Blessings and Trials

My life has been a series of ups and downs lately. Mainly up because of my amazing family but man, I'm tired of the downs. We've had appliance issues, (bought a new dishwasher, washer, and dryer in the past 6 weeks!), the A/C went out today (but I fixed it... somehow, no idea how, just messed around for half an hour until it came back on!), I've had some annoying health issues causing problems (and HUGE medical bills :P), but we had a fun summer and are ready for school to start!

Yesterday was the 1st day of school here and my girls were ready! They were so cute all dressed up, backpacks on, ready to go! They have been practicing for several weeks to get up and be ready by 7:15 (the time to run to the bus!), so even though I took them to school on the 1st day, they were ready, so we left! And drove behind the bus the whole way! ;)

***Click on this collage to see the picture bigger.***


We took some pics in front of the house and in front of the school. Then we sat inside waiting for the bell to ring to let us go to class! Jillian found friends and went off to 2nd grade. She has a fabulous teacher that I was really hoping she'd get. The teacher already knows her from when she was a kindergartener and would go to 2nd grade for reading time. She said, "I've been waiting for YEARS to get Jillian in my class!"

Miranda was a little more reserved... just taking it all in. I walked her to class and took more pictures, which she happily posed for and then we put her bag at her cubby and she got to pick a seat and start coloring. One of her friends from church is in her class, so I thought that would make her comfortable but her friend was running late that day and when I left at 8 AM, she still wasn't there! Miranda was totally fine though and the friend showed up a few minutes later, I was told. :) The only problem of the 1st day was that she didn't tell the teacher she'd brought a lunch in her pretty, new pink lunch bag. So the teacher bought her a cafeteria lunch. Way to make me look like a lame parent who didn't send her kid to school with food or lunch money! :) I wrote a note to her teacher and included money to pay her back, so she actually ate her lunch today and all is well. :)

Natalie has LOVED being the big girl at home. She's been very helpful and obedient. Lately she's liked to talk silly (like a baby) and act like she doesn't know what I'm asking her to do. :( Not anymore. She is doing what she's supposed to do without me asking and no more baby talk! Seems she was just wanting more attention... oh, is THAT the problem??? :) Yeah, never enough individual attention around here. A couple of cute things I want to record for posterity... the other day I was looking for some framed pictures of Christ that I had put down and forget where I put them. I asked Natalie to look with me and she said, "Jeeesus, where arrrre you?" Hee hee! Also, we were playing Disney DVD Bingo and Rafiki (the baboon from Lion King) came on the screen and I said, "That's Rafiki," and she said, "No, Mom, that's FREAKY!" :) Love that girl's personality!


Lucas is driving me INSANE! I love the boy to death but I'm struggling to figure him out. He is spitting up, throwing up, ruining his outfit and mine several times a day, crying whenever he can't see me, and kind of moaning any time I'm not holding him, feeding him, and looking at him! I know some of this is normal baby stuff. He's teething. He's 8 months old and has separation anxiety. But the throwing up is REALLY bothering me. Something is wrong and the dr said he's a happy spitter, so it's just a laundry problem. Not so! He seems to be in pain when he's eating at least once or twice a day. Bite, bite, shriek, boo hoo, sniff sniff, bite, bite, repeat. Seriously he is a big kid and they think because he's gaining weight he's fine but I think he's in pain and that's why he's only calm in my arms. When he's in my arms, he is in heaven and he smiles at me and touches my face and "talks" to me. He is a joy in my life. I just want to help him be happier.

More on the positive side, he is rolling, scooting, clapping, smiling, playing with toys, sleeping 11 hrs straight every night, taking 2 naps a day (about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs each), reaching up to be picked up, developing wonderfully... maybe he'll crawl someday... but I'm seriously worried about him. I've changed his formula umpteen times and he's on Zantac now for reflux (it's gotta be that, right?) but it's not helping. I've tried Mylanta too but haven't noticed a difference. Any experienced mamas have advice for me???

So there have been some frustrations since I last posted but a lot of good things too. My birthday is on Friday and I'll be the big 33! What a cool number! ;) I was asked to accompany someone singing in church last Sunday and I was nervous. She has an incredible voice and I don't practice much, so I really didn't want to mess her up! I was shaking like a leaf and Ben sat beside me to turn the pages and I played it better than I ever had before, so I was happy. One friend told me I did a great job and I said, "That's what I have to do to get to sit by my husband in church for a few minutes!" :)

Ben is still the bishop and crazy busy. He's out doing bishop visits right now. Wednesdays he's at church, Thursday he has home teaching... I might see him on Friday for my birthday! Cool! :)