Terrible Twos and First Grade

Lauren is proving to be quite a crazy character. I think it really did start around the time Eva came home. She has a new self-defense mechanism. It goes like this: Scream "Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!" as loud as you can if anyone gets near you or makes you do something you don't want to do. Scream it even louder if you are in a public place like church or a restaurant. I can see this is the start of some really interesting adventures for the "terrible twos." My dad has said a few times that he thinks she's going to be a tom-boy. She does like to get dirty and has this funny mischeivious laugh when she's doing something sneaky. This morning she got into the diaper bag, which used to be hers and is now shared with Eva, and got out a bulb syringe. I was nursing Eva at the time and couldn't retrieve it from her. I pleaded with her to put it back in the bag as she stuffed it up her nose. "Big booger, Mom (ah-choo)," she told me. This happened over and over, each time resulting in a huge and real sneeze. I know you shouldn't laugh at kids when you are trying to extinguish an unwanted behavior, or they will keep doing it for the attention, but I couldn't help myself. I haven't laughed so hard for a long time--maybe since we listened to Jim Gaffigan. So she just kept doing it with the same results which made me laugh more. Poor Eva was looking up at me probably wondering why I was making her meal so shaky.
Eva is doing really well these days. She sleeps four to six hour stretches at night, and depending on when her night starts, I only get up once, maybe twice in the night to feed her. That's good, because she's up for about an hour each time, which is a huge chunk of night that I could be asleep. Clifton hasn't been called on to help for a long time now. I hope he benefits from the full night's sleep he's getting. Eva is already about half a pound above her birth weight and growing visibly. Her cheeks are getting rounder and she's doing really well at trying to hold her head up when she's on my shoulder.
Caleb had his last day of kindergarten on Thursday. I can't believe it's over. I have a first grader now. He's reading and likes to think he's doing "big math." He's trying, anyhow, and he likes it. I'm not sure what he thinks about being in first grade in a month, though. He hasn't yet gotten too excited about eating lunch at school and being there all day. But he hasn't much choice in the matter if he doesn't like it. He's been such a big help to me since Eva was born, I don't know what I will do without him to help me during the day.
They grow up so quickly.
I will post a good picture soon.

On This Father's Day

I opted to stay home today. Clifton, Caleb, and Lauren went to Corinne to celebrate with Clifton's family. I didn't feel like taking my one and a half week old on a three hour drive. So, now with all the quiet in the house I have a moment to write a few lines in my much neglected blog.

So, do I share the gory details of Eva's arrival? OK...

I had my last doctor visit on Wednesday, June 10. Dr. Cannon and I decided to set an appointment for the next day to induce me. She felt like conditions were good for that, considering I was showing a few beginning signs of toxemia. I got home and by late afternoon I was starting to have more and more contractions that weren't relieved by walking or changing positions. Clifton was keeping track of the frequency by dinnertime. By the time the kids were in bed and we were relaxing I was at 3 minutes apart. I stayed that way the rest of the night. At 11:30 I called my parents to come and stay with the kids. We walked into the hospital at 12:30 am. I think it was within a couple of hours I got my epidural, then it was just waiting and waiting. They didn't want to break my water in the middle of the night. I think they didn't want to wake my doctor in the wee hours, so after a long night of mini naps and several ice chips they got the go-ahead to break the waters. This was around 6 am. That was also around the time my epidural bagan to wear off. I started feeling a lot of pain on my right side with every contraction. I would push the button for extra medication as often as it would let me, but no relief came. The anesthekasjdhot(Spelling) even gave me additional meds, but they didn't work. Oh well...I was pushing by 7:45 or so, and Eva was born at 7:57am. I felt like that was the closest I have ever come to experiencing natural childbirth. I don't recommend it. It hurts a little. But epidural or not, the results are still the same. You still have a beautiful child to snuggle and you still ache after the meds wear off.

She weighed 7lbs. 15 oz. And was 19 inches. It was funny to listen to the nurses guess how much they thought she weighed, "She can't be more than 7 pounds." "She must be around 7 and a half." They were surprised when she was nearly 8 pounds. I was too. She is the biggest baby I've had so far. The other two were in the 6 pound range.

So, she is gorgeous!! Caleb and Lauren adore her. Clifton is such a cute daddy with a tiny baby.

She's a good sleeper, a decent eater and doesn't cry too much. Recovery for me hasn't been horrible. The pain has been managed, I'm starting to get a little more sleep, and everyone has been very helpful. My mom spent daytimes here last week and helped around the house and kept the older kids alive. Clifton spelled me off during the night when Eva just wanted to be awake. The Relief Society in my ward kept us fed for a few days. And I feel like life may some day settle into it's new normalcy. I'm optimistic now...all I need is one bad night to make me feel like the world is caving in.

Well, I hear Eva grunting, signalling that she will wake up soon. I better post this with a picture or I will never get back to it.

Reflections in the Shower

I really don't have mirrors in my shower, the reflections are the thoughts that sped through my mind as I was taking care of the mundane daily hygiene tasks.

Clifton and I listened to the comedian Jim Gaffigan last night. Some of his topics made me laugh so hard I thought I would wet myself. It made me reflect on the humiliating thing I did in high school my junior year. I entered the Junior Miss Program. I have no performing talents. This program requires some form of performance on the night of the actual contest. In front of parents, friends, boyfriends, and half the high school in attendance. I can't dance, sing, play an instrument, perform magic tricks. So I attempted a comedy monologue. It was about American History. It was downright pathetic. I can't remember anything about what I said, but it was utterly stupid whatever it was. I have no comedic talent either, I discovered then. Why can't I be funny??

I was also reflecting on my children. Why, when Lauren wears even a speck of white in her clothes she manages to get so dirty there that it takes two or three days of pretreating the clothes to get the stains out? Why can Caleb clog up the toilet with paper and have it run all over the bathroom into the hall, down the heater vent, under the vanity and I am the one that has to clean up? Yes, Caleb had to mop a little, but it made a much bigger mess than if I just did it. He used half a roll of paper. I actually CAN laugh about it now. It was pretty awful, though.

I had many reflections this morning. Many of which I thought could have been turned into a comedy routine. But I have yet to cultivate that talent. I only hope that someday when I do write my monologues I can make someone else nearly wet themselves from laughing.

Spring? Where are YOU???

I thought it was about time I wrote some more. I am really worried that Spring isn't going to happen this year. We have our bulbs coming up in our yard, but we haven't been able to be outside to enjoy their beauty yet. Every other day they are covered up with a half to an inch of new snow. I should be grateful for the snow, but it also means the children are confined inside and don't get the fresh air they want and need because it is still too cold.

We set up the jumping castle earlier this week for them so they could get some physical activity during their long indoor days. They are so funny with it. I like having it, but after a few days they get bored with it and I get tired of having take up all the space in the basement.

I am really looking forward to Conference this weekend!! I almost forgot that there will be a new General Authority. It's been a while since Elder Wirthlin passed away and many of my brain cells have also passed away from being pregnant. I just can't remember things like that. Just last week at a baptism for a little girl in our ward, I was looking at a wall with pictures of all the First Presidency and 12 Apostles and one was missing. I really thought to myself, "I wonder where the 12th picture is? They ought to fix the frame and put it back up."

We'll See if this is going to be the start of something

I have been told by many that I need to start a blog. I have had this CBSmith Family News Blog sitting here for months just waiting for me to get started. I have no idea what I am doing, but we'll see if it takes off.