Emily’s Musings

My friend Sandra, who still lives on Saba, emailed me this photo.

This is the view from her house in Windwardside.

Mmmm . . . seeing this makes me really miss Saba.

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It is “two dollar Tuesday” at Thanksgiving Point (per person, per venue) through the month of August.  We decided to take advantage of this great deal (normally, the venues are $15 per person) and left the house early on Tuesday to have some fun.

Let me clarify the term “early” when it comes to my family with two small kids.  Leaving the house before 1:00 in the afternoon is considered early.  I’m not kidding.  You would think that our early alarm clocks (well, Dallin is an alarm clock that goes off religiously throughout the night and especially the early morning) would get our butts out of bed and moving, but let’s face it, we’re slow moving parents.

So, now you can imagine the turbo speed our lives were thrown into when we decided to be at Thanksgiving Point when it opened at 10:00 A.M.  Hannah was COMPLETELY WOUND UP and WIRED yelling “THE POINT! LET’S GO TO THE POINT!”  As if she even knew what “The Point” was . . .

I rushed around the house, packing everything we needed, or might need, for a toddler and a newborn for several hours.  You know, thinks like the washer, dryer and kitchen sink to name a few.  By the time we got into the car, WE WERE ALL WIRED.

Dallin was screaming his guts out, and Hannah was yelling “THE POINT!”  I was rolling around in the front seat while I tried to shave my legs (with an electric razor of course) in the six inches of allotted space between my knees and the dashboard, while David took a deep breath and turned up the classical music in the car to drown out the crying.

Why do we go anywhere?

As we pulled out of the driveway, Hannah stopped yelling “THE POINT!” and started sympathy crying because Dallin was crying so hard.  WE ALL WANTED TO CRY.  David reached his hand into the backseat and stuck his finger in Dallin’s mouth (the binkie was lost in the car seat, and Hannah couldn’t reach it) and asked me to shift.

Remember how I was shaving my legs?  Since I am the MASTER OF MULTI-TASKING . . . I shifted with my left hand (not awkward or anything) and shaved with my right hand.  In between “shift commands” from David (Second gear now!  No!  That’s fourth!  I need SECOND GEAR!  Whatever.  Do I look like a left handed shifter?) all I could think about was getting the two day nasty leg hair growth off my legs in the 20 minute car ride.  What if someone saw me with HAIRY LEGS?  I could possibly be confused as a tree hugger, and honestly, that’s not exactly the image I shoot for.

David’s patience was completely taxed (maybe it was because he only had three hours of sleep the night before because HE HAD TO STAY UP ALL NIGHT AND READ THE LAST TWILIGHT BOOK.  Maybe that’s why.  I mean, I’m not trying to point fingers here and say, Hey, you chose to be tired and ornery.  I’m just not one to to point out the obvious to my spouse.) and he looked at me and said, “WHY ARE WE GOING ANYWHERE WITH SCREAMING KIDS?”

Obviously, because I said so.  And everyone knows that moms call the shots. 

Thank heavens, 20 minutes was enough time to shave and I arrived with silky soft legs.  (Not that anyone besides me noticed)  And Dallin FINALLY stopped crying.  Which meant that Hannah stopped her sympathy crying.  Really, I think we should have a moment of silence to recognize the moment of silence.

We decided to attend the gardens (we’ll do the museum and the petting zoo anther week, if I can convince David the kids won’t cry all the way there) and they were beautiful.  It was totally worth the crazy crying, rushing around, and frustration to get there.

I took entirely too many photos, but I couldn’t stop. It was like Saba, everywhere I looked, there was something else to take a picture of!  This post is a little heavy on the pictures, but the gardens were so beautiful.  Check them out:

Hannah, the little follower.  Always one step behind.

The Roman gardens

Our cute little Hannah Bear, checking out the fish below in the water.

The lily pond.  It reminded me of the park on Saba.

Hannah ran, and ran.  She covered three times as much ground as we did.

Emily, Hannah, Dallin (yes, he actually was there although this picture is the only evidence) and David

Hannah and Grandma Gloria

Hannah and Grandpa Dennis

Hannah in the secret garden . . .

The entrance to the secret garden

Hannah acting as gate keeper at the entrance

The Italian gardens

For such a crazy start to our day, it ended up being so calm and serene.  Dallin slept the entire day (yeah, I knew he and I were going to have a party staying up all night after all that sleep) and Hannah loved exploring as much as we enjoyed walking and looking.  We will certainly go back.

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I’m not exactly known as a “super thoughty person” who always plans really cool stuff for birthdays, anniversaries, and other important events. (People like me for other reasons, like for shopping and fashion advice and every once in a while, someone actually appreciates my knowledge of useless celebrity facts). So this shouldn’t be a surprise to many of you, but two milestones worth mentioning went unmentioned.

The first was our 11th anniversary. It’s not that we didn’t celebrate, because we totally did by power shopping (which is my least favorite kind of shopping for the record) and getting a yummy shake at Iceburg. Fun, huh? It’s not that we didn’t want to celebrate, and it’s not that the 11th anniversary is lame, it’s more like WE’RE LAME. Dallin was home sick, (we had three doctor appointments that day, NOT KIDDING) and I just didn’t feel like leaving my 10 day old newborn for an entire evening. Especially since he was sick! Next year, I promise to celebrate better. Hear that David? Mark your calendar, because our 12th anniversary is going to be AWESOME!

One detail worth noting: I got my original wedding ring sized to fit me (it was like eight sizes too small). I haven’t worn it in about seven years (I’m embarrassed to admit this) and I’m glad to have it back on my finger.

Also, David had a birthday last week. Not a significant one (you know like, entering a new decade) but a birthday none the less. Too bad for David, his birthday was completely overshadowed by Hannah’s birthday party. He better get used to it right?

On his birthday, David gave me a hug and said, “I want to grow old with you.” And I was all, um, that already happened.

David bought himself a golf club (one he really wanted, or needed, or whatever) and told me it was his birthday present from me.

THANK YOU FOR GETTING ME OFF THE HOOK.

I know he loves this specific golf club, because he thanks me for it every time he comes home from playing golf. I just smile and and give him the look that says, I’m an awesome wife. I let you buy your own presents, and then allow  you to thank me for it. It’s kind of like saying, hey, I’M TOTALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR NEEDS.

I’m pathetic. I’ll try harder next year.

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It’s a good thing this shirt is made out of polyester. You know, the kind that never-wears-out-regardless-of-how-much-you-abuse-it. This is David’s “lucky shirt. He wore this shirt when Hannah was born, and said he planned to wear it when all of our kids were born. True to his word, here’s the proof:

This is David with Hannah shortly after her birth in 2006.

This is David and Dallin last week.

David has also worn this very-special-tourist-looking-shirt to other important events like the Kaplan exam (the last exam he had on Saba) at the end of last semester. He also wore this shirt three weeks ago when he took the United States Medical Licensing Exam - Step One.

One thing is for sure, this shirt will be in many more pictures in the future. We all better get used to seeing it.

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Hannah has discovered she has cousins. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know the difference between friends, and cousins, but hey, if people are little and they want to play with her, she is all for it. Hannah LOVES her cousins Katie (who she refers to as “Kitty”), Adam (who she calls “Anam”), and Malaya (who she lovingly refers to as “Leah”).

It is officially getting hot here, (okay, nothing like SABA HOT, but 95 degrees is hot, even with no humidity) so we pulled out a plastic-blow-up-toddler-size-swimming-pool, and let her go at it with her cousins. I told Hannah the ridiculously small pool was the ocean, and that Nemo was swimming in it (because it had fish all over it). She looked at me and said, “NO?”

BECAUSE EVEN 23 MONTH OLD PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THE OCEAN LOOKS LIKE. AND THE OCEAN HAS WARM WATER, NOT FREEZING COLD HOSE WATER.

“Anam” and Hannah

“Kitty” and Hannah

Hannah and some of her cousins . . .

And now I would like mention the LOVE/HATE relationship Hannah has with her cousin Malaya, who is only two months older than she is. Hannah loves to see Malaya, but both of them HATE to share their toys. This is the cousin she had a “Toddler Cat Fight” with over a pair of flip flops. As a reminder, the shoes actually belonged to Malaya, but since Hannah is a firm believer in the “Toddler Rule” of “what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine,” she truly believed the flip flops were hers. But this is not the point today . . .

The point is, the girls played together. And had a lot of fun, BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO SHARE ANYTHING. As long as they can do the same thing at the same time, like jump on the couch, rearrange the kitchen cabinets, or play beautiful duets on the piano, they are friends.

Malaya is so stinkin’ cute, I had to take some pictures of her . . .

Malaya is the “Alpha Toddler” and is most certainly the boss around Hannah, and every other child.

She is so darling, it’s hard not to laugh when she gives Grandma and Grandpa Probst orders . . .

And she expects them to obey her . . . But look at that innocent face . . .

How could you say no to either one of these kids?

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A week and a half to go. This kid comes out FOR SURE in a week and a half or sooner. There are so many things I want to do, and people I want to see before this baby comes, I’m am starting to feel a little overwhelmed.

First of all, I have put a lot of “fun things” on hold, WAITING for David to take the USMLE Step One Exam. There are some things I want to enjoy together as a family, (such as the zoo, and 7-Peaks Water Park) but mostly, I just don’t have the energy of a non-pregnant mom to tote Hannah all over the city seeing people and doing things THAT REQUIRE A LOT OF EFFORT. The big test day is tomorrow. Think good thoughts for David, or heck, PRAY FOR HIM. He has been studying hard, and tomorrow he gets to put his brain to work (and lets hope it’s working) and prove his knowledge.

While he is taking this very hard exam, I will be sleeping in, milling around until after Hannah’s nap, and then I have a play date scheduled with a a couple of her cousins to go swimming. Life is just so hard for me.

Aside from my biggest complaint of BEING HUGE AND UNCOMFORTABLE, life is good. Not much is expected of me (change Hannah’s poopie diapers, feed her food, you know, REALLY HARD STUFF) so I am soaking up this time where no one has expectations of me. It’s nice.

We took Hannah to the doctor today for her FIRST EVER VISIT TO A PEDIATRICIAN. The doctor was quite surprised to hear that Hannah had never been seen by a Pediatrician, but when we explained how we lived on another planet located in the Caribbean and we were just happy to have electricity for seven consecutive days in a row, she seemed to understand. We’re obviously not picky folk.

Hannah needed to get caught up on her immunizations, and this was the part of the visit I dreaded the most. She was very chatty to the nurses and the doctor, and when asked if she wanted a shot, she said, “YES!”

Poor kid, the next time I’m positive she will say “NO WAY! GET OUT OF HERE! DON’T COME NEAR ME!”

She was okay with first shot in her leg, until she moved. Then it hurt. Then the tears fell down like a waterfall. Unfortunately, we all had to endure two more shots in her arms.

SHE WAS NOT EXACTLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

She did get some band-aids and the nurse seemed to think that would make her happy.

I am now going to point out something that may seem crazy . . . Hannah doesn’t know what band-aids are. She has NEVER had one. NEVER NEEDED ONE. Is that weird that she turns two in one month and has not discovered the “healing power” of princess covered band-aids?

Well, it certainly shocked the nurses and the doctor. Apparently, all kids under the age of two LOVE band-aids and are very well aware of their “special healing power.”

Hannah took those band aids off as soon as she could. She called them “stickers” and everyone knows stickers belong on paper, NOT PEOPLE.

We have another appointment for her to get more shots next month. I think I’ll stick that job to David to take her. I figure, if he’s going to be a doctor, he may as well get used to KIDS NOT LIKING HIM.

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I am secretly sad when I wake up in the morning and I am STILL PREGNANT. The last few weeks of pregnancy (I have three and half weeks to go) are just plain exhausting. I have found myself frustrated with my very lethargic, slow, out of proportion, body. My brain has a tendency to go a million miles an hour with lots of fun ideas, projects, and activities, but my body just won’t cooperate. I feel like lazy mom, who literally has to “gear up” all morning just to go out in the afternoon. There is a green-space behind our house that has a swing set, and you would think I would be out there all day, every day, with my child that talks about that very piece of equipment ALL DAY LONG. You would think it would give me enough energy to take her out there, but sadly, I can’t get my body to respond and hop to it!

I haven’t seen my side of the family as much as I would like, BECAUSE I CAN’T GET MY BUTT OUT THE DOOR. A few of my siblings have asked me what I do all day. You know, WITH ALL MY SPARE TIME. Because I don’t work, and toddler’s aren’t really considered work. Here’s the deal, it takes me all morning to get out of bed, make breakfast (which is usually the very complicated and very gourmet meal of COLD CEREAL) get Hannah clothed, and possibly myself clothed (out of PJ’s of course). By the time this very VERY EXHAUSTING process has taken place, it’s time for lunch, and then Hannah and I both take a nap at 12:00. By 2:00 PM, I am ready (hopefully) to run one errand. Please, I can’t over work myself, and I certainly can’t be too ambitious by doing more than one errand because then I would feel obligated to repeat such an “ambitious day,” and really, I can’t commit to something like that.

With that said, I do sometimes get out of the house and indulge my child and husband with fun activities. On Saturday, we went to a carnival in Eagle Mountain. I’m sure the celebration had a “specific name,” but I can’t remember useless information like that at this point. Heck, I’ve only been to Eagle Mountain once, like 10 years ago, and it has changed completely. It’s like a development was plopped right out in the middle of nowhere.

I have only been to one carnival in my life, and that was like 20 years ago. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I had seen enough movies with “carnival scenes” in them to know Hannah would have fun.

It took 25 shots to get a picture of her smiling. I’m sure she was having fun the entire time, but all of these fancy rides were a lot to process. Six weeks ago, she was playing with sticks, geckos, and rocks. This carousel was a BIG STEP UP from her Saba toys.

Hannah’s face was very expressionless on all the rides. In fact, her face looked like this on every ride. The only way we knew she was actually having fun was at the end of the ride and she would finally smile and say, “AGAIN?”

This is Hannah (with her signature look) and her cousin Savannah, who she affectionately calls, “FADANNAH!”

Okay, so she really liked this ride. She actually smiled the entire time.

David also had a great time. Not only did he get to ride on all the kid rides that “required his parental supervision” (because I pulled the very legitimate “pregnancy card” that excluded me from any nauseating rides), but he also got to ride in a helicopter.

That made his day. Or should I say week? Actually, it probably made his year, and now he wants to get his helicopter license. It was that cool.

Right-o. I’ll be sure to remind him to get right on that after he becomes a real doctor.

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Some ladies from my church came over to visit me the other day to welcome me into the ward (in the Mormon world, a “ward” is another word for “congregation”). They asked me where I moved from and they were all surprised to hear I moved from paradise. As I tried to describe Saba to them, I found myself at a loss for words, which rarely happens to me.

How do you describe such a beautiful place without pictures? It was like describing the colors of the rainbow to a blind person. As I talked about Saba, I realized how much I really loved that little island. I miss the beauty of it, and I think I could handle all its little quirks (like grocery shopping only on Wednesday, boats that don’t come in, mail that takes over a month, $12 a gallon for milk, $5 a gallon for gas, and other annoying things) just to see it again. David and I really loved every minute we were there, and only on a few days (when I was longing for real shopping, family, and fast food) did I complain about being “stranded” on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean.

I did attempt to explain this beautiful island, but I’m not sure how successful I was without pictures.

How do you describe the view from our patio? The runway, rainbows, and ocean?

Or this view of the ocean and the islands of Statia and St. Kitts?

Or the view of St. Barths from our porch?

How about this sunrise?

Or the sunrise we woke up to on Christmas morning last year?

Or this sunrise?

Or this one?

Or how about this beautiful sunset on the other side of the island?

I tried to explain that all the homes were cookie cutter houses, that were white, red roofed, and had green shutters. I think this picture displays it much better than I could explain it.

I tried to explain how the whole island was a big hill and everyone walked up hill, both ways, EVERYWHERE.

Some of the hikes had beautiful views like this one.

This cruise ship would come by our house every Friday, January through April. It was something I looked forward to every Friday afternoon. It was so nice to have such an amazing view from my patio.

Everyone seems to have a “scary runway story.” Well, this RUNWAY TRUMPS ALL THOSE STORIES because this is the WORLD’S SHORTEST COMMERCIAL RUNWAY. At 440 meters long, you have ocean surrounding you on three sides. Even though I flew in and out of this island 30 times, (YEAH, THAT WOULD MEAN ON AND OFF THIS VERY RUNWAY) I still prayed and held my breath that I would survive.

This is a view of the runway from Upper Hells Gate.

I tried to explain that iguanas hung out on my walkway and in the garden . . .

And that Hannah wasn’t afraid of them. They were afraid of her!

Wild goats ran up and down my driveway and all over the island. I kind of miss the pesky things.

I explained how the roads were REALLY, REALLY, NARROW. Nothing like a photo for proof.

It’s not always perfect weather in the Caribbean, and sometimes it rains. A LOT. We were always grateful for the rain because every household was responsible for collecting their own water. On the day this photo was taken, 17 inches of rain fell in 12 hours. Everyone’s cistern was overflowing, and THE ENTIRE ISLAND WAS SO HAPPY. Notice how hard it is raining . . . the water is white capping down the road.

And lastly, I tried to explain how small our church group was. It consisted of medical students, so the membership fluctuated every semester. Church was held in our house, and I never thought I would say this, but I miss meeting together as a small group. And hey, you couldn’t beat the billion dollar view during church from our house.

David and I really miss the simple life that Saba offered. We are anxious to return one day with Hannah and this new little guy because he and Hannah are our Caribbean “souvenirs.”

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Apparently, I have been a little unclear about my whereabouts. I have received several emails from readers, all asking the same questions. I hope this question and answer session clears up a few things.

Are you and David back in the states?

YES. We are currently staying with David’s parents in American Fork, Utah. We live right by the American Fork Temple, where David and I got married almost 11 years ago. We love to see it every day.

Is David done with school?

NO. David has completed the basic science portion of medical school, and in August he will start the second phase of medical school, CLINICAL ROTATIONS. He has two years of clinical rotations before he starts residency.

What kind of doctor does David want to be?

NOT SURE YET. All students are advised to not pick a specialty until they have completed all the core clinical rotations. He is positive he does not want to be an OBGYN (too much estrogen, and you know, other stuff) or a surgeon.

How long are you in Utah?

Long enough to finish baking this kid, and get a good “family fix” in before we move across country. We will be here until August. David starts his Family Practice Rotation in mid-August.

Why did you pick Utah?

We are both originally from Utah. We moved away in 2002 (just after the 2002 Winter Olympics) and have only been back for short stints of time to visit our families. Plus, we couldn’t beat the price of food ($0) rent ($0) or company for the four months we have free to live anywhere in the world while David studies for the USMLE Step One. He takes that exam at the end of June.

Why were you in Texas?

Why wouldn’t we want to spend time in Texas? Fort Worth, Texas was our home before we moved to Saba. Our entire life is safely locked away in a storage unit there. We not only needed a “Texas fix,” but we needed to get our car out of storage, and we wanted to spend some quality time with our good friends, Daniel and Lydia before moving back to Utah.

When is your baby due?

Secretly . . . ANY DAY! Okay, so I will be 37 weeks on Friday, and really, WHY DOES HE NEED TO BAKE ANY LONGER? I had an ultrasound last week, and this kid (at 36 weeks at the time) was weighing in at 6 pounds, 3 ounces. PEOPLE, THAT IS A FULL SIZE BABY. And get this, the nurse confirmed that I was ALL BABY. SO TAKE THAT DUTCH DOCTOR!

I have a scheduled a c-section for July 7th. However, that date might be moved up depending on this kid’s size in two weeks.

How Have you liked being back in Utah?

Besides my skin itching and flaking ALL THE TIME, it has been nice. I now bathe in body scrubs, and I apply lotion to EVERY INCH OF MY IRRITATED, ITCHING SKIN. My little family and I have been fighting dry sinuses since we came. Hannah has had a runny nose since we arrived. Frankly, I’m a little tired of dried, crusty, blood in my nose. I can’t believe I grew up in this climate. I simply require more than 30% humidity to live comfortably.

Where are you moving to in August?

We are moving to Houma, Louisiana. Don’t know where it is? Yeah, I’m not sure I do either. It is a small town of about 40,000 people, south of New Orleans, and the slogan of the town is “More Alligators Than People.” Ask me how excited I am now. David will be working at a hospital there.

What are you naming your baby?

The name will be announced when he arrives. It is killing our parents, who are trying desperately to guess the name. We didn’t know we would frustrate so many people by keeping his name a surprise. I mean, you gotta keep something a surprise, right? Don’t worry, his first and middle name have been picked, and we have for sure decided on the last name of LESHER.

What are you doing with all your time?

Do you mean besides sleeping as much as a new born baby? In my awake time, I AM VERY TIRED. I have had a few pregnancy ailments, (heartburn all day long, racing heart for hours) and a few other complications, which keep my body busy. EVEN WHEN I’M TOTALLY RELAXED. It’s big work to house a bowling ball in your belly, and keep up with your toddler, and visit family, and prepare for a baby, and shop, and read, and play with your dogs. WHEW.

What are you craving?

Fortunately, I am NOT CRAVING FLINTSTONE POPSICLES. I had entirely too many of those with Hannah and I blame those popsicles for ALL THE UNNECESSARY WEIGHT GAIN. I can’t seem to get enough water, and I really want to chew or suck on ice. ALL THE TIME. I am totally fine with that because I haven’t had swollen feet at all during this pregnancy. My feet were so swollen with Hannah, I ACTUALLY HAVE STRETCH MARKS ON THE TOP OF MY FEET. I remember calling my sister Jenn, and telling her that I didn’t have any stretch marks on my belly, but I had them on the top of my feet! The lines have faded, and now, the miserable swollen feet days are a VERY DISTANT MEMORY. Thank goodness.

Have you found an OB?

YES. David and I decided on which hospital we wanted to use, and then found an OB. He is very nice and he didn’t tell me I was fat.

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Dear Hannah,

You are now 22 months old. Our family has had some big changes in the past two months, so this letter will have many pictures to show your development, and the major life changes you have endured like a champ.

First, your daddy graduated from the basic science program at Saba University School of Medicine. What does this mean? He is half way through med school which makes him half a doctor, or as we like to to call him, a “tor.” He will earn the “Doc” part when he graduates in 2010 when he becomes a REAL DOCTOR. We all can’t wait for that day.

With all big accomplishments, come big changes. That meant we had to leave our beautiful home on Saba, in the Caribbean. Saba was your first home. You have grown up as a Caribbean baby, playing with rocks, geckos, iguanas, and swimming in the ocean. As much as we loved it there, the only reason we could live in the Dutch West Indies for an extended period of time is if your dad was in school. Since he finished the program (thank goodness for that! I I would DIE if he became an eternal or professional student) we have moved back to the states where he will do clinical rotations.

(This is what a Caribbean baby tan looks like compared to a Utah baby tan.)

The whole family (including the whining dogs) arrived in Texas at the end of April. You traveled so well. It took 19 hours to get from our doorstep on Saba, to Daniel and Lydia’s doorstep in Texas. Not once did you have a meltdown, or cry, or bother the other passengers traveling on our plane. I owe you BIG TIME for that. Someday you are going to read this, and I’m sure you will remind me of how you were such a calm and easy baby, and then your are going to ask for something BIG. I know it.

We went sailing with a friend of ours in Texas. (Who is a dentist and tried relentlessly to convince your dad to go to dental school instead of medical school. He now refers to your daddy as a “real doctor” because apparently, dentist’s aren’t real doctors.) You LOVE boats, and the ocean, so we thought you would be very excited about this sailing excursion.

However, about five minutes into the sail, you said, “All done?” SEVERAL TIMES. Then you would point out other boats on the water and say, “SEE EM!” with all the energy you could find in your little body. I don’t think you realized you WERE ON A BOAT. When I pointed out the water, and told you we were on the ocean, you shook your head and said, “No?” I know I was telling a little white lie, like moms do from time to time, (like when you demand more marshmallows, and I tell you they are all gone even though there is an entire bag waiting for you in the pantry). You are smart enough to know the Caribbean ocean is CLEAR, and turquoise, not dark blue, and murky. When your daddy took you to the front of the sail boat, you looked back at me and said, “FUN!” Good, I’m glad you finally figured out what were were doing was fun.

It has been very interesting to see the world change through your eyes. The first couple of days in Texas, you asked me to go swimming, and you kept looking out the back sliding door asking me about the ocean. You would say, “Ocean? Go?” Again, and again. It broke my heart to tell you the ocean was all gone. You no longer talk about geckos, iguanas, the ocean, or going swimming. It makes me sad to think of the life we left, but it also gives me comfort that you have adapted to your new life of BIKES, WALKS, and SWINGS. THIS IS ALL YOU TALK ABOUT. ALL DAY. EVERY DAY.

(I’d like to point out that your dad put your hair in pig tails on this day. He is multi-talented.)

You are still obsessed with “messes.” Part of having fun at the park is cleaning off EVERY WOOD CHIP, ON EVERY STAIR.

Texas is known for BIG TRUCKS. In fact, I think Texas alone supports the BIG TRUCK industry. Driving around town, you would yell, “TRUCK!” every time you saw a truck. Which was like every other vehicle.

While eating at Taco Bell, (I had to have it because your baby brother was TOTALLY craving it and I had been deprived of such fine cuisine for over two years) you noticed some balloons tied to the back of all the chairs. I am embarrassed to say this, but at almost two years old, YOU HAD NEVER SEEN A BALLOON. You looked very thoughtfully at them and then exclaimed, “CIRCLES!” Yes, they are indeed circles that float up in the air. You poor thing, I will have TONS of balloons at your birthday party in two months. That is if my pregnant brain can remember something that important. You affectionately call them “a banoon.” Yes, you put an article in front of “banoon” every time you talk about them.

You are an excellent sleeper. In fact, I think your grandparents might start asking you for advice on how to sleep 12 hours a night. There was one night of adjustment when we got to Texas, and you had a meltdown when we put you in a Pak N’ Play at Daniel and Lydia’s house. I would ask you, “Where is Hannah’s bed?” and you would point to the portable crib, and cry, “Hannah’s bed!” Then I would ask you where mommy’s bed was, and you would point to the bed and cry, “Mommy’s!” After establishing the bed assignments, you relented, and went to bed just fine.

You were an excellent traveler driving from Texas to Utah. You sat for 22 hours, and really, I don’t even have the patience for that. We are now staying at your Grandma and Grandpa Lesher’s house in Utah. You made yourself at home quite quickly, living by the “toddler rule” which is, “WHAT’S MINE IS MINE, AND WHAT’S YOURS IS MINE.” Several times throughout the day, you will say, “Hannah’s!” Just to make sure that I KNOW WHAT YOUR PROPERTY LOOKS LIKE. It is amazing how much stuff is yours anyway, like kitchen utensils, tweezers, and the T.V. remote control. Speaking of the T.V., you never showed any interest in watching it on Saba. However, since finding grandpa’s (who you call “Demnis”) “Chase Lounge Chair,” you LOVE to watch T.V.

You’ll watch anything really. You just love to relax on that piece of furniture and tell grandma “watch it!” Because obviously it is grandma’s responsibility to turn the T.V. on for you. You follow your Grandma Gloria around all the time and tell her what to do. We refer to you as her “shadow.” You usually convince her to go for a walk, or to the playground by saying, “COME ON!” No one, even your grandma who has a bad back and is recovering from knee surgery, can resist your enthusiasm and charm.

You used your special charm on your grandpa “Demnis” by talking about bikes, ALL DAY LONG. You would look at him and nod your head yes, and say “BIKE!” with such enthusiasm, that he could not resist your darling little face. It only took two days of taking about bikes, and Dennis drove you down to the store and let you pick out a bike. WE ARE ALL GRATEFUL TO HIM. WE COULD NOT LOOK AT YOUR INNOCENT FACE ASKING ABOUT A BIKE ANYMORE.

You love to give us updates on your whereabouts or physical wellbeing. You point out when you get a “bonk” and then say, “Okay?” Just so that we know you are indeed, OKAY. If the injury is in need of a kiss, you will walk up to the closest adult and say, “kiss it?” Most of the time, we don’t know you had a “bonk,” but we are always glad for the update.

You are very sweet to me, and point out where baby brother is ALL THE TIME. Probably because you can’t miss my belly, and that is indeed where he is. You kiss my tummy, and then point out that you also have a baby in your belly. Fortunately, you just have a belly with no baby.

You love to exercise on Grandma and Grandpa’s machines. You have named one machine “Daddy’s” and one machine “Mommy’s and Grandma’s.” Because obviously, those are the only machines we work out on.

Your hair was a mop. Well, more like a BIG MESS, and I know how you feel about messes. Your aunt Rachelle cut your hair the other day, giving it some shape. You had no idea what was going on, you just wanted to play with your tea set. You didn’t sit very still, but your hair turned out darling.

You attended nursery at church for the first time a few weeks ago. I knew you would like it, but I was totally wrong. BECAUSE YOU LOVED IT. What more could a kid want besides toys, other kids to play with, and snacks? When I went in to pick you up after your first time attending, you took one look at me and said, “GO AWAY!” That’s always a nice way to greet your mom. WHO ENDURED 30 HOURS OF LABOR, 40 PREGNANCY POUNDS, AND MAJOR MASTITIS FROM THE GET GO. Maybe you turned out to be such a good sleeper and traveler to even the score. I guess I don’t owe you big time anymore.

A few weeks ago, your dad and I had a Family Home Evening (commonly referred to as F.H.E. where we talk and learn about gospel principles) and I showed you a picture of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. You took one look at the picture and said with exuberance, “JESUS! SWINGING!” which really means “swimming.” You are so innocent and darling, your dad and I couldn’t help but laugh. And yes, Jesus was indeed sort of swimming in the picture.

You are bursting with words every day, and copy everything we do. We love you so much, and we hope you will happily share us with your little brother when he arrives in a few weeks.

Here are some of your new words:

• I need it!
• See it?
• Get it?
• See ‘em?
• I did it!
• Watch it!
• Prayers
• Truck!
• Flag!
• Close it
• Church
• Focus
• Make it!
• Come on!
• Come ‘ere!
• All done?

We love you so much!

Love,

Mommy

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