Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Walking
We have had this walker sitting in our front room for a almost a couple months. It didn't matter what I did, Antalya refused to take more than 1 or 2 steps. Last week, Jason stood her up in it, and without a word, she just took off. After that, she has decided she loves it. She will even go pull it out and start walking with it. So this afternoon I took her out by the storage units so that she would have a long stretch of flat concrete on which to practice her walking (for those who don't know, my husband and I are managing a family-owned storage facility). She was walking so fast I could barely stay in front of her with the camera. Oh, it's a good day! I am so thrilled that she has discovered her feet! 
Friday, May 23, 2008
Thursday Thirteen - Happy Birthday Dad!
My dad will be another year older on Saturday. In celebration here are 13 things I love about my dad.
1. He is incredibly generous with his time and resources. Many times he has sacrificed much to help out some else that was in need; whether that meant pulling over to help a stranger on the road, giving someone his last penny, visiting elderly widows, visiting the sick, and so many other things. In my younger years I was a gymnast. I never knew how much my parents paid so that I could attend the gym I liked, until my dad sat me down on the swing set one day when I was about 12 to tell me that with my skill level raise, and an up in prices, the monthly fee was going to be a lot of money. When he told me how much, I was certain that he was going to tell me I could no longer do it, but instead he just asked if it was really wanted I wanted to do. When I said it was, he said they would find a way to make it work. And he always did!
2. He loves the outdoors. Whether it is fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, rafting, he loves to be out in nature. This is a love that he has passed on to me. His most recent hobby is antler hunting. Every spring all the deer and elk shed their antlers to grow new ones. He loves to go out and comb the mountains for a find.
3. He loves his children, but he especially loves his grandchildren. Antalya was in the hospital for a month after she was born, recovering from surgery. I think my dad visited her nearly ever day.
4. He loves vanilla ice cream, hamburgers, and Coke. My parents like to take us kids out to dinner for our birthdays. I learned a few years ago, that although he says he is happy to go anywhere, he is miserable unless he can order a good old fashioned hamburger.
5. When we were kids he would lay down on his back and then let us stand up on his hands. He would then extend his arms straight up and push us into the air. I loved this! He always took time to play with us even though he was busy with work and church service.
6. He was a marathon runner for most of the years I was growing up. I have very fond memories of traveling as a family each October to cheer him (and sometimes my mom) on as he ran the St George marathon. I think of him and my mom every morning when I struggle to run 2-3 miles. I don't know how they did it, but they inspire me.
7. He always plays the role of Donkey in our families depiction of the Nativity story. He does a great job - he even includes sound effects.
8.He is an incredibly gifted pianist. He makes playing the piano look effortless.
9. He has a strong sense of pride in his heritage. He loves learning about his ancestors and sharing stories about their strength and courage. If it weren't for his stories, I would know little about where I come from, and the exemplary lives of those who have preceded me in life.
10. He loves my mom. This summer they will celebrate their 35th (I think) wedding anniversary.
11. Once you become his friend, you will always be his friend. Whether you are a new acquaintance, an old school buddy, or a friend from Colombia that he met nearly 40 years ago when he was a missionary, he is still interested in keeping in touch and knowing about your life.
12. He never seems to age. Maybe that is how most people feel about their parents, but it is true. He can still hike circles around most people, and still looks the same as he did 10 years ago. I heard a stranger comment once that my dad was very handsome. I agree. I think he is very handsome, and next to my grandpa, has the strongest biceps I have ever seen!
13. He loves the latin people and language. I was a missionary in Chile for 18 months. While I was away my mom and dad saved their money so as to be able to pick me up in Santiago when I was done. We spent a week together in Chile visiting all my friends and seeing some of the sights. My dad loved the opportunity to practice the spanish he had learned as a missionary in Colombia. He felt an instant love with all the people he met, and still 5 years later, he remembers each person's name, and asks me for updates on their lives. I think if my mom would let him, he would leave everything and move to South America in a heartbeat.
I love you Dad! Thanks for all you do.
1. He is incredibly generous with his time and resources. Many times he has sacrificed much to help out some else that was in need; whether that meant pulling over to help a stranger on the road, giving someone his last penny, visiting elderly widows, visiting the sick, and so many other things. In my younger years I was a gymnast. I never knew how much my parents paid so that I could attend the gym I liked, until my dad sat me down on the swing set one day when I was about 12 to tell me that with my skill level raise, and an up in prices, the monthly fee was going to be a lot of money. When he told me how much, I was certain that he was going to tell me I could no longer do it, but instead he just asked if it was really wanted I wanted to do. When I said it was, he said they would find a way to make it work. And he always did!
2. He loves the outdoors. Whether it is fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, rafting, he loves to be out in nature. This is a love that he has passed on to me. His most recent hobby is antler hunting. Every spring all the deer and elk shed their antlers to grow new ones. He loves to go out and comb the mountains for a find.
3. He loves his children, but he especially loves his grandchildren. Antalya was in the hospital for a month after she was born, recovering from surgery. I think my dad visited her nearly ever day.
4. He loves vanilla ice cream, hamburgers, and Coke. My parents like to take us kids out to dinner for our birthdays. I learned a few years ago, that although he says he is happy to go anywhere, he is miserable unless he can order a good old fashioned hamburger.
5. When we were kids he would lay down on his back and then let us stand up on his hands. He would then extend his arms straight up and push us into the air. I loved this! He always took time to play with us even though he was busy with work and church service.
6. He was a marathon runner for most of the years I was growing up. I have very fond memories of traveling as a family each October to cheer him (and sometimes my mom) on as he ran the St George marathon. I think of him and my mom every morning when I struggle to run 2-3 miles. I don't know how they did it, but they inspire me.
7. He always plays the role of Donkey in our families depiction of the Nativity story. He does a great job - he even includes sound effects.
8.He is an incredibly gifted pianist. He makes playing the piano look effortless.
9. He has a strong sense of pride in his heritage. He loves learning about his ancestors and sharing stories about their strength and courage. If it weren't for his stories, I would know little about where I come from, and the exemplary lives of those who have preceded me in life.
10. He loves my mom. This summer they will celebrate their 35th (I think) wedding anniversary.
11. Once you become his friend, you will always be his friend. Whether you are a new acquaintance, an old school buddy, or a friend from Colombia that he met nearly 40 years ago when he was a missionary, he is still interested in keeping in touch and knowing about your life.
12. He never seems to age. Maybe that is how most people feel about their parents, but it is true. He can still hike circles around most people, and still looks the same as he did 10 years ago. I heard a stranger comment once that my dad was very handsome. I agree. I think he is very handsome, and next to my grandpa, has the strongest biceps I have ever seen!
13. He loves the latin people and language. I was a missionary in Chile for 18 months. While I was away my mom and dad saved their money so as to be able to pick me up in Santiago when I was done. We spent a week together in Chile visiting all my friends and seeing some of the sights. My dad loved the opportunity to practice the spanish he had learned as a missionary in Colombia. He felt an instant love with all the people he met, and still 5 years later, he remembers each person's name, and asks me for updates on their lives. I think if my mom would let him, he would leave everything and move to South America in a heartbeat.
I love you Dad! Thanks for all you do.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
A-Z Tag
Thanks Sarah for tagging me!
Attached or Single: attached
Best Friend: Jason
Cake or Pie: Cake
Day of Choice: Thursday (for no reason other than I have always liked the feel of Thursdays)
Essential Item: Nalgene bottle filled with water
Favorite Color: green
Greatest Accomplishment: unmedicated child-birth
Hometown: Bountiful, Utah
Indulgences: brownies, ice cream, curry, cinnamon bears
January or July: July. I love fireworks!!!
Kids: one
Life is incomplete without: family, friends, Indian food, sleep, good books
Marriage Date: December 30, 2004
Number of Siblings: Four (all brothers)
Oranges or Apples: Apples
Phobias or Fears: being outside by myself after dark, being attacked by a bear
Quotes: any quote from good literature
Reason to Smile: hugs
Season: Spring. I love tulips!
Unknown Fact About Me: I love the smell of wet dirt.
Very Favorite Store: IKEA
Worst Habit: Forgetting to eat lunch, eating way too much at dinner
X-ray or Ultrasound: Ultrasound
Your Favorite Food: Rice
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Monday, May 12, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Therapy
When you plan meals, do you take the "messy factor" into consideration? Maybe you hate cleaning up spaghetti strewn across the table, or jam smeared everywhere within reach. Or maybe the thought of your child massaging carmel into their own hair is more than you can handle.
Or maybe, you are like me. Maybe you think of meal time as therapy time and offer your child every sticky, gooey, messy food item you can find, and feel like cheering them on when, after a few timid pokes, they reach out and get their hands dirty - and enjoy doing it! Antalya has an aversion to certain tactile stimuli. Picking up a piece of cake, touching a marshmallow, or sticking a finger in a drop of pudding, for example, is enough to start her on a gaging fit. We have been working hard at overcoming this reaction. We still have a ways to go, but this week she has picked up and eaten pieces of toast covered in jelly, and she has self-fed herself a bowl of spaghetti. It was great! Here's a few pictures from dinner tonight to prove it!
Or maybe, you are like me. Maybe you think of meal time as therapy time and offer your child every sticky, gooey, messy food item you can find, and feel like cheering them on when, after a few timid pokes, they reach out and get their hands dirty - and enjoy doing it! Antalya has an aversion to certain tactile stimuli. Picking up a piece of cake, touching a marshmallow, or sticking a finger in a drop of pudding, for example, is enough to start her on a gaging fit. We have been working hard at overcoming this reaction. We still have a ways to go, but this week she has picked up and eaten pieces of toast covered in jelly, and she has self-fed herself a bowl of spaghetti. It was great! Here's a few pictures from dinner tonight to prove it!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Nap Time Fun
Everyday we follow the same ritual. I tell Antalya it is time to go to sleep, we go upstairs, I sing her a song, lay her down, scratch her back for a minute and then walk out. Yesterday was no different. Almost 20 minutes had past; I was just about to go check on her to make sure she was asleep. Just then Jason got a phone call. His phone said I was the one calling him, how could that be when I was right there talking to him in person. We were both puzzled as to who could possibly have my phone and be calling Jason; so he answered it. He heard a slight giggle in the background. Can you guess who it was?
We ran upstairs to find Antalya sitting in her crib with my cell phone. She had been calling all sorts of people for 20 minutes. She even managed to turn the speaker phone on. So if you received an unusual phone call yesterday it was just Antalya calling to tell you all about the best nap time she's ever had!
We ran upstairs to find Antalya sitting in her crib with my cell phone. She had been calling all sorts of people for 20 minutes. She even managed to turn the speaker phone on. So if you received an unusual phone call yesterday it was just Antalya calling to tell you all about the best nap time she's ever had!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Mommy Needs to Vent
I have been wanting to change pediatricians for several months now, but keep putting it off because there really is no reason, other than I just don't like ours. Is that reason enough to make a change? I felt like if I did change it would be rude because he hasn't done anything wrong. Well, I have just scheduled an appointment with a new pediatrician, and it is not because of our peditricain, but his office.
This morning we went for Antalya's 18 month visit. I admit, I arrived 5 minutes late. That was my fault, and I should have made a bigger effort to arrive on time - but I was only 5 MINUTES LATE. Antalya was not happy with me, since the appointment was right during her morning nap (it was originally scheduled so that it would be a good time of the day for her, but a month ago the Dr's office called and said they had to reschedule). There was one person in the waiting room when I arrived. We got checked in, and started to wait. The room filled up with about 4 or 5 other people, and then I watched as one by one they all got called back. So then I asked how much longer of a wait and was told I was next. So we waited. One by one more kids filled in to the office, and one by one they all got called back after waiting about 5 or 10 minutes. After we had been there over 30 minutes Antalya was screaming and I was done! I asked to reschedule and was told the soonest would be in July. Are you joking? You can guess what I did. I picked up our stuff and we left.
On our walk home I realized I could have handled the situation a little better. My storming out of there didn't accomplish anything. The problem won't get fixed for the next person, because I never explained the problem nor asked for a solution. The Dr will never know why we didn't keep our appointment, and why we are never going back. Why is it so hard sometimes for me to control my emotions and communicate problems, rather than just get upset and walk away?
Hopefully I can remember this experience and handle things a little better if it comes up again. We have to wait over a month to see our new doctor, but I have heard a lot of good recommendations from other T21 mom's in the area, so I hope it is worth the wait!
This morning we went for Antalya's 18 month visit. I admit, I arrived 5 minutes late. That was my fault, and I should have made a bigger effort to arrive on time - but I was only 5 MINUTES LATE. Antalya was not happy with me, since the appointment was right during her morning nap (it was originally scheduled so that it would be a good time of the day for her, but a month ago the Dr's office called and said they had to reschedule). There was one person in the waiting room when I arrived. We got checked in, and started to wait. The room filled up with about 4 or 5 other people, and then I watched as one by one they all got called back. So then I asked how much longer of a wait and was told I was next. So we waited. One by one more kids filled in to the office, and one by one they all got called back after waiting about 5 or 10 minutes. After we had been there over 30 minutes Antalya was screaming and I was done! I asked to reschedule and was told the soonest would be in July. Are you joking? You can guess what I did. I picked up our stuff and we left.
On our walk home I realized I could have handled the situation a little better. My storming out of there didn't accomplish anything. The problem won't get fixed for the next person, because I never explained the problem nor asked for a solution. The Dr will never know why we didn't keep our appointment, and why we are never going back. Why is it so hard sometimes for me to control my emotions and communicate problems, rather than just get upset and walk away?
Hopefully I can remember this experience and handle things a little better if it comes up again. We have to wait over a month to see our new doctor, but I have heard a lot of good recommendations from other T21 mom's in the area, so I hope it is worth the wait!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)