System Update

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

That's right, our little bug is TWO YEARS OLD. We celebrated her birthday by taking her to Temple Square to see the "oh, so beau'ful!" Christmas lights. It was a bit chilly, but Elizabeth had a grand time--she especially liked all the nativity scenes displayed around the plaza.

It's hard to believe that two years ago at this time Elizabeth was just a teeny bundle who did little more than sleep, eat, and poop (though she did PLENTY of those three things, for sure!) Now it seems every day we say goodbye to another part of that baby-ness as she barrels full steam ahead into kidhood. It's bittersweet, really. . .It's so fun to eavesdrop on the conversations she has with herself while she's playing, watch her determinedly try to get dressed "all by'self", and see her zeal for life grow with each passing day. But I find myself eager to rock her to sleep so I can look at that sweet face and think back to those early days we spent in the rocking chair together when she was just that sweet little armful of baby.

Most of the time, life with a toddler is equal parts hilarious and exasperating. Phew. . .I could write a few more volumes on the subject of parenting a toddler, but this'll get you started:

Let It Snow!

We got our first real snowstorm overnight! Elizabeth was so excited to see the snow that as soon as I mentioned going outside, she ran to get her hat and gloves from the closet and immediately put them on. . .but that was it. Once she realized Mom wasn't letting her go anywhere clad only in a diaper, she relented and let Mom (over)dress her a bit more appropriately:


Elizabeth had a blast stomping around the yard, carefully dusting snow off the bushes, and even trying her hand at throwing a few snowballs. Mom made a feeble attempt at a snowman but eventually gave up, claiming the powdery snow just wasn't the right kind for proper snowman-building. . .

By the time the obligatory video and photos were taken Elizabeth was starting to get cold and wet--not that it bothered *her* any, but mean old Mom insisted that she come inside to dry off and warm up for awhile. (Now it sounds like she's up from her nap, so we might just head outside once more!)

Bad Baby Names

I came across this site when I was pregnant with Elizabeth and shared it with a few of you. . .Today I was in need of a laugh and found it again, and figured I'd share the love all around:

Baby's Named a Bad, Bad Thing

(Disclaimer: The author of this blog accepts no responsibility for damage suffered by your monitor or keyboard should you choose to read the following while drinking or eating.)

Autumn

We spent Saturday afternoon at Uncle Dan's and Aunt Clare's house. The boys all went over to help Uncle Dan with the new house construction, while the girls had a little party for cousin Bronwen. We made some oh-so-stunning party crowns, decorated the bikes and wagons, and went for a "parade" down the street.


(I think Elizabeth is a little jealous that her cousins' neighbors are cows, goats, and chickens!)



On the way back we stopped at the pumpkin patch. Elizabeth thought the pumpkins made great chairs. . .


It's hard to believe that it's fall already! This has always been my favorite season, but this year it's been especially gratifying to me to share in Elizabeth's discoveries as the season changes. . .to see the smile on her face as she shuffles through the crunchy leaves, to watch her determined scramble across a muddy pumpkin patch, to teach her to throw those little winged maple tree seeds into the air and watch them spiral downwards (over and over and over!). I often tell Jared that becoming a mom has made me feel "old"--but for brief moments it also allows me to be young again, when I catch glimpses of the world through my little one's eyes.

New Baby

Congrats to Aunt Angie and Uncle Nick on the arrival of their little girl, Payton Kay! (This brings the grand total to 2 grandsons and 7 granddaughters for Grandma and Grandpa Olson. Phew!)



Congrats also to Aunt Kellie and Uncle Joseph on their new puppy, Panda. (This makes 2 granddaughters and 1 grandpuppy for Nonny and Poppa Epperson.)

Oops, I Did It Again. . .

September is National Child Safety Month (don’t you love all these “awareness” months/weeks/days? There is even an awareness week for. . .drumroll please. . .head lice. No, really.)

Anyway, unlike some of these "awareness topics", this one interests me greatly. It would take a few volumes to describe every particular thing you can do to try and keep your kid safe. And it changes on a near-daily basis as your little one learns to roll, crawl, walk, open cupboards, and operate heavy machinery. So I’ll narrow my focus to the NUMBER ONE safety issue. Nope, not rabid dogs. Or pennies. Or lead paint, iron pills, Drano, or the temperature on the water heater being too high. The number one cause of death for children 1-12 is car accidents. And sadly, many of those deaths occurred because child restraints were missing or improperly used. Of course, determining what “proper use” means isn’t always easy. . .The whole issue can start sounding like one of those logic problems on the SAT:

“A child can be in Seat A until he reaches 20 pounds OR 26 inches and must be in the rear-facing position at all times. In order to be forward facing the child must be 20 pounds AND 1 year, regardless of height. Seat B can be used in the rear-facing position from 5 pounds until 30 pounds OR approximately 35 inches. The straps may be at any slot setting but they must be below shoulder level. The seat may also be used in the forward-facing position, but only if the child is 1 year old AND 20 pounds and only until the child is 40 pounds OR 48 inches, but the straps may only be in the top slot setting AND must be above shoulder level. Seat C can be used as Seat B, but additionally as a booster without the internal harness if child is 40 pounds AND 4 years old and until the child is 100 pounds OR 4’8”.”

Phew! It’s no wonder that more than half of all carseats are installed or used incorrectly—some studies even suggest it’s as high as 80%. (Starting to wonder if you’re in that 80%? Keep reading. . .)

We’ve made puh-lenty of our own carseat mistakes as new parents, and we’ve learned quite a bit in the process. I was planning on writing out all the things I wish someone had told us at the beginning about car seat safety. . .but then I found the following site that sums it all up quite nicely. So instead I've devised a little test. Go ahead and read the info on the following link--your current and future children and grandchildren will thank you!--then come back and take the test.

Car Seat Safety Guide

Okay, finished reading? Great, here's the test. . .What's wrong with this picture?:

(For the benefit of those who don't read PEOPLE magazine, that's Britney Spears with her 8-month-old son Sean Preston.)

a) The harness straps should be snug across the shoulders and body, with the harness clip at chest level.
b) The baby should be in a rear-facing seat until at least 1 year and 20 pounds.
c) World-famous pop singers should not have babies with their skeezy thug-wannabe backup dancers.
d) All of the above.