Rejoice!!! He's Big.

Our little "Nugget" as we affectionately call him has doubled his birth weight at two months. Christian weighed in at his two month checkup at 10 lbs 13 oz. Dr. Del Mar (our pediatrician's name reminds us of the beach even if we can't live there anymore) was very happy and enthusiastically asked me what I've been feeding him. He says most preemies don't catch up to full term babies until six months to a year. I was happy to report that I've just been breastfeeding him. I haven't done anything special.
Time has gone both slow and fast these past two months. I'm filled with gratitude that babies grow and our tiny, fragile preemie is in the 25th percentile for weight when compared with full term two month old babies. He looks like a normal chubby baby. I love watching him grow stronger and all my sadness that he came too soon melts away as I kiss his big happy cheeks. I'm not sure, but I think I caught him smiling back at me this morning.

He is still banished to his own room because of his grunts and machine gun noises but he's happy with his green binky and Velcro cocoon wrap. He sucks sucks sucks with intermittent groans and grunts all night long and we don't mind because we can't hear him.

Nutcracker, Dentist, and Lake

It's been raining for three days and it's cold. Real winter weather is to be had after five years of no winters. I'm adjusting well because I'm from Utah. There's nothing wrong with some extremes in the weather as long as heaters/air conditioners are working.

The kids looked outside yesterday and Nicky said people might think we have a lake. That's my trampoline area that is flooded. I have all these spots in and out of the house that are waiting for an expensive item to make them whole. I also have an empty grand piano room inside. It looks like we'd better invest in a weed sprayer first.

Nicky and Andy went to the dentist this week. Nicky has two cavities or "sugar bugs" as I was told to call them. I am also to refer to the drill as "Mr. bumpy" and drilling teeth as, "cleaning teeth." It all seems a little deceitful to me but I'll go along. Nicky seems to like the vernacular.

There is one advantage I've found to having no friends for three months. Nicky and Andy have gotten tight. They don't fight as much and are very attached to each other. They play all day. They are such cute friends. When Nicky was in the dentist chair, Andy got concerned and held her hand. Nobody told him to do it. It seems so strange that time will someday seperate this unseperable pair. You grow up with seeing your siblings every day and then one day you live in different states.

Nicky and I went to her first Nutcracker ballet. I was really excited to take her because it was a tradition for my mom and sisters to go most years. She LOVED it. Her favorite parts were the pink dancer (I'm thinking sugar plum fairy) and the lady with the huge dress with all the bonbon girls underneath.

The Choir

Today I was driving to my eye exam and listening to Christmas music. It hit me that most artists who sing holiday music are using the hymns/songs to showcase their own talent. Take for example Josh Grobin's "Oh Holy Night." I love his voice but when he sings that song it bothers me. I don't think about the words or the Savior because his voice overpowers the whole thing.

I'm thankful for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Their rendition of "Silent Night" is my favorite Christmas hymn. Every time I hear it I wonder if real angels are blending their voices with the mortal singers. I love how all the choir members have gorgeous voices but no one person is in the spotlight. They even all wear the same clothes. They mingle their talents together and give power to the music and lyrics and the glory goes to the message. I wish I could be in Utah this season so I could take in one of their Christmas performances. I think it would be the closest thing to heaven. The music is so luminous and transcendent.

Kind Deeds Bestowed by the Unlikely

I started the day in the usual way. Nicky and Christian were up first so I gathered up the baby and headed downstairs to make oatmeal. The only time I'll complain that my sweat pants are getting too loose is today because I slipped on the extra fabric hanging at my feet and fell down the last five stairs and landed on the tile. The baby never touched the ground; I took one for the team. While I was writhing a horrified Nicky stood above me asking questions and making know-it-all statements.

"Mom, is Christian ok?"

and then in a motherly tone...

"You were walking down the stairs too fast. Don't you know it's dangerous to fall down the stairs with a baby?"

My sister Kelly says it proves I'm a good mother that I didn't yell out something profane like, "no shit Sherlock!" For the record, I didn't. Nicky never asked if I was ok but I'll forgive her. She later brought ice for my very broken and purple little toe.

Because of my toe I was later rescued by an unlikely hero. It snowed in Sacramento (which I hear is very, very unusual). I took the kids to a Chucky Cheese-like pizza buffet place to burn off their energy since it was so cold. They each got a balloon on the way out. They were more excited about the balloons than they were about the ten dollars of games/rides they'd just had. It was because of my sore toe that I couldn't chase Nicky's red balloon when the chilly wind blew it off the stick. It bobbed through the parking lot and she screamed and cried as only Nicky can.

As I said, Knights in shining armor come in unlikely forms. I've been noticing teenagers around this place lately and I haven't been impressed. There was a group of teenage couples at the park the other day. Their mode of dress and use of language left me nauseated. The scantily clad girls looked like cheap street walkers and the boys looked like scraggly ten year olds. I prayed my sweet babies would never morph into these gruesome creatures. So imagine my surprise when it was teenagers who came to the rescue of our balloon. Suddenly an old faded Toyota Camry with a golden steering wheel came screaming up to us and the lanky, black-clothed teenage boys within yelled out, "we're going to get your balloon!" The car jerked and twisted off toward the runaway balloon. When said balloon was retrieved the car came speeding back and the passenger side boy flashed me a sharp, yellow toothed grin and handed me Nicky's treasure. I laughed and smiled and thanked the boys, loving them for what they did. Sure the hooligans should have beeen in school but they'd saved me a 15 minute trip home with screaming child in the backseat. I handed the balloon to my girl with the relieved and tear stained face.

Luke Skywalker once said about his father Darth Vadar, "there is still good in him." I must admit there is still good in the sector of mankind known as teenagers. I'm going to go ahead and let us coexist in peace. And, if my kids decide to grow into some of them one of these days, I'll love them anyway.

Success

Scarlett O'Hara said tomorrow is another day and by golly she was right. Of course, this isn't the one we're using given Andy's strange look. I couldn't very well ruin the surprise by posting the real Christmas card picture here.