Vision and Shopping Extravaganza

This morning I fed John at 6:00am and then we stayed in bed until past 9:00am while John was sleeping. It was beautiful, a precious opportunity that doesn't happen often, to spend time with Seth in the morning on Saturdays and not hurry to get up. So excellent.

Seth and I had our annual eye exams, and the doctor gave me great news! He said it IS just fine to get lasik when you are breastfeeding (but not when you're pregnant). The only thing is that the antibiotics from the eye drops might get in your breast milk for a few days. No problem! We can just feed John bottles for a few days with the million bags of milk in my freezer. Well, lest you think I'm going to do this tomorrow, it probably will be at least a year before we can afford it. But for now I can dream. I can dream about waking up in the morning, opening my eyes and being able to see clearly, even all the way across the room. I learned today that I have 16 inches of clear vision. I can see clearly 16 inches away from my face. So I am grateful that even without lasik, or glasses or contacts, I can see my wonderful Seth next to me when I wake up in the morning. That is a beautiful sight to me.  And I did get 2 new pairs of glasses today to change it up a bit (have gotten a little tired of the ones I've been wearing for 2 years). So it will be fun to wear some very different ones. And I am very thankful that I have eye doctors to help me, and the technology and means that make it possible for me to even have glasses. I know there are many less fortunate who just dream of a pair of glasses so that they can see at all. (Wow, I am making myself feel way more content with my own situation. Maybe dependence on glasses isn't so bad.)

While we waited for my glasses to be made, we explored Beachwood Mall. Something we never do. We  don't really like shopping or malls in general, but we were there anyway, so why not? We found a gem, in the form of a Crocs store. Who knew Crocs were so wonderfully comfortable!? Maybe anyone who's worn them. So we got me the most comfortable church shoes I've ever had, for Christmas. And after we got my glasses, we stopped at a Sporting Goods Store to find me some yoga clothes because mine are all either maternity or falling apart. We found some excellent Reebok clothes that even make me feel like doing yoga all the time. I could wear them every day, and I just might! So Merry Christmas! Presents are very different as an adult. There isn't as much surprise in it. We kind of just get whatever clothes and shoes we need for the year and call it good, but I really look forward to it, and I'm ok with our setup, and usually we do at least one surprise. Seth already found his...what to do?


I came across this absolutely inspiring video about Christ with gorgeous music. Enjoy! Merry Christmas!

I Love My Life

I feel very tired right now and would like to go to bed, but I just can't until I write down my thanks. Last night, as I nursed John, I gazed down at his little chubby fingers, saw the peaceful contentment on his beautiful face; I was filled with wonder. A wave of gratitude washed over me. Long after John was asleep, I just held him close, reflecting on my many blessings. I felt so thankful that the Lord gave me such a righteous, fun, loyal, supportive and loving husband. Seth brings me so much happiness, he creates a fullness in my life. I think of all the years that we hoped and prayed and longed for children. 

And that time is finally here. We are parents, together. It is richness to share this journey with Seth. It's a more difficult journey than I expected, but worth every effort. I love planning with Seth. Long before John came, we often planned what we would do in different parenting situations, thought of ways we could teach our children the gospel and how to be happy, hard-working, well-rounded people. I loved looking to our future together, I still do. And now those plans seem so much closer, so much more real. Not all our plans will work out, we'll have to modify and mold them to each situation, but I still love to talk about them with Seth.  I love being a mother. I just want to have a house full of children and to create such happy memories for each one of them.

Today, I bundled us up and took John for a walk to the library to get some new audio books to listen to when I'm doing the dishes, making dinner or driving (we finished the Harry Potter series...again! I love listening to Jim Dale, I give him the best actor award. I got a couple more audiobooks he's read, and I'm excited!). As I pushed the stroller, I looked down at John, smiled and made faces to make him laugh and smile, I thought, "This is the life! and it is my life. I have to make every minute count, and savor every moment. It is so precious to be alive. I am so grateful." 

Seth is in Detroit tonight. He got to go out to dinner with his mission president and his wife, the Pulsipher's. They're president and matron of the Detroit Temple. He also went to worship in the temple. Tomorrow he has a 6 hour exam that he's been studying for for months and months. What an excellent way to finish off his preparation for his test by going to the temple and seeking the Lord's help. I know he'll do great. I sure miss Seth. Being apart for even one night seems too long. I'm so proud of him, and I'll be praying for him all day tomorrow.

John's 3 Months Old! Part 2

Baby John has been 3 months old for half a month already! But it’s been hard to get a chance to sit down and write, but I really need to before he’s 4 months old!!
John is a SUCH a fun stage right now! I love interacting with him.
He is so responsive. He loves to look at faces and watches people very carefully.
He recognizes me and Seth! That makes me so happy.

I know that he knows us because when he sees our faces he usually smiles really big!

He loves when Daddy comes home :) He smiles and Seth makes him laugh. It is so cute.
John is really developing in his motor skills as well. He can bat at toys now and grab onto them if they are a good shape for him to grip.
His abs and legs are getting way stronger (and chubbier!) too.
He often kicks really hard and does the bicycle.

He also puts his legs straight up into the air, and they are so heavy now that they often plop down to the side!

So he has officially rolled over onto his side. I am so proud. I can see that he’s getting close to rolling from his tummy to his back too, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens in a few weeks.
John is getting much better at tummy time. He hates it less, and this week he even held his head up for a full 3 straight minutes!

He drools most of the time and loves to lick anything near his face.

We took John out in the cold weather, which has sometimes been windy and rainy. Whenever he feels the wind or rain, he sputters and spits! He really doesn’t like it. It’s kind of funny, but only because it only lasts for a few seconds before we get him inside.

John loves to sit upright. If you hold his waist, he can sit so tall and prefers that position. He does not like to be cradled unless I’m feeding him.
He also loves for you to hold his waist so he can stand up and bounce. He can support a whole lot of his weight. He is just growing so fast!

 John's a talker. He loves to gurgle and coo, often during church - which distracts many admirers...sorry! - and I just love that he is expressing himself, even though I don't know what he's saying.

When I nurse John, his free hand is almost always moving around. It’s almost like he’s doing a little dance with his arm, moving it back and forth, flaring out his little hand. It just brings me joy to watch him. And PS, I am so grateful that nursing does get better after the first couple months. Yes, I am so thankful.

John is very good at holding his hands together. And they are often in his mouth. 

He loves to suck on his fingers, and he often sticks them back too far and gags himself. That always scares me. I cut John’s nails for the first time a week ago. That was scary. I did it when he was asleep, but it was still so hard! I’ll have to get better with practice.

John is getting so tall that he doesn't fit in a lot of his 3 month clothes. Most of the 3-6 month clothes fit, and a lot of the 6 month clothes. I often feel like he only wears each thing a couple times, and then he’s grown out of it!

Our home scale says he’s 15.5 lbs now (can you believe it!?), and we have his 4 month check up soon, so stay tuned for stats!

Cleaning House - I Can Breathe More Freely

Since John was born, and my recovery was slow and very difficult, things kind of piled up around the house, especially a veritable mountain of clothes in our bedroom. It was right between summer and winter clothes, and it seemed that after having a baby, my clothing size has been constantly changing, which is good, but difficult to figure out a wardrobe.

But, FINALLY, I’ve gotten it under control and figured it out. I have sorted through all the clothes and have found some things to wear and some things to organize and pack away. After I worked my first week back at my grading the TOEFL online from home job, which was 32 hours, and our power was out for a couple of those days, my schedule drastically decreased. The following week I worked an 8 hour shift, and the week after that a 4 hour shift. That gave me some time to work on the house.

I get big plans in my head of to-do lists that I used to accomplish before having John that I have to scale back to about half. It has been a good learning experience for me. I am improving little by little at pacing myself and not trying to do it all at once. I only over-extended myself a few times while I was working on the house, lifting and moving heavy things that I should have waited for Seth to do…I got a bit impatient and wanted to get it done “now” while I was in the mood. Well, the conclusion is that every room in our house has been organized and cleaned, and it feels SO good to be in our house now. I can breathe more freely and enjoy the space so much more and with less stress. A lot of rooms needed to have furniture re-arranged; we put a couple small dressers into the guest room for Seth’s clothes so now all his clothes are in the same room which is nice for him. 

We moved our piano into the dining room and the book shelf to the living room and moved our couches facing the fireplace so that our fireplace can become functional. We also got a half a cord of wood to prepare for emergencies – and to have cozy fires in the winter sometimes. Our landlord let us get some new fireplace doors too because there weren’t any. We’ll install those early December when we have time, and we still need to get the chimney inspected and find a fireplace grate and some tools and a dutch oven for cooking in a log fire if the power goes out…all in good time though. We are making progress a bit at a time.       

And I don’t want to make it seem like I did all the work myself. Seth is the most helpful husband, and I am grateful for all his help. He is so good taking care of John and helping around the house. I am truly thankful. As an example, the day before we left for our trip, and I had a ton of packing and preparing to do, and I truly didn’t want to leave a mess to come home to, I woke up and went downstairs to find, not a mountain of dirty dishes to plague me,

but a bright clean kitchen and a mountain of clean dishes and a full, running dishwasher. Seth doesn’t admit he was the one who did it, but unless there are kitchen cleaning fairies in our house, I just know it was him, and I am thankful.

John is 3 Months Old! Part 1

As you know, John has a wonderful playmat given to us by my awesome friend Linda. There is a cat that hangs on the top and makes nature sounds or plays songs with accompanying flashing lights. John has liked to watch the lights and is very intrigued by the music, so much so that I've heard the songs so many times that they are constantly in my head. I mean ALL the time! For a couple weeks, John has been interested in looking at his hanging toys while he sucks on his hands, and sometimes sticks his fingers in too far and gags a little bit. This was the first day that John started trying to hit the hanging toys. Oh, I was so proud! Just wait 'til he graduates from college!



And I'm so excited that he's so much more interested in his toys now, and I don't play the songs very much because I was going a little cuckoo.



The first video was a night, so I'd thought I'd take one with a little bit better lighting.

2012 Election Thoughts

Well, yes. I am glad it is over. I will not miss all the political attack ads and staying up late to watch debates in which the debaters don't really answer the questions but instead tell how the other guy isn't a good candidate. I will not miss having our Romney Ryan sign vandalized in our yard (I can't tell you how fired up Seth got about that one, but our duplex neighbor Bob just put up another one :)

Although many people think that all Mormon's supported Mitt Romney, there are many who prefer President Obama. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially remains nuetral and does not choose or promote any political candidate. I was very glad to see that our prophet and the apostles (the leaders of our church) put out an important message after the election to let us know what we should do now the election is over: (I added the bold)

First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Congratulate President on Election Win

SALT LAKE CITY — 

The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement Tuesday:

We congratulate President Obama on winning a second term as President of the United States.

After a long campaign, this is now a time for Americans to come together. It is a long tradition among Latter-day Saints to pray for our national leaders in our personal prayers and in our congregations. We invite Americans everywhere, whatever their political persuasion, to pray for the President, for his administration and the new Congress as they lead us through difficult and turbulent times. May our national leaders reflect the best in wisdom and judgment as they fulfill the great trust afforded to them by the American people.

We also commend Governor Romney for engaging at the highest level of our democratic process, which, by its nature, demands so much of those who offer themselves for public service. We wish him and his family every success in their future endeavors."

Despite our disappointment that Mitt Romney did not win the Presidency, and Josh Mandel didn't win a seat in the Senate, I am grateful to be an American.

I am thankful for the right to vote and that the voice of the people can choose whom they want to represent them. I am thankful that, unlike much of the world, we are not ruled by a king or a dictator, and that I will get to vote again in 4 years for the President and that I frequently get to vote for other political leaders. I am thankful especially for religious freedom, and I hope the people and the leaders of America will do all they can to protect that right. I am thankful that there is a system of checks and balances so that one governing body can't take too much power. I am grateful for the Constitution which was crafted by the inspiration of God.

The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith:
"According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles;

That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment. Therefore is is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.

And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood." (Doctrine and Covenants 101:77-80)
I know that this is a choice land and a blessed land. I will support and sustain my leaders and pray for President Obama and those others who lead our nation. I will support them by trying my best to be a good citizen, and to stand for truth and righteousness, and by keeping the law.

When I was a kid and used to recite The Pledge of Allegiance, when it was still allowed and encouraged to be recited in schools, I didn't really understand what it meant. But I do now, and

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,
And to the Republic for which it stands,
One Nation,
Under God,
Indivisible,
For Liberty,
And Justice
For All.

It wasn't Abraham Lincoln who first said it, but it was Jesus Christ who taught us that a house divided against itself cannot stand (Luke 11:17).

Let us not be divided against each other, not Latter-day Saints, not Americans, not any one of us against each other. Let us rejoice in what we have in common. Let us be One Nation, Under God, Indivisible. I know that if we worship the Lord that He will continue to bless and prosper and protect our country.

God bless America.

John's 1st Halloween

Halloween is really not a favorite holiday of mine. I especially detest all the horror that is celebrated on this day and can't understand why people like it. However, this year I did delight in dressing baby John up in a Giraffe costume that made him even more adorable if that's even possible!

We went to our ward Halloween Party on Saturday night. John was only in his costume for a couple minutes because it was SO hot in the gym.

But he did get another opportunity to wear his costume. All day long, in fact. The Sandy storm came through Cleveland on Monday. There was a lot of rain, a little flooding and 50 mph winds. I had a hard time sleeping because it sounded so scary outside.

Monday night we lost power, which also means our heating went out. I realized that I really need to get on the ball to be better prepared for emergencies, and I need to start - this week. We were ok in the morning. We stayed under a lot of blankets for a while. Seth couldn't get into work, so he studied from home.

The heat started to drop, so we put John in his snow suit. He really hated it. But he had to stay warm. So what did we do? Put him in the Giraffe suit. He loved it. Well, we loved it, and he didn't mind, and he stayed very warm.

Our wonderful neighbor, Bob Winder, let us come over to his side of the duplex and use his gas stove and fireplace. Seth got some wood, and we stayed in front of the fire for the rest of the day and most of the evening. We had our head lamp flashlights on. I tried to change John's messy diaper with just my head lamp. It was much more difficult. I felt more and more grateful for the modern conveniences that I so easily take for granted, and my hat went off to all the mothers in the world in all eras who had to change baby's diapers in the dark and cook dinner in the fireplace.

By 10:00pm our house was getting pretty cold, in the low 50's. Now, Seth and I could certainly be fine in the low 50's, but I was worried about our little baby John. We were so thankful to all our kind friends who offered to take us in. We ended up staying over at the Foutz' home. They were so hospitable to us and provided us with everything we needed. John was nice and warm, and so were we, and I was able to work (online) all day today and care for John in a very comfortable environment. I was very grateful.

Through this experience I have been helped to see how much more grateful I should be for the blessings I have, especially that my family is safe and dry and warm. My testimony that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was strengthened. I saw that our ward was immediately mobilized to help each one in need. Visiting Teachers and Home Teachers acted to watch over those over whom they have stewardship to make sure they are ok. We had no less that 4 offers of shelter and were even asked if we'd like to borrow a generator. I felt so thankful to know that even when the disasters get much worse than this, we are in good hands, the hands of those who love the Lord and serve His children.

 My heart and prayers go out to all the people who have not been so fortunate in this hurricane/storm.