My growing boy...

It's much easier to post pictures to facebook. And since almost everyone who reads my blog is on facebook it's a bit redundant. But there are a few who are not, and I am posting pictures of other peoples children, so I'll do it here...

Thanksgiving! Miles first large social outing - and now he's got a cold. I love germs. At least he's cute, and all his cousins got to ooh and ahh over how cute he is. And the auntie's got to fight for cuddle time. And Grandma got to change poopy diapers and lay him in the middle of the counter. So it was all worth it.

 Olivia...Bompy

 Roxy

 Eliza

 Eli

 Lulu preferred visiting Lulu...she did eventually hold him, when her mom was there to help..

 I don't know what to think of all this activity!

 Talkin' to Grandpa...

 The whole brood at Thanksgiving... 12 adults, 14 children... we're outnumbered.

 My very cute Thanksgiving shirt from Grandma and Grandpa Reina

This stuff is exhausting...

Just a cute photo shoot of my bright eyed boy...

 4 weeks old...this is what he wore home from the hospital, if he would have stretched out his legs you could see how much bigger he is, and much rounder!

Miles has the strongest head, he loves to hold it up and look out the window, or, if I'm lucky - right at the camera!

He was talking to Papa last night, the phone is so close because we were recording his Goo's... They talked for nearly 15 minutes, Miles staring intently the whole time. He looks at you like he completely understands what you're saying...

I have about 50 more, from the last week, but I think I'll refrain...

More cute...

I finished writing his birth story, but the birth part alone is several pages (the whole story is 46 pages single spaced). So I figure most people just want to look at pictures anyway, so I'll post those.

The Man with many faces...

I love them all...

ok. skip to pictures...

I started to write the story of Miles' birth...I got through a paragraph then the realization of how hard it is to type with one hand, while nursing. So here are some pictures instead.

First day - all bundled up

 Bright eyes - they look blue, but we all know that can change. 

 Visiting with Aunt Heidi who changed stinky bums, helped with latching, and shared lots of love while Mom napped.

 There's nothing he likes more than sitting on his Papa's chest...

 All dressed, ready to go home from the hospital.

 Waiting until they say 'go' - and Mom gets a couple more shots...

Such silly faces and alert eyes...

So who does he look like??

more to come... when he's like 18 and I can type with two hands again...

For Jamie...

Remember when we were little and we used to cut papers in half and tediously make little keyboards (in alphabetical order until we finally saw a real keyboard), and then we would put them in books, and on shelves, and in cupboards, and carry them around with us as mini portable computers. And then remember how we used to pretend that we had mini phones that could call, AND control the whole house like the ultimate remote control. In our 'houses' we would have automatic beds, lights, music, all controlled from our little paper computers and remotes. Then there was the vending machines where you could press any button and pretty much any food would come out, hot and ready. And, of course, the catalogs that you could just touch - "got it" - and automatically those things would be sent to your home.
Well, I think we invented Apple, and I think they owe us a lot of money.

Patience

Last night my spiritual message was about patience:


“Patience—the ability to put our desires on hold for a time—is a precious and rare virtue. We want what we want, and we want it now. Therefore, the very idea of patience may seem unpleasant and, at times, bitter.
“Nevertheless, without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace.”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Second Counselor in the First Presidency

It's fitting for right now.
However, I'm actually very calm. I know he'll come when it's time. I have SO much to do at work to keep me busy, the time will pass and before I know it he'll be here.
It's everyone else that can't seem to wait - and asks repetitively - and wonders loudly - and checks on me frequently.
Be patient! He'll come when it's time!

Nesting...

I wish it was as simple as gathering sticks and grass and making a simple little nest. But as humans, we like to complicate things and make our nesting involve everything from organization to cleaning to baking.

I have been 'nesting' at school for some time. I already have OCD, now it has become extreme color-coded OCD. I've reorganized, labeled, sorted, foldered (that's a word) and categorized everything in my office. Fortunately my classroom is organized, and most of it is our leveled library which I have already unleashed my OCD upon. I keep telling myself that I'm being anally organized so it will be easier on my sub, but I know that it's really just me building my little school nest.

One of the reasons I nest so much at school is that it's hard to nest at home. I clean - I clean all the time, but unfortunately other people, and dogs, live here and are constantly messing up my cleaning. If I could i would tip-toe through the house for the next couple of weeks, leaving everything in it's perfect tidy place - and kick everyone else out. But that's not really an option, so I try to be patient with Art's piles, clean what I can, when I can, and overly organize Baby's stuff. It puts a few little sticks in place.

I have found one avenue of nesting that I can follow here at home. Cooking. This weekend I felt the overwhelming  need to stock my freezer. So much so that we did a rush trip to Salt Lake and back so I could start the process. Yesterday I cleaned the fridge, did the shopping, and made Art Gazpacho (that's not really stocking the freezer, just making him happy). This morning I was up at 6 (my brain is SO tired, but my hips will not allow me to stay in bed), and by 9:00 I had made and frozen a batch of cookies, a batch of scones, and 6 loaves of bread. I also made croutons, got a roast in the crockpot and prepped my potatoes for dinner. Then I cleaned up after all my cooking, wiped up the cabinets, scrubbed the sink, and wiped up the kitchen floor. A few more sticks were put in place for our soon-to-be-full nest.

The Nursery .... sort-of

It's finally a nursery - sort of - because it's also an office, and Art's closet, but there is room for baby! the giant recliner is going in the basement, but I've been sleeping in it fairly regularly. Soon it will go downstairs, and the room will be a little more open. 

Now, if he could just arrive. 2 weeks to go... (But not until after next week, I've got school work to get done! After this week I'll be ready to walk away from school - THEN he can come.)