It's good to have them back

For the past two and a half weeks Sarah and Grant have been sick. Not just sick, but SIIIIICK! We've only left the house for the absolutely necessary items from the grocery store and the trips to the doctor, which is less than five times in 17 days. It's so sad when they are sick. They just weren't themselves, moping and groaning around all day. They didn't really want to just sit at home, but weren't up to doing anything else. I don't think I realized how awful it was until they became better. It's like a light just came back on and the life came back into them. Grant started tackling Sarah, Sarah wanted to dance, and I knew they were back. I'm just so glad they are feeling more like themselves. I always love them, but I surely enjoy them more now that they are fun and healthy. It's good to have them back!

Memory Lane

I've been going through old pictures today and I found a stack about 8 inches thick of all my BYU days. I had a great time. Yes, I was gaining a college education, but let's be honest....my real focus was on having fun. If I could go back to a former time in my life it would be "post-mission BYU". (Not that I don't love my life now, it's just that all my thoughts were focused on fun instead of responsibility mixed in with fun.) I had great friends (couldn't have asked for better roommates), was dating a lot, a great job at the MTC, classes that I mostly slept through, and a locker at the HBLL. Life was good.

Grant is 16 Months

Grant is now 16 months, which deserves an update.

• He's in the 85 percentile for height, 15th percentile for weight.
  
• Grant discovered his bellybutton today and when his index finger finds it he giggles for minutes on end.
  
• In the past 10 days he's cut four molars.
  
• He loves to walk outside and step in the snow, even when it's below zero.
  
• Grant only knows how to play rough....he recently learned to tackle. he tackles every small child he sees. It's fun when we're home with soft furniture, but poses a small problem at church or the supermarket (thus all the bruises on his head).
  
• He loves to dance and play with any musical instrument (piano, ukulele, guitar hero, drum).
  
• He loves to climb, which scares me to death. I've found him many times on top of the kitchen table screaming for me to rescue him. He's not scared, just mostly mad. So he yells and grunts until I come to get him down. Then as soon as he gets a chance, he's back up on the table again.
  
• Speaking of grunting and yelling....Grant used to be terrified of the vacuum. He'd cry and run away. But the last few weeks he carefully approaches it, squats down, and yells/grunts at it.
• Grant loves Sarah. He loves watching her, playing with her, copying her, tackling her, eating her food.
  
• He will pick up one of Sarah's dolls and cuddle it tightly in his arms, then he'll bounce up and down and flash his famous smile.
  
• Grant doesn't really speak yet. As i mentioned before, there is a lot of grunting and yelling, but not much of understandable words. He does make a few animal sounds, but not the typical ones. He likes the elephant, squirrel, and the bee. He does say "dada" and "pupup". The doctor says we should worry if he doesn't have five words by 18 months. We have two months to work on it!
  
• He loves flirting with any woman, whether at the store, the doctor's office, at church. Grant knows he's cute and he knows how to work it. He catches her attention, lowers his eyes, looks back up again, tilts his head to the right and makes his smile go deeper. It's a killer, even for me. Watch out girls!
  
• Grant loves his bath. If he even hears the bath water starting, he's up the stairs faster than you can say "bobs-your-uncle" (don't they say that in Mary Poppins?), then he grunts like crazy until I take off his clothes. Today he was lucky enough to need two baths, so it's been a good day.
  
• Any time Grant hears a beat he begins grooving in step. He's so pleased with himself and can't help but smile the world's biggest smile.
  
• He always sneezes in twos.
  
• Grant loves to cuddle, but only when it's his idea. I love these moments and am happy to take them when they come.
• Grant loves to have minimal clothes on. When he's having a rough time, I just start to take off the layers and he progressively becomes happier.
• Still loves to nurse...I know, I know; he's 16 months! He absolutely addicted though. I have him down to nursing just morning and night, but if it were up to him he'd nurse all day long. He is so peaceful and comfortable when he nurses that I hate to take it away from him.
  
• He is truly a rascal....he's in to everything, he is always in trouble, he eats everything he shouldn't and nothing he should, he creates chaos....but oh, I love that little rascal! He is such a joy. He's so curious and his giggle and grin make me so happy.
  

Sarah

While I was putting Sarah to bed tonight we had the following conversation:
Sarah: I'm a daughter, right?
Me: Yes.
Sarah: ...and Grant's a son.
Me: Yes.
Sarah: Daddy's the moon. And you're the stars.
Big smiles all around. She knew she was being cute and clever, which makes her even that much more cute. Love that girl!