. During the day, it's not so bad, because I'm basically ready to go, but as soon as the sun starts going down at night, I start feeling anxious and nervous about not getting through the night. It's really a terrible feeling and I will be glad when this part is over.

The other hard thing about the waiting is that I really don't have anything planned to do every day. We didn't go to the beach yesterday because I was worried about being so far from the hospital. Jeff and Damon didn't go to Fathers and Sons last weekend because I was worried about them being an hour away. Jeff has had the last couple of days off and we're all just sitting around, not wanting to do anything but wait. It's getting maddening...

Okay, well, I'm sure that when this baby finally decides to come I will laugh about complaining about TOO much free time, but that's just the way it is right now. This baby may be waiting for my mom and Kimmy, who come Tuesday, so I will try to just enjoy myself until then. Wish me luck...

MOM

I realize that I completely neglected to mention Mother's Day in any of my last posts. But you may have caught on that my feelings about motherhood haven't been entirely positive lately and so I skipped right over it. Today, though, has been a good day. My friend, April, came over this morning and picked my kids up so I could spend the day doing whatever I wanted to do. Isn't that awesome? I had a doctor's appointment (for which, sadly, I had to wait too long) and then went to get my hair cut. I had lunch with Jeff and have spent the last hour sitting in my quiet house (not entirely clean, but very quiet) enjoying these precious moments and feeling a little bit better about being a mom (in case you are wondering, I am dilated to a 4 and am 50% effaced, so this baby could come quickly and at any time!).

All I have ever wanted to do since the time I was little was be a mom. Like most of the other girls in my El Ed major at BYU, we were constantly looking forward to our real careers as mothers. I have never wanted to work and I never intend to (unless something unforeseen happens, of course), but hope to fill my days just the way I do now--by taking care of my family. Most of the time, I really love what I do. It's hard and frustrating and at times I don't feel appreciated, but it's so worth it. I really am looking forward to having another child to love and to watch her own personality blossom before my eyes, despite all the things I may have said to the contrary. Damon and Allie make me crazy but I can't imagine loving anyone more. I think that's my favorite thing about motherhood--how much my capacity to love has increased (I feel a little like the Grinch whose "heart grew three sizes that day"). Love definitely makes life worth living and enjoying.

I also want to give a little shout out to my own mom. She is coming to Jacksonville in six days and I cannot wait. It's true that you learn the most from those who are least like you, and my mom and I are very different people. That being said, most of the good things I have learned in my life have come directly from her. She's an amazing, friendly, righteous, caring person and I am constantly reminded how I can improve when I am around her. I love you, mom, and can't wait to see you and your new haircut! I hope I will have the same type of relationship with my own girls as they grow up and start families of their own.

Okay, I know I posted this a while back on my old blog, so if you read it then, don't feel like you have to read it now. This is just a little essay on Motherhood I was dabbling with and I felt like sharing again (one part is new, if you were wondering).

My Greatest Challenges, My Greatest Blessings

Motherhood changes your life. I can’t imagine a greater understatement than that. Of all the things that have been meaningful in my life, nothing comes close to my experiences as a mother, both in a negative and positive way. Somewhat surprising, though, has been my rediscovery of emotions that I thought I had, at the very least, outgrown.

Making the transition from girlhood to womanhood, for me, was one of the least pleasant experiences of my life. It seemed my emotions were dangerously close to the surface; I was ready to lash out in anger or cry in despair at a moment’s notice. Gradually, though, I adjusted to the myriad of changes taking place inside and became confident in my ability to deal, healthily, with whatever life had to throw at me. Then I became a mother. And with the joys of motherhood came opportunities to experience an array of emotions again.

ANNOYANCE

While I remember, at times during my childhood, seeing my mother irked by something I did, I am sure I had no idea how annoyed she could’ve possibly been by me and my siblings. It seems that I am constantly reminding myself to look for the good in my children, instead of being annoyed with the blatantly obvious. Why must my son spill his drink all over the table at seemingly every meal? Why does my daughter think my chasing her down the street barefoot is the most hilarious thing she’s ever encountered? Why can a perfectly clean house be torn apart in mere minutes, as though a tidal wave has swept through?

For once, I would like to get dressed or use the bathroom without having to lock the door. I would like to have a conversation with a loved one on the phone without having to shoo my children away. I would like to take a bubble bath in peace, without dreading the knock and the inevitable, “Can I get in, too?”

In a perfect world, the hour before dinner would be free from whining, toys would find their way back to their proper homes on the own, and every quiet moment of the day wouldn’t be filled with someone saying, “watch me.” In a perfect world, food would always end up in my children’s mouths, not on their face, clothes and recently mopped floor. In a perfect world, my son wouldn’t freak out every time I leave the room, my daughter wouldn’t verify the contents of her diaper by sticking her finger inside, and my children wouldn’t play with everything in the house besides the toys in their bedroom.

But I don’t live in a perfect world; I live in my world. And in my world, I am annoyed far more often by my children than I am amused by them. It seems as though I am defined, more so than by anything else, as a mother; not as a woman with talents and limitless capabilities, but by the mundane tasks I perform, and am annoyed by, daily.

DELIGHT

At some point in my life, the magic of childhood was gone. Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy and The Easter Bunny were distant memories and the playground that once looked so big and full of possibilities became small and very, very ordinary. But when I had children, some of that magic returned as I began to see the world through their eyes.

The smile on my face couldn’t possibly stretch any wider than it did when my son first shrieked in delight as he watched a guinea pig scrambling around its cage. I had forgotten how amusing animals could be. I had also forgotten how hilarious cartoons could be, until Damon laughed so hard watching “Tom and Jerry” that I thought he might need to be resuscitated. And who knew that changing a doll’s diaper repeatedly could be the most exciting thing you had ever done?

When my son announced, “I’m never, ever, ever going to give up Christmas” with complete solemnity, I swallowed a lump in my throat. When I decide that it’s time for a bath, and my daughter responds with her dance of joy, my heart quickens. The boa-like hug of gratitude for the perfect gift brings tears to my eyes as their happiness becomes my own. When my daughter falls asleep, her hand tightly wrapped around the strings of Valentine’s Day balloons, I can’t help but giggle. And when I see them getting excited together, over blowing out candles on a birthday cake, it’s almost too much for me to take.

There’s something about the smiles on their faces that speaks volumes about how genuinely happy they are, and somewhere deep inside, I am delighted, too. Those are the moments when the child within me begs to be let out; those are the moments I live for.

ANGER

I have dealt with feelings of frustration all of my life. However, it was only after becoming a mother that my frustration began blossoming into anger. Nothing has made me more upset than the sneakiness my son has already become accustomed to. At only four years old, he has discovered that telling the truth only gets you into trouble, while sneaking and lying, most of the time, gets you what you want. When I found a drawing of a man, beautifully drawn in red marker, on the wall in the kitchen, I made the mistake of asking if he had done it. Graciously, he tried to pass the blame onto his little sister, who is only one, and whose drawings are slightly less detailed than the smiling man in the kitchen. This in itself made me a little angry, but had it been the end of it, I would’ve been able to forget about it.

A few weeks later, we found more drawings on the wall, this time conspicuously hidden in our children’s room. In four different places, the words DAMON ALLIE PRDE appeared, the remnants of a party that had apparently been held. He didn’t try to lie about that one, but the sneakiness he had employed made the anger burn more fiercely inside. I even heard him telling his friend, “Sometimes when my mom says no, I just sneak it.” Consider the temperature of my blood rising another degree.

Most recently, on our drive home from the grocery store, I saw him opening a package of string cheese and I told him, calmly and rationally, that we were having dinner soon and he couldn’t eat it. I don’t know why I expected to be obeyed, when his previous history does nothing to suggest that he found my argument rational, but I did. And so, of course, when the cheese was eaten a moment later, I felt something inside snap. I wanted to smack that little face that sat there so defiantly, challenging me to become someone I don’t even know, much less enjoy.
After every outburst of anger, I feel the inevitable guilt that is always close behind. I promise myself that I won’t let my frustration get the better of me, and that I will find a way to keep my anger from showing. But then I find a decorative pillow sitting on the couch, Damon’s name written boldly across the back in black pen, and I lose it all over again.

“My greatest challenges call me Mommy.”

HUMILITY

Walking hand-in-hand with the guilt I feel for all the negativity I feel about my children, I am humbled by the opportunity to be a mother. Never have I uttered a more true phrase than during the delivery of my second child. “I can’t do it,” I said, over and over, wishing there was some other option available to me. At times, I have struggled with thoughts that I can’t possibly be a good mother; I’m not patient enough, I don’t discipline in the correct way, I’m not fun enough, I don’t have the energy. Why is it that motherhood has brought me to my knees in a way that nothing else has? I am constantly humbled by my sheer lack of qualifications.

There must be someone better, someone more qualified to raise my children--someone who wouldn’t lose their temper when repeatedly disobeyed, someone who would cheerfully wash and fold the endless piles of laundry that demand my attention, someone who doesn’t need a moment’s privacy. But when I look around, I see there’s no one else. There’s no one else who will do my job, and by process of eliminating all other candidates, that leaves me as the best possible mother for my children. And that may be the most humbling feeling of all.

EMPATHY

Nothing can tear at your heartstrings more than watching helplessly as one of your children suffers. A visit to the emergency room can be terrifying as you realize that you are no longer in control of what is happening in your child’s life. The tears running down your child’s cheeks might as well be yours, so wholly do you share the pain they are enduring. You recognize immediately how much you care for this imperfect person, who only hours before you thought you’d like to send to live with someone else.

When Damon was three, he had an accident with a shopping cart that left us in the emergency room, trying to determine what course of action, if any, was needed to protect his private parts. I had never seen him so scared, and in turn, had never been so scared myself. I could sense how, despite all his anxieties, he trusted me completely, knowing that I would never ask him to do something if it wasn’t for his own good.

My heart has never been as full as it was during this, and other times of suffering. It’s almost too much to bear; you know you would do anything to take away the pain, even take it upon yourself, if it meant your little one wouldn’t have to suffer. It is in these moments of worry and despair that I have felt the closest to heaven. As imperfect as I may be, I love my children more fiercely than I ever imagined it was possible to love anyone, and I catch a glimpse of just how much God must love me. Being a mother has changed me in the most profound way; it has brought me closer to God.

I will admit, there are many occasions when I wonder why on earth I chose this path in life. Why would I choose to do something that, unanimously agreed upon, is the most difficult thing a woman could ever undertake. The heightened emotions I have felt haven’t always been pleasant; in fact, most of the time, I would do anything to feel “normal” again.

But as I think about the ways that being a mother has changed me, and how experiencing both the highs and the lows of motherhood have made me into a better, more patient, loving person, I know that I would do it all again. I dread the day when there are no more little voices echoing through the house; I am constantly surprised with my children’s wit, their exuberance, and their life. I will miss open-mouthed kisses, hugs that let me know that they want no one else, and tender prayers said in my behalf. For all of the challenges motherhood has provided, for the depth of emotion that I have only begun to appreciate, I know that I wouldn’t change a thing.

“My greatest blessings call me Mommy.”

Video

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So, I am trying an experiment with video sharing and we'll see if it works. This is a video from our ward Christmas party. Allie, for whatever reason, didn't like Uncle Greg and always gave him the meanest looks when he tried to talk to her. She has since forgiven him for his offenses, but it sure was funny at the time.

One of those days...

I know you have all had them...days when you are counting down the hours until you can put your kids in bed and just relax!! Today was a rough day for me as a mom and I'm glad it will not be the only day I am judged on in my lifetime. I had a lot of stuff I needed to get done today so I never got dressed, but wore b-ball shorts and my Survivor buff all day long. Of course, the kids were not very cooperative and made things much more difficult than they needed to be. Here are some of the highlights from today:

1. Both kids waking up at 2:00 am (Allie with bad dreams and Damon with no sympathy) and not letting me get back to sleep for at least an hour.

2. Damon making "pathways" from his bedroom throughout the family room with books from his bookshelf (I cleaned that one up).

3. Allie running topless down the street to the house on the corner where the sprinklers were on while I was putting laundry in the washer (she ran faster when she saw me chasing her).

4. Damon and Allie spilling a third of a box of Cheerios on the porch outside (Damon cleaned that one up).

5. Allie running down the street naked while I changed the laundry (again, I had to run full speed after her, which is probably why I am so sore tonight. Also, full speed for a 38 week pregnant woman is not much faster than Allie's full speed, which is why she kept getting so far away from me).

6. Allie spilling her cereal all over the floor and slipping on the milk (I cleaned that one up after Allie tried to clean it up).

7. Allie sitting in timeout for running away from me and somehow (HOW DOES SHE DO IT?) finding a bottle of purple nail polish and dumping it all over the carpet. Does anyone have any good secrets on how to get nail polish out of the carpet? I used some remover but the fumes were getting to me so I switched to hydrogen peroxide and got a bunch out. I also tried Shout and carpet cleaner, but after my hour or so of scrubbing, there is still a huge purple stain on the carpet.

8. Allie dripping her milk all over the leather chair in the family room (she cleaned that one up).

9. Damon dumping Allie's dinner all over the floor (I cleaned that one up).

10. Allie opening the geckos' cage and trying to spray them with water (I was relieved when Jeff got home and told me that he had moved the geckos and they weren't in that cage anymore--the last thing any of us need is for Allie to get salmonella).

11. Damon cutting out coupons for me and leaving his mess all over the table (he cleaned that one up).

12. (The REAL highlight of the day) Allie taking a three-hour nap. I don't know when the last time she did that was, but it was heavenly. Unfortunately, I fell asleep for part of the time and spent the rest of it scrubbing the carpet so I didn't get as much done as I could have, but I think it was a tender mercy of Heavenly Father because he obviously knew how close I was to locking her in her room for the entire afternoon.

Some days are just not fun as a mother, and I find myself thinking How in the world am I going to handle three? The answer to that is probably "not very well." It's not long now until we find that out. Especially if I have to keep chasing Allie down the street in various amounts of clothing. Honestly, if I don't got into labor tonight it will be a miracle. Or another tender mercy. Take your pick.

Crafty-shmafty

Let's begin by saying I am not a crafty person. I never have been and I have never even tried to fool myself into thinking that I could be. My sewing experience consists of one summer class at Bernina making shorts for myself that shrunk as soon as I put them in the washing machine and I never got to wear them (I'm sure they would've fallen apart had they been big enough, but that is besides the point). Jeff did buy me a sewing machine for Mother's Day a few years ago and I can count the number of times I have used it on two hands. I know I am not a good "Mormon woman," and am hoping that I will always surround myself with those of you who are so you can make up for my obvious shortcomings in this department.

So, it may not be surprising to you that I have quiet book pages I made with a group four years ago that have never been assembled into a book. My mom took half of the pages and made one book with them, but the other ones were waiting for me to figure out how to put them together. I even went so far as to sew the pages back to back, so they would be ready to go into a book. But all that was years ago and the pages have been sitting in a tupperware box in the closet (in two different houses, no less) since then.

Lately, I got the idea that this would be a fun task to undertake before baby girl was born and Jeff was happy that I was actually going to use the sewing machine instead of letting it sit in the box. I conceived the idea that I would sew a cover, use adheisve sticky stuff to run a ribbon down the middle of the inside which would hold three rings. Then, I would attach eyelets to the pages and thread them through the rings, sort of like a cloth three-ring binder. Sounds good, doesn't it (p.s. it wasn't my idea--I copied off someone else)? So about a year or two ago I bought eyelet "pliers" and eyelets, which never came out of the package until I really got serious last week. I soon found that the eyelets were not easy to attach and quickly had to abandon that idea. I bought some fabric from Wal-Mart (the $1 a yard stuff so even if I messed up several times it would only cost me a buck) and this morning decided it was time to get it together (maybe getting the book done will bring the baby, who knows?).

Anyway, I ended up sewing through all the pages I had because that was the way my mom had done it (I did have a heavy duty needle, thanks to my mom), and why certainly not great, it worked. Then, I sewed the cover and ran the machine through the whole mess a few times. Guess what. It's actually staying together. Granted, it doesn't look great, but it's for my kids and they don't seem to care too much. I also used the ribbon I was originially going to use to hold the rings in the middle on the outside to cover up the ugly stitches that hold the whole book together so it doesn't look too bad unless you really get up close.Now, I'm not posting this because it is something I am very proud of. In fact, I'm sure my sewing was better back in sixth grade at Bernina. But I am checking this goal off my list of "Things to Do Before My Life Changes AGAIN and I have Three Kids." It's a small checked pattern and the camera made it look very psychadlelic, which it's not, but you get the basic idea. Please don't look too closely.

Here is a shot of the inside.

And here's Damon giving me all the approval I need. Don't mind the fact that it's 11:00 and he's still in his pajamas. And don't mind the fact that Allie is running around naked. That is an entirely different story (my compromise with her because she wants to be potty-trained and I am holding back on the reins with all my might) and would probably be a good post one of these days.



So, for all of you who are reading this who actually have incredible skills (and I know there are many of you), I applaud you. And could you please come visit me in Florida and teach me a thing or two?

p.s. And a quote from Damon this morning. I hope no one is annoyed by all the quoting of my children that I do, but I am not planning on stopping any time soon.

(looking at a picture of a shark's heart). "Is that his heart?"
"Yes it is."
"Do sharks love people?"
"No, sharks don't love anyone."
(excitedly pointing to the sky) "Yes, they do! They love God."
"I guess I can't argue with that."

Quickie

Two more I wanted to remember.

"I can't leave my Easter eggs outside, because the bad guys might take them."
"Bad guys only want to take things that cost a lot of money."
"Easter eggs don't cost a lot of money?"
--Damon and me, discussing what robbers are really after.

"Crash, fire," Allie says, only partially awake.
"There's no fire in the house, honey." I am trying to calm her as quickly as possible so I can get back in bed. It is, after all, 1 a.m.
"No, scary crash fire." Allie refuses to believe me and continues to whine about the dream she had with a scary fire.
"The fire is in Georgia, Allie," Damon pipes up from his bed.
"Okay." Satisfied with this explanation, Allie goes back to sleep.

A little bit of this

A couple of quotes:

"Mom, I drank so much water it made my pee silver."
"You mean clear?"
"Yeah, it made my pee clear."
--Damon, commenting on his bathroom observations

"Sometimes when I listen to this song tears come out because I love it so much."
--Damon, listening to the primary song "Tell me, Dear Lord"

"How's school, Damon? Good? K."
--Allie, responding to her own question after Damon refused to talk to her.

Do you know what really bugs me? Children's books that are "partial rhymers." Do you know what I'm talking about? Some pages rhyme and some don't and it's hard to tell exactly how to read it. And then there are books that try to rhyme throughout and don't make a lot of sense. I know it's not easy to get published as a children's author, but a lot of the books I have read to my kids are just really poorly written. And it bugs me.

It's cooled down again, thankfully, and it's actually been very pleasant. We haven't had rain in a few weeks and our stake even asked us to fast for rain. We just can't seem to get away from that. You'd think in Florida it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but with the fires burning in southern Georgia, we're in desperate need of some assistance. Sunday brought a few drops (Damon thinks it's because he's been praying for rain, although he wasn't sure why it didn't rain mroe), but none to Georgia.

The kids are doing better, sleeping all night again, I'm happy to report. I just wish I could sleep all night, because I know that soon I won't be and I'd like to enjoy these last couple of weeks. Too bad the last month of pregnancy makes that impossible.

Well, that was a really random post but it's all I got today. I think I stayed up too late watching the Jazz game (only the first half and it was almost midnight) and I'm not fully functioning today. It was worth it, though...go Jazz!

Haircut

So, a couple of years ago I started cutting Jeff's hair so we could save some money and I must admit that he has put up with more than his fair share of bad haircuts in the meantime, including the time I ended up in the bathroom crying because I made it look so bad. But I have gotten better and even though I will never be offering to cut anyone else's hair, I feel pretty confident about cutting his. Now, you'd think that because it is free and because I am fairly flexible in my schedule, he would be more likely to keep his hair fairly short. But he doesn't. He likes to wait until it's so long that it's curling toward his ears. This time was particularly long and I had to document it with a picture.

Because it was so long, I tried to go a little shorter than I usually do (I avoid the smaller guards because you can't hide your mistakes with those very well), and it's not perfect. But the good thing is that hair grows and unless you really are looking at it, you can't tell. Here's the after shot.

Ahhh. Isn't that so much better? I love when he gets his hair cut, so you think that would be incentive to do it more, but I haven't found that to be the case yet. I have to admit that I am looking forward to the day when I don't have to do it anymore because it always looks better when someone who actually knows what they are doing takes a stab at it. But at least for now it's a way to save money and practice learning a new skill.

Tag--again

So, here is another survey. I'm sure you're all dying to read it, but I am looking for an excuse to ignore my kids right now until I can deal with them (a little more calmly).

1. COMICS OR NOVELS? Novels
2. NEAT OR SLOB? I would say a little of both. I like for things to be clean and orderly but sometimes it is just too much work and so I decide that I can live with it instead of stressing about it. It's not worth the fight.
5. CHOCOLATE OR PEANUT BUTTER? Both, preferrably together, as in the perfect Reese's Egg at Easter
7. COLD OR HOT? I'll take hot as long as it's hot and dry. Humidity in Florida has caused me to put that disclaimer on that.
8. TALK OR SLEEP? I'd say sleep--I've never been one for a lot of talk, but I love to write and vent that way.
15. BEING TOLD YOU'RE LOVED, HAVING TIME SPENT WITH YOU, GETTING A PRESENT, HAVING SOMETHING DONE FOR YOU, BEING TOUCHED.WHICH DESCRIBES YOUR GREATEST NEED? That's a tough one. Out of those choices, I would say having something done for you. It's usually the hardest to accept but so nice.
16. WHICH IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE SEASON? Winter. I'm not particularly looking forward to snow and gray skies for months at a time once we settle in Utah.
18. DO YOU LIKE YOUR PHOTO BEING TAKEN? Definitely not.
20. HAVE YOU EVER BLABBED A SECRET WHEN YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T? I think I was the one to spill the beans about a friend being pregnant, but in my defense, she hadn't asked me not to say anything, so I don't think it was blabbing.
22. WHO DO YOU THINK HAS THE MOST INTERESTING LIFE IN YOUR SOCIAL(blog) GROUP? It depends on the day. I love blogging and I wish more of my friends took advantage of it.
25. DO YOU EVER FANTASIZE ABOUT HAVING A DIFFERENT LIFE? Not a different life, just a different stage in life. Like one where I don't have to lock every door in the house besides Allie's bedroom. Also, about when I will be able to roll over in bed without pulling a muscle.
26. HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO START YOUR LIFE ALL OVER AGAIN? Huh. I don't think I would say start all over, but we have had to make new starts when we weren't necessarily expecting to--moving to Ohio (Jeff had me convinced we were going to Kentucky), losing a baby, moving to Florida (I didn't think there was any way he would specialize)...
27. WHAT ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A RELATIONSHIP? Commitment is #1. I'd say love is #2. I'll go with compatibility #3.
26. WORDS, TONE AND DELIVERY, OR BODY LANGUAGE: WHICH DO YOU ABSORB FIRST? WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT? Tone. You can never portray sarcasm in an email (at least not in the same way) and that should tell you something.
30. ARE YOU A GOOD COMMUNICATOR? Verbally, no. I never have been. I would rather keep things inside until I get over them than bring them up. But I think I am a good written communicator, so at least I'm not a total failure in that area.
31. DO YOU THINK YOU TALK TOO MUCH? No. I definitely wish I were more assertive and friendly, but I really make people work to get to know me. Sad, but true.
32. CAN YOU HANDLE THE TRUTH? For me, the truth is far better than worrying about what might happen. I think that's the way it is for most people who have anxiety--when soemthing bad actually happens, you're amazed at how you can deal with it. But when you're only worried about something bad happening, it can control your life.
33. HOW OFTEN DO YOU CRY? I'm not on a regular crying schedule, so that's hard to say. Far more often when I'm pregnant, for sure.
36. WHAT SOUND ANNOYS YOU THE MOST? Damon and/or Allie whining.
44. WOULD YOU RATHER BE SINGLE, DATING, ENGAGED, OR MARRIED? Married for sure. It's so nice to know that someone will love you and be with you through everything you will ever go through.
47. SIGNIFICANCE, SELF-WORTH, OR SECURITY. WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT? Self-worth, but the other two are really important, too.
48. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPERHERO POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I'd love to be able to fly, but I really will have to go with an extra set of arms (Go Gadget, Go!)
50. DO YOU THINK YOU'RE A GOOD DRIVER? Yes, for the most part. I'm not counting the time I drove the car into the house in Ohio, because I think I was temporarily out of my mind.
52. WHY DO YOU GO TO WORK: I don't and I hope I never have to again (that's what Jeff promised me when I got my last job at Maid Brigade so we could get residency in Ohio).
53. WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE TEACHER? WHATS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT? I really didn't have anything I was passionate about (is that why I majored in Elementary Ed?), but I loved creative writing with Mrs. Jacobsen. I wish I would've done more in college. I also loved my ASL class at BYU.
54. WHO'S SURVEY ANSWERS WOULD YOU MOST WANT TO SEE? Everyone who hasn't filled this out yet, so I tag you if you are reading this!

Kennedy

A couple of weeks ago we drove down to the Kennedy Space Center just south of Daytona Beach. Often confused with Cape Canaveral, which is where unmanned space craft are launched, Kennedy Space Center is the place where our astronauts are launched into space. It was a bit pricey to get in, but after we'd driven for two hours, we didn't really have a choice whether or not we were going to pay for it. We had a fun day and got to see a lot of cool things. This is an actual "moon rocket" we're standing under. Those are the five engines that help get the bad boy off the ground. I had no idea just how big it would be!





Now, most of you are aware of how much Damon has loved space. He has said that he wants to go to space when he gets older (as long as we go with him), but he was a little scared of what he saw there. He still loves space, but he got a little freaked out when he thought we were actually going to blast off. Allie was fine until we met the "astronaut," and then she got scared.

Yes, that was the last time I wore those overalls. They used to be so comfortable (albeit quite the fashion statement), but I realized that was the end of the road for them. I'm sure no one is going to miss them but me.

This one is kind of dark, but I liked it anyway.

For those of you who may be contemplating a trip to Florida (and I hope there are some of you), KSC is probably something you could put halfway down your list of things to do. It was fun, like I said, but I don't think it was worth the money. I don't think Disney World is worth the money, either, but I would put that higher on the list of things to do in Florida. But how could we not go? Damon may not want to be an astronaut anymore, but he is already asking to go back and that is really all that matters, right?

p.s. The picture on the left of Damon and Allie is from this trip. Damon was helping her see one of the launch sites. It wasn't staged, although we had to make them hold the pose longer than they normally would have.

My Baby's Two

So, yesterday was Allie's birthday. She has now officially entered the "terrible two's," although I think she had accomplished that prematurely weeks ago. I was looking through some old pictures and decided to share a few from Allie's life. Here is one when she was just a few days old. I love how sweet newborns are, there is just nothing like it in the world.

This is from her blessing day, about six weeks old.

This one is from Halloween. She was six months old. I chose this one because for most of her first year, she wanted to be held. My Baby Bjorn was a good compromise and so we managed to work it into her costume.

This is last Easter and has to be one of my favorite pictures, just because not even an Easter egg was enough to keep her from crying. This was in Ohio, but that is Isaac sitting next to her, wondering why in the world she is crying when there is candy to be had!

And this is from her birthday last year, when she first got to try some birthday cake (I don't remember a time before that when she would've had any).

I know babies change the most during the first year of their lives, but that second year is full of changes, too. Somewhere along the line, she stopped being a baby and turned into a toddler with a mind of her own. I have written before about her love of baby dolls (Bexley, in particular) and so, of course, most of what she got for her birthday was geared toward her nurturing side (also a sly effort on our part to get her ready for baby sister). Here she is standing next to her new high chair and cradle.

The white on her hand is from yet another mess she made when she managed to get into the baby powder and diaper rash medicine and rub it all over Bexley AGAIN!

All she wanted for her birthday, though, was a cake with Skittles. She recently went to a birthday party where the little girl had one and she has been talking about it since. So, I did my best to get a lot of Skittles on there. I know it's hard to read, but it says "Allie's 2!" and her reaction when she saw it was priceless. Of course Damon had to comment that I am not as good at baking cakes as my mom (who made him a space cake for his fourth birthday), but who is?

We had a little barbeque with some friends at the park and we had a great time. The cake was a big hit with the kids and the weather was perfect for an evening outdoors.

It was a fun day to celebrate Allie and Damon made it that much more enjoyable for her by being nearly as excited as if it were his own birthday. I have enjoyed reliving (parts of) her first two years and I can't believe how much I love her. And it's a good thing, too, because if I didn't, we would've gotten rid of her long ago. Happy Birthday Allie!