She's 50, But You Wouldn't Know It

I'll start by saying this.

If I had a quarter, better yet - a dime - for every random, off-the-cuff statement, question or mere action that has come from this woman...

... I would be a wealthy girl.

Children, throughout life - and in particularly, their adolescence - have difficulty with liking their mothers. Heaven forbid, they are even embarrassed by them at some point (which has, of course, never happened to me). In reality, I think those that have spent a significant amount of time around my mother would agree that we have all been known to duck our heads when with her at one time or another.

Here is someone that isn't afraid (and never has been) to be herself. She's someone who is still willing to make her kids laugh, no matter what it takes (which was a recent pleasure for me). She still gives and gives wherever and however she can, is willing to listen and, if needed, offer a shoulder to cry on. And, though her in-your-face (and loud) personality has out-right shocked people, I am not one to complain. She is one of my favorite people and one of my best friends.

Though I'd never admit it in my teenage years, my mom was the coolest. She was always the favorite of my friends, and I was proud. She pulled the craziest "stunts" (and still does); she was the mom that could hang out us kids and not be out of place.

She is obsessed with water; it is one of her favorite things and involved in much of the above mentioned "stunts." So naturally - my dad, being the genius he is, wanted to throw her a giant surprise (also one of her favorite things) water party for her 50th birthday. The planning began months ago - and we went to work on everything.

The invitations, courtesy of our dear friend Heather Dalquist.

So... with a dunk tank, snow cone machine, a giant slip-n-slide, water kickball - and of course - water balloons ready for the volleyball net, we waited for her to show up surprised. And that she did.


And as relieved as I was that she was actually surprised, the best part of it all could have possibly been observing my dad as he watched with tears in his eyes as she ran out of the car and straight to the dunk tank, Michael Jackson (yet another favorite of hers) blasting on the stereo.


Her cake, courtesy of another dear friend, Lynn Moran.

I'll end with saying this.

It was one heck of a party......and she is one heck of a woman.

I Love This Tradition.

Also included in our Snake River trip this year was my gift to my brother, TJ.

In keeping with tradition, I wrapped his river gear and gave it to him... just as he was beginning to stress about it not being in the bag his wife Dixie claimed to put it in. She had given it to me the day before.

Searching through the bag...

When I could tell he was starting to worry, I brought him over to my car where the pile of his own belongings lay, waiting to be unwrapped.

Surprise!

He loved opening up each thing - from his life vest down to his speedo (don't ask).
And, thanks to Dixie, I had another successful year of weird gift-giving.
I love this tradition.

Snake River 2010

This year's trip to the Snake was fully equipped with family, friends and, of course, more junk food than I should have eaten.... what more could you ask for?

Maybe... a cute baby in a life vest?

There was one of those, too.

Jack loved chillin' with his dad, and he loved the campfire.

He rarely gets upset when he's anywhere outside, but when he does...

We've got his bug net to cover his play pen so he can enjoy some sleep in the cool air. :)

This year also included an authentic ritual for Jack's umbilical hernia... apparently, there is a country in South America where if the older brother of the mother (me) presses his big toe into the umbilical hernia of her baby just gently, it is supposed to be gone within a week. This was our attempt...

Getting him ready.

His belly button before...

TJ's big toe, about to go in...

P.S.... his umbilical hernia is still there, and it's been a month.
Eh, it was worth a shot, right?

So, Jack's first camping trip was a hit. He did amazing. Chris and I were able to enjoy several runs, for which we are grateful - the Snake isn't the same without some good hits on the river... which we also got. Perhaps more than our fair share. I was the "bow hound" for the first time in my life.... and there is nothing, I think, more scary than looking into the mouth of Big Kahuna. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a picture, but trust me... yikes.

But, as always, we come away ready for more.... and we can't wait for next year!

Blessings

Jack has certainly been a blessing in our lives. It was a blessing for me to even have a baby in the first place... and being six weeks early, it was a blessing he did so well in the hospital and is still thriving today. Each day I look into his beautiful blue eyes and see that killer smile, I can't believe how blessed I am.

It is a blessing to have the priesthood in my home. It is a blessing to belong to a church that allows me to be sealed with my family forever. And it is a blessing that Jack is ours, never to leave us, even after this life is through.

On August 1st, Chris gave him a blessing. I felt different than I've ever felt that day - it was special; significant. I'll never forget that morning as I dressed him in the suit Chris wore on his blessing day. It was a perfect fit at Jack's six months, though Chris was only two months old when he was blessed. He also seemed to know what was going on, catching our enthusiasm and getting excited with us. He was perfect throughout the blessing and the entire day.

We are blessed to have the support we do from everyone we know, and blessed to have made the decisions we have to lead us to this point in our lives.

How grateful we are for this new blessing and addition to our family.
He means everything to us.

Six Months? Already?

I've found that motherhood has its fair share of surprises.

For me, though I knew I was having a baby and was (somewhat) prepared for this stage of my life, Jack came early. Walking into my 34 week appointment and and being admitted to labor and delivery has rocked my world more than I had expected. Go figure.

Since then, there have been a number of surprises that have come along with Jack. First, though it was semi-expected, there was the NICU. Yes, we knew he'd need to stay for a few days, but 28 was not what we had in mind. And, just when we were finally getting used to visiting him in the hospital and accepting the fact that he still had a ways to go, we were told he could go home. They sprung it on us so fast, we were hardly ready.

Then there was the laundry. I knew there would be more... but, again, how much more was not what I expected, either. His first blow-out was a shocker, too. Who knew that a five pound baby could produce so much poop?

His calm demeanor and and chill personality have been a pleasant surprise. Sure, he cries - but aren't babies supposed to be harder to handle? It was a shocker at first to realize the lack of sleep I was in for, and to experience it, but now that he sleeps well and is getting bigger, he seems to be getting easier to take care of (or maybe I've just gotten the hang of things). I'm still worried when I drop him off somewhere that I will come back to a screaming baby and our sitter will tell me how difficult he was for them. But, no. He has always been so happy and just a go-with-the-flow kid. I realize that may change, but for now - we'll take it. We feel so blessed.

So, because the surprising events in the last six months have seemed to be endless, you'd think I'd be expecting them. But nothing could prepare me for the biggest of all... realizing that Jack is, in fact, growing up.

He still is a tiny little guy. He's the same size as most two-month-old babies. But, six months means he is now ready for solid foods. We have given him rice cereal, to get him used to the process of eating with a spoon - but it's more comical than anything. Between him grabbing the spoon and blowing bubbles into his food, it's been more of a hassle than I'd like to deal with.

So, as I stood standing in front of the baby food at the grocery store for the first time, I must have looked hopeless as I felt the tears welling in my eyes, some spilling over and streaming my cheeks. My baby is six months. I am not ready for this.

I am so proud of my son... he is doing incredibly well for being so early. And, over these six months, I have been so excited to tell others how old he is, wanting to tell them he's a little older, even - because I thought I was ready for him to grow up. Turns out, I'm not. I couldn't help but grab his little feet (I would have picked him up if not for the car seat he was in) and cry while feeling overwhelmed by it all. I can't stop him from growing.

I stared at the food for literally a good 10 minutes before even reaching for any. How in the world was I supposed to know what to do with it? When do I feed him? How much? What kinds? Do I mix it with anything? Does he need a combination of breastfeeding and food? For how long? The questions were endless, as I'm sure every first mother's questions are. I finally chose what I thought would work for him, tried to compose myself, and pushed my cart back down the isle and to the register, feeling dejected. I didn't know anything about this solid food stuff.

When I arrived at home, I tried to hold back the tears as I told Chris just how helpless I felt, but to no avail. He held me in his arms as I cried, and venting to him my frustration with it all. He understood, but helped me to see how exciting it is - and though I wanted to agree, it took me a while.

I now am warming up to the idea of solid foods... but I still don't know what I'm doing. I'll get there, I know. But I have to confess I'm not sure if I want to. Of course, I do realize I don't have a choice - but if I can hold off just a bit longer, I might not go quite as crazy.

Here's a look at Jack's six months... we love this little man!

Altaview Hospital, January 28, 2010

Primary Children's NICU, February 2010
Home... March 2010

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