Some Firsts

First, on my list of firsts, happened on Sunday. We went to church a little early and got some good seats, soft seats. That's not a first. We are used to going 15 minutes early to beat the crowd of 600. As they were making announcements, before the hymn even, the power went out for about 15 seconds and when it came back on again, the fire alarm was on and wouldn't turn off. Weird, though. It wasn't loud and annoying, just a bit distracting, as far a sacrament meeting goes. A voice in the back kept repeating something like, "Don't panic, there may be a fire in the building"--but I couldn't quite make out what it said since I was in the second row. That was the fire alarm? If there is a real fire, don't you want something so loud and annoying that you have to leave? Well, anyway. None of us left, at first. We watched as some men scampered about trying to get it turned off. We listened to two hymns. Poor new bishopric on their second week. Good thing there wasn't a real fire, eh? Finally, we were told to evacuate until the fire department checked things out and turned it off. We stood outside for an hour (luckily, the weather was nice). We watched the fire trucks. And, the alarm wouldn't turn off. Our last resort was to have sacrament meeting in the next building over. Don't worry, it was only three blocks away--Utah. Good thing too, because they literally rearranged over half our ward.

We both got our first callings since moving to Utah (mine was last month). Jared is the first assistant in the High Priest Group. Seems like such a great calling. So funny too that in a ward this big there are only 15 high priests. But it does seem to fit since most people, including the whole bishopric, are younger than us. Are we really that old? Anyway, my calling is the Relief Society Meeting Leader (aka--the former Enrichment Leader). There was already a committee of 10 people that I work with. They seem like a pretty fun group. Even with committees like mine there are still 200 people in the ward without a calling. Such a weird problem to have.

We went to our first stake conference since moving here. I walked into one of the four church buildings they were broadcasting to and couldn't find a seat at the very back. I almost cried. It made me miss Florida so much where our little stake fit comfortably in one building, where you knew or at least recognized a good part of the stake, not to mention the ward. I'm glad there are so many faithful people here, but I feel so lost and insignificant at these moments.

Sunday was also a first for Connor, and all our kids. He had a cold for a couple of weeks, but in the last few days it had gotten pretty bad. He would wake up with his eyes glued shut and then overflow with gunk all day. Sunday was the worst. He couldn't open his eyes for over an hour, even after all the cleaning, because they were so swollen and painful. It gave me a taste of what it would be like to have a blind child. Jared took him in and he had an ear infection (not pink eye--his actual eyes weren't pink). None of my kids have ever had an ear infection before so I don't often jump to this conclusion. After a couple of days of antibiotics and eye drops he is looking and acting soooo much better. I hate to be one of those air head moms that lets infections linger, but I also hate to take my kids in over every little sniffle. Such a fine line I guess.

This was how I found him sleeping one day (he slept a lot that week). With a ball, of course, and with his hands behind his head. You can kind of see how swollen his eyes are.
This is how Jared found him the next day. Same arms with the feet out of his crib.And speaking of sleeping kids, we found Marissa on the floor in the hall one night wrapped in her towel after her bath, fast asleep.
Last week Alex had some firsts. He started shooting baskets, in the neighborhood basketball hoop, and actually making it. Then he kept asking to ride his bike with no training wheels and, since Erin ruined me as bike riding teacher, I kept telling him to wait for daddy but that there was a bike right there if he wanted to teach himself. Well, that's exactly what he did. He taught himself and caught on so quickly. He does great now. It is awesome to see Erin and Alex riding around by themselves. The next thing he learned was how to tie his shoes. Since he is going to school next year, I figured it was a good skill to have. I showed him a couple of times and he pretty much has it. It gives me hope to have a child like him that just does things easily without complaining. Thank goodness for Alex in this family!

Funny thing about his bike though. The first day he started riding it, the cover over the chain fell off. I told him he could still use it. The next day he came over to me with the pedal... a little more tricky to ride, but it got put back on. Then his seat kept coming off, and one time it got stuck in the brake position. I'm thinking it might be time for a new bike for the boy.Marissa's bike might be getting a little small too... and old. That thing has been through a lot of kids (and we didn't even get it new) and has been run over with a car.
It's been the first time in a long time that the weather's been nice enough to go outside. I've felt like a shut-in for a while. When it's gets above 60 degrees, people start coming out of their caves. It's nice to get out and talk to people. I have felt so depressed lately. My best friend from Florida thinks it's situational and that I am not permanently like this. Being pregnant and not feeling great, combined with cold, dreary weather, moving across the country, having "friends" but not "great, close friends for 9 years" and then being home alone with three kids constantly. I don't feel like I can trade kids with anyone yet because how can I ask someone with one or two kids to watch my three or four? There's no break. I don't want to say that I am not excited to have another baby because any new child is wonderful and amazing. But... when my youngest gets to a certain age, like 18 months, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. They are more independent, I don't feel so trapped, I have a normal body again, I can start doing things again. So getting pregnant made whatever light that was there go completely dark. I will still have three kids at home that are not in school next year. I better stop writing about this... I know I have so much to be grateful for. So many people can't have kids or can't have more than one. I've been blessed with so many. I know I won't always be in this situation. Eventually I will stop having another baby and I will actually see light again.

Moving along... today was the first doctor's appointment that I really enjoyed. Since it's a group, I meet with someone different every time. The midwife today was incredible! I felt like she had the exact same philosophy about birth that I have and was supporting my decisions 100%. I haven't felt that since I was pregnant with Marissa. And Utah is so much better when it comes to delivering babies than Florida, as far as I can tell. Thank goodness.