The Big Number 4

  
Pierscen turned 4 months old this last Friday! It is crazy how fast time goes by. He is such a sweet little thing, and I am beyond lucky to have him - to really call him mine.

Pierscen is honestly such an amazing boy. He is so calm. He is very undemanding. He really only cries when he is tired or hungry. Other than that he is just happy to be alive. He is extremely alert and loves to look around, talk to people, and be talked to. He especially loves silly noises. Such a boy. :) His hair is amazing. Totally out of control. I know I may need to cut it if it gets too close to his eyes, but I could care less about the sweet old people in my ward that may have comments about needing to gel it or tame it. I only that have tuft of hair for one more month. I am going to enjoy it. 

I have about 10 billions pictures of him, almost all from my phone, so trying to pick ones for the blog is a challenge, but I am sure I will work in most of them over the course of time... just cause I can. 

It would probably make more sense to wait to post this until after his pediatrician apt on Wed so I can include stats, but posting it separately just gives me another excuse to include more pictures. :) 

 I believe Pierscen's only "fault" is that he is not a good sleeper. He started to get a little better at night, but that didn't last long. He is still averaging 2-3 hours at night. 2 is typical. Often it's less. 3 is a dream. I never thought I would see the day that I would be begging for just three hours of sleep... He also does not seem to feel the need to take naps for mom. He will take great naps for Grandma. He will take decent naps if I am running errands. But if it's just mom and I try to get him to take a nap - good luck. 20 minutes is about normal. Often less. 30 is a dream. He has no issues whatsoever falling asleep in my arms. But the moment I try to lay him down... game over. He has that crazy baby spider sense. He will be dead to the world, but the moment he is down, or anywhere near the bed - eyes are open and he looks at me as is I am the worlds biggest traitor. I do try to do the whole, put them down while they are groggy but not asleep so that they can learn to fall asleep on their own, but it's not working very well. I will let him cry for periods of time too. It does make him more tired, but he won't fall asleep. Everyone keeps telling me it's a phase, but I just don't know. This onesie he is wearing has turned out to be rather prophetic. 3am really is the party hour. 
 

  
I don't think that was fair of me to start out with a complaint. But it's the only one. Other than sleeping, the boy is a gem.

  

 He loves his bath time. It makes him so happy. Unfortunately he has some eczema, and bathing too often dries his skill out worse, so he only gets a bath a couple of times a week.

 

He is really enjoying blowing bubbles. I don't know so much that he is really trying to, but it is rather the result of cooing with lots of drool in his mouth. He gets very vocal when he is tired, but in a sweet, cute way. He sucks his bottom lip in like the picture above and talks quietly. 

He is teething. My sister informed me of this about two weeks ago. Ryan had mentioned the same even earlier, but I had remained in denial. I had really really hoped that he would be a late teether. Breastfeeding has not been my friend and the thought of teeth amplifying the problem was enough to make me cry. But it is what it is. They don't seem to bother him. He isn't fussy or whiny about it - yet. He just drools a lot of chews on everything.

His hand-eye coordination is getting better. He is enjoying grabbing toys and slowly bringing them in front of his face for better inspection or tasting.
 

He has rolled over a couple of times now, but mostly he just gets stuck on his side. He arches when he gets angry and this is staring to make for a very difficult time changing his diaper or putting him in his car seat when he is tired. He doesn't mind his car seat at all. But when he is tired, he doesn't like being loaded in. But thankfully he usually falls asleep shortly thereafter. 
 

 

He doesn't have a real preference for which fingers he munches on. Sometimes it's his thumb (slightly more often than the others), sometimes it's multiple fingers, and sometimes it's his whole fist. 

 

Tummy time is going a lot better. The Boppy has helped a ton, but he is getting better without it too. He is learning to use his little arms to push up and he can hold his head up and look around for long periods of time. I always get down on the floor with him and cheer him on or do things to keep him motivated. Dodger views this as prime time to get my attention too. He usually joins P on the Boppy with one of his toys and asks to play. You can see his little tire in the picture above. It has two ropes connected to it on each side for tug-of-war. It usually works pretty well to entertain them both.

He is an amazing little boy. I love the way he lights up when he sees me. He is so good-natured. And so happy! We spend lots of time talking, cooing, laughing, taking walks, watching Bones, and enjoying being together. It has been hard without Ryan, but it would be infinitely harder if he wasn't such a joy. I will be sure to post again soon on his stats and any other tidbits I can think of. 

Kisses!

More Than A Name

 Conference weekend was wonderful. And not just because we were able to listen to a living Prophet. We were able to bless Baby P! 

  Ryan's parents had been out of town for a couple of weeks, and with Ryan's impending move to Wyoming, we figured we better get it done! So on Sunday, April 1st, we met together at my parent's home to bless him.

 I fed him right before the blessing so that hopefully he wouldn't be angry. The plus side is that he was an absolute gem. The downside was that he decided to spit up all over me right before they started. Oh well. Better that than have him screaming.

 Don't you just love his little suit? It was size 0-3 months, which turned out to be kind of tricky. The pants were falling off because he has no bum. But the shirt and little vest we only just managed to squeeze over his belly. We are lucky he wasn't showing any skin for the pictures. :)

 The blessing was absolutely beautiful. I know Ryan was nervous about it, but he did such a wonderful job. It was amazing to feel the Spirit take over and instill a sense of peace and guidance. You could hear it in his voice as he began nervous, but became calm and confident as he proceeded. It was amazing.

 

 It was wonderful to be surrounded by such amazing family and so many incredible Priesthood holders. I am so grateful for the Priesthood Ryan holds and for his amazing example and leadership. I feel so incredibly lucky to have him as my husband and the father of our son.

 

 My family picked out this awesome cake from Costco. Little did they know, but Pierscen has a special fondness for caterpillars. There is a caterpillar on this crib bumper to the right of his head when he is doing mobile time. We often find him staring at it, cooing at it, and laughing at it. Pierscen tells us that the caterpillar has some awfully funny jokes. :)

 It's too bad he is too little to try some of this cake. It was divine. The blessing was an amazing experience and I am so glad we were able to pull it off just in time. Bishop Mansfield from our ward was able to be there for it, which was also really wonderful because he is moving and we knew he would be released soon. He is an amazing man. 

 We are so thankful to be members of this Church and we are excited that Pierscen will be part of the "children of record." He is such an amazing child with such an incredible spirit. I cannot wait to see the things the Lord has in store for him.

Chapter 1

With eyes closed and my back to the thin strips of light fighting their way through the slabs of cardboard in our windows (we truly are cave dwellers), I lay motionless, feeling the exhaustion of the up every two hour routine, when the bedroom door cracked open and Ryan came creeping into the room. (He is almost always up before me and is kind enough to take Pierscen out of the room with him to allow me some much needed rest).

"Can I go to the rec center?" I asked him as he made his way to the bedside. Exhausted as I was, going to the rec center has been very limited since having Pierscen and I treasure any chance I get to go exercise.

"Yeah sure, honey," he responded, climbing up on the bed through the darkness to kneel beside me. There was a moment of silence as I made no attempt to move. "Soooo.." he began, an edge of excitement in his drawn out opening, "It looks like we are moving to Wyoming."

I don't ever recall a surge of energy quite like the one that coursed through my body at that moment. I shot up in bed, my heart thudding rapidly. "What?!? WHAT?!?" I exclaimed as I clawed his shirt, pulling him forward into a rough embrace.

He giggled, his arms wrapping around me, pulling me close. "I got the job!!!"

"Okay, okay," I laughed, "now would be the time to be a girl and tell me everything! When did this happen? When did you find out?"

"About 5 minutes ago. I told myself I was going to let you sleep, but I couldn't wait. I was too excited."

"You would have been in so much trouble if you waited!" Needless to say, I did not go to the rec center that morning. Instead, we spent the morning talking, planning, and looking up information on Casper, Wyoming.

* * *

It all started two weeks before when Ryan was contacted by the Natrona-Casper Health Dept to interview for the Environmental Health Scientist job. Ryan originally responded to the email by thanking them for the opportunity as asking if it would be possible to interview over the phone. He would have preferred to interview in person, but his co-worker had just gone out on medical leave and he was covering almost all her shifts in addition to his own. We waited for a few days, but heard no response. So Ryan decided to call. Apparently they didn't get his email. The manager told Ryan that 8 people were being interviewed, and that of the 8, only 3 were currently certified (Ryan being one of them). Technically if hired, you have 2 years to become certified, but if you are already certified, obviously that gives you a big leg up. He told Ryan flat out that it was basically between him and 2 other guys. That gave Ryan all the motivation he needed to get work off and drive out for an interview in person. He wanted them to know he was serious and that he wanted it badly enough that he would make it work to get out there. Thankfully, Ryan's co-workers pulled together to cover his Thursday shift (March 8th) so he could make it.

He left around 6 am to ensure that we would make it on time for his 2 pm interview. He arrived with plenty of time to spare and called me as he was rolling into town to tell me what sorts of stores they had.

"They have a Wal-mart," he began.

I laughed, "Oh good. I'll live." I don't love Wal-mart, but I always told Ryan that if we were going to move somewhere small(er) I at least needed a grocery store and a gas station. Ryan would happily live in a town of 5 people (or less). So if there is a Wal-mart, I know I am going to be just fine.

He drove around for a while, dictating the stores he was seeing as well as the general feel. He eventually stopped for some food at good old Burger King before heading to his interview. I didn't hear from him until after 4 pm, and even that was just a missed call as I was teaching piano. When I arrived at my in-laws to pick up Pierscen, Ryan's mom was on the phone talking to him. Unfortunately moments later he hit a dead zone in the cell coverage and the call ended.

The interview lasted 2 hours! He has four separate interviews. He met with the Environmental Health Director, the other Environmental Health Scientists, the Health Dept director, and then back to the first guy. I don't think they do that for every candidate... Ryan called back about an hour later. He said even though the interview was 2 hours, he has never had a more relaxed interview before. He felt really good about it. He said it was down to him and one other guy. But the other guy had 10 years experience... As soon as I heard that I felt a little discouraged because for pretty much every job we have interviewed for it has come down to Ry and one other person, and the other person ends up having more experience or education and wins. However, this other guy would be moving from far away and his wife did NOT want to move. So I felt that was to our advantage because I have no issue moving. And even though 10 years experience is nice, sometimes having the newby is better because you can train them how you want them.

We spent the weekend trying not to get our hopes up, but any time we sat down to the computer, we found ourselves looking things up on Google or Bing, searching real estate, stores, gyms, the library, rec center, etc. We finally told ourselves that we needed to stop so we wouldn't get ourselves too worked up over it and be super disappointed if we didn't get it.

Amidst the anticipation though, we also understood that if Ryan got the job, it would require him moving out there on his own, and me and the boys following a few months later. I still have the insurance and with Pierscen's surgery not scheduled until June 4th, there was no way we could move out with him. The prospect of being without him for all that time did not seem appealing, but getting the job would be worth it. We did toy with the idea of moving out with him since he should have insurance starting about a month after he gets hired, but that would mean moving mid April, and then I would have to turn around and come back with Pierscen on my own at the end of April for two of my brothers' weddings, then drive back, then back again for the surgery, and then back. It's a seven hour drive if you don't stop. And making that trip with a 3-month-old that likes to eat every few hours by myself that many times? No thanks. The post-op appointments would be hard enough at 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and yearly. So no, the only real option would be to stay here until the surgery is over.

When I asked Ryan when he would know about the job, he was told, "Sometime next week." Ugh. However, the call came Monday morning - much earlier than we thought was likely.

We are stoked! It really feels like we are starting life. Even though we have already entered a different phase of life with Pierscen being born, it's not quite the same. We have been living in the same basement apt for almost 6 years. We have been working the same jobs for almost that whole time too. Not much has changed since we got hitched in July of 2006. Don't get me wrong - life has been really good to us, but it's still just been the same day in and day out for a long time. This opportunity is the beginning of Ryan's career. It's a chance to get out on our own.

I am both excited and nervous about the move. We have always been fairly independent when it comes to family even though both families are a 5-7 minute drive from our home. But the knowledge that they are that close and that we can stop by any time has been a real comfort. It has been wonderful. I have never been anywhere where we know no one - where I don't have any friends yet. Thank goodness for the Church. I know that will be a real sense of security for me. Hopefully, if we manage our finances, I won't have to work when we get out there and I can be mom. I am really excited about it. But it does mean that I won't have co-workers to interact with for friendships and adult time. Again - I am thankful for the Church! And boy... coming from Utah... what a different experience that will be! There are six wards in Casper, and I think a couple of branches. Only three church buildings. That alone is pretty different from here where there is another chapel every couple of blocks. The stake is 200 miles long in one direction. 200!!!

It wasn't until this last week that we finally found a place to live. Having Dodger has certainly complicated the matter as most places don't allow pets. His dad had a contact in Casper and we called to see if they might have any good options for us, but the cheapest they had was $1300 a month to rent a house and that's a little much for us. If we are going to pay that much, I would rather it be towards a house payment of our own! But we finally secured a little 1-bedroom, 1-bath apt. We could have had a 2-bedroom, but we opted for the 1-bedroom so we can save up a little. We only signed a 6 month contract so we can extend if we want, or find something new. We just needed to have something! I think it will be easier to find something different once we are out there if we want vs trying to do everything from 400 miles away.

The last little bit has been really crazy with trying to pack things up and decide what stays and what goes. Ryan is taking the Highlander and just whatever can fit in it. I did my best to go around and pack up half of what I think he will need - like dishes, cooking stuff, towels, etc. As he was packing up his clothes Thursday night, he said, "It's too bad we aren't yelling at each other and throwing stuff."

"Yes, it is 'too bad,'" I replied.

"Uh... I could have picked a better choice of words," he laughed. It was a strange scene though watching him clear out all his belongings - but there was certainly no name calling or anger there.

His birthday is Sunday and this will be the second birthday in three years that I haven't been with him on his birthday. (The first was when I drove my sister-in-law's sister across the country to her new job.) I bought him a bunch of snacks to keep him awake on the drive, some gift cards to buy groceries and whatever else he needs, and some random things like a shower curtain and can opener.

His last day of work was last night. He got home around 11 pm, and was up around 5 am. He gave me a hug and kiss and kissed Pierscen goodbye just before 6 am. It hasn't hit yet, but I am sure it won't take long. He is hoping to get there around 1 pm and check in, sign the paper work, get settled a bit and go shopping. He starts work on Monday.

It is all so surreal. I still can't actually comprehend moving anywhere. It just doesn't seem possible. But I also couldn't imagine having a baby - and well - that little giggling boy is certainly a reality now. :) We were not planning on seeing each other at all over the next two months. In fact, we are just praying that he will be able to come out for the surgery. But Ryan's parents really want to go visit him and make sure that we get to see each other before then, so I know they are planning at least one, maybe two trips out there in the next two months. I am very grateful for that!

We are so excited for this next phase - chapter one - of our new life. No doubt it will be a little crazy getting there, but we are excited, and so thankful for the opportunity. We are going to miss our family more than we can say, but we know this is where we are supposed to be.