Good Tidings of Great Joy

 "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace,
good will toward men."

-Luke 2:14

Merry Christmas to all!

Making Holiday Magic

We've been busy making some great Christmas memories around here this month.  Checking out lots of twinkling lights, 

 playing games with "snowballs", 

updating all of our decorations to reflect our new addition, 

  riding wrapping paper ponies, 

I photographed my toes to remind myself that this year, I tried to take it easy and snuggle my newborn a lot- that was the most magical part of the whole month.

He's pretty irresistible for all of us.

We also did lots of singing around the piano, 

 making and sharing of lots and lots and lots of treats, 

reading books under the glow of the tree and watching Christmas movies (we decided The Santa Clause is our favorite this year), 

 relaxing by the fire, 

 attending Adam's preschool Christmas program, 

 and enjoying an early Christmas dinner with the adorable missionaries from our ward.

We've enjoyed giving and receiving gifts, but by far the sweetest surprise we've had was this huge package that was delivered on our doorstep one evening- the 12 Days of Christmas from a secret Santa!  The gift came from someone who must know how hard it is to be in a new state with a new baby at the holidays- each day highlights a reason to love Iowa.  We are so excited to check out each one, and are so very grateful for the time and effort and love that someone put into making us feel so at home in Iowa.

One of our favorite holiday traditions is to go caroling and have a soup dinner with some friends- and I never take pictures of it!  This year was no exception, but I will always remember the night because, after we left the first house of songs and well wishes, a quite indignant Emma said, "Mom!  Don't go!  I didn't get... me no candy!!!"  I think she got her holidays a bit mixed up!

Now we are doing our last minute shopping, gathering up costumes for our nativity, and looking forward to a spectacular Christmas Eve and morning together as our little family of 6.

Noah is 2 Months

This picture is a pretty good depiction of our lives lately- Noah is the center of it all!  He has started cooing and smiling and drooling, and he can hold some pretty intense eye contact.  His screams demand attention, and he sends his parents into a frenzy as we try to calm him down while keeping the kids at bay.  The kids don't seem to notice his screaming all that much, but they do creep toward him with caution and curiosity when he is awake and happy.  Despite the fact that I often have to say no because he's crying and flailing, they still all ask me if they can hold him.  Adam especially has a very tender heart toward Noah.  He is so excited for his little brother to grow up just a bit more so they can become the best of playmates.

Leah loves to assess his cries and report their cause to me.  It is so, so cold here in Iowa (-4 degrees out as I type this!) so we usually have the fireplace on.  I set Noah by it in is carseat today to warm him up after a quick jaunt outside.  When he started fussing Leah informed me that it was because he was getting too warm, and I think she might have been right.  She is such a little mommy.

Emma is still struggling to find her new place now that there is a new baby around.  She refuses to categorize herself as anything except "Me big sister!" but she sure doesn't love the times when Noah's cries for attention trump her own.

Jason, having forgotten that all of our infant children preferred their milk-supplying mommy over him, tries to get as much time with Noah as he can.  And when he starts fussing, Jason's always happy to hand him back over to me.  I am too.  I usually love being the one that can calm my sweet babies down.

As for myself, well, I'm two months postpartum.  I'm trying, but occasionally failing to grow into this new life with ease.  I'm tired.  I'm occasionally surprised at the age I see in the woman in the mirror.  I'm anxious to get my old body back, but trying to remind myself of that annoying adage, "Nine months on, nine months off."  Despite that, I'm still amazed at all I have asked my body to do, and all that I am still doing with it every day.  What a blessing our bodies are.

6, 4, 2, and New

Tackling A Nagging Task

My exact words to Jason tonight were, "I cleaned the kitchen last night.  Tonight I am going blog because in 20 years, we will enjoy reading this and no one is going to give a flying flip whether or not I did the dishes today."

I'm grateful that he still did the dishes for his sassy wife.  I guess he knows that an up-to-date blog makes me very happy.

Recognition

Most days around here are filled with activities that are far too fun to be disrupted by chores and cleaning, according to my kids anyway.  Like any mother, the bulk of the housekeeping responsibilities are up to me, and usually with no recognition of the work that is done (or the sleep that is sacrificed to do it).  But in the last few weeks, I've noticed a bit more gratitude from my sweet babies. 

Emma- Mom! My shirt... with throw up on it... is clean!

Me- Yes, because I washed it.

Emma- You did?!! Thank you Mom!

Or today- My diaper is clean!  You changed my diaper, Mom?  Thank you, Mom!

Adam jumped up at lunch today and got me a drink of water. I didn't even ask, I just observed out loud that I was thirsty but stuck to my chair while nursing Noah. He also got Emma a drink- after scouring the kitchen for a pink cup because he knew only pink would satisfy her.  Later in the day- again while I was nursing- after Emma squeezed a gogurt all over her sleeve Adam ran upstairs and got her a new shirt- again pink because he knew that was the only color that would do. 

And even later in the day while I was nursing yet again, Leah wandered into my bedroom and said, 'Mom, do you want me to help you with the dishes? I looked in the sink and there are like...15 dishes in there. I can help you wash them if you want.'

Leah often calls me the "Bestest mommy of all the mommies in the whole wide world."  Adam and I have a ritual of a high five, a hug and a kiss.  And Emma pats my cheeks and calls me "My best mommy".

So, for all of the work and occasional belly aching that I do about it, I can't help but feel awfully grateful for my little helpers today. 

On Sunday I wrote this-

I'm sitting in my car.  It's 11 degrees outside and snow is falling on my windshield.  I am missing church because Emma is snoring in the backseat.

Since she threw away her chewed-up pacifier two weeks ago Emma has been sleeping horribly and refusing to nap.  Instead she sits in her crib for almost two hours, looking at books, singing, dumping the contents of her bed all over the floor, taking out her hair elastics and off her clothes, them acting out scenes from Disney movies at the top of her lungs.  She doesn't exactly protest going down for a nap, but she clearly has better things to do with her time than sleep. Unless she is in the car during naptime.  Then she passes out and here I sit, nursing Noah and catching up on my blog.

Life is good, but it feels frantic.  It's not hard, but there is a constant sense of urgency- nearly panic- around these days.  I think it comes from the desire to make the holidays magical and the ticking timebomb that is a nursing baby.  Anything I want to accomplish has to be done on his time table or not at all.  I have so much that I need and want to do every day, and there just is not enough time to do it all.  And rather than commend myself for the things I am doing, I tend to get down on myself about the things that I'm not doing.  I sorted through and donated toys to our neighbor's toy drive, but I'm positive I didn't teach my kids a darn thing about thinking of those that are less fortunate.  I made two dozen meat pies for the ward Christmas party in Bethlehem and delivered them on time and hot, but I didn't take the time to dress my family up in authentic biblical attire per the invitation request.  I went to bed early last night to catch up on sleep but the trade-off was that I didn't prepare my Sunday school lesson until... well, never.  I passed it off to Jason.  Good thing too, because I'm sitting in the car instead of in the church anyway.

The thing is, there is always something that I could be doing. Housework, school work, church service, community service, exercise- there is always something. Sometimes the day feels over before it really begins because I am running at such a frantic pace just to keep up.  But today is the only day that I can sit here in my car and let my two year old catch up on sleep and watch my baby dream while he rests on my lap and enjoy the snow that is swirling around outside my car.  So that's what I'm going to do.  And, for today, that is going to be enough.

I love small moments of clarity.  They don't come too often as I navigate through these newborn baby days. I've posted this quote from Jeffrey R. Holland on my blog before, but I'm certainly feeling it again. 

In speaking of mothers generally, I especially wish to praise and encourage young mothers. 

The work of a mother is hard, too often unheralded work... 

with night feedings and night teethings, often the greatest challenge of all for a young mother is 

simply fatigue. 

Through these years, mothers go longer on less sleep and give more to others with less personal renewal for themselves than any other group I know at any other time in life. 

It is not surprising when the shadows under their eyes sometimes vaguely resemble the state of Rhode Island.

I am reminded of the scripture in 2 Thessalonians 3:13- "Be ye not weary in well doing"- that is expanded upon in Doctrine and Covenants 64:33- "Be ye not weary in well doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.  And out of small things proceedeth that which is great."

And I sure do think these small things are great.

 

Happy Birthday Jason!

Jason had a birthday!  It was a typical 'reminder that we're getting older' kind of day- a few surprises here and there, but mostly just another day of work and caring for the kids (who, on this particular day, seemed to have very little appreciation for the fact that it was Daddy's birthday and spent the evening crying, being crazy and refusing to sleep, especially the littlest two).  

So, although they can't express it much now, I will say, on behalf of our whole family, that we are SO thankful to have such a hardworking husband and father to love and care for us.  We are so blessed by Jason's hard work, patience and dedication to our family.   

For years Jason has wished for a Coldstone birthday cake, but we could never justify the expense while in graduate school.  He always said he would get one after he graduated, and this year it finally came!  After what seemed like the borderline comedic efforts I went through to get it (trying in vain for a week to order a cake, driving to a Coldstone 40 minutes away to finally pick one up, and hauling the cake, a screaming Noah in a carseat and shrieking Emma football-style with Adam trailing behind through the mall), we were all so excited to give the cake a try.  And it was.... okay.  Not that great.  Probably not something we'll ever get again, but boy was it exciting to give it a try!   We also enjoyed the traditional hiding of Jason's gifts and a date night out.  On a pretty small scale, this birthday celebration was a success!

Noah's Blessing Day

All of the excitement of Thanksgiving week left Noah's nerves a bit shot.  By the time Sunday came, he was looking like this-

And we worried that he was going to cry through his entire baby blessing.

But he was a complete delight- sleeping through the entire church service and not making a peep during the blessing, which was very beautiful and sincere.

And when he did wake up we changed him into the cutest little outfit ever, which he accessorized with his signature scowl.

 I sure do love this boy.

 And this big boy, too.

 And my family.  Having them out here was such a treat.

Thanksgiving Day

The day started off as it traditionally does, with chocolate turkeys for breakfast.  The kids have started remembering this tradition, and my mom really raised the bar this year with these beauties.

 Early morning Emma didn't quite know what to do with herself and her huge hunk of chocolate.

 Adam extolled the virtues of the Thanksgiving Day Chocolate Turkey.

 And Leah dove right in.  It's a fun tradition and that little (or not so little, as was the case this year) bite of chocolate really starts the day of feasting off right!

The rest of the day was just about as perfect as it could have been, mostly because my mom did the majority of the cooking.  I helped as much as Noah would let me, and I had a few other little helpers in the kitchen too.  Leah made the pumpkin pie almost all by herself, with very little help from me.

 Adam was in charge of the sweet potatoes.

 And Emma put the crackers out for the appetizers portion of the day.

 Noah helped out by sleeping peacefully.

 And Al and I made rolls.

Grandma did all of the hard work (meaning anything involving poultry necks or innards)

and Jason and Grandpa were around somewhere... they were quite helpful when it came time to clean up.

And then we worked off the calories by challenging each other to dance-offs on the Wii

then settling in with our turkey sandwiches, shrimp dip, and chocolate pie to watch White Christmas.  It was a Thanksgiving full of blessings indeed.