Thank you

It's probably no surprise that I am grateful for my husband.
He manages to keep me grounded when my instincts are to fly off in all different sorts of emotional directions.
Thanks to him, my feet somehow stay on the ground.
Thank you, Jason. I really love you.


Picture by Ernie Pratt 2008

Nakey time

Reagan has been so funny lately - she is constantly cracking us up. Almost every day we have "nakey time" (her, not I) where I let her roll around on the ground (on towels, of course) for a little while to get all her wiggles out and just be free. Without clothes on, her movement is not restricted, and she just scoots and shimmies around so contently. I think she is just meant to be naked. I feel like it is torture to her when we eventually have to put at least a diaper back on. She is scaring me a little though. She'll be on her tummy during nakey time and will scrunch her legs up, stick her little bum up in the air, and scoot forward a few inches, usually falling flat on her face, but moving nonetheless. I just don't want her to be an early crawler - not that it would happen anytime soon, but our house is just not baby-proofed enough for me to be comfortable leaving her alone even for a second if she's going to be able to start moving around like this. But alas, she loves her nakey time. (But really, who doesn't?)
We also tried giving her a little rice cereal today. She is already four months old, and I can't believe how big my tiny little newborn is getting...which is an exaggeration because she is not in the least bit "tiny." She is a rather large, healthy baby. Her chub hasn't even gotten more prominent, but she is as equally tall as she is fluffy. She is wearing 9-12 month clothes consistently now, and officially grew out of her last 6 month outfit that fit her last weekend. Unfortunately, because she has been growing so fast, the girl is constantly eating, and went from sleeping through the night (about 9 hours) to waking up every 3 or 4 once again. This is okay, because I can't blame her for getting hungry, but I am definitely getting a little tired. We decided it was time to add a little more substance to the diet. Not much, but just to see if it would make a difference in how often she needs to eat, especially at night. If Project Rice Cereal fails, that is okay - I plan on nursing her for at least a year anyways, and am totally okay with nursing her when she needs to eat. I'm not much of a "schedule mom." Maybe I'll get it figured out with our future children, but I am not much of a scheduled person myself (neither is Jason), and so I can't really expect that of her - at least not right now. She has been showing more and more interest in our food when we eat, sticking out her tongue and smacking her lips when we sit down for dinner, so we thought we'd give rice cereal a try. I expected her to only take a couple of bites, but she ate almost the whole bowl! She just kept opening up her mouth, demanding more. I guess I should have expected that - she loves to eat and really, who can blame her? Those sagging jowls need some nourishment!
She has her four month appt. on Thursday. We can't wait to find out how much she weighs and how tall she is. As for the height, I really don't have any guesses. But for weight, I'm guessing at least 16 or 17 pounds - we'll see. Of course, this appointment means more shots. Boo =( I am not excited about that, and if she knew, I'm sure she wouldn't be either. I am so totally for vaccinating but it just breaks my heart that it has to hurt her. Since she doesn't cry very often, I have a really, really hard time when she does, especially if it's because she is hurting. But I secretly really enjoy the time we have afterwards when all she wants to do is cuddle. I know she is not always going to want to do this, so I just want to take it all in.
I love being a mother. It is hard at times, and can seem rather monotonous - especially if we don't get out of the house enough, but since she has been born, not a second goes by that my heart doesn't feel completely full. I know that what I'm doing is important. The world is scary, and sometimes I even feel guilty for bringing her up in a world so full of confusion over what truly makes people happy. But, I feel like I have found the secret. What makes me happy is family, and the knowledge that, when all my earthly possessions are gone, she and Jason are mine forever.

Here are some grainy phone pictures from the week. I have better pictures on our camera, including some of "nakey time" and some from Project Rice Cereal, but for the life of me I cannot get them uploaded onto my computer right now, so these will have to do.

Tiana's Example

I have so much to learn from this sweet, sweet girl. Tiana is eleven years old, and we are eleven years apart, but she is one of my closest friends. Her maturity never ceases to amaze me. Kids' lives are getting harder than they were when I was eleven. When I was that age, my biggest concern was trying to convince my mom NOT to make me wear "flared" jeans or shop in the girls' section (unfortunately I was a pretty big tom boy which makes looking at pictures circa 1996 just plain awkward). As of late, she has had to deal with some pretty tough stuff that I won't go into, but let's just say that it is more than any 11 year old should have to go through. Her grace in dealing with trials is such an example to me. She is the most Christ-like person that I know. For as long as she's been able to talk, she's been a friend to the friendless, and a constant advocate for those that, for one reason or another, can't stand up for themselves. My love for her is more than I can express in words. When she hurts, I hurt. Seeing tears in her eyes brings tears to mine, and she usually ends up being the one to comfort me, when it was her that needed comforted in the first place. I never though it was possible to look up to someone so much younger than me, but she is such an example of strength and endurance. All growing up, I would always find notes from her on my pillow before I went to bed at night, expressing her love for me. She always has the most thoughtful and kind words for the members of our family. Tiana and Reagan are also eleven years apart, and I couldn't ask for a better example for my daughter. Thank you, Tiana, for being just plain amazing.

p.s. I am also living vicariously through her on the soccer field! I hope that my days of competition, blood, sweat, and tears are not long gone, but for now, I enjoy watching her play so aggressively. She is incredibly talented for her age, and is so much fun to watch.

She's a pro...

at impressions! I was looking through pictures the other day and couldn't help but notice that this...


looks suspiciously like this:

Boring, Oregon

This past weekend we travelled to Boring, Oregon...yes you heard correctly, to attend our friend Taylor's wedding to her husband Dillon. It was a great time. And I just wrote a huge paragraph about our adventures only to have Reagan's foot somehow kick the keyboard and delete it all, so I am not really up to writing all of it again. Maybe I'll write more later. But here are some pictures -















Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Bingham!
Oh, and sorry Amanda for always stealing your photos. I didn't bring my camera this weekend, but Amanda always takes such nice pictures...especially when they're of my baby, haha. But really, thanks for taking these! Remind me to schedule a real Reagan photo shoot sometime. =)

Scary Stuff

http://www.kutv.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=56862@kutv.dayport.com&navCatId=5

The news story above involved our good friend Ryan (Jason's old college roomate in Utah)and his fiance. They are about a month away from being married, and were involved in this very scary car accident. They are doing fine, but it really is a miracle that they walked away from this accident with only minor injuries (broken nose and ankle). Jason talked to Ryan this afternoon and asked them if they were going to delay their wedding because of the accident. "No way!" was his reply. Good for them.
When I hear of stuff like this happening, it makes me so incredibly grateful for the opportunity that we, as members of the church, have to be sealed for eternity in the temple. There are so many things out in this world that can pull relationships and marriages apart - even fluke things like car accidents. And with eternal marriage, however tragic these things can be, they are only small trials that we will have to face in the scheme of something so much bigger - eternity. I am so happy that Ryan and his fiance Sarah were able to make it out of this okay and that they still have the chance to be sealed together in the temple next month. It is a wonderfully bittersweet reminder of the brevity of this life and the sweet blessing that we have to be sealed together for eternity.
When Jason and I first started dating, it was winter time and we were involved in an accident (pretty minor compared to Ryan's) on the freeway on our way to Salt Lake to go see the Christmas lights at Temple Square. We hit some fresh snow and ended up doing a 360 across the freeway, stopping parallel with the median, facing the opposite direction with cars swerving to miss us in all directions. One car did T-Bone us, and luckily we just walked away a little "concussious" (yes, I just made up that word) and sore. I have a very vivid memory of this event because as it was happening, it all seemed to go in slow motion and I remember Jason reaching over and grabbing my hand as we spun across the freeway. As we stopped, the other car T-Boned us and I hit my head on the window. Jason immediately asked me if I was okay and, even though my head was throbbing, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude that we were all okay. When all this was done, we just sat there in silence, in awe that we had narrowly escaped what could have been a very serious accident. It really put things into perspective for me. It immediately made me want to improve in all aspects of my life, and really "got the ball rolling" in Jason and my relationship. I knew that I loved him and that I wanted to spend eternity with him and that we had better do it sooner than later because life is just too short to dilly dally around getting sealed for eternity to my best friend. I guess, in a way, (even though it was really scary) it was a blessing because it gave me a whole new outlook on life and the importance of making eternal decisions and not just what's convenient at the time.
I also remember Jason's friend saying something like, "Well, it's a good thing I paid my tithing this week!" So...the moral of the story is...pay your tithing? Well, kind of...but no. I am just really grateful for the knowledge I have that life doesn't end when we die and that it's just the beginning of a very wonderful future.

Families...

They're Forever!

Summer Jam '08

This past weekend Jason and I were able to attend Summer Jam '08 at the Pratt Home. My brother Eli and his band, cleverly dubbed "Fight the Shun," put on a little show for family and friends (mostly cute high school girls they wished to impress) in my family's backyard. The band was set up in the gazebo, and we had a lot of fun hanging out on the grass listening to some original Fight the Shun tunes, as well as some old favorites from ACDC and Tom Petty. All in all, it was a success. I have a newfound love for pubsecent teenage boy voices. So cute.
Here is a cute picture of my cute brother. He plays the bass. Is it just me, or do all the cute boys always play bass?

Here's a picture taken of Reagan at the event...since she's been born, we just can't get away from the paparazzi.

She thinks she's got it all figured out. She loves her paci (spelling?) but also loves her thumb. They are pretty equally loved right now, and until one of them outdoes the other, she'll have both thank you...at the same time.

*These pictures courtesy of Scott Peck, I believe. I stole them from Ty's facebook photos. He plays the drums for Fight the Shun. (They're of my family, it's allowed.)

Thanks for tuning in.

Nothing Super Exciting.

Life has been pretty ho-hum around these parts the last few days. Last week we were doing some major unpacking. This week, mostly everything is unpacked, but we are still trying to figure out where to put some stuff. I am going crazy with the walls so bare. I've been doing some serious "research" in Pottery Barn magazines so I can really decide on what I want to do before I just bust a move and do it and be disappointed in it later. I've been known for that. Interior decorating is NOT a talent that comes naturally to me. Luckily, my mom is pretty good at it, as are some of my friends that have offered to help me when the time comes. I am one of those people that doesn't like to have anyone over until I like the way my house looks...even if it takes months, haha. It drives me crazy, so hopefully I can get to it soon.
On the family front, we've been a little out of it the past couple of days. Jason is a little sickie right now, and Reagan has a tiny bit of a stuffy nose...poor girl. She's not real sick, just "snorty," which makes nursing a little difficult, but not enough to stop her! Man, she is a beast when it comes to eating. I thought that by three months or so, babies were going longer between feedings, but she continues to eat about every 1.5 or 2 hours at the most! It's alright because it doesn't bother me too much, but it's always a little bit of a hassle when I have to actually go out and run errands and whatnot, because inevitably she is going to have to eat, and sometimes it is awkward trying to find a quiet, private place to nurse. Even the mother's lounge at church is packed most Sundays. Luckily, our Hawaii trip got me very well-versed in nursing and diaper changing in public. My lap isn't really big enough to be as graceful as I would like with the lap-changing, but it works when it has to! I will say, however, that I swear she knows when she is being changed on my lap because within seconds I am usually covered in baby poo. It's amazing that you just stop caring after a while! Nothing that a few diaper wipes can't fix.
Reagan rolled over on her three month birthday. We had just woken up and were just chillin' in bed with her between us and next thing we knew she had rolled over on her tummy. She was so proud of herself - it was so cute. But she must have scared herself or something because she hasn't gone from back to stomach since then, just tummy to back... not sure why?! It's like she knew it was her three month birthday and she had to perform, and now she can just sit back and relax for a while. Funny girl. We are having one problem though - she is running out of clothes! We'll need to go shopping soon because even her 6 month stuff is getting too small for her..."We've created a monster!"
Jason and I are on a little "diet" of sorts... not really to lose too much weight, but if that happens I definitely won't complain. We just felt like we weren't eating as healthy as we should, so we stocked up on lots of fresh fruits and veggies and are limiting the carbs. Every morning when we get home from work, Jason makes me a delicious smoothie. Well one morning, he brought it to me, saying "Sorry if it tastes weird, I put yogurt in it and it tastes kind of funny." I just dismissed it, thinking to myself that I've had plenty of yogurt smoothies before, so it should taste just fine. Well, I took one sip and about gagged. It tasted...NOT like yogurt, but like SALSA, or something of the Mexican variety. I asked him why it tasted sort of "spicy," and he goes "Well, I did put some cinnamon in it." Apparently after reading some Men's Health article that talked about the wonderful nutritional benefits of cinnamon, he thought he'd give it a try. Well, as soon as he said that, something didn't seem right...we don't HAVE cinnamon. I've been meaning to pick some up at the store...and then it hit me. CUMIN. He had poured a very LIBERAL amount of cumin into our smoothie. Needless to say, mine went down the drain. Jason had already drank about a whole pitcher...poor guy. It was like we had eaten Mexican food the night before...you know when you can't get that taste out of your mouth? Well, we had it ALL DAY. Well that was a long paragraph for such an insignificant story...oops.
Speaking of LIBERAL (yeah, I used the word, go up a few sentences. Nice transition, right? Thanks.) we have been following the election media for about a year now. At first, I didn't enjoy it too much, but now I'm definitely addicted. I've gotta have my fix every night. At first I didn't really appreciate being married to someone who knew so much about politics, until my political science class last semester. Not only did I have someone to help me with my homework, but I actually grew to really understand politics for the first time in my life. It was like a light switch turned on in my head, and now I'm really into it. Not so much that I get too heated about it or anything, but I find all of the campaign tactics and everything really fascinating. I'm not the biggest fan of McCain, but I'm definitely saying "No-bama." He's crazy for thinking that he could do a good job as President...especially as Commander in Chief. My favorite thing that he says is that he has a "plan" to have America off foreign oil within ten years. Maybe someone should tell him that he can only be President for eight. Or maybe he's just planning on leaving a really detailed sticky note by the presidential phone. That should work. But that's as far as I'll go with that, at least in this post. I do think that McCain made a good choice picking Palin as his running mate. So far, I'm impressed that the only dirt they can dig up on this woman is a few obviously photoshopped pictures. I really appreciate the fact that she doesn't try to cater to the masses like every other candidate. She knows what she believes and she sticks to it. She's no Hilary and for that I am truly grateful. Maybe our country isn't going to hell in a handbasket after all...at least not right now.
If you've made it this far, thanks for coming, there will be a new novel coming soon. I apologize for the extensive post with no real substance. I just can't sleep and blogging seemed like the most logical idea...you know, because it's not like I have a house full of boxes to unpack or anything...shoot.

Reagan's impressions