"Did you get worried that you would meet somebody else that you liked more than your husband?"

Moving to a new place has given me many opportunities to meet new people.  In meeting new neighbors/coworkers we ask each other questions and exchange information about ourselves, which you would expect.

I have found that people are usually shocked to find out that I have kids and even more shocked to find out that I have been married for (almost) 5 years.  I guess that seems like a long time for somebody who is only 25 years old to be married. 

Commonly I am asked a question which is some variation of, "Were you nervous about getting married so young?"  My co-worker clarified that when people ask this they were really wanting to know, "Were you nervous that you might meet somebody later that you like more?"

Those are totally understandable questions.  My freshman year of college I met this great, young couple.  They were smart and fun.  They were 19 or 20 and had been married for about a year and I could not believe how surprisingly...happy and mature they were about it.  They didn't have kids or anything.  They just knew they wanted to be married.  I wondered if they were naive.  I think I even asked, "Before you got married did you worry that you would meet somebody else later that you like more?"  (Clearly, I have always had excellent manners.)

They were really nice about it and kind of laughed, the same way I laugh when people ask now.  The husband explained to me that they took marriage very seriously.  He was not worried that he would meet somebody he liked better because he knew that he would never put himself in a position emotionally or otherwise, to fall for somebody else.  He told me that every day he recommitted himself to his wife and to their marriage.  I thought that what he said was so incredible, but most of it went over my head.

When I'm asked that question now, I remember that couple and I understand what they were saying.

I cannot tell you how lucky I feel to have my husband and how grateful I am everyday to wake up married to him.  I honestly haven't looked back since getting married.  I understand people wondering because we were pretty young and still had a lot of opportunities ahead of us to meet a variety of people.  Honestly, Chris finds ways every day to reaffirm that I made the absolute right choice in marrying him.  When I see the gentleness in which he helps me raise our daughters, when I see him teach our daughters about the Savior, when he eats my bad cooking and smiles, when he comes home from working all day and asks how he can help me, when he jokes and teases and winks at me from across the dinner table, I know that I could not possibly ever find somebody more meant for me.  

I remember feeling this so intensely after I had Peyton.  I felt crappy and I was surprised that I still looked pregnant (I didn't get how that worked) and Peyton was having medical problems which made me feel like a faulty delivery system.  Before I even said any of this to Chris, he expressed to me how proud he was of me and how grateful he was for all of the hard work that I put in to giving birth to our daughter.  He looked at me in my swollen state and told me how much he loved me and how beautiful I was to him.  He told me all of the things that I had already done to be a great mother to Peyton.  No other person on the planet could have said all of the right things at that time. 

Chris is exactly what I need.  All of the time.  He is the filter to my ego and the boost to my self-esteem.  He is my motivator and he is the person who can calm me down.  He is my level head and he is the one who reminds me of what is important when I get too overwhelmed and forget.  He is an amazing example of patience.  I am definitely a better person with him than I would be without him.

So for any of you who were ever concerned about me getting married young and for any of you who have ever wondered: I am very happy with the man I married and I am grateful for the timing of our marriage.  I would not change one bit of it.  It is a wonderful life I lead :)

Conversations I Have Had About Our Baby's Name

Popeye: Mom, can we please name my sister Cinderella?

Me: You want to name her Cinderella?

Popeye: Yes.  Or Fairy Mother.  Both are good.

Me:  Well, I'll put those on the maybe list but I don't really see it happening.

Popeye: SSHHIIIIINE! (That's how she says "fine") I will name the baby in my belly Cinderella and I will call your baby Stepmother!

She sure told me.


Me: (Emotional and hormonal and slightly unreasonable) But Chris, isn't it the most beautiful name you've ever heard?

CHris: What?  No!  We can't name our baby Guinevere!

Me:  Why not?!  You wanted a normal, feminine name.  This is so normal that it is a classic!  And very feminine!

Chris:  Court, do you really not see why we can't name our baby that?  (sigh) Someday our kids are going to have to put their names on job applications.  This poor kid will never get a job anywhere...except maybe Midieval Times.

Me: Sssshhiiiiine!!

Okay guys, I know that I can't name a human Guinevere.  Although I think it is the most beautiful name in the whole world, I think I'd be too embarrassed to call her it in public.  People wouldn't take me seriously.  I would always be the lady who named her kid Guinevere.  This name only ever sounds like a great idea when I am incredibly hormonal.

Peyton and the Pregnancy

Peyton was too young to know what was going on when I was pregnant with Juju.  This pregnancy has been so fun and exciting (so far) because Peyton seems so invested in it.  She knows more about what is happening and asks questions and gets excited.  It is so fun.

Peyton: Mom, I thought you said I was going to get a baby.  Where is it?

Me:  Well, it still has to grow before we can hug her and snuggle her.

Peyton: Where is the baby now?

Me: In my belly.

Peyton: (Outraged/Concerned) What!?  Don't keep it there!  It will eat all your Cheerios!

*~*~*~*~*~*

Peyton likes to know the status of the baby's growth.  She likes to know how big it is and what the baby is doing.  Recently we said, "the baby can hear now!  If you talk the baby can hear what you say!"

She was amazed that the baby could hear things, even from in my belly. Well...

Juju was being pretty ornery and fussy.  Peyton has been trying so hard to be patient.  Usually she says things like, "Juj, I think you are having a hard time.  What can I do?" (I know.  It melts my heart, too.  And don't go shouting out predictions about how it won't last).  Well, a girl can only be kind and patient under those circumstances for so long.  After a particularly long tantrum from Juj, Peyton looked at her and spoke calmly with raised, warning eyebrows and said, "Juj, if you don't calm down and stop whining, our baby will hear you and never come out and it will be stuck in Mom's tummy forever."

I think educators call this connection "higher level thinking."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I was getting ready for an appointment with my chiropractor.

P: Are you going to the doctor?

Me: Yes.

P: Is he gonna push our baby out?

Me: No, Pops. The baby won't be here for a long time.  Not until after Halloween.

P: Oh...

I continued to get ready to go and Popeye went and did her own thing.  She approached me as I was heading out the door.  She was dressed in one of her princess dresses and she pulled a Tootsie Pop out of her mouth.

P: Mom, I am wearing a costume and I have candy.  It is Halloween time now.

I almost fell over.  I love that kid more than I could possibly describe.  She has been begging for another sibling for a really long time and she just can't wait for her new sister to get here!

Daddy Love, Cleanliness, Fibs, and Favorite Foods

P loves her dad.  Actually, that is an understatement.  She absolutely adores him.  He is her favorite.  I know this, because she told me :)  She also demonstrates it in various ways. For example:

When Chris leaves, Popeye opens the window and shouts after him, "Dad!  I love you!  Be safe!  Don't get eaten by a dragon and die because I don't want you to be dead! Don't be dangerous!  You're the best dad!  I love youuuuuuuu!"

When I leave Popeye shouts, "Mom!  Can I earn iPad time?"

 *~*~*~*

Recently, Chris taught our FHE lesson.  It was on cleanliness and order (it was supposed to be on family but when I came home to a disaster 3 days in a row we decided to change the lesson plan).  He and Popeye had this conversation:

P: Will the Spirit be really mad at us if we are not clean?

Husband: No, the Spirit won't get mad, but we usually can't feel the Spirit if we don't clean our messes and our house is disorderly.

P: The Spirit won't be here when we're messy?

Husband: He might visit but He won't stay.

P:  Can't you tell him to just come back in 5 minutes?

~*~*~*~*~

Juju: Popeye tooted!

Popeye: (Death glare) Lying makes you fat, Juj.

While I appreciate her effort to discourage fibbing, I think she was misguided.  I also think that she misunderstood the term "big, fat liar."

*~*~*~*~*

Me: Pops, do you want to help me make dinner?

P: Oooo what's for dinner?

Me: I'm making your favorite food!

P: WE'RE HAVING CAKE FOR DINNER!?!

Me: ...No.

P: Well, that's too bad.

Answers to Pregnancy-Related Questions I've Been Asked.

Here are answers to some of the questions I've been getting (even the rude questions)!

How are you feeling?  Great!  Thank you for asking!

Any heart/lung problems like last time?  No, thankfully.  We are about halfway through and I have not fainted once-a drastic improvement from the last pregnancy!  We are definitely counting our blessings.

Any weird cravings?  Not weird, but I may have cried twice because I wanted Cookies on Demand cookies :)

How much weight have you gained so far?  Hahaha!  You're sweet.  Probably more than the recommended amount.

When are you due?  November 11th.  It is funny because that is my dad's birthday.  My brother and his wife are expecting their first baby this summer on my mom's birthday!  Kind of cool!

Are you disappointed that it is another girl?  What?  No!  Who would be sad to welcome a perfectly healthy baby girl into their life?  Besides, we feel like we have a really good thing going with girls :)

Are you going to try for a boy?  What does that even mean?  How would one go about trying for that?

Have you picked a hospital?  We are actually planning a home birth and we are really excited about it!

Are you crazy?  Probably, but it is totally unrelated to wanting a home birth :)

Are you going to be just like your mom?  I realize this could be your way of commenting on the number of kids my mom has/the number of kids I'll have.  I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you meant it like, "Are you going to be like your mom and raise happy, kind, successful, productive children?"  To that, I say, "Absolutely!"

Have you picked a name?  We have some ideas but I don't think we will settle on one until we actually meet our baby.

Why did you wait until now to tell everyone?  It seemed unfair to steal Kim and Kanye's pregnancy thunder. Now that I don't have to worry about that.....

How many kids do you want?   I don't know.  It is a personal decision we make prayerfully.  Do I want more kids?  Yes, I would like more kids.  I don't know how many.

Are your girls excited?  They are SO excited.  Juj talks to my belly multiple times a day and Popeye asks me regularly when I'm "gonna push that baby out of that belly."  She said she'll share her room :)

Girlies

Here is a video of the girls showing how cute they are and how rough Popeye attending preschool is on Juju :)

Things to clarify: Popeye loves teaching Juj how to peel potatoes.  Juj tries to help, but she always selects the wrong tool...usually the can opener.

Also, if Juj is wearing mismatched pajamas with her underwear on the outside it is because that's how she likes to dress herself.  Always.

Recent Kid Stories

My kids are so different in the ways that they approach life.

Example: Juju is quick to engage in any kind of craft.  Once she starts, she puts together something very quickly.  Popeye is more reluctant to do anything crafty, but once engaged she takes her time and is very meticulous about every part of her creation.  She selects her colors carefully and makes very calculated decisions in color placement.

Today the girls were playing with markers and construction paper.  Each of them brought me their creations and were very proud of themselves and excited for me to see it.

Peyton's was very...busy.  And very, very colorful.  I said, "Tell me about your picture."  She explained to me that it was a map.  She showed me the shapes and lines that were mountains and she pointed out the bridges and crocodiles.  She showed me the route one would take to get from A to B.  Prior to her explanation, it looked like clumps of weird shapes and purposeful lines going every which-way.  After she explained her thought process, it was kind of impressive and I could see that it was exactly what she said it was.

Juju quickly climbed into my lap next and pressed her picture against my face and with a big smile said, "Ees o you!"  I said, "Wow!  It's for me!?"  I looked at the picture.  She used two colors that were scribbled together in the middle.  "Tell me about your picture!"  She looked confused and a little put out that I couldn't figure it out.  She said, "It's blue and red."

Yep, that's all I got out of her.  But it was a great picture that is now prominently displayed on the refrigerator.  I guess the girls are not all that different, though.  There are definitely similarities.  They both struggle with color identification.  Peyton consistently confuses every color that is not pink.  And the two colors that Juju used were purple and orange:)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

My girlies are the sweetest, most loving children.  Lately, Pops and I have a conversation that is some variation of the following:

Me: Peyton, my girl, you are so beautiful.

Peyton: Thanks, Mom.  You are more beautiful, too. (Sweetly smiling)

Me: But what's more important than being beautiful?

Peyton: Being nice!

Me: Yes!  What nice things did you do today?

Then she'll tell me about something nice she did.  Sometimes she can't think of anything and decides she should go help her sister make her bed :) Often Peyton begins the conversation and asks me what nice things I did.  (She stopped having this conversation with her dad because when she asked him what was more important than being pretty, he jokingly told her "being rich."  She was not impressed. :) )

Anyway, I have no heart anymore.  I have no heart because it melted right out.  Seriously.  Peyton's sweetness melted my heart clean out of me.

We had just finished eating a cookie in bed while doing our homework.  After a period of focused productivity, our conversation proceeded like this.

Peyton: (In the sweetest, more sincere, child-like voice you can imagine) Mom, you are so beautiful.

Me: Thank you, sweet girl.

Peyton: Do you know what is more important than being pretty?

Me: Being nice!

Peyton: Yes!  And you are so nice and strong and smart and brave and tough like this (Grunt while pounding her fist once into her open hand).

Then she looked back at me and said, "And that is why you are beautiful."

I know, guys.  She is the greatest thing ever.  Juju is learning from her sweet example, too, and is getting cuter and sweeter every day!  I almost can't handle it.