I'll post about Easter later...

You may remember this post from the very pregnant summer of 2008. With the recent events in Mr. McNabb's career (being traded to the Redskins), I'd just like to publicly apologize to PJ for doubting his one and only celebrity sighting. Maybe he does go to DC more than I thought. Perhaps Mr. McNabb even digs DC? Perhaps he asked to be traded there after shopping at that scary Giant?

18 lbs at 18 months

The dr. appointment for Lucy was less than successful yesterday. First of all, we waited for an hour...nice SHC, nice. I did my best at the meals prior to the weigh in by giving Lucy cookies, pizza, chocolate milk, pretzels and goldfish for salty water retention. We were ready. So I dressed her down to her birthday suit and we headed to the scale. It read 18 lbs 9 oz. The nurse then said, "Hmmmm. That doesn't look very good. Let's have you put her diaper back on." So now we're throwing this thing?! Then it read 19 lbs. 1 oz. to which she said, "That looks better, sort of." Oh, well if it looks better, then by all means, let's go ahead and hide the truth. What is accuracy in the medical community anyway? I don't know what she was afraid of, it's not like she's the one who feeds the kid and who the dr. is going to lecture. And lecture I got (even with the skewed results). We're now supposed to be "calorie stacking"...quik in all milk, butter on crackers, twinkies, etc. I wanted to introduce her to my nearly 4 year old who wears size 2T clothing and lives on an all carb/sweets diet, but whatever. So no, there is no percentile for a kid who has gained 1 lb. in 6 months. I also learned that dr's frown upon turning your kids around in the car seat before 20 lbs, but in my view, Lucy shouldn't have to suffer just because she is little; she's 18 months for crying out loud,so sue me!

After all of this, it was time for the developmental assessment questions that are scored at the nurses station after the appointment. And come on people...some of those questions? "If a toy is in a small corner and your child is unable to reach it, does your child get another object to help them get the toy?" (Well, no I'm pretty sure my child screams for me to get whatever she can't reach.) or "Does your child offer toys to other children?" (Hmmm. No, I'm pretty sure she keeps most toys to herself and offers only a tantrum when pressed for her toys.) or "Can your child walk down stairs holding your hand?" (Ok, so that one's not that unusual, but Lucy's legs are shorter than the height of most stairs.) So, we may not have passed on some of these things, but by darn, our results were accurate, and that's more than I can say for you, Student Health Center.

Update

It's been awhile since I generally updated. Here's what's happening in our neck of the woods:

Paul: Studying and working like crazy. Eagerly awaiting graduation, but lamenting the loss of his "student years" and going out for lunch every single day. Playing ward basketball; they may play in the stake championships. Went golfing today for the first time since the fall. Wears shorts every day even though the weather is only in the 50s...take that March!

Lindsay: The usual. Nothing new. I am training for the Utah Valley Marathon in June, and so far so good. I love running with a Garmin. I don't know how I ever did it without one.

Paul and Lindsay: Watched basketball all weekend and compared brackets to see who would be planning our anniversary this year. I'm pretty sure it will be me...AGAIN. (The problem is that last year, I listened to the analysts, read about teams, picked a lot of upsets, and then got beat; so this year, I wasn't going to make the same mistake. I listened to no one, went pretty much by the numbers, and what do you know?...I lose again! Unbelievable!) You can also see a picture of our weekend treat to celebrate this special time of year.

Sabrina: Getting older every day. Still making us laugh. Still loves dancing, singing, pretending, Barbie movies (I'm ready to break them all!), dress ups, princesses, drawing, coloring, reading stories, and being with other kids. She gave her first talk (with my help) in church a week ago, and did a great job. She's eagerly awaiting her birthday and tells everyone she meets that she'll be 4 soon. She has a list of, oh I'd say, 20 things she wants for her birthday. She's still small, but a great eater. She has her mother's sweet tooth. She has loved getting outside lately and riding her trike. She goes to bed like a champ, and therefore, Lucy goes to bed like a champ too, which is really great for me.

Lucy: Terribly funny these days. Will be 18 months tomorrow. (Where has the time gone?) She swings her arms when she walks now which has turned her "toddle" into a little strut. She walks around this apartment like she owns it. She's also learned how to run and is really pretty fast. Loves singing songs with us using only "na nas" and "du duhs" and a few words here and there but has good little pitch for one so young. Has crazy mullet hair that I constantly trim. Loves cheering for herself. Is pretty social and not very shy. Also loves animals (attacks them, really). LOVES and has a slight obsession with Elmo. Learns new words every day, and seems to bring a smile to everyone she meets. This isn't confirmed yet (Dr.'s appt. this week), but I think she's still pretty small.

There you have it. Caught up.

Costco, Toilet Paper, Tantrums, and Thoughts

Today, after yet another bad encounter with the Student Health Center (I am now convinced that socialized medicine would be the pits.), I decided to head to Costco. What possessed me to take two coughing and hungry girls to Costco, you ask? Toilet paper. Because, after all, if you don't have toilet paper, you don't have anything. That's why I buy in bulk. I have a slight fear of running out of toilet paper at an inopportune time so I take TP inventory more frequently than most, I think. I got my toilet paper and other items and loaded my car. That's when the girls had had it! And I mean, HAD IT! I decided my best course of action was inaction, so I ignored the whines and screams, turned off the radio, sat in silence and drove. It was in this moment that I looked at my 36 pack of toilet paper sitting in the front seat (we have a sedan, people), and began to think: Where will we be when this thing runs out? The holidays will most likely be approaching again. We may not have very much money. We will have a 4 year old and a 2 year old; which for some reason, sounds so much older than a 3 year old and a 1 year old. Paul will no longer be a student. We'll be getting ready to move across the country, only this time, with no idea if or when we will be coming back. It's exciting and a little bit weird that Paul is almost done being a student and then we'll have to face real life, a life without Monopoly money (student loans). Forget that his graduation announcements came in the mail the other day; forget that he's been getting his bar application ready; forget that it's now March and graduation is in April; it was the toilet paper and screaming children that made this all hit home for me.

Olympics

I thought I was over the Olympics and thought I wouldn't watch this time, but then the days got grayer and stayed cold and Paul's schedule a little less normal and here I am...addicted. Please tell me I wasn't the only one who watched Yevgeny Plushenko throw an air sword into the air and then put it in an air sheath and then take the silver. And that haircut? I guess the Russians get it. Paul came home as I was watching and said, "Are they just making this up as they go along?" That would be something, but no Paul, they are not. Although that would explain the weird hip rolls in the middle of Plushenko's performance; he was just feeling the moment.

Happy 28th PJ!

We celebrated Paul's birthday yesterday. We went bowling with the girls in the afternoon. Score rundown: Me:86 Paul:123 Sabrina:156. She is a master of pushing the ball down the ramp and managed to get 4 strikes in a row. For a minute there, we thought she could possibly bowl a perfect game and have her name immortalized on a plaque above the lane. That would have been the perfect gift for Paul, I am sure, but he was proud nonetheless. Later Paul and I went to dinner and to see Avatar 3D. It was really nice to get out alone which has been rare this semester. (Whoever said that his third year would be easy, has been very mistaken!)

Sidenote: I let Sabrina (Lucy came too, but had no input) go to the dollar store and pick out two gifts of her choosing for Paul. He now has new woofle (sp?) balls and a blue loofah. Really funny and a tradition I think I'll keep. I got him a Spanish Bible and a gift card so he can get new clothes (I don't pick out his clothes; I always fail). We also made him a candy bar poster which Sabrina dug until she found out the candy was for Dad.

And one more thing...we love our Paul! I'm sure that there isn't a better match for me out there and that the girls have one great dad. Happy Birthday Peej!

Happenings

Wow, just reading over that last post. I really didn't mean to be so negative about Lucy's clingy side. I think it had been one of "those" days. After all, she puts up with a lot. Exhibit A:



You may not be able to tell from the picture, but she is dressed in about 3 layers of play skirts that Sabrina put on her. Sabrina walked in to my room and said, "Presenting...Lucy!" I thought it was funny; so I grabbed the camera. But as most things go in our house, laughter soon turned to tears when Lucy tripped on Elmo and couldn't get up. Exhibit B:



Now, on to other happenings. Baby Sadie Irene Smith was born on January 26, 2010, and is every bit as gorgeous as I knew she would be. Congrats to Nat and Bri on their final installment!



We also had the chance to go to St. George this last weekend with the Radmalls. Despite the rain and lower than normal temperatures, we had a great "dacation" (as Sabrina says). Here is a picture of us at a slot canyon (about 12 inches wide) that Shelley's kids call "the crack". We both made it through sans kids although it was a little iffy for a minute for PJ. His belt got very scratched in the process. The next day we went swimming at an indoor pool with a water slide. Sabrina loved to go with dad down the slide, and I think he enjoyed it as much as she did. (Sadly, my battery died on my camera). We also got to visit with the Dansies which is always a great time. Thanks Radmalls! We had fun!



Other than that, we have been doing a lot of this:



Can't wait for SPRING!!