All right, cute story. Let me take you through a normal morning. Jocelyn will typically wake up anywhere between eight and nine. She plays quietly in her crib while I sleep. When she starts squawking, I wake up and pull her out, we have breakfast, yada, yada, yada.
This morning turns out to be not-so-typical. At nine-seventeen, I wake up. Everything is silent. Hmm, I think. Jocelyn should be up by now. Weird. I lay in bed a little longer, waiting for my body to wake up. I'm under the assumption she is still asleep. It has happened, but not often. Anyway, as I'm lying there, I hear a little voice. "Mommy?" it says. Hmm, I think again, that sounded really close. My ears must be working better than usual. The voice comes again. "Mommy?" I nearly sit up in bed in shock. That was right outside my door, I think. I look over to the door and there is a little hand clutching the side of the door. (Side note, I don't close my door at night.) I gasp, then laugh to myself. The little twerp climbed out of her crib! "Come in, Jocelyn," I say. She walks in, takes a few steps. The expression on her face is one of uncertainty, like she's afraid of being in trouble. I laugh again, out loud this time. This time, knowing Mommy isn't upset, she runs over and tells me, "Owie". "Owie," I repeat. "Where?" She pats the top of her head, says "Owie". I make sympathetic sounds as she moves her hand to her back and chest. I laugh for a third time and pull her up on my bed.
Now, let me tell you about her crib. It is one of those transition beds, where it goes from crib to toddler bed to something else (I never remember what the third stage is) and finally to twin size. The mattress is on the lowest setting, the bottom sitting about three or four inches above the ground. Add in about six inches for the depth of the mattress and you have the the approximate height of the floor to the top of the mattress. All right. The top of the front of the crib comes up to about her chin, maybe a little lower. And she climbed out. I'm not sure how the heck she did that. It was some feat of gymnastics, or as a friend of mine suggested, a feat of Zen/Jedi mind tricks or pole vaulting.
Of course, this isn't the first time she has attempted to climb out of her crib. The last time the mattress was on the highest setting and Thane moved the mattress down. Now, there is no place for the mattress to go. And this isn't the first time she has tried something, to 'Mommy', is scary. I won't enumerate them at this time but, I say it again-she has no fear.
I LOVE MY GIRL!!!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Hooray for Motherhood!!
Today was Daylight Savings, and almost true to form Thane and I forgot to set the clocks ahead. We woke up late, didn't realize it, got dressed, went to church and arrived twenty minutes before Sacrament ended. Mom and Dad Smith live ten minutes from us and have the late church time, so we decided to go there to partake of the Sacrament. Everything was going great until halfway through the service. Jocelyn was playing on pew when suddenly she fell forward into the corner of the hymnal holder --or whatever you call it...'Deirdre would know'. GASP!! HORROR!! One of a parent's worst nightmares! We carry her out, and as we pass the building library, one of the librarians very kindly offers a Band-Aid. Jocelyn is cleaned up, bandage firmly in place and the car speeds off to the Instacare. --For those of you who don't know, an Instacare is a clinic, MUCH less expensive than an ER.
After a brief call to Miya, whose advice is to get her in for a professional opinion, we do just that. I had been there last Monday for bronchitis and the receptionist remembered us from then-I was extremely impressed that she would remember us, especially after all the people she sees every day. She sat us down, took all our information and proceeded to introduce us to a MA and RN who took care of Jocelyn immediately, cleaning the wound and giving us something to numb the area to stop some of the pain. Again, I was very impressed with the attention and service we received.
About an hour later, it's amazing how many people don't want to wait/spend money at the ER, we were called back. The doctor walked in, looked at Jocelyn's wound and said, "It dosen't look that bad. My recommendation is to clean it and do nothing." I was sitting there thinking, Okay, I didn't think we overreacted. Mom said to bring her in.
As I'm puzzling over this, the doctor has started to clean Jocelyn's cut. "Oh," he says, "It's worse than I thought. The dried blood made it look better than it actually is."
Let me tell you, Jocelyn is a gem. She has spent an hour in the waiting room, coloring on a receipt with Thane's dress pencil --well, you know, the pen and pencil set he wears to church in his shirt pocket. She is very patient while the doctor cleans the cut again. Oh, my gosh. I just cannot believe the resilience and patience this child is displaying. She is my child, after all, but she had missed her nap and isn't angry with Daddy or Mommy or the doctor.
Anyway, the doctor says, "Looks like she's going to need stitches, just two, nothing major." He goes on to talk about superglue or bandages, but ultimately, he says, "Stitches would be the way to go." Okay, stitches. Okay, I can do this. Breathe, Megan, breathe.
The doctor gets the local anesthetic prepared, tells Thane to bring Jocelyn to the table. On goes the overhead light and Jocelyn begins to cry. The nurse holds Jocelyn's head while Thane takes her arms and legs. Mommy is sitting in the chair, her mind filled with 'horror' stories from my mother when I went to the hospital for stitches. I moved so much that I needed restraints and my mother fainted. Hoping to avoid these disasters, I stayed safely away. The doctor leaned over Jocelyn, needle in hand and began to apply the anesthetic. Jocelyn stopped crying. She had closed her eyes to the light and the needle didn't bother her. How do you spell W-O-W? The problem came when the doctor began to suture the wound. The dreaded light was back and there was no avoiding it. And, I believe- having been through it myself- she could feel the pressure on her head and thought it was hurting her.
When the torture was over and the poor girl was safely in Mommy's arms, she was all bright and smiles again. Of course, the sucker and stickers the nurse gave her didn't hurt-and promises of ice cream from Mommy.
As I told a friend, all's well that ends well. And now I know a small bit of the pain and torture my mother went through with myself.
After a brief call to Miya, whose advice is to get her in for a professional opinion, we do just that. I had been there last Monday for bronchitis and the receptionist remembered us from then-I was extremely impressed that she would remember us, especially after all the people she sees every day. She sat us down, took all our information and proceeded to introduce us to a MA and RN who took care of Jocelyn immediately, cleaning the wound and giving us something to numb the area to stop some of the pain. Again, I was very impressed with the attention and service we received.
About an hour later, it's amazing how many people don't want to wait/spend money at the ER, we were called back. The doctor walked in, looked at Jocelyn's wound and said, "It dosen't look that bad. My recommendation is to clean it and do nothing." I was sitting there thinking, Okay, I didn't think we overreacted. Mom said to bring her in.
As I'm puzzling over this, the doctor has started to clean Jocelyn's cut. "Oh," he says, "It's worse than I thought. The dried blood made it look better than it actually is."
Let me tell you, Jocelyn is a gem. She has spent an hour in the waiting room, coloring on a receipt with Thane's dress pencil --well, you know, the pen and pencil set he wears to church in his shirt pocket. She is very patient while the doctor cleans the cut again. Oh, my gosh. I just cannot believe the resilience and patience this child is displaying. She is my child, after all, but she had missed her nap and isn't angry with Daddy or Mommy or the doctor.
Anyway, the doctor says, "Looks like she's going to need stitches, just two, nothing major." He goes on to talk about superglue or bandages, but ultimately, he says, "Stitches would be the way to go." Okay, stitches. Okay, I can do this. Breathe, Megan, breathe.
The doctor gets the local anesthetic prepared, tells Thane to bring Jocelyn to the table. On goes the overhead light and Jocelyn begins to cry. The nurse holds Jocelyn's head while Thane takes her arms and legs. Mommy is sitting in the chair, her mind filled with 'horror' stories from my mother when I went to the hospital for stitches. I moved so much that I needed restraints and my mother fainted. Hoping to avoid these disasters, I stayed safely away. The doctor leaned over Jocelyn, needle in hand and began to apply the anesthetic. Jocelyn stopped crying. She had closed her eyes to the light and the needle didn't bother her. How do you spell W-O-W? The problem came when the doctor began to suture the wound. The dreaded light was back and there was no avoiding it. And, I believe- having been through it myself- she could feel the pressure on her head and thought it was hurting her.
When the torture was over and the poor girl was safely in Mommy's arms, she was all bright and smiles again. Of course, the sucker and stickers the nurse gave her didn't hurt-and promises of ice cream from Mommy.
As I told a friend, all's well that ends well. And now I know a small bit of the pain and torture my mother went through with myself.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Jocelyn's 2nd Birthday
I never would have imagined two years ago that I would be telling my baby girl to pull up her diaper. (For some reason, she has a penchant to experiment with the waistband and tabs of her diaper. It is much too precious, although now she has pulled her diaper off all the way over her bum.) Excuse me.
Waking up to the sweet choruses of "Mommy! Mommy!" at eight in the morning was something else I never dreamed of when my gorgeous girl came into the world, along with the tantrums -you're thinking "No! Not that sweet girl!"-, the delight in everything girly -wearing Mommy's shoes, putting her babies "Night-night"-, the gibberish singing, the desire to 'help'. And the list goes on and on. I suppose every first time mother doesn't know quite to expect the first day, or month, or year, etc. Every day is a new learning experience. And boy, have I learned a lot- A LOT.
Her second birthday wasn't nearly as exciting as last year's. For one thing, Mommy fell down on the job and didn't get a cake made, presents wrapped, or even finished the birthday shopping. I suppose that's what happens when one is sick for three-plus weeks. Miracle of miracles, Mommy is feeling better today, but that doesn't mean much, either. We will be celebrating Joce's birthday on Saturday, so I will get pictures up then.
We spent an exciting two-plus weeks in Houston at the beginning of the month. It was a happy trip for all. Miya and Papa were thrilled to see how much Jocelyn had changed in the last five months, while Jocelyn and Caitlyn had so much fun playing with each other. I heard through the grapevine that once Jocelyn had left, Caitlyn was a tad distraught, asking when she woke up from naps and in the morning "Where's Jocie? Where's Jocie?" It's a bit heartwrenching. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of that trip, but we have tenatively planned a trip for the end of July.
Waking up to the sweet choruses of "Mommy! Mommy!" at eight in the morning was something else I never dreamed of when my gorgeous girl came into the world, along with the tantrums -you're thinking "No! Not that sweet girl!"-, the delight in everything girly -wearing Mommy's shoes, putting her babies "Night-night"-, the gibberish singing, the desire to 'help'. And the list goes on and on. I suppose every first time mother doesn't know quite to expect the first day, or month, or year, etc. Every day is a new learning experience. And boy, have I learned a lot- A LOT.
Her second birthday wasn't nearly as exciting as last year's. For one thing, Mommy fell down on the job and didn't get a cake made, presents wrapped, or even finished the birthday shopping. I suppose that's what happens when one is sick for three-plus weeks. Miracle of miracles, Mommy is feeling better today, but that doesn't mean much, either. We will be celebrating Joce's birthday on Saturday, so I will get pictures up then.
We spent an exciting two-plus weeks in Houston at the beginning of the month. It was a happy trip for all. Miya and Papa were thrilled to see how much Jocelyn had changed in the last five months, while Jocelyn and Caitlyn had so much fun playing with each other. I heard through the grapevine that once Jocelyn had left, Caitlyn was a tad distraught, asking when she woke up from naps and in the morning "Where's Jocie? Where's Jocie?" It's a bit heartwrenching. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of that trip, but we have tenatively planned a trip for the end of July.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Christmas 2008
Christmas morning was soo much fun with Jocelyn this year. Jocelyn opened all her presents-at the same time as Daddy-and helped Mommy open her presents. It was soo cute. I wish we had gotten pictures, but we got a really cute video. It's a bit long-almost 45 minutes- and probably wouldn't be wise to post on the blog, but a copy will be going to my parents, so if you live in Houston, feel free to call for a viewing. If you live here and want to see it, give me a call.
After a morning of orange rolls and general present "oohing and aahing", we had my in-laws over for dinner. As some of you may know, I attempted this when Thane and I were first married. For those of you who don't know, let me tell you, it was a disaster. I had to stick the turkey back in the oven three times before it was fully cooked. Then I had to call my father for tips on how to make gravy and whilst making said gravy, the container some how exploded and made a huge stain on my shirt. Thankfully, this year wasn't so bad. The gravy wasn't great-I'm thinking of doing canned next time-and the skin only got crispy on one side-again, after having to call my father for tips on how to get it crispy in the first place. (Wow, I seem to write novels, don't I?)
Today, Jocelyn and I went out to make a snowman. We had attempted this last week, but she got cold and was cranky, so we came inside before we were finished. The next day, we went out to finish it and saw that the neighbor kids had finished it for us. So, I decided that Jocelyn and I needed to make a completed snowman. She participated this time-which was much more fun than last week. Below are pictures of the first snowman and the second one. We used leaves from a nearby bush to complete #2 snowman's face, which gives him a slightly Oriental look.
Saturday Thane and I took Jocelyn to a huge hill by the Provo Temple. My mother in law gave us a sled and we wanted to try it out. Thane took her down once then I took her down once. After twice down, Jocelyn was ready to call it a day. I also posted pictures from that adventure below as well.
After a morning of orange rolls and general present "oohing and aahing", we had my in-laws over for dinner. As some of you may know, I attempted this when Thane and I were first married. For those of you who don't know, let me tell you, it was a disaster. I had to stick the turkey back in the oven three times before it was fully cooked. Then I had to call my father for tips on how to make gravy and whilst making said gravy, the container some how exploded and made a huge stain on my shirt. Thankfully, this year wasn't so bad. The gravy wasn't great-I'm thinking of doing canned next time-and the skin only got crispy on one side-again, after having to call my father for tips on how to get it crispy in the first place. (Wow, I seem to write novels, don't I?)
Today, Jocelyn and I went out to make a snowman. We had attempted this last week, but she got cold and was cranky, so we came inside before we were finished. The next day, we went out to finish it and saw that the neighbor kids had finished it for us. So, I decided that Jocelyn and I needed to make a completed snowman. She participated this time-which was much more fun than last week. Below are pictures of the first snowman and the second one. We used leaves from a nearby bush to complete #2 snowman's face, which gives him a slightly Oriental look.
Saturday Thane and I took Jocelyn to a huge hill by the Provo Temple. My mother in law gave us a sled and we wanted to try it out. Thane took her down once then I took her down once. After twice down, Jocelyn was ready to call it a day. I also posted pictures from that adventure below as well.
"Cheese!"
Sledding with Daddy
The sled wasn't the sturdiest one, so it was hard to hold on to.Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Pictures (Finally!)
Jocelyn, Lindsay, and her "friend"
Mike
on Thanksgiving at Kristen's house
Little Red Riding Hood
Mike
on Thanksgiving at Kristen's house
Little Red Riding Hood
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
All right, so I didn't get halloween pics up, so sue me. Thanksgiving was fun. We (the [almost] entire Smith family) went to my oldest sister-in-law's, Kristen, house. We always have a lot of fun when the family gets together. The kids ran around while the adults chatted. Brinley, Kristen's youngest daughter, is absolutely taken with Jocelyn. She played with Jocelyn and generally played the big sister to Joce. It was really cute. The next time we see them, I'll take a picture of the two girls so everyone can see them together. I made Grandma's famous chocolate pie, which was a smash hit. -Another family is hooked, Grandma! Love you!- So, all in all, Thanksgiving was a good day.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Fun On Halloween
Halloween was a fun night for the Smith family. I had been planning our costumes for a year, or, well, the theme for our costumes. We went as the favorite storybook characters from "Little Red Riding Hood". Grandma made Jocelyn's cape and she looked so cute. Daddy went as the woodcutter (whom everyone thought was an ax-murderer) and Mommy (that would be me) was the 'Grandma'.
We Trunk-or-Treated then went to visit Nana and Granddad. Our pumpkin was carved the day before, and Jocelyn loved it. From some reason, she was enthralled with pumpkins. It didn't matter where the pumpkin was, she pointed it out with a tiny "Puh-kin!".
I can't wait until next year-we'll be characters from the Wizard of Oz, Jocelyn's favorite movie. At least, at this point that's the plan. Enjoy the pictures!
We Trunk-or-Treated then went to visit Nana and Granddad. Our pumpkin was carved the day before, and Jocelyn loved it. From some reason, she was enthralled with pumpkins. It didn't matter where the pumpkin was, she pointed it out with a tiny "Puh-kin!".
I can't wait until next year-we'll be characters from the Wizard of Oz, Jocelyn's favorite movie. At least, at this point that's the plan. Enjoy the pictures!
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