Chunky monkey check-up

Gavin had a two-month checkup yesterday and weighed in at 15 pounds. He's 24.5 inches long and has a head circumference of 16 inches. Not surprisingly, those measurements are in the 95th, 95th, and 50th percentiles, respectively. Sometimes I wish I were a baby because chubby thighs on infants are absolutely adorable! Dr. Nash said Gavin's development is going well. Gavin's ear infection from a couple of weeks ago has cleared up, although he does still have a little fluid in both ears. A mild case of cradle cap is the only cause for concern. That is easily managed.

We finished the visit with a bunch of immunizations, which made Gavin the third child in the family to offer a screaming fit that morning. His was the only one I felt was justified, but hearing him cry still made me sad. Luckily Gavin offers coos and grins that light up the room. I was so happy to capture one of his sweet smiles on camera!

I noticed when we were in Arizona that Gavin is starting to interact with toys and objects around him. In my haste to pack up the house a few weeks ago, I boxed up all of our early-development toys and now I'm really regretting it! Those boxes are in the back bottom corners of our storage unit and won't see the light of day until we move. Bah! The little bouncer Gavin uses does have a little mirror that arches over his head. He has discovered it this week and it's fun to see him checking himself out! He's such a cutie.

Zion or bust

It was a rough day in the Bartle household. I'm always a victim of what a good friend terms "vacation depression," or the emotional letdown that inevitably comes after a fabulous period of rest and relaxation away from home. While I wouldn't characterize our latest excursion as restful (what with very late nights, a nursing baby, and wild children), it was extremely enjoyable and hard to give up. Coming home to laundry list of house selling/moving to-do's, a showing appointment, piano lessons sans babysitter, and general responsibility strained my already-reduced coping abilities. As a result, I was a bad wife, parent, and human being today.

However, today was Monday. I figured that holding Family Home Evening might salvage what was left of our Very Bad Day. Tyler picked a lesson kit about Book of Mormon stories, and as we sat around the coffee table guessing what character, principle, or topic corresponded with each letter of the alphabet, I felt like I ought to share something I heard about yesterday related to The Book of Mormon.

The prophet and president of our church, Gordon B. Hinckley, died last week. As a tribute to this beloved leader, some wonderful soul created an online challenge to read The Book of Mormon in 97 days (one day for each year of President Hinckley's life). My parents and siblings sent the information to me, and since I always need a little external motivation to keep the commandments, I opted to join the challenge. Having the support of family members and feeling united in a worthy goal made me happy. Though not as formal, this is reminiscent of the time a couple of years ago that President Hinckley issued a church-wide challenge to read The Book of Mormon in four months. Our little family participated and really enjoyed the experience.

It wasn't until tonight that I considered involving Garry and the boys in the challenge. I had only planned to participate on a personal level. But as our Family Home Evening proceeded and I saw my boys soaking up the lessons of the scriptures, I asked them if they would like to commit to read The Book of Mormon in 97 days. I was sure they would balk at the commitment, but they surprised me. They were excited and wanted to start right away, and so we did. Our morning scripture studies have gotten us to Alma 52, so we decided to start there and loop back over the next three months. One day down, 96 to go.

As I was explaining the challenge to the boys, I found myself bearing testimony of the power the scriptures can have in our lives, and how obeying the commandments can bring amazing blessings of the Holy Ghost. I confess that I hoped the boys would be open to the challenge simply because our little family could really use an extra dose of the Spirit these days. We need to figure some things out and make life work better around here, and hopefully this project will help.

My dad was inspired to institute the goal of being a "Zion Family" in 2008. Every week he sends out a quote from the prophets on a different theme. The very first one is from Joseph Smith, as quoted by Joseph Fielding Smith:

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness; and keeping all the commandments of God....

"... [A]s God has designed our happiness—and the happiness of all His creatures, he never has—He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed, and which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the recipients of his law and ordinances."

I have taken those words to heart, hoping and praying that they are true. We're on the path, just trying to keep up. Hopefully we'll get where we want to go!

There's no place like home (except Grandma's)

Zachary, Tyler, Gavin, and I had an uneventful trip back to Portland today. Saying good-bye to our Arizona family was hard, but not nearly as traumatic for the boys as I anticipated. Aunt Angie packed special airplane goodie bags for Zach and Tyler that made for a wonderful surprise as soon as we boarded. And then, miraculously, all three boys slept for most of the trip! I was so grateful.

Driving up to our house was bittersweet. I was so happy to be home, but I know it is probably just a transitional arrangement now. Seeing a For Sale sign in the yard was so strange, and walking through the house in its staged state was even stranger. I feel like I'm living in a hotel where I'm afraid to break the decorations. My blood pressure rose 20 points as the boys explored every room and touched every new thing. So begins life in a house on the market! At least we can sleep in our own beds!

Yikes

So this morning I woke up to the sound of Gavin's crib making loud thumping sounds against the walls in his room. Very groggy, I ran into the study and found Gavin grinning as Tyler stood on the crib rails, rocking the crib back and forth. Tyler was "rocking the baby to make him happy" (and waking up the whole house in the process). Apparently the boys had all been up for a while because two huge bins of blocks and toys were strewn about the room and trailed down the hall.

Gavin hadn't eaten for four hours, so I decided to ignore the mess for the time being and nurse. I sat at the computer and finished up my last blog post. It was 7:30 a.m. All of a sudden I heard Eric yell from the upstairs bathroom. "WHO CLOGGED THE TOILET????" I interrupted Gavin's breakfast to investigate. Eric, clad only in a towel, was plunging the toilet as water poured all over the bathroom floor. Then he and Holly thundered downstairs to collect old towels to mop up the mess before the flood could seep through the floor to the ceiling below. Unfortunately, their collective efforts were not enough; soon water began to drip through the ceiling downstairs. Zachary, the culprit, looked on. Zach clogs toilets at home on a regular basis, but he'd never seen one overflow before. He seemed oddly fascinated by all the hubbub.

My parents could not have been nicer about the mess and the property damage, but I was determined that the least Zach could do was clean up the mess. He certainly wasn't happy about cleaning a poop-smeared bathroom, but if ever there was a natural consequence for bad behavior, this was it! Hopefully the rest of the day is less eventful, but maybe we'll end this trip with a bang.

Friday Night

Friday's events made for good blog fodder. The morning offered adventures in homework for Zach (why, oh why did we neglect his monthly calendar until this week?); a lovely picture of a girl in a garage and grass from Tyler (the result of "please draw a 'g' picture"); an unfortunate series of events involving a haircut appointment, a horrific Wal-Mart excursion, and a foiled cousin playdate; lunch at Devlin's house; a phone call from Garry about possible buyers for our house; a Mommy meltdown (related more to Wal-Mart than the house); and a rescheduled and successful cousin playdate. It would be too exhausting to include all the details, so that's the bare bones version of the day.

The evening is much easier to talk about. Zach and Ty slipped into dreamland rather quickly (insert Hallelujah Chorus here) and Gavin took up residence in the swing, leaving me free to chat and relax with the fam. Topics of discussion: politics, funerals, scar stories, garbage collection, the telecom industry (see Mark for a detailed history), David Hasselhoff at the ASU bookstore, Angie's weird neighbors, and someone whose middle name is really Danger.

In addition...

Dad helped Ryan with his Friday night accounting assignment.

Chloe entertained us with her hysterical chatter and loving attention to the "beebee." She got in and out of this car seat about ten times.

She also loved a new book from Granny, but wasn't too thrilled about going to bed.

Gavin slept the evening away. This photo makes his hair look red, but it isn't.

Eric and Myron discussed something important before Eric abandoned us for a social event.

Not pictured: Myron running to the grocery store for treats, Holly making popcorn, Dad doodling on cereal boxes, and Amy leaving for California for the weekend.

For more photos of this week's events, see Angie's blog and Rachel's blog. Boy, we're popular...

Happiness Is...

Today I read a quote that said "sometimes happiness just happens," and you know, it does. We haven't done anything fancy here in Mesa, but we've had so much fun and been so happy. This time has helped me remember that happiness can happen when...

• Cuddling my baby when he's passed out on my shoulder after nursing at midnight
  
• Listening to my mom pretend to audition for Senior American Idol with "Grandpa's Farm"
  
• Chillin' on the couch with my siblings and cousin every night when I know they all have work/school/life to face early the next morning


• Having FHE with Granny and Gramps (and singing "Families Can Be Together Forever" with them)
  
• Hearing Ryan give his first priesthood blessing
  
• Seeing Devlin's face light up at my photos of Mater and Lightning McQueen


• Taking a two-hour nap
  
• Getting a kiss on the lips from Eve
  
• Buying ice cream at McDonald's for all the cousins and watching them eat it


• Seeing Mr. Miyagi walk Zachary (instead of vice versa)


• Sleeping in


• Scheduling a massage for myself (can't wait!) and knowing my children won't miss me for a second because they'll be at Granny's house

And speaking of happy things, I'd like to give a special shout-out to Gavin, who is officially two months old. His chubby cheeks (and arms and thighs and belly) definitely define happiness.

Ode to Uncles

My boys have grown up with awesome uncles. Who knew that crazy little brothers could grow up to be so cool? I feel lucky to have them in my life and especially in the lives of my children!

David is cool because he's Devlin's Daddy. We were all thrilled when he came to visit in Beaverton when Gavin was born.



Myron is just as good as a brother, even though he's an in-law. He loves to entertain the boys when we are in Arizona. Just today he played ball with the kids in the park, ran around with Mr. Miagi (the dog), and made Zach and Ty a special-order lunch and cookies on the side.



Zachary and Tyler are thrilled that Eric is home from his mission. On Sunday we went to a special fireside Eric hosted about Mongolia. The boys were pretty good considering the meeting was an hour and a half long at the end of a church day. When we got home, Zachary said, "I sure learned a lot about Mongolia!" Zach is also learning that Eric, who works full-time and goes to MCC full-time, is not as available for playing as he used to be. That's why we felt so special when we got to share Eric's lunch break on Tuesday. Taco Bell has never been so cool. Eric even shared his nachos.



Uncle Ryan is still da bomb. He is also super busy with a full-time schedule and a part-time job at ASU, but he still found time this week to build the boys a car ramp, assemble a slot-car race track, play video games, and push the boys on the swings. He is also the preferred guy for bedtime songs and stories. We love Uncle Ryan!



Thanks, guys, for all the sweet memories this week! Love ya!

What we've been up to

Garry has been holding down the fort in Beaverton (thanks for the great "for sale" post, honey!) and was pleased to vacate the house while it was shown for the first time on Saturday. Woohoo! Meanwhile, the boys and I have enjoyed a few fun days in Mesa with my family.

Zachary has enjoyed hours of Wii and Nintendo entertainment. One of his favorite games is fitness boxing, where he uses the controllers to punch a boxing bag (I won't let him box a person, even if it's pretend). He really gets into the movements and works up a sweat! I caught him sitting up in his sleep last night, punching the air and grunting as if he was playing the game!

Tyler has puttered and played with Granny's many toys (cars, books, trains, blocks...) and also loved spending time in the big backyard (not to mention the sunshine!). He is learning to pump on the swings and especially loved swinging when Gramps took him to the park.

Gavin has charmed everyone with his cuteness and sweet nature. He likes Granny's crib, plus the car seat, bouncy chair, swing, and play mat Granny borrowed from Aunt Angie. We are lucky to have such a great set-up here. Gavin is smiling more and getting stronger on his tummy.

I have enjoyed a couple of naps, a pedicure and lunch date with the girls in the family, and late-night chatting with my siblings and cousin who lives here. I love seeing my little nieces nurture Gavin like they would one of their "beebees." What fun! Here are several pictures that highlight our latest adventures.

Officially For Sale!

Our house is officially on the market! The following is the text from the flyer-box in our front yard.

Beautiful 4 Bedroom Home on a Cul de Sac!

$264,900

This home has a wonderful floor plan! Light & bright! Great for a first time home buyer. Quiet location, yet minutes to shopping & restaurants. The new Streets of Tanasbourne is also close by. This home is move in ready & waiting for you!

• Built in 2000
• 1750 Sq Ft
• Immaculate Condition!
• Finished 2 Car Garage with Painted, Textured Floor and Great Built-in Storage
• Forced Air Gas Heat
• Air Conditioning
• Spacious Master Suite:
  • Large Walk In Closet
  • Double Sinks
• Utility is Upstairs
• Large Kitchen Features:
  • Tile Counters
  • Built In Microwave
  • Refrigerator Included
  • Pantry
  • Opens to Dining & Family Rooms
• Stereo Surround in Family Room
• Separate Living Area
• Fully Fenced Back Yard with Patio
• All Appliances Included!
• Taxes $2327.16

Schools:

• Tobias
• Brown
• Century

Deborah Jackson, PC
Broker, GRI
RE/MAX Equity Group
Cell: 503-880-2000

Please call today for a private showing

Since we don't have access to the photos the realtor took, here are some we took ourselves.

Tyler the tenderhearted

Last week Tyler started having issues with going to school. Oh, he still had issues when he was at school, but begging to stay home was a new, ornery twist to the morning. Until yesterday his protests were manageable. Yesterday morning, however, Tyler shifted into total meltdown mode as soon as we hit the classroom. He begged and pleaded and sobbed and shuddered. He wanted to go home and be with me. I offered to stay awhile to help him transition, sensing that a little one-on-one would soothe his soul. Tyler enjoyed having me make sculptures out of play dough and paint his hands for H-page hand prints, but every few minutes he dissolved into a heap of shuddering tears. Eventually I just decided to leave him in his teachers' hands. As it turned out, he was fine without me.

At home after school, Ty settled into his usual routine -- lunch, a show, then quiet play time in his room. He announced he wanted to take a little nap and set about choosing some books to enjoy in bed. I found him some time later, sitting on the floor surrounded by about two dozen picture books, a favorite propped open in his lap. A music CD played in the background. This is classic Tyler behavior, at least when he's alone. I was glad to see him happy, content, and lost in his little world.

By the time 2:00 hit, I was stressed out. We were due to leave in less than two hours and I couldn't imagine being ready in time. Pressure mounted and I didn't handle it well. But eventually Elvis left the building.

Fast forward three hours. The boys and I were on the plane, headed for Phoenix. We were all a little giddy with anticipation. I was relieved that Gavin nursing during takeoff and didn't cry. I was determined that my little entourage would not turn into a circus side show on this plane. That fantasy lasted until just before the in-flight beverage service, when Tyler burst into tears. He missed his daddy. Quiet cries quickly gave way to the morning's shuddering sobs, and plaintive cries about his beloved father turned into pleas to turn the plane around and go home.

In the midst of Tyler's lengthy outburst, Zachary started asking went the plane would land. We had completed about 30 minutes of a 2 1/2 hour flight. When I explained how much time was left, Zach began to wail. At this point Gavin got a little fussy, too, so I figured now was as good a time as any for me to cry. So I did.

Actually, I was mostly laughing. In some ways the situation was hilarious to me. But as I was shaking with not-so-quiet laughter, I started to cry a little, too. Suddenly the stress and emotion of the last two weeks bubbled to the surface and spilled over. In that moment I felt overwhelmed and incompetent and embarrassed. I felt alone and scared and unsure of the future. The boys eventually noticed the tears streaming down my cheeks and immediately stopped their own tantrums to stare at mine. That was the turning point; we recovered quickly from there.

Seeing Granny and Holly waiting for us at the gate (special passes in hand) was a gift from heaven. A passenger from the plane interrupted our reunion to tell me he thought I was the bravest woman he had seen in a long time and that my kids were just fabulous. Naturally, I cried again.

A good night of rest did all of us wonders. Tyler bounced out of bed this morning with a grin on his face. He ran in to hug Gramps and said, "I always wished that I could be at your house!" He tickled Gavin on the floor and said, "Good morning, Tootlebugs!" He looked around in awe at Aunt Holly's bubblegum-pink bedroom and exclaimed, "Holly's room is sure cute. Are only girls invited in here?" And finally: "I'm so glad we're here." Me, too, Tyler. Me, too.