4 Truths

I am responding to the poll that is now closed on the right. Since I don't tell lies (I really try not to) I couldn't really lie on my blog. So I just mislead. If you chose the first choice, you were somewhat correct. I did shake President Thomas Monsons hand but not Thomas S. Monson. One of the members of our stake presidency in Pleasant Grove was named Thomas Monson. I did eat seafood (well, just a little shrimp) in Taiwan in 2006. Richard and I actually didn't kiss until we were engaged. Call us crazy but we became much better friends that way and I think our marriage is far better because of that. And when I was little, I did aspire to be a famous singer and I really liked Mariah Carey at that time. So there you have it. And you all thought I lied....

A Treat for the Grandmas

Our Baby is Growing Too Fast!!!!

Abigail sporting her cute jeans. Don't you just love babies in jeans??? Thanks to all of the friends and family who have given us hand-me downs!!!

Below: This is Daddy's favorite pose right now. She folds her arms (really her hands). She did this the other night when we were having family prayer and we told her to fold her arms. We would love to claim her as a genius but we know it is coincidence because she does it all the time!

Below: She loves playing with her toes and she doesn't like to have her PJ's on because it restricts her toe access.

Below: Wild Hair

Below: Abbi was watching TV in her tot rider. She loves American Idol.

Below: Here's Abbi staring at her Daddy.

It's taken me well over a week to come up with a new post because our little cute thing has been a "Little Grumplet" (as Richard likes to call her) lately because of her 2 new teeth. She was sucking on Richard's finger last Wednesday when she bit him and we realized she had a tooth on the bottom (which accounted for her disposition). The next day, she had another one. I guess it's better to get two over at once. She is now feeling much better as the teeth are above the gums (hopefully the won't go down again). Abigail becomes more and more fun to play with every day. She is such a spitfire and is so perfect for us. I really couldn't imagine a more perfect baby for our first child. I wouldn't classify her as an easy baby but she is absolutely amazing in our book. She is getting better and better at putting herself to sleep and she always seems to wake up from her evening nap right before Richard comes home. I think she really misses him during the day. (SO DO I). Abigail has been squealing a lot lately. She thinks its fun to test out her vocal chords. She sounds like a cat fight in my opinion and I cant help but laugh. Speaking of laughing--she has laughed the last two days. Once while I was eating her belly and the other time I was sweeping the floor in the kitchen. I would really love to understand what is going on in her brain!

A Theory

So, I've been working on this theory as to when, how, and why babies sleep through the night and I think I have come up with a solution--a very, very complex and intricate solution. Lately I figured out a few of the missing ingredients. I was getting ready to read my scriptures the other night and I thought of a question I needed to be answered--"How can I get my baby to sleep more at night?" Now I knew that there are no scriptures saying "Thou shalt do A, B,and C and your child will sleep" but I know that Heavenly Father loves us and He promises to answer our prayers and often the answers our found in His Word. So, I asked for help and went to the scriptures. In Proverbs I read the scripture about training your child and when they are old they will not depart from what you taught them. I pondered that scripture for a minute wondering how it applied and then the inspiration came that Abbie has to feel absolutely loved when we lay her down at night. I thought I was doing ok at this but I beefed up my expressions of love to her and she slept much better that night.
In addition to the principles we have implemented from Baby Wise (I strongly recommend getting a copy--you can get them for $5.00 (shipping included) on amazon.com) such as a routine of feeding, then keeping your baby awake and then help them fall asleep on their own, along with showing forth much love I have come up with another important discovery. I have looked back at the times that Abigail has slept really well--including the night she slept through the night. Each of those nights I was more relaxed and happier. Last night I had a feeling Abigail would sleep through the night again because I felt great. I went walking at the mall yesterday morning with my neighbor and I got in a good nap, I got caught up on some chores, I got in a few minutes of reading and playing the piano and had lots of fun with Abigail. I even had a few minutes to cuddle with Richard on the couch. The result of all these wonderful things lead to Abbie sleeping through t he night. Now, I know things will come up that will throw her off schedule and we'll still have some rough nights but I am pretty darn sure that if I focus on being happier and take a few minutes of each day to do something for me we wil all sleep better at night.
I would love to hear your comments on this. I hope this information might be helpful to someone.
Oh, and an odd coincidence we noticed with the two times that Abigail has slept through the night is that both times she laughed (and both times in the tub) before she went to sleep. Weird huh? I wish we could get her to laugh more often. There are few things better than hearing your baby laugh and sleep through the night.

Dear Life

So I was blog-hopping and saw someone had a "dear life" column which has the objective of writing messages to those people you may or may not be able to reach. I think it is a great idea... here goes:

Dear Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam,
Thank you for writing Baby Wise--the tips really do work when I stick my baby to a routine. Despite what some people think about routines, yours really works for my baby.
Sincerely,
More Rested

Dear Billy Ray Cyrus,
I'm glad you got rid of your mullet because you would probably have ruined your daughter's career if you hadn't.
Best Regards,
Glad to be out of the eighties

Dear Sonic Burger Employees:
Thank you for completely ruining my order every time I go through your drive through, even if I just order a #1.
Yours Truly,
Never Going Back Again

Dear Cranky Old Lady at Kmart:
Thank You for demanding that my husband help you put that box in your cart for you, even though he would have gladly offered to help you if you even attempted to move it an inch. oh, and thanks for not even thanking him.
Cordially,
Vowing Not to be an Old Cranky Lady Like You.

Commitments

On Richard's cousin Nora's page, she posts a weekly commitment that she makes to do something and then she reports on her progress. I decided last week to do this too but didn't get a post up. Last week I decided to memorize one chinese word a day seeing as I always get overwhelmed when I pull out my flash cards. I was successful in memorizing 7 new words--so if you ever want to know how to say sun, mountain, forrest, flower, neck, ankle, or bed in chinese, just ask.

This week, my goal is to start walking. I told the Relief Society President I was interested in walking at the mall and asked her to make an announcement to see if anyone else wants to go. So far, I have one taker--one of my neighbors down the street is going to go with me tomorrow and I'm excited to get out of the house, get some excercise, and get to know my neighbor more. Don't you love the Enrichment Group idea? Does anyone have any really cool enrichment groups that they belong to? I'm always looking for more ideas for our ward.

The Best Diet

So, I know you're not supposed to diet while nursing but I have no choice with my wired and picky little one. I am now down to no chocolate or sweets because they keep her from sleeping and no mexican or any onions because it keeps her from eating. So, with my three favorite "food groups" eliminated, what else is there to eat? Not eating chocolate or sweets really has dropped my weight quickly and I can fit into all my pre-pregnancy clothes. So if you want to loose some quick weight the healthy way, try eliminating sweets. The first week is torture and then it really isn't so bad. Just make sure you have fruit on hand to quench some of your sweet cravings.

Abigail has been playing in her booster seat the last few days. The picture below shows her new found friend--her tongue. She chews on it often.
She doesn't have any chub....

Here is her thick outdoor outfit.

This is Abbie wearing her 9 month clothes (yes, she just turned 3 months). She has a super long torso from her Dad and somewhat longer than average legs from her Mom.

Look at that pose. What a cutie! This is her Christmas dress fro Grandma Tregaskis.

Abbie enjoyed playing in wrapping paper on Christmas day.

Here's Abbie with her bear on Christmas morning. She actualy had a really good time and was pretty excited about all of her gifts---especially this bear.