Why he's so darn good

This week I have received lots of compliments about S's behavior and disposition. "S" by the way, is also known as the guy, the mister, and our son. :) In the past several days people have voluntarily commented on his good nature and politeness. Friends at play group, friends at book club, the missionaries, neighbors, strangers in the grocery store, family over Skype, many more. I have to agree that this guy is a very well-behaved, polite, happy, kind, and obedient boy. And I tell others that I agree with them. He deserves all the compliments he gets and I thank him every day for his goodness.

That being said, last night I chatted with a pregnant friend about my beliefs on why the guy is so good. This is a loaded question, right? Nature vs. nurture. Credit to me vs. credit to him. On purpose or accidental. Well. The truth is a bit of all of the above. Although I am not professionally qualified to allocate exact percentages of due credit, I am his mother and spend more time with him than any other single person on the planet. And this is my assessment of the greatest contributing factors that make him the angelic person we know and adore.

1. His eternal soul: S is a person independent of his mom and dad. His soul lived long before we met him and therefore developed long before we had any influence on him. I believe his eternal spirit and personality is that of a positive and happy guy. He just came out that way from the start. He gets all the credit for his eternal spirit. Well, him and his Heavenly Father who made him, of course.

2. Hypno-birthing: Many of you know we had a natural birth through self-hypnosis. It was a calm several months leading to S's birth because I took time to meditate, breathe, and turn off all my muscles in preparation for the birth. Consequently, I let go of stress and released relaxing hormones and neurotransmitters into my body, like serotonin. I am no expert, but I know this affected him in utero. My stress would affect his development, so how could my lack of it not? Like I said, he just came out calm and at peace. I think those months of relaxation contributed.

3. Routine: From week one Daddy O and I made a lot of effort to give our family consistent routine and predictability. We had to jump right back into our final semester of undergrad, employment, and internships. We could not afford to "go with the flow." We had watched the lives of other parents we know and followed the examples of those who got the results we wanted in our own family. Consequently, we read and adopted the routines recommended by the authors of On Becoming Babywise. Children thrive on routine and I would not have known how to create routine for a newborn if I had not implemented the principles in this book. At almost 2 years old, the guy still has a daily routine that makes for a predictably happy life.

4. Sleep: Everyone is happier when well-rested, right? Well, the routine described above gave us the needed sleep, both during the day and at night. S was sleeping 8 hours a night at three months old, and still sleeps 12 hours at night with a long afternoon nap. He puts himself to sleep without any needed bribes or treats because his body is in a healthy rhythm and he wakes up happy in the morning. When we don't get him right away some mornings, he patiently talks to himself until we arrive. The key to a happy newborn is proper sleep!

5. Wholesome foods: when our family eats healthy, wholesome food straight from the source (aka mother earth) we are happier. When we eat out, binge on snack foods, or take dietary short cuts, S suffers. Kids need real food to become real happy. (see Section 89 blog in side bar)

"To a great extent we are physically what we eat... What needs additional emphasis are the positive aspects--the need for vegetables, fruits, and grains, particularly wheat. In most cases, the closer these can be, when eaten, to their natural state -- without over refinement and processing -- the healthier we will be. To a significant degree, we are an overfed and undernourished nation digging an early grave with our teeth, and lacking the energy that could be ours because we overindulge in junk foods….we need a generation of young people who, as Daniel, eat in a more healthy manner than to fare on the "king's meat" - and whose countenances show it." (Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 476-77) 

6: Faith: I told a neighbor today that my son would not be the person he is without our faith and the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray together, we study together, and what we believe influences every other action we make as parents. S sees this and it shapes the way he understands the world and himself. He knows about his friend Jesus and he is learning about the divine potential that Christ gives him. Of course that makes him happy too.

7. Love:  S receives unconditional love from his parents. We show it everyday with words, snuggles, thank yous, playing, reading, listening, waiting, and helping. He is secure that we love each other and that we love him. This makes for a peaceful, happy home and a peaceful happy toddler. We are not perfect, but we still love him every day.

Like I said, we are not a perfect family and we are not experts, but I give credit where credit is due: S, Heavenly Father, helpful education, parental examples, healthy bodies, Jesus and love. There are a million other reasons I could credit like outdoor play, meaningful mentors, a clean home, freedom and safety, clean water, etc. Let's just leave it at that and be grateful we know this little man and appreciate the good boy he is becoming. I thank him every day. And there has never been a more rewarding use of my time.

Remodel Success!

Today was incredible! We shopped around and found ourselves a great handyman! We received his information from a trusted source and also shopped around to get estimates on our wood repair, but he was still the winner. He was much more methodical in his estimate and actually assessed the damage thoroughly. Then today, he and his teammate fixed the rotted wood and reinforced the weakened spots for about 1/6th the price of the first estimate we got. Whoa. Love it. 

They were so respectful of our furniture. Our window installers did not cover everything. 

With these guys upstairs working away at fixing the wood, I felt über motivated to get this ugly counter top fixed. I started two days ago, but now it is gone! Finished! 

I focused on detaching the solid piece from the counter

Once the sides were loose, they just popped out

The beautiful mess I found underneath

The guy wearing a "smitten" Jared knitted for our first Valentine's together. At least it was supposed to be a "smitten." I still loved it and love that is serves as a shawl over these bare little shoulders. He was a "farmer" today wearing only a diaper and overalls. 

Back to the counter - the mostly finished product

Isn't this so much better?! The room is more open, the counter more usable, the design more simple. When our handyman saw what I was working on while he patched our big "TV hole" he commented that the precious owners (or the people who did those projects) were crazy. Agreed. Both changes to the house are crazy to me too. 

The nicest part: our new handyman offered to patch up the damaged wall where the fake counter had been for no additional charge! He already had the spackle, dryer, sandpaper, and primer out. It was so generous, so I still paid him a little extra. He was great and has our business in the future. 

I am so excited to have the rot taken care of, the ugly hole patched up, and the counter-wanna-be removed all in one day! Woot!

Scripture reading with the illiterate

The little mister doesn't read yet, but we want him to participate in family scripture reading. Jared's way to involve him in all reading has been to have him say the word "I". He's doing great! 

Rainy Day Beads

It has rained a lot this last week. I invited the guy to try his hand at this tricky fine motor skill - stringing tiny beads on pipe cleaners. He did much better than I anticipated despite him being so young. Well done, my guy!

I showed him how to do it first, and he enjoyed putting the beads in the bowl

Then we worked on him stringing them while I held and guided the pipe cleaner

Ooo. He got it on!

More practice

Then he worked on holding and stringing on his own. Success!

Our art display wall, with our beaded creations

What are your rainy day activities? Any good suggested crafts for an almost 2-year-old?

New windows!

What an adventure is home ownership!! We have lived here two months and already have cleaned out the air vents, replaced the leaky gas stove, replaced the original moldy windows, and tomorrow we are fixing some wood rot and a hole in the wall. Wow! The hole was featured in a picture  of the house a few weeks ago. The previous owners put a TV in it and watched it from the living room. We are patching it up.

the original metal windows

the mold.... eww

It is so weird to have giant holes in your house all day

the rotted wood

The final product with drapery and everything, sans the mold 

Then, on the side as my own project, I am removing part of our counters. I feel like I can slowly REMOVE something successfully better than I could fix or add something without paid help. So, the counter in the kitchen: some previous owner built up on the counter top to create a mini wall between the open living room space and the kitchen. But I hate it and want it gone. Looking at our neighbors' kitchens, the originally intended design is much better. So, I have been using a saw, a flat screwdriver, and a hammer to take this baby down one piece at a time.

See that pretend wall behind the sink? That's got to go. 

Wish us good luck! 

Midnight Snack

The other night Jared and I were enjoying some "White Collar" entertainment when we both wanted a snack. We sneak down to the fridge like kids after curfew and I grabbed the cherries. But not before I nearly died laughing at the other treasure I found on the shelf. Do you see it? :) 

I nearly peed myself when my eyes focused on the little truck hiding in our fridge. Oh Stuie! His little cars show up everywhere, but this was a very hilarious first for us. We laughed all the way back upstairs. 

Mama bird update

GOOD NEWS!!

Last night a third-party neighbor took the initiative and called animal rescue! An officer showed up and called out a fire truck to reach the vent and they saved the birds!! They had the owner's contractor remove the netting over the vent so the babies could fly out when they are ready to fly. The officer explained to us that there were at least 4 birds up there and they are almost big enough to launch. His estimate's that they will be in the sky within 10 days! YAY! Then the vent will be cleaned out from the inside out to remove the nest debris. Finally, the netting will be replaced again. Now that is a REAL solution!

I like to think that my little silent prayers and cyber pleading helped find a solution. :) Thank you for the support and encouraging words. They all helped this mama bird. 

Mama bird

Bare with me. This experience has taught me about home ownership and nature. It has also broken this mama's heart on mother's day.

We live in a townhouse. This picture shows the vent that leads into our neighbors home, but it is just above the steps that lead to our front door. Over a month ago a mama and papa bird settled in that vent and made a little home for three little eggs. As the little babies hatched and grew, the bird activity above our steps increased and started to affect our lives. 

The two parents flew in and out of the vent constantly. It seemed that all they did was gather food and feed their babies. With each entrance and exit, the metal flap over the hole sounded an alarming "clank" and startled me and Stu. We spend a lot of time in the front yard, and I sit on the steps. I took the opportunity to teach Stuart about the parents, the babies, and what they were doing. However, bird poop and discarded worms started to pile up on our steps, side walk, planter box, siding, and even were fertilizing our flowers. I tried to be patient and just hose the area down to cope with the unsightly white droppings. 

But then there was the noise. As the babies grew, they got louder and scarier. This sounds silly, but with so many flights back and forth and all the impatient, hungry "caws" I felt light I was living in the movie "The Birds." The majority of their sounds were not sweet, little good-morning songs. Once I even woke up to those shrieking "caws" at 4 a.m.

Our neighbors and we joked about target practice and getting the birds to relocate. The owner of the home kept telling the renters that something would be done soon. 

Then yesterday - Mother's day - I found out from the neighbors that someone came and gated off the entrance with metal mesh. Yay, right? No. The babies are all still inside!

First, that is gross for the residents' health living in the home. Their vent will continue to be contaminated. Gross. 

Second, the parents are separated from their babies!!!! I seriously almost cried at several points during the day yesterday. The mama and papa birds are still around. They sit on the roof or in the trees and just wait. They don't caw or sing. They just watch. I can still hear the babies inside. They are still loud, but this time they are starving to death. The parents can't get in, but they can hear their babies suffering. The babies can't get out and so they will die and decompose in our neighbor's vent. 

I am just beside myself. I know that's the circle of life. But ON MOTHER'S DAY, thinking of someone locking my babies in a cage where I couldn't care for them was too much for me to handle. I can't stop thinking about them. I am so sad for the mama and papa bird's loss. Silly, right? Innocent people die every day. Why am I so sad over a few birds?

Any comforting words to an emotional, pregnant mom?

Happy Birthday, Stephanie!

It was not easy to pick a picture of Stephanie. She is so gorgeous and photogenic that every picture is a beautiful and joyful one. They each catch a different side of her radiant personality. I finally settled on the one she chose to represent herself. But seriously, Steph, there are so many good ones!

Anyway. Happy birthday to this little lady. Steph, I don't know what to write exactly. You have changed and saved my life. That sums it up pretty well. You came in to my life just at the right time and provided all the love, enlightenment, and laughter that God knew I needed right at that stage of life. You have taught me so much about friendship, service, excellence, marriage, style, creativity and faith. Not to mention, you were the world's great babysitter to Stuart. You adopted our parenting style, read our books, loved our son, and made an impossibility a reality. And I think you STILL need to take a vacation away with your sweet husband. Just say the words and you have earned the much earned "Christmas bonus". I love you. Happy birthday!

Happy Birthday, Malea!!

My sister - the clown in the red hat and glasses!

Is it even possible to not smile when looking at this picture?! I love this picture. She sure knows how to have a fun, full life!!

Happy birthday, sis! What a life worth celebrating! I know it was a big milestone and a little sobering, but your life has been just incredible! You love and live and work with so much passion and excitement that you have celebrated everyday with dedicated motherhood to L, accepting companionship to J, uplifting friendship to the LBGs and family, and loyal employment to you-know-who. Not to mention, you made my childhood the best a kid could have asked for. You were the best sister to have around and I owe the large majority of fun, joyful childhood memories to you, your acceptance, your imagination, your encouragement, and listening love. Thank you, Lay, and happy birthday! I love you!

Mother's day

Thank you to all the mothers in my life, and especially to my outstanding Mother:

As mothers in Israel, we are the Lord’s secret weapon. Our influence comes from a divine endowment that has been in place from the beginning. In the pre-mortal world, when our Father described our role, I wonder if we didn’t stand in wide-eyed wonder that He would bless us with a sacred trust so central to His plan and that He would endow us with gifts so vital to the loving and leading of His children. I wonder if we shouted for joy at least in part because of the ennobling stature He gave us in His kingdom. The world won’t tell you that, but the Spirit will.

--Sister Sheri Dew

She is a co-partner with God in bringing His spirit children into the world. What a glorious concept! No greater honor could be given. With this honor comes the tremendous responsibility of living and caring for those children so they might learn their duty as citizens and what they must do to return to their Heavenly Father... A mother has far greater influence on her children than anyone else has, and she must realize that every word she speaks, every act, every response, her attitude, even her appearance and manner of dress, affect the lives of her children and the whole family.

--President N. Eldon Tanner

What a glorious mother's day we had!!

 Jared rose early and made us delicious banana wheat muffins from scratch. We made a mess and all ate them together in our bed. Stuart kept eating them, down at the kitchen table. 

Church was delightful. Jared was asked to teach primary and work with the 11 year old scouts, and that always makes me happy. I am so excited for him. The classes were excellent and at the end the young men gave homemade strawberry jam to all the women. We took it home and ate it immediately on some bread. The store-bought bread was seriously lacking, but the jam was amazing!

Jared made us an amazing BBQ chicken for dinner. He worked so hard on this! He cut the meat off the whole chicken before cooking it. He made his own BBQ sauce, and cooked it in the oven with soaked wood chips and it came out outstanding. It went so well with corn on the cob. We ate outside on our deck and the weather could not have been better. Gorgeous. 

Thank you, Jared, for making my day perfect. You made me feel loved and beautiful through words, service, snuggles, food, and worship. Thank you. I wouldn't be a mother without you, Jared. Thank you for giving me Stuart and the lady and for making my day so incredible. I love you!

Peeling bananas

Independence in a child is really important to me. I've tried to allow Stuart to do as many things for himself that he can. Here is one little example (to share with Grma) of him peeling his own banana and working on those fine motor skills. Muy bien hecho, mijo!

We're having a baby....

drum roll please.....

A GIRL! 

Yay! Stuart gets a little sister, and Jared and I get a little lady. We are very excited. Now that my family knows, I can tell the interwebs. Stuart was the first person we told, of course.

I have heard this combination of kids called "a rich man's family" because we have to buy stuff for a boy and then all over again for a girl. Lucky us, however, my older sister had a girl first one month before Stu was born and now is having a boy just a couple months before our lady will arrive. So we plan to swap clothes and save money and time. Phew! Heaven knows we are limited on both. 

So, life is good and we feel very lucky to welcome a lady to the O household. God is good. And there were no problems found during the rest of the appointment. She is very active already and a whopping 10 oz! So tiny. Then why is my belly so big already? :) I know, I know. She is not the only thing in there making me expand. Just saying. 

Jared took the day off to go to my appointments with me and we celebrated with a family lunch and nap (and a trip to the DMV). Now that's how it's done.... :)

just because

Stuart's world: trains, trucks, cars, planes, blocks and balls. He is such a good independent kid and gets such enjoyment from new toys (like the below train; thank you Karen!) and new activities (like the rocking chair race). 

Although Jared and I are both hovering in both these videos, we are not usually right there watching. Most of the day Stu plays just great alone. I am so grateful he had a lot of independent time as an infant.

Linus and maternity clothes

We have our very own Linus in the O family. He might need an intervention one day to deal with the separation from his beloved blanket. He loves to drag it with him around the house (and deck) and it needs a wash very often. Despite my attempts to throw it back in his crib for later, he always finds it, pulls it through the bed rails and takes it with him on his next adventure. :) Love this kid!

 Like our little potted garden on the deck? Chives from last year, cherry tomatoes, basil, tiny summer squash (to be transferred to the ground soon), and parsley. The deck gets more sun than the earth below.... 

Finally, it has happened at last. I got out the maternity tote. I had to put on the pants this week. At 20 weeks I guess it's ok. I had JUST woken up when we took this picture. Yikes. Sleepy head. 

Well there you have it. The baby belly. 

Stay tuned. Tomorrow we find out the gender!!!

Happy birthday Mara and Liz!!

This is so shamefully late. I am so sorry my dear friends. You both know I thought of you on your special days, because you both heard from me. I cannot explain how crazy this past month has been in our household. Unpacking, cleaning, morning sickness, viruses, finals, visiting family, church assignments, meeting neighbors, new gardens, gas leak emergency, the list goes on. I hope you will forgive my terrible timeline. 

First, Ms. Mara. I chose this picture because when I think of Mara I think of Jesus. Weird? Hopefully not. Mara, you love Jesus and it shows. You study him, you live like him, you love like him, and you have helped me do the same. You inspire so much goodness in me, but in the time that I have known and loved you, this is the gift I admire and appreciate the most. Thank you for your dedicated life, and for helping mold mine. Happy (very late) birthday, Mara. I love you!

Mara and her husband at the SLC visitor's center. 

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Next, Liz celebrated her birthday. Liz, this picture makes me so happy. And so do you! Every memory I have of you over the last decade + makes me so happy. Impossible? I think not. Even the sad, uncomfortable, awkward, forgettable, and regrettable memories. How can that be, you ask? 

Who knows where this picture was taken, but it needs no caption. :)

Because of you! I mean, just look at that face. All my Liz memories have happy endings because you are the  kind of person that makes sure that everything that could be unfavorable still has a happy ending. I made mistakes; you forgave me. I was sad; you made me laugh. I was sunburned; you rubbed my back with aloe vera. We disagreed; you understood. I judged; you taught me to accept. And again, you forgave and continue to love me. I seriously owe so much goodness to you. If only we lived closer to one another. Happy (very late) birthday, Liz. I love you! And hallelujah! I am coming to your wedding!! Ah!