The House of Payne

Addicted

2011-12-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

I am addicted to Eli's smiles. He started smiling almost 2 weeks ago and I LOVE it! He has a pretty deep dimple on his right cheek and a smaller dimple on his left cheek. He smiles pretty easily, especially after he eats. He also loves to smile a lot at night - when I want him to be sleeping. I think it's his way to make sure I don't get mad.

Yes. I did do a faux hawk.

Also, I think that my kids (maybe kind of sort of) look alike...

Madeline and Eli

Halloween and Hair

2011-11-20T14:15:00.000-08:00

What do Halloween and hair have in common? They both start with H... There really is no connection for me other than the fact that I am way behind on things I want to write about and need to just start combining topics.

First, Halloween:

Last year my mom bought Madeline a costume at Old Navy the day after Halloween (for $4.00!) so she has had her costume planned for a year. She was a bumblebee. She really liked to show off her stinger on her bum. We dressed Eli as a missionary. I couldn't resist because I always think his hair looks so missionary-y.

Eli's hair looks so grown up!

"Hello, my name is Elder Payne. I have a message..."

My mom and Abby came up and we carved our pumpkins. If you know Madeline, you know she HATES to be dirty, especially her hands. We weren't sure she would carve pumpkins at all. It was funny to watch her help because she would carefully put her hand in the pumpkin and put out one seed. Then she would wipe her hands - over and over.

After pumpkins we ate homemade pizza, then went trick-or-treating. We only went to the 15ish houses on our street. Madeline would enthusiastically say "trick-or treat" after I would say, "what do you say?" The people would comment on how cute she was then give her a handful of candy. She got way more than I thought she would or needed. I was proud because she would always say thank-you. Then, as we would go down the driveway she would usually yell, "love you! Bye!" Then she would tell mom and Abby "I tick-or-tweat, candy." This happened at every house. It was cute.

Now for my hair:

When I got my job I decided not to cut my hair short anymore because it was too hard to wear a hair net without a pony-tail or a bun. Ian likes shorter hair so I told him when I quit I would cut my hair short again. I kept my word and got it cut last week. My hair was the longest it has ever been and went to shortest it has ever been. This is a "before" picture...

And "after"...

She cut off 12 inches! I donated it to Locks of Love.

She cut off a little more than I had asked (10 inches is the minimum to donate) and at first I was kind of sad. I missed my hair and it is a lot shorter in the back than in the front. Then I remembered that hair grows and thought about how sad I would be if I had no hair. I really do like it now. I think I look a lot more stylish and put together.

Eli Houston Payne

2011-11-13T14:46:00.000-08:00

Eli Houston Payne was born October 11, 2011. (Yes. I know. Almost 5 weeks ago.) He was born at 1:17 pm and weighed in at 9 lbs 13 oz. He was 22 inches long. We chose the name Eli because we just liked it and Houston is after his Great Grandfather George Houston Spears.

I was induced a week before my due date because the doctor thought that he could possibly be a big baby (although he thought he would definitely be under 9 lbs - oops). We were also moving up to Washington because of Ian's new job (and I wanted to go to the BYU vs. OSU game). I got to the hospital at about 6:45 am and they got me in my room. I was feeling really nervous. When I had Madeline, my water broke and I was suddenly in labor. I did not have days to sit and think about it. It was happening. I think I was nervous with the inducement because I thought about it too much. It is a weird feeling to go in and knowingly inflict pain upon yourself.

They started the pitocin at about 7:15 am. Ian and I just hung out for the next couple hours. We watched some TV online and worked on crossword puzzles. The doctor told me that we would have a baby in the evening which I thought was entirely too long to wait. Also, I wanted him to be born quicker because my friend Rachel was in town for her Grandmother's funeral and could come see us if I had him before 3ish. The nurse continually checked my progress (and kept speeding up the pitocin drip) and assured me that Eli would be here before her shift was over at 4:00. At about 10:30 am, the doctor came in and broke my water. I hadn't really felt any of the contractions until that point and was dilated to a 4. He told me I'd better get my epidural quick because the labor was going to speed up.

I got the epidural at 11:00 am. I am amazed at how different this epidural from the first one I had with Madeline. This one actually worked! I would not have been nervous to be induced if I was as pain free the first time as I was this time around.

The doctor came in a little before 1:00 pm and said that he had a C-section at 2:00 so we had better start pushing. I didn't know I had progressed that far. I kind of think he would have waited a little longer if he had not had the C-section scheduled. I pushed for about 20 minutes and Eli was born! The first thing the doctor commented about him was how much hair he had. All of the nurses commented that he was huge. When the nurse put him on the scale, I thought I read it wrong. She made the doctor guess how much he weighed. He thought high 8's. WRONG! I was shocked to have an almost 10 pound baby. I also noticed his cute little dimple on his right cheek pretty early. Here we are pretty soon after his birth.

He was really blue so they had to give him oxygen for a couple of minutes.

Madeline had spent the night at my mom's the night before. She and my mom came to the hospital about and hour after Eli was born. They were both very proud.

Madeline hasn't stopped wanting to kiss/hug/hold Eli since.

Rachel was also able to come see us before she flew back to Utah which made me really happy.

Here we are the next day. They made us stay two days which I wasn't really happy about. I was so bored and just wanted to be home! Oh well.

Every single nurse that came into our room would first comment about how he did not look like a newborn because he was so big. Then they would comment on his thick, dark hair.

Here are the kids when we finally got to go home. Madeline was very excited that Eli got to come home with us.

Eli had jaundice pretty bad. We had to go in to the hospital every day until the 16th to check his bilirubin level. I felt so sad for his poor little heels that were pricked everyday. I am so thankful, however, that the levels were never high enough to actually have to take any further action. They were always on the border. You can see how is was pretty yellow in the next three pictures.

Now Eli is a little over a month old. He has been a very good baby. We moved to Tumwater, WA when he was just one week old. The first week of his life I left him alone all day two times - once with my mom so we could go to the football game and once with my dad so I could take a load of our stuff to our new house and he was an angel. He is a wonderful eater (he eats all the time) and a pretty good sleeper. He usually will sleep for about 4 hours at a time. He is so mild mannered which really helps with Madeline. She tries to hold him and pick him up. She pretty much mauls him and he just takes it. I think Heavenly Father knew I needed a low key baby for all of the changes we have had in the past few weeks.

I just think he is the cutest little boy in the world and we all love him very much. We are so happy that Eli is part of our family!

Summer Recap

2011-09-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

I realize that it's been almost 4 months since we have posted anything on our blog. I feel guilty only because I am NOT a good journal writer and I count this as my journal for my posterity. Someday I plan to print it all out and put it in a binder as a type of scrapbook...

Anyway, this is our summer in review. We realized that we didn't really take very many pictures.

Our summer started out with Planter's Days in Woodland...the annual little celebration our town has. We watched the parade in the rain...typical Northwest June. Obviously Madeline was less than thrilled about the whole thing.

On the 4th of July we went up to Woodland and hung out in the sun next to the Columbia River. Madeline liked catching some rays with her aunt Abby.

She also liked the waverunner. So did Ian. He and Oliver "had the best waverunner ride of their lives" that day. Definitely something to be commemorated. I decided not to participate in the waverunner activities since I was 6 months pregnant. Not comfortable.

Other things we did this summer included...

- A short camping trip to the San Juan islands

- TONS of swimming in our apartment's swimming pool (I always said that pregnant women should never wear a swimsuit. They should just suck it up and not swim for that one summer. Needless to say, it was hot and I changed my mind. I completely stretched out my swimsuit. (darn - I'll have to get a new one next year) Sorry to all those at the pool who had to see me and my huge belly everyday.

- A trip up to the alpine slides on Mt. Hood (again to watch, not participate - pregnant).

- We (reluctantly) got rid of the pacifier.

- Madeline's vocabulary has taken off and s has learned almost all of her letters and can count to 4 before she starts naming random numbers. I am so proud of her. She loves learning and always points out all letters she sees.

- Ian passed all of his qualifying exams and now has his ARM (Associate in Risk Management).

- Ian got a job!!!! He got it on the same day he passed his final ARM test! He won't start until October 17 but he will be working for the State of Washington's Department of Labor and Industries. We are VERY excited! We will be moving to Tumwater, WA just after the baby is born but I will write more about that soon. I put in my 2 weeks notice this week and am so excited to stay home with the kids!

The last hurrah to our summer was over Labor Day weekend. We decided to take a short trip down to the Oregon Coast to use some Oregon Coast Aquarium tickets I had won from the radio in March.

My mom, my sister Abby, Ian, Madeline, and I drove out to Lincoln City on Sunday after church and stayed in a hotel. When we got there, Ian and I realized that we forgot our bag with everything which meant no pjs, no clothes, no toiletries, nothing. Fortunately we had packed a separate bag for Madeline which we did bring. On Monday morning, we woke up early and went to the store to buy clothes to wear (too bad we had to buy new clothes...). Then we drove down to Newport to the aquarium. Madeline loved it. I thought it was a little overpriced - luckily we didn't have to pay. She sat and watched the "sharks" forever. I have no idea why she started calling fish sharks, but she does. Here is one place we DID take our camera - hence - pictures.

They have cool stuff to touch.

Of course, you have to use hand sanitizer after you touch the animals. This was Madeline's FAVORITE part of the aquarium.

We stood and watched the seals for a long time.

After the aquarium we of course had to go to the Tillamook Cheese Factory and get ice cream. It was not very warm on the coast so we just went home without even going to the beach. It was a fun weekend.

Now we are just in the waiting phase for the baby to come and to move. I am due October 18 but am being induced on October 11 partly because Madeline was a week early and big and partly so we can have him born before we move and Ian starts his job (also, BYU comes to play Oregon State on October 15 and we have tickets, but we didn't mention that to the doctor).

Ultrasound Results and Pictures

2011-06-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I was able to go with Amy to the ultrasound appointment. First of all, we should say that everything seems great from what we saw and were told. Amy was hoping that the due date would be moved up, but every measurement that the tech took ended up matching perfectly the original due date Amy's doctor gave us at the first visit. Compared to the ultrasound appointment we had for Madeline, this one seemed to be much more thorough. It was probably twice as long, and she took probably three times as many pictures of the baby for measurements and for the doctor to examine.

As for the results, we are expecting a boy come 18 October. Two weeks ago Amy used wives tales to see what it predicted in terms of sex of the child. Her results were split, but from the beginning of the pregnancy she seemed to feel it would be a boy, and it was. We are really excited about the news, and can't wait to see him. Amy is especially excited because she wants to dress our boy "like a little man" since boy clothes are so much more like adult clothes.

Okay, no more writing. Here is our little man...

As you can see, they're pretty basic pictures. It took a while to get them because of the baby's position. For the first part of the ultrasound the baby was laying back with his hands behind his head...just relaxing.

So, we are not sure what we are going to name him; we have a couple ideas, and even an offer to pay his college tuition if he is named after a certain friend of Amy's. However, we are always looking for good --read: serious -- suggestions, so if you have one, we'd love to hear it.

Old Wives Tales

2011-05-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

I am at 19 weeks on Tuesday which means next Tuesday we get to find out the gender of the baby. I can't wait! When my friend Erin was close to finding out what her baby was, she wrote a fun post on her blog about old wives tales and the "results." I asked her if I could copy that idea and she said it was okay, so here it goes. Here are a few old wives tales...

1. Carrying High or Low

The Test: If you are carrying high: girl. If you are carrying low: boy.
The Result: GIRL. I guess. I am not very big yet but all the woman at work say I am carrying high because I can still wear normal jeans. I think that maybe my jeans are just lower cut than theirs used to be.

2. Fetal Heart Rate

The Test: If the heat rate is above 140: girl. The the rate is below 140: boy.
The Result: GIRL. It was 160.

3. Cravings

The Test: If you are craving sweet stuff: girl. Salty/savory: boy.
The Result: BOY. I don't know. I don't really have cravings but I am wanting less sweets than usual - however - I think I may get my fill at work.

4. Chinese Birth Chart

The Test: Follow the chart.

The Result: BOY.

5. Complexion

The Test: If your face is breaking out: girl. If it smooth and clean: boy.
The Result: GIRL. Why can't this one be boy?!

6. Morning Sickness

The Test: Sick: girl. Not sick: boy
The Result: BOY. Thank goodness! This pregnancy has been so much better.

Overall result: split 3/3. So who knows?!

What do I think I am having? My gut says BOY, mostly because this pregnancy has been so different. I read one place that women who were pregnant and had no previous knowledge of the gender guessed the right gender 71% of the time. I knew Madeline was a girl. Maybe my instinct will be right again.

Whatever is in there, boy or girl, we are very excited and will let you know May 31!

What do you think? BOY or GIRL?

Madeline's 2nd Birthday!

2011-05-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

Today is Madeline's 2nd Birthday. I can't believe my baby was born two years ago! I decided it would be fun to have an Olivia themed birthday, since Olivia is her favorite book, doll, and cartoon. I made her cake yesterday and decorated it today. I am really proud of how it turned out. I sometimes feel a bit intimidated having a sister-in-law who is a pastry chef and makes beautiful cakes, as seen on her blog. (I know she would never judge, but still...) Anyways Liz, I hope this does the cake world some justice.

These are the invitations I made...

Madeline received a lot of cool presents. She really liked her Olivia figurines...

and she REALLY liked her cool sunglasses. She became very uninterested in opening any other presents after she got the glasses.

I just wanted to show her ringlets with this picture. I love them but I'm sure she will hate curly hair when she becomes a teenager.

After presents we had cake. We also had pie to celebrate my aunt Jen's birthday as well as my cousin Ally's birthday.

This was the inside of the cake...

I love my two year old!

None that Trust in Him Shall be Desolate

2011-04-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

Ian gave a wonderful talk today in church about the atonement and the hope that it can bring. I asked him if we could post it on our blog because I thought it would be a great way to honor our Savior on this Easter. I hope that it can touch some of you the way it has me... Happy Easter!

None that Trust in Him Shall be Desolate

On this Easter Sunday when we celebrate the Savior’s conquering of death – both spiritual and physical – I wanted to talk about what that victory can do for us in our personal lives. I want to speak about the hope that this gospel brings; specifically, I want to address the new hope that can come into the lives of those lost in sin or despair. Echoing Peter, I would like to “give an answer to every man asking a reason for the hope that is in me” (1 Peter 3: 15).

Hope is often spoken of in peripheral terms, often as a third wheel to faith and charity; here I would like to make it the central focus (See Moroni 7). The hopes we carry can vary: they can be proximate, or far-reaching, they can be about trivial things, or the yearnings held closest to our souls. Today the hope spoken of will be what Elder Maxwell called “that ultimate hope” (Neal A Maxwell, Brightness of Hope [Oct 1994 General Conference]). So what is this hope? Earlier this month Elder Steven E. Snow gave what I consider the most concise definition of hope available. He states that “In the gospel of Jesus Christ, hope is the desire of His followers to gain eternal salvation through the Atonement of the Savior. Our hope in the Atonement empowers us with eternal perspective. Such perspective allows us to look beyond the here and now on into the promise of the eternities.” (Steven E Snow, Hope [April 2011 GC]). To this may I add my personal feelings that hope can only be accessed through the doorway of the atonement, the pairing of the two is not optional. Hope is able to extend beyond this life because its life source is eternal. Elder Maxwell reminded us that “real hope does not automatically spring eternal unless it is connected with eternal things” (Maxwell, 1994). In moving past the atonement to a broader level, we cannot expect to have a lasting hope if we do not know or understand the plan of salvation, which is a plan of mercy, happiness, and redemption (See 2 Nephi 2, 9 and Alma 42).

Having set the stage, I would like to discuss five things I feel we must know in order to obtain and keep that hope requisite to gain eternal life (See Ether 12:32).

First, we must know that God loves us, and has a plan for us. We must know that this world in which we live – contrary to an overabundance of evidence – was not a half-baked experiment that our Heavenly Father has abandoned. I testify here that God loves us with an eternal and deep love that we cannot fully comprehend, even on our best days. On Easter, the day where we celebrate the great physical manifestation of that love, I wish to say that one of the great truths of this restored gospel is that we have a personal Father in Heaven that is eternally invested in our lives and its hardships. We catch a glimpse of this love in the Pearl of Great Price where Enoch, seeing in a vision God weeping, asks “How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?” Responding, “The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency; And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood; But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?” (Moses 7:29, 32, 33, & 37). To have ultimate hope, we must know this great truth. We cannot help but increase our hope when we realize that we have such a fully committed heavenly parent.

Secondly, we must know that without the atonal sacrifice of our Savior, we are lost and without recourse in our desire to return to God. Because of the Fall of Adam as well as what Elder Bruce C. Hafen calls “acts of independence”, a broader category of action than clear sin, we find ourselves separated from God by a chasm that we cannot close ourselves (Hafen, The Broken Heart). To be restored to our promised place, we must follow the path that Christ lovingly paved. Alma, in his parental pleadings to his wayward son, reminds us all that mercy cannot rob justice (See Alma 42:22-25). If bound strictly by the law and justice of God with mercy being removed from the equation, redemption is a lost cause. In this fallen world, despair – the antithesis of hope – is the default setting we often find ourselves in. This despair is inextricably tied to sin (See Moroni 10:22). Against both of these we must continually push.

Thirdly, we must know that Christ suffered and paid the price for our sins, afflictions, foibles, and infirmities, and we must trust this atonement. The prophet Isaiah provided us in chapter 53 the great messianic prophecy of the redemptive love and sacrifice of the Savior: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:3-5). In this selfless act, love is the abounding principle. James E. Faust testified that “the overwhelming message of the Atonement is the perfect love the Savior has for each and all of us. It is a love which is full of mercy, patience, grace, equity, long-suffering, and, above all, forgiving. The evil influence of Satan would destroy any hope we have in overcoming our mistakes. He would have us feel that we are lost and that there is no hope” (James E Faust, The Atonement: Our Greatest Hope [April 2001 GC]). Contrary to the desires of Satan, this knowledge should provide reason for ultimate hope. We have hope because through this atonement Christ “obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). While I perhaps easily speak of this hope and testimony of atonement, it is not something that we gain in such a light fashion. For many of us, coming to a more complete witness and appreciation of the Lord’s greatest gift will require us to join in the “fellowship of his suffering” (See Philippians 3:10). The accomplishments of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane were neither cheap nor shallow; thus, any attempt of our own to use the gift of the atonement will be of a necessity a deep experience.

Forth, we must know that the atonement allows for genuine change of self and being. In preparation for this talk I skimmed a book of Amy’s called Believing Christ. One of the author’s mains points in that there is a distinction between having a testimony of the Savior’s existence and ministry and believing that we can, through the atonement, change in order to become “celestial citizens” (See Dallin H Oaks, The Challenge to Become [Oct. 2000 GC]). The latter point is more important, and its realization in our lives allows us to move beyond barriers we were born with, those placed before us by previous sins, and those put in front of us by others’ actions. If we are to ask ourselves to what end was the atonement wrought, the answer would be humanity’s ability to gain experience while not being eternally punished for those mistakes made in progress. If we speak of the atonement and do not use it, are we any better than those that draw near unto the Lord with their lips, but having their hearts far from him? (See Isaiah 29:13)

Lastly, and this is directly connected to the previous element, we must know that Christ understands our sufferings and heartaches, and will not leave us comfortless. Jesus Christ understands our sufferings because of the perfect life he led and the infinite suffering he experienced in the garden and on the cross. The great Christian author C.S. Lewis affirmed: “No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is… A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means—the only complete realist.” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity Ch. 11). The combination of His perfect life and infinite sacrifice make Him uniquely qualified to command us to put our trust in Him and take His yoke upon us, and He has done just that (See Matthew 11:29). Christ experienced alone the worst of what we will ever face, and it would be wise to note that He did so voluntarily out of love, so that we will never have to be alone when we face our trials. As Elder Holland so eloquently testified, “For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone” (Jeffrey R Holland, None Were with Him, [April 2009 GC]). Knowing that our greatest source of aid in this life can totally empathize with all that we go through allows for hope because we can see how we will work past our greatest trials; while we may not see when we will overcome, we will see how, and by whom.

There are the five things I feel we all must know in order to have ultimate hope through the atonement. Time does not allow me to go into any detail, but I would like to briefly list the sources from which we can continually garner this hope in our lives. Jacob instructs us that the scriptures provide reasons for hope, as we see the changes in the lives of those touched by the power of God (See Jacob 4:6, Romans 15:4). Paul and a host of other prophets and apostles tell us that the Holy Ghost is the proximate source of all the hope we feel in our lives (Romans 15:13, Moroni 8:26). Our memories of past dealings with the Lord and the atonement continually buoy our hope for a better tomorrow (2 Nephi 4:19-20). Finally, Paul tells us in Ephesians of the powerful reminder covenants are of the greatness of the eternities before us (Ephesians 2:12). All of these sources testify of God’s plan for His children and the Savior’s redemptive power. Most importantly, they speak of the Father and Son’s refusal to give up on the lost and those whose “hands hang down” (See D&C 81:5).

Having this ultimate hope can bring great power and promise to our lives. It enables us restore order and peace in lives disrupted by sin and challenges not foreseen in happier days. It enables us to do things beyond our normal capacity. Elder Snow observed that “This ‘perfect brightness of hope’ of which Nephi speaks is the hope in the Atonement, eternal salvation made possible by the sacrifice of our Savior. This hope has led men and women through the ages to do remarkable things” (Snow, 2011). Hope sparks within us a desire to deepen our connection to the Savior and all that he offers (See Alma 22:18). Most importantly, ultimate hope enables us to let our will be swallowed up by the Lord’s; when this is done, we become the Children of God that He desires us to be (See Mosiah 15:7). And why can we trust these promises? Because we can trust the promise-maker: “Because Christ’s eyes were unfailingly fixed on the future, He could endure all that was required of Him, suffer as no man can suffer except it be ‘unto death,’ look upon the wreckage of individual lives and the promises of ancient Israel lying in ruins around Him and still say then and now, ‘Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’How could He do this? How could He believe it? Because He knows that for the faithful, things will be made right soon enough. He is a King; He speaks for the crown; He knows what can be promised. He knows that ‘the Lord … will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. … For the needy shall not alway[s] be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.’He knows that ‘the Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate’” (Jeffrey R Holland, An High Priest of Good Things to Come [Oct 1999 GC]). The promises of the Lord and ultimate hope can be ours, but only if there is nothing else we want more. Like that pearl of great price, we must give all else that we have to obtain it (Matthew 13:45-46). I testify this Easter morning that hope in Christ is a real and powerful force, and it is powerful because it is related to Christ. It is well to remember that it was on this day millennia ago that hope caused the apostles of the Lord to run to the empty tomb (See Luke 24:8-12). The Lord lives, He loves us, and wants us to be like Him; this is His mission and my testimony that I leave with you today.

Happy Birthday Mama Payne!

2011-04-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

We just wanted to publicly tell Mama/Grandma Payne happy birthday. She is a great woman whom we all look up to. She is an awesome mother and grandmother and we love her so much!

These are the top ten things we love about Margaret...

10. She sends us treats :)
9. She's an excellent human weight when her sons need a bicep workout.
8. She is an awesome croquet player.
7. She becomes comically unhinged after 9 pm.
6. She is fun!
5. She raised a wonderful son (and family).
4. She is a great example of living what she believes.
3. She is a great example of service.
2. She always makes everyone feel welcome and loved. She never judges and is always kind.
1. She has the best freshman yearbook picture ever...it makes us all feel better about ours.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
WE LOVE YOU!!!

My Little Big Girl

2011-04-06T17:02:00.001-07:00

We got faster internet a couple weeks ago so I decided I don't really have an excuse not to update our blog a little more often. I just wanted to share how BIG Madeline is getting...

Now that she is a big girl, she LOVES to cook. Whenever we cook anything, she has to pull the stool over so she can stand on it and "help."(Don't think we are bad parents. We know there are all sorts of levels of dangerous in this picture. We watch her very closely.)
Cheese is her favorite food. (Again, we know, probably not the safest.)

Okay, I made the cake. She's not THIS advanced, but she put the candles on.

Madeline is also a big girl because she lets me do her hair better now. This is what it normally looks like...(sorry it's blurry)

A few weeks ago she sat very nicely while I braided it. I love love love braids on little girls. She looked so grown up!

Another reason Madeline is a big girl now is because she is going to be a BIG SISTER in October! This is how she reacted when we saw my friend Danielle's baby in December. I know she will be a good older sister. She loves everything related to babies.

My official due date is October 18. So far I am feeling SO MUCH BETTER than when I was pregnant with Madeline. I have felt a little nauseous and threw up once (tmi?) but with Madeline I was throwing up every day the whole nine months. I am more tired than last time but I also wake up at 4:30 every morning, work all day, then chase an almost two year old around when I get home. Maybe being tired is to be expected.

We are very excited to welcome in a new little boy/girl to our family soon!

Grandma Moss

2011-02-12T17:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Madeline,

My Grandma Moss died last week, on February 4, 2011. Since I wrote you about my Great Grandma, I decided to write about what I have learned from my Grandma. She was a wonderful woman whom I loved very much. I was asked to speak at her funeral so I shared this letter as my talk.

I learned that juice is always better when mixed with other drinks -- but water is the best drink of all.

I learned that being old is liberating, because you can say whatever you want and everybody just passes it off as you being old (that's what she told me). For example, my cousin Peter, his friend Mike, my friend Rachel, and I went to California during my freshman year of college to visit Grandma for Thanksgiving. We played one of her favorite games, Therapy, which always turned out awkward. During the game, she commented that Rachel and Peter should "get to know each other better". I was definitely thinking it, but never would have said anything. It was awkward for the rest of us. It turned out well though...they got married!

I learned how to paint -- but not even close to as well as Grandma could.

I learned how to appreciate fall and fall colors. She loved the fall season. She took me and Emily on a cruise up the eastern seaboard one October when I was a teenager just so she could see all of the fall leaves.

I learned how to properly set a table. NEVER use the dessert fork as the dinner fork.

I learned what happens to a girl when she grows up. I was nine or ten years old and we were on a drive to California with her. I didn't get it.

I learned that sleeping is always the best remedy -- even if your bed is a bench at Legoland.

I learned that pie is always better if eaten before dinner, especially at Marie Callenders.

More importantly, Grandma Moss taught me that family is the most important thing in this life. She always remembered and acknowledged everything we did. She sent cards for all occasions. She taught me that our ancestors are just as important. She was always recording and doing family history. One time she took me and my sister Emily to the Family History Library. We spent the whole day trying to find an ancestor named John Hocking. She still hasn't found him. In December she told me that when she died she was going to find him and chew him out for not helping her find him. Well Grandma -- now you are going to have to help us.

I learned how to be a strong, independent woman. She as well educated (had her Master's degree) and had a good career teaching. One time Emily and I were singing the Barry Manilow song "Can't smile without you" because we liked it. She scolded us and told us that we had better NEVER let a man dictate how we feel about ourselves and our lives.

Lastly, Grandma taught me how to be a good, faithful member of the church. She had a strong testimony and way always doing service when she could. She served in the Los Angeles temple for several years. She would express her love of the church, of Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ every time I talked to her.

I will miss Grandma a lot but know that she is so much happier now. She is with her sweetheart and rid of her sick, broken body. I am thankful for all I have been able to learn from her, and I hope that I can pass it on to you, Madeline.

Love, Mom

Grandma Moss holding you after your blessing. She was so proud of you!

Great Great Grandma Beazer

2011-01-30T21:03:00.000-08:00

Dear Madeline,

Your Great Great Grandma Edith Beazer died today. She was 94 years old. Since you won't remember her, I wanted to share some things with you that she has taught me.

The first thing I think of is that she taught me how to sew (basic sewing). She used to always make us "grandma jammies" every year. Usually warmer ones for winter and lighter ones for summer. When I got a little older she would let me pick out the fabric and then let me help sew the pjs.

Grandma Beazer also taught me about service. Making all of her great grandchildren pjs is just one example of service. She was always helping others - even being as old as she was. She always had food on her deck for people who had less money. She would get the day old bakery items from the grocery stores and leave it out for whoever wanted it. It became a running joke in the family because if anyone came to visit she would keep all the "good stuff." When I was little I was excited about all of the goodies. When I got old enough to check the dates on food, I was less excited.

Grandma taught me about being thrifty. She was very careful with her money. I remember one time I was peeling potatoes at her house and she scolded me for peeling off too much of the potato with the skin. She had food stored from decades ago (another running joke in the family). One time your great uncle Greg and I were drinking soda at her house. He had a grape soda which he said tasted funny. He looked at the date and saw that it had been expired for more than five years. She had enough fabric in her basement to supply a fabric store because she would buy it when it was on a very good sale.

She was also a great example of missionary service. She and your great great grandpa went on four missions together. Your great grandpa and grandma have continued with this family heritage with three missions of their own. Your dad and I want to follow their examples someday too.

Along with missionary service she has taught me about church service and testimony. She would tell me every time I saw her about how the church has blessed her. She would tell me her testimony of the restored gospel. She served in the temple weekly and did thousands of extractions for genealogy. This is when she was in her 80's!

The thing that your great great grandma taught me that I will remember the most is that sometimes you have to choose to be happy. I went to visit her one day when I was in college and I was kind of complaining about some of the things that I had to do. She stopped me and told me about a period in her life when she was unhappy and she realized that she could choose to be miserable or choose to be happy. I have always tried to remember this when I am unhappy - that I can be happy if I want to be. It's up to me.

Your great great grandma Beazer will be missed but I am not sad because of our knowledge of life after death. She is with her husband and other family and we will see her again someday because we have been sealed as a family in the temple for eternity.

Grandma has more than 100 people that have descended from her and grandpa so far. She used to always say that her whole family was full of "such neat people." Well, I think she was a neat woman and hope that we can be like her.

Love, Mom

you and great great grandma when you were 11 days old

Thank You Grandma Payne!

2010-11-14T18:19:00.000-08:00

I was just going to e-mail this picture to Margaret but I decided that everyone could see. This is another outfit from Grandma Payne. Super cute!!! I want it! Also, appropriately for the season, Madeline learned how to say thank you today (taking her word count up to a grand total of about 6). So Madeline says, "thank you Grandma!"

P.S. Nursery Update: Did NOT go well today. Sigh. There you go Aunt Holly :)

Nursery (and more!)

2010-11-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

Madeline went to Nursery for the first time today (a week early). For those of you who don't know what that is...at our church the kids who are 18 months to 3 years old go to Nursery during the time that we go to Sunday School and other classes. I took her into the room and she ran off to play. She didn't even turn around when I left. I peeked through the window a few times and once she was sitting nicely on the chair while the teacher was talking and the other time she was playing. Oliver saw her being taken off the chair and then being taken off the table when he looked through the window (she's a climber). When I picked her up she didn't want to leave because she was playing with the bubbles.

This may be lame but I was almost having separation anxiety. WHEN DID MY BABY GET SO BIG?!?!?! She wasn't at all sad to see me go. She didn't even need me at all! Trust me though...I'm glad she went nicely and didn't throw a fit.

Here she is in her new cute dress from Grandma Payne.

Grandma Payne came up last week. We really loved having her here. It was good because she got to see Madeline in her own environment. She really hammed it up for Grandma.

Margaret was able to be here for Halloween. Madeline was a Mad Scientist. Ian was a Chilean miner and I was also a scientist.

We went to the Grist Mill in Woodland last Saturday. They were pressing apples for apple cider. It was pretty fun. We didn't end up getting any cider though because the line was about an hour long.
Margaret was also here when the Giants won the World Series. The Paynes are HUGE Giants fans. Ian even made a cake to celebrate their presence in the World Series. We were very excited when they won!

The last piece of news that I have is that Ian and I did a little indoor triathlon that my work sponsored yesterday. We had to swim for 10 minutes in the pool, then do 30 minutes on a stationary bike, then run 20 minutes on the treadmill. We were unprepared (to say the least) but it turned out okay. I thought it was hard, but fun. I'm actually proud of us and I feel accomplished for doing better than I thought I would. This is how we did...

Swimming: Amy- 14 laps Ian- 20 laps
Biking: Amy- 15.4 miles Ian- 17 miles
Running: Amy- 1.64 miles Ian- 1.86 miles ***We know this is bad for 20 minutes but hey, we were tired.

Fall Fun

2010-10-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

We have tried to get out a few more times while the weather is still nice. Here's what we have been up to lately...

Madeline got new boots for the rain. She LOVES them!

We went to a place near Woodland called Lava Canyon for Labor Day weekend. We went on a small hike and ate dinner. Madeline was living the high life eating a cookie and riding on daddy's shoulders during the hike.

Two weeks ago we went up to the Mt. St. Helens visitors centers for the day. It was a beautiful day and turned out to be free national parks day so we didn't have to pay! For those who don't know, Mt. St. Helens overlooks Woodland. It is a volcano and it erupted in May of 1980. There are several visitor's centers where you can learn about the event and the mountain. This is the best view of the damage.

Ian and Madeline were showing their "stick out their tongues" face.

On Tuesday we went to the zoo. Again, it was a beautiful day! (We have to point those out here in the northwest because it started raining this weekend and probably won't stop until July.) Madeline really liked seeing all of the animals and walking around outside.

Here is Madeline and Ian checking out the map - deciding where to go next.

This picture is Madeline looking at the chickens. They were her FAVORITE! She sat there and watched them for more than 5 minutes and was bawking at them. When we pulled her away she threw a huge tantrum. Ian pointed out that if we had known that she would love the chickens the best, we would have just walked down the street to see them, not paid to go to the zoo. Oh well.

At the end Madeline just crashed. It had been a long, fun day.

It's been a good fall so far. We will try to be better at keeping the blog updated!

Cute Picture

2010-08-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share this picture I took of Madeline today because I think it's too cute not to.

It's Official...

2010-07-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

...I'm calling it. FIRST WORD! Madeline loves our dog Sadie. She's pretty much the only person that likes that dog. She loves to pet her, watch her, take her on walks, and feed her (which entails her dropping food on the floor and watching Sadie eat it). Now, she likes to say her name! Every time Madeline sees Sadie (or any other dog) she starts saying "dadie, dadie." Sometimes she gets the S in there too..."Sdadie." I think it's cute. It breaks Ian's heart. Hopefully more words will soon follow!

Summer

2010-07-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

First off I wanted to start by telling you all that I got a calling (assignment) in my ward today. I am going to be the Beehive adviser which means I will be teaching the 12 and 13 year old girls every Sunday. I am really excited since I basically haven't had a calling since Ian and I were married. Plus I think it will be really fun! Ian also received a new calling in our ward about a month ago. He is the new Ward Mission Leader. He is doing great so far. It has helped me realize that I should be doing more missionary work.

Our summer has been fun. We have tried to get out and do something a few times. You may not believe me after looking at the pictures, but it has actually been pretty cold here. We beat all kinds of records for most rain, latest it has gone before an 80 degree day, coldest day/month, etc. It finally has felt like summer this week.

A month ago or so we spent a day at the beach. We went to Fort Stevens in Astoria and the Astoria Column. The Goonies was filmed in Astoria and it happened to be the 25th anniversary celebration there that weekend. Unfortunately all of the activities for it were too expensive. We then drove down to Tillamook to go to the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

For 4th of July we did a few fireworks at home on Sunday. On Monday we went to Cascade Locks in the Oregon Gorge and went on a family bike ride. We pulled out the bike trailor that my dad had bought when Oliver was born (17 years ago). Madeline DID NOT LIKE IT. We also stopped by Bonneville dam and watched the fish swim up the fish ladders.

Other than that, we have just done some of the usual summer stuff...

...eat watermelon...

...go boating...

...go swimming...(this isn't the best picture of her but it shows off her SIX new teeth that have grown in this month. She now has nine teeth!)

...catch some rays...

...and play outside. Isn't she getting so big?

One Year Stats

2010-05-30T16:58:00.001-07:00

Madeline had her one year check up on Wednesday. She was 24 pounds and 30.5 inches which are both in the 90th percentile. The doctor seemed concerned that she doesn't say 1-3 words. I am not worried though. I think she is just in a house full of adults who talk for her. She does know words. For example, if you ask her to go get her baby, piano, or the ball, she will go get it. She also knows where her nose is and will point to it if asked. I'm sure she will start talking before too much longer. Anyways, as always, here are a few more pictures of her...mostly for her Grandma Payne and Aunt Emily to see.

She LOVES to be outside.

ONE YEAR OLD!

2010-05-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday was Madeline's first birthday. I can't believe my baby is already one year old! I took this picture one year ago today.

Now look at her!

We went to California for Jeremy's (Ian's brother) wedding the second weekend of May. It was really fun to be there and see everybody and we are excited to have Cami join the family. We decided to celebrate Madeline's birthday with the Payne family that weekend. Since Ian's sister, Elizabeth, happens to be a professional cake maker, she agreed to help me make a cute birthday cake for Madeline (aka mostly make it herself).

Ian helped too.

Here it is. Isn't it cute?! It was a mini tiered cake. Madeline sized!

Thanks for helping out Liz! (She also made the wedding cake which was AMAZING. It was a busy weekend for her.)

It was a strawberry cake with strawberry buttercream and strawberries between the layers. We tried to make everything pink for the baby girl... The cake tasted really yummy.

After cake Madeline opened her presents. She wouldn't let anyone help her except Cami. She was proud of her books.

We celebrated Madeline's birthday with my family on Saturday. I made another cake, this one FAR less impressive (it still tasted good though).

Madeline kind of figured out how to open her presents, although she struggled a little.

We got her this baby doll which she "gives loves" to a lot. It's cute.

This week, as well as with the Paynes, she was pretty unsure at what was happening when were all singing to her.

She was sure she liked the cake though.

It's been a fast but fun year and I am excited to see how she will continue to grow and learn over the next year!

P.S. Just a family picture from the wedding...

Tulip Festival

2010-04-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

Every April there is a tulip festival in Woodland. I wanted to go see the flowers and take some cute spring pictures of Madeline in the tulips. Plus, I was going to be one of THOSE moms and send a picture we took in to the tulip festival cutest baby contest (despite Ian's protests).

Well, things didn't go quite as planned. I guess Madeline had different ideas. I even went back another day to try again and had worse luck than the first day. This is pretty much what she did both days...

Besides crying, she was only interested in eating the flowers...

and eating the dirt. She WOULD NOT look at the camera.

Obviously, she wasn't thrilled about getting pictures taken.

Here is a cheesy picture Ian got. The thought blurb in my head for this picture is "Mom. I know you want to get a cute, sweet picture of me with the tulips. Here's your one picture. Take it or leave it. Now get me out of here."

We did luck into a few cute pictures. The last one is my favorite but I think I will send in the next picture.

Easter

2010-04-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Madeline's first Easter. We decided to get her a little basket, mostly just for the photo op. We "hid" it in the middle of the room. It took her several minutes before she even noticed it was there. Here are a few pictures in her Easter dress. She got dressed up even though the rest of us lounged around in our pjs all day.

We got Band Hero this weekend. I like it better than Guitar Hero - mostly because I actually know the songs. Madeline was rocking out on the drums.

We also have another BIG announcement. On April fools day Madeline walked for the first time. No joke. I thought maybe she was playing a trick on us and wouldn't walk again for a while but she has been getting better and better. This is the best video we can get. She has done better but every time the camera comes out she poses for pictures and refuses to walk. This is for you Grandma Payne...

"Do you like Flock of Seagulls?"

2010-03-17T00:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't know your answer to this titled question, but Madeline's answer is an emphatic YES! This answer is easily derived from two observations; the first is that she is totally into their music. You should see her get down to two of their 80's classics: I Ran and Space Age Love Song. The more solid evidence, however, would be her taking to the hairstyle that did just as much to make the band famous as their music. We submit for your comparison these two awesome heads of hair.

Head One: Our first hairdo is that belonging to Mike Score, and no, I don't know if that is his real last name; however, for the rest of this post he shall be known simply as "the Score". Returning to the purpose of the post, I think that it is pretty obvious which one he is in the picture (would I be blogging about any of the others' hairstyles?) If you are still not sure for any reason, here is a second hint to his identity: he is the one that used to be a hairstylist. Bonus points, however, if you can tell which one is his brother.

Head Two: Our second hairstyle in this head to head comes from Madeline. First, I would like to take a moment to just say that I personally think she rocks this hairstyle better than "the Score" does, but perhaps that is because she is simply cuter. Second, I would also like to point out that Amy and I don't create this hairstyle on purpose, nor do we let her go out like this. This hairdo is a consequence of Amy insisting on putting Madeline's hair in those vertical ponytails that she loves so much (the she here being Amy), and that can be seen in previous posts. So what do all of you think? Legit? Not legit? Too Legit (2 quit)?

Oh Snap! Bonus Head: To be totally honest, when Amy and I started to discuss Madeline's ridiculously cool new hairstyle, the "the Score" comparison was not the first that came to my mind; it was actually a short scene from the movie Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. By raising this comparison, endorsing this movie as its humor doesn't really strike me the way that it did in junior high. Simply put, I just think that the hairstyle is more similar.

All that being said, in the end, I do have to go with Amy in saying the Flock of Seagulls 'do wins. Reason One: A more consistent style. While "the Score" did not always have his hair styled the same, it lasted more than one music video (approximately equal in screen time of the scene where Ace's hair was in the pictured state). There is something to say for longevity, and the willingness to put in the effort to make your hair continually look like this. My second reason is that, as a father, I would much rather have my daughter listen to Flock music than watch either of the Ace Ventura movies. So there you have it, in terms of hair Madeline most closely resembles an 80's Synth/Pop icon and a Jim Carrey character.

Oh yes, and Bonus points to whoever can figure out where the title phrase comes from. Hmm, there are more bonus points in this post than there probably should be in any one post...my apologies.

Madeline's Favorite Things

2010-03-09T15:54:00.000-08:00

Madeline is going to be ten months old next month. These are a few of her favorite things...

...walking with her new toy...

...playing the piano...

...climbing the stairs (NOT one of my favorite things)...

...playing in the dishwasher (another activity that is not one of my favorites)...
...going on walks...

...eating bananas...

...but not eggs...

...pigtails (okay, they are really MY favorite - she cries when I put them in)...

...standing by herself AND chewing on Jenga blocks.

In other news, Ian finally cut his hair. This may not seem blog worthy but his hair has been getting VERY long. The last time he cut it was the beginning of September. Here are some awesome pictures so that we could keep long luscious locks in our memories.

Catch-Up

2010-01-24T16:32:00.000-08:00

Ian and I have been really bad at posting. In our defense, our internet is really slow which makes it a little frustrating. Anyways, this is a little bit of what we have been up to lately...

Madeline woke up a four o'clock in the morning Christmas morning and she was so happy and talkative. I thought kids weren't excited for Christmas until they were a little older!

Needless to say, we were a little bit less excited.

Madeline was grouchy Christmas morning because she was up half the night.

Ian got the second book in the Joseph Smith Papers series. He was happy.

Footy pajamas are the latest winter fashion. At least in the Moss home.

Emily and I both got Snuggies. I started telling Ian I wanted one as a joke, but then I decided that I really did kind of want one. They are awesome!

Madeline demanded all of the attention. She is a diva already!

Ian and I went to Seattle for the weekend for his birthday (child free!). We went to the Space Needle...

...the Experience Music Project...

...the Science Fiction Museum (not really our thing but it comes with the EMP tickets)...

...and Pike Place Market.

This was the view from our hotel.

We took this picture for Liz and Jason.

Then we came home and had our traditional german chocolate cake for Ian's birthday. He turned 27 years old!

Madeline liked birthday cake too.

Madeline now pulls herself up to the furniture and stands all the time. A couple days ago we she got brave enough to let go and stood by herself for almost ten seconds. She is going to be walking soon I think!

This is her new favorite toy. Her Great Grandma Spears gave it to her. It is a little dog that barks to the tune of Jingle Bells and then wags it's tail. It always makes her happy.

I have been wanting to try to actually do Madeline's hair. Today I was bored before church so I tried pig tails. I think they are so cute! Mom and Abby said they look like devil horns. I don't think so.

I took so many pictures of Madeline this morning. I think she got tired of it...

Here we are together.

Other things that have happened this month that we did not document with pictures...

We went to Danielle's wedding.
We TRIED to go to Alex's wedding. It happened to be on the one day in the year it snows here. we tried to go anyways and it took us 3 hours to drive about 25 miles. The freeway was a parking lot. Nobody here knows how to drive in the snow. It was very frustrating. Luckily we got to see them before they went back to Utah.
We made the annual Moss/Huskey/Black Nativity movie with the usual lack of interest from most people involved. It has to be done though...it's tradition!
For New Year's we opened a time capsule we had made with the Huskey family in 1999. I was excited to see what I put in it because I couldn't remember. All I put in was a tag from Old Navy because it was my favorite store. Lame. We also wrote little papers about what we liked, what we wanted our ten year older self to know, etc. I wrote about how much I HATED Woodland and how I didn't want to be here and to never forget my Hillsboro friends. What a brat. Now I am back here. ha.
Madeline now has two teeth which she has figured out are nice little weapons.

I guess that is all for now!

First Tooth

2009-12-20T18:04:00.000-08:00

First an update on Ian's last post: Madeline is really about 29 1/2 inches long. Both her weight and height were in the 95%. She is a big girl!

Last Thursday, 10 days ago, I put my finger in Madeline's mouth for her to chew on and I felt something sharp! Her first tooth popped through! I've been trying to get a picture since then. It's hard! This is the best one I have been able to get so far. You have to look really closely and there is a little white. It's easier to see in real life...

Here are some pictures that I took of Madeline today in her Christmas outfit.

Madeline always lays like this now. We call it her "model pose."

Madeline's New Stats

2009-12-10T11:31:00.001-08:00

So I took Madeline to the doctor and wanted to post the new stats that we have for her. First of all, let me say that she was very good for how long we waited to see the doctor, and she was excellent and didn't even cry when she got her immunizations.

Madeline's Stats:

Height: 27-1/4 inches (although I think she might actually be a bit taller; no effort was made to stretch her out all the way)
Weight: 20.2 lbs. This is a healthy weight, but drastically less than Amy was claiming. I believe before the appointment, Amy was saying that Madeline was somewhere in the neighborhood of 27 pounds. Off by just a little. To be fair, she was judging solely off of how hard it is to hold/carry Madeline for long periods of time.
Head Circumference : Fits. So I might has zoned out while she was taking Madeline's head reading. I would like to think that I was calming her down for it, as I was holding her for the measurement. However, I do think her head does look more proportional to her body than it did when she was first born. Maybe I'll get into Keri's sewing kit and borrow her measuring tape and take my own measurements.

Like I said before, Madeline was perfectly healthy and the doctor loved her. The only frustration about the visit -- from my perspective at least -- is that they were out of stock of two of the immunizations she was supposed to get. They told me we could just get those next time, like it was normal practice. I am not sure what we will do, but we may take her back before nine months just to catch up on some of these immunizations, and I will consider it worth the co-pay. All in all, we are happy our little girl is happy and healthy.

Madeline's First Christmas...Picture

2009-12-07T23:34:00.001-08:00

So there was a bazaar at the high school here in Woodland, and while I had no interest in going, Amy really wanted to go and have Madeline's picture taken with Santa. As a quick aside, I have always found these pictures to be a bit forced and creepy, and I am surprised that I didn't put up more of a fight. I am sure it wouldn't have mattered anyway; Amy put on the Christmas dress Grandma Payne gave her, and went to see Santa. Well, we finally got the picture delivered yesterday, and we wanted to show everybody how much Madeline has grown.

I do not mean to be too critical of a guy who puts up with holding children all day long, but Santa sort of ruined the dress in the picture. The dress is rolled all the way up to her waist, and so you see her diaper cover; so much for baby modesty. **Sigh** That dress was really cute. Additionally, while we still think she is adorable, it is clear that this is not her best picture. It is somewhat revealing of how many actual pictures it takes before Amy gets one she finds appropriate for the blog. From what she told me, it took herself and Grandma Moss forever just to get her to the point where she was looking at the camera. That is all for now, but we will post a more robust update in a few days. Thanks again to Grandma Payne for the cute outfit.

If a Tree Fell in the Forest...

2009-11-22T22:27:00.000-08:00

...I would probably hear it. If you knew that I had to take a hearing test on Friday for work, you might think I am referring to my near perfect hearing that I have been bragging to Ian about all weekend. However, that is not the case. Saturday night it was really windy here. At about 2:30 am, I was awoken by a loud thump and the house shaking. It scared me. I was pretty sure that a tree fell on the house. I got up and looked in Madeline's room---no tree there. Then I looked in Abby's room---no tree there. Nobody else was awake and something had happened! I went outside and noticed that a tree that is on the side of our house was leaning and there were cracking noises. This tree has a lot of ivy on it so I was worried that it could be dead and was now falling over. I also saw a pretty big branch on the ground below where our room is. I figured that the branch had fallen off the tree, hit the roof above us, then fallen to the ground. Anyways, I was too worried that the tree was falling over so I finally woke my parents up to ask if it always leaned. They got up to look at it but said that it did usually lean. By the time I went back to bed it was after three. It was so windy and I kept hearing branches fall so I couldn't fall back asleep until after four. Unfortunately, I kept Ian up the whole time too. He wasn't very happy about it. He kept telling me that a tree was not going to fall and crush on top of us. This morning, this is what the yard and house looked like...

Our Favorite Hippie

2009-10-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

There was a ward Halloween party tonight. We weren't going to dress up but Halloween is no fun without costumes! I quickly whipped together a costume for me and Madeline. She was a little flower child and I dressed up 80's. We tried to find another decade for Ian to dress in but we were unsuccessful. Anyways, here are some pictures.

At the party there was a chili and cornbread cook-off. Ian signed up to bring cornbread. He made a really delicious cornbread recipe that had green onions, jalapenos, and bacon. What isn't delicious with bacon? He ended up winning best cornbread! Here was his prize...more cornbread.

The Art of Sitting

2009-10-18T15:13:00.001-07:00

So one thing that we have learned over and over about Madeline and her growth is that things happen suddenly; it looks as though she isn't even close to being able to do something, and then the next day she does it perfectly. The latest example of this is sitting.

Amy has been concerned for a while that Madeline wasn't progressing in her ability to sit up. The blame for this 'shortcoming' falls to me since I am with her most of the time. However, this past week I started to put stuff in front of her to entice her to stay balanced. The result is that she can now sit up for a minute or two on her own now. Here are some pictures:

This is one of Madeline's new favorite toys. It does the whole 'A B C' thing and it lights up, so I suppose it isn't stunting her mental growth, so I'm all good with it. Although, I must be honest, the songs it puts out drive me nuts (it is a jazzed up version of the ABC's; just leave well enough alone).

Here she is gaining a conceptual understanding of shapes and colors well beyond her age...or she might just be drooling on the toy; who knows for sure.

And this picture is the reason for the post. We think she is amazing and wonderful, and even better when she is in a good mood. If only she could always be this happy.

More Dr. Seuss

2009-10-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

Ian's sister, Liz, left a comment on the last post saying that the Cat in the Hat picture was the second great Seuss picture Ian has taken. I had totally forgotten about this picture! It used to be the background on my computer (actually about 30 copies of this picture in a tile pattern) when Ian and I were dating. I found it on Liz's blog and stole it to show everyone. Doesn't he look so cute?!

Pictures Plus a Little About My Job

2009-10-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since we have put pictures up. Madeline is getting so big. She will be five months this week. So old! She has learned several new tricks the past few weeks. Here are a few...

Madeline has learned how to roll from her front to her back. She can't do it all the time but is getting better.

She learned how to eat more solid food (rice cereal). We started feeding her rice cereal. She is a little on the young side for solid food but she is so big and it seems like she is hungry all the time. She caught on really fast to eating from a spoon.

I guess she wasn't so interested in eating in this picture.

Ian also figured out how to do this trick with Madeline. It scares my mom when he does it. This picture reminds me of Cat in the Hat.

I pretty much think that Madeline is the cutest baby in the world. I hate having to be away from her half the day!

She has such big BLUE eyes!

Work has been okay. I have been there a month now and am fully trained (or so they say). I like the job okay, although I would not want to work there for the rest of my life or anything. I think I would like it more if I didn't have to drive almost an hour each way. A typical day for me, in case anyone is interested, goes like this...

I get to work at 5:15 am and inspect all the equipment until 6:00 am. I make sure that it is clean and tell the sanitation crew to fix anything that is still dirty. For the next couple of hours I test the samples of food from the day before to make sure they meet company specifications before they are shipped to the customers. For the testing, I taste the samples, look at the color and watch for defects such as lumps, test the pH, sugar level, and viscosity (thickness). If any of the products fail, I test the color using a machine called a colorimeter and set the samples up for management to decide if they still want to ship the product out. For the rest of the day, I collect samples from products being made, check the big kettles before each batch to make sure they are clean, check magnets and metal detectors, and generally make sure that people are keeping things clean and following good manufacturing procedures.

I am usually standing and walking around the whole eight hours and sometimes I get very busy and a little overwhelmed. It becomes difficult because the workers usually can't start something new until I get there and it usually turns out that they all need me at once. I have to try to time my lunch so that not too many people will be stuck waiting for me. It is also difficult because almost all of the workers are hispanic and only speak a little broken english. I really wish I had Rachel and Peter's spanish skills!

Overall, I think I am starting to get the hang of the job and am settling into a good routine but it makes me sad to be away from Ian and Madeline for so long everyday.

Finally, Video Evidence

2009-09-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

So Madeline has been laughing in little spurts now for about a month; however, by the time we get the camera out, she decides that she is done laughing. Last night we finally got a good video of Madeline laughing. Her aunt Abby was making motorboat sounds by puckering her lips and blowing out. Apparently, this was incredibly interesting to Madeline, as she was captivated for several minutes. In the video you will hear Madeline first laugh at Abby, and then you will hear her try to imitate the sound.

While we all love hearing her laugh, there is one downside to this recording: Madeline now continues to try to imitate Abby, and has been spitting and drooling on me all day. The price we pay I suppose.

And We Go To Oregon

2009-08-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I was browsing the internet for any food science jobs in Oregon or Washington-just because I was bored. On a whim, I decided to send my resume to a company in Boring, Oregon. They ended up calling me that day wanting an interview. I interviewed with them last Monday and they offered me the job today. We decided to accept the offer. We will be moving next Wednesday. We have to continue paying for our apartment here until someone moves in so if you know anyone in Provo that wants a nice, two bedroom apartment, let us know!

A little about the job...I will be working for a company called Ever Fresh Fruit Company. They process apples as well as make other products such as yogurt and ice cream base. My official job title will be a Quality Assurance Technician. My job will be to check the equipment for cleanliness when I arrive, check the ingredients to make sure they are portioned out correctly, and take samples and test them throughout the day to make sure that they are quality products. It is a small company and seems like a good place to work.

I am grateful that we will finally have a full time job as well as the chance to gain some experience with my degree in case I ever want/need to work in the future. However, I am sad to leave all of our family and friends in Utah.

Madeline's Newest Trick

2009-08-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

So we returned home from spending a week on the lake with Amy's family on Saturday. While we were there, we had hoped that Madeline would do something new for the family since she was so spoiled the entire time. Sadly, no such luck; however, within a couple of hours of returning home, she decided to mix things up for us.

Amy and I had set her down on a blanket in the front room and went back to our bedroom to unpack a bit. We returned a few minutes later and found Madeline on her stomach. After checking with each other to make sure the other had not put her in the position, we put her back on her back to see if she would turn over again. She did, and here is the video we took of it.

Sadly, I was not able to get a video where she starts solidly from her back, but we promise she really did (as a note to the video, please ignore the talking done by the parents, we are still not used to these pictures with sound). We have found that things are more difficult now that Madeline is able to roll over; it is harder to feed, change, and dress her.

Perhaps the only issue we have with this development is that she does not like being on her stomach for long after she gets there; this, coupled with the fact she cannot move from stomach to back means that she starts crying every few minutes when we lay her down. Amy and I are hoping that she soon figures out how to reverse the process.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

2009-08-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

So Amy has told me, and I agree, that she is shouldering too much of the blogging weight, so I suppose that it is my turn to post.

Amy and I have been waiting for Madeline to start laughing; while she gives us an occasional chuckle, she has not yet decided she is ready for laughter. Instead, she has started to babble quite a bit. This past week especially, she has been very talkative at night. On Tuesday Amy went to a Relief Society activity so I got to spend some one on one time with Madeline that I am sure she will remember for the rest of her life. She spent almost a full hour standing on my stomach "talking" to me. I decided that I should get a video of her in action, so here it is.

We think she is adorable; we just can't wait until she starts to talk and laugh for real. And yes, at the end of the video when it looks like she is falling forward, she is...and ended face-planted in my chest.

Madeline's New Hobby

2009-08-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

So...this week has been another camera happy week. I've taken about 50 pictures of Madeline. It's kind of ridiculous but oh well. Some day she will be older and will hate having her picture taken.

Madeline has a new hobby. She has been pretty fussy this week and I can't tell what is wrong. I decided today that maybe she is just bored. I took some yarn and tied some of her toys to my broom and set it up for her to play with. She has started hitting and grabbing the toys. It's pretty cute because every time she hits a toy hard she gets so excited. So far it has entertained her for a while both yesterday and today.

I absolutely love the next two pictures. I am normally opposed to naked baby pictures but I LOVE these. I think that they are among my favorites of Madeline so far.

Madeline's Stats

2009-08-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

Madeline had her two month check-up today (even though she is really 2 1/2 months). She didn't do very well during the appointment. She cried pretty much the whole time. She got three shots and had a drink vaccine. The doctor said that she was very healthy. Here are her stats...

Weight: 13.21 lbs (84.7 percentile)
Height: 24.25 inches (90.55 percentile)
Head Circumference: 15.5 inches (45.62 percentile)

We knew before she was born that she would be a tall girl but apparently she has a pretty small head for her body...not bad small though. I guess she doesn't take after her Uncle Jeremy.

I was worried she would just cry the rest of the day but she was pretty happy when we got home. Here she is with her band-aids.

Happy Birthday Emily!

2009-07-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

Today is my sister Emily's birthday. She is turning 21. So old! Since she reads this at work everyday, I wanted to say Happy Birthday and I love you! I hope you have a great day!

Isn't this a cute picture of her? She is cute.

The Latest Pictures of Madeline

2009-07-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

Madeline has been pretty fussy the past couple of days. I don't know why. I think she might be going through a growth spurt so she wants to eat more often than she usually does. She is starting to get pretty chubby.

She has started holding onto her rags a lot. We have found that if we give her a rag when she is crying she will usually calm down. My little sister Abby used to have a "rag" like a blankie. I don't really want Madeline to have a crutch but I guess a rag is easy because it is small and easily replaceable/interchangable. Here she is holding her rag.

In other news, Madeline is getting a lot better at holding her head and neck up during "tummy time" although she still hates being on her stomach.

Madeline has also started wearing 3-6 month clothes. This is a cute outfit that our family friend Renee bought her.

Here are a few more pictures that I like of Madeline that we have taken recently. Emily made fun of me because she looked through the pictures on my camera and found out that I have a million. We decided first children have the most pictures not only because it is a new thing for the parents to have a kid, but also because the mom gets bored and needs something to do being at home alone all day with a little baby.

Looking at mom.

Watch out! She's not afraid to fight!

When she's crying a lot I try to remember how happy I am when she smiles.

Madeline's Blessing

2009-07-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

Madeline was blessed last Sunday, July 5. Ian was able to give the blessing and he did a really nice job. Madeline stayed quiet until the very end she started to fuss just a little. I thought that two things were kind of special. First, my brother Elliott stood in the circle since he was ordained an Elder a couple weeks ago. Second, my mom had saved my blessing dress so Madeline was blessed in the same dress that I wore at my blessing.

We were also blessed to have so much family attend. Ian's whole family came from California on Saturday night. It was a quick trip for all of them since they left Monday. We were really happy that they were willing and able to come, even though we wish they could have stayed longer. My family also came from Washington for just a few days. We also had my Aunt Linda and her daughter, my Uncle Jeff and his family, and my Uncle Greg and his son come. Even my Grandma Moss and Aunt Marie came down for the occasion. After Sacrament meeting, we all went up to a park in Provo Canyon and made sandwiches, took pictures, and visited.

Here are a few pictures of the family and Madeline in her blessing dress. Notice my pretty awesome sunburn on my arms from mini golfing on the fourth.

4th of July

2009-07-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

For the 4th of July weekend, our families came up for Madeline's blessing. My family came on July 3rd and stayed at a condo in Park City. Ian and I drove up on Friday night to hang out with them. We had a fun time playing games, specifically a game that my mom and brothers learned while they were in Germany. It is called Ligretto and I thought it was really fun to play. I'm glad they brought it back for us and taught us to play. Saturday was the 4th and Madeline got to wear her new festive outfit from Grandma Payne.

We went up to the Park City resort to play mini golf. This was the view. I thought it was pretty.

We had a pretty fun time putting...

although the course was pretty crappy. Each hole was really tilted so all of our balls would always roll together.

Oliver wasn't having his best game.

Elliott looking studly in his new shirt from London. I told him that he was wearing the wrong side for the 4th of July.

I did pretty bad too, although I did get one hole in one. Notice everyone elses balls all congregated to the corner. Emily told me to hurry and putt so she could get a picture of all our golf balls together. I was pretty excited to mess up that picture.

I don't have any pictures of Emily golfing but I do have a nice picture of her modeling her camera case, or as Elliott called it, her "fanny pack for her wrist."

After we went mini golfing, we were hot so we decided to go swimming. Here we are playing 500 in the pool.

Later that evening, we played croquet. Abby won the first round but after that, Ian started beating us pretty bad.

He was done with the course and we hadn't even started going back.

Since we were losing we just started taking random pictures instead.

Somehow Oliver managed to get hurt.
At the end of the day, we went up on the roof of the condo to watch the fireworks. I'm not going to lie, I was kind of scared climbing up the scaffolding to get to the roof. We had a really nice view. My mom held Madeline during the fireworks and said she slept through the whole thing. She can sleep through anything if she wants to.

Overall, it was a fun 4th of July and I was glad to be able to spend it with my family.

Smiling

2009-06-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I was going to clean the kitchen so I put Madeline in her chair to bring her with me and this is what she did! She has had little smiles for the past couple weeks but I am starting to get her to smile when I play with her. I decided to procrastinate cleaning for the next half hour by trying to get more pictures. This was all I could get. It is hard to get her to smile long enough to snap the picture. Good thing for digital cameras with a delete button. I would have wasted a whole lot of film.

Life since the first (and only) post

2009-06-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Ian and I are officially lame. We say we are going to start a blog and then don't tell anybody or post anything for almost a month. He will say that is my fault because it was "my turn." Maybe it is my fault. Anyways, he said that I had to tell about the labor, so I guess I will start with that, in case anyone is interested.

My water broke at about 1 o'clock in the morning on May 15. We went in to the hospital at 2 o'clock. My labor wasn't progressing very fast and they told me we would wait for a couple hours and then maybe induce contractions. After a couple hours, they said it was going fast enough so we would not have to induce (it wasn't going fast enough for me). At 6 o'clock in the morning they told me that there were lots of women having babies so if I wanted an epidural then I should tell them and I would be put on the list. I probably could have gone a little longer without it but I didn't want to get stuck waiting forever when the pain was really bad. Even with the epidural, it was still pretty painful. By the way...Ian was asleep for most of the night...lucky. At about 8 o'clock a.m. the nurse checked my cervix and it still appeared that I would have a long time to wait. However, at ten she told me I was ready to start pushing. She taught me to push and was surprised that the baby was ready to come out. She told me not to push and she would go find the doctor. I only had to push for 20 minutes and at 10:51 Madeline was born. She weighed 8 pounds and was 20.5 inches long. Overall, I can't complain. A 10 hour labor with 20 minutes of pushing for the first child is pretty good in my opinion.

My mom was able to come a week after Madeline was born and stayed for a week. Ian's mom also came after my mom left. It was nice to have them here and help me. It was really great to have them here to stay up with Madeline at night so I could sleep.

Thanks Grandmas! We love you!

At Madeline's two week appointment she was really healthy. The goal is for the baby to weigh the same or more than they weighed at birth (they usually lose weight the first week). She weighed 8 lbs 15 ounces and was 21 inches long. Now we are all doing really well. Madeline turned a month old on Monday. She is getting so much bigger. She is a good baby, although we are still working on getting her to stay awake during the day so we don't have to go to bed a 3 o'clock in the morning every night. Ian and I are getting used to being parents. Here are a few more pictures of Madeline...

Madeline's first bath. Needless to say, she didn't really like it.

One of our favorite outfits for her. Thanks to Ruby MacFarland from Ian's home ward!

Flashing gang signs. Oh dear...

Madeline with her great great Grandma Beazer.

Kicking back. Life is so easy for a baby.

Well, I guess that was enough for now. More to come soon!

The Genesis of the Blog

2009-05-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

I must start by saying it took all the strength I could muster not to include a Phil Collins joke along with the title. I have to admit I actually typed one in to see what it looked like; sadly two lines of title just never worked for me. Anyway, Amy and I have discussed for quite some time the creation of a family blog, but it has just never happened. When Amy got pregnant, we again talked about it, with no action following. Last week Amy had the baby, and along with the baby came the impetus to finally create this blog.

At least for the immediate future, we expect this blog to serve as an accessible site where we will post pictures of our daughter for all interested parties to see. So, without further ado we present Madeline Eve Payne.

I am not sure how flattering the last of the photos is, but she is my daughter, so I think she is cute. Both Madeline and her mother are doing well. As you can see, mom just looks relieved to be done with the whole ordeal.

I will leave it to Amy to tell the detailed - but not that detailed - story of the birth as I think she can relate the experience with more emotional intensity and in a way that won't make women roll their eyes.