A Weekend for the Blog

Last weekend was fun-packed. Geneal and Russ came from Utah to visit
with their youngest son, Aaron (two and a half years old). Russ was
here for a medical conference, but Geneal and Aaron were free to play
all weekend long, so that's what we did. Here's the lineup of
activities:

*Thursday night went out for Kincades hamburgers, a famous local spot.
*Friday our Aussie friend, Sandra (Donaldson) Johnstun came over from
Plano and we spent the majority of the day wandering the Botanic
Gardens, including eating lunch at the garden restaurant and enjoying
the beautiful weather. (Lunch was ideal since we ate out on the patio
where the kids could still run around).
*Friday evening Geneal and co. went to Sandra's house in Plano while I
had an evening at home reading. (Joe was in San Antonio that day
giving his grueling yearly presentation to his PH.D. board).
*Saturday morning was the most fun—Joe drove back early and we took
Geneal on a tandem bike ride to Trinity park where Aaron and Miriam
fed the ducks and played at the playground and we had a Subway
sandwich picnic (courtesy of Joe the delivery man) before riding back.
*Saturday afternoon at the stockyards, watched the longhorn parade,
heard some bluegrass music, and bought some original Dr. Pepper
drinks.
*Saturday night: Risky's Barbecue for dinner and Joe was nice enough
to watch the kids while Geneal and I went on a shopping spree. I
bought some Christmas presents, some new shoes, a new workout shirt,
and Miriam's next year Halloween costume at 75% off! (a doggy costume
for a whopping $3.75)
*Sunday went to church in the morning and to the Water Gardens in the
afternoon before the Utah folks headed home.

One additional thing to note is that Aaron was a good boy and very
nice to Miriam all weekend, even when crammed like two little sardines
in the bhike trailer. He even picked out a balloon for her and
insisted that it be pink. I think he got a little jealous of her at
church, but managed to contain himself. I'm very proud of him. I knew
they'd be friends some day.

I Wish

I'd love to scrap my plans for tomorrow and instead hop a plane to NYC
and go tandem biking in Central Park. I got the idea earlier today
when I read Kristen's blog about her last visit to New York. The funny
thing is, after thinking this earlier today, I came across a New York
Times article tonight about a tandem bike relay in NYC that's going on
some time this week. I must not be the only one with this thought this
week.

Update on our cycling: We get out at least four times a week for an
hour or so, (except on Saturdays when it's usually longer.). We go
anywhere from 15 to 25 miles roundtrip. I don't think I've been this
well exercised in my life, or at least not for quite a while. That
bike's a great workout. The trail is really beautiful too, and on our
evening rides, we watch the sun go down as it reflects off the river.
There's also a spot along the river that I've come to think of like
the ocean. The trail is closer to the river at that point, just
outside Trinity park, and there's a silver guardrail that's much like
one you'd find at a harbour prominade. The air just seems cooler and
saltier there too, although the saltier part might just be my
imagining. I always feel like I'm a tourist in a coastal town when I
pass through there. biking outdoors is so much better than a stinky
gym.

Miriam Update

Miriam had a birthday and all of a sudden she turned into a toddler.
Now all her mischief occurs at twice the speed. She walks half a dozen
steps before deciding that crawling is faster for now, but it's her
dexterous little paws that get themselves into trouble; I think it's
time to reorganize the kitchen because not only is she dragging out
every piece of Tupperware and every pot or pan she can get her mitts
on, now she's turned to removing each bag from the Ziploc box and
spreading them across the floor. All this happens in the time it takes
to switch a load of laundry. Also, the dishwasher is still her
favorite place, only now she can open it herself if it's unlocked,
stand up on the door and reach in to grab any sharp items from the top
shelf—the little monkey.

She's a book worm. By that I mean she not only enjoys having books
read to her, she also enjoys munching the leafy pages like a
caterpillar. I thought board books were supposed to be somewhat
resistant to this behavior--alas. She has about eight teeth still,
although, come to think of it I haven't checked in a while. Other than
trying to eat books when we're not looking, she also prefers eating
whatever we're eating, so we won't be buying any more baby food.

The good news is that she sleeps better at night, usually from about
7:30pm to 7:30am with a feeding at around 5am then right back to
sleep. She takes two two-hour naps during the day.

She loves coming on bike rides with us. She often climbs into her
carseat several times a day and looks at me like "So, when are we
going?"

The best part is that she gives great hugs. She's a cuddle bug.

Miriam's Binky Stash

Miriam currently has three binkies in circulation. All three were
missing this morning. Apparently Miriam knew where she was stashing
them though because in the past half an hour she's located two out of
the three. She found one in the pantry and I took it for safekeeping.
Then she found another hiding in my bottom drawer. I suppose I should
take that one for safekeeping too, ensuring that she'll find me the
third.

The funny part is that I would notice a sucking noise behind me and
turn around to find Miriam looking at me with a cheeky grin behind her
binky.

Happy Birthday--Now Hold Still

Poor Miriam was a human pincushion today. For her twelve month doctor
appointment the nurse gave her FIVE immunizations plus she had to have
blood drawn from her little arm. Poor Miriam. Worst birthday present
ever… We'll have to make it up to her. She was a trooper though.

She weighed in at just under 19 pounds and is 20th percentile in
weight and height, but 60th in head circumference. Gotta fit those
brains somewhere right?

First Steps

Miriam took her first steps on her own today. She just decided it was time. :)

FLY

Joe arrived home this evening after a solo bike ride on his speedy
road bike and was commenting on how many bugs he swallowed. (Yuck!)
Sadly, that's what happens by the river at dusk. As he was heading
towards the shower he said, "Man--I was flying!" to which I replied
"You are what you eat." HA

Speaking of flying... Several weeks ago I started working on the FLY program:

www.flylady.net

Basicly, it's a free website that helps people organize and clean
their homes. I can't say that I've been religiously following the
program, but I can say that I'm doing much better by at least keeping
a few rules like getting dressed first thing in the morning, not
leaving dishes in the sink when I go to bed, spending at least fifteen
minutes a day clearing up clutter, and picking certain days for
certain chores so they actually get done.

I've found it to be a great place to start organizing my life when I
previously felt clueless about where to start. The trick now will be
to incorporate more steps into my daily/weekly/monthly plan of action.

Pictures from the Early B-day Party

Cake demolition: Miriam and her cakey grin--in true first birthday style.

The mommy cake and the baby cake. 28 and 1.

Miriam petting Rocky the boxer dog.

Smiles on all three faces.

Season's Greetings for Fall

Fall is approaching; This morning was the first brisk morning of the
season and we went on a tandem bike ride along the river, followed up
by a breakfast of egg bagels and apple turnovers. What could be
better?

We just spent a pleasant weekend in San Antonio. Joe had to give his
yearly presentation on his research and we had the benefit of visiting
family. Miriam and I had a thoroughly enjoyable Saturday visiting
Great Grandma Taylor in Kerrville, eating pizza and treats, playing
scrabble, and having my first impromptue lesson on an interesting
stringed instrument called a mountain dulcimer.

Saturday evening was the General Relief Society broadcast (an annual
meeting for Latter-day Saint women to receive instruction from church
leaders). As always, we joined the choir for a few hymns; I think
there's something special about singing in a congregation of women,
particularly knowing that there are congregations of women singing
with you around the world at the same time. It makes me want to be
better.

As for the talks: 1. Julie Beck announced that a history of the Relief
Society is being compiled. I wondered if I would be interested in
reading it or not, but I concluded that I am since Sister Beck said
that she felt it was inspired by God as a way to remind us what
righteous women through the generations have held most dear, and I
think it might also inspire me to prioritize, cut out the superfluous
and pare down to what is most essential in life. 2. Silvia Allred
talked about how every woman is a daughter of God. as we feel and
recognize His love for us we can use those feelings and experiences to
cause us to "press forward… with steadfast faith in Christ". 3.
Barbara Thompson talked about following Christ's example in
ministering to and strengthening others through Visiting Teaching. 4.
President Thomas Monson talked about having charity for others. He
told several stories including one about a woman observing her
neighbor's laundry, and one about a deformed old man who a woman
likened to a beautiful flower growing in a rusty old bucket.

On Sunday Joe's mom made an early birthday dinner for Miriam and me,
complete with a mini birthday cake just for Miriam. You're only one
year old once. Thanks Anne.

Sweet Ride

So you've probably heard by now--since I've been shouting it from the rooftops; Joe bought me a tandem bike for an early birthday present. It's been a lot of fun this past week and now Miriam has her early birthday present too; a trailer for the back of the tandem. Yes, we're quite a sight to behold.

For this morning's ride, we took the trail into downtown Fort Worth (about 20-25 miles round trip) and discovered that they were having a car show. We got to check out some hot sets of wheels from atop our own set--even if I do say so myself.

Pics of July/August 2010

Here's a selection of pictures from the past month or so...
Miriam cruising along behind her walker that Aunt Geneal gave her:

Miriam sorting the laundry:

Searching for goodies in the pantry:

Daddy subjecting Miriam to tickle torture:Miriam rading the tupperware cupboard (her thrice daily ritual): Posing for the camera:

Louise and Miriam swimming (and showing off our sunglasses):

We're keeping busy.

Pool Fun

Miriam and I just got back from a dip in the apartment pool. It was
the first time I've taken her there by myself--mostly because I'm
lazy. I should do it more often. However, there's something about a
mother with a baby in one hand and a cane in the other while walking
alongside a pool that tends to cause people to stare... Or maybe they
were just admiring Miriam's awesome Baby Banz sunglasses that her
grandma gave her. Yes, I'm sure that's it.

Pool

30.5

Happy Half Birthday to Joe! May you have many many more half birthdays.

Daddy's To Do List

Joe: (to Miriam) You're such a cutie... I have to finish graduate
school so I can pay for your college.

bon appétit

I'm still savoring the taste of those chocolate brownies that Joe
baked... the ones I ate right after the delicious italian cuisine he
made us for our Sunday dinner... which was right after our traditional
Sunday afternoon walk that I love taking together along the trail and
through the neighborhoods. Let's face it, I'm very blessed. For the
record, as well as being a good cook, Joe is also a loving father and
a helpful spouse in many other ways. He's faithful in his priesthood
duties and more than anyone else, I know I can rely on Joe. And we all
know he's a smart cookie to boot.

Last night we watched the movie "Julie and Julia". Before bed he
quoted Julia Child as he told me "You're the butter to my bread".
Thanks for the sentiment Joe. We do make a pair. I can't think of a
food that better fits your character than bread. You're my bread, my
daily staple.

Does the Tooth Fairy Bring Teeth As Well As Take Them?

There must be something magical about San Antonio--Whenever we have
visited, Miriam has grown a new tooth! Her first two appeared during
our May visit, and now tooth number three (on the top this time)
appeared this past weekend while in San Antonio for our friends,
Flavia and Richard's wedding. Now don't put your finger in this baby's
mouth or you'll be liable to lose it. *toothy grin*

In other Miriam news;
She's walking along furniture with some adeptness now.
She's been sleeping much better now that she's out of our bedroom.
Her favorite food is banana, although she eats mostly anything now.
She thinks apllesauce is sour, but she'll eat it anyway.
Her fuzz is still getting longer and we're wondering if she might
become a strawberry blonde or perhaps a light brown. Her eyes are
definitely blue though.
Her favorite activity is playing with the silverware when I'm packing
the dishwasher.
She gets excited when she sees dogs (She had fun playing with Rocky
over the weekend).

We've also come to believe she's spoken her first word; Several times
this week when I've walked into the room, she's broken out saying ma
ma ma ma... especially if she was upset. We're practicing da da now.
Although she's been saying those sounds for a long time, it's never
been in context until now. She definitely understands a lot of words
though. For example, when we were walking out on the trail last week,
Joe said "Look Miriam, a doggy" and she immediately swivelled her head
around to find it.

8 Hours

of uninterupted sleep last night. :)

Convention, Kindle, & Cool Tricks

I just got back last weekend from my annual NFB convention in Dallas.
Had fun seeing old friends--It's always a bummer that there are so
many meetings getting in the way of the real fun stuff. Braille
testing went smoothly, so that was a relief. I guess I've finally
reached a point where administering the exam with all the boxes of
confidential materials and important procedures no longer give me the
heebie jeebies, and thank goodness for that!

Joe's itching for the mailman to come and deliver his new generation
three Kindle. He pitched me a proposal about how he could study his
medical textbooks on it and I relented. Happy unbirthday to Joe. Did
you know it's also my unbirthday today too?

As for Miriam, she's already nine months old! I just can't believe my
baby is now closer to a toddler than to a newborn. I held my friend's
one-month-old on Sunday and just couldn't believe how tiny and floppy
he was. Surely Miriam was never like that! She's starting to take her
first steps along furniture and sometimes does the "look mom, no
hands" trick. She's currently having a trial run sleeping in the
living room rather than our bedroom. This is in the hopes that she'll
some day sleep through the night. She's such a pleasant, happy, good
natured girl, but waking up in the night is her one bad habit. No
doubt my bad habits are worse... Perhaps a little extra sleep for us
all will improve things.

Lull

I'm beginning to wonder about myself and my habits; It's starting to
bother me that I haven't done anything recently that I can think of to
write about. We even skipped our usual Sunday walk last Sunday, so I
can't even write about that. Well, I suppose there are two things:

Joe took me out to lunch at a rather unique location downtown. It was
a Subway sandwich shop that was... How do I describe it...? It was two
stories with a kind of loft-style dining area with walls of glass that
looked over the passing cars. The cars were passing between the Subway
store and an adjacent parking garage, but there was also a big
building that stretched across the Subway, the road, and the parking
garage, making the road like an underpass. Joe would, however, have me
mention the romantic lighting. *smiles* It was fun experiencing an
unknown nook of downtown.

Secondly, there's an article in the current (July 2010) Ensign about
some members in my home ward and stake. It's titled "A Tale of Three
Families".

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=86fbad9ec2c49210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=ccb1d48fa58db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

In particular, Peter and Geni Barr are close friends of our family.
Geni was one of my YW presidents.. Peter recently rode his bike with
my brothers in the final leg of their cross-country bike ride and he
wrote an awesome poem about the experience. Their son, Matt was the
seminary teacher who issued the challenge to read the Book of Mormon
every day for 100 days. By day 99 I had received a very clear wittness
that it was true.

I'm really grateful for such good people in my life, and the Barrs
definitely rank near the top of my list. I'm especially grateful to
them for the friendship they've shown my parents through thick and
thin over the years.

Terri Little was also my stake YW president, and I was sad to hear of
her recent passing. I don't personally know the Lenehans, but I know
they've been a help to my parents in recent times too.

Reading that article made me want to do better and be better.

Fathers Day

Joe just had his first Fathers Day. Miriam gave him a card with her
little pink footprint on it. As a side note, my informal experiment
revealed that it takes roughly two dozen attempts before getting a
decent print of a baby's wiggling paint covered toes.

We went on our customary Sunday walk in the afternoon. Joe wondered
out loud whether this PhD program was a mistake and if we ought to
have just gone for med school. I told him of course it was a good idea
and life is great. (Gotta be positive to survive). I don't remember
Joe's exact response, but suffice it to say that he quickly tossed out
his EARLIER WORDS. i GUESS WHILE OUR FRIENDS ARE ALL OFF BEGINNING
THEIR MEDICAL RESIDENCIES, WE JUST ENJOY BEING GLUTTONS FOR
PUNISHMENT. I suppose time will tell whether it was worth it, but I'm
fairly confident right now.

In other news, we ate loads of cookies this weekend.

Update on Miriam at 8 Months

While on a Sunday afternoon walk at Trinity Park here in Fort Worth,
we were passing by some trees near the duck pond when the following
uncanny event occurred:

Joe: There's a rabbit.
Louise: What? A real rabbit?
Joe: Yep.

The next thing I know, he has a rabbit in his hands showing Miriam.
Miriam wants to touch its eyes of course, but we direct her to the
fluffy parts. So, Miriam has now touched her first rabbit, not
including the one Grandma gave her for Easter.

Another exchange occurred last night before bed.

Miriam: (tugging at my shirt, presumably wanting food)
Joe: (in his Miriam voice) Come on--this store's open for business...
and the customer is always right.

And last week while I was holding Miriam, Joe took out my old penny
whistle. The moment he made a few random notes from the whistle,
Miriam's binky came spilling out of her mouth as she stared,
slack-jawed at Daddy, at which point, we both busted up laughing.

In other Miriam news, while in Australia the fuzz on her head (some
day we'll call it hair) got just a little longer and she got a little
bigger. She also learned to sit reliably without help. She had been
threatening to crawl for a month or two, but now she's got the
left-right coordination down and is crawling all over the apartment.
As if that weren't enough, while in San Antonio at the end of May, her
two bottom teeth magically appeared. Now with the crawling and the
teeth, she's got the makings of mischief--a pair of headphones were
the first casualty.

Before Australia she had just begun sleeping through the night, but
alas, it's never happened since. It doesn't help that she's still in
our room because Grandpa's got the second bedroom. We love having him
but we're just now starting to look forward to a change in Miriam's
sleeping arrangements. In the meantime, I think the more solid food I
can give her in the evening, the more she'll sleep. It's a bit
slow-going right now though.

Australia 2010 Pics

Here are just a few pictures from our trip to Australia (April-May 2010):

All six Nicholson siblings: (from left to right) Geneal, Rebecca, Lorin, Louise, Dean, and Melissa.Nicholson girls: (from left to right) Rebecca, Louise, Geneal, and Melissa.Me and Miriam on the headland above Fraser Beach.

Here is a happy Miriam with Grandad at Lakes Beach.

Australia 2010

Louise and Miriam's Trip to Australia 2010
Fri, Apr 23, 2010 Yanks Arrive in Oz

Flew into Sydney at dawn. Miriam was an angel on the plane and saved
her meltdown until the evening at Grandma's house. She slept like a
log that night. *smiles*

Sat, Apr 24, 2010 The Complete Set

Woke up at sunrise, pleased to hear all the birds. It sounded like
several dozen rainbow lorikeets, along with some doves, magpies,
miners, perhaps a rosella or two, and the odd flock of cockatoos on
their way through. Miriam might have mistaken her wooden crib bars for
a birdcage.

Ate Fruity Bix for breakfast along with a crumpet and then went for a
big day out shopping with the girls: Mum and all four
daughters--Geneal, Melissa, Rebecca, and me with Miriam in tow. It's
great to be all together for the first time in fourteen years—The
complete set.

We stopped off at Toukley shops before hitting the Morriset Markets.
Beck bought some Indian curry paste in prep for dinner and between
Melissa and Geneal (mostly Geneal) we bought a whole swathe of Pandora
bracelet charms. In further food report, for lunch we all ate beef and
lamb doner kebabs with tabouli and sweet chili
sauce—Australian-Mediteranian deliciousness!

The quote of the day was from Beck, when we finally figured out
Miriam's borrowed stroller she said "Between five mothers we got her
strapped in." It was very slightly comical, but as we strolled off, I
thought how significant it is to be all together and all mothers now.
The last time we were all together I was just thirteen. Now looking at
them all beside me gave me a tingly feeling of belonging that I never
quite expected.

Sun, Apr 25, 2010 ANZAC Day With the Girls

The five of us plus baby filled a row in church. Highlight was when
Bishop Travis Johnson shared a beautiful testimony, and this just a
few weeks after the death of their newborn son. After church I managed
to snag his wife, my old friend Rebecca, which I'm so glad I did.
We're praying for you Bec and Trav.

The afternoon was spent taking photos in the backyard and then at the
beach right after a big rainstorm. It would have been perfect if not
for the blustery wind, but we got some good shots, complete with a
rainbow. Although the wind was cold, the ocean was warm. Geneal and I
were itching to swim, but that was for another time.

At dinner Mum said how grateful she is to have children who genuinely
like each other as much as we do.

Lisa (sister in law) and kids arrived that night with Lorin's new
children's book "The Amazing Bike Ride" hot off the press. Lisa read
me the book and we all had an early night ready for the big
homecoming.

Mon, Apr 26, 2010 The Big Day

Up at 4am we were, and out the door for the 5:30am train to Sydney. We
arrived at the Opera House with not much time to spare before the
brothers on bikes (Lorin and Dean, along with support vehicles, police
escorts, and their tandem cycling mates) came rolling down the road to
victory! Those boys were some lean, mean, cycling machines! Lorin is
sure proud of his "buns of steel", and Dean too, but slightly less
likely to say it out loud. either way, by now they've earned their
bragging rights. After a month on the road, I thought they'd be
exhausted, but instead they were talking about their next ride,
although not quite so far as 4,000 kilometres (2.500 miles) next time.

For a brief few hours (some of which was interrupted by TV cameras)
the whole family was together. We ate breakfast at Maca's (McDonalds)
and took some family photos before the fun was cut short and we had to
clear the camper vans off the Opera House concourse before feathers
got ruffled (namely Tourism Australia was about to do a filmshoot of
the Opera House minus campervans).

We headed back to Mum and Dad's except for Dean and Janelle who had
planned a little harbour getaway for themselves in Sydney. I'm happy
we all had fun, but my only regret is that I hadn't specifically made
the plans that might have kept us all together for more than those few
hurried hours. I won't dwell on that though.

What an achievement! It's hard to believe they rode all that way from
Perth to Sydney, but they did it!

Tues, Apr 27, 2010 Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Beck flew out early to catch her connection to "Barky" (Barcaldine,
the outback town in the middle of nowhere, Queensland, where she calls
home for now). Sad to see the reunion ending so soon. (Sidenote: As if
the boys weren't enough, Beck has become my new inspiration for
hitting the gym. Second sidenote: Geneal and I both said that if we
had to leave Australia today, it would have been well worth the trip).

Melissa braved the Sydney traffic and took Geneal, Miriam and me to
see the boys one last time along with their families at a Vision
Australia reception, then we said our goodbyes and headed to Melissa's
house in Tamworth (The town where we grew up, about 5 hours NW of
Sydney).

Most notable—Melissa might say it was that we made it out of Sydney,
but Geneal and I would say it was the beautiful pink sunset while
driving through Scone. We arrived at Melissa's house to find her
husband, Chris cooking dinner—We took note of that too. Onya Chris!
("Onya" is short for "Good on you" or "well done" in Aussie speak.)

Wed, Apr 28, 2010 One Day in Tamworth

Waking up in Tamworth sure reminded me of childhood. It was a typical
Autumn morning; It was a gorgeous clear blue and green morning
outside, but flippin' cold inside. That's the thing about Australia,
few people have central heating and cooling like in the USA.

Highlights of the day were wandering around town and bumping into
people we knew as kids and seeing what was the same and what had
changed on mainstreet. The real highlights were meeting up with many
of our cousins; We had a lovely visit with Ellen and then had a
wonderful surprise visit with several more of our cousins, Robert,
Lauren, Michael, Stacy, and John (and Marea later) in the halls of the
hospital where we all happened to be visiting Aunty Ruth, who has been
sick for some time (and who has since passed away). Thanks Aunty Ruth
for being the cause of such a good visit, even though it was pretty
rotten circumstances for you. Thanks for sticking around for us to
visit one last time and introduce you to Miriam, but we're sure glad
you're back enjoying being with Uncle Fred again.

Thur, Apr 29-Mon, May 3, 2010 Geneal's Final Fling

Time flew after leaving Tamworth and heading back to Mum and Dad's via
Newcastle (for fish and chips and Tiger pies), and over the bridge
over Swansea Channel to homebase. Geneal headed back to Salt Lake City
the following Monday, but not before she and I had an awesome Saturday
afternoon jogging and swimming at Soldier's Beach.

Tues, May 4-Tues, May 11, 2010 My First Mothers Day

I hate to say it, but I think I moped around a bit for a few days
after Geneal left. Although I did enjoy birdwatching in the backyard
during Miriam's naptime, things were so quiet until the end-of-trip
acceleration began.

The final highlights were:
*Traversing the headlands from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach on a
crystal clear day—definitely the highest of the highlights.
*Hiking at Wyrrabalong National Park (Dad/Grandad carried Miriam in the pack.)
*Exploring one of my favorite spots—Fraser Beach, a rather remote
beach about 20 minutes north of Mum and Dad's house.
*Taking Miriam swimming at the beach (I thought she wouldn't like the
cold water, but she proved to be a surf-loving adventurer.)
*A potluck Girls Night In with a few of my friends (Fern, Halley,
Loraine, and Belinda)
*My first Mothers Day

In fact, my Mothers Day warrants a mention; I was excited to give my
mum the blanket I made for her. Dad and I also made lemon ricotta
crepes for breakfast, and I made cranberry chicken for dinner. As for
Miriam, she cooked up a little surprise for me too—First thing in the
morning, after feeding her and while burping her, for the first time
ever, she started patting me on the back too. The other thing to note
is that although sadly Joe wasn't there to share it, my first Mother's
Day was also our seventh wedding anniversary.

Wed, May 12, 2010 "Dallas, You Ain't Never Looked So Good"

That brings me to the end of my trip. It was so wonderful to see Joe
waiting for us in the Dallas airport after a marathon twenty-nine-hour
journey. (Yes, count them—twenty-nine hours!) We got up at some
obscene hour like 3am, caught the train to the Sydney airport, then
flew from Sydney to Brisbane, to Los Angeles to Albuquerque to
Dallas—Oh my! Thankfully Miriam was well behaved, but I tell ya, by
the end my own behavior was about to take a backslide. We both managed
to keep our cool pretty well, but the Dallas airport ain't never
looked so good as when we arrived there that very long Wednesday.

A whole two days of recooporation were spent at home before we zipped
off to College Station for Joe's little sister, Michelle's graduation,
and then on to San Antonio for a few days with the Walch/Taylor side
of the family. Then I even had the gall to fly to Utah for an NFB
convention. I knew that was a nutty idea before I even left, but the
tickets were booked and I said I'd be there, so I went and had fun,
but I'm sure glad to be home now, cured of the travel bug for a good
long while—or at least for the month of June.

Epilogue: A Novice Parent's Guide for Longdistance Airtravel

The following list is for parents of infants (Sorry, I know nothing
about toddlers yet):
*Carry both your passports, boarding passes, and a few dollars cash in
a separate pouch that you can attach to yourself that is secure, easy
to access and never comes off until you reach your destination.
*Be sure you have a comfortable baby carry pack for the airport. I
used a Baby Bjorn.
*Pack light on the plane; Use a single carry-on backpack for the both
of you that can fit under the seat. Don't skimp on diapers and wipes,
but leave the toys at home because they'll only get lost and the baby
is more interested in your headphones and the airline safety card.
Leave your own toys at home too because the baby tends to be enough
entertainment and any extra stuff in the carry-on just ends up being
clutter.
*Keep both you and baby hydrated. Long plane rides dry you out more
than usual and a dehydrated baby is a grumpy baby by the end of the
trip.
*Pack an extra pacifier and clip; This could save your life.
*Pack deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, and an extra change of
clothing for you and baby, and use the wipes to give yourselves a
little sponge bath to make you human again before you reach your
destination, or before your final connection
*Did I say to pack light? Funny story (that wasn't funny at the time)…
At the beginning of my trip, I arrived at the airport, an hour from
home, and discovered that I had forgotten my carryon bag! Luckily I
had our passports on me and enough time still up my sleave to finish
panicking and zip off to the nearest store and buy diapers and wipes!
Although highly unamusing at the time for all involved, it turned out
to be a blessing in disguise because I never really missed anything
much from my bulging carryon.

ANZAC Biscuits: An Aussie Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Apart from being a tasty reminder of home for me, you'll all appreciate that this is also a good food storage recipe since it doesn't call for eggs.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1 tablespoon golden syrup (honey will suffice)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons boiling water

Directions:

1. Mix oats, flour, sugar, and coconut together.

2. Melt the golden syrup and butter together in a small bowl in microwave for 40 seconds, or on a small saucepan on medium heat on stove.

3. Mix boiling water and baking soda together and then add to the melted butter and syrup.

4. Add butter mixture to the dry ingredients and combine.

5. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are golden around the edges but still soft on top.

7. Allow baked cookies to remain on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Tips:

*Do not overbake.

*Substitute golden syrup for half honey and half molasses.

*Use a 1 tablespoon sized icecream scoop to uniformly size and shape the cookie dough balls (tip courtesy of my mother-in-law, Anne-the-awesome-Taylor)

*Place cookie dough balls side by side on a lined tray and place in freezer for later use.

*Frozen or chilled cookie dough is less prone to flatten while baking and makes for chewier cookies.

A Day in Australia

We took a trip to Sydney today--Mum, Dad, Miriam and me. We walked from Coogee beach to Bondi beach. It was a perfect day (except that Joe wasn't here...) There was just a slight breeze, it was warm and sunny but not hot, blue skies and turquoise water, nice waves, white sand... Lots of runners passed us and it made me think of Joe every time although the company was good as it was. Miriam liked the dogs that passed us along the way too. When we sat down on a bench to have a snack at the top of a headland, she watched a dog pass us and then watched it all the way down the hill and around the bend--perhaps she's my daughter after all.

The only mis-hap was this morning--after a night of screaming, she finally unloaded into her diaper (and all over her clothing) right about when we got on the train this morning. Lucky I brought extra outfits for her, but unfortunately it meant a slightly chilly nakey baby for a minute or two at Gosford station. Her mood improved though after that.

Just a few more days and we'll be heading home to Texas. Trying to make the most of it.

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

Delicious recipe from Hillery Ray (a.k.a. the cake goddess). Recipe used for the FW 5th Ward Relief Society birthday party, and then for Miriam's belated half-birthday. I don't think mine was as good as Hillery's (Surprise!), but I expect that this is because I am known for not sticking to the recipe. The smell of the lemon juice was so intoxicating that I couldn't stop at the recommended amount... I know you'll have more restraint than me though, and your cake will turn out perfectly!

Cake:
2 1/4 C flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp lemonn zest
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
3/4 C milk
2 C fresh strawberries, chopped

Lemonade Syrup:
1 C lemonade concentrate, thawed
3/4 C confectioners sugar

Frosting:
3/4 C strawberries, chopped
3 C confectioners sugar
12oz creamcheese, room temp
3 tsp lemon juice
18 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Stir together with a fork and set aside.
In another bowl, beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl as you make each addition.
Add in half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just blended.
Add the milk and mix until smooth.
Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just blended.
Fold in the strawberries with a spatula.
Pour mixture into a greased, floured cake pan.
Bake at 325 degrees F. until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean--about 30-40 minutes.
Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cake is completely cool, whisk together the melted lemonade concentrate and the confectioners sugar to make the syrup.
Using a skewer, poke holes about a half inch apart all over the top of the cake and then pour the syrup all over the top, allowing it to soak in.
For the frosting, puree the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Whip together the creamcheese and unsalted butter until very fluffy. Add in the confectioners sugar and blend until smooth. Add the lemon juice and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Mix in the pureed strawberries a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired fexture and flavor--about 5 tablespoons of puree.

Tip:
1 stick salted butter=1 stick unsalted butter + 1/4 tsp salt

G'day Y'all!

three sleeps until Miriam and I head off to Australia. It's a first time for her of course, but it's been a whole four years for me. I'm a little nervous for all the travel phase, but mostly excited.

The things I'm most looking forward to are:
* Getting all six siblings together for the first time in fourteen years.
* Celebrating after Lorin and Dean complete their 2,500 mile bike ride across Australia.
* Having a "cuppa" (aka a cup of hot chocolate or some such drink) and late evening chats.
* Aussie burgers, meat pies, sausage rolls, fish and chips (on the beach!), crumpets, salad sandwiches, ginger beer (don't worry, it's not alcoholic), vanilla and passionfruit slices, Dad's custard, and Mum's curried sausages. You can count this long list as an admission that I'm a bit food centric...
* Even more than the food though, I'm looking forward to hiking with Dad, seeing all the bright colors of the ocean, the trees, and the birds (in particular, the cookaburras, magpies, and rainbow lorikeets that frequent Mum and Dad's backyard), and which have become somewhat friendly.

It's going to be great!

In other news...
1. Anne and Ben/Moppy and Poppy came to vissit us last weekend. We hope they'll come again soon.
2. Joe and I had a very nice lunch date yesterday at Red Lobster. The food and company were both great. I'll miss you Joe while I'm away.
3. Miriam can sit up by herself and will be crawling any day now.
4. I'm finally going to make that strawberry lemonade cake today! It was meant to be for Miriam's half birthday, but as it is, it's a few weeks late.
5. I played flute in church today.
6. I'm reading Catching Fire, the second book in the Hunger Games series--Good so far.
7. I'm going to Natalie (Lunt) Haughawout's house tomorrow morning for a visit.
8. I'm super duper uber excited for Kristen and Aaron's four-year adventure living in Okinawa.

I've probably forgotten a few items from each list, but it wasn't as if you wanted to read a novel about me anyway. This is me signing off.

FYI... or rather FMI

Three news items which will be interesting only to the select few:
1. Miriam's bald head is growing some fuzz. It's still pretty much invisible, but I like to feel the fluffiness.
2. Miriam now knows how to use her legs one at a time, so perhaps crawling is next (though she's already getting around alright by rolling)
3. For the last three nights, with the exception of a few squeaks, Miriam has slept from 11pm to 6am. Now if I can just stop waking up then we'll be doing just fine.
(She'll be six months old next week.)

The BIG Ride

Today is day #1 of the BIG ride! My brothers, Lorin and Dean are riding their bikes over 2,500 miles across Australia from Perth to Sydney. The ride is planned to take a month and I'll be there with the whole family to meet them at the finish line. It's so exciting! If you'd like to check out their progress, go to their website at www.blindcourage.com. You can also follow them on twitter or facebook.

Wiggle and Sneak

No, I'm not refering to the traditional english dish known as "bubble and squeak"--I'm refering to Miriam and her covert occupation... I've never yet seen her do it, but each time I turn away or leave the room, she's somewhere other than where I layed her. If I watch her, she'll only roll or scoot a foot or less, but I swear she waits for me to turn my back so she can sneak, sneak, sneak, sneak, sneak... I suppose you'll tell me she gets it from her father. Joe is known for eating his mother's Weight Watchers chocolate popsicles while hiding out in the pantry. Me? You might not have known that when I was little I used to clandestinely snack on kitty kibble. Does any hope remain for this child?

Pictures!

Here's our little princess after a bath. Pictures taken Feb 2010.Joe and Miriam.
The Fort Worth Water Gardens on Joe's dad's birthday weekend. See the following post for details.

The BYU versus TCU basketball game. Also, see following post for details. GO COUGARS!!

Big Weekend

This weekend we celebrated Joe's dad's birthday. Also, Miriam is officially five months old.

We spent a fun Saturday pretending to be tourists in downtown Fort Worth; We visited the Omni Hotel and the Water Gardens and we took lots of pictures (which I'll have to post ASAP). I'm kicking myself that I didn't know about the Water Gardens when my family were visiting last October/November. Hopefully I'll have another opportunity to show them. We all had a good time although I think I enjoyed it more than anyone. I also found the Water Gardens to be among the most challenging navigation experiences I've had in a while with so many stairs and drop-offs with water running everywhere. Still, my record for most challenging is the Spit to Manly hike around Sydney Harbour when I last visited in 2006. That was challenging in a different way though, with so many rippled and uneven sandstone steps and rocky terrain. The Water Gardens on the other hand was just a matter of navigating over straight-edged steps, but there were gaps between each tall step with water gushing through, so although it was reasonably predictable, the stakes were higher if I made a mis-step.

On Saturday evening we donned our BYU gear and went to the BYU versus TCU basketball game. I thought the blues would be in the minority among the crowd, but boy was I surprised--we dominated. One TCU fan said we were "like cockroaches"--blue cockroaches that came up out of nowhere and took over the place! *laughs* Despite a crummy start, BYU won by thirty points.

We celebrated the birthday win with a barbecue dinner. While eating, we looked over at Miriam in her carseat to find that she had managed to pick up her little half bottle of milk left over from the car ride and was swigging away. We've never seen her do anything like this before. She changes so fast and never ceases to amaze. I suppose lingering hunger brought out her resourcefulness.

I regret to say that Miriam had her first accident on Sunday at church involving a split second, a countertop, and a hard floor. It was awful and I was sure in that moment that I was the worst mother in the world, but luckily for us all her diaper absorbed most of the impact and she has recovered a hundred times faster than me. That was the one event that marred the weekend, but thankfully no harm done and I learned a few valuable lessons, not the least of which is how precious that little firl is to me. I also think I need to learn to be more calm and constructive and less panicky and shame-filled just in case I ever have to deal with a real emergency.

I can hardly go on with this post, but the day did improve with a birthday dinner and a Sunday drive. It was in the end an enjoyable weekend and we all lived to tell the tale

Miriam at 4.5 Months

Poor Miriam has a cold. Until the last few days she was beginning to make a breakthrough with her sleeping habits; A few times last weeks he almost slept all the way through the night from 10pm to 6am. I say"almost" because on each of those nights she woke up once but wentright back to sleep when I put a binky in her mouth. On those nights she went the whole night without eating though, so that constitutes a breakthrough considering that she most nights still eats twice.

As for my sleeping habits, I'm much more a night owl than I used to be. For example, Joe's dad has been staying with us for a while now and the other night he got home really late after a super long day of renovating houses. He walked in the door right after Joe and I had gone to bed. Joe had already fallen asleep and I decided to get up and say hi, mostly because I hate the thought of a man coming home to zero greeting. So, we chatted for fifteen minutes or so while he made himself some dinner. (Just as a side note, Dave has been a fairly easyhouse guest for the past two months. He's no trouble, buys a few groceries here and there, and loves baby Miriam. He keeps saying he'll be moving into his own place soon, but in any case, we all seem to be getting along rather well and time has flown.)

I sleep in until around 7:30 or 8 most days. Well, I mostly cat napafter Miriam eats at 4 or 5 and Joe gets up at 6. Miriam usually wakes up again somewhere in there too.

Cowtown Half Marithon 2010

Here we all are: Joe, Louise, Miriam, and Michelle after the Cowtown Half Marithon in Fort Worth last Saturday. Joe ran the half while Michelle ran the 5k and Miriam and I were the cheer squad along with our friend Tiffany Anderson, whose husband, Adam, was also running. It was a beautiful sunny but brisk morning. Congratulations to our runners! Joe's time was 1hr 49mins; He's quite satisfied. Also, his medal is pretty nifty--it is designed so that if you earn five medals over successive years, the wedges will fit together to make a texas star.

Let the Fun Begin!

Miriam is becoming an active baby. Joe had to wrestle her in church last Sunday while I was up on the stand leading the music. She's also developing an obsession with practicing standing up on my lap. I've now started putting her into her Jolly Jumper--some people call it a Johnny Jump Up--the contraption that hangs in a doorway and the baby jumps up and down in it. Well, Miriam isn't quite jumping yet, but she seems to like to wiggle in it or shuffle herself around to face one direction or the other.

All this exercise must be developing her gluteus maximus *smiles* because she has also moved up in diaper sizes. Speaking of which... I left her on the floor for a few minutes after changing her diaper yesterday, and when I came back, she had rolled over onto her tummy and was doing a pretty decent-looking baby push-up! She's never rolled over on a flat surface before, so this was a first.

4 Month Check Up

Just as her two month doctor appointment, Miriam is still in the 75th percentile for weight, height, and head circumference. She now weighs 14lbs 10oz. She's still healthy and happy, and her binky is her best friend.

Slushed In

If we were snowed in yesterday, then today we are definitely slushed in! Fort Worth received a record twelve inches of snow yesterday—it snowed and it snowed all day long end we wound up with more snow than this area has ever seen. I know it’s not quite like the six feet or so that’s been piling up in the DC area, but for DFW it’s pretty wild and white! Now it’s raining and all that fluffy stuff is turning to slush, but I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did.

Precious Moments

Family Home Evening was the highlight of my day yesterday. The three of us sat on the bed while Joe read an article from the Ensign magazine. Miriam was her best self. She was cuddled up under a pink blanky with a binky in her mouth and staring up at us with her big blue eyes. I should have taken a picture but didn’t want to spoil the moment.

Politically Correct or Actually Correct

I enjoy thinking of little things about my childhood that would seem unusual for children today. Granted, I grew up in Australia, not the USA.

These days there is so much to do with the seperation of church and state. Christmas is typically discouraged in state schools, at least in the US, but I need to check up on today's Australia. When I was in elementary school we had "scripture". Every Friday our class "scripture teacher", a community volunteer, would come and teach an hour-long lesson on Bible stories. We each had an age-appropriate workbook full of illustrated worksheets to complete. When I was in fifth grade, we had an LDS combined class (of about three or four of us from the whole school) which i think my mum taught, but I can't remember , but until that point , everyone just had a generic christian lesson together with all the other kids in their regular class.

I like the idea of scripture in school. So long as Christian values are being taught, and parents can teach the finer points of doctrine at home. I think the home is still the primary place to teach values, but it would be ideal if schools would also include values in their curriculum. Having said that, I get the impression that schools today often teach left-of-center values. Of course, they are not taught as values though, they are taught as truths. So, I guess by values I really mean truths. Of course, I don't believe most so-called truths to actually be true. Some overarching so-called truths of the popular left are:

We have to save the earth because we bad humans are destroying it.

Ancient/primative cultures were more peaceful and earth-respecting than today's cultures.

Homosexuality is as good as heterosexuality.

Islam, Buddhism, and atheism are as good in every respect as Christianity.

Europeans are more refined and enlightened than Americans.

Some people are bad because their environment causes them to be that way.

Equality is more important than freedom.

...Just to state a few of my perceptions. Some might want to challenge these, and they're probably right that I could better phrase them, but you get the point I hope. My perception at least is that some are taught overtly, such as the save the earth stuff and the homosexuality stuff. Of the subvert doctrines, I think kids get the idea that Europeans are better than Americans perhaps because of high-end fashion and also I've heard many young adults say things like "I just love meeting people from other countries. They're so interesting and all the Americans are so milk-toast. (I actually heard this from someone teaching a young Women lesson at church! Even being the only non-American in the room, I thought of correcting her, but figured a debate would only drag things further off topic.) I think the statement is more a case of the grass being greener on the other side. It assumes that the values of people from other countries are superior to American values. Yes, it's great meeting people from other countries, but it's very simplistic to say that Americans are generally boring or somehow not as good.

I started out just to record a little memory of my childhood, but then my brain went off on this tangent. I admit that I haven't refined these statements or my thoughts yet, but in a general way, I believe my objections to be correct.

The bottom line is, (and I paraphrase from one of my favorite writers/speaker, Dennis Prager) "The notion of political correctness by nature is in opposition to truth or actual correctness."

Welcome Miriam

Welcome Miriam! We’re so glad you arrived! Getting to know you has been a joy. We love you.
Picture: Joe, Louise, and three-day-old baby Miriam--Just home from the hospital 10-10-2009.

(I wrote this journal article on 12/16/2009 and have finally edited it for general consumption.)

I’m finally sitting down to write a record of Miriam’s birth. Back in September I was naïve enough to think I would bounce right back within a week or so, but here I am with a two-month-old and finally entering what a friend of mine dubs “the new normal.”

I had been having small contractions for two weeks preceding the birth, some regular, some not. We scheduled an induction two days after the due date and arrived at the hospital at 7am. According to the nurse’s gadgets I was already having contractions at eight minutes apart even before they induced… (funny that I hadn’t noticed).

They administered the pitosen at around eight or nine and by mid morning I requested the epidural—a preemptive strike. By the time the epi guy arrived, I was sure glad. I was brave for the needle. Once upon a time I might have fainted, but then again, what is bravery really when millions of mothers have given birth without pain meds! Sane people choose the meds if they are given the option though.

Joe took a little video interview of me right after the drugs were administered. I told him basically that the epidural was the best thing that had happened to me in the last nine months! No more labor pain, and miraculously, no more pregnancy discomfort—bonus! I had forgotten what lying down comfortably in a bed felt like.

As time went on and contractions got stronger, I wasn’t completely pain free; I still had pain in my hips, but of course it was leagues better than the alternative. The interesting part was that I could feel the pressure of contractions and although I could not lift my legs, I could shuffle them across the bed.

By 1pm I was ready to push. All had happened relatively quickly up until that point, so we expected to have a baby within the hour, but not so. Miriam was head down, but facing up, so she got stuck, unable to pass my pelvic bone. The nurses helped me into several different positions to encourage her to shift. Joe was being very attentive throughout the whole time. I wasn’t able to eat or drink, but he was holding my hand, counting with the nurses, and feeding me crushed ice on a spoon to keep me going. What a champ!

Throughout the whole time I was listening to her heartbeat on the monitor and was just glad to know she was okay, but after three hours of pushing I was getting exhausted. However, at 4:15pm she arrived!

At this point I think many mothers are impatient to see and hold their baby, but I can remember just feeling relieved that she made it and glad to know that she had her daddy and a flock of nurses taking care of her. Within a few minutes Joe brought Miriam over. She looked peaceful with her eyes closed, but she perked up a bit when I nursed her.

And so, Miriam was born at 4:15pm on October 7th, which equates to 8:15am on October 8thin Australia, which is within five minutes of my birth date and time. So, one might say that from the time I first saw my mother’s face to the time I saw my first daughter’s face, it was exactly twenty-seven years to the minute. Further trivia is that Miriam and I were both born on a Wednesday. To complete the stats, Miriam weighed 7 pounds and 13 ounces and was 19 inches long. (I think I was seven pounds seven ounces and I’m not sure how long.)

Still further trivia, but of much less interest perhaps, is that I used exactly one bag of the epidural medicine. I think a bag costs about $500, so in a second respect, the birth could not have been timed better since I did not end up requesting a second bag.

While feeding Miriam for the first time, I was craving apple juice like no other! I drank cup after cup of the stuff before digging into my first meal of the day. Joe also got himself a meal and me another large bottle of apple juice.

An hour later Miriam was wheeled off for a proper check over in the nursery while I was wheeled off to my new room. I thought that by this point I would be impatient to tell the world the news. This was about the opposite of my real feelings by this point, so it was lucky that I had Joe to take care of all that for me. I did eventually call Mum to let her know though… about four hours later! I’m lucky she’s not the kind to be impatient.

At around 10pm that night while Joe was changing a diaper, Miriam began choking and turning blue! We had a moment of mad scrambling as my call button was on the arm of the chair where I couldn’t reach it from the bed, but after a moment of panic, we managed to get it pushed. Thanks to Joe, she was back to breathing again and nurses arrived within a minute. We remembered that she had swallowed some amniotic fluid during the birth and so she was taken to the nursery to be suctioned out.

She was returned to us at around midnight, but when I tried to feed her, she was uninterested, and soon began to choke again. Joe was quick with the suction bulb, but of course she had to take another trip to the nursery. We got the report at around 3am that she had continued to have troubles and so they had called Dr. McGueehee, our pediatrician, and he had recommended that she be sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where she could be monitored.

Between the late night, pain and fatigue from the birth, an appointment with the lactation specialist, and a temporary closure of the NICU because of some unstable babies, I didn’t see Miriam again until noon—twelve hours from when I had last seen her. This was not the first night with baby that I had imagined and I was mildly sorry to have woken Dr. M., but glad to know that Miriam was safe.

Although Miriam had no further problems after that first night, she had to stay in the NICU for at least 48 hours, so the next two days were a constant stress getting back and forth from one end of the hospital to another. She ended up getting most of her meals from a bottle during that time, but I was there at least a handful of times each day and pumping the rest of the time.

The hospital room was very nice—like a hotel minus the carpet. Thursday was my birthday and the hospital delivered a birthday cake with my lunch that day—Nice!

Miriam was released to be in the hospital room with me on Friday night. This made things so much better. My milk also came in that night and although it hasn't been that easy, ever since, I’ve had a peculiar satisfaction from hearing her gulp.