For those of you who do not already read Ben's blog,

Click below to see the latest pictures of Eddie! He is adorable!
http://benjaminsbrain.blogspot.com/2006/11/pics-from-proud-papa.html

He can sit up for a minute at a time. When he starts to lose his balance, he can catch himself. If you hold his hands, he can pull himself from laying down to sitting up. While holding his hands, he can also go from sitting to standing up. He transfers toys from one hand to the other. He drops toys just to watch them fall and to pick them up again. He is working hard to get to the toys that are all around him. He puts two sounds together now. Last week it sounded like he said "mom, mom", but I think it was more like "ma, ma". I know he didn't know what he was saying, but it was adorable anyway! He is so much fun! I can already see what parents mean when they say it is so sad to see your children grow up. I don't have a newborn anymore. While I am excited for the new developments, I am always going to miss my little baby Eddie!

We will be on our way to William's for Thanksgiving soon. We are very excited! We will be in Salt Lake in three weeks!!! I can't wait!!! Love you all!

Edison pictures

Isn't he adorable?!?!?
He finally found his laugh! A week and a half ago he began laughing out loud when Ben rubbed his belly on Ben's head. Now he laughs when you make a face or even kiss him.
He is actually holding himself up with his hands. He can sit like this for a minute. He loves to practice sitting up!
He loves water bottles. When he is fussy sometimes we can distract him with a water bottle!
His first time typing. Here is what he wrote :

H y yyhhhhhhl,mml=]

More to come later! Love you all!

Happy One Year!

It has been the best year of my life. I love you, Benjamin!

October pics

Playing with Mama-his little, shy smile!
His big smile!
He looks so cool in his shoes from Uncle Steve and Aunt Jamie!!!
He loves to stand and climb up us. This outfit is brought to you by Aunt Michelle! His bum is adorable in it!
I guess some would say it is never too soon to start him on Mountain Dew! He loved looking at this cup. He grabbed the straw on his own and pulled it up to his mouth. P.S. These are my favorite 'jamas of his-thanks, Cousin Diana!

Kicking back on the couch wearing the outfit from his Grandma Yellow for the first time! (I can't believe you are his grandma, Mom!) Chunky legs!
He is as stylish as Uncle KB Joe!
This one is dedicated to Uncle Ta Ta. Miss you, big guy!
Look how well he is doing at grabbing and holding on to things. He was strong enough to pull the giraffe off its velcro attachment. He is holding the blue giraffe by its tail as he goes for the orange giraffe.

None of these pictures are the best in and of themselves. I mainly write this blog to keep family and friends updated on Edison's growth (not that many remember to check it very often). I would be sad if they never saw him in the clothes they have given him.

News:

Edison does not like Counting Crows. They make him cry! Apparently, he is a fan of Better Than Ezra, though.

Edison is now eating two and a half to three hours apart (meaning if he eats at1, he will eat again between 3:30-4) and only for 40 minutes at a time. From birth to this week, he ate two hours apart for one hour. This makes a huge difference. I really enjoy it!

Edison and I ran our first errand without Ben. We got Ben a birthday present last Friday. It was exhilarating!

We celebrated Ben's birthday this past weekend with his parents. We had a lot of fun! They seem to love Eddie, and he really loves them (they got lots of smiles!). We feel blessed that they are willing to make the 13-hour drive to see us just for a weekend!

Edison rolled over twice this past weekend-from back to stomach. He was laying on our bed, devouring his hands. He rolled so he could get at his hands more voraciously. He doesn't know he did it. He hasn't tried to do it again. Ben says it doesn't count because it was on the bed, which made it a lot easier for him. I think it counts for something, though. He does enjoy when I roll him over.

I need to start packing things for Edison to do when we go places. Church was hard on Sunday because the woman in front of us had long hair. He loves hair and tried to get hers. We wouldn't let him grab it. He got upset. We took him outside, but he wouldn't stop screaming. We ended up leaving early. I am starting to see what people meant when they said it would just get harder.

Ben and Eddie have been suffering from colds this week, Ben especially. Eddie hasn't been too bad-just coughing, sneezing, and acting fussier than normal. I'm used to being the one to bring sicknesses home (teaching Kindergarten). It is odd for Ben to start something.

I just began reading East of Eden by Steinbeck. I really like it thus far. Here's a quote I like: "They called him a comical genius and carried his stories carefully home, and they wondered at how the stories spilled out on the way, for they never sounded the same repeated in their own kitchens."

Edison is telling me it is time to stop. Love you all!

Update

Between eating and sleeping, Edison is most commonly found like this--with a huge smile on his face! He loves to play. His favorite games still involve his tongue, though he likes music and singing (he even tried his singing voice out for the first time yesterday), being treated like a ventriloquist’s dummy (Ben discovered he likes his mouth opened and closed in time with talking), dancing (he only dances on his own accord to "Little Ghost" by the White Stripes, as sung by Ben), talking (he now talks to inanimate objects, as well as his parents), grabbing toys (and books, as of today), and, of course, anything to do with his mom's hair (we can now add pulling to his list of accomplishments; ouch!). Unfortunately no one believes how happy he is, as he is reserved around unfamiliar faces. And everyone besides Mom and Dad is unfamiliar.
Edison is so cute in his baseball outfit from his aunt JoAnna.

Eddie now weighs 13 pounds. He is beginning to grow out of some of his zero to three month clothes, proving they last for all of three weeks and you really should not waste your money on too many.

Eddie still hates water, making bathtime my least favorite chore. I guess he already forgot his nine month stint spent swimming! His little bathtub is a waste of space, as the only way we can trick him into a bath is by holding him and using a washcloth to wash and rinse him.

A few non-Eddie notes:

I have discovered the best dessert in the world--carrot cake cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. I had the pleasure of having it last weekend when we went out to eat with my brothers and their wives who came to visit us (yeah!). My reaction to the first bite was quite extreme, but I wasn't the only one to exclaim such joy upon the initial taste of this perfect dessert! I can't wait for Ben's birthday, in hopes his parents will take us there for more!

I have a book recommendation. It is The Kite Runner. I really enjoyed reading it, although parts were depressing and disturbing. If you have read it, let me know. I can't wait to discuss it! We all know it will be quite awhile before Ben gets around to reading it!

Despite my initial fears that BNL does not recognize Atlanta as a significant city, they have added ATL to their Barenaked Ladies are Me tour. Ben and I will be at their concert on November 9. I can't wait, although I have no idea what we will do with Eddie. I have never had him out of my sight for more than a couple of minutes. If anything would encourage me to leave him for a couple of hours, it will be BNL!!! The only sad thing is Edison enjoys their new album almost more than we do! He will hate to miss the concert! So Edison doesn't only have poor taste in music (referring to his preference for Johnny Cash while in the womb)!

More pics

Who can resist a little boy in denim?
Our great little escape artist is happiest when he finds a way out of the sleep sack!
First time in the swing...
First time in the bouncer. He loves to look at the orange giraffe.

Life in ATL

Trying to figure out what the camera is.
Very handsome, especially in his first collared shirt!
Sweet little smile!
The only thing that will calm Edison when he is fussy is very fast twirling. He will go from screaming to smiling in seconds with this method.
My favorite pic of Eddie on his blessing day. This one is laugh-out-loud funny.


We have been in Georgia for three weeks now. I feel more at home in our home here than I ever felt in our home in SLC. I am not sure why this is. Maybe it's because our home here is so much nicer. Maybe it is because I can count on one hand how many times I have left this home since we arrived. Maybe it is because we actually have our own washer and dryer here. Probably it is because we are beginning this home as a family. Our home really does feel like a sanctuary. It is peaceful and serene here. It has been a great place to meditate and to cultivate a loving relationship with Edison. We have been so blessed, and that feeling radiates in our home.

I know we live in Georgia, and that thought doesn't even surprise me. I am and will be very happy here. The only thing that makes me sad is thinking of all the people that love our lil' Eddie. I am sad that they are missing out on his life. I am sad that he won't ever know them in the way I wish he would. I am scared that their immense love for him will wane with distance and time. I am fearful that they won't know what their love for our son has meant (and will forever mean) to us. I pray for opportunities to show them.

I also get sad when I see school-related things. I am surprised at how much I miss teaching school. I only had the opportunity to do it for two years. But I miss sharpening all those pencils twice a day. I miss the butterflies I felt while I was walking to meet my students at the start of each day. I miss getting to know two whole new groups of kids-their strengths and weaknesses, their humor and sorrows, and especially their love, as well as my love for them. I wouldn't trade being with Eddie for anything in the world, though. As I think that many parents leave newborns his age or younger in the care of others while they work, I get sad because I know I couldn't bear to leave him. I am very honored to have the ability to always be with him. Just this week I can tell that he feels very safe when he is with me. Seeing me automatically comforts him. Feeling safe allows him to begin to explore the world around him. I can't put to words how it feels to be this person for him. I really am honored.

Here is li'l Eddie!

Born July 6 at 2:32 p.m. He weighed six pounds 12 ounces at birth. He is now up to eight pounds one ounce. He is starting to get a little chunky, as you can somewhat see in this picture taken on July 21. Isn't he the cutest little guy?

P.S. He will be a vampire for Halloween. With a widow's peak like that how can he be anything else?

Getting Closer

As of Friday, I was dilated to a two. I am 80-90% effaced. My cervix is very soft. The nurse practitioner hypothesized that I may have a week left before this baby is born. She said the only reason she wouldn't say sooner is because my cervix is still up pretty high. I lost my mucous plug on Saturday. Usually, that happens within days of birth, but sometimes it happens a week or two before. Of course, all of these signs that Edison will be born soon are arbitrary. He could be here any second, or he could hold out a lot longer. I kind of expect him soon. I would be very surprised if I am still pregnant a week from today, but that probably doesn't mean anything. I am having a lot of contractions, but nothing regular. I used to really want to finish the school year (last day is this Friday, June 30). Even though that would be easiest, I don't really care anymore. I am very eager to have my son. It is hard to focus on anything else right now. I don't feel as very anxious anymore. I just feel set on having him. Whatever it takes to get him here and whatever it takes to take care of him once he is here, I will do it. I can do it.

I am going to go crazy!

I am feeling so much anxiety about becoming a mom! Our last doctor's appointment was on Friday. Our doctor confirmed my suspicion that little Edison had dropped over a week ago. For first time moms, usually the baby is born two to three weeks after he drops, which means that he could be born as early as this Friday (June 23) and as late as next Friday (June 30). He isn't due until July 13. And I am trying not to hold my breath, but it is impossible! Having a baby is the biggest thing I have ever done, and it could happen as early as ten minutes from now and as late as four weeks from now! How do I deal with that?!?!? I am scared of labor and delivery. I am scared of bringing him home from the hospital and being solely in charge of him. I am overwhelmed by how much my life will change. No longer will my actions be based on what I want to do. Little Eddie will dictate when I am awake and asleep. When I go places. When I use the bathroom, even. How does one make sense of this? If I just knew when, I think I could handle the anxiety better!

Good news, though. We aren't being forced into a c-section. Our doc said that a big head does not necessitate a c-section. In fact, she said a bigger head is better than a bigger body. She was really pleased to discover how low he is. She said that if he already made it through the first tight spot, he has a better chance of making it all the way out. We will be having another ultrasound on Thursday to monitor his head size.

Home Sweet Smelly Home

Well, if you read Ben's blog, you know that our house flooded Thursday night. We have the upstairs neighbor's philosophy that their garbage disposal is their garbage can to thank for the disaster. As far as calamaties go, we were lucky that our possessions did not get ruined. A fair amount of my nonmaternity wardrobe got soaked. A good washing, however, has left them seeming as good as new. It could have been much worse. The apartment managers have been fast to respond to the problems, thankfully. The biggest disappointment has been the ruined carpet stench. Our house has not been livable. It is frustrating to live out of a suitcase when you aren't on vacation. We go back and forth each day with the hope that we can actually start living at our house again. We did spend last night here. The carpet cleaners had successfully masked the odor for a few hours. We thought things were permanently better until it was bedtime, when the reek came back as bad as ever. We were too tired to leave at that point. I went to bed crying (being 36 weeks pregnant may have affected my ability to regulate my emotions). This morning things don't seem as rancid as they did last night. We will see how it is when we return later today.

It is interesting to note that the smell was one thing that initially attracted us to this place. There was a very welcoming vanilla-like smell. It lasted for the first two or three months at least. Now I am convinced that was just a mask to hide some serious problems. I just wish I knew what they used to make it smell so good for so long.

Commemorating Seven Years

Ben and I went on our first date seven years ago from yesterday, June 5. We worked in the same cubicle for a little over a month before we went out. We spent forty hours a week together. Then one day he said we should do something sometime. I responded with some comment that indicated that I had been thinking that. I found out later that my response made him happy.

He was so sweet. He knew a genre of music I liked at the time, so he found a local concert happening the night we had planned to go out. I met him there. He lived downtown, which was where the concert was. I lived almost a half an hour away. I felt guilty letting him pick me up and waste two hours total getting me, getting us there, getting me home, and going home himself. Later on I found out that I had hurt his feelings. He assumed I didn't want him to pick me up because I was embarrassed of him (typical negative thinking). I still feel sad that he had to feel that way-that I couldn't comfort him because I didn't know.

The concert was awful! He was embarrassed because he chose it. I was embarrassed because I didn't want him to think I liked music that sounded like that. We left a little early and ended up driving around. He had offered dinner or dessert, but I wasn't hungry.

We drove and talked for hours. I had never been so comfortable on a date. Conversation had never flowed so easily or been so enjoyable. We never once turned on the radio. I remember thinking how neat it was that we didn't need music in order to avoid awkward silences. One of our favorite things to do to this day is go on drives. We still rarely have music on when we are in the car together. It is not that we don't enjoy music. We just find we talk less with music on. And we love to talk to each other!

Even though we spent a substantial amount of time talking at work before this night, I learned a lot about Ben on this date. I learned that family, meaning wife and children, were his number one priority. I remember feeling jealous of his future wife. I knew she would be so loved and taken care of. I thought she was so lucky! It never once crossed my mind that night that it would, or even could, be me!

Seven years later, here I am, Ben's wife. We are about to have our first child. I could not be happier or consider myself more blessed. I don't know how I got lucky enough to be Ben's wife! But I am thankful for it!

I love you, Ben!

I have a son!

Today we got another ultrasound. The doctor requested it because she wasn't sure he was in the right position for birth. His position is fine, though. We got to see him in 3-D! He is the most beautiful person I have ever seen. His flat forehead and long eyes look like Ben. His little, round nose and slightly curved chin look like me. I can't believe he is ours. I can't stop looking at him. His head is huge! It is in the 99.8 percentile! According to his measurements, he currently weighs five pounds eight ounces. I wonder when he will be here! The next several weeks are going to drag...