Cheese with my Whine

Did I say the last couple days were rough? Yesterday was a nightmare. So allow me to whine for a few moments(or pages...). I had a lovely day (the day before yesterday) helping my sister Megan can applesauce. Will and Ruth had a cold (as previously mentioned) and Will was starting to wheeze more. Megan decided that I should probably take Will in to the dr. just to check things out. They said they had an appointment at 3:45 and we couldn't be a minute late because the dr. had to leave. I pulled into the parking lot at 3:45 (had to drive from Morgan to Layton) and so instead of pulling out a stroller so I could manage my kids, or grabbing a diaper bag so I could take care of them, I picked both of their sleeping (!) bodies up and RAN to the door. Anyone ever woken up a sleeping 2 yr old? It's not pleasant. When they called us back Ruth started to walk in, decided she'd rather be in the waiting room, and compromised by throwing herself to the floor and screaming. The nice nurse walked around her and said "She must be two!" Yes, yes she is. Then she assured me we were the only ones there and the screaming didn't bother her and it wouldn't bother anyone else. Thank you, thank you. I'd already bitten one fingernail off on the drive, I didn't need to lose any more.

They gave Will a breathing treatment pretty much right off the bat. Which made me nervous and scared also right off the bat...images and emotions from the ER seem to come back pretty quickly with that boy and his breathing. What came first, the chicken or the egg? Asthma, RSV, the cold? Who knows what causes what, but Will seems to have an affinity for asthma-like symptoms. Restricted Airway Disease. He'll probably grow out of it and in the meantime we'll try really hard to give him VERY LITTLE steroids (they gave him a steroid shot last month for croup...also related to this...and so my dr. was very hesitant to give him any more, they can have life-long negative effects if given too much) and give him albuterol through a nebulizer.

Look at the cute little fishy-face!

On the way home, when I was still feeling pretty upset about the whole thing (not to mention an hour at the dr's with that screaming 2 yr old, and the breathing treatment didn't do much for Will's sweet disposition) I discovered my phone was broken. I could hear the people on the other line, but they couldn't hear me. I couldn't even call Sterling and tell him what was going on. My sister Megan caught on pretty quick and we had a couple lovely conversations that went like this "Hey Lindsay, I know you can hear me so just listen...." and she'd proceed to take care of me by having all sorts of wonderful medical knowledge like the wonderful nurse that she is. Then she'd hang up and I'd text her to let her know I'd got it. Sterling and I had a similar conversation in the morning when I was teaching piano "Hey. Hello? Oh yeah, I can't hear you. Well, I put Will in the pack and play while I showered and he cried, and now his wheezing is really bad. I need to talk to you. I don't have Megan's number. I don't know what to do. Oh yeah, you can text me Megan's number. Do that. Bye." And then I texted him the number and he got a hold of me. (I couldn't call him because he doesn't get service at our house so he calls using gmail on his phone.) ANYWAY.

All this led to Alexander's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. An hour wait for the nebulizer (with 3 kids, I had my niece), over an hour at the Tmobile store, even longer on the phone with them after that(at my sister's, my phone is still broken). Running an errand at WSU and promising the kids a treat at grandpa's if they were good, only to walk up to the building in the middle of a fire drill. Awesome. Some potty accidents at the store, some spilled milk that FLEW across the ENTIRE kitchen. It was just one of those days. Not to mention I hate dealing with customer service people who can't do what you need, and I hate wasting time accomplishing nothing. So I put the kids in the tub at the end of the day for some fun.

By the way, Will is a CRAZY MAN in the tub. He won't stay on his back, so he's constantly flipping onto his stomach(constantly, I can barely hold him still to wash his hair), so I only put the teeniest of water in the tub so he doesn't drown himself. But then last night he decided to try eating the bubbles, so he kept bobbing his head underwater, until I decided I was going to have a heart attack and we needed to be done for the evening, haha.

Kisses

I think they look alike in this photo. 

See that crazy face?

Lest you think this novel is WAY too much whining...I know, I know. Today is much better. Last night I stayed awake 'til Sterling got home so I saw him for forty-five minutes (longest amount in the last two weeks) and that was really, really nice. I slept in with Will (I was all confused when I woke up at why Sterling was pulling my hair...it was Will) and we've just been chilling. I am thankful for my cute little happy kids, my ability to text throughout all of this, and all my family who are so wonderful at helping me out. Also, to a $30 walmart phone which is currently working for me. Here's to a better weekend and a healthy boy!

To My Sweetheart,

By the time I actually get to see you (stupid flight delays!) it will practically be tomorrow, so today deserves a note. Also, I won't see you for an entire week more (although I will get to sleep beside you for a portion of the night) and isn't that just the opposite of icing on the cake?!

Today was rough. Today pretty much started where last night left off with the spilled nail polish. Both kids woke up with noses running like fountains and in bad moods to boot. Torn pictures off my new magnet boards, Will pulling trash bags liners apart on the kitchen floor...We did have a brief respite at the park where Ruth got to play with Chase (although she decided dumping all her bubbles on the wood chips was more fun than blowing them) - and then it was home again. It was one thing after another until I gave up on the good parenting for the day and watched How To Train Your Dragon with Ruthie while they fixed our air conditioning and Will napped. Making banana bread was also a good point in the day, besides Ruth spilling a cup of sugar along the counter, it actually went pretty well. Ruth kept the afternoon going though: she pulled off her diaper (I guess that's my fault for being lazy on potty training), she made Will cry repeatedly (although I have to say he seems to know how to push her buttons these days), she dumped an entire bottle of orange juice on the stairs (that took a LONG time to clean up) and finally I stuck her in the high chair so I could make dinner and she promptly fell asleep.

When I woke her up to move her-so I could feed Will-it was like I had awaken some shrieking spirit from deep within and she didn't stop crying and screaming for forty-five minutes. I tried everything in the world to calm her down and eventually just stuck her in her room while I fed Will and ate my own dinner. When she wasn't crying anymore I went upstairs and opened the door and she just looked up and said "Hi mom, I want some milk." Crazy girl. We also had some crazy tantrums when I tried sucking out Will's nose (he was breathing horribly when he drank from his bottle) and I did Ruth while I was at it so she could breathe for a minute without her nose running into her mouth. On top of that, Will crawled around my feet all day with this pitiful cry because he wanted to be held and not just some of the time but ALL. of the time. It made me realize how good he is at playing on the floor for hours on end!

Needless to say, I dosed their poor little sick bodies with some baby tylenol, stuck them in the tub, diapered them up with good-smelling lotion, wrapped them in warm sleeper pajamas, and both of them fell asleep without even a peep. Too bad they wouldn't take naps earlier, it was definitely what they needed.

And now, your flight is delayed. Doesn't the pilot know that this princess needs a little rescuing from her tower and he's holding my prince hostage? Ruff. Also, I ate all our mint chocolate chip ice cream, and since that's all I've been craving lately, it's very sad. They did have a new Bones episode today that I could watch while eating my ice cream though, and that was a high point. (Although every time I do something in the evening besides my quilt I feel guilty.)

On a different note, I miss you. I didn't get to call or skype with you today and that was very, very sad. Although, Ruth did call you on my phone (she didn't actually dial she just picked the phone up off the counter and said 'hello') and said "Daddy! Hello! Mom going potty, Will sleeping. Dad at work. I want a snack, ok? I want a treat, ok? Ok? Ok daddy, ok? Bye!" It was a pretty hilarious conversation. I tried to teach her you were in Florida, but that didn't work, and then I tried school, but she's pretty positive you are at work. And aren't you so glad you know my potty schedule? Haha.

Pretty much I just miss you. A lot. It's late. And I'm not going to see you until really late. And that really makes me sad. And I want you to quit your job and quit school, and basically quit your life and spend ALL your time with me. Please and thank you.

xoxoxoxo, Lindsay

Dearest,

I miss you. I feel like we have been apart for forever and that we need a lifetime to make up for being apart so long. Makes it even worse that we'll get...pretty much the drive home together and then you'll leave for work in the morning...and the next six morning after that. THEN I might get to see you. But probably not. You'll have research and homework and meetings and and and...I can't wait until December and graduation! Then it really will only be work for a little minute before medical school arrives. Sigh.

I had a really great day. I went to the park with Jocellyn and ran into an Egbert that I kinda knew (I knew the siblings just younger than her) and Ruth played with her three kids and we all enjoyed ourselves so much we stayed at the park for 3 hours! The weather was nice, it was one of those days where you take your jacket off and its feels too chilly, but you put it on and you get hot, haha. It warmed up in the later afternoon though and our house got HOT! They couldn't fix the air conditioning until tomorrow...and our landlord has jury duty so I have to be home the entire time. I always think its awkward to be home while people are doing stuff in your house. Anyway.

I also got a massage! Zully called from my office and said that they felt bad they always scheduled massages on days that I didn't work (not that hard, now that I only work two days a month) so they invited me to stop by and get my massage. It was cut short due to a very particular momma's boy (I can't help it, I just LOVE that he likes me over everyone else!) but she kinda finished off with a short back rub while I held Will. It felt really good, and she had a minute to work on a part of my neck that felt all crinked earlier, so that was nice.

Will fell down the stairs today. Luckily, only three of them. It was really, really, really, really sad. We cuddled for a long time after that. (I think we need a second gate for the other set of stairs) Then I was trying to get Ruth to bed and get her to be a little happier, so I decided I'd paint her nails real quick and we'd have a good time, and then it would be time for bed. Only, she almost dropped a bottle of nail polish and in saving that bottle, I dropped the bottle I was holding. It shattered when it hit the tile...glass and bright/dark blue went EVERYWHERE. Will, of course, was crawling towards me, still sad from falling, so I was trying to get him to go the other direction, away from the glass, while trying not to step on any of it and spread it, while telling Ruth not to get down off the counter, while trying to decide what the best course of action for cleaning that up was. I ended up dumping almost our entire bottle of nail polish removal over the tile to get it all off (in small doses at first, larger when I realized it wasn't helping too much) and then sweeping up the remaining glass. Now our bathroom reeks. Ruthie does love her nails though! Then she had a meltdown because I forgot to individually wrap her bears in blankets before giving them to her in bed. Oh, that child. Bedtime was a little hectic to say the least and it would have been nice to have you around to help!

Miami was your best. interview. ever. you say? I'm glad. You're getting really good at this by now! I'm glad they gave you so many compliments because you really do deserve them. I'm still not at all convinced that Miami is where I want to live anytime, ever, but at least if we get an acceptance we have a CHOICE and are not just stuck going wherever we get in. Not that that would really bother me either. Getting in is getting in, right? I'm glad you liked the campus and it sounds like their hospitals that they rotate at are HUGE. Miami is a huge city. I can't even really imagine. Like I said, I've been to Chicago, but only once, and only for a week, and anything bigger than SLC just kind of boggles my mind.

I'm really excited that tomorrow you are boarding a plane to come home! Ruth kept saying "daddy home? daddy home?" in bed tonight when I was tucking her in. We are all very ready. I hope you have fun touring the campus tomorrow and that all your flights and layovers go splendidly. I love you so much!

xoxoxoxo, Your Wife

PS
 After I Skyped with you, Will seemed wide awake so I thought I'd let him play on the floor while I got ready for bed. I came back from the bathroom and he was asleep on the floor exactly how I had set him down!!! Too sweet.

Dearest Love of My Life

Hello from all of your little family! We miss you so so so so much! Here we are today, thinking about you and wishing you were here!

Today went by really fast because I took the opportunity of not having to teach (Stake Conference) and drove down to visit my parents ward. I'm glad it went by so quickly-only two more days until I get to see you, at least for one night! Remember how we went over 2 years of marriage without sleeping apart? Remember how that made us so happy? We should go back to that.

Everyone in my parents' ward said that Will looks *just* like you-surprise, surprise. Most handsome little man ever award, right there-I mean, why else would I have married you, if not to make beautiful babies with, right?- His tiny little church suit is the cutest thing in my life and he really is such a sweet and good baby I love him more every minute. Plus, he seemed extra smiley today, and who can resist a toothy grin from a ropy-poly Will?!? They also were completely captivated by our beautiful little girl. I happened to pull into the parking lot at the same time as mom and dad, so Ruth went in with mom while I pulled Will out. Mom said the lady handing out programs just ooh'd and ahh'd over how beautiful Ruth's hair was and what a gorgeous little girl she was. Mom said Ruth whipped out an angelic smile and said "thank you" in her perfect little voice and the lady just about died. Oh, she might be a little mischievous, that one.

I was fed a lovely dinner, with lots of treats throughout the night of course, and Ruth swallowed her disappointment about not being able to "jump'n'it" (the tramp is broken) by swinging. I put Will in a swing for the very first time! He LOVED it! He laughed and grinned and generally made the whole experience delightful. Ruth also got to kiss the baby horse on the nose, which she was very proud of.

The highlight of the day was when I got to skype with you! It was so nice to be able to see you talking and picture you in Miami. It was so good to have you sing the turtle song with Ruthie, it felt like you were home for a bit of the evening. Watching Ruth talk to you was the best kind of medicine, she was absolutely enthralled and firmly believed that daddy was home and was all sorts of excited! I can't wait until you really are home. I'm also really glad that your hosts were nice enough to let you take a big, long nap today-you deserve it! That's neat that all the wards there are bilingual. I think Miami would be a bit more of a culture shock than anywhere else we've applied to. That could be really fun though. Best of luck on your interview tomorrow, I'll be praying and thinking about you all day long! You are the best and I am just so very, very glad that you are mine!

xoxoxoxo, Your Wife

PS Here's a taste of our day, so you can look at it as long as you'd like!

I told Ruthie she couldn't have another push until she smiled...hence, the forced face. Haha! 

Dear Sterling Day 3

It's only been three days? It feels like FOREVER. I went to your family reunion picnic today-everyone says hi and good luck. Ruth was excited to see "Shenny" and had a grand time because JoJo was nice enough to let Ruth play with all of her toys the entire time. Jenny was holding Will and I was sitting beside Brandon and he said "Whose baby is that?" I looked around to see what he meant, and then I realized he meant Will. "Uh...mine!?!?!?" Then I told him he was officially demoted from bro-in-law to something less. He said we just needed to hang out more. Although, Will has gone from dark hair to blond recently, but still. Marlowe laughed pretty hard at him, at least, for Marlowe it was a big laugh. It made me laugh hard too.

I already told you how cute Ruthie was today, she needed her baby (bear) to have a diaper on. And shoes (of course). Then on the way home from the picnic she told me she was stinky. "No, baby stinky." "Will?" "NO! Baby! (holding up her bear) Pee-you!" Hahaaaa. It was hilarious.

Will and I had a nice morning. He woke up at 5am. Again. No human person alive should be that happy at 5am. He snuggled in bed with me for an hour before he was sick of that, and then he snuggled in the tub with me and I just love his chubby rolls! He's the best snuggler and I just love it.

Danica babysat (and Lynnaea tagged along just for fun) so I could go to our Stake Conference adult session. It was incredible. Inspiring. I want to make so many goals and do so many things for our children and be so much more studious in the gospel! I love going away from a meeting with that rejuvenated and driven feeling. I already told you a lot about it, and I'm so glad I can talk about such important topics so easily with you. That's something we've been good at from our very first non-date. You can always get me to talk about things that I struggle to put into words. You're the best.

I'm sorry Miami has been so rough for you. I'm glad you found a hotel. I'm glad you're safe and hopefully sleeping right now. I'm sorry it's hot. Tomorrow, when today and all your travels are more hazy and far away, the world will be brighter and I'm sure you will be much more excited about these next two interviews. And if not, it's not like I ever wanted to live in Miami anyway, hahahaha. (I promise I didn't personally sabotage your trip. Really.)

I miss you. I love you. As Ruth would say: I miss you, a lot. I love you, a lot. I bonk, a lot. (okay, only she gets bonks a lot, but it's hilarious to hear her say that.) (How much sappier can I get before Kayli stops reading my blog?) Good luck, a lot! xoxoxoxo Lindsay

Day Two of Missing You

Today I had to get up really early to teach piano. Ruth was asleep so I left her in the van and checked on her after the first lesson, she rubbed her eyes, looked up at me and said "Devaney!" Yup. She knows when she's at her Aunt Megan's. Haha. Also I was carrying both kids into the grocery store, one on each hip so I could keep Ruth from running off, an older couple stopped to fawn over them and laugh at my load. We walked away and after some serious contemplation Ruth looked up and said in a very matter-of-fact tone, "I cute." as she pointed to her chest. Yup, yup she is.

Will can sit up now, and his sixth tooth is through (I noticed it was definitely through yesterday, but I think it was even before then) and Ruth can say "I love you" as you heard on the phone today. I can't believe they're big enough for all of that. Chantelle put Daphne on the floor today during the baby shower and Will crawled up REALLY fast and started trying to eat her head. It was pretty hilarious.

Our air conditioner is broken and can't be fixed until Monday, luckily its been pretty cool. The light went out in our bedroom. When I shower there is 4 inches of water when I'm finished because the drain is so slow. The light is going off in the van saying our tires are low on air (although dad said he'd fix that for me when I go out there) and just EVERYTHING seemed to happen because you aren't here to take care of me. I miss you.

I'm sad I didn't get to share that pulled pork sandwich with you at the fair you went to in Des Moines tonight. I'm even more sad about missing out on those fried potatoes you said were so delicious. You know me so well. Even though you thought this interview didn't go as well as the U's, I'm sure you did fantastic, because you are the love of my life, and they should love you too.

I'm nervous about you driving in Miami tomorrow late at night. No more accidents from falling asleep, ok? Promise? Get lots of rest tomorrow during your layover. I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures!

Ruth got some shoes from Devaney today that are bright red. She's had them on all day long--on the wrong feet. She could be Dorothy and they'd be her ruby red slippers. It's pretty adorable. She also discovered that she can crawl up and turn on the water in the kitchen sink and make a pretty good mess. Good thing she's so adorable. Will is Will, getting so big I hardly recognize him as my baby, playing on the floor happy as a clam and keeping his spot as the best baby with the most perfectly squishable and perfect cheeks there ever were.

I miss you. Tonight you wouldn't want to cuddle because you'd be hot from not having air conditioning-even with the window open-and I'd make you cuddle until I fell asleep, and I think you'd be secretly happy about it. I can't wait until you get home, and by then the air conditioning should be fixed and you'll hold me forever and ever. Can't wait. xoxoxoxo, Your Wife

Dearest Husband O' Mine

I missed you today. I missed you from the moment you stopped the van from leaving the drop-off terminal to tell me in a very distraught voice that you'd forgotten your wallet. And then I reassured you I'd put it in your backpack. For the 3rd time that morning. So very typical of you. I wanted to laugh at you. And then I wanted to cry that you wouldn't be here tonight to snuggle in bed with me.

 Luckily I had a very busy day canning applesauce with mom and Andrea. I think we did about 72 pints, but I'm not sure my math is correct because Andrea did quart jars instead of pints like mine and moms. I finally finished cleaning the kitchen just now. The stove had been through several battles today and the floor took TWO moppings before it didn't feel sticky when I walked on it. Did you know that there is such a thing as jumping apples? You try to cut them and the pieces just JUMP onto the floor? Or across the floor. Or onto the rug and then to the floor. It's true. I saw it in action today and it wasn't just me-Andrea and even my mom experienced the same thing. Haha. Hence the floor needing two washings. The stove, the stove was an entirely different matter. But its ok now. Ajax won out, and you know how I am, but I can go to sleep in peace now. Ruth is a certified applesauce taste-tester now. That was, until the other cousins came, and then she disappeared from the kitchen for a good while. She would smack her lips and say "Hot! Goot!" like she does, and it was pretty cute.

Sounds like you had a full day too, what with accidentally hitchhiking onto campus with a tomato-delivery truck and then having to go into the shelter when the tornado sirens went off. That brings back a lot of memories from summers in North Dakota when I was little. Do we really want to move to Des Moines? Maybe after today you should just cancel that interview? I'm glad you like the couple you're staying with so much and I'm glad they've given you so much information on what it's like for a young LDS couple to live and adjust there. I'm sad that the storm made it so you couldn't charge your phone and you couldn't hear Ruth tell you good night. But now you have the message and you can listen to it over and over again :).

I stuck both of our kids in the tub tonight and you would have loved our ticklefest that smelled of baby lotion and included the softest bellies and cheeks there ever were. Thank you for being such a good dad that I could imagine you there helping me and hear your chuckle at the little antics of our children. We have a good life. Our family is so perfect for me. I can't wait until you get home, but until you do, I'll keep prayers going in your direction. You will be the best interviewer at every school you go to !

PS Thank you for helping me pick all those apples so that I could spend today canning them with my family. Mom liked the kind of apples you picked from the tree that was pruned really crazy and that we thought at first wasn't ripe. It's a good thing you tried one and discovered how good they were!

PPS I wish it was yesterday and we could celebrate your birthday all over again. Remember how you're OLD now? HAHA!


xoxoxoxo, Your Wife

State Fair

 I went with my sister and her kids to the State Fair. It POURED the entire drive there, and I was thinking uh-oh. Luckily for us, it stopped the minute we got there and didn't rain the rest of the day! It did make for some mud and puddles, but we sure had a great time!

Everyone started this little run with an apron and a bucket.

Then we got to milk a cow. 

Ruth had lots of help. And see Danica holding my boy? What great helpers.

We picked apples.

Very excited for some veggies.

Rode tractors. 

Brushed some wool.

Gathered eggs.

 My sister Megan took this chicken and tried to peck at the kids. They were not too enthused but she thought it was hilarious. Haha!

Afterwards Kiersten was a little annoyed she was the boy and Anders was the girl.

 After all that picking and gathering they turned in all the items in their bucket to the grocery store and received some money with which they could buy a fruit snack. Ruth was delighted with the entire system. Next, they rode the giant slide!

Anders.

Kiersten, Myles with Devaney, Danica with Ruth

 Ruth was not too sure about the slide, but smiled as soon as she reached the bottom because that was what everyone else was doing. Always good to have company on these sorts of ventures.

 Ruth got to have a long conversation with this pig.

I'm mad this turned out blurry, and they aren't too close because that steer is scary, but it was HUGE! I think it said 2,800 pounds! WOW!

Ruth got to pet this little calf and they matched.

 She also took a good, long look at this goose.

 And chatted with all of the bunnies, she thought they were great fun to talk to.

 See how much fun bunnies are?

This guy has some style.

 They had a bubble machine going and while Danica pulled a whole teenager "this is so dumb" haha, Ruth and Devaney were in HEAVEN. I teased Danica that this is all we are going to do at the next reunion-play with bubbles.

Ruth liked to step on them.

We didn't pay for pony rides since Grandpa can give them a ride whenever they wish, but luckily, they still got some riding in!

 Myles has some real skill, roping and riding at the same time!

Poor Anders.

 After that we saw a Lumberjack show (during which I took Ruth back here to play until they closed, I was so annoyed they closed, Ruth was having such a great time!) ate some yummy, overpriced corn dogs, and then went on a few rides.

Waiting in line. Hugs.

Ruth is not 36 inches tall, which meant there were about three rides she could actually go on. She didn't mind, she LOVED them! 

Train

The last ride they went on was a bumpy caterpillar or some-such-thing, and I wish I could have captured that moment! Devaney and Ruth were sitting side-by-side on this caterpillar and it would go over a bump and Devaney would laugh, Ruth would laugh, and as they came around the corner they were both laughing with their heads thrown back, looking at each other as if they were best friends for life and the world was their playground. It was a perfect picture, as well as a perfect end to the fair. Ruth tried really hard to stay awake to watch the movie in Megan's van on the way home, but eventually sleep won and she didn't even wake up when we changed her diaper and put her in pj's. Thanks for a wonderful day, State Fair, and thanks for being such great company Megan and fam!

Cousins and Playdough

Ruth, Devaney, Harriet

 The other day we were at my sister Megan's house canning peaches (only I wasn't canning but I was there) and these girls were playing together tremendously well. Such cutie pies!

I have very few play dough skills, so I just made a note for Ruth:

This little one holds my heart:

 She kept cheesing like the above picture, so I told her to open her eyes and got the picture below:

This picture is just so perfectly Will. I love his eyes. I loves his cheeks. I love that boy.

We had a great time playing with playdough. I like keeping it in my fridge and pulling it out whenever the fancy strikes. Good thing this is my blog or that might have been a ridiculous number of similar-looking pictures. Love those two!