Four-Month Catch-Up

I have this issue with blogging- I want the posts journaling our lives to have nice pictures and pretty writing. So, I wait until these things magically happen...which they don't....then I realize I've forgotten everything weeks/months later. Hence, no updates for awhile. Before I get any further down this road, here is the catch-up post.

Kai at Bryce Canyon



MARCH
•Aaron started spring softball, and I started Zumba
•Wedding showers and birthday parties :)
•Aaron helped organize a Multicultural night at our ward with about 15 countries represented by natives or folks who served a mission there. Note: Aaron roped me into making a Mississippi booth (apparantly the equivalenet of a different country. At least I dowloaded lots of Blues music for us!)
•Aaron, Kai and I take a trip to Asheville - Aaron has a week-long epigenetics conference (hence, more scary things learned about the possible effects of Kai's environmental exposures to everything). I take yoga classes from Asheville Yoga Center and explore. It was our first time back since our wedding; we stayed at the hotel where part of our wedding party lodged! Lovely Asheville, maybe we'll live there one day...

APRIL
•Kai started crawling!
•General Conference meant lots of inspiration and sitting over the weekend.
•Farewell parties for friends and catching up with others visiting town :)
•I joined the ward Book Club and loved the first one - Moloka'i. Sadly, I realize this is the first time I've read for fun in years.
•Easter rocked: "Last Supper" dinner (fish, grapes, dates, and something green), read the Bible as a family, huge spread on Easter Sunday, watched inspirational videos, dyed eggs, and had an Easter Egg Hunt with Kai.

MAY
•Aaron, Kai, and I took a second trip to Asheville for Aaron's grad school retreat. More exploring/hiking with Kaiboy. We also won a costume contest for best superhero -we were all "supermen" with capes and the crested shirts.
•We spent Memorial Day weekend in Wilmington with my folks. The beach was beautiful, the traffic horrendous, the rented home artistic, the off-shore fishing fun (and a bit stomach-turning for me), the yoga studio and natural foods store awesome.
•Wedding guests! :)
•Mother's Day was pretty sweet. Aaron got me flowers and planted/cleaned our garden. We had a delicious spread at Mom and Dad's house and a small gift exchange.

JUNE
•Kai learned how to clap his hands! He is crawling up the stairs, and he is communicating through in series' of expressive grunts. Kai has become more social and started to smile/flirt/talk to strangers. He's finally getting over his aversion to men!
•Father's Day came with a homemade breakfast, dinner, and scanvenger hunt around Southwest Durham for presents. Aaron and Dad also went on four fly fishing lessons this month - my ploy to start them on a new healthy outdoor hobby! :)
•Rob (my oldest brother) came for a quick visit, lots of food, and Music in the Gardens.
•We vacationed for two weeks in Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Duck Creek Village, UT. It was one of my favorite vacations ever - especially with our great company (Towers family reunion and DC friend reunion) and lots of outdoor adventures (hiking, golfing, paintball, horseback riding, swimming, stargazing). We even got to hike the strip in Vegas a bit. Just got back yesterday and work is dragging after all the fun!



Zion Park from Angel's Landing

Grandparents' Shoot with KaiBoy

My parents requested another photoshoot for Kai's 9-month milestone with our brilliant photo-savy friend Sarah. We agreed, on the condition that the shoot include Kai with them. Aaron showed up during the last 10 minutes for a few photos. What do you think? Doesn't Mom look beautiful in that third one?

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

I was inspired by this post at the Mother Huddle blog. (The photo is hers too.) This dessert was so beautiful and had dairy-free potential. For those of you who don't know, I went dairy-free a couple of months ago in attempts to figure out the cause of Kai's hives and excema. ANYWAY- the coconut ice cream was awesome. We used this recipe for the ice cream, and then topped with fruits and piled everthing in the cinnamon-sugar tortilla bowls. Simple and delicious summer treat!

Wah-Pow!

I follow a few religious blogs, non-Mo and Mo. On Faith, a blog on religion hosted by the Washington Post, periodically has guest posts from Michael Otterson, who is the head of public affairs for the LDS church. Check out his response to an evangelist's concerns about voting a Mormon into the presidential office.Otterson's article is not an endorsement of Mitt Romney, neither is this post. Simply a reasonable response to attempts to enforce a religious test on those running for public office. Check out this gem:

"What it seems you would like me and six million other Mormons in the U.S. to do is concede a fundamental right granted to all Americans because we don’t fit within your definition of what is theologically acceptable. Fortunately, that’s not what the Constitution says, and it’s not what America teaches. I should hope that I can sit one of my grandchildren on my knee and tell them that in our religiously diverse society they are as good as anyone else, and that they will be judged by the fruits of their lives and not by discriminatory interpretations of their faith."

My Brest Friend

Not a Freudian slip, but a type of breastfeeding pillow...much like the famous boppy, shaped and contoured to fit around your waist and to support baby's little body. I never had a brest friend pillow, but I think they name is hilarious and its a nice segway for an update on the world of nursing:

I love it.

9 months ago I NEVER thought I would ever say that. Mastering breastfeeding was the second hardest event of my life. Constant stress, constant frustration, constant pain. How did I not get that memo? It took Kai and me about 6 weeks to get it down- longest 6 weeks of my life! But we made it. I gritted my teeth, cried, got lots of support, and pushed through. I now completely understand the urge and pressure to formula feed – if you remember, we did use forumla to supplement our weight-losing baby at the advice of our peds team. Based solely on my instincts and my support system, I decided to wean Kai off the formula at one month old...against the advice of his pediatricians. It worked, rather easily. Nature came through! I felt as though we stepped out of a cave and into the light. Big change to go from lack of confidence in my abilities to empowerment after our adapatation and strength.

Now, my little guy and me are in a great routine. I feel like breastfeeding is magical, a bit hard to believe superfood comes from me so easily and often. Nursing is our bonding time, and I cherish those sweet moments. I feel so grateful to those who support me and Kai. Thank you!

Om Shanti

Kai and me in exalted warrior pose

Today, I reached my target post-baby weight! This is huge. I never knew it would be so hard to lose weight. Nearly ten months of off-and-on dieting, running, yoga, zumba, weight lifting, and resistance training put me here (more than I was doing before I was pregnant). I no longer wonder why folks lose motivation while trying to lose weight. IT IS SO HARD! New mommies pack on maternal fat stores, which are perfectly healthy and normal, in order to create fat needed for breastmilk (in cow's milk terms, think heavy cream). The baby gains weight and nutrients from this. Some lucky LUCKY ladies lose all their pregnancy weight just by breastfeeding. Some don't. I am one of the latter - I stayed exactly the same until I started moving and dieting. Today, I'm proud of myself and happy that I lost weight in a healthy and sustainable way.

In related news, I'm participating in a 3-week total yoga immersion in Carrboro next month. I'm stoked! I've been wanting to do an immersion for a few years, but never had time nor money to do it. After months of researching trainings, I decided to take one with Stephanie Keach, founder of the Asheville Yoga Center. I took a couple of classes at her studio (one of those with her) and adored them. I have heard her called the mama bear of yoga in the south. :) The training will teach me a ton about yoga, mostly focusing on Vinyasa Flow style, but also delving into Kundalini and Iyengar. I'll be set up to teach and adjust others, with a 200-hour level certification and the letters RYT behind my name. Wow! I'm a little nervous since I've been nursing a few injuries this year, but I am mentally prepared (or so I think). It'll be intense - 8 hrs in the studio M-Sat, with reading, writing, and home practice at night. Thank goodness for my awesome parents' help during this time!

The immersion really motivated me to get healthy again these past 10 months. It also brought me back to self-care and self-love. After Kai came into our lives, he was the center of all my thoughts and time. Slowly, I have learned how to take time for myself and still feel that I am giving him all the love and time he needs too. I belive realizing this life-goal will help me continue to strike that balance.

I've been practicing yoga for 10 years now, originally an student of Bikram Hot Yoga, later moving into Power Flow Yoga, now a little of everything. It strikes me the same way that dance used to: self-actualization, moving into beautiful shapes, imagery of the mind being played out by the body, healing hurts, having fun. It has a lovely spiritual aspect too - truly as heavy as you'd like. As most of you know, yoga involves feeling at one with/honoring those people and things around you and being at peace with yourself.

I'll keep you posted on the outcomes. Until then - Om Shanti, meaning a prayer for peace.

So you think you can dance?

image from here

Well, I did. Then I started a fast-paced high-intensity Zumba class on Wednesday nights at Ninth Street for the last 10 weeks.

I sauntered into the first class thinking I would do well, with a dance background (albeit from high school and college - EONS AGO). Then, the first song started and everyone started dancing! No instruction, no slowing down, no counting the steps out. These were GOOD dancers, the teacher was a GREAT dancer, and most of the students were REPEATS to her class. Everyone knew all the moves already. Yikes! Quite the learning curve.

But, I loved it. I loved the challenge, and I love the sensuality of latin dance. It provides much-needed balance to my mundance desk job and totally unsexy life of mommy. Last week, after 9 weeks, I FINALLY felt like I was getting it. I can sway my hips correctly, pop and lock, put in a little flair. Oh, how I missed dancing!!!!!!

After that satisfying realization, I think I got owned by a Samba song. You see, the Samba still gets me everytime. I just can't do it fast; Brazilian carnaval queen I will never be. Sigh.

Aloha and a Bloody Good Time

Keeping with our theme of dinner foods honoring guests' heritage or interests, we had two fun dinners with friends - one Hawaiian and the other English.

Our dear fried Metta hails from Hawaii, so we asked her for menu ideas. The night was sweet, filled with good conversation and foods. Here's the lineup:


image

Oven Kalua Pork
Potato Mac Salad
Fresh Green Salad
Passionfruit Cake

We were in charge of the mac salad - ALL foods were amazing, but I thought the Prieto's beautiful cake creation was phenominal! Thanks for the great luau guys. :)




Next came a reunion with a couple of UNC Public Health classmates, Rebecca and Liz, along with their mates. Catching up was a lot of fun and long overdue. Liz was the guest of honor, having dual citizenship in England and the States. The English dinner fell on the day after the royal wedding - another fitting tribute. Goods included:

image

Fish and Chips with vinegar for dippping
Brussel Sprouts with Shallots
Eton Mess (strawberry and cream dessert)
English Tea


Again, it was AH-mazing. We were in charge of the fish - One of our few attempts at skillet frying...it was delicious but very messy and somewhat dangerous, what with all the oil popping and whatnot. We used rice flour for the frying and it was glorious! Here, here HPM. :)

Россия праздник (Russian Feast!)

I translated that with Google so I don't know if its accurate...correct me, Russian enthusiasts?

A couple of weekends ago we had Alex, Olga, Kim, and Tyler (and baby Liv!) over for a Russian dinner. The first two are from Russia, recently married there and living in Durham. The second two served missions in Russia and are about to start PhDs in Russian. We wanted these couples to meet - turns out Kim served in the area where Alex is from and Tyler served in the area where Olga is from! Serendipitous, much?

We decided to celebrate Mother Russia with a feast and lots of good cheer. Here's the menu:

Chicken Kiev - lots of butter!
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 (6-ounce) thin cut chicken cutlets
10 blades fresh chives, chopped to about 2 tablespoons
A palmful fresh parsley, finely chopped to about 2 tablespoons
A palmful fresh dill, finely chopped, about 2 tablespoons
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 tablespoons chilled butter
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup plain bread crumbs
A wedge lemon
Plain, round toothpicks

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 inches vegetable oil over medium high heat. Pound out cutlets to 1/4-inch thick with a small heavy skillet or a rubber mallet. Be careful not to tear meat (if needed - we didn't need to). Combine chopped herbs on cutting board with chopped garlic. Cut 4 (1 1/2 tablespoons) pieces of cold butter (!!!) and coat each piece liberally with the herb garlic mixture. On 3 plates, set out flour, eggs beaten with a splash of cold water and bread crumbs. Uncover chicken and squeeze a wedge of lemon over breasts. Place an herb-covered piece of butter on each piece of chicken. Wrap and roll cutlets tightly up and over the butter cubes. Discard pie tins used for breading. Secure stuffed chicken with toothpicks. Roll stuffed breasts in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. Fry the Kiev bundles 7 to 8 minutes on each side until deep golden brown all over.

Haluski
4 cups wide egg noodles
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sliced sweet onions, about 1/8 inch thick
2 teaspoons brown sugar
6 cups red cabbage, sliced thin
1 teaspoon caraway seed
pepper to taste

Cook egg noodles according to package directions, then drizzle with a bit of oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together and set aside. While noodles are cooking, melt butter in large deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, sprinkle with brown sugar and saute, stirring occasionally for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until softened and just beginning to turn golden. Add cabbage to skillet, stirring well to incorporate with onion, and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in caraway seeds if using, then cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn heat back to medium, add cooked noodles, salt and pepper, and stir well until noodles are heated though.

Russian Mashed Potatoes (c/o Kim and Tyler)

Apple Sharlotka and Russian Tea (c/o Alex and Olga)

April Fools' Backfire

So....

I decided to play a joke on Aaron yesterday. I sent him a picture of a pregnancy test with a positive result (I took a picture of my computer screen with my phone's camera) and said simply, "We need to talk." He responded with shock via text and some questions. A few minutes later I received a call and text letting me know, in his daze, he had gotten in a wreck! Not serious, but a fender-bender that ruined his headlight and bumper.

Yikes. Major backfire. Of course, I let him know if was a joke. He was a little miffed. :/

One Thing Needful

Read this article. Please. Especially all the beautiful women out there. It wouldn't hurt the guys either. Excerpt:
I believe we can find our steady footing and stilling of the soul by turning away from physical preoccupations, superwoman accomplishments, and endless popularity contests, and returning instead to the wholeness of our soul, that unity in our very being that balances the demanding and inevitable diversity of life...Often we fail to consider the glorious possibility within our own souls. We need to remember that divine promise, "The Kingdom of God is within you."

You might have noticed some common themes in my posts lately, namely a search for identity. I assume this is a common reaction post-partum for women. Our worlds become completely different. A friend Jess this week said this, "I just assumed I would still be myself after he was born. I didn't realize how different I would be. I didn't realize my brain would become hardwired to match his brain. I didn't realize he would be a part of me." How true. It snuck up on me, and I didn't even know it!

Mo's Mobilizing in Japan

"As disciples of Jesus Christ, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints strive to follow the Savior’s admonition to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison. The Savior also taught that we are to love and care for each other and visit the fatherless and the widow in their afflictions."


The tsunami and earthquake diaster and devastation has been heart-breaking; the stoicism of the Japanese has been inspiring.

Upon wondering how my church is mobilizing in the wake of this diaster, I found this MSNBC article. The church's Humanitarian Relief Fund is another principle way that Mormons can help out.

On a related note - I was particularly touched by Yoshihiko Kikuchi's article in the March 2011 Ensign (monthly church magazine), The Healer's Art, published before the diaster. The article set my heart upon the people of Japan, as I'm sure it did scores of other readers. I couldn't help but think, Is it coincidence this appeared in this month's magazine?

A Lost Art

Last night I spent a few hours pouring over old letters, cards, and momentos from my childhood, youth, and young adulthood. It was invigorating to remember so many events and stages in my life, and I laughed out loud at how romantic and dramatic I was about everything. Most of those recollections came from my writing - I used to write, a lot. Poetry, stories, personal goals, memories, letters to boyfriends, letters to friends, letters to boys that I would never give them, and letters to myself. I had forgotten how frequently I wrote out my thoughts and feelings - very theraputic.

And, for your reading pleasure, here are some samples!

Advice Request for Teen Magazine - classic, right?
Dear Juli: I'm 13 and I haven't been kissed yet. All of my friends have. I've had plenty of boyfriends, but it's never happened. I feel so left out. I want to save my first time for someone I really care about. Is there something you can say to make me feel better? -Unkissed in Mississippi
_________________

Poetry writing instead of paying attention in class - I sound a little like a hippie

I am a sponge
Aching to soak up streets and laughs and prose
Spring myself to the corners
Being hit by the lightning of establishment, of belonging
Always searching
__________________

And...love poetry from a young innocent heart!

Weary head and bleary eyes
still spinning form a kiss
given hours ago

There is a swell of tears beneath me
My body is crying out for yours - its match
It cannot be calmed;

To comprehend this distance is madness

With every second I discover loving you
Fresh and begging
A dream that reached this world
Just for us

How, how did I ever find you?
What mercy granted and honor bestowed...
I am exposed, for you
Rewarded with a glance, a word, a thought
Millions of them flow together
To form every star in my sky

For so long love confused
Now it is pulsing through my veins
You are lingering in the air
Please stay the night, stay for all my life
________________________

These days, I ALMOST NEVER write letters and I NEVER write poetry or stories. How sad! There is so much contained in a letter compared to an email - the handwriting, the pictures, the use of space, etc. I miss this lost art of letter-writing. I hereby pledge to begin anew with letter writing and creative writing. I want the joy that comes from creating stories and images as you sift through your thoughts on paper.

Do you still write creatively or write letters?

Seeing What Our Hearts See

Looking for a GREAT family photographer? Look no further! Sarah, owner of Elaine Bella Photography did a fab job - I think her photos beautfully captured our little boy's bright spirit and some sweet family moments. See some of her work below - Kai's 6 month shoot.

Cutest Teddy Bear EVER


We do this a lot


This pic just makes me laugh with his huge diaper and goofy grin


A tender moment - I love how this captures Aaron's love for his little boy


"I've got them wrapped around my little finger"


My favorite! The light and colors are perfect.


That face...



My boy!

Who are those loonies?

Ahhhh, yes. I know them.

Pics taken by Shallyse, our talented ward photographer (also took our maternity and newborn photos) at the 2011 Fancy Dance, a fundraiser for our church youth.

Do you ever write about anything besides Mormonism?

...Apparantly not. Sorry, I can't help it! I love my faith AND I love reading about/listening to/talking about others' perspectives on it. I have been following the recent Mormon Mommy Blog hype and the recent Brandon Davies hype via Google reader.

Here is MMB's response to ABC Nightline on the blog hype. I really like what they have to say:

"We choose to put our families first, and we make no apologies for it...we belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and that a common misconception is that we don't worship Christ. We are nicknamed Mormons because of the Book of Mormon, and not because of who or what we worship. We believe in God, the eternal Father. We believe in his son, Jesus Christ. We embrace Christ.

Not only do we embrace Christ, but we embrace His teachings, and our readers FEEL that in their hearts. When they read our blogs, they FEEL good. The goodness emanates from Mormon Mommy Blogs, because we embrace the teachings and principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ....Mormon Mommy Bloggers are a powerful force for good in this world, and they are spreading that goodness by sharing their lives through their blogs."

If you are among those fascinated by Mormon mommies, check out the super-cool Mormon Women Project.

As for Davies, I'm impressed with the amount of media attention. I am not a Cougar fan, as I didn't go to BYU, but Aaron most certainly is. We've been happy with the viewpoint of most sports commentators - BYU's enforcement of the honor code is a breath of fresh air, even if the code itself is (seemingly) too strict. However, Aaron was pretty upset about the unfounded opinions about BYU broadcast on NPR last week. He has written to them in complaint. Aaron is a die-hard NPR listener, and he has expressed concern before about pieces dealing with Mormonism being one-sided, usually negative. It is unfortuate reporting, since some listeners likely aren't getting a balanced view from other sources or (even better) from active members of the church.

All in all, I'm excited that the church (and its members) is in the news. Who doesn't love getting the "inside scoop" on these peculiar people? Let's just hope that the scoop is accurate, well-researched, and balanced.

The Nativity, Norman Rockwell, and Merce Cunningham

...just to name a few things we've done lately. I've been a little slow on updates from the Towers' home. Here they are:

December
Aaron's (seemingly slow) recovery from the broken leg was the main event. Poor guy - he was very patient with me during my rants about "doing everything myself!" and "prohibiting him from ever getting hurt again!". I'm not going to lie folks - it was a pretty rough time for us. All at the same time: I went back to work parttime, Aaron was hurting and unable to help with his typical chores/errands, I lost my car to him (he couldn't drive his stick shift anymore and I couldn't drive it either), and we were transitioning Kai over to my parents' care during the days. However, we made it. I'm sure we will laugh at the situation when we look back.

Aaron's gingerbread creations

On a lighter note, Aaron turned 30 on Christmas Eve! I gave him 30 days worth of little presents - one for each year - culminating in a gift of Men's Depends undies. Hopefully, this eased his transition into old age. :) :) :) We had a fun gingerbread-house-making/birthday party for fun too.

The Towers as Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus

Christmas was overall pretty awesome. We dressed Kai up in green and red PJs and took videos of him looking at his plethora of presents. We caroled at a local nursing home (loved that!) and doorbell ditched presents. We cooked some new recipes for the huge feast at Mom and Dad's house. Aaron, Kai, and myself also acted as Joseph, Jesus, and Mary in our ward's Christmas program (!!!). Most important, we remembered the birth of our Savior - the reason for the season - with Nativity story reading, church activities, service, and the lDS Xmas broadcast. Next year, we hope to have an even more Christ-centered Christmas. We are thinking about switching our gifts to charity donations (thanks fo the idea, Metta!) and just giving Kai a stocking's-worth of little gifts.

Little Elf with Uncle Rob

January
New's Years Eve was spent with Mom and Dad P at the Norman Rockwell exhibit at the NC Museum of Art. It was a great time - we don't typically spend time admiring famous artwork... In other big news, Mom and Dad T and Aaron's sister Angela and family came to visit us in Durham! We had lots of fun with them, our house was filled with good food, kiddos, and laughter. It was the Haddocks' first time seeing Kai and grandparents' 2nd time; he was subsequently held and loved on for two weeks! We went to Exploris, a kid's museum in nearby Raleigh, made cinnamon rolls, told stories, played Mafia - it was pretty sweet. On a "heavier" note, Kai got sick and has had colds off and on ever since!

K with Nana, Papa, Grandmary, and Granddaddy

February
February was a winning month. Aaron was feeling much better and healing nicely. He started driving his car again at the end of the month and started walking without any supports or crutches! He cheered on Duke and BYU to lots of wins, while I chose to ignore State's record. Valentine's was fun this year with Aaron's surprise date to a Merce Cunningham modern dance show (fourth row seats - sweet!), a gym pass, and flowers. I gave him his annual Vday care package and went on a date with both boys to play mini-golf in Raleigh. Kai received some fun heart-shaped balloons for hours of loud noises and batting around. Last big event of the month was the Fancy Dance, our annual youth fundraiser at our church. We had a really fun time setting up and dancing the night away.

Barley cereal via airplane delivery


Phew! Now I wonder what March will hold...

Motherhood vs. World Travel

Love this post by Jaime at Prudent Baby. This might be particularly poignant for some of you world-travelers-turned-mothers out there! An excerpt:

"One day as a mother presents an astonishing multitude of possible paths — points of diversion more wild than any plane ticket, rail pass, or map could ever offer. The choices and their consequences are more exciting because they are simply more important. And they are more important because THEY ARE NOT ABOUT YOU. My life as a mother is anticipation, mystery, and imminent change. And most exciting of all is my certainty that whatever tonight holds, I will wake up tomorrow morning and not be the center of my own attention. My kid taught me to be enchanted and fulfilled by the unpredictability of our life at home."

Best Recipes of 2010

Acai na tigela (Brazilian deliciousness)

As in keeping with our {one-time} tradition, here's a collection of our favorite recipes from 2010. They are broken down into meats, veggies, soups, breakfast, and desserts. Is it terrible that, by far, our largest “best of” compilation is desserts? Don’t answer that.

If you are wondering where they come from, I will assure you - not me. I follow a few foodie blogs, pick out the best-sounding recipes, save them on word docs, and log them away categorically on my computer. It's my e-cookbook, you could say.

FYI - Cooking went a bit downhill right after Kai was born, with both Aaron and I scrounging for instant calories instead of healthy food. We have slowly been making our way back to wholesome, homemade, and delicious recipes. It's a work in progress! I have learned that I most love to make soup and muffins. Reasons: Soup is filling, easy, and goes a long way. You are almost guaranteed thickened-up leftovers for the next day. Muffins are just the perfect-size-carb-cuteness. I love to eat them, I just dread cleaning the pan. Ugh!

I hope that you try and enjoy some of these. Bon appetit!

6 months!

Our newbie is growing up...6 months as of last Wednesday! It's been so fun to watch him grow and learn. No matter what else is going on in our lives, Kai's angelic face always melts our hearts and brings a smile.

At six months, Kai is sitting up and standing like a CHAMP! He is lunging into a crawling position from sitting, but has not gotten mechanics down yet. He is eating cereal as of Sunday (we delayed a little on purpose). Kai loves being on dad's shoulders, playing airplane, sitting on your belly as you lay down (so he can look down at you), smiling, giggling, getting tickled, playing with toys, riding in his stroller, and getting carted around in the Ergo. Kai does NOT like not being able to see you at all times, being left to play along too long, being sick, tummy time, or sitting still too long. He is currently on his 3rd cold and it's a nasty one - poor little man!

Here is a preview of his beautiful 6 month photos, courtesy of Sarah at Elaine Bella Photography.

Love is spelled T-I-M-E

...An oft heard quote among our circles. I found this post from The Mother Huddle blog (which I love):

Displayed on a shelf in the entry way of my mother’s home is a book entitled To A Child Love Is Spelled T-I-M-E. I have often thought about that statement and how much truth it holds. It’s easy for us to say “I love you” but those three words, devoid of action and the gift of our quality time, are simply that—just words. As we celebrate this season of sentiment and affection, let us show our littlest valentines just how special they really are.

40 simple ways to show your child love

1. Take them to a movie they want to see.
2. Go on a treasure hunt (collect all the loose change around the house/car) together and then make a trip to the arcade with your findings.
3. Take a long nature walk together, at their pace. Let them lead the conversation.
4. Find qualities about them that you genuinely love, and compliment them in front of others.
5. Frame a photo of the two of you, and display it in their room.
6. Put a few Hershey’s Hugs in one of their coat pockets, and Kisses in the other.
7. Play a game with them.
8. Let them win.
9. Make bath time special. Add lots of bubbles, colored soaps, maybe you could purchase a new tub toy or let them play with things found around the house. I let my kids play with things like colanders and funnels from the kitchen—they love it. Don’t forget to warm the towel!
10. Send them a handmade card in the mail with a coupon to go get ice cream with you.
11. Gather all the home movies that feature them as the “star” and have a movie night complete with popcorn and treats.
12. Using blankets and chairs, or a card table, build a clubhouse together and have a picnic inside.
13. Read “I love you” books together.
14. Let them stay up past their bedtime with you and watch cartoon classics together.
15. Do a chore that is normally reserved for them.
16. Tuck an encouraging note inside their lunchbox.
17. Give them your full attention.
18. Tell them some of the ways they make you happy.
19. Make them laugh.
20. Laugh with them.
21. Make their favorite treat to welcome them home from school with.
22. Show them your joy when they arrive.
23. Ask for hugs and kisses.
24. Listen, and let them make their own decisions whenever possible.
25. Make them a coupon book filled with things they’d enjoy doing, or things they’d like to get out of doing.
26. Take a day off from everything: work, household duties, technology, etc. and focus entirely on them.
27. Cook together.
28. Write them a poem using the initials of their name.
29. Decorate their room for no reason.
30. Create a sign that lavishes them with praise.
31. Kidnap them from school and take them out for lunch.
32. Make home a fun place to be.
33. Make a treasure box from an old shoe box, fill it with “gold” (chocolate coins) and make an official looking treasure map with clues for them to locate the hidden treasure with.
34. Go to the store and let them pick out all the ingredients to make banana splits. Make and eat them together.
35. Wrap up in a warm blanket together and take turns making up stories to tell each other.
36. Make a list of things you love about them and put it on their pillow before bedtime.
37. Talk about what they did in their day at dinnertime.
38. Sit down together and write a list of fun activities to do in a day. Write each idea on small slips of paper, roll up the papers and stick them inside balloons. Blow up all the balloons and then pop one balloon at a time until you’ve completed all the activities.
39. Play back rub/tickle games—ie; Spider crawling up your back…
40. Make a CD with all their favorite tunes and have a dance party.

Fascination behind Mormon Mommy Blogs

Check out this interesting and witty article about why non-Mormon women are followers of Mormon Moms. Excerpt:

"...why, exactly, are these blogs so fascinating to women like us -- secular, childless women who may have never so much as baked a cupcake, let alone reupholstered our own ottomans with thrifted fabric and vintage grosgrain ribbon? ....Well, to use a word that makes me cringe, these blogs are weirdly "uplifting." To read Mormon lifestyle blogs is to peer into a strange and fascinating world where the most fraught issues of modern living -- marriage and child rearing -- appear completely unproblematic. This seems practically subversive to someone like me, weaned on an endless media parade of fretful stories about "work-life balance" and soaring divorce rates and the perils of marrying too young/too old/too whatever."

I must say that my itstowertime blog doesn't come close to these prolific bloggers mentioned, and I don't pretend to have lots of followers. I had high hopes for itstowertime, but life got in the way. Interestingly, I have heard several women in the LDS church almost apologize for not having/not keeping up with a blog. The super-mo bloggers make us feel inferior too! But, I do agree that looking at beautiful crafts and cherishing the family is very fun. I love them too! :)

I'm a Mormon

Oh, how I love these new videos the church put out: http://mormon.org/me/2PGJ-eng
This one reminds me of my eternal love, Aaron.

When Science Goes Bad...

Aaron sent me this article today about the unethicial practices of Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the researcher who began the vaccine-autism controversy with a fraudulent research paper. We talk about autism in our home maybe a bit more than most, as Aaron is studying the genetics of autism and I have an autistic brother. Aaron also fields questions from folks, sometimes about vaccines. I respect any parent's concern for their child and valid worries about vaccines, but please know - autism and vaccines have never been linked. The study that claimed a correlation was bad science and falsified! It just gives us researchers the heebie-jeebies to think that a fraudulent study could get published in a major peer-reviewed journal like the Lancet (although the paper was retracted last year).

Just in Case...

Just in case you haven't seen the newborn slideshow (posted a while back), here is Shallyse's post of the photos. He's so much bigger now - looking back is nostalgic.

The Holy Ghost

Our friend Marie got baptized last Saturday. We are so excited for her decision and her joining our church community! She has a wonderful, vibrant, and courageous spirit. I was asked to speak on the Holy Ghost at her baptism ceremony, and I wanted to share the talk with all of you:

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Congratulations on your baptism! What a wonderful day and great step you have taken on your spiritual path to back to our Heavenly Father and to eternal life!

I am honored to be able to speak to you today about the next part of your baptism, baptism by fire, or the laying on of hands for receiving the Holy Ghost. After you receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, your baptism will be complete; you will be cleansed from any sin and sanctified. You will also be confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is worth taking a moment to talk about this next step and how the Holy Ghost can change your life.

The Holy Ghost is most often called “the Spirit” by members of the church. It is also called the Holy Spirit and the Comforter. It is the third member of the Godhead, which includes our Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit and can dwell in our hearts continually. The Holy Ghost does many things: primarily, bears witness of “the truth of all things”, especially the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ; comforts us in need, guides us in small and big decisions, purifies and sanctifies us, warns us of danger, and inspires us. The Spirit is the backbone of the church, since we rely on members and church leaders to receive inspiration about their personal lives as well as the overall mission and ministry of the LDS church.

The Spirit can speak to us before we receive it as a Gift, as you will tomorrow. You know this from experiences you’ve had that led you to join this church and testified of gospel truths. You have also likely felt the Spirit’s influence throughout your life. Before I joined or knew much about this church, at times I would feel complete peace and happiness from the Holy Ghost, a feeling that everything was alright. I did not know what this was until much later when I was introduced to the church. In contrast to these intermittent visits, when you receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, you are promised his constant companionship as you live worthily.

The Holy Ghost usually communicates with in a gentle way, often called the “still small voice”. This communication is slightly different for each person, but it is usually not an actual voice. Rather, the Spirit “prompts” us, or brings feelings to our heart, and thoughts to our mind. Promptings can also manifest themselves as a burning in our chest. The Lord describes the how Spirit bears witness of truth in D&C 9:8:

“You must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”

You will learn to better recognize these feelings over time, and by following the promptings.

Sounds pretty great, right? Well, we must do our part as well. As members of the church, even after we receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, we still must strive daily, even hourly to be worthy of his companionship. We must be clean, obey the commandments, desire the guidance of the Spirit, and be faithful. The prophet Nephi describes these prerequisites in 2 Nephi 31:13:

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost. And then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.”

When we go off track, we are offered a chance to repent and become clean again. This happens as we partake of the Sacrament on Sunday with humble hearts. Sunday is like a re-fuel day – it is best to remove all distractions and focus on the spiritual so we can get back on track.

At the last General Conference, Elder David A. Bednar, one of the current apostles, gave a great talk about how to live worthy of the Holy Ghost. He speaks of the ordinance and our role this way:

"The ordinance of confirming a new member of the Church and bestowing the gift of the Holy Ghost is both simple and profound. Worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holders place their hands upon the head of an individual and call him or her by name. Then, by the authority of the holy priesthood and in the name of the Savior, the individual is confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and this important phrase is uttered: “Receive the Holy Ghost.”

The simplicity of this ordinance may cause us to overlook its significance. These four words—“Receive the Holy Ghost”—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26). The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost” and its attendant spiritual gifts."

He also summaries three ways to “receive” the Holy Ghost: desire for his companionship, invite him through our actions and thoughts, and obey the commandments.

Last, I wanted to briefly share a personal experience I had as I was investigating the church a few years ago. For context, I had had a couple of discussions with my now husband, then boyfriend about the Holy Ghost and why/how communication could happen. I remember it sounded so great, but I felt very unworthy. One night, I was having a conversation with my mom about why events in my life were not turning out the way I’d hoped. I was very frustrated, and she told me “I think God is leading you in a different direction. Maybe this is not what he wants you to do right now.” In my selfishness and frustration, I had not really considered this. Her statement spoke straight to my heart. I pondered her words, and their implication – mostly that I was supposed to focus on my faith at this time and that I had been led to Aaron, and therefore the church. I thought on it all night, prayerfully. As I lay in my bed, I felt a burning in my chest. It was undeniable. I remember it was sort of like eating a peppermint and then drinking a cold drink. I was afraid to move for fear it would leave. Then, I knew. God had been leading me and would continue to lead me. I excitedly told Aaron the next day, and my journey to joining the church began. I have never forgotten that experience, and I strive to have more like that.

Tomorrow, as you are given gift of Holy Ghost and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, know you are promised something wonderful - a comforter, a teacher, and a revelator to be in your heart always. I pray that you and your family will be blessed richly by this gift and you will seek the Spirit in your thought and actions continually.

In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.