tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22349545675031757712024-03-05T02:48:17.933-07:00MegandJon...and More!Newlyweds attempting to finally live the life they've always dreamed of. Getting married was the first step, step #2 is now toddling about, making messes and life interesting, what will step #3 be--stay tuned and find out!megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-60235538962511639642011-12-18T18:48:00.002-07:002011-12-18T21:30:02.080-07:00I Sang for an Apostle of the Lord Today!My poor neglected blog. I decided a while ago that I would give it up. But today I had an amazing experience and I felt very strongly that I wanted to write it down and I wanted to share. So here I am, writing on my blog. This is lifted right out of my journal:<br />
<br />
I Sang for an Apostle of the Lord Today!<br />
<br />
A few hours ago I found myself sitting in a sacrament meeting held in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building with my cousin Mary. As the bishop stood up to welcome the congregation the side doors opened up and in slipped Elder M. Russell Ballard. I had been half hoping for and half dreading this for weeks. I knew the ward had two apostles in it, but I also knew that they traveled A LOT and were not often there. How wonderful to sing for an apostle! At the same time, I do not always perform well with increased nerves, and I also am famous, or infamous, for feeling the Spirit too strongly, getting overwhelmed and crying my way through songs. I dreaded either of these things happening and so felt that it would be a relief if the Apostles were NOT there. When those tall, tall doors opened, I started to pray--believe me!<br />
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I prayed from that moment all the way through the sacrament and as the choir sang and the speaker spoke. I did also try to pause and listen and enjoy the beautiful choir number and the amazing speaker but the back of mind was still praying! "Please help us not to mess up. Please help me not to be so nervouse that my voice is extra shaky. Please please help us to feel the Spirit and bring/add to the spirit of the meeting. Please please PLEASE don't let me feel the Spirit so strongly that I start to cry and am unable to sing." This was the loop that was on repeat in my head.<br />
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Can I take a minute to explain what singing means to me? All my life I have loved to sing. I sang an entire song, solo, in church when I was 5 years old. It was not part of the primary program, it was just the musical number in a regular sacrament meeting. I sang at my mother's wedding when I was 6, though I cried through the second half because I looked at my mother and saw that she was crying. Crying has always been a contagious thing in my family. I have always felt that Heavenly Father blessed me with this gift for my sake more than for anybody else, though singing is generally something you do for other people. When I was going through some very tough things as a child and teenager I often felt that the only thing keeping me from flying into a million jagged, depressed, pieces was my ability to sing and the pure joy it always brought me. When my testimony was weak it was strengthened by how I felt as I sang sacred music in church. When I am sad it always helps me to sing, sort of like whistling in the dark: it convinced me that there was nothing to be afraid of. The music and the sheer bliss of it can chase away overanxious thoughts, of which I have always had an abundant supply. So believe me when I say that I love singing more than almost anything in the world.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEb0hHL4BHMro7NKFOGUCxIBcaW2G7tRaUvrTf9rBCDHfhOVhzKVHcu-9BF0LNUgSlTfYqvp47vw5ONzxbs3C2Vujv-WJoGl_KahBDDvElh4JP1mw-ioLHwGiAUq3m2_0EQniO4Zx2S3Ho/s1600/scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEb0hHL4BHMro7NKFOGUCxIBcaW2G7tRaUvrTf9rBCDHfhOVhzKVHcu-9BF0LNUgSlTfYqvp47vw5ONzxbs3C2Vujv-WJoGl_KahBDDvElh4JP1mw-ioLHwGiAUq3m2_0EQniO4Zx2S3Ho/s320/scan0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Years ago, though, in college, as I contemplated studying and working hard and taking up singing as a career choice I realized something. I wanted to sing for people and feel that joy often and live IN music, if possible, but I did not really want to sell it for money or acclaim, nor did I want to be out at nights all dressed up at concerts or jazz clubs or what have you. I wanted a homelife. I wanted to be home in the evening and go to bed embarrassingly early after a long day of tending little ones of my very own. As much as I loved singing jazz standards and arias I wanted to sing lullabies much, much more.<br />
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It all took years but I got my family. I have two little boys who I hope someday will realize just how much they were prayed for and longed for. I hope they know they were not the thing I had to do instead of possibly singing for the world. I hope they know I wanted to sing for them MORE than I wanted to sing for the world.<br />
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I sang for an apostle of the Lord today. My dear cousin and I did NOT make any silly mistakes. I felt the Spirit strongly but I did NOT cry. There was a moment there when I was doing my smiling-gently-at-the-congregation-while-singing-thing and I saw someone else crying and had a split-second panic attack and felt the tears coming on but I lifted up my eyes to the beautifully engraved ceiling and sang my heart out instead. For that moment it felt a bit like I was flying. There is no clapping during sacrament meetings but just as we finished our song I heard a voice behind me say quietly, but succinctly: "Beautiful." I thought it was the bishop but I found out later that it was Elder Ballard himself who said that. He was sitting on the stand too.<br />
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Mary and I sat down. My hands were shaking, as they always do after I'm finished singing. The rest of the meeting was absolutely beautiful, near professional quality. We were both surprised when we got there that we would be part of the ward's Christmas program. We thought we would just be a musical number during a regular meeting. The speaker was amazing as he narrated the story of our dear Savior's birth, mingling in thoughtful quotes and explanations with the oh so familiar and beloved tale written by Luke. Every song performed seemed to be one of my very favorite Christmas songs. Did they design this program just for me? A woman played Oh Holy Night on the violin and I think maybe she <i>was</i> a professional. I finally started crying during her performance because it was so very lovely and that song is the most meaningful Christmas song of all for me. I had a moment, during that song, where out of the blue came the feeling that if I had pursued music more I may have been able to participate in experiences like this more often, but it was not a regretful thought at all; instead it was one of deep gratitude. Just for today I had both: a beautiful family and a simple homelife and a wonderful musical experience like this. I felt filled with my Heavenly Father and my Savior's love, as though this were a gift just for me, a moment out of time, like they had planned all this so that I could have this experience in the midst of my days of potty-training accidents and kissing booboos and calming tantrums and singing lullabies. I could have the memory of that one beautiful hour and fifteen minutes to sustain me, that feeling of being loved, noticed, remembered by my Savior as my thank-you-for-now for choosing motherhood and homemaking.<br />
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I sang for an Apostle of the Lord today, and afterward he came up and shook our hands and spoke to us. We were told that the congregation was absolutely transfixed as was Elder Ballard, who we couldn't see because he was sitting behind us. The Spirit was so strong that I'm not even sure that it was me singing. I felt surrounded by the joy and love and goodwill of the Christmas season and of Christ himself and I hope I never forget it. It was just a little thing; singing in a sacrament meeting with my dear cousin who is moving across the country tomorrow. But the Spirit held us all in Love and placed a precious Christmas gift in my heart. Yet the gift was <i>not</i> that I sang for an Apostle of the Lord today, as wonderful as that was, but that I was reminded that I get to sing for my husband and my little boys every day and that every song I sing, and will ever sing, I sing for my Savior. I need no other gift this Christmas season.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdTThzZSzjqokzCrggno6Kc9EGfZd1hpb0KjR7EsmdBck5uvvfF9rmXFb-kkZdQC06puc-Dq9OyDTLwXrdCaSNlRDGuXa93di8kYZVGOZUDIElLskO27e4_9ef1313MhB7mb4D94HWaFV/s1600/christ-healing-words1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdTThzZSzjqokzCrggno6Kc9EGfZd1hpb0KjR7EsmdBck5uvvfF9rmXFb-kkZdQC06puc-Dq9OyDTLwXrdCaSNlRDGuXa93di8kYZVGOZUDIElLskO27e4_9ef1313MhB7mb4D94HWaFV/s320/christ-healing-words1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="35" scrolling="no" src="http://www.opendrive.com/files/listen.php?file_id=N183NDIzNTNfMUNzZHI&autoplay=false" style="border: 0;" width="370"></iframe><br />
Here is an audio recording of one of our rehearsals. It is not a recording of the sacrament meeting. We did better there!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Merry Christmas!!</span></span></b><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">P.S. The song we sang was called, "Christmas Alleluia" and is offered free on this <a href="http://www.ldssacredsongs.com/music_manager.php?album=christmas_easter&song=6">website</a>. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> It is so beautiful. Its a great duet and is also written in SATB style for a choir!</span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></span></b></div></div>megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-69251666139283742212010-06-06T13:48:00.000-06:002010-06-06T13:48:50.012-06:00Announcing Henry David!!!Tonight, at 7:30pm, my newest little boy will be four weeks old. And this is his first mention on the blog. I have good excuses as I always do, but for now, suffice it to say (or is it "sufficeth to say"? I've always wondered)....I had my baby!! and he's a cutie!! And I DID manage a VBAC without any drugs, in a birth center! But just by the skin of my teeth, ha ha, more details later. This post is for pictures and general rejoicing. I will quickly post more recent pictures in a new post, but let's pretend this post was done a month ago, when he was newly minted. These pictures are all from his first night on the "outside". Welcome, welcome little boy. And here's hoping you survive your older brother...<br />
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Rose #1-- In a very fortunate twist of timing and fate, and probably also a tender mercy of the Lord, my brother, who had been looking for a cheap place to live up here nearer the city, decided to move into a room my aunt had just down the hall from our apartment. We cleared out a couple of shelves in our kitchen and now he uses our kitchen for eating (he has his own bathroom). I was excited to spend a little more time with him, but I really didn't foresee what a blessing this would be. He has been such a help and relief for me; playing with Boo, giving me little snatches of time to myself. The other fortunate accident is that he works nights, so he is here mostly in the morning, and while I try not to rely on him too much, about once or twice a week he will winkle Boo away to the park for a couple of hours or so and I will get a little more rest or maybe clean up a little. This has been particularly wonderful as I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy and am so very tired and not always able to do the very energetic things that Boo was used to having me do. Plus its just been fun having more time with my brother!<br />
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Rose #2-- We found a pretty groovy little car with 6 seats called a Mazda5, and we feel like we managed a pretty good deal on it too. Our car payment is even less than we thought it would be and so hopefully it won't be so stressful to go from our old situation of low rent and no car payments, to having to pay car payments, a mortgage, and utilities all at the same time. It will still be a bit of a shock, I'm sure, but hopefully not as much.<br />
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Rose #3--(ok this is getting cheesy now right?) Boo really is a little delight lately. He is so gung ho about words and talking, there isn't anything he won't try to say. He knows almost all of his shapes, colors, numbers (well 1-10) and is working on letters now. The latest crack up is that he has learned to say "pentagon", "octagon" and last night Jon taught him "semi-circle". that one really made me laugh. I would have said half-circle, but semi-circle is way funnier coming out of a baby's mouth. He's finally gotten a little more independent (thank goodness! timing couldn't be better on that one!) and just runs around tinkering with stuff and talking and singing to himself, labeling everything and telling it what color or shape it is, happy as a little clam. He also seems to be able to understand more, and so I can explain things to him and he will stop freaking out or whatever he was doing. Not all the time, but a lot more often. Thank goodness for small favors!<br />
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R4--The one on the way is in really good shape. He's in the right position, which is a relief and hopefully means it will go better than my last little posterior boy did. I've got a lovely, funny, laid back midwife who is a total sweetheart, and a birth center all lined up that I might want to move into, it's so cozy and comfy and beautiful with a ginormous padded bathtub. Yes, padded. I never seem to have any problems with blood pressure or sugar or protein or iron levels or anything else they test all the time, and my teeth didn't even freak out or my gums bleed like they did last time (i took the vitamin and nutrition thing into my own hands this time and it has made a HUGE difference from the pathetic prescription prenatals I took last time that I swear didn't do anything but make me constipated and nauseous.) I discovered prenatal chiropractic care at the very end of my pregnancy last time and have been using it this entire pregnancy and it also has made ALL the difference. Almost no pain whatsoever, especially compared with last time. Now if HF would just guide me to a way to sleep better and pee less (overshare? oops) than pregnancy would be a piece of cake, lol, if it can ever be that. Anyway, I'm very very grateful for how this one has gone so far and am crossing my fingers that everything will continue on the right track for these last few weeks.<br />
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R5--Can I take a minute to talk about my husband? He is such a huge help, and has basically taken over cooking in this last little while. And luckily, he actually can cook! I was talking to a friend who said when her husband "cooks" they get pizza. I was reminded again of how very lucky I am. He's sweet and gives me amazing massages and is so good with Walter. It is such a joy to watch my little boy (and future kiddos, I'm sure) enjoy having a good father. It really helps to heal the little permanent ache in my own heart when I think of my own father. The Savior helped me forgive my dad and move on, but my husband has helped me in ways I don't think I can ever truly explain to anyone who hasn't been in the same situation. Seeing my children with a devoted and loving dad every day for the rest of our lives (may they be long) will be a joy and a blessing that I cannot describe. I love him! And I love my Heavenly Father and Older Brother for helping me find him!<br />
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K-the cheese fest is over, thanks for putting up with it. I'm sure you understand the need to keep your spirits up when it's starting to feel like you will be pregnant for ever. Can I ask a favor? If you are a praying kind of person, will you pray that the baby comes at the best time? I don't do inductions or any of that, and he can be a little late if he needs to be, or early, haha, I wouldn't argue with that, but he can't come in between like May2-7 because there's yet another wedding I'd really like to go to. And have you noticed how I post once a month and then I post a novel? Sheesh, I've got to work on the short and sweet posts. Actually, that's probably all you'll get after the new baby comes!megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-76502145282868684122010-03-28T20:15:00.002-06:002010-03-28T20:15:57.903-06:00Waiting, Waiting, Waiting....Next to the word "Limbo" in the dictionary would be a picture of yours truly; not DOING the Limbo, trying to get my big ol' belly under the stick, but just existing in a state of limbo. In grad school we would have pretentiously called it a Liminal Phase, but these days I don't use words like that so often. Every bit of my brain is wrapped up in waiting right now, and it makes it hard to think about anything else. What am I waiting for?<br />
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1. It's time for this family to get a bigger car. I've been squeezing my belly through a tiny space in a 2 door coupe to put my toddler in a car seat in the tiny back seat for long enough I suppose. Plus we cannot fit two car seats into the back row of our compact cars. So we are doing our research about cars and loans and I'm just waiting to see what kind of minivan we end up with. Fingers crossed it is smallish, as fuel efficient as possible, and a non-monstrosity that doesn't make me feel like I'm driving a boat. This could take a while to find....<br />
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2. House hunting, especially in this market, which is made up primarily of Short Sales right now, is a major waiting game. We have three different offers out on houses right now, 2 of which have us in first position. We just have to wait for that wonderful 3rd Party Approval, otherwise known as Behemoth Bank, which moves slower than molasses in January even though you'd think they would like to get some money out of a sinking ship and not end up with another foreclosure on their hands. Everybody send hurry up vibes to the banks!! Then we'll just see which one comes through first, really. I can't decide which one I'm rooting for, it changes on a daily basis. Plus maybe we will keep looking at other houses and then who knows how many offers we will end up putting down. So right now, I have this strange feeling like my brain really wants to make plans (nesting, anyone?) but I can't, because I don't know if we could be in a house in a month, or two, or four, and which house and where. Should I start nesting my little apartment ( I have been anyway, but I've reached a stage where I don't know WHAT to do now and I'm just sort of flummoxed by this waiting game. And lastly...<br />
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3. I've got a little over 5 weeks left until my due date, which of course doesn't mean much, except that I'm in the most uncomfortable stage of my pregnancy, the part where you kind of wish you could go into a coma for a month or you had a ginormous fast forward button on your life. Pregnancy is the ultimate waiting game, and the last month or so is the ultimate of the ultimate. So that's my life right now. It's amazing how preoccupied you can be with waiting, how much time you can spend thinking and wondering. I wish I could be better at putting it out of my mind and having a little faith. I'll keep working on that, and I'd welcome any suggestions!!!megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-53224300384058148052010-03-04T07:43:00.001-07:002010-03-04T08:52:26.795-07:00The Morning Status Report.Every morning lately, when I go to retrieve The Kiddo from his bed, this is the greeting I get:<br />
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"Daddy? Work? Yamma? Work? Doel? Seeping? Kessy? Bye Bye?"<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*a pause for translation* Boo is listing where everybody is when they are not here. Yamma is Gramma, and Doel is his Uncle Joel, who, even though I keep saying that he is actually at work, for some reason Boo has decided that he is always sleeping, because I said that ONCE, 3 weeks ago. Kessy is his Aunt Kelsey, and I guess he's not sure where she is, so she is just Bye Bye, or not here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">This is what I hear:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">"What, you again? Just you? Just Mommy? No Daddy, no Grandma, or perhaps any awesome aunts or uncles? Anybody? Alright, I guess I'll hang out with this old Mommy again."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">No, I don't feel too terribly sorry for myself; I know he is going through a phase where he is just figuring out how the world works and how people come and go in his home and his life and his day. I also know that someday he will realize how lucky he was to have me at home with him. But until then, I wouldn't mind too terribly if one of these mornings he said something like:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">"Mommy! Here!!" </span>megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-40092355855274569952010-03-02T09:30:00.000-07:002010-03-02T09:30:24.022-07:00After nearly 2 years, I'm still new at this!!A week or so ago, I was trying to get out the door to get to the Children's Museum right when it opened. Walter had his coat and shoes on, which always makes him hang on the door and whine about "Ouside?" (outside) until we go, and I had a few more things to pack into the bag. So I was grateful when he found himself a little something to do, and to keep himself quiet. I checked on him and saw him bent over my purse and made some quick mental calculations as to how much damage he could possibly do with my purse. Deciding it wasn't much, I hustled back into the kitchen to get some snacks packed, etc. Life was good there for a minute, as packing snacks with a quiet, happy toddler is a lot faster than packing snacks with a toddler who is standing on your feet and shrieking about "ouside!" (which is the next step after hanging on the door). Then I heard from the living room, "Waltuh no! No!" causing me to chuckle to myself. It's just so funny when he does his impression of me. Then reality hit me, and I had a little heart stopping moment of fear. Walter says that when he has a) just heard me say that to him, often after pouring water out of the bathtub and onto the floor, and recently b) when he thinks he's done something that I WILL say that to, when I see it. Running into the living room, this is what I saw:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPOLxbScTXfQejGN_Us_IOFiEKPSJ357teDzL6fZdNhDao063o6KacouXzZ1mdsuEph2-wFNyGoa1kZ7P70P0y-iiJESUzWDn_7o7LS5xhWT2mzTg7kfpVC_51h0vXVXqHyepsMyl0HwM/s1600-h/30Jan+266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">:<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPOLxbScTXfQejGN_Us_IOFiEKPSJ357teDzL6fZdNhDao063o6KacouXzZ1mdsuEph2-wFNyGoa1kZ7P70P0y-iiJESUzWDn_7o7LS5xhWT2mzTg7kfpVC_51h0vXVXqHyepsMyl0HwM/s320/30Jan+266.jpg" /></a></div>As you can see, he had already pulled quite a few things out of my bag, which would have been fairly easy to stuff back in. Apparently, my "quick mental calculations" forgot about the can of powdered milk I had already packed in my bag for his bottle later on.megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-67169990115028137532010-01-25T17:08:00.000-07:002010-01-25T17:08:46.405-07:00I've been diagnosed with PILSalso know as Pregnancy-Induced-Laziness Syndrome. It's here to stay for about...sigh...15+/- weeks. There's only one known cure: an extended stay in New Baby Land, where the one recuperating from PILS is basically out of contact with the world, blogging and real, and not to be held responsible for the crazy, sleep-deprived things that may come out of her mouth.<br />
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Symptoms of PILS may include: calling crackers and canned corn "lunch", referring to naps as "priority #1", forgetting that she even owns a camera-often for weeks at a time, switching to full time disposable diapers even though she once whole-heartedly loved cloth diapers, driving around for a while with an expired driver's license, sometimes resorting to formerly forsworn disposable cleaning wipes, eating frozen pizza a little more often, and not posting on her blog for far too long.<br />
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Sufferers might even forget to brag about the mind-blowing new tricks of their adorable genius-toddler even though he can now count from 1-4 and correctly read those numbers AND, randomly, the number 8. Also he can name 5 shapes and 4 colors, can string together 2-4 word sentences, and has been making some pretty funny/cute attempts at the alphabet song, and likes to pretend to read from really big grown-up books that have no pictures in them. Finally he may spend large quantities of time looking at photo albums over and over, intent on correctly labeling all the family members he can.<br />
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Some side effects of trips to NBL are: purchasing paper plates and plastic cutlery, even more of the aforementioned frozen pizza and/or takeout, frequent and shameless requests for fun babysitting and "play-dates" for older children, often complete ignorance of the continued existence of cell phones and internet, and a ginormous new batch of picture taking.<br />
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Anyway, thanks for bearing with me while I work on living with PILS and preparing for "recovery".megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-65507102420541323272009-12-08T16:01:00.000-07:002009-12-08T16:01:53.611-07:00The Very Latest in Cuteness!Boo is up to some fun shenanigans lately, and I thought I'd share. In list format, of course!<br />
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1. He's not so obsessed with stairs anymore, though he does still enjoy them. Now he is obsessed with containers and lids and putting things in containers and putting containers inside other containers, etc. He does this on the living room floor, in the bath, on the kitchen counter right next to me when I'm working in the kitchen, everywhere, really. Because he's been doing this for quite some time, and seems to be mostly sick of all his toys (I haven't wanted to get anything new since Christmas was right around the corner!) at the moment, I've become VERY creative in collecting many many different containers for him, ie: an empty, washed deodorant stick and lid, empty water bottles and lids, empty baby food jars and lids, empty pill bottle and lid, tupperwares, pitchers, you get the idea. Consequently, when Boo has been playing, it looks a little bit like a pile of very clean trash.<br />
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2. Ever since he was a baby Jon and I would sing a little scale when we went up and down stairs with him. Something like "<span style="font-size: xx-small;">up</span>, <span style="font-size: x-small;">up</span>, up, <span style="font-size: large;">up</span>" or "<span style="font-size: large;">down</span>, down,<span style="font-size: x-small;">down</span>". Not increasing or decreasing in volume, but going up and down the scale. Now he does that all the time, without help or prompting. It's pretty cute.<br />
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3. In other singing news, in addition to singing little ditties to himself, especially while sitting in the car seat, which are also hilariously punctuated with some new word or sound of his, something like "lalalala <span style="font-size: large;">uhoh</span> laleeloola <span style="font-size: large;">uh oh</span>" or "beboobeebot <span style="font-size: large;">meow</span> babababa <span style="font-size: large;">meow</span>", his latest super cute thing is thanks to his daddy. Jon would always pause whenever the moon was out and with his arm outstretched and pointing to the moon sing this little song to Boo, "Moon, OH moon, You shine in the night. Moon, OH moon, We see your great light". Now whenever Boo sees a moon, or a picture of a moon, or even when we just go out at night he says, "OH moo" in the same singing way Jon does. I love it. <br />
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4. After his bath, when he's naked or just in a diaper, he runs over to the full length mirror and cracks himself up by sucking his tummy way in and then puffing it way out and several other variations of this same game. He cracks me up too.<br />
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5. He still loves the bath and spends large quantities of time in there. Mostly he pours water from one container to another and puts lids on and takes them off (see #1). He does this all with intense focus and concentration, sometimes declaring, "IN!" and sometimes laughing quietly/maniacally to himself. A little naked, wet, mad scientist, basically.<br />
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6. It's funny how very mechanically aware this little boy is. Are all little boys like that? For months he's been doing a very good airplane noise the minute he hears/sees any hint of a plane. Often this is way before we've noticed anything, and he even knew right away when he was ON a plane, and he even has noticed the blinking, moving lights in the sky at night and figured out it was a plane before we told him. I always figured it must have been something his Grandpa Walt taught him, as he has been taking Boo on tours and explaining things since he was born. But I asked him and he said they only saw a plane once. It just amazes me! He's done the same thing recently with trains. He's never really seen real trains, but he has figured out their existence and the noise they make from one book I have that just shows a picture of a toy train, and now he notices them all the time and makes the noise too.<br />
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7. This probably could have been in the last one, but it was getting long :). Boo does really great impressions of all kinds of noises, many are of things that I would have described as sounding the same, but he knows the difference and his little copies are very different and I can usually tell right away exactly which machine he means. He does impressions of: the wheat grinder, my blow-dryer, the washing machine, the blender, the mixer, police sirens and ambulance sirens and fire truck sirens, the tea kettle, cars, airplanes, trains, a handful or more of animal noises, of course (his rooster crow is the cutest, in my humble opinion) and even does a pretty good impression of me! He has a pretty hilarious version of the way I sometimes shout out, "Jon!" you know, to get his attention. Walter's, "Don!" cracks people up all the time.<br />
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Anyhoo, that's the report on the little things that make up my day. Thanks for indulging a doting mommy!megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-77964879489138729182009-11-09T07:53:00.003-07:002009-11-09T08:21:29.142-07:00More Buckets of Pictures, Part 3.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mUq6xEX6HB1QgkUQwK-IFICCVKNDy84ZrORXhFR_PrF7zm5Nr7gYv5Rkjnaew4__ZD2Nyuo6BMt1ZCe4sYx63ZPA2FULAz7lnsDzlwPXrCAKUtdxpf0VJyZpMjVWRNTQbLz5WycE42_8/s1600-h/IMG_0801.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mUq6xEX6HB1QgkUQwK-IFICCVKNDy84ZrORXhFR_PrF7zm5Nr7gYv5Rkjnaew4__ZD2Nyuo6BMt1ZCe4sYx63ZPA2FULAz7lnsDzlwPXrCAKUtdxpf0VJyZpMjVWRNTQbLz5WycE42_8/s320/IMG_0801.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402121017061122738" border="0" /></a>What more could you want than to sit in your Aunt Kelsey's lap, hear a story, and eat an "appo"?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNGdZE1K6kkfBYO7kimYAbIii78YPf9OJjoprhBZJZduV_1UxejjXhvRvmtsEWZR47Y3mcjsBxpS-xvOOMfDGRf6UzPdxqiPQ9zJvhyphenhyphenyfa99VXhGvTB2wQBty85lHWnNSc_KyOl092z3L/s1600-h/IMG_0794.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNGdZE1K6kkfBYO7kimYAbIii78YPf9OJjoprhBZJZduV_1UxejjXhvRvmtsEWZR47Y3mcjsBxpS-xvOOMfDGRf6UzPdxqiPQ9zJvhyphenhyphenyfa99VXhGvTB2wQBty85lHWnNSc_KyOl092z3L/s320/IMG_0794.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402121008833403074" border="0" /></a>Helping out at Grandma and Grandpa's.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUWeVC2Vd4OATzWoOfkUSzZ72lmH1LQj3LCTtyFiV74z01IsfUEsUYGMvJT-RP_jx3ERsKS7XxQAIfkMR32gvdGF2NvkOiqqSB5R9VdlwTFAKXMG3y6-D4zTGU95KNZ3Z0Ct6TEtgZfRk/s1600-h/IMG_0793.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUWeVC2Vd4OATzWoOfkUSzZ72lmH1LQj3LCTtyFiV74z01IsfUEsUYGMvJT-RP_jx3ERsKS7XxQAIfkMR32gvdGF2NvkOiqqSB5R9VdlwTFAKXMG3y6-D4zTGU95KNZ3Z0Ct6TEtgZfRk/s320/IMG_0793.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402121000471299794" border="0" /></a>I don't normally get pictures of my child sleeping as it might break my cardinal rule of motherhood, "never, never, never disturb a sleeping baby," but as this was totally adorable, and as his head was completely swaddled, I risked using the flash.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtAcfnYqnbwmFSDmUs7_L_m8_Feqy7uxNuqEy47e2S5zN8zHmAvetEYPsxrU3AVSLcLJwsKdnG9zwiDu6k3Xyuw1QKlV5LLMHeqr_9cK6LpMAq11Ym-Q1158xnIEY3ewN4EQHp5plSW-ZY/s1600-h/IMG_0792.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtAcfnYqnbwmFSDmUs7_L_m8_Feqy7uxNuqEy47e2S5zN8zHmAvetEYPsxrU3AVSLcLJwsKdnG9zwiDu6k3Xyuw1QKlV5LLMHeqr_9cK6LpMAq11Ym-Q1158xnIEY3ewN4EQHp5plSW-ZY/s320/IMG_0792.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402120990318170850" border="0" /></a>This is probably the only family picture you are going to get. Think this will work for the Christmas cards?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHt2YgS9gSZJ3RW-7Iui9UZTPEffjKKOj1Vth5ivEgnlbsN0MVCw3R302I2T9RkylNSGUmuf2zPamyiIHUsEX9K8aV8xNOeOusJ5z8aUhRFNMU4n02RafNZXELKBjRJWT6ocb0bDnakae/s1600-h/IMG_0789.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHt2YgS9gSZJ3RW-7Iui9UZTPEffjKKOj1Vth5ivEgnlbsN0MVCw3R302I2T9RkylNSGUmuf2zPamyiIHUsEX9K8aV8xNOeOusJ5z8aUhRFNMU4n02RafNZXELKBjRJWT6ocb0bDnakae/s320/IMG_0789.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402120981193691970" border="0" /></a>This might be a possible future career for Boo. While at the state fair he wasn't impressed or excited by a lot (a few big animals of course, also piqued his interest) but he really came alive when he saw a bunch of his beloved appo's ready to be picked and played with. He's standing at my side looking at this picture saying "appo! appo!" right now. Too funny!megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-8236574462048384342009-10-26T08:15:00.003-06:002009-10-26T08:37:39.847-06:00Buckets of Pictures, Part 2These all have a beachy theme so, they go together! Makes sense, right? I think these are all taken at the beach at Deception Pass in Washington State, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Walter loved the beach!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pt-mEogTXKcs90VaULqEqR-5XxIHfE25Q9oy8exBvWKz0jCJ2k__l7t3McAXhlW4vyngSR1F-wFfu0yiAx_l-Hr0A8vRo5DzctLfz4PV7o31UuuOHmuGgMCEr2N93DLtrQUEZ6KZokeH/s1600-h/IMG_0737.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pt-mEogTXKcs90VaULqEqR-5XxIHfE25Q9oy8exBvWKz0jCJ2k__l7t3McAXhlW4vyngSR1F-wFfu0yiAx_l-Hr0A8vRo5DzctLfz4PV7o31UuuOHmuGgMCEr2N93DLtrQUEZ6KZokeH/s320/IMG_0737.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396915835194627970" border="0" /></a>Tidepools are the best bathtub, EVER.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituJWkUjxijKc611oaXe8N01Kv3ksDQ-1i-0pXn70Gkph7lJvn0OZsWcrV6DKIU4HCeJKTLs1nTvXXOtFUJIjf-E1mHBu5UMUc_TF07mVab2xL0yND9e_YaIZnO4zQLWKr759wDSdWHsFa/s1600-h/IMG_0734.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituJWkUjxijKc611oaXe8N01Kv3ksDQ-1i-0pXn70Gkph7lJvn0OZsWcrV6DKIU4HCeJKTLs1nTvXXOtFUJIjf-E1mHBu5UMUc_TF07mVab2xL0yND9e_YaIZnO4zQLWKr759wDSdWHsFa/s320/IMG_0734.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396915823258921154" border="0" /></a>This is what happened the first time mom tried to put sunscreen on Boo!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCatnDWqfRoSH3Q5ES2a8txYbedqgmJOk-mqWARekhO-IlOI7RYaGyvR2gN9T-uLCDnjCL9ijuoAsmAhwNdm6lYrJShmFajMf6-9t9EX3uwI2U0aaZ74kqwA3Cuukl0Ofz-QT02OUrFtsb/s1600-h/IMG_0707.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCatnDWqfRoSH3Q5ES2a8txYbedqgmJOk-mqWARekhO-IlOI7RYaGyvR2gN9T-uLCDnjCL9ijuoAsmAhwNdm6lYrJShmFajMf6-9t9EX3uwI2U0aaZ74kqwA3Cuukl0Ofz-QT02OUrFtsb/s320/IMG_0707.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396915806199989890" border="0" /></a>Dad had fun burying Boo in the sand...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLE7LX44F3PJ30K-_SWQH7tD2lB5x-OYxV0fiBjMGipihxCoxVBVTB69CEeZzClPaCiJb6HsFpxCe__HkSeE0A6Fv6O1H5JcQHDLq_zVoTVSPnQQbnEES-IRGxc99n524wejFRUeLdmr8/s1600-h/IMG_0710.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLE7LX44F3PJ30K-_SWQH7tD2lB5x-OYxV0fiBjMGipihxCoxVBVTB69CEeZzClPaCiJb6HsFpxCe__HkSeE0A6Fv6O1H5JcQHDLq_zVoTVSPnQQbnEES-IRGxc99n524wejFRUeLdmr8/s320/IMG_0710.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396915812408708770" border="0" /></a>and this is what Mom had to do to get all, or, well, most, of the sand out of his pants after Dad buried him!megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-13455824856979421042009-10-20T19:47:00.003-06:002009-10-20T21:22:56.633-06:00Buckets of Pictures, Part 1.So my main issue with blogging is pictures. They are just such a pain to upload, and to get in order, etc. But I'm just going to work on uploading pictures for a while, and not worry about writing, so that grandparents and aunts and uncles will start speaking to me again, ha ha. There won't be lots of explanations and it's going to be several posts over the next few days (or weeks, who am I kidding?) but I WILL, as Google is my witness, post these pictures! Some are from all the fun we've been having in the last couple of months, and some are even some more pictures from our big vacation in May. Here goes:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB5z3dr4ZVJJZql8Rt11FGztaT15aAC01BKzrE9VuPD0FWDfD6Hq_V7rm1jOyjlbaeIXWrWHD9sN_8ThFG9Ziya3fkVlsrNJWnagdSF7PZ8Dyv7uFnbOmM4Tt8Qj1uXT5kNmpA2GUdzsQ/s1600-h/IMG_0731.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB5z3dr4ZVJJZql8Rt11FGztaT15aAC01BKzrE9VuPD0FWDfD6Hq_V7rm1jOyjlbaeIXWrWHD9sN_8ThFG9Ziya3fkVlsrNJWnagdSF7PZ8Dyv7uFnbOmM4Tt8Qj1uXT5kNmpA2GUdzsQ/s320/IMG_0731.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394868596127666370" border="0" /></a>fun at Pike Place Market!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0ewa4eSKrnJLsXjogY28buZGht12fTosuOJGK_yMviilVpgtwDKg7XdetwjpKzRL1GAyQMTp4UFmCDKRLBHaYz80ds20wg8GpkqhDKcBh05fDsfA6tBjf7yJWhCHEe-FGjNE0avM741O/s1600-h/IMG_0729.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0ewa4eSKrnJLsXjogY28buZGht12fTosuOJGK_yMviilVpgtwDKg7XdetwjpKzRL1GAyQMTp4UFmCDKRLBHaYz80ds20wg8GpkqhDKcBh05fDsfA6tBjf7yJWhCHEe-FGjNE0avM741O/s320/IMG_0729.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394868584931134370" border="0" /></a>You won't believe it, but Boo took some of his very first all-alone steps to some strange, but very nice vendor at Pike Place Market. I wish I had gotten it on video.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZk3HW2N29-ROI8vHA1euATp_dukOpISXwpM7X2kin1FPlC87ZJfmwHsHI-1Sn2H6arTLRWzuWK8DBvJ70aw1QGpB-I4RjFhJgpZmPyfg481cl_wpRZvnPLsBhgE6JVvNM3mq9_Wpw6pA/s1600-h/IMG_0728.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZk3HW2N29-ROI8vHA1euATp_dukOpISXwpM7X2kin1FPlC87ZJfmwHsHI-1Sn2H6arTLRWzuWK8DBvJ70aw1QGpB-I4RjFhJgpZmPyfg481cl_wpRZvnPLsBhgE6JVvNM3mq9_Wpw6pA/s320/IMG_0728.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394868577486199106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjfYrrbBj2TEq60sgQUXkhLycSPdywYSaNTUSfpuAVwU8N266tatNDbl-8hQbV5xwlHOftEh3zLxmPQMBKOoxlke4ML-Shcf7nr99omMWlZhkbl6w4WzDltnU9bCpDu68PXFGVLefbRXX/s1600-h/IMG_0664.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjfYrrbBj2TEq60sgQUXkhLycSPdywYSaNTUSfpuAVwU8N266tatNDbl-8hQbV5xwlHOftEh3zLxmPQMBKOoxlke4ML-Shcf7nr99omMWlZhkbl6w4WzDltnU9bCpDu68PXFGVLefbRXX/s320/IMG_0664.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394868570556655266" border="0" /></a>No trip to Washington is complete without a ferry ride!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjE4UFuLYVEpxYMVQ4X4m-Ka8g4877VWPdJhSkLkVLlSlxJwpV4LlZ-zKHw-6j1gfi9XhI5m4RFNyBgN2T_3Lutp_9cBvmlw7dlxUMl9W9ugjxBsyf2zNe8tsjkwep_jgA5dhCaF-J4Jgt/s1600-h/IMG_0659.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjE4UFuLYVEpxYMVQ4X4m-Ka8g4877VWPdJhSkLkVLlSlxJwpV4LlZ-zKHw-6j1gfi9XhI5m4RFNyBgN2T_3Lutp_9cBvmlw7dlxUMl9W9ugjxBsyf2zNe8tsjkwep_jgA5dhCaF-J4Jgt/s320/IMG_0659.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394868560787667954" border="0" /></a>Entertaining himself (with the contents of my purse) under the table at my friend's wedding reception. I just thought it was a cute pic!<br /><br />Look at that, I did have time to do some captions! Ok, more picture posts coming soon....megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-59027156489353462782009-08-22T20:41:00.003-06:002009-08-22T21:04:37.728-06:00For My Mother, On Her Birthday:Just a quick little post to let my Marmee know how much I love and appreciate her. I'm feeling a little sad right now, because the summer's over, and Mom will be going back to work in the school district. It's been so great spending so much time with her, I love to just spend the morning at her house hanging out with one of my very best friends. I know that Boo really loves going to Grandma's house and playing on the stairs (first and foremost! he loves those stairs!) and playing the piano and trying to get that one porcelain bowl that he can juuuuust reach on the shelf before anyone notices him and takes it away. But mostly he just loves his Grandma! So it'll be hard not to have as much time with her, but I'm oh so grateful for all those lovely, lazy, stolen summer days spent with my Mom. Happy Birthday Mom, and may you have all the happiness in this world and the next.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcrcxpJvSSX-wZgyYi7mmHc_coOUX3e_wDF2Am1jk9Ke0cqwhjCv6HsfUEODv_C9S0QO6CMlZcYowkUqF7ZMJOLfyimcH2b1rzOwgKNc3t-1GS8OxGvCMBnA28b9fLZhf4Im8wu3YNiLm/s1600-h/IMG_0531.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcrcxpJvSSX-wZgyYi7mmHc_coOUX3e_wDF2Am1jk9Ke0cqwhjCv6HsfUEODv_C9S0QO6CMlZcYowkUqF7ZMJOLfyimcH2b1rzOwgKNc3t-1GS8OxGvCMBnA28b9fLZhf4Im8wu3YNiLm/s400/IMG_0531.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372988443988930514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBfWVZKyFUu3NlysOVC8Rf5P_LdEVzoKpkhta6bukWeZ_jSG4O6v7JZp_TT29Gghpvlr_EMbUgB81RZod_9ie0Va0THRUqoDIMqEmXEZ-927sUSmoUt-n3NFlQ7k4fxxZvt8FVtI5LOKW/s1600-h/IMG_0503.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBfWVZKyFUu3NlysOVC8Rf5P_LdEVzoKpkhta6bukWeZ_jSG4O6v7JZp_TT29Gghpvlr_EMbUgB81RZod_9ie0Va0THRUqoDIMqEmXEZ-927sUSmoUt-n3NFlQ7k4fxxZvt8FVtI5LOKW/s400/IMG_0503.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372988433520977218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTWKqYu18lWttSwogb72NPB5mQtO9s-a5oPiZPKrghn65K6MTm9QjQvixe81X0Sqcs116oEiE6nH5K2RSr2TxTS99PsW24n8vTV-m5dKQfUbz0k83Ozf3VdNd3ABvi4rt3_Ue8frq5dhZ/s1600-h/IMG_0747.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTWKqYu18lWttSwogb72NPB5mQtO9s-a5oPiZPKrghn65K6MTm9QjQvixe81X0Sqcs116oEiE6nH5K2RSr2TxTS99PsW24n8vTV-m5dKQfUbz0k83Ozf3VdNd3ABvi4rt3_Ue8frq5dhZ/s400/IMG_0747.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372988454146673826" border="0" /></a>megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-42274222582977816452009-08-19T19:10:00.000-06:002009-08-19T19:11:15.754-06:00Good Reading...I thought I'd throw out some recommendations of good reading I've had lately in case there is anyone else out there who loves to read as much as I do! Also, because this post is chock full o' links, I figured I'd better finally figure out how to embed a link! Aren't you so proud? I'm getting so big!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Books:</span><br />These I'll be really brief about--<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Skellig</span>, by David Almond --lovely, lovely, tale. Youth fiction, not fantasy or sci-fi, but more like mythical, lyrical.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Various</span>, by Steve Augarde--great adventurous fairy tale set in the modern English countryside. It's the first of three, and the next one, <span style="font-style: italic;">Celandine</span>, is also great. I've got the third one on hold at the library!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Princess and the Hound</span>, by Mette Ivie Harrison. I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading some of her others. Also youth fiction and fantasy. What can I say? It's my favorite genre!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Unhealthy Truth</span>, by Robyn O'Brien--interesting journey of a normal, run of the mill mom, who's kids come down with crazy food allergies, and all the stuff she learns about the food industry and the FDA while trying to figure out how to help her kids. Great reading, even if you don't have a kid with food allergies! I read this one a little while ago, but I've been recommending it to everyone, and I don't want you to think I'm not well-rounded in my reading!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Article:</span><br /><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32404017/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/?GT1=43001">Here</a> is a very interesting article I picked up on msn.com the other day about how, basically, we might be killing our kids with knowledge. I'm one of those mom's who definitely believes in children having a childhood for as long as they can with as much unstructured play as they can, and I was, and still am, pretty appalled that they invented all-day kindergarten! Anyway, I guess in some parts of the country preschool is not enough of a push to get kids reading, etc, super early, but now there is a big boom in extra, professional, TUTORING, for preschoolers. Anyway, read if your interested in studies about education and the different ways that children learn!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blogs:</span><br />This is a link to my friend <a href="http://evestigation.blogspot.com/2009/08/domestic-doldrums.html">Rosalyn's</a> blog. She's just talking about a tough day of parenting, and yet I found it really uplifting and sweet and funny. Maybe it just feels good to commiserate!<br /><br /><br />I'm on a blog list called Mormon Mommy Blogs and they have a home blog with guest writers who write about different things pertaining to mormonness and mommyness and bloggyness. I really enjoy reading these guest posts as they are usually VERY beautifully written, and they take me into another person's world and experience. <a href="http://mormonmommyblogs.blogspot.com/2009/08/and-i-wonder.html">This particular post</a> had me in tears as it was so beautiful, about a young woman's struggle with infertility. Not very long of a read, check it out!<br /><br />And this recommendation is for an entire blog, not just one particular post. I recently discovered it because it had the same title as one I had been considering starting myself, but I'm not bitter that she already thought of the title first, because this blog is GREAT, and a total treasure. It's called Old School, and the author mainly writes posts on how to do useful things like sew up a tear in your kids jeans, or can turkey, or (my favorite) how to cook with dried beans. But this is all incidental, as while she is imparting all this wisdom clearly and succinctly (we're mom's; we don't have a lot of time!) she is also pretty darn HILARIOUS. You've got to check it out, you won't be sorry! This link is specifically to<a href="http://damselindisdress.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/36/"> the funny bean post</a> (actually about making split pea soup) but you should look around the rest of her blog!<br /><br /><br />Anyway, Happy Reading!megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-64664828883589885122009-08-15T19:01:00.004-06:002009-08-16T08:10:23.472-06:00Then something just went "Click!"Boo is signing! It is so exiting, I can't even describe to you how much fun it is to see him do his little signs and see his face light up (and mine too) when he sees that I understand. We've been watching the Baby Signing Time videos for months and I've just been patiently perservering, waiting for him to show some...sign, ha, that he was getting it. He's been saying a handful of words now for over a month, like hot, on, up and down, walk, and more recently something that sounds like I go or let's go, I can't quite tell. But no sign that all the signing I was doing and the videos he was watching were making any impact. Except once, about 2 weeks ago, he seemed to make the sign for hat, but as I didn't see it again, or anything else, I wasn't sure. Well on Thursday we were in the car and I turned around and saw him doing the sign for "more". I just about jumped out of my seat! And bam, just like that, it's like he got it, and there's no stopping him now! Boo, in just 2 days, has now effectively done the signs for "more", "water", "milk", "grandma", "all done", "book", "eat", "sleep", and just now, he did the sign for "bath"! It's so exciting, have I said that already? I'm so glad I did this, even though for a while there I really thought it wasn't going to work.<br /><br />Speaking of baths, remember how he used to love baths? Then he just stopped, out of nowhere, for more than a month. He hated them! Baths became this thing we inflicted on him while he stood there screaming, tears and snot running down his face, as seldom as possible. And then, after playing outside with the water hose in grandma's backyard, "click!" went that little thing in his brain again, and ever since then I haven't been able to keep him out of the bath! I think he took 5 baths yesterday! I know, the granola in me is cringing at all the water usage, but can you blame me for letting him? It's just so great to be past that little phase, I'm willing to give him lots of baths! ( just so you know, I am trying to limit it a little more now, for instance, he's only had 2 baths today! lol).<br /><br />And while we're talking about growing and developing news on the baby front, I should mention (as I know I haven't posted in quite some time, more on that later) that he's been walking now for more than a month, and has gotten really quite good at it, and speedy! That was another funny little click: it seemed that he knew how to walk for like 6 +weeks, we'd catch him at it all the time, but he prefered crawling. I think he thought he was faster at crawling so he wasn't going to bother with that walking stuff too much. But then click went that thing in his brain and he suddenly figured out that walking was much more preferable than crawling, and just like that he was a full time walker!<br /><br />I'll try to work on pictures or video of some of these new tricks, and I promise to write a post really soon on why I've kind of sucked at blogging lately, and I'm going to post more! I promise! To try!megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-52744275979464340702009-08-13T09:19:00.000-06:002009-08-13T09:20:10.074-06:00Vacation Part 1<div>There are so many pictures, I'm not sure where to begin! I'm pretty sure it's going to take a few posts. It was such a fun, jampacked trip with lots of wonderful family and fun things done and beautiful places seen. I guess I'll start with the beginning of the trip, which was at my Grandpa's house, and included a quick jaunt over to the mainland, via the ferry, to see my friend Jessica get married. At Grandpa's house, Boo had lots of fun...</div><br /><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFgJMdBZIyMRYvmCzi7HLTK4XaGh9VwvU_Ci0YJBDHB8YqzlSxUSlTDKOchrcCI66Te7YhOaDZFz6DiQNHtfX8Am3ZwgAAPDloD9kxQdQ5J05NFSsLr87g4YSpPe_p78Ir6bYP-4EOLLt/s1600-h/IMG_0689.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349041789007382930" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFgJMdBZIyMRYvmCzi7HLTK4XaGh9VwvU_Ci0YJBDHB8YqzlSxUSlTDKOchrcCI66Te7YhOaDZFz6DiQNHtfX8Am3ZwgAAPDloD9kxQdQ5J05NFSsLr87g4YSpPe_p78Ir6bYP-4EOLLt/s400/IMG_0689.jpg" border="0" /></a> splashing in the birdbath...</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHjuNaGYS31G1pOUBTZlxm9hyCEUm8Nfe3Pa9LdCCrXyNTqVllA14jA4umo6O5cffWhXkqg0Q3oHDpGpIZsYewxi_rZR4XlsbqS7MycJxCrJQHjduFefnP4ATF8Qf0mIOoaG0HIKL1gDu/s1600-h/IMG_0678.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349041777785041362" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHjuNaGYS31G1pOUBTZlxm9hyCEUm8Nfe3Pa9LdCCrXyNTqVllA14jA4umo6O5cffWhXkqg0Q3oHDpGpIZsYewxi_rZR4XlsbqS7MycJxCrJQHjduFefnP4ATF8Qf0mIOoaG0HIKL1gDu/s400/IMG_0678.jpg" border="0" /></a> taking a bath in Great-grandma's sink...</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFAoqw08mg0pmhjF1TF5i2r2gDOXqOwBHllSQIP54I4DmXXlS9qXqTiPHgsYLZ5w1p5OvjjhwAdY2S2Nk7GTA9m_a1aGAAQAWHeFuGGtje5T-SnZZsr8DCm4RSDThorGDpxU0envUSj_I/s1600-h/IMG_0648.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349041774797489842" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFAoqw08mg0pmhjF1TF5i2r2gDOXqOwBHllSQIP54I4DmXXlS9qXqTiPHgsYLZ5w1p5OvjjhwAdY2S2Nk7GTA9m_a1aGAAQAWHeFuGGtje5T-SnZZsr8DCm4RSDThorGDpxU0envUSj_I/s400/IMG_0648.jpg" border="0" /></a> and oh, just endless hours of going up and down the stairs, up and down, up and down. At home or abroad, stair-climbing is this kid's favorite past time! </p><br /><p><br /></p>megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-5805978343540477572009-06-03T16:58:00.002-06:002009-06-03T17:36:37.506-06:00Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety-JogSo right now I SHOULD be writing all about our great vacation we just had, but all I can think is, "There's no place like home." I guess I'll write that post later, because the trip really was great, and of course we have a million cute pictures, but for now, here are some wonderful things about being home.<br /><br />--I was really worrying about my garden, so it's great to see that it's doing well and growing big, and we even had lettuce for a salad our first night back!<br /><br />--I can eat weird Megan food like salad for breakfast again.<br /><br />--It's good to be reunited with the stroller, so I can take Boo for walks again.<br /><br />--Two words. Cloth diapers. We did disposable the whole time on the trip and I really missed our diaper system at home. Holy cow you have to buy a lot of diapers when you only use disposables! I don't know how anybody affords it!<br /><br />--Having Booboo to myself. Don't get me wrong, it was a great break having so many wonderful relatives to play with him all the time, and I'll probably wish someone would come play with him in a couple of days or so, but for now, I'm kind of relishing all our private time. I have such a wonderful little boy!!<br /><br />--There's a lot of cleaning to do and unpacking and whatnot, but it's at lot less stressful when it's your own house and you know where stuff goes and you're not bothering anyone asking them all the time where stuff goes!<br /><br />--Ok, two more words: comfort zone!<br /><br />--I'm excited to start using my new cute diaper bag I found in Washington!megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-40962205401133777992009-05-06T09:04:00.007-06:002009-05-06T21:30:39.478-06:00To My Darling Baby Boy, On His Birthday:One year ago today, (ok, yesterday, sheesh), I became a mother. You made me a mother by consenting to come into this life, into this home, and taking us from a couple to a family. As that is something your father and I wanted very much, and had been wishing for(individually) for at least a decade, we will always be especially grateful to you for that. I will always think of that on your birthday. Thank you for being our guinea pig; the one who teaches us how to be parents, how to cope with chaos, and how to live every day with a heart so full of love it almost hurts. You see, every time your life expands to include another person, be it friend, husband, or child, your heart expands too. What a gift from God that is, and what a gift from God you are. So, I guess, on your birthday, I also have to say thank you thank you thank you, to my wonderful, loving Heavenly Father. THANK YOU!!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p>Ok, moving on to less sappy subjects...here are some things about you that I hope to always remember. A sort of verbal snapshot of my little boy at the age of 1 (don't worry, there are real snap shots below).<br /><br />--You are mostly outgoing. You roam around church or family parties playing with people's shoes and pulling yourself up and patting their knees. You pull the pacifiers out of other babies mouths and investigate people's watches and jewelry and books all the while winning hearts by batting your big blue eyes and giving a wide toothy grin. Every so often you have a shy spell, which usually has more to do with how tired you are, and I suspect, is sometimes a flirtatious facade...<br /><br />--You love to squeeze yourself through tiny spaces, mostly in between people's legs. If I am standing still, doing dishes or folding laundry, you will come and push your head into the back of my legs until I'm forced to spread my feet a little and you squeeze through and then you stand up in the tiny space between me and the cupboard below the sink, thereby forcing me to move back which is why my dishes are never done and my clean laundry is never folded. Sigh.<br /><br />--Even though I keep hoping you will grow out of it, you still adore pulling books from shelves, and sitting and crawling on big uneven piles of books, and getting your hands on mommy's paperbacks so you can run your fingers along the edges and make the pages go fffffwwwwwwppppp.<br /><br />--Often, when you are intently examining some thing (including my face) you will suddenly tilt your head to one side, not just a little, but till your head is practically parallel to your shoulder, to examine it some more from that angle. It just kills me!<br /><br />--We have a game I like to refer to as "smooshface". Not as in smoosh your face with my hands; as in smoosh our two faces together in hilarious and slobbery ways.<br /><br />--You love your dad. If I didn't have you to myself for 8 hours a day I might start to feel neglected! You especially love to go on tours with him. You've gotten to the point where you get a little mad if that's not the first thing he does when he comes home from work!!<br /><br />--Those brightly colored toys with bells and whistles and cute animals and not-so-subtle educational stuff painted all over them designed to delight and entrance any baby are not really your thing. Oh sure, they might interest you for thirty seconds or so, but they are not nearly so wonderful as those little tins that hold lipbalm or handcream, or zipper pulls, or faucets, or light switches, or drawer handles, or mason jar lids. If it's metal or wood, you are FASCINATED.<br /><br />--You do this funny thing when you will roll something, and then chase after it, but when you catch up to it you bat your hand at it so it rolls away again and you can chase after it again. The best things for this are little jars because they roll erratically. The awesome thing is you will do it with stuff that doesn't. roll. at. all. Like your toy phone. You'll just kind of bat at it until it flips over a few times and then follow after it and do it again. Then I hand you your little toy ball and you look at me like, "what's this for?" and abandon it to find something else completely unsuited for this game.<br /><br />--You've finally figured out what the heck to do with stuffed animals: squeeeeeeze them, sink your teeth into them, and lay on top of them.<br /><br />--Stairs are endless fun and wonderment. Someday I'm going to invent a little toy baby escalator and I will be rich!<br /></p><p>This last weekend we went up to your Great-grandmother's and we celebrated your birthday. Here are some pics from that--you really enjoyed my homemade ginger bread!!</p><p>Here you are with daddy: </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332811435807842834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4l89k-vELYth8saNqUtkPctq4x_tirv6SX1S3d6NUvmWK1xaqnqyz2oWB3oCnjjS1jwOZPuuumnTMABwl6dsUn1Sptkc7oja7_kFQu3g7UEAz5Psqta0mMSBDFH9R2SAmo-soPDUDOVf/s400/IMG_0595.jpg" border="0" />You're not so sure about that open flame...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bbnPKwXK3kqTj1cykRRyKgTI4BvBPRIDa40GckBWoZXedVe4OST0pP-sImVXqYzYgUaAbRNoc-z8u-9lcN6JKex29FapwTYRfF62XBeMYVfI-ZaopF5aQctbQE-aBmwwCC8LLUAe-E75/s1600-h/IMG_0596.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332811445162494802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bbnPKwXK3kqTj1cykRRyKgTI4BvBPRIDa40GckBWoZXedVe4OST0pP-sImVXqYzYgUaAbRNoc-z8u-9lcN6JKex29FapwTYRfF62XBeMYVfI-ZaopF5aQctbQE-aBmwwCC8LLUAe-E75/s400/IMG_0596.jpg" border="0" /></a> You gingerly taste it...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332814800595678850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLuoVqyy6nX4ewnNAdOKd2xCkzYKEoJXHdiaVZc6jWmqbxPxrak6X9DhGsluX4KvaK8yMZkz783CY71SIGHvaaYQE94d48ZSS9zclYFVZKNBw3Zt_bD7dlOXUGmO8-BjxoUPOhDwZoFo7/s400/IMG_0599.jpg" border="0" />And voila!! the final shot: happy baby, no more gingerbread, and a demolished shirt!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332814809650594114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-lYEzYmXDd3owdAfTeoVucbo6SJTzdX71C5MWaGKP97HZ5VK3Y7Xut1-4XuoTOEe8DqQJK3C9JTnvZQigU4_x-Nqoew9DnIdero13CsGrSsqznSrklzPOGjjIBzjUS_v3c31NxvxUvQa/s400/IMG_0606.jpg" border="0" />I love you little boy!! Here's hoping we have lots of lovely messy years together!megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-58269434333376564802009-04-01T09:13:00.003-06:002009-04-01T16:23:24.448-06:00Why God Invented Soap and Water...<div>So Booboo can help his mommy and daddy in the garden!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHah1zoyOQXSh8fRdR5DSJpm1Acduwt3Jm7UsfstxcYiTeXf2BGf3SqDX1mlW0lGvPLohuoBsUK-BB-sx8JFdZ6v5_6HB2lCCHGZwoXMnHSHcHuybXK2UZxHjiHshQ5frtxFatbeoXbkFR/s1600-h/IMG_0575.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319744355964691362" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHah1zoyOQXSh8fRdR5DSJpm1Acduwt3Jm7UsfstxcYiTeXf2BGf3SqDX1mlW0lGvPLohuoBsUK-BB-sx8JFdZ6v5_6HB2lCCHGZwoXMnHSHcHuybXK2UZxHjiHshQ5frtxFatbeoXbkFR/s400/IMG_0575.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv63-5CA2UODzuRa5sGw-s6I6qZQyvQAzD8ELUp16tWGiJww_FTx9UtajKEiyZaY2rVBAyn596M9bT94QMtxu4p3IOWIpwnkCz3KRs1MJl3b0ET5K2qBv_3OhqZLDzYekfdrggdUldyiG4/s1600-h/IMG_0573.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319744352814611794" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv63-5CA2UODzuRa5sGw-s6I6qZQyvQAzD8ELUp16tWGiJww_FTx9UtajKEiyZaY2rVBAyn596M9bT94QMtxu4p3IOWIpwnkCz3KRs1MJl3b0ET5K2qBv_3OhqZLDzYekfdrggdUldyiG4/s400/IMG_0573.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhcN26zTTx0F7LLvLc8b-SlRUrKCQnxRvTaWtagAXkR6CRMMka1JE5sJwnBz1idY6DjQPrfiY0MwT9btw7tUAkFkdfs-LRBJlTzaTn28PqJnXKafaulxaJRm-WAMm_mffG8-EXDH2r-bc/s1600-h/IMG_0580.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319744343913639490" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhcN26zTTx0F7LLvLc8b-SlRUrKCQnxRvTaWtagAXkR6CRMMka1JE5sJwnBz1idY6DjQPrfiY0MwT9btw7tUAkFkdfs-LRBJlTzaTn28PqJnXKafaulxaJRm-WAMm_mffG8-EXDH2r-bc/s400/IMG_0580.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-6071453528497717032009-03-29T12:17:00.007-06:002009-03-30T09:47:14.583-06:00Two Years Ago Today*...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycMsLwa-uEY92tofigJ30L1YJ4YXGiYar75p185XdzQpYWPKqzfnuG1jVH6xwd_iBXm54tQ6vGSo2DxBrLco8Pts7TA87F_jKu3AelDIcFFvwlELgfNbh6Q_yfxl0Nr4ggz0FmoVAk_s0/s1600-h/meganss-R2-018-7A.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319006385097084450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 270px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycMsLwa-uEY92tofigJ30L1YJ4YXGiYar75p185XdzQpYWPKqzfnuG1jVH6xwd_iBXm54tQ6vGSo2DxBrLco8Pts7TA87F_jKu3AelDIcFFvwlELgfNbh6Q_yfxl0Nr4ggz0FmoVAk_s0/s400/meganss-R2-018-7A.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div>My honey and I walked into the Jordan River Temple, nervous as can be. A little while later, after one of the most beautiful and moving experiences in my life, we walked out, newly married, with eternity ahead of us. Friends and family gathered that evening to celebrate and wish us well. So many people had helped so much to get us to that point. I remember standing in the midst of my reception, feeling so much love and joy, feeling so grateful for how incredibly blessed I was at that moment. We had a pretty small reception, and the room was stuffed to the gills with people, people who loved us and were so happy for us. People who had baked and organized and hung decorations, chopped vegetables and addressed invitations, performed beautiful music and traveled pretty far to get there. People who had come bearing gifts and advice and love and hope. </div><br /><div></div><div>Today I have a happy home, and a wonderful husband and a darling baby boy. Life keeps moving and changing, but with Jon at my side and a lot of faith, I think I can handle it, and I look forward to what our little family will become. </div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">*Ok, when I started writing this post it was "today" but now it should really say "Two Years Ago Yesterday", oh well. As we spent the day with a teething baby and his first fever (not his first teeth, but the first time getting a fever-he's doing a lot better today, so hopefully we can go out tonight as we had planned!) I know you'll understand the slight delay.</span></div>megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-82703959258351276412009-03-16T14:30:00.002-06:002009-03-16T14:33:58.527-06:00I'm always up for free books!The blogroll I'm on, Mormon Mommy Blogs, is having another giveaway, and this time it's for a free set of books! I'm always interested in new authors, and as I've been on a non-fiction kick for quite a while, I definitely feel lately like I need some fiction! So if you're Mormon and a Mommy, or not, or not, then go check it out! (See the link on the side of my page--->)megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-80764097794361251992009-03-13T09:46:00.003-06:002009-03-13T09:52:24.677-06:00Breathing Through Our Mouths...This is just a quick post to explain why I've been so MIA lately: We're sick!!! Ok, just Booboo and me, so far Jon has managed to escape it. But it's really hanging on with me and Boo. Basically I've just been coping and then everytime he goes down for a nap so do I. I also didn't think that you guys would want to see a Wordless Wednesday of a pic of very red noses and a river of snot. Boo is holding up pretty well considering this is his first real sickness. But I'd like it to be over now! All I do is wipe noses all day, his and mine! And can someone explain to me why babies hate like poison to have their noses wiped (even though I've mostly been using nice soft burp cloths) only to immediately turn and wipe their noses on your shirt? What's the difference, really? Just a mystery of babyhood, I guess!megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-24848319969931059102009-03-04T10:51:00.002-07:002009-03-04T12:01:44.993-07:00I Am a Child of God!Lately I feel like this inside:<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309392222975744594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 233px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDLOBNvNYL8fVQgUrNE5vPYCoGgp0AGk5TOcC_HRgkQlZL1v8Nh5Wt-2KDpxh4beBsafzTLzMrzyjcC5Tr6xnIK3eCbEa4MTMSnLIdmjfbhzZyNP92foDGWv2cGQCK39JKp99qEj3J6vP/s400/angels_LRG.jpg" border="0" />I feel so very blessed, just wonderful, and loved, and lifted up by the Spirit, the last couple of weeks. I've had answers to prayers, small but miraculous changes in my own heart, opportunities to sing again, a chance to go to the temple last week, I've made some new friends, spring is right around the corner, I have a loving husband and a beautiful baby boy. My Heavenly Father loves me, and He loves you too. And I love you!<br /><br />I'd better make sure you know where this beautiful picture is from: <a href="http://www.reflectionsmg.com/">http://www.reflectionsmg.com/</a><br />Check it out if you haven't yet! Beautiful, beautiful pictures.megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-17817750466251468712009-02-25T21:02:00.003-07:002009-02-25T22:08:08.439-07:00This Wednesday's Wordy, But it's Worth It!!I have a story! I live in an apartment that was created in the upstairs of this 100+ year old house. Because of this there are lots of strange quirks, the strangest being the bathroom. It is basically a converted closet in the kitchen/laundry room. It is tiny and is definitely my least favorite thing about an otherwise beautiful and interesting and pretty roomy apartment. But it does have one great perk: because it's tiny and basically in the kitchen, when I give Booboo a bath I can just leave the door open and get some work done in the kitchen without any fear of being a horrible mother and being dragged off by the CPS for leaving my child in a bath unattended!! He is always within my sight, indeed within 10 feet of me, so it works out great. Because we like to save water, and because he likes the secure feeling of being able to hold onto the sides, we still use a little baby bath that we put in the big grown up bath, which also helps when he decides to have a serious splashing party!! So I can make my lunch and sweep the floor all the while talking to him and smiling at him and listening to his happy little splashy/babbly noises. I can always see his head over the rim of the big bathtub because he's sitting up.<br /><br />He doesn't usually stay happy in the tub for that long, though, he get's kind of bored and starts trying to climb out after 10-15 minutes usually. So I was really happy today when he seemed to be happy for a longer time and I could make a long, involved salad for my lunch. When I finished preparing it I decided he had been in there long enough and went to go get him out and I found this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhYJv40y15bIqEFki0kBO-x6vLam7f47qoucVwUXLGkMRXizY3zcuJKf9aOYD0pLtK28XiIGApQiNU-yEgEEtIgchGUB2zAwF_OYiDK03pdzYEueNBo0dlPJREGLB8h0baNXQzcc9W5lw/s1600-h/IMG_0553.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhYJv40y15bIqEFki0kBO-x6vLam7f47qoucVwUXLGkMRXizY3zcuJKf9aOYD0pLtK28XiIGApQiNU-yEgEEtIgchGUB2zAwF_OYiDK03pdzYEueNBo0dlPJREGLB8h0baNXQzcc9W5lw/s400/IMG_0553.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306953038058529650" border="0" /></a>No water in the tub!!! I have no idea how long he had just been playing naked in an empty tub!! The little stinker discovered the plug (you can see it just barely)!! Oh man, I laughed for quite a while after that! I'm still laughing.<br /><br />Oh well, I had planned to give him "air time" after the bath anyway because his awful diaper rash is back. And in the spirit of causing great future embarrassment and hopefully an "aw, mom!!" here's a picture of some more air time!!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOQTIUx2OEs7MzYZ1hng3cZ291U3nNudcdmAfVWCjrLJEJjUXg6kbJB_lqkXeeBMNSmzryonpTVjGjAeR8CFSMb7EylUn5ojleWg96ckfpG4tugaqyA74uR2RQiGDLcJNIP8HX6v-f0bS/s1600-h/IMG_0555.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOQTIUx2OEs7MzYZ1hng3cZ291U3nNudcdmAfVWCjrLJEJjUXg6kbJB_lqkXeeBMNSmzryonpTVjGjAeR8CFSMb7EylUn5ojleWg96ckfpG4tugaqyA74uR2RQiGDLcJNIP8HX6v-f0bS/s400/IMG_0555.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306953040382314082" border="0" /></a>megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-59455323194100642412009-02-24T18:32:00.004-07:002009-02-24T19:07:41.866-07:00How To Get a New* Wardrobe...For Free!1. Finally lose a little bit of the baby weight.<br />2. Have a really nice sis-in-law who is also losing weight and doing a better job than you give you some of her old clothes.<br />3. Clean out your closet!!!<br /><br />A perfect storm of events has taken me from wearing the same pair of maternity jeans everyday to owning more pants than I can possibly wear (hmm...and no where to wear them!). I was just feeling like I was still huge so I wasn't paying any attention to what actual size I was anymore. I really didn't want to buy any new jeans in an in between size since I really wanted to just lose weight back down to my old jean size, and my maternity jeans, while hanging off me, had not actually fallen off yet, so I just kept wearing them and trying to not care what they looked like. When my sister-in-law offered me some of the clothes that didn't fit her anymore (thanks Jess!) I tried them on skeptically, because I did NOT think I was down to the size of the jeans yet. Low and behold, they fit! So I was very motivated to go through some of the clothes I put away into storage when I got too pregnant to torture myself into them anymore. Now I've got a nice expanded wardrobe! (and two practically new tubes of Burt'sBees Honey Lip Balm!!)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*To get this "new" wardrobe you must meet some of these preexisting conditions: you must have recently given birth, you must have a nice sister-in-law, you must be a cheapskate who doesn't really love to buy new clothes, you must refuse to weigh yourself or pay any attention to numbers like that, and you must have a messy closet and a baby who keeps you a little too preoccupied to care much about what you're wearing! Lastly, you must also have a rather broad definition of the word "new"!<br /></span>megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2234954567503175771.post-14290646643043920582009-02-23T10:20:00.002-07:002009-02-23T10:25:40.522-07:00giveaway!I'm this blog roll called Mormon Mommy Blogs and they have this fabulous giveaway going on right now. You get an extra entry if you post about it on your blog, and the stuff is pretty enough that I'm actually posting about it! So go over there and check it out, and if you post a comment, you can get entered into the giveaway also! http://mormonmommyblogs.blogspot.com/megandjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887251146602171261noreply@blogger.com0