Pantry Raider

This is what I found in the kitchen today.

Diego has been learning that he is a creature of action, able to independently make things happen. Sometimes it's really cute. Like today. I just couldn't be mad. I mean,  just look at him- he's trying so hard to get the last snack out of that darn container. His body posture is so indicative of this struggle- his back arched just so, head tilted far back, and chubby tummy sticking out. So cute.

He is saying the cutest words. "Deek doo" is how he says 'Thank you". "Dah-yo" is "Daniel".

When I hear his beensy voice say actual words, my heart feels tugged. It's so fun to watch him learn and grow.

At prayer time he gives the simplest little prayers with his chubby arms folded snugly across his chest. He says "Hevly Fada (Heavenly Father), Deek dee foh food (Thank thee for food.) Pea bessit (Please bless it.) Name Cheesah Kise (Name of Jesus Christ), Amen." When he reaches the end of the prayer, he says "Amen" triumphantly with a flair of his arms, then he giggles, "Diddit!" (I did it!)

He loves to read. For five minutes or so. That's okay, I don't mind reading the same first 10 pages of  "The Cat in the Hat" every day until he slides out my lap to play. Some day he'll hear how it ends.

He's very active, but very happy and enthusiastic in a contagious way. He's always so excited to go somewhere, it doesn't matter where. He marches away with a sense of purpose, swinging his arms and looking for something new.

Today we went to the library for an educational show about science. The audience was riveted on the performer, except for Diego. With great joy he discovered the rocks under his shoes (we were in an outdoor pavilion) were the perfect size for little fists to throw. He'd squeal "whee!" and throw the rocks high in the air and watch them fall from the sky.

When that became boring (after a good long 15  minutes or so) he set off to explore the fields adjacent to the pavilion. We found all sorts of wildflowers and bugs and  -Gasp! Would you believe it?!-  more rocks. Diego was so surprised and delighted to find more rocks this far away from his stash in the pavilion. It was pretty funny to watch his reaction.

Sometimes I get tired of following him around, keeping him safe from his own ignorance. But I hope to always remember his thirst for adventure. I hope he never loses this excitement in discovering new things.

Just Another Manic Monday

Let's begin at midnight this morning, since that's when I crawled into bed-

12:00am- Diego's cries stop and he finally falls asleep after literally hours of rocking, singing, and massage. He's allergic to cow's milk and evidently I unknowingly consumed dairy products at the church potluck earlier. Poor baby!

1:00am- My dear sweetheart arrives home from a 5-day business trip- YAY! I've missed him so much! I sleepily welcome him home.

1:30am- Diego wakes for a meal.

1:35am- Diego's diaper leaks on a colossal scale. Now I'm in a puddle.

1:36am- A quick diaper change occurs and we're both back in bed.

1:45 am- My sweetheart's snores are getting louder and louder....I can't sleep. I try to jostle him awake; no good. I contemplate sleeping on the couch.

2:30 am- Somewhere around this time I welcome uncounsciousness- finally!

3:06 am- The chickens start squawking frantically. Drat. Something is trying to eat them. They aren't safely sleeping in their coop because they insisted on roosting on the chicken coop roof out of my reach earlier in the evening.

3: 07am- Bella comes to my room, whining to be let out so she can chase the chicken predator. I drag myself out of bed,  turn on the outdoor flood lights and we go outside together.

3:08 am- Bella chases a black shape through the dark pasture. I am satisfied that the creature is gone, so I catch the wandering chickens (all sixteen of them...yeah, that was fun) and lock them safely away for the night. The roosters think it's morning and begin crowing at me. Have you ever had a rooster crow right in your face inside an echoing metal chicken coop? That sure erased any lingering webs of sleepiness in my groggy mind.

3:10am- The chickens are safely secured, but Bella won't come back. I call louder and louder. 

3:10 and 30 seconds am- I sweep my flashlight beam across the pasture, looking for her. Her eyes glow in the night, giving me quite a fright. Now I'm too scared to stay outside with the dark emptiness looming around me.

3:11am- I call for Bella from the safety of my back door. No answer. Drat.

3:15 am- After several minutes of calling, I venture back outside to find her. She's trapped the animal in a tree and won't leave it.

3:17am- I manage to drag her back inside the house, turn off lights and fall into bed.

3:30am- Diego wakes for more food. Drat.

3:40am- I fall asleep- thank goodness!

4:00am- Evidently I didn't find all the wandering chickens- they start squawking again. A couple of hens can't get into the locked coop and join the rest of the flock. They are frantically pacing in front of the coop door and calling the flock on the top of their lungs. Sigh.

4:05am- I venture outside with the flashlight to let in the chickens. The predator gives me the scare of my life before running off to his tree again. Bella is now growling and chasing him.

4:07am- It's not worth the battle to drag Bella out of the pasture again. I leave her outside to protect the chickens (and wishfully I hope she'll catch and kill that darn predator- whatever it is). I return to bed.

4:15am- Bella is barking nonstop, trying to get the animal out of the tree. It's so LOUD. She's getting more frantic-sounding. Blast. I can't leave her barking all night, keeping the neighbors awake.

4:17am- I convince Bella to come inside, I lock up the house, then run to bed eagerly.

4:25am- Diego is cranky and fussing. Maybe he's uncomfortable? I soothe him back to sleep.

4:30am- I finally fall asleep...hopefully it will last longer this time.

5:00am- My alarm sounds off. Groan. I refuse to budge. Who cares if the kids are late for school today? Not me.

6:30am- Diego wakes me with cries of hunger. He is fed. I resign myself to my fate of fatigue. I rouse the family and we get ready for the day. Amazingly, the boys were not late for school.

Welcome to another beautiful day! As I drove into town, I admired the sunrise peeking through the trees. I said a silent prayer thanking the Lord for blessing me with another day to live. Isn't it wonderful just to be alive?

Diego or Joseph?

 
We found out the gender of our new baby months ago during an ultrasound. On the drive home that afternoon, Nathan and I told our children that they'd have a baby brother. I asked them if they had any suggestions for a good name.


Sarah piped up with glee, "Diego Sarsparilla Kingsley!"


We all laughed at the absurdity of this name and thought no more about it that day. Nathan and I couldn't decide on a name we liked. As the days passed, we didn't want to refer to our unborn child as an "It", so we called him "Diego" while we continued looking for the 'right' name.


Days turned into weeks and we all called him Diego. Matthew would ask if he could 'kiss' Diego goodnight, then he'd kiss my growing belly and tenderly say 'Sleep tight!'. Sarah would ask if she could feel Diego kick inside of me. Daniel would sing Diego Primary songs while resting his head on my torso.

The name Diego came very naturally to us now. Even extended family and friends began refering to him as Diego. We even received a package from family in Alaska for "Diego S. Kingsley".


After months of thinking, I finally found a 'real' first name that I loved: Joseph. One of my dearest heroes is Joseph Smith. I love reading his words and studying his life. I wanted my son named after this amazing man. So Joseph it was going to be.


Nathan and I seriously began to consider naming him Diego on the birth certificate, as a middle name. It was going to be either Diego or Aaron. I liked them both and couldn't decide. We delayed filling out the birth certificate until the very last minute, and I waffled back and forth every moment on what to write down. 


I had put so much thought and care into selecting meaningful names for my other children. For example, Sarah's name is Sarah Esther, which is Hebrew for "Princess of the Stars". I wanted her to always remember that she is literally a princess from heaven. I didn't want to explain to this child that his name was only a joke that stuck around.


His legal name is Joseph Aaron Kingsley, but we call him Diego for short.

Birth Story

Our new baby boy was born June 29th!

 

I had been so worried about his birth. Our new house is an hour's drive away from our hospital. I had nightmares of me delivering my baby in a pasture in the country. I had experienced early labor so my doctor recommended a week of bed-rest.


I tried to be obedient, really. My bed rest lasted a whole 3 hours. I couldn't handle staying in bed all day when there's so  much work to be done and boxes to unpack.


Since we are so far from our doctor, I decided to schedule an induction for the following week.

Our children spent the night in the home of a dear friend. This allowed Nathan and I to enjoy one last date night together before the big day.


I slept a total of 3 hours that night. The excitement, anticipation, and nervousness for what lay ahead prevented rest.


I was very nervous when the anesthesiologist walked into my room in the hospital. He didn't look professional at all. He looked like a scruffy college student. I prayed very hard that his hands would be steady and all would go well. The Lord was very good to me and we had no complications with the epidural.


The labor progressed nicely and the delivery itself was very positive. Joseph was delivered and promptly placed on my stomach. He didn't cry or whine at all...he just looked at everyone attentively. The nurses were worried since he was so quiet, so they rushed him away for his inspection. They thought he must have a lung problem. It turns out he is just very laid back. His Apgar score was a 9 and he was healthy. He seems to have a very mild temperament.


We were so excited to hold him in our arms and finally meet our son face-to-face. We've looked forward to his arrival for so long. It seemed surreal to finally have him here.  I kept him in my arms instead of putting him in the bassinet for almost the entire 3-day hospital stay. I couldn't bear to put him down or let the hospital staff ever take him away to the nursery. I feel so blessed and so happy!

Adoration

Blissfully content when I kiss his dark, velvety hair.
Love fills my soul as I gaze into his innocent eyes.
His fingers: impossibly small, yet grip my hand so tightly.
I love to kiss his soft, tender cheeks.

He laughs and grins in his sleep. I am delighted.
His sweet smell is intoxicating. I crave it.
The world can pass in its frenzied pace. I don't care for it.
I am perfectly happy to rock my baby for hours.

I adore him.