We Are Still Here

Eric has told me that it has been too long since I last posted. I find this amusing since, as he has been living here with us, he is aware of our goings and comings and does not need my posts for information. He must be concerned for those of you who are not so fortunate. As I appreciate his sympathetic nature and wish to encourage it, I will listen to his words and fill everyone in on our recent adventures.

Two weeks ago we visited Eric's parents. Eric and Adam had the opportunity to attend their first Fathers and Sons Outing with Eric's dad and brother. We were both worried about how Adam would do on a camping trip as he had never spent the night away from his mother and had never slept in something other than a crib (he still hasn't learned how to climb out of his, thank goodness). The camping trip turned out really well. Adam loves to be outside and quickly forgot about his mother. The veterinarian in the ward brought his horses and Adam spent an hour or more riding around on the back of one. This turned out to be a little tiresome for Eric and his dad who had to lead the horse around for that period of time. I have to admit that the pictures of my small son riding around unassisted on the back of a large horse were a little startling to me. I guess being able to do things your mother wouldn't want you to do is one of the perks of Fathers and Sons. Adam slept ok in the sleeping bag which was good. He did spend a while before he fell asleep telling his dad over and over again that it was time to sleep. Eric said that after that long process he (Eric) had insomnia and couldn't sleep for another hour or so. He also couldn't leave for fear of waking Adam up when he got off the air mattress. The trials of being a father. The first thing Adam said when he woke up in the morning was "Where are the horses?" Obviously we will have to live in apartments and condos for the rest of his childhood so as to avoid being tempted to purchase one of the large and unproductive creatures.

Caleb is growing so fast. Sometimes it is hard for me to remember that he is only seven weeks old. It seems like he has been here forever. At last weigh-in he was 11 pounds 7 ounces. At this rate he may outgrow the size 1 diapers we have before we can use them all. I guess I can hold onto them until one of the million pregnant women I know have their child. Sometimes it is weird living in Happy Valley. Caleb is sleeping almost as well as I could possibly hope. He only wakes up to eat which is amazing after having Adam who used to wake up in the middle of the night and stare at me for hours on end. What a weird child. Unfortunately, the dark circles under my eyes prove that he is still not sleeping quite enough. I almost fell asleep in the nursing mother's chair at church on Sunday. Why do they make those things so darn comfortable?

Adam is growing fast as well although his growth is more mental than physical. For those of you who don't know, I was unable to finish two of my classes last semester and am now trying to finish a few projects so the incompletes on my transcripts can be transformed into real grades. Most of my work is done while Caleb is sleeping because he thinks that if he is awake he should be eating. Unfortunately, Adam is losing valuable mom time while I work and tries to distract me by constantly saying my name and asking me questions. In a moment of frustration a few days ago I finally asked him to stop saying my name. He immediately responded "But I want to say your name." Then, after a few seconds of contemplation he smiled mischievously and said, "But I want to say your name....mom, I want to say your name mom." Such a clever boy working my name into his sentence. Sometimes I think he is too clever and is learning too much. For example, he just sent his basketball to its room for failing to stay in his arms. I wonder when he will let it out?