worth it.

“Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs… since the payment is pure love.”

Mildred B. Vermont

Pictures taken by Chelsea Ellingson http://chelseasattic.wordpress.com/ and http://www.chelseasattic.blogspot.com/

planes & chocolate milk

Phin and I had the joy of flying to SLC together. We went out to meet Nate and then drive down together to visit Great Grandma Donna.  In preparation we purchased a leash- disguised as a monkey backpack. I knew that Phin’s love for adventure may not be safe or helpful in a bustling airport. However, the airport was a sensory overload for him and he wanted to be held the whole time. This proved to be tricky when we were purchasing a veggie bagel sandwich, fruit, and chocolate milk in the terminal. The employees at Einstein Bagels were not sure how to handle this crazed bag lady who couldn’t get money out of her wallet without the use of her teeth.

The chocolate milk was my true ally on the plane and kept Phin occupied during take off and rough turbulance. Chocolate milk is my new liquid gold.

We made plenty of friends on the plane. Phin is a very friendly baby and was eager to share our fruit with everyone. He would take a big bite out of a strawberry and then try to pass it over to another passenger.  No one would accept his generosity.

Below are a few pictures of him enjoying the view:

Here is a picture that depicts his opinion of turbulence:

I am thrilled that I survived a flight with my wee one.  I have only one regret: not buying two bottles of chocolate milk.

5 Second Update:

Nate: Unemployed. Hopefully not for long. Looking for Grad Programs.

Alli: Pregnant Earth Goddess. Craving Hot Sauce. Packing up house. Chasing Phin.

Phin: Promoted to a booster chair. Likes the taste of sidewalk chalk. Growing some hair.

Snowball: Making mom less sick than Phin. Size of a turnip. Developing Hearing. Mom has no secrets.

Phin is one.

Phin has survived living outside of the womb for 384 days. Our lives have turned upside down since we brought him home from the hopsital. We were totally clueless then- and we still are. But, life has never been better. Thanks Phin for being in our family!

The pictures depict Phin with his birthday cake. He was not interested in the frosting…or the cake. He was after the fruit. We decorated his massive chocolate cake with blackberries, strawberries, papaya, and oranges. We were really excited for a little demolition show. He disappointed us by snacking on the fruit. I had one of his cousins remove the fruit so we could finally see the cake demolition. He responded by recovering the fallen fruit and placing it back on his cake. Wow.

Thanks to our fabulous world of influence. We have appreciated all of the smiles, advice, and sympathetic nods at church. Here’s to another year and another baby!

the best things in life.

Ten toes.

A little kiss.

Learning to say “papa.” “ma ma.” “girl.” “duck.” “go.”

Learning to walk.

Using a spoon.

Using a fork.

Enjoying a nap together.

Discovering rhubarb. limes. lemons. and other tart treats.

Cell phones in the toilet.

Toilet locks.

Swinging in the park.

Chasing geese at Glenmere Park.

Triumphantly ripping off shoes and socks before church.

Correctly identifying a nose.

Always stopping at the corner house to smell their roses.

Making music together with maracas. empty boxes. ocarinas. the piano.

Soft cheeks.

Reminders of heaven.

Helping me with laundry. dishes. sweeping. mopping.

Giving dad a BIG hug before he leaves for work.

Running to dad when he gets home from work.

Bath time.

Giggles.

More giggles.

I am a mother. All of my minutes are meaningful. All of my smiles are teaching joy. My meals are growing a little boy. My songs are nurturing a mind. My shopping trips are teaching patience. My hugs calm fears. My stories are developing language for life. My interactions with others are teaching kindness. I am a mother.

“When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this.”

- Neal A Maxwell, “The Women of God,” Ensign, May 1978, 10 -

Snowball’s debut.

We have a new member of the Howe family! Snowball is 13 weeks old, 3 inches, and 1 ounce. Snowball is expected to enter the world on December 2nd, 2009.

If you are curious why we give silly names to our fetuses it is simply because we don’t like referring to them as “IT.” Also, it is more fun when we are singing, talking, and praying about them them to use a name. (Phin was “Biscuit” for many months before he received his distinguished name of “Phineas William.” His cousin, Ryan, was very upset when we didn’t keep “Biscuit” as his name.) 

We decided that Snowball was the perfect name for our fetus because of several reasons…

First: Due Date is in the winter.

Second: I will look like I am smuggling a GIANT snowball.

Third: We imagined pregnancy like those old cartoons where the character goes skiing and ends up rolling down the hill accumulating snow as they go- eventually turning into a ridiculous giant snowball. That is how I feel during those last months of waddling and strategic pillow arrangements.

Life is fabulous! We are so excited that our family is growing.

Salmon Hood!?

Our house has a new Master!  Alli is too humble to brag about herself, so I’ll have to do it.  On May 8th, Alli got three little letters behind her name: M.P.H.  That stands for Master of Public Health (or My Patoot Hurts, which is what we were saying after the very long graduation ceremony). 

Very excited Alli with her new credentials!

We have been having plenty of fun with those three letters:  “Honey, M.P.H., can you please pass the orange juice?”  “Love, M.P.H., where are the car keys?”

Besides the traditional mortarboard and fashionable gown (graciously provided by Denver Tent and Awning), she got to wear a salmon-colored hood.  This was radically different from the pink hoods worn by graduates in the School of Music. 

Phin enjoyed the ceremony immensely.

Phin's ceremonial enjoyment method

Alli found her other salmon-hooded friends and their professors, who wore even more ridiculous hats.  Together, they shouted public health messages at passersby while I snapped group photos.  They stopped short of distributing condoms to new graduates on their way out of the hall.

Alli's professors and cohort

 It’s just another example of how after over three years of marriage, she continues to astound me.

recruiting help to get ready for Easter…

Happy Easter to our friends and family!

“…Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen…”

Matthew 28:5-6

We have recently begun to show Phin pictures of Jesus and tell short stories about His life. He will instantly squeal and grab the picture. Sometimes the grabbing leads to hugging. It is thrilling to see him so excited to see a familiar face.

Now that Easter is approaching I am plotting a Phin-Friendly Easter egg hunt. However, I need to help Phin understand Easter is not just an excuse to eat Peeps.

I am struggling to figure out some kid-friendly Christ-centered traditions we should have for Easter. Any ideas?  What are your family plans for Easter?

close your wallet and breathe.

Confession: I have been reading non-academic books lately.

These popped out at me in the parenting section at the library. I was intrigued by the titles and thought a little light reading would be good for my frazzled mind.

However, it was not light reading. The concepts addressed in these books are absolutely fascinating, interesting, and a little scary. I strongly suggest any parent or future parent read these books. They describe the current culture of parenting.

In attempts to help their children to be successful, parents

spend [baby sign classes & ergonomic $800 strollers]

or

smother [knee pads for learning to crawl & writing college application essays]

their children.

Parenting, Inc. by Pamela Paul, discusses how marketing firms, toy manufacturers, and entrepreneurs capitalize on a parent’s insecurities and fears to make a buck. It is very well researched and well written. It helped me realize that many claims on “educational” toys are never tested- merely based on anecdotal evidence. A video about reading, counting, or emotions cannot substitute for the real thing from mom and dad.  

This book really helped me understand that there is a deep divide between common sense (and even science!!) and the latest baby products.

A Nation of Wimps: The High Cost of Invasive Parenting by Hara Estroff Marano, is an equally well researched and written book. It discussed how ‘helicopter parents’ will do anything to help their children succeed in this competitive world. The cost of this invasive parenting is children who remain children- emotionally, socially, intellectually, and professionally.

The bottom line for both of these books is clear to me: Parents want to do the best for their children- but receive mixed messages on how to do it.

These books will help you realize that you are not taking crazy pills and help you sift through the messages you receive as parents.

health is wealth.

This picture depicts Phin during his recovery from a long bout of fever and runny-nose. He had temporarily lost his sparkle and zip. Many sleepless nights and the absence of his giggle for over a week led me to dispair.

 I am happy to report that he is now back to laughing, growling, and trying with all diligence to lift the toilet seat.

This was Phin’s first official illness. I had several stations set up around the house with Tylenol, kleenex, nasal aspirators, and juice. When kleenex was unavailable I would use my pants, shirt, or a nearby sock.

This was really interesting for me as a mother. Phin has been so healthy. No ear infections, no colic, no vomitting, no thrush, no croup, no RSV, no hospitalization…

 [Soapbox moment: I give full credit to Phin's health to my antibody-packed breastmilk. We are on track to make the American Academy of Pediatric's recommendation of one full year of breastfeeding! Hooray! I also want to be part of the paradigm shift for acceptance of breastfeeding older babies.]

I now have a small glimpse into the mind of a mother with a seriously sick child. As my mom aptly stated, “When your child suffers, you suffer.”

I will now have authentic sympathy for parents with ill children. “Do you need a substitute for your primary class? Of course I will!”