all grown up

Anna is much more mature now than those latest pictures, we have uploaded more that are better reflections of her age and wisdom, not to mention the skills she has acquired.Those skinny little legs can hold her entire bodyweight -



And also, sometimes we wear matching socks
She really enjoyed the Tulips at Thanksgiving point also.

I realize that the written section of this post doesn't really make sense, but I'm pretty certain that the important content outweighs my faults.

Sometimes

Sometimes, you get a cute new shirt and your baby spits up all over it in the morning of the first day you wear it. But you wear it anyway.

Sometimes, when you don't change the baby's clothes before midday and she has been spitting up, and it's all over her, she smells like toast.

Sometimes, when you don't want to go home or take the car seat out of the car because it's windy, you just drive through random neighborhoods because it's fun to see something different and you can still feel productive because you are out of the house.

Sometimes, if you don't want to work out, you can change the sheets, and it's like the same.

Sometimes, you can write a blog post and stick a random picture in of an up-spitting, toast-smelling, baby just because it's cute.

We've Got a Thumbsucker

Anna is 8 weeks now. We went to the doctor yesterday and found she is 9 lbs 1 ounce and 22 inches long. She also got her shots, but she hasn't been extra fussy at all, she actually has slept an incredible amount of time and we haven't given her any additional Tylenol since we got home.

As for her Thumbsucking, it's pretty established.
sorry it's so grainy

Smorgasbord

I've had a few different thoughts lately, I will now attempt to weave them together here, let's hope for minimal seaming.

I was talking to a friend last night who returned from a trip abroad where she was visiting her brother and family. She was deeply impressed with the spirit and attitude she found there, she described it as idyllic, filled with content and gracious people. Despite being half a world away from their family and a familiar way of life, this family focused on the important things, family, the gospel and their standards. They gave willingly to my friend of their time, food, shelter and spirit. While I was listening to this I was impressed with the total selflessness of these people and how they were rewarded for it.
During this last Conference weekend I was also impressed with President Monson. I was initially puzzled with how he had time to have a professional career along with his Church service (he was a mission president and called into the 12 while in his 30's) yet he is very successful in the eyes of the world. Now I don't claim to know his biography, but from what I heard at conference, he has always been devoted to the 'one', meaning the individual, always sacrificing his own time and energy to help individual members of the Church. I would bet that it is his selfless service that he has been blessed for, both materially and in terms of an increase in
spiritual things.
Another thing my friend said about her family was their impressive ability to do what they know is right regardless of what others think about them.

This is where the post takes a weird turn.

Yesterday Ben and I went to the mall for no particular reason and Ben, speaking of the emo mall rats all around, said, "I can't tell who are boys and who are girls." I agreed and said, "That's what the God of Emo wants." Boys wearing girls pants with feminine hair and girls with masculine looking clothes, androgyny is the fashion of our time. We had several questions, like who is the God of Emo? and where did all this come from? In answer to the question of how the clothes fit the depressed attitude, I decided that the overall feeling is, "you don't know me!" Anyway, if you have any insights, please post comments, and if you look at the above link, just know that it's funny but a bit shocking.

6 weeks and still kicking

Anna is 6 weeks today, she's getting more smiley and squirmy. Last night she slept like 7 hours, pretty impressive
She rolled over twice during this photo-shoot, but I don't think it was intentional, she still doesn't really recognize that her hands are her own.
Aunt Lori wasn't as impressed that she could hold her head up within weeks, "She's got a small head!" - Aunt Lori had big-headed babies.