Our 6 year old!

February 17, 2006

This sweet boy joined our family. Right on his due date! I think that may have been the only predictable thing he has ever done in his life, arriving right on time. He was as stubborn as a mule during his delivery (not much has changed since then). I think he just didn’t want to leave my comfort and was putting up a fight… which is another trait of his we are very familiar with.

He was a big chunker, 9lb 5 oz. His head was insanely coned. And the first thing I noticed was his smashed nose. But I instantly loved him. I remember holding him and knowing immediately that this would be my last baby. I was perfectly content. (Obviously that was a fleeting moment). But perhaps it was the spirit hinting to me that the road with this child would be a challenge better met without other distractions. Or maybe it was a comforting reminder that no matter what other distractions (or challenges) there were, all I had to do was hold this child to be ‘perfectly content’. That has played true throughout the years.

Grant brings me more joy that I could possibly imagine having.

Here are some pictures of him through the years.

And here he is today, at age 6.  Wowzers, he’s getting so old!

A few things I want to remember about Grant at age 6 are:

He eats, drinks, and sleeps Chess! He has beat Shawn, me, and almost every other adult he’s played. I have got to find a chess club for him

He loves watching The Best of Bob Ross on PBS. He wants to be a painter now. It’s a mild obsession

He knows how to read. His favorite book…. The Book of Mormon

He can do early 2^nd grade math

His comfort comes from a stuffed animal Armadillo

When he grows up he wants to be a Paleontologist

He has a wicked-hilarious sense of humor and makes me laugh daily

He loves anything Winnie the Pooh

He loves going to school. It’s true torture to wait until 12:30pm every day

He has a girlfriend at school

He is ultra sensitive. I think 40% of his day is spent in tears. But luckily his stuffed Armadillo and Winnie the Pooh help with the trauma

 

He was all smiles the day of his birthday. We asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday and he said he wanted to go to … yes, you guessed it…. Chuck-ee-Cheese. I had to roll my eyes, to be honest, I’m getting sort of sick of the place. But that’s what the heart of the birthday boy desired, so we went.

We played a lot of air hockey.

The kids piled onto their favorite roller-coaster ride again. Who knew it could be so thrilling…

And Grant discovered his new favorite, Alley Ball. He got 75 tokens and I think half were spent playing this. He had a quirky way of throwing the ball, and I was sure he would break something. But that quirky throw was a lucky one, because he got a high score of 32,000. Shawn and I could only get up to 29,000.

You’re awesome, Grant!

We went out for pizza afterwards at Round Table. Then rushed home for cake and presents.

This year I decided to make him a chess quilt. I think it took 2 weeks off my life. There are several things I would do differently next time…. such as ‘not’ do it. But, he LOVES it, so it was worth it. 

Jefferson made a handmade gift also. He made these miniature bow and arrows, aren’t they adorable? We found the idea HERE. These suckers shoot really far, trust me!!

Along with that he got a Winnie the Pooh blanket made by my mom, a lego set, and a Bob Ross paint by numbers. All of his birthday wishes fulfilled, check.

Grant wanted a simple chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, my kind of boy!

Here’s a picture I captured of Grant’s “no smile smile”. That’s what Shawn and I call it when he’s trying his hardest to not smile, but some smile sneaks out. It’s my favorite!

Happy Birthday to my little sweetheart. I hope you felt spoiled on your big day. You are growing up so fast, non of us can keep up with you.

The Beach in Winter

I have desperately wanted to take a trip to the beach since our last visit this past summer. But we haven’t gone. Probably because it’s like 38 degrees here and I am a major wimp when it comes to the cold. But with a few days of sunshine this last week, we decided it was time to visit the coast. I’m so glad we went. It was 60 degrees, at least! We totally over-dressed, and for a few hours I actually thought it was spring. It made for one really happy day!

I just wanted to share some of the pictures I got. Look at how bright and sunny it was…. so unusual for February. I love it!

While the boys wandered in the woods collecting sticks, Reagan and I took a walk to look for shells. We ended up finding something much more amazing, and had to walk back to get the boys. (I swear we walked 3 miles that day!)

 

There was this great waterfall along the beach that fell into the ocean….

And tons of sea life….

I don’t think I have to explain how much fun my kids had. The boys climbed rocks and Reagan played in the sand… for hours!

Here is Shawn, hiding from the sun (as usual). He was crouched in a cave, but I forced him to come out and sit near us. He did, but insisted on wearing my scarf around his head. He has a serious phobia of sunburns. We need to address this problem….

 

This is Reagan, laughing at her ridiculous father! (I love you honey… you’re just an easy target).

What a beautiful day. I am so glad we decided to go. I think the Oregon coast is the most beautiful! (Not that I’ve visited many others around the world). But I’m sure it ranks up there in the top 5. It certainly has my vote!

This is Huge

I have not had a single night of uninterrupted sleep since Jefferson was born…. 2,788 days ago (yes, I added that up). I’m not complaining… I’m well past that point. I’m at the point of it just being a reality that either Grant, or Reagan, or Grant and Reagan, are going to come into my bed every night. It’s annoying! And I have tried everything known to man. Except for one thing….

The past several days we have put them into the same bed. Neither one of them wake up… ALL NIGHT! It’s a miracle. I can’t even believe it myself. I just wish we would have thought of this sooner.

Halfway

Yesterday was the halfway mark in this pregnancy. If you ask me, it’s already been 40 weeks. Things have been moving at a snails pace. FYI, I’m going to be documenting things every few weeks. Not to bore you, but to keep a record of this pregnancy for myself. I have ONE profile photo of me pregnant with Jefferson and ZERO of me pregnant with both Grant and Reagan…. criminal…. and sad. So, as uncomfortable as it is, I’m going to take constant shots of this baby.

Here’s a flattering picture of me at 20 weeks. I didn’t think to take a picture until 9pm and I was not going to get primped, so I am in my pajamas. And I’m missing my pointer finger, weird. Oh well. It’s the belly we’re all worried about. Things have been going really well. I’ve got a surge of energy now, which is great. Now I don’t spend the entire day sitting on the couch. And I can actually look at food long enough to prepare a real meal. I’m beginning to feel bigger and noticing more changes… this is the most exciting part of all. This baby is no longer just mine anymore…. my kids are constantly rubbing, hugging, kissing, and smashing my belly to get closer to the baby. Grant especially… he likes to nuzzle into my belly and say “hi little baby”. Annoying, but cute. I can feel the little one kicking all the time now, which is so fun, but also creates panic when I don’t feel movement every day. I’m a worry wart.

Shawn snapped a picture of me and the life sustaining food of my baby… ice cream. Tillamook Mudslide to be exact. I crave anything sweet (I have actually been craving sweets for 28 years), but I just eat more when I’m pregnant.

Hey, do you want to see the little one?

This picture was taken a couple weeks ago. This is the best profile the technician could get. She kept wanting the baby to turn more for a better picture, so she would shake and push my belly around. It was really weird, and uncomfortable. I’m fine with this profile, thank you.

We’re not finding out the sex. At least I wont be convinced either way until I see the cutie patootie. Shawn wants to know now, but I told him we’ve got to be excited together. He’s satisfied thinking it’s a boy after seeing this picture below. Shawn thinks that gray area between the legs is a clear sign of a boy. Like I said… I wont be convinced…. it could be anything. I specifically told the technician I didn’t want to know the sex, so I doubt she would give me a photo that gives it away. But who knows. We’ll find out come June.

I’m just content having a healthy baby. And so far it looks like I’ll get exactly that!  

Cute Kid Stuff

Things have been slow moving around here. Not too much excitement. But I do have a few tidbits to share with you.

As I re-read through some of these quotes, I realized that my children are fairly disgusting. I apologize....

While in a crowd of people

Me: Reagan, look out for Daddy, let me know when you see him

Reagan: (whining) I can't.... I don't know what he looks like!

Reagan: I am growing up and getting bigger so I don't pick my nose and eat my boogers anymore.

Me: That is wonderful

Reagan: Now I just pick my nose and throw my boogers on the ground.

Jefferson: Grant, I know why boys can't go in the girl bathrooms and girls can't go in the boy bathrooms.

Grant: Why?

Jefferson: Because boys and girls have different private parts

Grant: Well, they've got the same butts!

Jefferson: We're going to go see a movie at McMennamin's tonight

Reagan: what movie are we going to see?

Grant: Puss and Butts

I overheard Jefferson say: Grant, I made a discovery about our stinky breath. When it's cold outside and you breathe on me, your breath is more stinky. When we're inside where it's warm, your breath is not as stinky. So, the cold must make our breath stinkier! Hey, did you know, if we only brush our teeth, but not our tongues, we'll have extra stinky breath?

At this point I interrupt: Why on Earth would you want stinky breath? That's disgusting!!

Jefferson: Well mom, what if someone like a bully tries to push me or hurt me. I'll just breath on him. He'll smell a stink and never want to bother me again.

Me: Good point

After reaching into a container of nuts, I was about to toss them in my mouth when Jefferson says: Oh mommy, you're gonna love those nuts.... we sucked on them and unsalted them all for you

Reagan: if the baby is a girl I am going to watch her and play with her. I am going to change her diaper and take good care of her.

Me: and what if the baby is a boy?

Reagan: then you can do all those things!

One day Jefferson volunteered to put all the doll furniture back into Reagan's doll house. I checked on his job well done.

Me: wow, nice job Jefferson. But, why is everyone piled into one bed?

Jefferson: I wanted it to look just like our house.

(here's a picture of my sad reality)

  And after WEEKS, (we're talking since before Thanksgiving).... Grant's first loose tooth FINALLY fell out. Actually Jefferson yanked it out for him yesterday. He had one stubborn tooth! The permanent one is already there.  

Grant with his new smile.... He looks like a different person now. He was so happy! He put the tooth under the bed and checked it every few minutes to see if it had been exchanged for money yet. Cute!

Allowing myself to get excited….

This post is of more personal nature than I usually (or ever) write about. My plan isn’t to make anyone reading feel uncomfortable, just to chronicle my feelings and what I’m experiencing in my life.

I am very excited, and also very hesitant to announce that Shawn and I are expecting our 4th baby. We are due June 20th.

Excited, because we have been wanting to add another special spirit to our family for a while.

Hesitant, because I have found that I have very little control over pregnancies, and the unknown is frightening to me.

The past year-and-a-half has been very difficult for our family. We have dealt with 2 painful pregnancy loses. Both babies died in my second trimester. Based on several tests done on Shawn and I, my Doctor, and a high risk OB have an “idea” of what is going on.  The treatment is prescription blood thinner. But our 2 loses are not enough to warrant taking the blood thinner. As the Doctor put it, “you are in a gray zone and we cannot treat you with medication until you have experienced 3 loses.” Instead, they are having me take a ton of vitamins and a single baby aspirin.

So, we entered this pregnancy in the gray zone. Not knowing the future, and putting all our hope onto one tiny pink pill.

I have worried every single day for 18 weeks. This has not been easy for me, or Shawn. I have had weeks of migraines and tension headaches. And it has been difficult to focus 100% on the beautiful children I have here at home. The Doctor has seen me weekly for an ultrasound, which has lessoned my anxiety. But it’s still hard not to worry. I have not allowed myself to get excited, I have rarely even talked about the baby, and when I do I always preface it with, “if everything goes well….”

I was talking with my dear friend Carrie, telling her my reservations and fears. She asked me why I was feeling that way. I told her, “Well, I think I’m protecting myself by not getting too excited.” She asked, “If you lose the baby, won’t it hurt the same whether you have been excited or fearful?” I thought about it… yes, it would hurt just as bad. She said, “then why waste your time and energy worrying when you can spend every day thankful and excited for the opportunity you have to carry this baby.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about what she said. We certainly don’t know what the future holds. I don’t know why we experienced the loses we have. I don’t know what Heavenly Father has planned for this baby. I don’t have much say in anything…. except how I live day to day. I don’t want to experience another day of fear over the unknown. I do know that last week I saw a healthy baby on the ultrasound machine.  I plan on being thankful every single day for the remainder of this pregnancy. I will be excited. I will talk about the baby, buy things, make things, and certainly smile much more.

I’ll even take a picture… well, have Jefferson to take one for me….

He took this of me today, outside in the snow (so we could also document the huge snowfall we had last night). We must have gotten 8 inches, beautiful!

So here I am, 18 weeks along! There’s a cute little baby growing in there. It’s amazing how I can feel so huge and yet look so tiny in a picture.

Reagan wanted to snap a picture of me too.

So, here’s to getting excited! I am thankful for honest words from a friend who helped me let go. Being pregnant is my favorite thing IN THE WORLD. So, I will let go of my guard of “protection”, and look forward to feeling that same joy I have had in the past. I embrace nausea, heartburn, an expanding waistline, and many more (some unmentionable) symptoms that go along with pregnancy…. I love them all. It is a gift from Heavenly Father that I do not take for granted. I am very sensitive to others who cannot conceive, or who have experienced their own loses. It is a very personal pain. And we cannot pretend to know how others feel. What I do know is that no matter what, it will be okay, we will all be alright. And if Shawn and my hearts are broken again, I know that we will be alright as well. I know this from experience that our Savior’s love can heal anything.

Snow!

The kids were really hoping for this on Christmas Day….. but Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is good enough.

We all had fun playing in it… well, all except Shawn (party pooper) who just stood outside under the awning. He said something about ‘cold’ and ‘wet’ and I couldn’t really understand him because those words aren’t synonymous with SNOW! Just watch any kid play in the snow… they are sopping wet and probably freezing to death, but having the time of their life!

YEAH!

Here’s my kids in a prison pose. I know, there’s not much snow, but it was enough to powder everything white, and have a snowball fight.

The boys rolled up the snow to make a snowman….

lifting a 100 lb. snowball all by themselves (Shawn has ventured into the snow at this point, but says it’s too cold to help lift)….

They stacked everything up nice and patted it down…

Here’s the masterpiece. A little wonky, in a cute way. How long do you think it stood?

If you guessed more than 10 seconds, you’d be wrong. Luckily no one’s heart was broken… the kids just went to town smashing it.

(no, that’s not a missing tooth… yet)

Oh we love the snow. It’s almost completely melted now. But we’re still hoping we get some overnight and school is cancelled tomarrow. Joy!

Sending good luck to NC

Shawn has had Boards on the brain for the past year. Part 1 consumed his life for a while, then things went back to normal (well, as normal as grad school can be).  Then came Part 2. And now Shawn is on his way to take Part 3. I say 'on his way' because he has to travel clear across the country, to Charlotte, NC to be evaluated on his Clinical Skills. Geez, that's far! He's traveling with a couple of his friends, so he's not completely alone, and hopefully that lessens the stress level a few notches.

We love you Shawn. We stuck all the good luck we could into your suitcase. I know you'll do just swell. You are amazing. Just do your best, hurry home, and we can celebrate having all this Boards buisness behind you!