Santa Baby

Twilight Movie Update: A few of us will be getting together to see the movie tomorrow (Tuesday) at 9 pm at the new theater in Orem. Anyone is welcome to join us. Now on with the post.

What is the deal with Santa? Zoe is scared out of her wits at just the sight of the bearded man. Always has been. Am I ruining Christmas for my kids by not playing up Santa? I don't really remember my parents pushing him on me when I was growing up and I definitely don't remember a time when I ever believed in him. So here is my question for you - What role does Santa play in your holidays? How did that role come about? Was it a natural process or did you put effort into cultivating a tradition/belief? I'm just curious about your households because I have absolutely no inclination to make Santa a figurehead in our home. I don't think less of anyone who does and I'm not trying to force my disbelief on anyone, I just wonder what the motivation is for incorporating Santa into Christmas. And what is the process for introducing him to children - especially when so many little ones seem terrified of him.

In the meantime, as long as we have nothing better to do on a Friday night in December in Payson, we will probably be found doing this:

Making It Official

Owen's blessing (nearly 2 weeks ago) was wonderful. Thank you to everyone who could come (or those who wanted to be there but couldn't). It was nice to have some friendly faces in our ward. Here are some pictures:

The Dudes (minus James' boss)

The Chicas

And while we're talking about blessings, let me demonstrate what a blessing in our life Owen is:

This kid ALWAYS has a smile for us. Whether he is watching Zoe play, just waking up from his nap, or getting a 3 am diaper change. He is just a happy, calm little guy - which is a nice change around here. Not that Zoe isn't happy. She is, usually. But "calm" will never never be used to describe her. Bless her heart.

I'm Lame

I haven't been around here much lately. I've been consumed by all things Christmas and the blog has taken a back seat. But today something came to my attention that has me concerned. Here is my predicament. I have yet to see Twilight the movie. And I only have a week left if I want to see it in the theaters (at least the theater in Payson). James is more than willing to give me the time I need to go see it but my dilemma is that I don't want to see it by myself. It just seems a little depressing to go out alone. I guess I have been spoiled by previous girls night outs. Coming to the point, would YOU like to go with me? Is there anyone who would like to see Twilight with me? It can be a small group, large group, or just one on one. We could even get ice cream and I'm even willing to travel to other cities (within reason). I'm just in desperate need of girl time right now. Anyway, if you're interested let me know. And someday I'll get around to all the posts that are swimming around in my head.

The Blessing

We are blessing Owen in church this Sunday at 9am. Anyone who would like to come is invited. You are especially invited if you fall into the category of worthy priesthood holder. Otherwise our circle might be more of a triangle. Contact us if you need more details.

Thanksgiving!

Not to brag, but I ROCK at Thanksgiving. OK, I'm bragging a little. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays. For the second year in a row James' dad and stepmom came out and we had a blast. I did ALL of the cooking and loved every second. This year I even attempted a pie which turned out super yummy. That in itself is amazing as I don't bake. I loved cooking in our new house because I didn't have to use our dining room table as counter space during the cooking process and with a dishwasher, the clean up of 7 hours of cooking was much easier. Not to mention James' family didn't have to sleep in our living room!

THE FAMILY


THE FOOD

It's all about BRINING around here

A Few Good Side Dishes

The perfect pie - not one crack!

And surprise - a cream cheese layer to boot!

Redefining "Short"

Today I'm reaching out to anyone with ANY background in hair cutting/styling. What magic words do I speak to get someone to cut my hair shorter than my chin? No matter what I say or ask for, I generally get the same cut and it is always a little longer than I wanted, especially in the back.

I got a cut right before Thanksgiving that was particularly bad. I wanted my hair short. Shorter than it had ever been before. I ended up with an a-line (in the loosest sense of that term - it looks more like I cut a chunk of gum out of the back of my hair blindfolded) and the longest layers go 2 inches past my chin, despite telling them that I didn't want anything past my chin. Plus, by the time they've mangled my hair into a medium length cut, nearly 2 hours have gone by and I have hungry kids and a grumbly husband who will now have to miss his class. GRRR! The worst part is that it took so much effort and coordination to actually go out and get it cut that I just don't see being able to repeat the process in the near future. And I was really looking forward to having a cute cut for the holidays.

So, what do I do? My hair is deceptively thick and grows so fast but when I ask for a short hair cut I can never get more than 4 inches taken off. Which is just not enough for me. Does anyone have any suggestions or recommended (and affordable) stylists? Keep in mind I have used the following tactics to no avail:

• Bringing in pictures of desired length/style
• Saying "Cut it all off"
• "I want it REALLY short"
• "The longest layer should come to my chin"
• "Don't be afraid to go TOO short"
• "Take off at least 5 or 6 inches"
• "I want it short in the back"

Basically the only thing I haven't done is tell them to buzz it. I'm guessing most stylists are afraid of cutting it too short and when there's a huge pile of hair on the floor they figure it's short enough. Not for this lady. This is my plea for HELP!

2 Months

Wow, Owen had his 2-month checkup yesterday. Time is just going so fast. So here are the stats - 10 pounds 8 ounces (that's a 4-lb gain) and 23 inches (he's grown 2 inches). What a monster! The pictures are from a couple weeks ago, but you get the idea. He's dang cute and getting bigger every day.


He has been smiling lately and gives us the biggest grins. He is also sleeping better at night and only wakes up 3 times to feed. But the first time is at 11 so I am usually still up and my sleep is only interrupted twice a night. So we are starting to feel more normal, yet still adequately tired. The computer is back and for a few days our office is vacant of guests so I'm going to try and get on top of posting. No promises.

Fun With The Webcam

The computer is still down. Well, technically it's in James' office awaiting repair parts. In the meantime, we've completely redone our office/guestroom, painted a bed, and rearranged Zoe's room. Sleep continues to elude us as Owen will only go 2-3 hours between feedings even at night so we are up at least 4 times each night. Plus he grunts a lot in his sleep. Anyway, we will have the computer back on Tuesday, but by then I will be consumed by all things Thanksgiving and James' dad and stepmom will be in town to celebrate. So no promises about new posts. For now, here are some shots from the laptop's webcam.

Music Snobs Anonymous: Golden Shoulders

This really SHOULD be a post with bunches of pictures of cute faces Owen makes. Should, but isn't. Alas, I went to blog yesterday and our computer refused to turn on. We've had problems with the power source for quite some time, but this is the end of the line. So today James left me the laptop so no pictures for the blog, but I've wanted to do this post for some time and figured I might as well while we are experiencing technical difficulties. Hopefully we'll be back on line soon.

That being said, here's today's featured band. James went to high school with Golden Shoulders front man Adam Kline. They put out some pretty awesome music. My personal favorite is "Do You Know Who You Are?" off the album Let My Burden Be. I haven't heard much off their newer album but their early stuff is amazing. They've also been known as The Gears in days gone by. You should check them out. Here is the only real music video I could get for them. It's pretty cool.

Maybe the next time they stop in Provo we'll be able to catch the show.

Eight Eight And We Can Skate

Look now, we can skate with eight.

Sorry, that's from Ten Apples Up On Top, which I read to Zoe at least twice a day. When Paige tagged me, that's all I could think of. so on with the tag:

8 Favorite TV Shows:

1. Simpsons
2. Survivor
3. Lost
4. The Office
5. Grey's Anatomy
6. Desperate Housewives
7. Heroes
8. ER
   

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Got dressed (hey I have two kids, that is so an accomplishment)
2. Fed Everyone
3. Had a 6-inch tube removed from my body
4. Caught up on my "stories"
5. Blogged
6. Read
7. Changed countless diapers
   
8. Shopped Online
   

8 Things I Look Forward To:

1. Owen sleeping through the night
2. Fitting into my "skinny" jeans
   
3. James' Graduation
4. Christmas
5. Zoe being potty trained
6. Moving away from Utah (and hopefully living closer to family)
   
7. Having a house with a garage
8. Tax Returns

8 Favorite Restaurants:

1. Garduno's
2. The Range
3. The Cheesecake Factory
4. Beto's
5. Outback
6. Chili's
7. Taco Bell (seriously)
8. Burger King (we're just high class around here)
   

8 Things On My Wish List:

1. New Desk
2. Sleeper Couch
   
3. A car for James
4. New television
5. Mac
6. Digital SLR Camera
   
7. Sewing Machine
8. Wii Fit

So there are a few of my top eight. If you want to do the tag, go for it. I'm just buying some time until I get pictures prepped for other posts! See ya!

October Be Not Proud

Can you believe October is over? It really flew by for us, despite being packed with drama and trauma. I say "Good Riddance!" It's only fitting that this not-so-pleasant month culminated in our least favorite holiday (no offense to those of you with differing opinions). We just don't get the whole Halloween thing. Here are our attempts at celebrating this "holiday."

First and foremost, the carving of the pumpkin. Zoe mimicked every move James made and loved the idea of having a Tigger pumpkin. After the first one was carved I realized we only had one candle so we painted the second pumpkin. The green blobs are Zoe's hand prints.

















The ward Trunk-or-Treat was ok. We had it at the Boy Scout camp up the canyon. After days of Zoe talking about Halloween, trick-or-treating, and costumes, she barely kept her costume on and wouldn't say a word to anyone. It seems like she doesn't enjoy this holiday more than anyone else around here. Fine by us. Owen slept through nearly the entire thing.

Hair Today...

Gone Tomorrow!

Thanks to everyone for your input/support with this endeavor. I decided to even Zoe's hair out - so a trim in the front and a chop in the back (about 4 inches). If her hair is like mine, which unfortunately it seems to be, it will all grow back in a matter of months. As far as keeping her entertained, we were blessed with her sudden infatuation with a Disney short film called Bath Day. It's only 6 and a half minutes, but she will watch it over and over and over. So far it's the only bit of television she has shown any interest in. Check back for Halloween pictures and more "after" shots of her new do.

Surprise, Surprise.

This is a tribute to Owen's big sister. Zoe is amazing! So far we haven't had any jealousy issues and she always tries her best to be soft. She even reminds Mommy to do so. Best of all, she has reached a whole new level of entertaining herself (without destroying the house, mind you). She is endlessly patient with me when I'm busy with Owen and I think I probably take it for granted a lot of the time. More than anything, she is constantly using her little imagination in ways that not only surprise me, but make me smile. Here are a few surprises she's had for me in the last week:

The Literary Critic

Always Willing to Share

She Loves Unloading the Dishwasher

How Did I Miss Out On the Family Snuggle?

And now for a video. In a few months Owen is totally going to love this...maybe.

So, what goes on with the newest addition? Well, he eats a ton and poops a ton and lately he has been more alert during the day - hence the sparse postings around here. He has already grown an inch and gained two whole pounds! This kid is going to be huge. Here are some shots just of him:

He loved this for a whole minute before James got the camera.

Attempting a Smile

Working Hard

PSSST!

Don't worry - we're all alive and doing very well. Sorry about not really updating. I've got a couple things in the works and then of course we have Halloween coming up this week along with a visit from Grandma Cathy and Zoe's impending haircut, so things will really start jumping around here soon (hopefully).

In the meantime, I just wanted to make sure you are all aware of one of the best shows on television. It's called Pushing Daisies and James and I have been enthralled with it since the pilot. It's witty, fast-paced, clean, and visually stunning. It has won some awards, is critically acclaimed, so of course the ratings are low and rumors abound that ABC is thinking of kicking it to the curb. If you're not watching it already, please check it out. Though there is an on-going storyline, it's not so intricate that you miss much jumping into the middle of the second season. The writing, characters, and costumes are all simply amazing. So while you're waiting for me to update this blog with things pertaining to us, check out the show. It's on ABC on Wednesdays at 8/7 central (in Utah it's 7). Thanks!

A Hairy Situation

It's time to get down to an important issue around here - What should I do with Zoe's hair? It is really really ridiculously long. Do I cut it? If I do, how much should I take off? Or should I just leave it alone? I really don't have enough brain cells left to make this decision, so I'm relying on all of you in Blogger-land to weigh in. Please vote in the poll on the side and tell us your opinion. And if you have any experience cutting children's hair, give me some tips. Keep in mind that Zoe doesn't watch movies, cartoons, or television of any sort, so keeping her still for longer than 30 seconds will be my main issue (aside from the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing).

To give you some reference on the hair issue at hand, here are some pictures I had taken of her in an actual studio a month ago. I meant to do it closer to her birthday but, uh, I didn't. And if I had known they would ask me to be in the shot I probably would have done my hair. Maybe.


In other hair-related news, here is Zoe's prayer as I was doing her hair for church Sunday morning:

Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for the day
Thank you for church
Thank you for hair
Thank you for nap

Amen

Other things that she has been thankful for recently: Mommy and Daddy, Zoe and Baby, Grandma, Stories, and Family. Could she be any cuter?

HELL

I usually try to keep things upbeat and family-friendly around here but I am at a breaking point today. Remember how I was so excited to get my catheter out? Well, I failed to mention that I was less than thrilled with the doctor taking it out - I had to wait for 2 hours for my appointment, with both the kids (thankfully my mom and James were there to help) only to see the doctor for about 3 minutes. The nurse removed the thing and said the doctor was considering putting me on an antibiotic just to be safe. I said that would be a great idea since my recent operation - more like something out of Frankenstein - left me at an increased risk for kidney infection. I didn't see the doctor again and apparently he decided that an antibiotic wasn't necessary and I went home.

Fast forward to Wednesday at 1:00 am. I woke up shaking uncontrollably. After a while we called the doctor and she said it sounded like a bladder infection. I could come into her office later in the morning or go to the ER if it got worse. Once the shaking stopped thanks to a hefty dose of Motrin, I took my temperature and was running a fever of 102.3. I NEVER have fevers so we decided to go into the hospital. This time we left Zoe with a neighbor and headed out. Again at 3 am. Why can't this stuff happen during the day?

At the ER they weren't totally convinced that I had an infection because I didn't have any of the "classic" symptoms, besides the fever. The triage nurse said that my medical history was the longest she'd ever taken. I got in quickly and the doctor soon got my labs back showing "a lot of infection" and with my temperature so high if the infection wasn't in my kidneys it was headed that way. So now I have a cool IV port in my forearm and I get to go back to Provo 3 times for IV antibiotics.

We got home by 5:30 am only to have Owen wake up - he slept through all of this - and after eating he threw up pretty badly. It was coming out of his nose and then he was so congested he just cried for about 15 minutes until I could get him completely suctioned out. I spent the rest of the day sleeping in 2-hour increments, never leaving the bedroom except to use the bathroom and for my first trip for the antibiotics. Luckily we had dinner from the ward tonight and they also arranged rides to Provo for me so James can stay home with the kids.

My question is this: When will this personal hell I'm living in end? It seems like just as things are about to get back to normal I get the rug pulled out from under me. This is absolutely the worst I've felt since I woke up from surgery with no pain medication. I am so sick of doctors using me for some twisted psychological experiment - Just how much physical and emotional (and financial) trauma can we inflict on this lady? I am really reaching the point where if anything else goes wrong I am just going to fall off this mental cliff that I've been toeing the edge of lately. But I do have to thank all the amazing people who have been helping us out lately. We are quickly getting to meet a lot of people in our ward. It just stinks that my mom left one measly day before this all happened.

So I'm sorry that my posts have turned into whiney rants revolving around my medical woes. And I don't even put up pictures. How dare I! Please just cross all your fingers and keep us in your prayers that our lives might one day return to normal - or as normal as it ever is for us.

We All Have Eyes...And Heads!

Ahh the wisdom of a 2-year old.

In other news, I got my catheter taken out today so I am happy. No more urine-filled bags strapped to these legs! Was that too much information? Maybe. I don't care, I'm just glad to be controlling my bladder again!

Oh, and credit for Zoe's hair over the last two weeks goes to my mom (seen rushing off to the kitchen and the forgotten pancakes on the stove). Thanks mom!

One Week Older and Wiser Too

While this does apply to Owen, I'd say it's more the rest of us that are doing most of the learning around here. Here's what we've learned in the short time Owen has been with us:

For Zoe:

Share

Be Soft

BE SOFT!

Newborn Handling

For Mommy:

Alternative Toddler Interaction - the No Lifting Approach

Poopy Diapers 101 (wait, that's just how many
Owen has on a daily basis)

Breast Pump = Chew Toy No More!

For Daddy:

Juggling the Emotions and Needs of a Hormonal Mommy, Toddler, Mother-in-Law, and Newborn

The Art of Capturing the Moment