Abundant Recompense Copy

Addison is a big boy. We all know this. But his amazing progress doesn't come without growing pains. Teething; wanting a toy that's just out of reach and not being able to get it; the list goes on and on. Sometimes when he's half-asleep in his crib, he'll end up flipping over onto his tummy and will want to be on his back or his side, but just can't seem to remember how to get there. Poor little guy. So Mommy and Daddy have to rescue him. If we don't realize what's happened, though, we'll assume that he just needs a minute to put himself back to sleep. If that goes on for too long he wakes up all the way. The following video shows Mommy trying (in vain, I might add) to get him back to sleep after one such situation. Despite the less-than-favorable circumstances under which this video was filmed, it gives our viewing audience the chance to hear one of my favorite sounds: Addison talking and sucking on a finger at the same time. Even though it only happen...

Addison and I took a little trip down to Provo last Friday to watch my sister Shauna graduate from BYU in marriage, family, and human development. Congratulations Shauna!

In celebration of Addison's upcoming 5-month birthday, his mouth decided to give him a little present. That's right, he has a tooth!!! Or at least a corner of one. And what a cute little pearly white it is. And Addison has been very gracious in his acceptance of this thoughtful gift. He's been a bit feverish and has had a little trouble sleeping, but he's taken it like a champ and hasn't been all that cranky.

Frankly, there are many days when I long to be saving the world. Or getting a master's degree. Or making bank as a band director (shoot, or even a janitor). But let the record reflect that today, April 23, 2008, I am happy as a clam to be a homemaker. I love Addison. This morning I read the book "Follow that Bee" to him and he was so fascinated that we read it again. His hair's starting to fill in. He's wearing what I think is my favorite outfit today. I love Nate. He is so patient and kind. I really enjoyed ironing his shirts this morning, and making our bed. Not that those are huge things, but they make life a little nicer and less hectic and slobby-feeling. Although tomorrow I may once again be gazing at the "U" on the mountain to the east of us with longing, today, for whatever reason, I will scrub the toilet, take out the stinky diapers, and burn a batch of chocolate chip cookies with a big fat smile on my face. Yeehaw!!

All right, we don't usually just link to an outside video, but this is one we feel like everyone should be aware of. The following video depicts a real situation at a mall in California last month. It could happen to YOU sometime.

One more then I promise I'm done. Just wanted to tell our vast audience that Addison is becoming a big boy. Here's the proof. - He smiles all the time - He can breathe pretty well even with the wind blowing - He can roll over both ways! He doesn't recognize how useful it is yet, though. - He laughs. This is my favorite one. - He reaches for stuff and puts it in his mouth when he can get it there. - He can support himself really well with his legs. I am of the opinion that it's because of his dad, who is his self-appointed trainer. Just about every night, Nate works with Addison to teach him life skills like sitting up, standing, and crawling. What a good dad. These pictures are from the first weekend in April.

We had one more adventure last Saturday that Nate was too embarrassed to write about. Before our hiking excursion we went to Liberty Park to feed the ducks. Addison had a great time in his stroller soaking up some rays and watching the lake and the people and the birds. We tried hard to avoid the seagulls, which are gross if you've never had much contact with them, and to get to the two ducks that were around, but competition for that bread was pretty fierce, so Nate decided to make the geese work for it (since they're the only ones that would). The documented evidence makes me wonder who was working harder, though, and who was more scared. Must be those ferocious beaks or the powerful weapons they like to call webbed feet. Notice Addison's feet in the video where you can see them.

Last Saturday (April 12th) we took advantage of the beautiful weather by... going up the canyon into the snow. Yeah, smart. My idea. But it was still fun. I knew it was going to be good the minute I got Addison outta bed. So up Big Cottonwood Canyon we went. Our intended destination was Donut Falls, but I stopped at Mill B instead of Mill D, meaning we were on our way to Lake Blanche. Didn't even make it a fourth of the way, but no big loss. The area was beautiful and the air not even that cold. We made the hard core cross-country skiers feel uncool--here were a couple out-of-shape parents and their four-month-old sharing the trail in tennis shoes. Addison started out with two pairs of socks on his feet and one pair on his hands, and he finished with two socks total. Next time, shoes.

Just because I butchered the explanation in my elders quorum lesson last week (and to get Dad's goat by posting an Addison-less blog entry), here's another way to think about baptism (based on a concept from my New Testament class at BYU): In Mormon baptisms, we are apt to equate water baptism with the washing away of sin. The more potent symbol, however, is baptism as death. When we're baptized, we act out our own death and rebirth (or re-creation), a new creature: "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). How utterly terrifying, and what an act of faith, to submit to a watery grave, trusting the missionary or whoever's there representing Christ to bring you back from death. (Perhaps that's why we baptize at 8--if we were dunked as teenagers, Dad might just be tempted to leave us under.) In the creation my...

Nate brought to my attention that I should probably follow up on the terribly sad post from last week. Thank you to all of those who gave advice and sympathy - I think it's a world record for number of comments on one post (like three or something - ha). So, I think it's been just over a week, and things are going much better. Addison usually still cries a little when we first put him down, but usually not for more than five minutes. Overall I'd say that although teaching him to go to sleep by himself has been terrible, it's also been worth it. Because: * If he wakes up in the day or night for no reason other than habit, he can squeak around for a minute and fall back asleep. * He can go at least 8 hours in the night now without needing a bottle. * Mommy and Daddy can also sleep for 8 hours in the night now. * He takes better, meaning longer and more predictable, naps during the day, which help him to sleep better at night, which makes him take better naps during the da...

The voting is in and it's unanimous: we had an awesome weekend. There wasn't anything super spectacular about it, but it seemed really long for some reason and it was just a good time all around. The weekend marked six months since we've been in Salt Lake City, so we celebrated by watching conference and visiting two places that only native Salt Lakians know about, or so we thought. Turns out we're actually the only ones in Salt Lake that are aware of their existence! Our visits were slightly eerie because nobody - meaning zero people - was there other than us. When you live in Salt Lake City that's a big deal. But we'll let you in on our secret places. The first was a big cemetery up by the University of Utah. Nate heard from someone at work that there are some great views of the city from there. We didn't find the view, but we did find a herd of deer! They let us get pretty close before they bounded away. Location numero dos is a little yard full of crazy ...

I just couldn't resist.

Michelle says blogs and Facebook are appropriate Sunday activities if done "in the proper spirit," so here I am, blogging it up with a singleness of heart. Conference weekend is here again, meaning it's been six months since we moved back from Boston. Crazy! We dragged the TV out from its hallowed place under a pile of clothes in a dusty corner of the bedroom, and after an elaborate ritual involving antenna cables and tin foil, channel 5 comes through in perfectly fuzzy black and white. At least the sound is good. So, I've learned a lot from the brethren and sisteren (such as the fact that Pres. Monson is an adept ear-wiggler), but let's be serious: playing with Addison has often preempted listening to the talks. If possible, he's got even cuter than when he was born, and (this one is definitely possible) he's more fun than he was for the first one or two or three months. He is a blast these days: (Sorry it's sideways and Add looks like a ghost.) Frida...

My heart is breaking!!! Addison went to the doctor for his 4 month check up on Tuesday and did great (14 lbs. 5 oz; 25 in long). But, the doctor asked about his sleeping habits. So I told her that he usually wakes up once or twice a night and we feed him and let him spit up all over us (he has reflux) and rock him back to sleep. This involves letting him suck on your finger and pacing back and forth in the kitchen (don't ask me why it's the kitchen) for like 15 minutes. She said that he should be sleeping 8-12 hours a night at this point and the problem is that we're rocking him to sleep. This is the doctor telling me this - not my friends from church or some mystical old woman, a licensed pediatrician. So we have to teach him to go to sleep by himself and I HATE IT!! It consists of making sure he's sleepy, giving him a squeeze and a kiss and assuring him that despite my meanness and neglect I really do love him. And then I have to lay him in his crib and let him cry hy...