Harrison: A Glimpse into Fleeting Childhood

Harrison is often dirty. His face has been known to be smeared with dirt, jam, chocolate, paint, syrup, and pizza sauce. The backs of his hands and his jeans bear the same stains. I used to feel frustrated (okay, frustration still occasionally gets the best of me) that no matter what we ate at a family meal, a good portion of it ended up on his face, body, and clothing. Then one day I had the quiet thought in my mind that he wouldn't always be this little, and I gave my frustration a stern talking-to: "Quiet down-- enjoy every smile through the cereal on his chin."

My sister, Heidi, has the following quote on her blog. I think every mom of boys must feel her heart flutter when she reads it. It definitely makes me think of my four darling packages of truth, beauty, wisdom, and hope.

"A boy is Truth with dirt on it's face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair, and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket." - Alan Marshall Beck

Ode to Fathers and Sons

I asked Maxwell what his favorite season was.

"Winter. And Fathers and Sons." Here's to one of our favorite seasons.

Garden In!

Then.

Now.

Jeff and the kids got our garden built, installed, and planted a couple of weeks after Lydia was born. I felt sad to have them do it without me, but my nurturing and cultivating were needed elsewhere. It is so fun to see things starting to grow! Two green thumbs up for Jeff and kids!

New Big Brother

Micah with "baby sister." He loves to touch her head, share his blanket, give her kisses, and even tried pulling her for a ride on his blanket once. Each interaction between them is so endearing-- well, except for the ride-on-the-blanket one. Turns out he just wanted his blanket back. Next time, just ask, Micah. I'll be glad to oblige.

Bedtime Burritos

Haven and I made this pillowcase-- burrito style-- together at an Enrichment sewing class for church. It was a fun project and Haven picked out fun fabrics. She ironed, pinned, and sewed like a pro! We are not taking orders at this time, but everyone has a price. . . .

"This is the Funnest Thing Ever!"

Who knew?

Thank You Poem

Dallin wrote this poem at school. I couldn't resist sharing.

Thank You Poem

Mom and Dad, there's so much to thank you for. . .
For Harrison, Haven, and help.
For Lydia, life, and love.
For Happy Birthdays, and Solemn Assemblies.
For reading, writing, and religion.

Thank you for encouraging my learning.
For honesty, my house, and happiness.
For Legos, laughter, and love.
For teaching me right from wrong.
Thank you for daily food.
For bikes, books, and birthday parties.
For clothes, computers, and your confidence.
For quiet prayers and joyous singing.

Thank you for health and strength.
For Maxwell, Micah, and music.
For responsibility, respect, and real love.
Thank you for being mine.

Thank you for life.
Dallin Jeffrey Dahl

Lydia's Birth - A Photo Journey

Inside.

Outside.

Adored.

Surrounded.

Welcomed.

Loved.

Lydia is So Cute

Lydia is so cute. She was in the hospital. She was in a crib with four glass sides. She came out of Mom's tummy. We played with her hands a lot of times. She cries a lot.

Lydia's Turn

I don't know if you get more emotional as you get older, but, today, as I watched my wife give birth to our sixth child, I could not hold back the tears of joy. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. My sweet wife had trudged through the valley of the shadow of death and emerged triumphant. Even the nurse noticed as she exclaimed, “Amber, you're a rock star!” Little Lydia was born into our family today at 10:41 AM. She weighed 6 lbs. 15 oz. and measured 20” long.

Lydia, welcome to our family. You should know that your textbook birth today was the answer to hundreds of prayers from little Micah to Mom and me to Grandma and Grandpa. Your arrival today has changed our lives forever-- and how grateful we are you made it here safely. We love you.

Nesting

I must be in full nesting mode since I spent this morning sorting and putting away all the baby girl clothes, washing the sheets on the beds, and dusting the wood furniture. Maxwell approached me while I was fixing my hair in the bathroom.

“Mom, when you're done cleaning everything, will you play Sequence with me?”

Yes, Max. Definitely yes.

Vision Test

Allow your eyes to relax to view this illusion:


Now view the image below and follow the path of the stairs around in your mind's eye:
Now relax your eyes and see if you can determine the gender of our baby. Try Jeff's suggestions to the ultrasound technician when the baby's legs remained tightly closed for almost an hour. "Maybe see if you can tell by looking at the face. Or the hair."


Verdict after mom's trip to the bathroom and lying on her side to get baby to move: Girl. (Evidence not shown in above picture.) We are all thrilled.

(Optical illusions from blifaloo.com.)