My Favorite Rotation

Putting all educational value aside, this February month has been my favorite rotation. Probably not Brendon's favorite, but definitely mine. At the beginning of the month, I felt like he was getting cheated out of opportunities to learn, but now, I could care less about that. (Brendon would probably not even say he was cheated in any way.)  You see, this month Brendon has been on his Internal Medicine rotation, following a doctor who works three, yes 3, days a week. With seven days in a week, Brendon has been home more than he has been away.

Not only did Brendon work less days than he didn't, but he also didn't need to leave for work until 9:30 am. Lucky for me, Brendon woke up with Henry in the morning whenever possible. But sleeping in wasn't the only reason I loved this month's rotation. I feel like--in anticipation of upcoming months spending time a part from each other while Brendon learns from busy hospitals in California--I have cherished time with him. The same way I cherished time like the good ole' days in Missouri, when time together was scheduled and sparse. We didn't necessarily DO a lot this month. But we definitely were together a lot.  In each other's presence, that is.  For the most part, we were both carrying on with own agendas; Brendon with studying, scheduling rotations, and taking regular breaks to chase Henry and me with cleaning, playing, and cooking.  But we were all together and I could talk with him whenever I wanted to.

My "caring less" about his opportunities to learn this month stem from completely selfish desires of having time together. I almost feel like this was our last time having a lot of time together (in our own element) for a long, long time. One more month before Brendon leaves for four weeks to go to California. Is it bad that I tear up cry just thinking about being a part as I type this? I don't know if I'm cut out for this. Hopefully the anticipation is worse than the bite.

Brendon is hoping for seven out rotations to California, and I sincerely hopes he gets each one of them.  But I hope, more than anything, we will only grow closer together. I hope we will appreciate each other more. I hope we will love each other more deeply. Now that's a lot of hoping.

Thank you, IM rotation, for giving us a lot of time together. And thank you, upcoming rotations, for helping me appreciate our "together time" more than I may have otherwise.

Love Day

Highlight of our Love Day:

I'm lying on the couch.

Brendon comes over.

Brendon kisses me.

Henry comes over.

Henry kisses Mom. Henry kisses Dad.

Brendon kisses me.

Henry kisses Mom. Henry kisses Dad.

Brendon picks up Henry for a family hug.

Brendon kisses me. Brendon kisses Henry.

I kiss Brendon. I kiss Henry.

Henry kisses Mom. Henry kisses Dad.

Kiss. Kiss. Hug. Hug. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.

All around. From and for everyone.

It was a wonderful love fest.

Baby Showers

Way back before Henry was born (nearly a year ago...crazy!) and we were living in Missouri, my friends threw a baby shower for me. Everyone was so generous and I was so grateful for everyone who came to show their love and support. I felt like I was swimming in gifts (see pictures below).  The evening was a blast! I wish we had get-togethers like that all the time. Oh wait, we did...

I love these pictures of old friends.  Oh, the memories!

After we moved back to Utah, my sweet aunts wanted to throw another shower. Again, everyone was so generous. It was fun to have Henry with me this time. I think all baby showers should be thrown with the baby.

Brittany, Grandma Myrtice, Great Aunt Rosemari, Grandma Carol, Me

The star of the shower (3 months old)

We played "Smell the Poop" (I just made that up). The hosts put melted candy bars in little diapers and we guessed which candy bars were in each diaper. I almost got a perfect score. I'm pretty much a candy expert.

My aunts & cousin sewed this beautiful puff quilt which now lays on Henry's crib.

My Aunt Dawna made this darling photo book of Henry. We look at it often. Henry reaches for the book and loves looking at the pictures of himself. I'm pretty sure it'll be something we always look at. I can often be found looking through Henry's newborn pictures or watching video of when he was younger. I already miss that stage sometimes.

                        

                        

My cousin Addi made this life-saving church book: ABC's for Sunday.  Really, it has been wonderful.  The book keeps Henry entertained every Sunday during church.  He used to find the pictures of himself and smile; now he thumbs through the pages for anywhere from five seconds to five minutes.

We all had a great time together, at both showers.  And we've been using everything we received at both showers.

Thanks (again) everyone!

Eleven Months

Whenever I think about Henry, I mean really think about him, I am overjoyed. But it's different than the joy of him being my son and me being his mother (although there is certainly a joy that comes from that); it's an overwhelming joy, a sense of peace and love. Henry is blessed with a happiness about him: it radiates in his countenance (can you see it?). I can't tell you how many times he has lifted my spirit; it happens almost daily and sometimes multiple times a day. He has truly brought a piece of heaven with him. I feel immensely blessed to have him in my family to help me through this mortal journey. If, as an eleven-month-old boy, he is teaching me so much about our purpose and opportunities for happiness, I can't even imagine what he will be teaching me for the rest of my life.

Henry has grown leaps and bounds this month. The ten- to eleven-month-old stretch made him a new little man. It seems to me he is becoming a little toddler and may not be the "mellow man" I once called him. He is cuter and more fun than ever! I love this stage! Henry is so busy, so anxious to laugh, and remains my happy buddy. And he makes one good little buddy.

We've experienced a number of "firsts" this month. Brendon and I have really enjoyed watching the many changes in Henry. In a nutshell, the following describes Henry's big month:

Feeling frustration

Making his body limp

Pushing my hand away

Walking

Waving and saying "bye"

Finding a comfort toy

Reading by himself

Laughing and playing in the mirror
Kissing

Feeling Frustration
Although this has happened several times now, I still laugh every time. The first time it happened was definitely the funniest because it was very unexpected. Here's the story: I gave Henry the sticker from opening a new CD and he started playing with it. Shortly after, he keep trying to eat it (like he does everything else) and I kept taking his hand away from his mouth and saying, "Don't eat it." After half a dozen times of me pushing his hand away from his mouth (...lightly pushing, I might add), he looked away from me, cringed his fingers tightly to his hand, clinched his mouth, and his head started shaking as his face turned slightly red. I wish I could get a picture of it because, even at his expense, it is adorable.

Making His Body Limp

Along those same lines, I picked up Henry to take him from my grandma's sewing room and he gave me the limp body. Again, I laughed.

Pushing My Hand Away
About a week later, I showed Henry a toy to distract him from doing something he shouldn't and he pushed my hand away. He was tired, upset, and did not want whatever I had to offer him. Now that I'm typing all of these things, I'm realizing the disciplinary aspect of parenthood (which I am so not ready for) just might be around the corner. Yikes!

Walking
For our loved ones far away who want to see Henry talking three steps, here it is:

Goldfish (or any food, for that matter) work wonders in encouraging Henry to walk. So far Brendon has seen up to ten steps. Every step is still so exciting. We love to see him walk.

Waving and Saying "Bye"
Henry is picking up on "good-byes." He says "bb...bb...bb" (as if to say "bye") and waves, even if it is after we close the door from saying bye to someone. (Okay, to date he has only done this once, maybe twice.) Point is, he is coming right along in his social skills and we couldn't be more proud of our little eleven-month-old boy.

Finding a Comfort Toy
While most children choose a blanket or stuffed animal, Henry decided he likes Link-A-Doos. He recently decided he likes to go to sleep, eat, play, walk, crawl, and bathe with a Link-A-Doo in hand. Brendon said, "It was only a matter of time before he latched onto them," and reminded me he has been surrounded by links since birth. We have had links on his car seat, stroller, and we keep a stash in the diaper bag. Toys are often attached at the end of the links, but ever since Henry was little, he has enjoyed holding onto the links. Brendon also reminded me Henry used to fall to sleep in his car seat while holding onto a link. Now, they're his comfort toy. 

Reading by Himself
When Henry is quiet these days (and the door to the bathroom is closed, leaving him no access to the toilet bowl or toilet paper roll), he can be found in his room, looking at his books. I hope my efforts to help him enjoy reading are working.

Laughing and Playing in the Mirror
The past couple days Henry will be laughing while playing. When I peek at him around the corner, he is playing in the mirror that hangs on our bedroom door. He just laughs and laughs. Can I say adorable??? He has also enjoyed playing with his (and my) reflection in the metal thing (whatever it is) in the tub.

Kissing
Although this isn't one of his "firsts" this month, I did want to document that Henry loves kissing anything: dolls, little babies, grandmas, and especially me.  I love those wide open mouth kisses.  He also loves to kiss himself in the mirror.  He knows he's that cute and lovable and I hope he remembers that forever.   

Henry, we love you are are so happy you are a part of our family.

A Month with Grandma

As mentioned in an earlier post, Brendon's psychiatric rotation was in Layton, which requires a 64 minute drive from our apartment (actually, it's 55 minutes when Brendon drives), so we moved up to Kaysville with my Grandma during the week days to shorten the commute time and still be together.

While Brendon was working, Henry and I spent the days with grandma, my Great Aunt Rose Marie (my grandma's sister who lives with her), and Alfie (my grandma's dog). Henry's favorite things to play with were Alfie's water bowl, the plants, and the stairs. One of my favorite things to do with Henry was to stand on the back porch at a glass door with Henry on the inside.  I especially enjoyed it when he pressed his face against the glass and tried to touch my finger through the window.  

Henry was one busy boy and the days were definitely more difficult than being at our own home (so Henry and I actually stayed home for one of the weeks in the middle).  Even though being behind Henry 24/7 (minus nap time and bedtime) to make sure he wasn't getting into too much trouble was a lot of work, it was all worth the once-in-a-lifetime experience of hanging out with grandma and Rose.

Grandma was very busy during the day and so Henry and I were mostly with Rose Marie and Alfie. I loved that Rose called Henry a "sweetheart" about a dozen times a day. "You're such a sweetheart," she would say. She counted how many steps Henry would take every time he walked and was always so proud of him.  Henry and I really enjoyed spending time with her and she said, as we were leaving, she really enjoyed getting to know Henry and having us around.

Alfie, on the other hand, was not so sure about my little man.  Henry loved getting into Alfie's space and playing with his dog tags. Alfie finally realized if he licked Henry, the little guest in his home would quickly back off. For the three weeks we were living with grandma, I persistently tried to teach the meaning of the word "soft" to Henry, but to no avail. Henry shows his love through pulling hair and high fives, no matter who you are.

When grandma came home, Henry always wanted to see her.  He simply loves grandmas all around. When Henry was preoccupied with other things or in bed, my grandma and I were able to talk a lot. I thoroughly enjoyed those sweet moments with conversations about her experiences with the spirit, her trials she has experienced in life, and her life with my Grandpa. After reading part of a compilation of my Great Grandpa Scott (Henry) Dunham (done by Rose Marie), I thought I should take the opportunity to interview my Grandma while we were so conveniently together and put something together. It was a very neat experience. I got to know my grandma in a way that was only possible through doing the interview. In one word, it was tender.

I have always looked up to my grandma for her enthusiasm about life, her devotion to her family, her mentality of being however many years "young" (which just happens to be 82 at this time), and the importance she places on being physically active. I've always loved her happy, sociable personality and also wanted my mother-in-law to have that same personality (lucky for me, I got that). And now, I appreciate her enthusiasm for the gospel of Jesus Christ, her mentality of accepting others' agency, and the importance she places in her family (siblings, parents, grandparents, in-laws, husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren) and the way she supports and expresses her love for each of them. After learning more about her, I know specific things about each of the things mentioned in the previous statement.  I adore my grandma--I have always adored her--but even more so now after learning more about her and her life.

One is Silver & the Other Gold

I've been thinking a lot about friends lately. You know, the friends we've had, the friends we stay in contact with, the friends we don't have, the friends we'll have someday...

I wish I could build my own neighborhood with all of our friends. I hate letting go of people. Thank goodness for blogs. But even then, I feel like I need to contact people the old fashioned way, too. I love to talk to old friends and simply catch up. Basically, I love my friends. And I love them all so much I wish we could all live by each other. Forever. And ever.

(I'm not very good at taking pictures when I'm with my friends so this is all I could gather, but I do love you all.)

Since our move from Missouri, it has been another round of trying to make new friends. Putting myself out there...again. Being willing to make myself a little uncomfortable...again. Trying to make conversation and find common ground with people...again. I wish the process of friendship making happened a little more quickly. My rule of thumb in college was that it takes a semester to make good friends. And so, even now, I give myself four to six months. But it happened so quickly in Kirksville--making friends--that I forgot that it usually takes time.

Any who, here we are nearly eight months after our move. You know those friends we don't have that I mentioned in paragraph one? That would relate to my life in the present. Don't get me wrong, my family are considered my friends. And the friends we've made in the past that we get together with that I hate to ever, ever let go of are still around and we still get together (and I love it). But I feel this need to make friends with people in my ward. Hasn't really happened yet. I'm trying, really I am. But I don't have my "go to" friend. That isn't completely true. I just don't have a "go to" friend that lives within 100 feet of me. Okay, besides Brendon. And Henry. But Henry can't really talk, so he doesn't count. He sure is a good listener though (when he gets to multi-task and play with his toys). Sigh...

Maybe it isn't necessary to have that ward friend. Maybe I should be satisfied with surface-level relationships within the ward. Maybe I should try harder than I am. Maybe...just maybe...I should enjoy the opportunity to get to know more people. I think I need to get a little more used to this whole idea of making friends wherever we go because we're going to be moving who knows how many more times in our life. So here's to a renewed effort to making new friends and keeping the old.

Family Togetherness - Part Two

For our second week of California, my little family met up with my parents and siblings for a vacation in California. We had the perfect mix of down-time and on-the-go time.

Our first stop was Disneyland. We enjoyed our day waiting in lines and riding the rides. Fortunately for me and Brendon, the grandparents took Henry while we hung out with Brittany and Austin to hit some "big kid" rides. Our two hour wait for Space Mountain was utter torture, but I'm glad we waited (although I'd never wait that long again). We laughed and complained a lot together while waiting for rides and had so much fun. My sister, Brittany, and I wanted to stay a couple more hours, but we were outvoted by everyone else.  I loved just being together. Disneyland was the biggest highlight of the week.

Henry's favorite activity while vacationing in California, if he knew how to tell me, was bowling.  Once we let him stand at the ball return, he was one happy camper.  The air blowing in his face really added to the experience.  Also of note, Brendon got an all new high of 202!  Maybe he did so well because he was so serious (serious face pictured below).

I just love this picture of my brother-in-law, Tyler, & his daughter Brooklyn.

We also shared good times together driving up and down PCH, playing SCUM, going to the San Diego Zoo, sitting in the hot tub together, watching the Food Network (me & Mindy), playing the "Shopping Game" (a game my dad enjoys where he gives us money and we have to spend it in a certain amount of time--usually one hour--or we give him back the money...I don't think anyone has ever given back the money), eating together, and celebrating New York's new year (a most brilliant idea) in our pj's. It was another perfect week in California.

Happy New Year

 Now we're almost back to real life.  We're doing real life things, just not in our own living space. Brendon is back to work/school. Henry is a little more clingy after our trip but is still managing to be his happy self. And I am back to blogging.