The Howe Family

There are about 3 questions that we are asked constantly about the baby. They are the universal acceptable-small-talk-for-expectant-parents questions:

1. When are you due?
2. What are you having?
3. What will you call him/her?

Here is our current list of names that we like, love, or think are funny. Leave a comment about your favorites or least favorites.

• Vivian or Vivienne
• Stella
• Eden
• Ava
• Lilly
• Rosemary
• Grace
• Ruby
• Mae
• Naomi
• Zion
• Adelaide
• Charlotte
• Phoebe
• Della or Idella
• Rosalind
• Harmony
• Gwendolyn or Gweneth
• Ada
• Norah
• Opal

(And yes, we did do a google search for “lunch lady names” and “nursing home names.” Shady Acres was popular.)

Today I accompanied Phin to the dentist. I tried to take him when he was two. No dentists would look at a child that young, unless it was necessary. Luckily, Phin has no rotting teeth. Every office in Fort Morgan consistently said, “Bring him when he turns three.”

Phin turned three. I called to schedule an appointment. The receptionist said, “he’s only three? Maybe you could bring him when he is three and a half.” I responded, “My insurance company and Phin’s pediatrician wanted him to go when he turned two. Can your dentist just look at his teeth?” She said we could come for a ‘Meet and Greet.’ Whatever.

Phin was terrified and wouldn’t get in the chair. Even with me sitting with him. The dentist picked him up and tried to open his mouth. It was comical, awkward, and scary. Finally, the dentist gave up in defeat and told me (direct quote), “Come back when he turns 5, unless you see something black.”

I wanted to get a little dental expertise if we were paying for the ‘visit.’ So, I asked the dentist the top three things he would tell every parent in the world to do with their children’s oral health. This is what he said:

1. No soda or artificial sugars. He mentioned that a kid with poor oral hygiene but a great diet (no junk), will have better oral health than a kid with amazing oral hygiene and a junk diet.
2. Establish a strong habit of teeth brushing. Make is associated with putting on shoes. e.g. “We always brush our teeth right before we put on our shoes.”
3. Teach the rhythm of teeth brushing to make it ‘muscle memory.’  Front of top teeth, bottoms top teeth, backs of top teeth. Front of lower teeth,  upper part of lower teeth, backs of lower teeth.

Here’s to happy, strong teeth- void of any “black stuff.” I hope I don’t see our dentist for another 2 years.

I finally have some great 3 year old shots from Phin. These were taken yesterday at the Rainbow Bridge in Fort Morgan. (Thanks for your help, Cathy!)

Phin is turning 3 tomorrow. I’m thrilled that he is in our family. I’m even more thrilled that he was my first teacher on how to be a mama. I have truly loved spending the past 3 years (and 9 months of gestation…) getting to know him. He is my spunky, kind, thoughtful, crazy, smart, spiritual, and inclusive burst of energy. His current interests (or obsessions) are:

• “Cookie” his stuffed Rabbit
• Reading, Reading, Reading
• Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Golf, anything involving a ball. He typically makes ‘fusion sports’ and combines elements from different sports.
• Dinosaurs and Dragons
• Climbing everything in sight
• ‘Supervising’ Eli and making sure he isn’t making any ‘bad choices’
• His favorite dish is self-named, “tomato salad.” He asks me to cut up different veggies and tomatoes and drizzle on ‘dip’ (any salad dressing). I was too lazy to cut up lettuce yesterday and he quickly sent it back saying, “you forgot lettuce!” He is also in love with oranges and mangoes.
• His favorite song is, “I Love to See the Temple.” So much in fact, he calls it “his song.” If I try to sing it- he interrupts me and says, “You can’t sing that song. It’s my song.” When someone is sick or hurt at our house he announces that he will help them feel better by singing this song. It is SO sweet. Phin also likes a lot of Eric Herman songs.

Here’s to another year of Phin!

Here is the long awaited 3D ultrasound photo of Junebug. She moved A LOT during the ultrasound, so there weren’t many clear pictures. I’m just thrilled that she is having a fun time in my uterus. Someone should be enjoying pregnancy!

A good friend took care of Nate’s middle school choir for us so that he could be there. (Thanks, Tammy!) Phin and Eli were watching from Nate’s lap, completely fixated. When the tech switched off the monitor Phin said, “I lost Junie!” He was very concerned.

We can’t wait to meet you little girl! 

Saturday was a really special day for us. We took both boys to the Denver Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has been on my “to do” list for ages. Usually Nate and I are just thrilled to find an open day, babysitting, and gas money to make the monthly date. But our ward (or congregation) is fabulous and set up babysitting at a church building nearby. We walked around the BEAUTIFUL temple with the boys and had them touch it. The weather was perfect and the spring flowers and flowering trees were at their best. It was really heavenly. After some sweet family time and photos we dropped the boys off for babysitting.

I’m pretty sure the boys won’t remember the trip, but I really wanted to have a photo of all of us at the temple to put in their bedroom. (I agonized internally about the photo because I seem to gain 30 pregnancy pounds solely in my face…But for the greater good…I said “cheese.”)

Eli pointed to the temple and repeated over and over, “pa-ple, pa-ple.” When he sees any photo of the temple now, he goes crazy over it. I’m so excited that we live only a few hours away from a temple.

For my friends who are not Latter-day Saints – Want to know more about temples? find out here.

I used to think that I needed to find something besides my children to post about. However, upon recent reflections on my life… that’s the best part! I was recently at a fancy dessert place in Salt Lake City with some old friends. I tried my hardest to talk about non-children subjects. But babies always come up- especially when you look as pregnant as I do- and I told my friend’s date the following about staying home with my babes:

I was a rock star when I was in undergrad and graduate school. I was a rock star when I was paid to work. So now, I have the same philosophy. I try to be a rock star mother because that is my job now.

It surprised me when it came out. It was the most confident I have been in a long time verbally to someone about being a full-time mama. I was talking to one of Nate’s choir students and she asked where I worked. I said, “What do you mean?! at my house with my children!” She probably thought I stuff envelopes or do online marketing schemes… How do you stay-at-home mama’s respond to this always-asked question?

I love my choice to stay home with my children. I think of running my home like a job, too. I keep things organized, clean, and wonderful. That’s why Nate pays me so well. I know that this is a choice that every woman makes for herself, but for me it is the best and the right choice.

End of motherhood rant.

We bought a car over Spring Break. It is a monstrous Lincoln Navigator. So huge. So fun to drive. All of the boys love it- especially Nate. Thanks for the suggestions. We did look at a few vans, but I think our timing was off. There weren’t any that I fell in love within our price range. The ones in our price range had way too many miles. So, we are the proud non-gangster owners of a loaded Lincoln Navigator.

Finally, any comments on throwing a birthday party with 3-year-old guests? I am starting to plan Phin’s 3rd birthday party.

Alli: I’m pregnant! Not just a few months along… but in my third trimester. I meant to blog about this earlier. But I was far too lazy to scan in my ultrasound photos. And how can you ‘blog-announce’ a pregnancy without an ultrasound pic? Anyway, I am am due on June 24th to deliver a super healthy little girl. I have about 10 piano students and I am working with 12-13 year old girls at our church.

Nate: Dazzlingly handsome. Surviving teaching public school. Trying to find the perfect car with a 3rd row. Any suggestions? And Chelsea, don’t suggest the Honda Pilot, it has far too little cargo room for my garage sale shopping sprees.

Phin: Loves to pretend to be Incrediboy from the Incredibles or a Cat when he wants to cuddle. He will still eat anything I put in front of him. Not potty trained- not even close.

Eli: He is a darling 25 pounds with 7 sharp teeth. His newest word is “please.”

Junebug: Our sweet little girl is healthy and still scheduled to come on June 24th. She likes to make me uncomfortable.

Sometimes I realize that I’ve done something remarkable. Even if it is on a small scale to make my life easier as a mother.

Here is a list of some of my recent “Things that Work”:

• Next to my front door is a wonderful dresser. It contains diapers, wipes, socks, shoes, hats and gloves, etc. When I want to get the boys out the door in a hurry- it’s all right there. Plus, Phin knows where to put things away. “Mama, I’m gonna put my shoes in the shoe drawer.”
• I serve the healthiest food when my boys are the hungriest. After naps and in the morning my boys will eat large quantities of practically anything. So that’s when I pack in my low glycemic index, high fiber, nutrient dense, etc. power food! This one took me a while to figure out.
• I bought a set of funnels, measuring cups, and a strainer at the dollar store for tub toys. The boys LOVE them. Every few weeks I throw them in the dishwasher to prevent mildew and bacteria. Much easier to clean than their pricey tug boat.
• Waking up at least an hour before my kids do. Because my boys aren’t in school yet, I was getting used to a really relaxed routine. I’d sleep in with them. I’d be in pajamas until after I got them dressed. Then I’d be cranky with them if they interfered with my hair dryer or make up.  However, I began in January waking up at 6 every morning to have plenty of time to prepare for the day. It has made a HUGE difference in my attitude with the boys when they do wake up. I feel and look ready for the day and can genuinely focus on them. Phew. Wish I had learned this earlier, too.
• I use cheap white vinegar in my nasty towel loads. I began trying vinegar to help ‘wash’ out a mildewy scent coming from my washing machine. A few earth-friendly cleaning websites recommended it. Besides helping with nasty loads of puked-on kids clothes and smelly kitchen towels, my washing machine always smells fresh and clean. When the washer is filling, I just glug in about 1/2 cup.

I know that every women’s magazine and mama blog list millions of ‘tips.’ But the sheer number of amazing-things-to-improve-my-life is overwhelming. Please share some of your ‘Things that Work.” A shorter list from friends will be a nice change.

Here is another “reminiscing about 2010″ post. This one also features content from my favorite journaling method. (Read Eli in 2010 if you want to know more.)

Here are Phin’s highlights from 2010:

• January:
  • I love to dance while Papa plays the piano. I spin in circles and clap my hands.
  • When I woke up and Papa was already at work I said, “Papa work. Miss Papa.”
• February:
  • I have an Elmo doll that I burp, diaper, wipe, and use hand sanitizer on.
  • I can identify all of the ingredients Mama uses in bread, “Pour lemon juice,” “yeast,” “oil,” “flour.”
• March:
  • “Mama has boogers.”
  • As I was destroying an old VHS tape, I said to myself, “No, no, bad choice.”
  • After returning home from a trip to the cousins…I woke up looking for my cousin Zoey at 4 am. “Zoey, oh Zoey?!”
• April:
  • A birthday cake was left out after Seminary and I saw it when I came to breakfast. “Want cake. Find candles. Find little candles.” I also sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to the chairs.
  • Mama says, “Phinny, do you want a new diaper?” Phinny says, “No, not today. Popsicle. (walks to kitchen) Come here, Popsicle time!”
  • First splinter. First black eye.
• May:
  • Before starting a project or game I say, “Let’s do dis!”
  • I turned 2! I am 32 pounds and 3 feet tall.
  • During a morning prayer he told Heavenly Father, “I scared ‘bout lightening.”
• June:
  • I can climb our chain-link fence. I told mama that I wanted to get out of “the cage.”
  • When Mama was cutting up a waffle for me I said, “Ouch! Ouch! That hurts the waffle.”
• July:
  • I went canoeing for the first time at Lake Wellington.
  • When Papa kissed Mama I said, “Don’t kiss Mama! (wipes off her cheek) That makes her very sad!”
• August:
  • Talking to Papa, “It’s not your kitchen. It’s Mama’s kitchen.”
  • “Mama, we have a great life.”
  • There was a fly on the cereal box at breakfast, “Fly? Do you want some mini-wheats?”
• September:
  • We were listening to some classical music, “Mama? Is this little, tiny rock and roll music?”
  • While looking at the stars, “Mama, that star is getting a hair cut.”
  • I rode in the Homecoming Parade float with Papa. Go Mustangs!
  • About Eli, “Can I squeeze him and pull him and tug him and hug him?
• October:
  • “Eli, you’re my best friend. You’re my best friend forever.”
  • “Mama, you’re not a girl. You’re a mama!” “Papa, you’re not a boy. Phinny is just a boy.”
• November:
  • “Phinny is a big, Black football player!”
  • I voted with Papa.
  • After getting to the center of a tootsie pop, “It’s sucker poop!”
• December:
  • My favorite bible story is David and Goliath. When I reenact this with Mama, I call her “Mama Goliath.” I call myself “Phinny David.”
  • “Is Eli the cutest pajama boy ever?”
  • Mama said, “You make me crazy.” I told her, “I don’t make you crazy. I make you happy.”
    

A few posts ago I mentioned that I use a cheap wall calendar to document the small and big moments of my children. I have picked my favorite entries from each month for Eli. It is amazing what can happen in a year. Here is a snapshot of 2010:

• January: “I smile when mama kisses my cheek.”
• February: “I moved into size 2 diapers.” “I slept for 5 1/2 hours last night. Mama is thrilled.”
• March: “Phinny and I snuggled in mama’s bed until 9:30.” “Mama and I danced in the kitchen, I smiled the whole time.”
• April: “I went to my first movie in the theater. I saw, How to Train Your Dragon.” This month I tried black beans, grapefruit, strawberries, brown rice, bananas, pears, and chocolate pudding.
• May: “I weigh 18 pounds!” “I have little conversations of “cooing” with mama and papa.”
• June: “I like to growl back and forth with Phin and then break out in giant laughs.” “I can roll over and crawl.”
• July: When I babble to Phin, Phin says, “Eli says ‘I love you,’ to me.” Only a brother can understand! “I met my great-grandma Donna”
• August: “I discovered the toilet and toilet brush.” “I love to squish in the mud while mama is watering in the garden.”
• September: “I love to play in the dishwasher.” “I give myself kisses in the mirror.”
• October: “I tried curry today. I loved it.”  Phin said to Eli, “Eli you’re my best friend. You’re my best friend forever.”
• November: “I turned one! I have 2 new teeth.” “I voted with mama. But I slept the whole time on her shoulder. I got my own sticker.” “I blow bubbles in my milk with a straw.”
• December: “I have two more teeth” “I am walking everywhere.” “My favorite foods: scrambled eggs, frozen peas, corn, cheese, beans.”

I love seeing the year in this way. Raising babies is so consuming but oh so fun. I love you my Elijah!