4 Months Old

Andrew William, you are just the cutest little thing. Whenever I catch your eye you give me the biggest, gummy grins. Your hands are constantly finding their way to your mouth so those smiles only last a short while before you start sucking on your fingers.

I cannot brag enough about how well you sleep at night. You go to bed around 8, dream feed at 11 and then sleep til 8 am. If you happen to wake in the middle of the night you put yourself back to sleep. I couldn't be prouder! But let's have a chat about your naps... what's going on!? You used to sleep 1.5 to 2 hours during nap time. Now days you're king of the 45 minute nap club. Instead of 3 naps you frequently need 4 to make up for the short naps.  Not cool, Little Guy. If I had to guess why you've become a short napper I'd point to a growth spurt or the fact that we stopped swaddling you. At least you fall asleep without any help. For now we need to keep working on extending those naps.

You really are my little guy. At 4 months old you weigh a whopping 12 lbs 11 oz and are just shy of 2 feet tall (1' 11.5" to be precise). That has you in the 4th percentile for weight and 2nd percentile for height! That almost has me hoping that your crap naps are because you're cluster feeding and preparing to grow.

You spend most of your time grabbing toys dangling from the play mat or chilling in my left arm. Your neck is strong enough that we even let Vince pick you up for a few brief moments. Whenever you cry, which is rare, your siblings come running to make you happy with a song or a pacifier.

I feel so happy when I see you. When I scoop you up I have to remind myself not to squeeze too hard. It stresses me out when you don't nap but I secretly love cuddling you to sleep. Your squawking cracks me up and your cooing melts my heart. You bring so much joy to our family.

Angels Among Us

When I straighten my hair I often recall a special, touching moment from my Sophomore year of college. It was the end of a long day of studying for my nursing classes and working at the library. I showered and was preparing to straighten my hair when I became so overwhelmed with stress, anxiety, and exhaustion that I began to cry. At the time, I was waiting for a missionary serving in the SLC mission. That particular weekend was General Conference and there was a chance that I would see him. I wanted to see him so desperately and the weight of life's demands plus the emotions that came with the potential of seeing him was too much.

While crying in a heap in front of the mirror, my dear friend Ashley came over. She didn't ask what she should do. Instead, she picked up my straightener and silently began doing my hair for me. Slowly, I was able to calm down and feel of her peace and goodness.

The next day came and I didn't see my missionary. I was sad and that's all I focused on at the time. As I look back on the experience the sadness has faded and the sacred nature of Ashley's actions are what remains. She was my angel that day. An action as simple as straightening my hair was exactly what I needed in that moment of emotional chaos. She didn't hesitate or shrug off her thought to help me. She came and filled up my cup.  

To her it might seem like nothing, but to me it was everything. Never think your act of service is too small, too silly, or insignificant. As you act on promptings to help those in need you are making a greater impact than you realize.

 Read the rest of the talk here.