Noah Noah Ba Boah

He's Two Months Old!

We went for his vcug yesterday.  He screamed the entire time.  Poor thing.  He hated every minute of it.  He still has major dilation in one kidney and bad reflux, so he'll be on antibiotics at least until they test his kidney function and determine where to go from there.

He's a sweet, sweet boy, just starting to smile.  Mostly at Dad and strangers but occaisionally at me.  He likes swaddling, still, eating...lots and lots of eating.  I really didn't think he would get so big so fast.

Choices

Hello...I'm back in the land of the living.  Sort of.

Last Thursday I started to feel like my Fall allergies were coming on.  A little post-nasal drip with the accompanying sore throat.  Then Thursday night, I started realizing this was more than allergies.  I had a fever, aches, chills, the whole nine yard of flu.  Saturday night I was sure death was imminent.  Sinus pressure like you wouldn't believe.  Turns out it was a full blown sinus infection.  I'm on antibiotics and am slowly feeling better.  Tony has been Mr. Mom; doing laundry, making meals, caring for the children and trying (in vain) not to get sick.  It's been a fun week.  Psych.  Being sick with a baby should be illegal.  I can't seem to rest long enough to feel better.

I am trying to figure out who I am as a mother of two.  So far, I'm a bit self absorbed, sorry friends.  I'm a little lazy and undisciplined.  Short on patience and long on excuses.  It's been a good two months and a hard two months.  One of my biggest concerns has been my scripture study.  Before Noah was born I'd been in a really good groove with my studying.  Hopefully like most of you, my scripture study tends to be cyclical.  Or maybe hopefully not, I hope you're all better than me.  It goes like this, (starting at the top) I have a really spiritually uplifting/faith exercising experience and vow to really feast from the good word.  I make time every day, for a significant time, to really pray about what I've read and to find ways to apply it.  Then something disrupts my routine and I only have time to read quickly...then a few days of that and I'm barely nibbling at the scriptures and then a few days have passed and I haven't read at all.  Then I start telling myself not to bother reading at all if I don't have time to do it right.  A few verses do make a difference. Then I start feeling awful and can't figure out why.  Why am I lacking perspective?  Then I remember I need to read my scriptures and I start the process all over again.  So-since Noah's been born I've been in the middle/bottom of this cycle...reading a chapter here and there, counting the times I open my scriptures at church as studying.  I've been telling myself that it's okay for things to be out of whack for a while...I'm serving my family, trying to get enough sleep just to give my family what they need, right?

A couple weeks ago I went to an auxillary training meeting with Sister Esplin.  She was talking to me.  There were other people in the room...but her message was for me.  At one point she said of daily scripture study, and I'm paraphrasing here, "I know a lot of you are young mothers...you may have 5 (2) little ones at home and some days it's a struggle just to brush your hair...(how did she know?) but you need to make your personal scripture study a priority."  She talked about sacrificing in order to make sure we are worthy of the Spirit and receiving personal revelation.  I needed that.  A lot.  I have been loving my calling in Primary.  It makes a huge difference with whom you serve.  I am working really hard to keep my studying a feast and make it a priority.

I guess it'll be another day before I choose cleaning over blogging 'cause here I am at my desk and the kitchen, behind me, is a ginormous mess and I'm pretty sure Noah's nap is going to be over any second...'tis the life of Mom.

On an unrelated note, isn't my niece adorable?

And another thing...I'm only 14 page views away from 20,000.  I should do something to celebrate.

Finally school for us.

Mom School started today.  We had three kids today but will have 5, hopefully by next week.  Today we talked about the letter "F," and what it means to be a good friend.  We played "Flip the Fish," (hot potato but with a fish) read The Rainbow Fish, and then decorated scales and wrote our ideas about being a good friend and attached them to our own rainbow fish.  I think the kids had a great time.  I was impressed with the difference in their maturity level from last year.  It's going to be a fun time.

I've been reading posts all over the blogoverse and Facebook about back-to-school.  I struggled with whether to send Lucy to a "real," preschool or not, many of you know I've considered homeschooling.  I am not ready to hand over control to someone I barely know, even if it is just for a few hours a week. I know at this age it's really about socialization and not academics and I feel like she's getting that out of our little group.  I was impressed with their sharing today.  I was worried having three kids, that two would gang up on one as often happens with three, but they played well together and solved their little disputes.  

I'm pleased with how things have turned out and am looking forward to the rest of the year.  I am so glad to have some like-minded moms to share the experience with as well.  Happy Back-to-(mom)School!

Yesterday was a really hard day.  Noah didn't want to sleep more than a few minutes at a time and I was feeling like everything was upside down and out of order.  The laundry pile was over-flowing, the kitchen was a total disaster, every single cooking utensil from the canister had been used, which never happens.  My brains had been scrambled from all the rocking and bouncing I did to try to soothe a fussy baby.  Tony came home and I hoped things would get better, but I was in an irreversibly bad mood.  You know the kind where you want to feel better but you just keep doing and saying things to make it worse?  That was me.  I usually love being a mother.  Yesterday, I did not.  I couldn't appreciate the snuggling, I couldn't enjoy Lucy's chatter.  I was exhausted.  I slept better last night...and things look a lot brighter today as they always do after time serving, talking with trusted friends and prayer.  I came across this poem again, and today it was especially poignant to me.  These babies are so important and I have them for such a short time.  I am glad to be reminded of my role in their lives.  I will give them my patience and they reward me with their kisses.  I'm glad to be reminded to give more freely of myself.

Here is the full version:

Babies Don’t Keep

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew

And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo

But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo

Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Is it raining there?  It's raining here and it's been raining for days.  It's sorta nice when you're stuck inside anyway, but when you have a fun movie night planned, it stinks.  Big time.  It's Fall all of a sudden.  One day it was Summer, the next day, Fall.  The cooler weather makes me want comfort food and I'm getting slightly sick of all our regular casseroles so I searched for something new.  I found Chicken Spectacular...and spectacular it is.  I found the original recipe on All Recipes, then read in the comments that it's similar to a recipe by Paula Deen.  I looked at her recipe and saw the differences; onion, cheese and big surprise, butter.  I made Paula's.  It was really good, a really good meal on a cold, wet day.  The only thing I did differently was use Cream of Mushroom instead of Cream of Celery because it's what I had and I'm not extremely fond of Cream of Celery.  Next time I make it I'll use half mayo/half sour cream instead of the full cup of mayo, and add some cracker crumbs to the top for more crunch.

Snickers Popcorn AKA Popcorn Everywhere

Start with Paula Deen's Caramel Corn-seriously, the best I've ever had.

Mix in peanuts, chunked up Snickers bars, and drizzle with melted chocolate.

Be prepared for there to be popcorn all over your kitchen.

Yum!

*found on Cookies and Cups

"...gobs of gorgeous gook to gobble at the fair!"

I'm definitely having goats someday.

I couldn't resist.  Noah and I felt right at home.

and I'm having pigs...they're so happy looking.

The ugliest, grossest thing I've ever seen.  I might dislike it more than ferrets.

"She was gonna make coats out of us!

She was SO excited to go on the Ferris Wheel. I thought she might get nervous but she loved it and was truly disappointed when it ended (much too soon).

Fascinating

The world's biggest tweezers.

Her other favorite part...Cotton Candy