Josh's baby blessing was on March 22 and we had my sister, Cindi, and her family (Braxton and Aaron) here that weekend and also all the Meyers family here (except Jim...we missed you Grandpa!) for the week after. It was crazy, but sooo enjoyable! It's always so sad for us, living so far away from everyone, to have family leave when they've been here...it feels so lonely! We loved having you all here and anytime you all want to drive 10-14 hours....we'd love to have you! :) Anyway, it was so good to see you all. It was good to see my little nephew, Aaron...he's not so little anymore! What a cute chub!!
And I can't even thank Mom and the girls (Jess, Mary, Jen, and Jeana) enough for everything they did while they were here! What a huge stress relief for me! I always had someone to help with Sam and the baby...and not to mention all the cleaning! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful and helpful family!
And Cindi, I miss you so much! I always love seeing you, and I love how close we have gotten over the past year or so! You are my best friend and I wish we lived closer!
We also had Grandpa and Grandma Barton here the day of the blessing, which meant a lot, especially because Grandma Kathy had surgery on Friday and still was able to make it out here! Thanks you guys...we love and appreciate you coming!
The blessing was beautiful, and Josh was promised some very beautiful things. The spirit was definitely there! And we are very appreciative to everyone who helped out, in whatever way that may be. Nadine Dwight made Josh a beautiful blessing tux, just like she did with Sam (we would have used Sam's but Josh is a little bigger than Sam was, so it didn't fit), and he looked so cute! We really appreciate her doing this, especially because she made it in a matter of a few days and had it mailed to us just in time!
It was a really rushed morning that morning, trying to get 12 people off to church at 9am, so we didn't have time to take pictures before-hand. So that afternoon, we all got back in our church clothes and did some...when we were all hot, tired, and cranky. :) Josh was especially cranky. He was really fussy and cranky that morning when we got to church too, because he wanted to eat, and I didn't have time to feed him before church. But, luckily, as soon as the men put their hands on his head and started the blessing, he stopped crying and was silent the entire time!
I love my baby boy so much. I have two of the best boys in the world, with the best and strongest spirits!! I can see it when I look into their eyes - just how special they are, and how important they are in this life! They will grow up to be strong faithful men and I look forward to that, and all that they will be able to do before the second coming!
One of my favorite things about Joshua is that he will just sit and stare into my eyes for forever, like we are having a silent conversation. I love those little moments. They make waking up in the middle of the night (even when it's every hour, like lately) all worth it! He is such a sweet baby, with such a sweet and pleasant disposition. And he smiles and coos at me ALL the time, and I can not get enough of it! Every day he is smiling more and more. And every single time I pull out my camera, of course, he stops. So I still haven't got a great picture that captures his true smile. Sometimes I will be sitting there minding my own business, and I'll look down at him to find that he had been staring at me and smiling. He gets so excited when I smile and talk to him. He tries laughing but its more of grunting and cooing sounds at this point. I can already tell how different of a personality he has than Sam. Though he has most of the same tummy issues Sam had as a baby, Josh is definitely more laid back about it. He doesn't cry nearly half as much as Sam did. And even when he does, his cry is so sweet and cute and quiet. As long as I'm holding him, he's good.
I love the relationship Sam and Josh already have too. Sam LOVES his little baby brother! Even when he is starving for attention and jealous and acting out, he still never is mean or says mean things about Joshua (he just takes it all out on me!). Joshua is the good guy...he's what brings peace! Sam loves to kiss and touch and hug him. And he is such a big helper, by putting his binky back in his mouth when it falls out, and when he's crying he says, "Oh, baby!" and tries to comfort him. He loves him so much and they will just look at each other and you can see the love there! You can even tell that Joshua loves him! He gets so excited when Sam comes up to him. They are going to be best buds someday! It was cute because when Sam got hurt the other day, instead of wanting me to kiss it all better, he wanted Joshua to. He said, "No mommy! JOSHUA all better!" And when anyone else is around looking at or touching Josh, he says, "MY baby brother, Joshua." I love how much love and joy it brings into my life to have these two wonderful children! Even though I'm stressed and tired most of the time lately, I am so grateful for them, and I love soaking up their love! They bring such a sweet and pure spirit into our home!
A few updates on Joshua...I took him to the doctor a week ago or so for his rash, and he was almost 12 lbs! That kid is growing like a weed! He's getting so big!
Other than his rash and his colicky issues, he is healthy and doing great! He has had a rash, which at one point, a week ago, was so bad that his entire head and shoulders were covered in these red little bumps. The doctor said is was contact dermatitis, which means he probably had an allergic reaction to either fabric softener or my lotion or something, so we got some prescription hydrocoritozone (sp??) cream and have been putting that on him every night. It has helped significantly, and it's almost completely gone from his head and face! But now it is moving to everywhere else on his body. I'm not worried though. I'm sure it just needs to pass through him and it'll go away eventually. I was bummed though, because he had it really bad on the day of his blessing, and it doesn't make fore very pretty pictures. :(
You can kind of see in this picture how bad it was...
And this is now...
I have been off of dairy completely (well, minus the few mistakes I have made along the way) for the last 3 weeks or so (maybe less...can't remember) to see if that's what the problem has been. It's been hard to tell though. Not only have I messed up a couple of times, but part of his problem could just be a part of the over-active letdown. Who knows. Sometimes he seems to be getting better, which tells me the no dairy diet is working, but then he will have a few days or more where he is bad again. So I might not ever know the real cause...he might just be like Sam and be that way for no reason (I'm sure there is a reason, but we were never able to figure it out). I hope that's not it though. It's hard because it's different all the time. He will start eating better and normally for a few days, then he will start a new trend of only eating for 5 minutes at a time, every hour, which is how it's been the past week almost. And I can tell it's because of his tummy. So I don't know what I'm still eating that's causing it (if it even is), but I'm tired of it. Feeding him has been a challenge because of that, and it seems that nothing I try works. Some days I feel like he's just as bad as Sam, but that just might be that those are the days I'm more tired than others. :) All I know is I'm soooo tired and just want to get more than 3-4 hours of sleep a night! I have looked on the La Leche League website (that site is awesome! So much helpful info!!) and that has helped educate me on different things and how to tell if it's this or that, but at this point it seems I'm at a loss. If anyone has any suggestions (though I feel I have heard them ALL), please let me know! I have just been praying he gets better and that I don't have to just wait it out like I had to do with Sam. But if so, I just pray that the Lord will bless me with the strength I need to handle it! :) I think I'm going to give the no dairy thing about another week and if I notice no difference (he's been extra worse this week for some reason), I will slowly introduce it again, and see if I notice anything different. I miss eating chocolate! It's been way too long! :)
Well, I know my posts are always long, and most of you probably don't care about my eating habits, or Joshua's, but oh well. You don;t have to read it if it's too boring for you. :) Okay...updates on my Sammy. I went through a difficult time with him for about a week or two before all our family came, because he would see how frustrated and stressed I was and he would use that to his advantage. He would do things just to get to me and our relationship was so stressed! But something happened during the weekend of Josh's blessing that made me realize a LOT of things...mostly things I needed to change! So I have been working extra, extremely hard on my patience and trying to be calm and bring the spirit into our home and around my kids, and though it's a challenge for me, I am doing a lot better...and so is Sam! It's amazing how different things are when YOU, the mom, actually stays calm. I love my sweet boy and things seem more back to normal now!
Sam doing his "happy face"
Sam loves to sing songs now. About a week before family came, he started singing Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star all the time, and now he sings others, like the ABC song and I am a Child of God. And it's so cute! Sometimes we will put him in his room for his nap and we will just hear him singing them over and over again, or while he's playing with his toys. And when he sings "I am a Child of God," it sounds more like "I'm a dog." We have become in the habit of singing him a song before he goes to sleep, so now he won't sleep without it. And it's funny because when he asks us to "sing again," he says it so fast and run together that it sounds like he's saying, "chicken." He is learning and developing more and more every day!
Another plus, is that he hasn't been sick since right after Josh was born (knock on wood!), which is HUGE!!!! I am so glad! One of his favorite things to do now is to walk to the creek by our house and go "plop plop." He likes to grab the dirt and rocks and just throw them in the water and hear the "plop plop" sounds.
He did it with his aunts and Grandma a lot when they were here, along with playing basketball with them, or "bassek ball," as he calls it.
He doesn't go on the potty anymore, which is entirely my fault. I haven't had the time or the energy to even try potty training him right now. I know if I asked him to (if we would both remember), he totally would, but I just keep forgetting about it, and am in such a hurry when I have to change him or whatever, because I always have a crying or hungry Joshie waiting for me....so I forget about it pretty easily.
We had Rick and Amy Barton and family come the weekend before the blessing and that was really fun too! It was so good to see them and their 1 day stay was waaay too short! The night they got here, Sam burned his hand pretty bad on the oven, too. We had it all wrapped up for a few days. And minus that night and the next morning, he actually handled it pretty well and never really cried about it, even though it was all blistery and stuff!
Well, my niece and nephew's baby blessings were March 29th - Brigham Ottley Coltharp (Brian and Leslie's) and Dinah Elizabeth Coltharp (John and Micha's). They are in the same ward in Provo, so it was convenient for my family who all got to go! I was so sad that I was the only one that couldn't be there! But I did get pictures of it. I hate living so far away from family... :( I can't believe my mom has 8 grandkids now, and that all of me and my siblings are now parents! It's crazy!
John, Micha, and Dinah
Isn't Dinah's dress BEAUTIFUL?!?
Brian, Leslie, Alexa, Ayla, and Brigham
Crying Brigham!
Brigham, Alexa, Ayla, Aaron, and Jonah. Sam, Josh, and Dinah are missing. :(
Lastly, I just wanted to rant about a few things. First of all, I just want to say how incredibly grateful I am for the ward I am in! Never have I been in such a supportive, and close, and helpful ward! The Relief Society is absolutely amazing and I can't thank them enough for all the help and support they've given me and my family the past month and a half! They have still remembered me and helped me out, even when there were a lot more important things, and people, to be focusing on this past month! And everyone is still offering help! This church and the R.S. program is just amazing! I love being is R.S. Even as I write this, the spirit burns in my heart at the importance and truthfulness of it! I'm so blessed and grateful to be a part of it! I love this gospel so much and am so grateful for my place in it as a woman!
We had the R.S. birthday celebration this week and it was centered on music, which I absolutely loved. I have always loved and esteemed the power of music so highly! I love everything about music and the power it brings. I have gotten so many answers to prayers through music and I know it is a gift from God. Certain songs touch me and reach me like nothing else I can ever describe! Lydia gave a little talk, and played an instrumental recording of the hymn "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" and explained her testimony of the song, and it renewed mine, once again. That has always been one of my favorite hymns and each time I hear it, even if I am distracted and feeling weighed down by the cares of the world, the spirit testifies of the words' truthfulness each time! I have such a special and huge place in my heart for my testimony of the restoration and our first prophet, Joseph Smith! I don't know how anyone can hear about him or the restoration and not get the burning in your heart, testifying of it's truthfulness! I love this gospel so much and I'm so grateful that we have to opportunity to hear from our prophets again this weekend for General Conference! I love it with all my heart and look forward to it each time!
I also want to bare my testimony of the power of the priesthood! I can't even express how much it has helped me the past month or so! I am so grateful and blessed to have a husband worthy to hold it. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father has blessed us with that gift! I know that we have had angels around us and supporting us lately and I'm so grateful for that and for the divine help I receive! I know I wouldn't be able to get through things like I do without it!
WHEW! Anyway! Sorry...I guess I had a lot I needed to get out! I have a LOT more pics, so I am going to do seperate posts for all of them!
4 comments:
I enjoyed your long post. I think it is so great how close together all the cousins are. That is so awesome!
Thanks for the update and your personal testimony. I always enjoy reading what you write and seeing how your family is doing.
What a long post! I loved it. I was wondering if you were all still alive over there! I am glad to hear you are.
It sounds like you are doing well. How fun to have family around. And Josh is getting so big. YAY for being blessed!
Love all the pictures of your cute boys together and the one of Dave and Sam walking is precious!
I am so sad that we missed shooting a gun! Your boys are so cute and I miss you guys. :(
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