Is It Naptime Yet

It seems that as I get older Christmas comes and goes a lot sooner then when I was younger. It just flew by this year, and it almost seems it didn’t happen.

Saturday we visited my parents and held the Harvey tradition of reading Luke chapter 2 and opening one gift, Nowadays it’s always pajamas to wear that night and on Christmas day, except with it being Sunday we had to wear our Sabbath clothes. Then we came home and read from the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi, where the signs were given for Christ’s birth and put the girls to bed.

Sunday Jon made pancakes and we waited for the girls to wake up. Lilah awoke around 8:00 and Eden was about 8:30. I led Lilah to the living room to show her her gifts and her stocking. Then she wanted to open every one’s gifts, but we waited until after breakfast and feeding Eden. She had such a blast and was very good at handing us our gifts, even if she did take the bow off in the process. Then Eden loved opening the gifts, or at least holding on to the wrapping paper, trying to get it into her mouth, while I turned the gift so the paper came off. She got a hold of a few bows and would just eat them, by the third time I let her. Then we got ready for church. I spoke in sacrament, so we invited his parents.They came and had fun spending time with the girls, and then we fed them lunch. Dara and Jason, Jon’s two younger siblings who have down syndrome came also. They spend every Sunday with Mom and Dad, and during the week live in two adult living assisted homes with other handicapped adults. Mom has the hardest time getting them to stay for anything longer than lunch on Sundays unless we’re coming over, then they stay to see us.
We tried to get some sleep in between their visit and before we went to my parents house for dinner.
It was delicious and we got to take home some ham and sweet potatoes.
Monday we stayed home and that evening we went to Jon’s sister Ann’s house for dinner. We were able to see family and his niece Shauntae and her family. They live in Northern Utah so we don’t see them much, so it was great to sit and talk with her. She’s the closet to my age, since she’s just three or four years younger then Jon, of the married family, so we’re both in the young mother stage, though she has three boys and I have two girls, so she has it a lot rougher.

Today I should be sewing or cleaning. Both girls are down right now, so I think I’ll tidy up my bedroom. I need to cut out the lining for the girls drapes, so I want to vacuum and clean in there. We have things that need to be taken to DI, so I should get that out to the car so I can drop it off tomorrow.
Tomorrow I’ll be getting blood drawn for some thyroid tests. My OB thinks I might have a reverse thyroid problem or hyperthyroidism, where a person loses weight due to an overactive thyroid rather than gain weight due to an under active thyroid. In which it could also reverse and then become hypothyroidism, and I would gain weight. We just want to figure out why I’m having a slow weight loss, it was drastic after I had the baby, but now just slow. I weighed in at 122. 5 lbs yesterday. I was happy but sad, because I figure their is something wrong if I’m nearing 120 lbs and I’m not trying to lose weight and before I was pregnant I weighed around 135-138 lbs.

Well I can’t believe it’s Friday. It seems like yesterday was Wednesday, where did Thursday go?
Wednesday Lilah had a fever and was grumpy. We slept in until 9:40 that morning and then she hardly took a nap, but was okay most of the day. We also had the elders over on Wednesday night. Lilah sang “Choose the Right” for them. I was surprised that she did because she hasn’t sung for anyone lately except at home.
Thursday Lilah was doing much better. We had a fun day and that night I made peanut butter cookies. Jon took some to work today and the women a the office enjoyed them. He also had a half day of work, which allowed us to finish our Christmas shopping, get our car smog tested and pick up our new mailbox keys. Some vandal put wood in the lock and we weren’t able to unlock our mailbox due to the blockage. That was two weeks ago, so it was nice to get our mail, especially considering that the rest of our gifts were in it, and to get the bills that we need to pay. Not that I like bills, but I like to be able to pay them on time.

I also visited with my cousins Amanda and Kristen and my Aunt Robin and Uncle Mike who came down from Utah this morning. They were down for the BYU and whoever they played in the mountain West Championship. At least I think that is what the game was about. Anyways it was fun to see Amanda because I haven’t seen her probably since I was married, or the Thanksgiving after that, which places it at at least three years. She’s been and a mission and we’ve been here in Vegas and haven’t gone up and we have kids….anyways I guess life happens and it’s hard to see family sometimes.

It was a good day and now I just need to get started on wrapping the gifts and finishing my talk. Thank goodness we still have one more day until Christmas.

On Friday I was doing something on the Internet and had Eden on a blanket on the floor rather then her play pen.

This is where she was when I left her.

This is where she was after I turned around. Of course these are reenactments that Eden did for me. She rolled off the blanket about four times and almost got to the couch once. Lilah wanted Eden’s headband on her, that’s why she reliving the 80’s with her yellow head band.

Friday night we set up our Christmas tree and here is a picture of Jon and Lilah.

This is a lady bug ornament that hums a very quick and partial rendition of “Hark the Herald Angels sing.” It hasn’t annoyed us yet to the extent that we need to move it. But I’ll be surprised if it still works after this Christmas.

Saturday Jon put some lights up and I finished my Relief Society lesson. It went well. I just wasn’t as prepared as I like to be, plus it was just hard for me to figure out what they were meaning by the discussion questions and what not. We did Chapter 10 in the David O. McKay book, because of Joseph Smith’s Birthday on the 23rd.
Sunday we also had FHE at the Lee’s house. Their oldest, Kelsey was singing in their youth stake choir and had a solo, so we went and supported her after we ate. I made some delicious rolls for dinner. I say they were delicious because everyone likes them, not because I’m big headed about my cooking.

Monday I made lots of cookies, today I’ve done lots of cleaning and cooking and then more cleaning and cooking. My back aches because of needing to lean over just enough to not be able to stand straight, but enough that it really starts to ache, if that makes sense. I’m a little tired, and I still should make some more cookies tonight. Will someone come to my house and bake for me. Tonight I think I’ll do peanut butter cookies. Those sound good.

So here are my grades for the past semester
ANT 101- Intro to Anthro. A-
CRJ 301- Research Methods A-
PSY 408- History of PSY. A-
PSY 420- PSY of Learning B+

I ‘m just so excited that I did so well. I was expecting two B’s and two A’s, so I’m happy.
I don’t have time to write about the weekend because I need to finish cleaning the kitchen so I can make some more rolls and cookies today. I love rolls, and I love cookies, so it’s hard to give them away. I’m feeding a family tonight, their mom just had her baby this morning and I visit teach her, so I better get busy.

So here is a cute story of Lilah. Jon and Lilah went outside to see if our mailbox lock was fix and to see the Christmas lights. She saw the moon and tried to reach out and physically touch the moon, and said “We probably get a ladder.” Daddy said it was to high for a ladder even. The she said she would need grandpa’s ladder. Still it was too far away. We told her we’d need a rocket to go to the moon. Jon enjoyed her thinking of getting a ladder and then getting grandpa Harvey’s ladder because it’s taller then ours. Really we only have a step stool. She’s just too cute.

Now a story that makes me laugh. Imagine you just woke up and then a strange person who is fifteen times your size, and quite loud comes in and says hello, picks you up out of your bed, and then places you and a table. Wouldn’t you cry? That’s what Eden did when my brother Glenn went in to get her while he was here. She’d just woken up and he said “Hello Eden” in a loud voice and found out she needed a diaper change once he picked her up, so he put her on the changing table and she started to cry. I think the stranger anxiety stage is starting. Though I think part of the problem was she wasn’t expecting a loud, large man to come into her room, since the last time she saw him was about a month ago, and pick her up after her nap. Plus Jon and I are small not, soft spoken, just not loud people. He’s only 5’6 and 135lbs, I’m 5’4 and 125 lbs, and my brother is 6’+ and 200+ lbs. I think she was more startled then anything. She was happier after I held her and changed her diaper and went to him fine. I think it was just the initial shock.

I can’t believe Christmas is just a over a week away. I still need to go buy Lilah a dress and get something for my brother for Christmas. We exchange names within my family so we only have to buy for a family, couple, or person, depending on the current dating or marrying status of who we have. Anyways I have my brother Glenn. Luckily he came by and I was able to ask him about things he wanted that didn’t cost too much, since we also bought a couple things for his two girls to ship with his package. He’s divorced and his ex and two daughters are in Utah while he is in Henderson with my parents.
Our goal is to go out early tomorrow as a family and get shoes for Lilah and some things at target. As Lilah is now able to communicate her excitement I’m looking forward to doing more of the stocking thing and presents. We just set up our tree and she had a blast. She loves having the lights on.
I still need to clean and organize my house and get to sewing. My priority tonight and tomorrow is to do my RS lesson. I’ve read it through and had some ideas, so now I just need to transfer it to paper.

So I finished my last final last night. I know I’m getting one A and one B+, then I’m pretty sure I’m getting two other B’s, but one of those might be a B+. the pluses do make a difference when you get enough of them. I’m just happy to be done. My poor girls were being neglected as I studied for a different final each day. Now I just have to prepare a Relief Society lesson for Sunday! I also have a goal of finishing the girls room curtains, and getting at least one set for either the living or dining room done by New Years. Though I don’t know if I should write that down, because Jon will probably hold me to it. He said last night about doing it in small amounts of time when you have the time, but I mentioned that it’s difficult to do it in small amounts of time when you have to set up the iron and ironing board,and then the sewing machine, which that take 15 minutes right there. So I like to do the sewing at night after the girls are in bed. Luckily it’s rerun time for many shows, so I won’t be soo tempted to watch them instead of sew. That’s my goal now. I’m going to be a sewing maniac until school starts the 17th of January.

Yesterday was fun. Eden was a fountain. She was spitting up a lot of milk after every feeding it seemed. Plus it was just long enough after her feeding that you get the nice spit-up sent. Not like immediately after I fed her to where it would have smelled like just breast milk. At one put she was in the swing and just spit-up onto the floor, then she gave be the biggest grin as I was cleaning it up.

Today Lilah and I were playing on the bed. She likes to cover our (our being either Jon or me) heads with the pillows. I try to have some sort of air hole, I can’t stand being under covers or under things for to long. Well at one point I started to dose off. I woke up a little dazed form lack of fresh oxygen, and with Lilah playing with my lotion. I then cleaned her up, it was just on her hands and arms, then I went to get Eden and change her out of her PJ’s. I came back and Lilah had then gotten the glass of water on my night stand and was putting her hand in it and pulling it out. Making it rain on my bed. So now I have wet sheets. I think I was a little too forceful and stern with her because she started to cry when I was disciplining her and telling her not to play with water on Mommy’s bed. I try to be forceful but not scary. I don’t think scare tactics are a good way to discipline, though I’m tempted and sometimes do use them when I’m upset. It doesn’t feel good to have your child cry because you scared them. It’s okay if they’re upset because you’re keeping them from doing something fun, but totally against the rules, but not because as a parent you’ve been to scary or forceful.
Now to go entertain a bored little girl.

So this weekend was interesting, besides the grocery store I had even more fun on Saturday.
I had just washed my hands and was drying them when my wedding and engagement rings came off, the engagement ring went next to the toilet and the wedding band went down the drain of our sink. It doesn’t have a drain stopper, the previous owners must have lost it, and we haven’t bought one, so I lot my ring down the drain. It has some diamonds on it, but I was grateful that it was it not my engagement ring that went down. I’ve lost weight in my hands since we’ve been married, coupled with losing weight since the baby, and the winter months which cause smaller hands, so the rings slip off. I usually wear them on my right hand, because that finger is slightly bigger, but I accidentally put them on my left hand Saturday. So we had to get our only wire hanger, which holds Jon’s ties, and try to get it down the drain. When Jon had taken off the whatever you call it, curve pipe part, it wasn’t in there, so we had to push it down the drain. We had lots of gunk down there. It was disgusting! So we did get it back. Yay! Anyways after we were done getting the rings we noticed what Lilah was doing. Playing on the bed with the ties.
She actually was also standing on the bed and throwing them up in the air, but she decided she just wanted to sit when we started taking pictures.

I swear she is happy in this picture.

Jon decided to keep taking pictures of her after the ties were cleaned up.

This was just so Eden wasn’t feeling left out. She’s amazed with mouths, as most babies are at some point.

So that was Saturday. Jon also wanted me to post about Lilah’s “Mommy has a poopy finger” comment. Which I don’t really want to remember this for the rest of my life, but hopefully some soon to be mother or already mother will get a laugh out of it.
Jon had just changed Lilah’s diaper and was about to take it to the toilet to flush the poop. (We’ve started this routine for two reasons- 1) to show Lilah that poop goes in the toilet for when we really start to potty train her. 2) because if the poop is in a flushable state- ie. not to runny but a regular…. how do you say… firmness, we flush it to help the room not smell like poopy diapers. It really has made playing in their room much more enjoyable.) Anyways, Jon was going to flush it so I was taking over and had the new diaper in my hands and I started to put in under Lilah’s bum and my right pointer finger ran into the poop. Jon simultaneously realized the poop was not in the diaper anymore. I think the open diaper had blocked my view of the poop, so until I ran into it I didn’t see it. So I had to go wash my hands, and Lilah made the comment that “Mommy has a poopy finger.” Jon thought it was hilarious. I still can’t eat with my right hand. Well I can and have, but it was gross.

I was at Food 4 Less today with Lilah. While I was bagging our groceries Lilah was contently sitting in the cart and singing her ABC’s. At one point she stopped and starting to watch this little girl who was eating a rice krispy treat. I just saw the girl from the corner of my eye. Then right before we left the mother of the girl gave Lilah a treat, she had opened it and just handed it to her. We live in a prominently Hispanic area, so I don’t know if the women could not speak English to ask me, or if just culture differences not knowing to ask me,or how. I guess it was more that she gave it to my daughter who is two. She was asking for everything at the store, including the clear box that has money in it for charity that’s at the check out stand, so to have her watch another child eat a treat was no surprise. I guess it was just bothersome. I thanked her as we left, but I’m unsure if she really heard since I was already on the go. Had she asked I would have said no thank you, but she unwrapped it and gave it to her. I don’t want to teach Lilah to accept things from strangers, even though I’m fairly sure it was safe (we shared it after lunch or was that wrong?). It’s tough trying to teach your children to not talk to strangers when all they want to do is talk to them and say how cute they are, to how to deal with strangers when as an adult you have better understanding of what to do, so you act a little differently then the straight no, yes, run and find someone you trust. Anyways what to do next time, though I hope this doesn’t happen too often, or really ever again.

To start at the beginning of this thought I have to tell a little story. When I was visiting Amber and her girls we were at the park and Corrine was tired so she turned her over onto her belly to sleep. I’m sure Amber heard, if not saw, the horror in my eyes as I asked why she put Corrine on her belly to sleep, though I tried to not sound judgemental, since it has an infant has a higher chance of SIDS when sleeping on their belly. According to my doctor a chance that is seventeen times greater then the infant is sleeping on their back. Anyways, she answered that it helps Corrine sleep better because of her gas problems. Now I am sympathizing with Amber, but at the same time worried about the increase risk for SIDS. Though my problem is just that Eden rolls to her belly and can’t get back to her back, and she just falls asleep there. She’s young, but already she pushes up to her arms and holds her head up really well. I just don’t know if I should go and roll her to her back after she falls asleep, like my pediatrician advised, because she sleeps better on her belly and longer. That’s just my mother dilemma. I realize that my life only has school and kids, and I constantly talk about my kids, but I guess it’s because that’s what I do. I just wish I had more indpeth problems, but that would lead to more worries and who wants those.