My Beliefs and Studies on Infant Sleep

I believe I have created a bit of controversy with my beliefs on infant sleep. First, I want to apologize if anyone has been offended or felt judged. That is not my intention. I've done much studying and these are my reasons for why I believe what I do. Please, hear me out. I've found there are basically two types of sleep training: comfort and gradual withdrawal, and crying.

The Cry It Out (CIO) Method of sleep training is something that, from my understanding, has no scientific or medicinal background. It is something that parents do not understand. I will admit that I have not read nearly enough of Ferber's work (the man credited for the CIO Method) and so my understandings may not be complete. If you have read his book, please correct me. If you have not read his works either please do not. In CIO the idea is to either let your baby cry until they fall asleep or to gradually increase the amount of time they cry each night until they are able to cry to sleep (ideally not more crying than 30 minutes). My first question is, "Why are you letting your child cry gradually more each night? Does your baby understand your system? Are you doing it gradually to dull your senses and natural instinct to calm your crying child or because your child is actually getting used to crying and knows that they are supposed to go to sleep?" Dr. Ferber (remember this is the man who is credited for the CIO method) released a new edition of his book and in the preface he states, "Most of the sleep problems discussed in this book can be corrected without any crying at all or, if the child is already crying at night, by rapidly reducing it. In the one case where crying may be necessary-when undesirable nightly practices or habits must be changed-crying can be kept to a minimum." I like to point out a few key phrases: one case, may be necessary, and kept to a minimum.

Attachment parenting is considered a new-age ideal of parenting. It is not a new idea, it has been developed and tested for many years. In attachment parenting the parent responds to an infant's needs immediately to build trust. The idea is that an infant cries to increase the likelihood of survival, by rousing the mother's instinct to attend to its needs. John Bowlby began his studies on attachment in the late 1960's and this is an excerpt from the article on attachment I linked to (because you probably didn't read it):

"Bowlby and colleagues initiated a series of studies where children between the ages of one and two who had good relationships with their mothers were separated from them and left to cry it out. Results showed a predictable sequence of behaviours: The first phase, labeled “protest”, consists of loud crying and extreme restlessness. The second phase, labeled “despair”, consists of monotonous crying, inactivity, and steady withdrawal. The third phase, labeled “detachment”, consists of a renewed interest in surroundings, albeit a remote, distant kind of interest. Thus, it appears that while leaving babies to cry it out can lead to the eventual dissipation of those cries, it also appears that this occurs due to the gradual development of apathy in the child. The child stops crying because she learns that she can no longer hope for the caregiver to provide comfort, not because her distress has been alleviated." Margaret Chuong-Kim

I've read one mom who said that she felt like Heavenly Father when she let her baby cry herself to sleep. Because, she said, doesn't God watch us as we go through hard things by ourselves? No. He does not. He gives us His Spirit to comfort us. He gave us scriptures to soothe us. He gave us family, friends, teachers, mentors, and peers to relieve us. When a baby is left to cry to sleep what comfort are you giving them? A blanket or pacifier? Is that it? Is love and comfort and warmth involved? Heavenly Father ALWAYS sends some way to comfort us, it's our choice whether or not we take advantage of it. Does the baby have the choice to receive comfort?

I know that none of the mothers I know would intentionally cause distress to their child. I also know that the method of putting your child to sleep you choose isn't necessarily going to "make or break" them. It is, and always will be, a personal decision. I do ask that, as with any decision made regarding your children, that you approach the situation with prayer and study and not just choosing what is most convenient for you. Keep in mind your child's needs.

Make the Last 5 Days Count

The year 2010 only has 5 more days to live. If it were your last 5 days, what would you do? Is there someone you need to make restitution with? Someone who needs your help? Do you have a habit that is holding you back from accomplishing great things? Does your physical, emotional, or spiritual health need some attention?

Think back over this past year. Are there some things that happened that you wish hadn't? I know I wish that I hadn't had to deliver a 9 pound baby! There are those close to me who have had surgeries, miscarriages, deaths, divorce, abandonment, heartache, and sorrows that I can not imagine having had to go through. But, if we look closer can we find the purpose God had behind our trials? Can we look closer and find good in all the bad? Can we become like Christ without suffering the things He had to?

There is so much that we can do to better ourselves. These last 5 days of the year should not be wasted in idleness.

The No Cry Sleep Solution

Thomas is a co-sleeper. And he wakes up every two hours on a good night. I'm exhausted and feel like I'm not the mom I want to be. I want to sleep and have energy to play with him during the day and get all my chores done. Too often I barely get either of those things accomplished. I've heard of the Cry It Out (CIO) method and it works great for everyone I've heard use it. That's just not for me. So, I'm trying something different.

The No-Cry Sleep Solution is a method of helping your child sleep that takes longer, but doesn't involve your baby crying by themselves. I'm trying it and so far I've seen a major improvement. Three days ago Thomas would hardly take naps, and at least one a day I had to hold him for. Now as soon as I go in the room and turn on the Sleep Sheep he lays his head down on me, ready to be sang to and bounced to sleep. It's not been perfect, or easy, but I feel good about it and so does he. In fact, he's asleep right now, which is why I'm posting :)

We haven't had much success during the nights, but I think there may be some other factors. He gets super dried out at night. I get super dried out at night. I don't expect him to sleep through the night without getting thirsty if I can't. So, maybe I won't get a decent amount of sleep until winter is over, but that's okay. I love my Thomas and am willing to sacrifice that for him.

Every baby is different and has different needs and I believe that our Heavenly Father gave each mother the baby she has depending on those needs and the way He knew we would raise them.

Life Comes and Life Goes

Steve's Grandma Carroll passed away on Monday afternoon. She was a strong woman who had gone through much sadness and heartache in her life. Although I didn't have the chance to get to know her in this life as well as I wish, I know that I will have that chance in the eternities. I am grateful that we were able to make the trip up to Washington during Thanksgiving so that she could see Thomas before she moved on. Our love and prayers are with the Carroll family as they move on and remember their beloved Grandma.

Silly Thomas

Thomas is soooo silly! Everyone tells me how serious he is or that he's a thinker or inquisitive. My Dad said Thomas isn't going to smile until Obama is out of office. Maybe that's because he looks like this most of the time:



Photo By Robyn Gillespie: http://photographybyrobyn.blogspot.com/

But, the other day I left him on my bed to go get him some new clothes. He had his pacifier in his mouth just sucking away. When I come back he's like this:



He was quite pleased with himself. He also did this with his teething ring when I stepped out of the room for a moment:



Nice anklet, huh? He always has a surprise in store for us.

Recently he's learned that he can roll over while in his swing or bouncy seat if he's not buckled in.



There he goes!

He is so much fun and I love him more than I ever thought possible!

I Give Up!

I totally failed the 30 day challenge. As badly as I failed my American Heritage Tests when I was a Freshman at BYU. Oh well, I learned from both those experiences that life goes on!

Failure. What a sad word. But, is it not just an opportunity for us to grow and learn more about ourselves? Like when I failed my chemistry test in High School I learned that Science is not for me. When I didn't fail in my Sewing and Cooking classes I learned that those were for me. I failed at running, but I loved aerobics.

When I compare myself to others I realize that I fail at A LOT of things. But, when I think about how far I've come in my life I realize that I'm not a failure, even when I fail at doing the things I love. The way to be happy is not to never fail at anything. It is recognizing your failures and seeing how you can improve.

Growing up I remember being told that as you become closer to God He shows you your weaknesses. So, perhaps our failings can bring us closer to God depending on how we react. Read this.

If you have ever failed (recently, in the past, or every day like me) keep in mind that God is showing to you your weakness giving you the chance to become better and more like Him.

Why I Made a Blog

The real, deep down reason is so that I could share my thoughts on motherhood and religion. A blog seemed like the perfect place to do that. If someone doesn't like what I say they don't have to read. But those who are looking for others with the same beliefs and values can find that here.

After all, we should stand up for what is right in every place and at all times. "We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society. " The Family: A Proclamation To The World

Another Picture of Me and My Friends

These are my beautiful, wonderful roommates from WDW. I miss them very much and think about them often. We laughed and cried our way through those months. They helped me make some of the most important decisions of my life (like to not let Steve get away) and I will forever love them!

Songs You Listen To

I used to listen to lots of different types of music. Trance, Dance, Techno, Emo, Alternative, Country...my iPod has quite the variety.

Now I listen to two types of music: children's and 80's.

Yep. That's it. Primary songs, David Bowie, Nursery Rhymes, Cyndi Lauper, Lullabies, Queen. We also get the occasional Meat Loaf, Cranberries, and Cake to our musical diet, but those are rare exceptions. Thomas loves dancing, but only to certain songs. He likes Dance, Magic Dance, There She Goes Again, and Day-O. I'm not sure how he picks these songs. He sure has strange taste in music sometimes.

Day 9

I'm proud to say I've started exercising in the past few days! I've been doing different forms of dance aerobics when Thomas is taking his nap. It feels great to be doing something! I'm always on the look out for new, free videos on the internet, so if you know of any, let me know. I'm amazed at how much more energy I've had since I've started my little routine and how much better I feel about myself and everything else!

Day 8

My short term goals for this month are pretty simple:

Keep my house clean

Keep Thomas fed

Keep Steve fed

Lose 2 more pounds of baby fat

That's it. I guess surviving the car ride up to Washington for Thanksgiving is on there too :)

Day 7

These two guys have the biggest impact on my life right now. Not only does everything I do revolve around them, but everything I think does too :) I love being able to take care of them.

More importantly, they give me a reason to live a good life. I have more motivation than ever to be worthy to live my Heavenly Father again. I work hard so I can return to heaven, but I also work hard teaching Thomas so that he can be there too. Although Steve and I would be happy together forever, our happiness would not be complete if our son was not with us.

Favorite Super Hero and Why

My favorite Super Hero is Spiderman! I was even Spiderman for Halloween when I was like 4. No reason why, I just like him. I always thought Superman was overrated and Batman was kinda scary. But, as you can tell, super heroes just aren't my thing.

A Picture of Somewhere You've Been To

This is Steve and I in the Redwood Forest. It is so beautiful and peaceful there.

We stopped there on our Honeymoon so I could do this:



And Steve could do this:



Kinda silly, but it made us happy :)

A Habit That You Wish You Didn't Have

There are too many. I wish I didn't have the habit of crawling into bed before I say my prayers. I wish I didn't have the habit of looking at Facebook before my scriptures. I wish I didn't have the habit of thinking of myself before others. Those are my serious wishes.

My wish I want to talk about today is one that I've had since I was a little child. I was watching Oprah the other day and Dr. Oz said that everyone does this thing more than they think. For me, it's kinda ridiculous.

I touch my nose. A lot. My mom said when I was little I would walk around holding my nose. Not plugging or picking or scratching. Just setting my little fingers along the bridge. And I still find myself doing that. When I'm thinking I put the three middle fingers of my right hand on the bridge of my nose. I don't know why. I just do.

So, if you ever see me touching my nose (which now you'll notice because I said something) just know that it's a lifelong habit that I try to break.





I like to get Steve's nose also :)

Day 3

A Picture of Me and My Friends...this actually turned into multiple pictures :)

This is the high school gang (minus Kim and Kirk in the last one).

At graduation:


Now:


We always had fun skipping class, getting slurpees, driving the wrong way in round-a-bouts, and just your basic tom-foolery.

This is Vanessa and her cute family. She is the older sister that I never wanted :) Vanessa was the best Laurel's adviser and Visiting Teacher! She's always there for me whenever I have a question about ANYTHING! I've really missed her this past year and a half. I know she would do anything for me, and I would do the same for her. I thank my Heavenly Father for such a loving and wonderful "older sister" to be able to look up to.

Day 2

The Meaning Behind Your Blog Name:

Well, I must confess that I am not very creative, and so my blog name is self explanatory. Or, you could look at it this way...

Carroll, originally O'Carroll, means "son of Cearbhail" which means hacking. So, Steve's ancestors were either butchers or warriors. To me being a Carroll means being a part of another family and raising children that will make the Carroll name a good and praised one.

Family: the basic fundamental unit of the church. The family goes on into the eternities. Families are where we are tried the most, where we find the most joy, and where we learn and grow.

So, to me my blog name means that I am part of a family and that I am trying to create a home where that family can grow and learn so that we may all sit down in Heaven together.

But, really, I just wasn't feeling very creative when I named my blog. Maybe now I'll think about it more and it'll change...

Day 1

15 Facts About Myself:

1. I let my baby sleep with me...in my bed, every night...and I LOVE it!
2. I am married to the best man God could have given me.
3. My favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird.
4. I love 70's and 80's music (especially David Bowie).
5. I look like my Mom more and more every day.
6. Fact #5 makes me happy.
7. I taught myself how to crochet stuffed animals.
8. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
9. I often forget my left and right.
10. I want to have 6 kids (even if they are all 15 days late and weigh 9 pounds).
11. I wore white Converse the day I got married.
12. I love Disney :)
13. My house is rarely as clean as I'd like it to be.
14. One of my favorite pieces of furniture is my rocking chair.
15. I wear old hats to church.

30 Day Blog Challenge

I'm going to take the Challenge!

Day 01 - A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
Day 02 - The meaning behind your Blog name
Day 03 - A picture of you and your friends
Day 04 - A habit that you wish you didn't have
Day 05 - A picture of somewhere you’ve been to
Day 06 - Favorite super hero and why
Day 07 - A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Day 08 - Short term goals for this month and why
Day 09 - Something you’re proud of in the past few days
Day 10 - Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
Day 11 - Another picture of you and your friends
Day 12 - How you found out about blogs and why you made one
Day 13 - A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
Day 14 - A picture of you and your family
Day 15 - Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
Day 16 - Another picture of yourself
Day 17 - Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
Day 18 - Plans/dreams/goals you have
Day 19 - Nicknames you have; why do you have them
Day 20 - Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
Day 21 - A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 22 - What makes you different from everyone else
Day 23 - Something you crave for a lot
Day 24 - A letter to your parents
Day 25 - What I would find in your bag
Day 26 - What you think about your friends
Day 27 - Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
Day 28 - A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29 - In this past month, what have you learned
Day 30 - Who are you?

Thankful

On Facebook in November you're supposed to post something you're grateful for every day. Well, I tend to forget these things, so I decided to make my full list here.

1. My family (I mean everyone: mom, dad, brothers, sister, in-laws, cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, husband and baby)

2. Friends

3. A home, especially since it is so close to my mom.

4. Disposable Diapers

5. Cell Phones

6. Facebook and E-mail

7. The Book of Mormon

8. A washer and dryer

9. Cupboards full of food

10. A bed to sleep in

11. Temples of the Lord all over the world

12. A husband who works full time so I can stay at home

13. Baby Tylenol and other medicines

14. Utah's Mountains

15. Prophets living and dead

16. Cars

17. Electricity

18. Health

19. Sleep (when I can get it)

20. Jesus Christ's Atoning Sacrifice

21. Heaters

22. Cameras

23. A husband who is worthy of and holds the Priesthood

24. Being able to cook and sew

25. Primary Songs

26. Good Books

27. Those who are sacrificing by serving in the armed forces (and their wives and children)

28. Trials

29. A father that worked so I could have a mom at home

30. Baby cuddles and smiles

25 Things That Change When You're A Mom

1. One smile can brighten your day.

2. A good morning means you got to shower.

3. Eating left-handed is no longer a challenge.

4. You pay more attention to the lyrics of songs.

5. Staying up until 2 a.m. doesn't necessarily mean you had a great night.

6. What you eat doesn't just effect you.

7. You try to be a better example.

8. Soggy cereal is a common breakfast.

9. Suddenly your iPod has a lot more children's music.

10. You know more about Blue and Joe than any other TV stars.

11. You'd rather spend money on that cute baby outfit than a new shirt.

12. Your husband is no longer the person who gets the most kisses.

13. Prayers are said in behalf of someone else more than yourself.

14. You respect your body.

15. Slobbery kisses and sticky hugs are reasons for joy.

16. You would gladly take the pain of shots for your child.

17. Poop is reason for celebration.

18. A lost pacifier or toy is worse than lost keys.

19. Someone's needs come before your sleep.

20. The sacrifice God made in sending His Son now has real meaning.

21. You want someone to be better than you.

22. One sided conversation is no longer offensive.

23. You're willing to give up anything and everything.

24. Little shoes make you smile.

25. You finally understand why your Mom always asked you to stop growing up so fast.

Mother in Zion

Julie B. Beck said:

"The responsibility mothers have today has never required more vigilance. More than at any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know. Children are being born into a world where they "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).1 However, mothers need not fear. When mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with Him, they will have great power and influence for good on their children." Mothers Who Know

Being a mother in the Lord's Kingdom on earth means knowing why you do the things you do.

For me it means knowing why I am at home with this:


And this:


While Steve takes the Young Men of our ward to the Temple. My answer is because I know how crucial the Temple can be in the life of a young man struggling through High School. I also know that being the comforter and nurturer of my child is the most important thing I can do. Not to mention that I love being with my wonderful son every moment I can. I know that I can do no greater good than to raise my child (and hopefully one day children) and watch them succeed in mother and fatherhood. I know that God has promised me help and comfort in this great task. I know that the Spirit of God can dwell in my home if I create an environment where He is welcome.

Steve and I were sealed together in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. Of sealings, President Howard W. Hunter said:

"Another temple ordinance is that of celestial marriage, where wife is sealed to husband and husband sealed to wife for eternity. We know, of course, that civil marriages end at death; but eternal marriages performed in the temple may exist forever. Children born to a husband and wife after an eternal marriage are automatically sealed to their parents for eternity. If children are born before the wife is sealed to her husband, there is a temple sealing ordinance that can seal these children to their parents for eternity, and so it is that children can be sealed vicariously to parents who have passed away.

In the ordinances of the temple, the foundations of the eternal family are sealed in place. The Church has the responsibility—and the authority—to preserve and protect the family as the foundation of society." A Temple-Motivated People

How beautiful the promise of having my family with me for eternity is!

True Love

I'm not the mushy-gushy, PDA, express my feelings publicly type of person. So, don't worry, this post is totally PG.

I was reading through the talk Love Takes Time by Elder Marvin J. Ashton. I'm not going to lie, I didn't get to read the whole thing, but I'm working on it! What I did read was wonderful!

What touched my heart was this story from a young man:

“My dad never seemed to love me and yet he made big deals of saying ‘I love you’ and kissing and all, but I learned that ‘I love you’ meant you didn’t have to do anything. I mean we were never forced to do chores regularly, given no morals, spiritual training at all. To this very day I don’t know what principles my parents stand for.”

What are we doing to show our love? Does Love really mean no discipline, no work, no regulations, and no standards? Or does Love mean to show guidance, to appropriately punish when necessary, to teach cleaning, cooking, math, science, and other skills, and creating a standard and expect it to be lived up to?

Love is more than just hugs, kisses, and words. It's action! Jesus taught us that when he said, "If ye love me, feed my sheep". Did you catch that? We are to FEED His sheep. That's an action. We are to nourish each other through service and kind deeds, not only kind words.

So go DO something with or for someone you love. Take a walk with a child and admire how beautiful the fall leaves are. Help your wife do the dishes. Show some real, sincere interest in your husband's football game, TV show, video game, or whatever hobby he has. Sing songs to your baby. Help your sister with her homework and be patient. Share books or read stories with your brother. There are so many opportunities to show love but we too often miss them because we're too tired, don't have the time, or have something "more important" to do at the moment. Once that moment is lost we never get it back.

Elder Ashton shared this story as well:

A friend of mine recently shared what he considered to be a choice learning experience. It was provided by his young son. Upon returning home from his day’s work, this father greeted his boy with a pat on the head and said, “Son, I want you to know I love you.”

The son responded with, “Oh Dad, I don’t want you to love me, I want you to play football with me.”

So say "I love you" and then prove it with your actions!

I Love This Book

Before I had Thomas I thought it was creepy and weird. While I was pregnant I found it at a yard sale for a quarter. I am so glad I did. I read it to my baby boy at least once a week and I ALWAYS cry! At first I thought the mom was crazy. What type of mother sneaks into her grown son's house, climbs into his bed, and sings him a song? But, now when I read it, I picture myself years and years from now coming to Thomas in what might seem like the middle of night to help him through a trial, a loss, or a difficult situation. And then in turn he will come to me at the end of my life and take the things I have taught him and pass them on to his children. What beautiful truths can be found in something as simple as a child's story book. How beautiful life is!

There's Nothing Sweeter...

Than a sleeping baby. They look so peaceful. I always feel how our Heavenly Father must feel about us when I look at Thomas that way.

In 1909 the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints issued this statement:

"Man is the child of God, formed in the divine image and endowed with divine attributes, and even as the infant son of an earthly father and mother is capable in due time of becoming a man, so the underdeveloped offspring of celestial parentage is capable, by experience through ages and aeons, of evolving into a God."

Isn't that beautiful? We have so much potential, and as I watch my baby boy sleep so serenely I feel the truth of that so powerfully. He is a Child of God and God has trusted me with his sweet Spirit to teach him and help him grow into his full potential. Looking at him I can feel the Holy Spirit of the Lord whisper to my heart that families can be together forever.

The Many Faces of Thomas

This kid can pull some amazing faces! He was making these faces from the time he was born and still keeps me entertained. Here are some of my favorites.

I call this one "Concerned":



This one is "Milk Drunk":



"Anger":



"I Just Realized Something...I'm Naked!":



"Sweet As Suga Pie":



"Surprise!":



"How Long Have You Been Here, Mom?":



"I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good":



"Silly Sleepy Head":



And of course "Magnum":



There are so many more, but I hope you enjoy these!

Do You Have A Picture Of The Day You Met Your Spouse?

I do. Here it is.



He's the one with the Air Soft gun. Here's what happened:

I was dressed up in a Lava Lava with blue eyeshadow, pink lipstick, an umbrella, and that gun. I was hanging out with my friend Michelle who was hanging out with her friend Kari who was hanging out with her friend Jordan. We wanted to go to a movie and Jordan wanted us to get some other guys to go along too. He handed his Ward List to Michelle and told her to pick someone out. She picked out this guy that looked like a Jock. Definitely not my type. She said that I should be the one to go get him since I had just put someone in the MTC and was "emotionally unavailable" at the moment. So I walked across the hall with umbrella and gun in hand and knocked on the door of Mansion 35. A handsome man opened the door, and since I was looking for a jock I said, "Hi. Is Steve here?"

"Yeah, that's me."

Wow! Pleasant surprise! I started to feel a little less "emotionally unavailable".

"Well, I'm Ariel and I'm kidnapping you."

"Can I get my shoes?"

"Uh, okay."

Then he shut the door in my face. Michelle, Jordan, and Kari peeked out of Jordan's apartment to see what was going on. I shrugged and "I dunno" and told them they had to call me Ariel the rest of the night.

So, we went to a scary movie at the dollar theater. Half-way through I began to feel uncomfortable and went home. After the movie was over Steve began to ask where I was. But, I had disappeared.

I went to Walt Disney World on an internship shortly after that night and didn't see him until I got back. We started dating and decided to get married and I haven't ever made a better decision! Since he thought my name was Ariel for a very long time, this was his Groom's Cake at our wedding:



I just love him.

My Handsome Men

Being a Mom and a Wife is quite the experience! It seems like there is always something to do or someone to take care of. Steve started teaching last month and loves it! The worst part is that he often gets up at 5 or 6 and doesn't get home for 12 hours. It's quite the change from classes in the morning and work three nights a week! Thomas is getting so big and is such a Mama's boy (I love it though)! Most nights I fall asleep with Steve on one side and Thomas on the other. I call it my late night snack of Mommy Sandwich. I love my boys so much and am so grateful for the every day (and every moment) opportunities to serve them!

To Don't List

Don't skip out on naps.

Don't forget to give lots of hugs and kisses.

Don't get stressed out or overwhelmed.

Don't try to do everything today.

Don't miss the happy, smiley, playful moments.

Don't be too hard on yourself.

Don't worry if you don't get a shower, there's always later.

Don't put the camera away, keep it handy for those cute pictures.

Don't mind the poop, slobber, and spit-up.

Don't worry about the dishes, laundry, and vacuuming.

He's Here!

After waiting 15 days past his due date we finally got our little baby Thomas! It's been exhausting, fun, hard, happy, stressful, but also the most spiritual and wonderful experience of my life. I am so blessed to have an amazing Mom who was with us throughout the entire labor process and has been on call for every little question and concern I have. I have the best Husband who has been more than helpful and eager to attend to mine and Thomas' every little need (he even let me take a two hour nap!).

Thomas did not want to come and we were very worried that we would have to deliver him C-Section. Even as labor progressed the Doctor was still very concerned that I would not be able to deliver him the way I wanted to. But, as an answer to many, many prayers offered that day and the days prior, everything worked out and I was able to safely (but painfully) deliver a healthy 9 pound boy! Now I don't feel so silly when I sobbingly asked the Doctor if he could just pull him out. Lucky for me he was far enough along that the Doctor actually could pull him.

I am so grateful that everything was so successful and that everyone is healthy. Steve is doing a wonderful job and is even getting pro at changing diapers. In fact, he's changed more than I have at this point. I'm so thankful for all my family who have come to help support us. I'm grateful for my little sister who asks my mom 10 times before Breakfast when she can come hold him. I'm thankful for my brothers who came and visited the hospital wearing fake mustaches and chewing on bubble gum cigars. I'm grateful for my Dad who was there in the waiting room in case I needed a blessing or anything else. I'm grateful for my mom who just so badly wanted to push for me. I am so blessed!

Still No Baby

Since Thomas isn't here and I've been complaining about it a lot, here's ten reasons why I'm grateful that I'm still pregnant:

1. I get to see Toy Story 3 with Steve tonight

2. I've actually been sleeping better this past week than I have this whole trimester

3. He's getting so big that my appetite has dropped back down to normal because my stomach is being squashed, so I don't eat too much.

4. I get to feel him moving around still

5. I haven't had to go through labor!

6. I've been able to give our house a real good clean

7. I still have an excuse for when I do want to eat lots of chocolate

8. Steve rubs my feet because they get swollen

9. I get to sit in a nice quiet house and think

10. I get my shoes tied, toe nails painted, and things dropped on the floor picked up for me.

I just have to remind myself that it's not all bad.

But, here are 10 reasons why I want to have my baby:

1. It's getting hot

2. I'm getting huge

3. I want to see what he looks like

4. I get tired really easy

5. Steve is going to go crazy!

6. I won't be worrying about how many kicks he's done in the past two hours

7. I'll get to see if he has webbed toes or not

8. I'll have play dates with Shalee and Ayden

9. Everyone will stop commenting on how big I am and start commenting on how cute he is

10. I'll have someone to keep me company when I can't sleep at 2 in the morning

Three Days Over

Thomas is three days late. He didn't even call to give us a heads up. How rude.

But, really, the anxiety is killing Steve. I'm just tired of being huge and ready to move on with the next adventure of life. We've gone to the Doctor twice this week to have things checked out and there's still no change from three weeks ago. Sigh.

I've had two Non-Stress Tests this past week. They first do an Ultrasound to check amniotic fluid levels. Then they hook you up to monitors to track the heartbeat and any contractions. The first one went really well and I even had two contractions during the 20 minutes. Today we got some potentially bad news. I have twice as much amniotic fluid as the average pregnancy. Well, that's nice, all that weight and my huge belly isn't all fat and baby. Most of it is fluid that will be lost at birth. Good news for me! Bad part is that the more fluid there is the more chance that the umbilical cord can move down. And I only had one contraction.

Now we just wait until Monday when we see another Doctor, since mine is going out of town, and we have another Non-Stress Test. We'll see what happens then!

A Christian Home

I was looking around my house today as we are getting everything ready for the baby. We're got the crib set up, the clothes washed and put away, we even already have baby safety on some of our cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom. But, I realized there was something more important missing. If you were to walk into our house you would know we were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We have pictures of the Temple where we were married on the walls, The Family: A Proclamation to the World on our book shelf, and a plaque that says Eternal Love. But, would you know we were Christian? Sadly, probably not. We don't have any pictures of our Savior in our home. I found this picture and want to get it to put in our baby's room. I want Thomas to know who is most important in his life. I want anyone who visits our home to know that we are Christians.

Food Cravings and Aversions

I was reading an article online today about some of the things women crave or hate during pregnancy. There's no real explanation for it (don't tell me it's what your body needs because then I would be craving vegetables, not sweets). Here's some of the weird things I've loved and hated:

Loves:
Marshmallows!!! (Which means I finished off a jar of Marshmallow Fluff and I love Rice Krispies Treats and Circus Peanuts and stale marshmallows and roasting marshmallows and using hot chocolate as an excuse to eat more marshmallows)

Those tiny Candy Canes from Christmas

Salt (One time I just sucked all the salt off of my tortilla chips because it was so delicious)

Hates (which I used to love):
Shrimp

Bacon, during my first Trimester (I couldn't stand the smell of it and my neighbors would cook it ALL the time...seriously, I think it's all they ate. It was miserable!)

Butternut Squash Soup (again, a smell thing)

I'm really grateful that I never craved chalk or laundry detergent. And I'm grateful that Marshmallows are cheap this time of year ^_^

Dear Baby...

Today you are full term! I've been looking forward to this for a while now. But, Mother Nature is having some anger issues. It is snowing. I woke up and it was snowing, and it's still snowing. We only bought you Summer clothes. So, as much as I would love for you to come be part of our family, please wait at least one more week. We need it to be warm for you. Then you can come as soon as you want!

Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart

I love the 80's. Greatest Decade for music and crazy styles that will ever be! So, here's my dedication. You just have to love the weirdy music videos, crazy costumes, random break dancers, and not-so-amazing effects. But really, you can't not love it!

Aaron's Track Meet

This past week Aaron competed in Regionals for track. He just started running a few months ago and is already doing amazing! It was a lot of fun to all get together and go support him and his team. They made it to state in the Medley and are all very excited (especially since they are all Juniors and will be running together next year as well).

It was really windy and Angela and Christopher had more fun playing with their blankets than using them to stay warm.

Weekend in Cedar City

This past weekend I went to Cedar City with some friends and family to throw a baby shower for my cousin Whitney! I'm about three weeks further along than she is. It's so exciting for us to both be expecting our first baby so close together.

So......
It's been a really long time since I've done this. Last time I failed, epically. So, I'll try again.

Our baby is due in 7 weeks and 4 days. We're thinking about the name Thomas Atticus. We've gone through several others, but this one seems to be sticking. Now we just have to hope we still like it after we see what he looks like! This is all we have to go with so far:



Could be a Thomas, right?