Bad baby and bear hugs

Nathan refuses to sleep in the same room with Rosie Bloom, the cabbage patch doll I played with when I was a young 'un. I didn't just play with her -- I took her everywhere, dressed her up, pierced her ears myself, gave her a distinct (funny) voice, and insisted she was real. She ate with us at the table and you can spot this bald doll in informal family pictures. I obviously loved her, and now my son is terrified of her. Nathan was fine with the doll until this week. I took her out before Sophia was born so we could "practice" having a baby in the family. I even caught Nathan buckling her into our infant car seat one day.

Here's what happened: Nathan came into my room twice in the wee hours of the morning. I figured he had experienced a nightmare. On Friday night I read "Where the Wild Things Are" to Nathan at bedtime (his latest favorite), and then he started talking about the BAD BABY. He said, "The bad baby can get Mommy, Papa, and Sophia, but not Nathan." I had no idea what he meant. I looked up and noticed Rosie Bloom in the headboard of his car bed. I asked, "Is this the bad baby?" He nodded. I asked him if he wanted me to put the doll in Sophia's room. Yes. So I placed the doll outside her doll, but his door was left open. A while later I noticed the bathroom light was on with the door closed. Nathan was inside sitting on a stool. I told him to get up and go back to bed. Then I noticed the light on again a few minutes later. I then realized he didn't like the doll in his line of vision, period. He even wanted to cover his face with his blue blanket to be a "blue ghostie." So I told Nathan I would put the doll in my bedroom. I asked Nathan if the baby fell on him, and he said, "The baby fell on my cheek and stood on the carpet." Dan and I figured the doll fell and got him on the face, but I wonder if the doll landed upright on the carpet or he just dreamed that. I brought out the doll Saturday while he was sitting by his Papa, watching him play World of Warcraft, and I had the baby dance around by him. (I'm a tease.) He just pulled a face like he was trying not to smile. I replaced the doll with a stuffed animal dog on his bed, and he's happy with the replacement.
#1 cutie pie moment: I told Nathan I had to go with the young women to a church event Saturday morning (Best of Especially for Youth), and he told me, "No, Mommy, you have to stay home with us." He said it so sweetly, looking up at me with big brown eyes, but he was still asleep the next morning when I slipped out the door.

Sophia is now a busy-body toddler. She keeps herself very busy getting objects out of the trash, using tissues to "clean" the floor or trying to find goodies in empty candy wrappers. I spent most of Saturday putting away outgrown clothes into vacuum-packed bags (they're great space savers!) and organizing things, and little Sophie spent her time following after me, taking clothes out of the drawers I just organized and trying to stuff them in a sock drawer or putting them in the kitchen. She even tried to plug in the vacuum after we used it! She acted like she was on a mission to get things done, even though I felt like she was undoing my work. Sophie and Nathan have a blast taking baths together. Yesterday she tried to help wash Nathan's hair, touching it with her hand after she saw me put shampoo in his hair. Then I was looking for a toy ball on the floor, and I asked, "Where's the ball?" Sophia piped up, "Where is it?" I looked at her and said, "Sophia, did you ask a question?" She said, "Yesss!"
#1 cutie pie moment: Sophia gave a big bear hug to Nathan during church today. Nathan laughed and said, "So-phi-a!"

President Gordon B. Hinckley, the 15th president of the LDS (Mormon) church, passed away today. He served as president for 12 years, and I felt like he was "my prophet." I liked how he sprinkled his sermons with his sense of humor. I heard him speak at Ricks and BYU, and he and his wife both spoke at my graduation in 2000. I lived in San Antonio when he dedicated the temple in 2005. I liked how he wasn't afraid of the media. He traveled to visit so many saints in different countries even though he did not like to travel; Pres. Hinckley cared about the people more than himself. Dan and I (and Dan's parents) attended the general conference session a couple of years ago when he said he was in the sunset of his life. It was a very personal message, and I was glad I was there. It's incredible to think of how much has changed during his years of service to the church. I think everyone who knew him felt blessed, including some in the media such as Mike Wallace and Larry King. What a great man. The world needs more like him.

A breakthrough and a break-in

Life went much more smoothly this week. I made a cheese fondue for Dan and me to enjoy with some sourdough bread on family night, along with some steak and salad. (I decided I liked the oil with meat and potatoes and the chocolate fondues better though. I want to try the southwest cheese fondue still.) Dan and I had a fun date night yesterday too; we went out to Applebee's and then saw "Cloverfield," which is the best scary monster movie I've seen. I don't normally go for those kinds of movies, but Dan was really excited about it, and I did like it. Many of those catastrophe-type flicks don't appeal to my emotions, but this one was smart -- it focused on a small band of friends, and you experienced everything with them via their camcorder, and so it was more intense and I felt more connected than if it were just a bunch of people dying from a monster. If you are prone to motion sickness, however, it may be hard to watch because the camera shakes all around as they're on the run.

Nathan ate a bite of carrot! This was the big breakthrough in our food program this week. I think he wanted his ABC cookies enough that he was willing to try this foreign (to him) veggie. He tried to take out the little pieces from his mouth, but I was just happy he tried it. He also ate some bean with bacon soup a few times. Slowly but surely . . .
#1 cutie pie moment: "Mommy, stop singing like a teacher. Stop singing like a teacher at church!" He said this after I sang "I Am a Child of God" to Sophia.

Sophia is quite the bandit. We keep all of the forbidden candy and crackers Nathan likes to eat in our closet so we can use them as rewards after he takes a bite of something new. They both know the food stash is in there, and when I forget to lock the door and leave the room, Sophia is in there without fail, scouraging for gummy candy, ABC cookies or chocolate. I caught Sophia today eating chocolate chips in there; she figured out how to get the twist-tie off.
Sophia started running this past week at nearly 16 months of age (tomorrow). She and Nathan grabbed the pillows off of our couches one night and went around and around the room; you'd think it was the best game ever. Sophia is talking more; she'll play with a ball and say "ball," she says "mommy" more and even said "gramma" when we went to my parents' house.
#1 cutie pie moment: When Dan and I caught Sophia in the closet, she knew she was in trouble and scrambled to put all the food in the basket. Then she looked up at us with a worried expression as if to say, "Don't get mad at me." What a sweetie.

My friend Marie had her baby on January 18. I visited her today in her home and met her tiny baby girl, Sienna Angelica. Little infants are so sweet and precious. It was fun to hold the baby and hear about what happened at the hospital. She only weighed 4 pounds 15 ounces at birth! She was 18" long, but she didn't gain a lot of weight because there was a problem in an area of the placenta (they found out after the birth). She has a cute little nose and dark hair. I'm glad they are both healthy and doing well. Life is a precious gift.

From sea to shining sea

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I have visited 35 states (I guess the site counts DC as a state), which is 68% of the United States of America. Pretty cool. Notice that nice straight line across the middle of the country from when Dan and I drove from Utah to Boston. We made that trip three times; the first time (2001) we left from Provo with the U-Haul and mostly saw freeway and rest stops. The next time (summer 2003) we went from Boston to St. George, and we stopped at LDS church sites in Kirtland, Ohio; Independence, Missouri; and Nauvoo, Illinois. I was very pregnant with Nathan, and it was nice to break up the trip and see something of those states on the way. The third time (summer 2003), we returned to Boston with a new addition in the backseat; Nathan was less than two months old, so we tried to make it back as fast as possible.
I really need to pay a visit to those Southern states sometime. I'm hoping to cross off Hawaii this year if things go as planned; Dan and I want to celebrate our 7th anniversary with flair.

My international travels have been few and far between but very enjoyable and memorable (especially South America). I lived in Argentina for 18 months while I worked as a missionary in Buenos Aires. I spent a few weeks in Brazil with Dan and his family as a tourist and to meet Dan's Brazilian relatives; we went to Cassia, my mother-in-law's hometown, Oro Preto, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo. As a high school student, I visited Mexico twice, visiting Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta with my uncle's group, and Mazatlan with friends from the Spanish Club at Pine View High. I can barely claim Canada, but Dan and I went to Toronto for Jeremy's wedding when I was a few months pregnant.
That's it for me. How about you? How many states have you visited in the U S of A?

Mischief maker, patience breaker

It's been one of those weeks as a parent in which I seriously considered buying tickets for a Caribbean cruise so I could get away from the children for a little while. It never happened, though, firstly because I ain't got no money, secondly because no one would have been available to watch my kids 24/7, and thirdly because my children produce some kind of magical aura when they're sleeping that turns them into the most adorable creatures you've ever seen, and I fall for it every time. Here's a glimpse of the past week in our household:

OK, last week it was cute, but now Nathan insists he is Mario, and every time I say "Nathan --" he'll cut me off with, "I'm not Nathan, I'm Mario!" I've tried to remember to call him Mario to make things go smoother in the day, but it's hard to change what you've called your child for four years, so I still say Nathan, and he shouts out at me without missing a beat. Nathan -- I mean Mario -- also contradicts whatever I say, if I say somethings' up, it's down, etc., and I've noticed he'll even do this with other adults who come to our house too! I guess he at least has enough social awareness not to do this at preschool or church (he doesn't even tell them he's Mario), but it's really getting on my nerves! I nearly lost it when I saw Nathan ATTACK Sophia in the FACE with his METAL SLINKY in the rearview mirror; he earned a LONG timeout when we got home after that one. Dan tells me to put him in his bedroom for timeout more often. I'm going to for sure because I developed one too many headaches this past week. Yes, I still love my son. He just tests the limits of my patience frequently. I did have some fun with him too -- light saber fights, reading books and Nathan liked playing video games with his Papa and watching Ratatouille with us while eating popcorn too. We also had some progress with the food: He ate a bit of sliced cheese, and he put a piece of bread in his mouth (and then took it out). Baby steps to better eating! We're aiming for bigger bites of less preferred foods for the next week, and then he can earn a train to add to his Thomas the Train set.
#1 cutie pie moment: Nathan/Mario telling me, "I'm not a boy -- I'm a man," when I said "good boy" to him. He went on to say, "I'm Mario man." He wants to end his childhood way too soon.

Sophia figured out how to open doors this past week, so if they're not locked, she'll get in there! We lock the door to our closet to hide the junk food from Nathan, but Sophia sneaks in there when we forget to shut it, and she has chowed down on gummy life-savers and even brought out a big bar of chocolate and ate some before I caught her with it. She's at such a fun stage where she's curious about everything; she likes to get into drawers and cupboards and take out everything. Sophia is quite a mischief maker in her own right; she likes to spit out milk after she swallows it, blow raspberries or make faces in the mirror and grab something of Mommy's that she wants and take off with it. She looked so cute walking around my parents' kitchen today, "talking" into their phone. She is totally fascinated with the pets their too -- Fluffy the cat, who she'll chase after under the table, and Hunter the beagle.
#1 cutie pie moment: Sophie saying "kitty, kitty" and "oggy" to the pets at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

I taught a lesson about Jesus Christ to the Young Women in church today. I liked preparing for the talk, and it was great to read the scriptures and go over the reasons that we need Christ. I've decided to read Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage. I'm grateful for the peaceful feeling that comes when I or others testify of His mission and divinity.

Sophia now walks, Nathan changed his name

I've decided to write a weekly update about our children. I may write updates about ourselves, too, if there's something exciting or interesting afoot. There are many changes with our kids every week, however, and they're so cute and mischievous, so they are the protagonists.

Sophia can walk now! She had only done a couple of steps until December 29, while Dan's parents were visiting. While I talked to them, Dan exclaimed, "She's walking!" Sophia toddled in a half circle in the family room, and I nearly missed it! It was fun that the Grandparents from San Antonio were there when she went for it. She's 15 months old now, and she took her sweet time to really walk. My mother said I crawled forever too. Sophia had been cruising by holding on to furniture or would scoot toward us on her knees, and we would practice walking with her by holding her hands, but when we let go, she'd drop on all fours and take off. I think part of her difficulty in walking was that she would stand on her tiptoes, which isn't a great way to balance (perhaps she'll be a ballerina someday). Grandma Drake said she walked like Frankenstein when she started out because she'd walk straight-legged, but now she's bending her knees a bit and getting the hang of it. By the end of the month, she'll give up crawling on hands and/or knees completely!
Sophia has also started to say new words, like "brush teeth," "food," and she still loves to say "dada" and answers "yes" to questions. She does say "mama," and half the time she'll point to herself, mimicking what I do when I try to get her to say mama more. Dan taught her to say "ruff, ruff" like a dog, and she growls and talked in a scary voice at church because she's used to the play fighting/monster role playing with her Papa and big brother.

#1 cutie pie moment: Lately when Sophia is put down for the night, I give her a pink blanket and she wraps it around herself and looks up at me with a sweet smile, reminding me of a child playing Mary in a Christmas pageant. Close second: Sophia danced to the country music in her highchair and scarfed down three rolls at Texas Roadhouse restaurant on January 5.

Nathan's latest obsession is Mario Kart on the Nintendo 64. Whenever we arrive at Grandma and Grandpa Drake's house, he kicks off his shoes and heads to their bedroom to play the game. Nathan learned how to play it very quickly, and he has won first place on the easy level many times. He chooses Mario, and he informed me he is not Nathan anymore; he is "red hat Mario." He's also told me I'm the green hat good guy (Luigi) or Princess Peach, and Papa is "yellow hat bad guy" (Wario). When I tell him something or ask him to do something, and use his REAL NAME, he'll say, "I'm not Nathan. I'm Mario," and he won't do what I've said until I use the RIGHT NAME. It's kind of cute for the moment, but I hope this isn't a serious desire here. I wonder if he'll tell his preschool teacher to call him Mario tomorrow . . . Anyway, he's been experimenting with names for a while. Before Christmas he declared, "I'm Nathan Captain Archer Rudolph!" He liked the idea of being a captain after watching "Star Trek: Enterprise" with Dan. Dan and I had a hard time coming up with his name, and maybe this is the reason why: His true name should have come from a video game. (I don't think so!)
Dan and I decided to get serious with a food program for Nathan after the Rogers headed back to Texas. Nathan only eats a few things besides junk food, which has been difficult for me since I like to eat healthy meals and I worry about his nutrition. We gathered up all the food he normally eats -- crackers, peanut butter (which he eats with a spoon and without bread -- it's his staple), candy -- and locked it up in a closet. We're starting out small since it's hard for him to try new foods, which means this week he just has to touch a new food to his lips and his tongue before he gets other food to eat or toys to play with. So far we've had him try out a slice of cheese (he balks at sliced cheese because he wants to eat it grated), toast, bread, a peanut, a banana slice, a grape, mashed potatoes, and an orange wedge. Just having him TASTE these foods without eating them feels like a triumph because he is so STUBBORN when it comes to eating food. I think he just fights for the things that taste the best to him, and he probably also has some texture issues. We have a lofty goal for next weekend: He has to take a BITE of the food we eat before he gets his preferred foods. It's encouraging to see some progress in his eating habits.

#1 cutie pie moment: Nathan asked me to pray and "bless Sophia and Braden [his cousin] not to cry." Close second: Nathan dropped down "dead" on the peanut shells at Texas Roadhouse when Adam shot him with his finger gun (Nathan was shooting all of us with his unloaded cap gun).

New phone, new resolutions

This is my latest cell phone, and it's my favorite out of the four I have used. It's so easy to use, it's small, and it's red! Consumer Reports rated the LG VX8350 Numero Uno. I found myself looking at this sleek, classy phone and wishing my life could be as streamlined and orderly and ... cool. So with that lame admission, here are my resolutions for the coming year:

Resolutions for 2008

1. Become more of a morning person and less of a night owl (go to bed earlier, get up earlier; early to bed, early to rise; the early bird gets the worm -- you get the picture).
2. Use my treadmill for its intended purpose (stop piling stuff on it and use it already); exercise a few times a week outside or inside.
   
3. Talk less and listen more.
   
   I'm keeping it simple for 2008. I decided to leave out resolutions that are beyond my control this time (like not getting sick). I'm focusing on things I need to do to make my life run more easily, smoothly and efficiently -- like a finely engineered cell phone. The past year had its ups but also lots of downs. Thankfully, everyone I care about seems to be doing better now. I have high hopes for this year -- even if my Chinese fortune cookie was a disappointment (don't trust your judgment now -- rely on your friends). I wonder which one will be the hardest to follow. I would be quick to say the first one because I am a total zombie in the mornings, but if I were completely honest, it might be the third. I used to be much more of a listener when I was more shy, and although I'm glad I'm more friendly now, I want to resurrect that part of myself. That's why we have two ears and one mouth, right? So I've heard. Happy new year y'all.