Dr. Mom

Everett fell asleep on the couch before 12:30 pm this afternoon.

He is still asleep, and it is just after 4 pm.

Am I the only one who starts to get paranoid that my child has stopped breathing and is laying unconscious in his room? Am I? Am I the only one who compulsively checks on him just to calm my nerves?

It's a good thing Joel isn't here. If he was, he would tell me:

"He's fine, Elise. Don't do it. Don't open that door; you'll wake him up."

And I would walk to the door.

"Don't do it, Elise. I'm warning you, he'll wake up and be all grumpy."

I would turn the handle and peek in on him.

And then I'd close the door and wait to hear sounds of a grumpy toddler.

When they didn't happen, I'd turn to Joel, smile, and say,

"What was that, honey?"

And I'd happily go about my business knowing that 1) My child is still alive, 2) He was taking a blessedly long nap, and 3) I can be right about something, for goodness' sakes!

Finally!

Ashley is getting close to being a year old. . .and yesterday was her first time with a sippy cup of any kind. Yes, I know, it has taken me a long time. It still feels like she is a baby! She was a fan and did really well with it from the start. I love this age because the kids don't notice that I usually do 1/3 (unsweetened apple) juice and the rest water. All they know is that it is a treat! And yes, for those of you who are wondering, the sippy cup is BPA-free.

ALSO, last night I began the first stages of getting Ashley to sleep through the night. She is in her crib in our room, which is a bit of a problem because even though I have blankets draped over the rails, Ashley can see us when she stands up. Usually I would go in and check on her a couple of times, lay her down again, and reassure her, and then leave, but I can't do that in the middle of the night when I am sleeping five feet away. So I decided to go with it. I laid down and watched, and every time Ashley stood up, I would go lay her back down. After about 10 times of that, she would lay down as soon as she saw me get up, after which I'd still tuck her in. After about 10 times of that, she stayed down and went to sleep.

I'm encouraged, and I'm hoping I can get her to sleep all the way through the night. I have been putting it off because I feel bad making her go back to sleep if she is hungry. But, she woke up this morning and didn't seem any hungrier than she usually is, although she did have one night feeding.

So, does anyone have any advice for when we put the kids in the same room three weeks from now? I'm hoping it won't be too much of an issue, but what if she is still not sleeping through the night? Is there anything I should remember? Did your older kids learn to sleep through the fussing, if there was any?

Being Sentimental (as always)

(Everett at his favorite tunnel near our house)

When my kids get older, I know there are a lot of things I will miss that they used to do. I also know there are things I will miss that I didn't expect to miss. Will I ever miss dirty diapers? Probably not. But these are some of the things I am trying to fully enjoy now:

~Everett and Ashley playing together without argument. Once in a while he will not be careful with her and she'll yell, but they generally get along perfectly. A few days ago I witnessed Everett and Ashley playing with cars. He gave her some to play with (as I always encourage him to do). She would handle them for a few minutes and hand them back to him. Everett would say thank you and give her something new. I watched in silence, not daring to disturb such a harmonious playtime. Someday these moments will be few and far between.

~Everett's audible excitement. Yesterday we got a package, and he was so excited you would think it was filled with a thousand little puppy dogs. It wasn't--it was filled with pieces to a stroller, but I was happy to hear his thrilled little exclamations.

~That Everett not only puts his used dishes and cups in the sink, and his silverware in the dishwasher, but that he does it voluntarily and happily. After dinner he even wants to clear everyone else's dishes. I'll have to remind him of this when he is ten and tries to refuse to help anymore.

~When I carry Ashley around, she loves to be looking everywhere, but she always has to be pinching some of my skin between her fingers. Usually she grabs the skin on my neck, but often it is my nose or my cheek. It is a sweet little comfort of hers, I suppose, and though it doesn't feel nice all the time, I know it is something I will really miss when she gets older.

~I'll also miss Ashley's excited laughs when she sees me get out the nursing pillow. So fun.

~I'll really miss Everett's willingness to help clean. He loves to help clean things up, especially if he can use a paper towel. If I start cleaning something, it doesn't take long before he has wandered in and is trying to help me.

~Also, I'll miss Everett's excitement about cooking. Maybe this one will not ever go away. But it is one of the things we love to do together, and it makes me happy to see him experiencing all the different foods in all the different stages. He loves to steal little bits of dough, and he'll run away with it like a fiend if I've caught him tasting it when I have already told him not to.

~This will last a few more years, but I will miss Everett's fascination with everything. The other morning I showed him dewdrops on the grass, and he has been looking for them ever since. I love it that he is so thrilled with all the things I take for granted, and I try to remember this so I can stop and look with him.

~Also, I love that Everett loves this game we play where he stands a few feet away from me, I count to three, and he runs into my arms for a squeeze. He will do this over and over and over, and has learned to give very good squeezes.

~One last one about Everett: He gets very excited when he hears Ashley wake up from her nap. He often hears her before I do. He will tell me she's awake, and we'll go to the bedroom door, count to three, and dash in to get her. She is often as thrilled to see him as he is to see her, and a grand giggle-fest begins between the two of them.


Well. Anyway. If you've made it all the way down here, I'm impressed. I know this post is 100% self-indulgent, but I like to record these thoughts when I have them because I know I'll forget them. Is there anything I'm missing? What are some things some of you have missed about your children without realizing you would?

Portrait City

You know, I am really grateful we have a car we don't have to make payments on. It is a valuable blessing, especially during these economic times.

I am so grateful, in fact, that two weeks ago, I allowed the state of Maryland to take a nice portrait of our car. It turned out really well--the high resolution clearly displays our license plate, our dirty windows, and the shadowy outlines of our heads.

But when we received our portrait in the mail yesterday, there were words I hadn't been expecting on the accompanying notice, words like: fine, speed, exceeding, violation, and payment.

String them all together, and what do you get? A request for payment of a forty dollar fine. Also, if you are married to Joel, you get a lot of ribbing about how you were driving too fast, and you got caught by the radar detectors, and why did that happen, and lots of [meaningful looks].

Because we all know that Joel would NEVER get a speeding ticket. You know, except for that one time in Provo on a residential road. Oh, and that other time coming home from the Salt Lake City airport. And it seems there was another time. . .but I can't quite place it. And all this just in the time we've been married!

"Yes, well you know," I said as I was looking over the notice, "It's funny that they caught me speeding, when you're the one who zips along that road all the time."

"What? Never," he said, shaking his head emphatically. "I never do that on that road."

This morning when Joel brought the violation up again, I braced myself for more teasing.

"Remember that ticket?" He walked over to the calendar. "April 9th. Do you know what day that was? (at this point, his expression turns from questioning to sheepish.) Wasn't that the day we went to Mount Vernon and I drove us back to your parents' house?"

Suddenly, I was flooded with glee. "Wait just a minute here. Are you trying to tell me that after ALL that grief you've given me, and after all that guilt and regret I was feeling, that this is YOUR ticket?"

Joel looked at me, laughed contritely, and walked out of the room. But I didn't care; I felt deliciously vindicated.

And it was great.

My Boys

The older Everett gets, the more he loves his papa, and the more he always wants to be doing what his papa is doing, exactly how he is doing it, and exactly when he is doing it.

Everett is not yet a big talker; Joel is not much of a talker. They spend their hours together in quiet companionship. They are cohorts. Ball enthusiasts. Energetic wrestlers. Outside wanderers. Slide conquerors. Contented companions. Loyal.

They interact, each automatically synching to the other, a deep understanding forming between them.

And there are not many things that make me happier.

Then and Now

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how our little family has grown since we moved here.

When we moved here in August of 2007, Everett was nine months old. We were fresh out of college (still feels like we are), and this was our first "real job"--Joel's at work, and mine at home alone with a baby all day long. We moved to a great town and found a great ward and lots of wonderful, sincere, loving, helpful people. We have loved it.

Today I was looking at some pictures of Everett at around 10 months old, which is what Ashley almost is. I realized that the older Ashley gets, the more she looks like her big brother. Want some evidence? Here it is:

What do you think? I think they look more similar now because Ashley is filling out a little bit. Everett had way more teeth than Ashley does now, and their personalities differ quite a bit, but they do have some fun similarities (fun fact: they both have shy little dimples on one side of their mouth--dimples that are only displayed under certain circumstances).

Helping

I have the ability, like most of you who read this blog, to simultaneously carry a baby carrier, several bags of groceries, a diaper bag, purse, and lead Everett into our apartment. I know I'm small, and so I know I probably look pretty ridiculous when I'm doing this, but truthfully I can manage it all just fine.

It usually happens that when I am managing all of those things, people I pass give me double-takes followed by offers of help. I appreciate the thought; it is very kind of them to take notice of me, but what I really appreciate is how they address me.

"Ma'am", they say, "Would you like some help with that?" or "Would you like me to get that door for you?"

Very kind. Very well-meaning. But what gives me a little secret thrill is that they address me as "Ma'am" rather than "Miss".

Is this silly of me? Probably. But it makes my 23 year-old self feel a little more substantial.

Plenty of Boxes, But Not For Living In

Well, we made it. No, I am not talking about our fun-filled friday morning, although we made it through that with flying colors.

I mean that we made it. . .into Notre Dame's student family housing! We have a little less than 1000 square feet now, and in a month we'll have to fit everything into 500. But it will be good to get rid of some things that we really just need to toss out.

Originally I wasn't a fan of the idea of living in on-campus housing, but after talking to some people, I think it will be a great experience. The Village, as it is called, offers many, many amenities we would not be able to have anywhere else. Here are few of the things, in no particular order:

• Garden plots, with mulch, tomato cages, and any and all garden tools available in the community center.
• A football field-sized recreational play area, complete with at least two enormous playgrounds, cook-out locations, and picnic tables. Anytime the weather is decent, kids are out playing with each other.
• Free internet
• An ongoing clothing/household items exchange
• Clubs for the moms, such as cooking, reading, and cake-decorating.
  
• Lots of free family events, such as: parents' night out--with free babysitting, picnics, music performances for the kids, "field trips" such as blueberry picking, and many other other kids activities.
  
• An indoor playroom (among other things) in the community center, so we can still "get out" during the cold weather.
• You can check just about anything out from the community center--vacuums, sewing machines, tool sets, books, DVDs. . .and you can book the community center for parties!
  
• The outside doors to the buildings are security code enabled during the night hours.
• A free shuttle that runs to campus--important because it's a mile to campus, and Joel's building will be clear on the other side of that.

Most of all. . .it's super cheap, i.e. perfect for our student family budget.

(part of a playground, and garden plots up to 200 sq ft!)

We can be happy anywhere we live, but I am extra happy we got into this housing. We had a choice between space and lifestyle, and we chose lifestyle. We will have a great experience, and we won't feel isolated in the cold weather months (something I've heard is a common problem) because we can make lots of friends.

But, we are sad to be leaving such a wonderful area. DC has been good to us, but most of all, we have been blessed to be in an incredible ward. Thanks to all of you who have befriended us or helped us out in any way. We are lucky to know you!

Murphy's Law

I set today aside to be my big, giant cleaning day. Things around here are not that dirty, but I don't want to really clean for this inspection and then have to do all of it all over again when we move. So, I'm doing it today. Nope, not yesterday (though I did some things, like touching up the walls), I'm doing most of it today. I didn't want to have to do it twice in a three week period, let alone twice in two days. With Everett you never know.

And let me tell you, this has not been a good idea. You know those days where you absolutely have to hope that your kids are 100% well-behaved, not only for your sanity but for their overall good? And you know how those days are most certainly the ones when they get into the most trouble?

Cue synopsis of today:

After scrubbing the bathroom, I begin to smell something suspicious. I look around, and Ashley had crawled up behind me with poop on her fingers, which are now in her mouth. I immediately found Everett, who was the culprit and had gotten into his diaper.

[lots of freak-out yelling]

[both kids in the bath]

[sighs of relief from me that this, which is probably the worst part of the day, is over]


THEN, I put on 101 Dalmatians, per Everett's request, and began to deep-clean his room. After a while--just long enough for me to lose myself in my chore--I see Everett walk by out of the corner of my eye.

When he walks by again, I realize that he is pants-less, and that his legs are a mottled brown.

Want to guess why?

[scolding, scolding, scolding]

wait. Make that:

[SCOLDING, SCOLDING, SCOLDING!!!!!]

And,

[Almost ripping my hair out because it is all over the living room floor.]

[Bath time. Again. This time Everett looks at me with sad eyes and reiterates that we don't play in diapers. Sorry, buster. It's too late for that now.]

With both kids crying in the bath tub, but me not letting them escape, I finally had the presence of mind to help Everett's poop-under-every-single-fingernail situation.

"Here," I said, tossing his animal figurines and two wash cloths into the bath. "Give your animals a bath."

Five minutes later we had clean fingernails, no crying, and a pulse that was just beginning to return to normal (mine).

It's before 1pm, and my list has barely been dented. Let's hope I have angel children for the rest of the day. I'd lock them both in the closet, Harry Potter style, but cleaning those are next on my to-do list.

I'd continue the post, but I just scratched my cheek and caught a whiff of some residual matter on my knuckle from our adventures this morning. Ahem. I'd better go take care of that.

Inspections and Lockboxes

On Saturday we're having a quick inspection of our apartment, courtesy of our Landlord.
Then, if we don't have major problems (we don't), she will put a lockbox on our door and officially list our apartment. People may start walking through by Saturday afternoon.

I politely requested that we have at least an hour's notice before people come, and that they can't come between the hours of 1 and 3 pm. Hopefully we won't have too many people come through before someone decides to rent our apartment.

It has been a good little place, and we've been very happy here. Our complex is actually a condominium complex, so most of these people are owners unless they are renting privately, like us. I think it has made a big difference in the atmosphere of the residents here. And, our landlord is great--she even sends us a gift card in the mail during Christmastime.

All of this is making our move seem much more real. We have a couple of weeks left, and that is a scary thought. I have so much left to do!

Un-challenging Challenges

{Thanks to all those who commented about Family Home Evening. You've given me some good ideas; I am really looking forward to my kids getting older and being able to understand more. It will be a lot of fun.}

Recently I re-sleep-trained Ashley. I've swaddled her since she was a little baby, and while this has worked beautifully and flawlessly, now she is able to squirm out of her wrappings with little effort. If I really want her to go to sleep on her own, even with a little fussing, it is more difficult for her since she has been used to sleeping in this very particular way.

A few days ago I decided I was going to bite the bullet and get this done. So, I started cold and just laid her down with a blanket over her. Even though Ashley is very agreeable, I expected this to be somewhat of a hefty process.

Not so! The first time, she fussed for maybe 10 minutes and went to sleep. Mind you, we're well past the standing-up-in-the-crib-but-can't-get-back-down stage, which makes a huge difference.

The second time, she fussed for five. The third time, she let out a little peep to convey her displeasure, but kept quiet and went right to sleep.

Now, once in a while she will fuss for a few minutes before resigning, but generally it is very easy to get her to sleep. Put her in the crib, stroke her face, tell her to go to sleep, and leave. One, two, three, four. That's it. And it's been painless.

I love sleeping babies. I look in on her at least once every time she naps.

I don't know what I did to deserve a baby this good. I don't think I do deserve her. In fact, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But it hasn't yet. I think she would even be perfectly happy to be left to her own devices all day long with the exception of meal times. She loves me, she loves to eat, and she loves Everett, but she also loves playing by herself.

And she looooooooves this doggie.

The older Everett gets, the better it seems he likes his sleep. I found him like this after spending 20 seconds putting Ashley to bed. He always goes to bed really well and knows he has to stay there. Nap times are a breeze.

No, I haven't done anything special. We are very strict with our bedtimes, but I know many people who are strict and whose kids still struggle with sleeping. We're an anomaly. I keep telling this to Joel, but he just says that it is the Johnson genes kicking in. Once in a while Joel talks about seeing his dad come home from work every day and lay across the bed, face down and shoes still on, for a quick nap before dinner.

Actually, what am I saying? I hear this every time Joel wants to go take a nap. All of you who knew Joel in college know that he likes his naps. The day I came home from the hospital after having Ashley, I spent time caring for Everett while Joel took a nap (but in his defense, I did have a very easy recovery).

Hee, hee. No hard feelings, honey. I just want to see if you've made it this far into my post. But Wayne, I'll have you know that you've given your son enough fodder for a lifetime of napping justification. I'm sure Everett's wife will be saying the same thing to Joel some day!

All things considered, I am very happy with the current state of sleep in my house. I still get up 1-2 times a night with Ashley, but it is painless compared to what it could be. AND, this gives me the leverage to have Joel be the one to get up with Everett. Win-win, I always say.

FHE help

Tonight we had a very brief family home evening lesson on the Sacrament. In a way, it is kind of nice to do the lesson with a toddler because it means there is usually less work on my part, but we do have to end it quickly, or inattentiveness will turn into squirming which will turn into yelling.

But, all of this got me thinking. Because our lessons are so short, and we go a week until the next one (maybe this is what we should fix?), I don't know how much Everett ends up getting out of them. I realize this isn't always the point; it is just important that we build the habit and spend that time together with no distractions, but I can't help wondering if there is a better way.

Then, I had an idea. What if we did the same lesson every week for a month, maybe building on it a little each time, but keeping it basically the same from week-to-week? Do you think this would make a difference? It would certainly simplify things for me, that is for sure--and I admit, this is a tempting reason to do it.

We had a lesson a couple of weeks ago on praying, and I think Everett forgot all about it pretty quickly. Would it make a difference if we spent a whole month on the subject, even bringing it up during our daily activities?

Part of me thinks it would. What do you think, those of you who are in this stage or have been here before? Is this a pointless idea or might it have some merit?

Mess-Free Easter Egg

I recently saw a great tutorial over on Tip Junkie. It is a way to dye easter eggs using old silk ties. There is no mess, and very little effort involved. It would be a great thing to do with kids, especially since there are no dyed fingers, clothes, etc. using this method.

Interested in the tutorial? Find it at Our Best Bites.

Maybe I'll have to try this out this year. If anyone has done this before or decides to try it, let me know how it goes!

Things I've Learned This Week

Even with all the wind and rain, the blossoms are still on the trees.

And, it still makes me happy every time I see them.

a) Ashley has been alive for almost a year, and had never been on a swing until a few days ago.

b) She loved it.

c) I found another great way to keep her entertained for an extended period of time.






The only fun hats are non-hat hats.





If you give your newly-turned 16 year old brother money and a cool shirt for his birthday, you might get not one, but TWO hugs and a kiss on the cheek.

But of course, we won't name any names to protect a certain someone from getting his teenage boy card revoked.


Ummmm. . .how about this one:


Teenage boys still (obviously? requisitely? starvingly?) get excited about candy.




And I learned the recipe for being excited about a boat ride:



Start with a morning full of walking and standing in line.

A pinch of a cool breeze.

A historical river (Hi, Potomac!)

And a whole bunch of excited toddler.

Mix together liberally. Sit back and enjoy.
(but, no matter how hungry you are, don't try the pre-made, warmed-over cheeseburger.)





ALSO, it is impossible to get a toddler to stand nicely in a family picture, hold still, be happy, face forward, and keep his eyes open all at the same time, no matter how many pictures you take. Stop trying. It's not gonna happen. Your descendants will just have to think he grew up without eyeballs.

Babies, Two-year-olds, Fathers, Mothers, Aunts and Uncles, and Grandparents can all be excited about seeing lambs.
But only some can be excited about seeing lambs as well as eating them.





If I lived during the time of the Revolutionary War, I would want to live at George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate.

If you get a chance to visit, jump on it and go. It is worth it.

Movie

(Almost like a date. . .except for, well, you can see for yourself.)

(love you, Mack.)

Joel and I just went up to the DC Visitor's Center and saw the Joseph Smith movie the church put out three years ago. It was very good. I have to say, I usually don't like the Josephs in movies I've seen, but he is one of the better ones.

The movie was well done. During the scene where Joseph commanded silence from his captors who were saying terrible things about the saints (you know the one; "Silence, ye fiends of the infernal pit. . ."), I found myself unable to listen to what they were saying any longer as well. I can only imagine what it must have been like for Joseph and the rest of the church leaders who were subjected to it.

Also, the movie didn't show Lucy Mack Smith very much, but she seemed to be portrayed a lot less spunkily than I imagine her. Is this just me?

I was also impressed with the missionaries in the Visitor's Center. They were great and you could tell that they were on fire with the gospel. One of the sisters I talked to said she is from Uganda, and that the best missionaries come from Uganda. I have to say, she might be right!

Everett

Sometimes I just love my little boy; let me count the ways!

1) He spends much of the day being enthusiastic about anything and everything, exhibiting special admiration by making his mouth round and letting out a little "ohhhhhh."

2) If he spills something, he will voluntarily go to the kitchen, get a dishtowel, and wipe it all up.

3) He takes care of his own dishes by putting the garbage in the trash can and putting the dishes in the sink.

4) He likes to give four different kinds of kisses (butterfly, eskimo, smack, regular), and loves hugs, especially from his Mama. (His mama loves them too, and may or may not have encouraged him.)

5) He is usually as thrilled with the things Ashley is doing as if he is doing them himself. He loves to share with her, and will often pick out a special toy for her to play with. He hates when she messes up his train tracks, but is generally pretty patient with her. I often find them giggling together in his room.

6) He is on a kick where he wants to sleep on the floor with all his pillows and stuffed animals, and three blankets.

7) He always wants a song about Jesus after he is in bed, and I have to stroke his face as I sing it to him or he will search out my hand and place it on his head. Then we have to sing Popcorn Popping or The Itsy Bitsy Spider, to which he will do all the actions.

8) He is perfectly content to snuggle on the couch and watch basketball with Joel (a popsicle being a special bonus), but he loves to run around and explore in the outdoors.

9) He is fascinated by animals of every kind and most of his vocabulary is devoted to them and the sounds they make. Hyena? hee hee hee. Wolf? Arooooooo!

10) He loves to help me cook and will do everything exactly as I do it. He knows the drill well enough to begin doing things correctly even before I do. He does know, however, to stay far, far away from the oven. We'll see how long that will last.

AND, a bonus:

11) He has taken to the camera. I showed him how to take a picture the other day and he was ecstatic. I just downloaded some things from my camera and found these video clips, which I have strung together. I think he swiped the camera from my purse yesterday while I was putting Ashley to bed.

Here. Indulge me, if you're in the mood:

(the first few seconds are dark; bear with me. And take note of the camera drop toward the end--this is why I am not going to keep it in my purse any more!)

Check-up

Ashley had her 9 month check-up today. We're slackers and didn't get in her in at 6 months (which happened to coincide with Joel's busy season), but here are her current stats for those of you who care:

Height/Length: 27 1/2 inches (38th percentile)
Weight: 16 lbs, 10 oz (25th percentile)
Head: 17.5 inches (50th percentile)

So, there you go, whatever all that indicates. She's healthy and happy and that is all I care about.

It was fun to see how much she enjoyed being examined, though. Yes, enjoyed. She is a happily curious child, and this translates to her being interested in all of the poking and prodding and instruments. Even the doctor was surprised at how much fun she was having. I was just glad I didn't have another Everett who screamed every time someone touched him (he is still scared of the scale).

Even though the office was practically empty, we waited for a long time anyway. I happened to have the camera in my purse, so Ashley and I entertained ourselves. You get two pictures because 1) I couldn't decide which one she looks cutest in, and 2) this is my blog and I can do what I want, even if it means it looks like I think my kids are the center of the universe (I actually don't).

As a side note, the doctor did recommend that I start her on lamb, then chicken, then turkey, and so on. . .in that order.

Lamb? Are you kidding me? I don't even get to buy lamb for myself! There's no way I'm buying it for someone who thinks three week old cheerios from the floor are a treat.

A Gift. . .And A Curse

Tonight Joel went and played basketball for over two hours at the church. I was fine with it because I know he loves it, I had a sewing project to finish up, and I got the chance to make myself THIS:

Yes, that's right. It's a MUG BROWNIE.

Have you heard of the Microwaveable chocolate cake? Well, this is a beautiful, warm, fudgy brownie, and it is 10x better. AND, it only takes 90 seconds.

Go here for the recipe. You can thank me (or send me hate mail) later.