Sunday, June 24, 2012

A Week of Firsts

FIRST SMILE
 I think Omar smiled at me in the middle of the night Thursday.  It was a fleeting, sleepy smile, and we couldn't recreate it for the camera, but I really think he smiled.  I might have been a little sleep-deprived and delusional, but I will maintain it was a smile.  When he smiles for the camera, you'll be the first to know.  He is getting bigger and seems more alert and aware.

FIRST TV
Though we've always had a TV, we only ever watched DVDs and videos--we never had channels.  This week that all changed.  Now we have a satellite dish.  I fought this as long as I could.  I felt we'd be giving up our family time and our ability to create our own entertainment if we had something to watch on TV.  My biggest fear is Edgar's use of TV.  We watch TV in motels rooms when we travel and I hate watching TV with Edgar.  He constantly hops channels and loves to be the one with the control.  We are practicing what I think of as intentional viewing.  Every day I let one child pick a PBS show that everyone can watch the next day.  Then we record it (I love the DVR thing) and the next day we watch it.  We can also watch "Little House on the Prairie" every day.  So far it's been great.  I've also set up our DVR to record every BYU Devotional and General Conference address.  I watch them while I fold laundry and clean.  I love that.  Thus far Edgar has been working every day since we got our satellite, so we haven't had any conflict about his bad viewing habits yet.  I explained to him our practice of intentional viewing and that it's the exact opposite of channel hopping.  He told me he'll need to explore his options before he knows what he intends to watch.

FIRST TIME GOING TO CHURCH WITH ALL FIVE CHILDREN ALONE
Edgar had to work today.  I took all five kids to church alone for the first time.  It was the first time I had to buckle Marcos into the backseat.  That is a difficult task--one Edgar had handled so far.  Luckily, Omar slept through my Sunday School lesson.  A few of my students did too, but at least there was no snoring.  During Sacrament Meeting, Susy took Omar for me.  After church I got busy visiting with everyone and forgot about our newborn.  Then I saw my empty baby carrier.  About that same time, Liliana came to tell me that Roberto, Susy's husband, was in the gym, holding Omar.  I felt so irresponsible!  Susy and Roberto always go home right after Sacrament Meeting--unless they have foolishly offered to help a struggling mother like me.  We picked up two new cats for Lili on our way home and when we were about a mile or so from home we had a flat tire.  Omar and Ammon were asleep and it was so hot.  There was no way we could walk home.  There was also no way I wanted to try to  change the tire.  I tried calling Marianne's cell phone and also the cell phones of everyone in her family.  Lili suggested we pray.  Right after we did, Marianne called.  She wasn't far behind me and she picked us up, cats and all.  There were a lot of us to fit in her car, but they kindly made room for us.  Edgar will change the tire when he gets home.  

FIRST TIME RUBEN WORE A BOW TIE TO CHURCH
He had never done that before, and as you can see, he was pretty tickled about it.  He thought he looked like a waiter.  I ordered a water on the rocks and told him he looked very handsome.


Marcos would like to visit Grandma and Grandpa Dahl so he can eat an ice cream sandwich.  I told him they're still in Nauvoo.  I have told him we will leave two days after his birthday to visit them so now he wants to have a birthday party at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Nauvoo, complete with ice cream sandwiches.  Will you take care of that request for us, Grandma and Grandpa?  We'll send you the guest list.  It will be Marcos's first birthday party and we'd like it to be very special.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Ready for Church


You may remember these handsome shirts from Easter.  The Easter Bunny left them for the boys, but was unable to find one for the then-unborn baby.  Last week, my friend, Susy, gave us this cute outfit for Omarcito and it includes this shirt that fits in perfectly with the other boys' shirts.


Speaking of Omar, he turned one month old on Friday.  He weighs a little over 9 pounds now and is still a delight to us all.  He enjoyed wearing his new tie which is about as long as he is.  A fulltime mission is definitely in his future.  He really knows how to sport a tie.

I really wanted Edgar to be in a picture with the children.  He really didn't want to be.  It might have something to do with the crooked haircut he got yesterday.  More likely, it has to do with how he always hates posing for pictures.  Since today we honor him, I accepted his refusal and did not insist that he be photographed.  Happy Father's Day!


Sunday, June 10, 2012

The Five Lights of our Lives

Five little Cobian heads.  Ammon's head wasn't sure it wanted to be there, but he stayed long enough for the photo.  Poor boy.  With each new baby, the next-to-youngest has to grow up a little more.  The other day Ammon wanted to join his older siblings outside, but he wasn't dressed yet.  I was feeding Omar (something we do an awful lot) and Edgar was at work.  Ammon took matters into his own hands.  Part of a pair of his pants was sticking out of his pants drawer.  He grabbed it and started jerking.  The entire dresser fell down--on Ammon's legs.  Marcos came and tried to urgently tell me Ammon needed me.  Marcos is always rather urgent and I told him I'd be there "in a minute."  I felt bad that poor Ammon had been pinned.  I was able to move the top of the dresser up long enough for the little fellow to pull his legs out.  I got him dressed and he was fine.  He went out to play.

A little later I went in to check Ruben's progress with cleaning his room.  He's such a nut.  I asked him why he was wearing the hard hat.  In all seriousness he said, "I don't want anything to fall on me!"  Better safe than sorry, Ru.  Around here, we always clean sporting hard hats.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Summertime



Look at this boy--growing up way too fast. He had company come this week (two sets of Cobian aunts & uncles) so I dressed him in this cute little duck outfit.  It says "I'm a lucky ducky on it."  I wish it came in Edgar's size.  He would love to wear something like that--especially to match the baby.  I think yellow is a good color for Omar.


Also this week we went to Utah for my post partum visit.  It was a very long day--we left at 5:40 am and got home at 10:30 pm.  We took the kids to This Is the Place Park.  The train was not working (poor Ruben), but we liked the flowers.


The kids also got to pan for gold.


It has been so hot (I'm so grateful to not be pregnant in the heat!) and the kids love running through the sprinklers (often the younger two do this without bothering to change clothes which makes for a lot of laundry).


Happy Summer!