4-Year-Old's Trial of Faith...

Excerpt from tonight's family prayer, offered by Atticus:

"...And please bless me that I'll get my new pets well. Even all 5 hamsters. And my new little foal. And a dog; make it a great dog. And my cornsnake."

Pause.

"And help my hamsters to know the word of wisdom. In the name of..."

(I couldn't figure that last part out until I remembered a book we checked out from the library. It teaches that hamsters eat grains, fruits and vegetables.)

I hope it's not too great a trial of faith for him when we don't get any of the above-mentioned pets. Paris asked recently if we ought to get a dog. I've decided I love to chase, clean up after and potty-train humans. My energy ends there.

Times, They Are A-Changing

Since Ryan was born I have been contemplating the birth of my nephew, Carter. He's almost 13. It seems like 13 years has zipped by, but as I look at technological and personal differences between now and then I realize that MUCH has happened. Please bear with these examples...


- When Carter was born my sister had to leave numerous, insistent messages at the front desk of the hotel my parents were staying at in hopes they'd reach them in time to hop a plane
- When Ryan was born we had talked to every member of my family upon admittance to the hospital and had emailed pics via cell phone within minutes of her birth

-When Carter was born Ryan was my last name
- Now Boone is my last name, but Ryan is my favorite name :)

- When Carter was born we were planning a 6-week cross-country family trip that included a little stint in Florida
- Now my family plans trips specifically TO Florida to visit the favorite family member (Paris)

- When Carter was born I was a freshman in college
- Now Carter's almost a freshman in High school (Holy cow!)

- When Carter was born I had watched Back to the Future 3 and predicted that someday there would, indeed, be video phones but that they would be far too expensive to market to average Joe's
- When Ryan was born I was Skype-ing family for free...Mom, Kathryn, Morgan, etc were virtually in the hospital with me, only I couldn't smuggle chocolate pudding to them when the nurses weren't looking

- When Carter was born I was an A-cup
- Now, well, nursing is good for both baby AND mama, if you know what I mean

- When Carter was born I'd never even kissed anyone. I wondered when I would find my prince and have kids of my own
- Now I have my prince, but it's my 3 kids who think they're royalty

-When Carter was born I would find myself awake at night thinking about Rollerblading and a good book
- Now I find myself awake at night (nursing Ryan) and thinking about sleeping while reading a good book

- When Carter was born BYU was the greatest school in the world, I'd live on Slurpees and Skittles if I could, and I wanted to travel to Greece
- Oh, wait...I guess some things never change

Help one another, is part of the religion of sisterhood. ~Louisa May Alcott

How do I love my sistahs? Let me count the ways.

Kelly and Kathryn both came to visit last week, helping fill the I-Miss-My-Mommy void I'd been wallowing in. I am blessed to have such wonderful sisters...I know this.

Kathryn and Finn stayed for almost a week. You know you're comfortable with someone when you can sit around and do nothing and still have the time of your life.

With the help of Quinn (a.k.a. Angel-Husband) Kelly slipped away from her 6 kids (4 under the age of 4) for our sister night. This is the only picture from this trip that I have of Kelly. She's HOLDING Ryan. We got some others with her face, but she made me delete them...Something about a bad hair day or the likes. Stinker.

Then there's this one. Perhaps Kathryn should have insisted I delete it. :)

Jane Austen said it best: Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply...

Introducing...Ryan Sierra Boone!

She's finally here! Ryan Sierra Boone was born at 9:25 Sunday night. She weighed 7 lb. 13 oz, and she's pretty darned cute, if I'm allowed to says so. After thinking for 20 years that I'd be happy to have a house full of boys I finally get it...She's an angel. it is so fun.

Atticus and Wyatt came this morning to visit first thing with Nana. It was love at first sight! Atticus couldn't get enough of her. I think he'll be a marvelously protective big bro.


I was curious to see how Wyatt would react to our bundle of joy. He has pointed to my belly for months now while declaring "Baby" to our delight. I'm fairly confident, however, that he has assumed "Baby" really means, "Mom's really been putting the ben and Jerry's away lately, hasn't she?" He really seemed to think be taken with her, though. I don't know if the gravity of the situation has really sunk in for him yet. :)

The boys scored major points by bringing hardee's biscuits and gravy for proud papa. Paris claims he won't let Ryan wrap him around her tiny finger...We'll see. he's sort of a softy for all histough talk, and she's pretty cute.

So life takes a new turn. Isn't it great?

Hospital Hide and Seek...

This year we bought season tickets to Silver Springs/Wild Waters...Who knew all we had to do to entertain our boys was go to the hospital? Hide and seek in the Labor and Delivery room at LRMC kept these two endlessly busy. You'd be surprised how many great hiding spots there are in a spacious L&D room!

(In the first picture notice the fingers at the top of the cabinet.)

Shrek Love and Mommy Tears...

Atticus found an old toothbrush and asked me, "Is this the toothbrush Daddy used when he had Shrek throat?"

When he was 2 he called overpasses "Ogre-passes"...Perhaps he has a secret obsession with the green guy.

He seems to mispronounce words less and less frequently. I don't dare correct him anymore because it's so cute.

Meanwhile I'm trying to take Fergie's advice("Big girls don't cry.") Mom was supposed to fly in today for a couple weeks, but she got terribly sick with a kidney infection. She won't be able to come out after all. I feel like such a little kid, "I want my MOMMY!" She is the best.

I don't know what it is about childbirth, but I have never felt closer to my own mother as when I have delivered my children. Like after years the relationship is finally horizontal instead of verticle. There's just an instant understanding or something.

I will miss her getting up with me nights that first week to watch shows or talk while I nurse the munchkin. But alas I'm 31 and any day now I'LL be the mommy again. So I have to grow up. :)