when Miriam was almost named after a song

We love Sweet Caroline around this house. Josh sings it to Caroline. Jonah sings it to Caroline. Caroline sings it to Caroline. So when we found out baby #3 was a girl child, we spent quite a bit of time listening to songs with female names in the title or chorus.* While there is no name more fitting for this child than Miriam, we do still enjoy jamming out to some our favorites from the name-consideration process. Here are our top 3 for cleaning, dancing, and general silliness:

Come On, Eileen (we prefer the version by Save Ferris, what with being the ska punk fans that we are):



Ruby Soho (I made the comment that I don't love the verses of this song because I don't love the singer's voice. It almost started a fight. I guess Josh is a Rancid fan?):



Cecilia (This is still my favorite of the three. If the meaning of names was not a big deal to me, I would have pushed harder for this one. That and if we didn't already have a C name. We don't need any more accidental patterns around here. Though I also really love the name Catherine, so I think I could happily have used girls names that all started with C.):



Other top contenders were Josephine, Lucy, and Mary. Did I miss any others that should have made the list?


*There are quite a few. I'd embed the Family Guy skit elaborating on this fact, but I find Family Guy too crude to be recommended to all potential readership. If your curiosity is now piqued [and you already know you don't mind Family Guy] just google 'Family Guy girl songs' and enjoy.

Miriam lately

This has been the scenario the last three days:

It's almost dinner time. The older two are hungry and frustrated. The house is hot because we're on the time-of-use plan, so we're all crabby and sweaty and ready to eat. I'm trying to make dinner, but Miriam is upset. It's that time of day when babies and toddlers everywhere mysteriously cry. Finally, I get Miriam to fall asleep so I can finish cooking/eating/cleaning up dinner (depending on how much we got done before she fell asleep). Then somehow, I turn around and it's 3 or 4 hours later. Something about cleaning up and putting Jonah and Caroline to bed and finally sitting down and talking to Josh. At some point around 9:00, we look at each other and say, "How come Miriam is still asleep?" Then I go to sleep and she wakes up some time between 11 and 12 and then again every 2 hours all night long. Sigh.

So it seems the munchkin is trying to sleep longer stretches. Hurray! Now if only I could convince her to sleep during the night. I'm afraid to wake her up in the evenings, though, because what if that doesn't translate to more sleep at night? I'd rather her sleep at dinner time than not at all. Plus, both of our other children have had 6:00 bedtimes as young infants/toddlers, so it's not really that bad of a habit to get in to. In fact, I remember distinctly doing everything we could (baths, walks, games) to keep Jonah up from 5pm to 6pm so that he'd stay asleep. If he went to sleep at 5, he made a nap out of it. If he went to sleep at 6, he'd stay asleep all night. It seems a bit early to do this with Miriam, but maybe it's time to try that around here.

In cuter news, here she is all dolled up for church last Sunday: 

I think she has little hairs coming in and not too much has fallen out. It's too early to say if she's going to avoid the old man baldness babies often have, but the hair growing in is still dark. The best is right after a bath when it sticks straight up, as shown above. After about 12 hours, it starts to lay down, as shown below:

Finally, Jonah sang her a song yesterday to the tune of "Winnie the Pooh". It went something like this:

There's brother named Jonah is her friend

and Caroline and Mommy too!

There's Daddy and Dixie and Daisy*

but most of all Miriam Mays.

Miriam Mays! Miriam Mays!

The baby we love more than any other.

Miriam Mays! Miriam Mays!

She's the cutest baby in the world.

*We were dog sitting a dog named Daisy. 

marriage rules, according to Jonah

1. Marry someone who is nice to you.
2. It can't be someone who is already married.
3. It can't be your sister.

Later, he shared with us how he plans to impress his chosen: "I'll tell her, 'I have some of your kids' grandma's trophies! Wanna see?'"

Now who could say no to that?

Dear Dad,

Things are going well here. I just ordered our first round of homeschool books and I am both excited and nervous. I could be wrong, but I imagine you'd be interested in this whole adventure. You were always very involved in my education. I like to think you'd approve of what we're trying to do with the children this year. Maybe you'd think it was all a crackpot idea, but you'd still listen and provide something to think about even so. But since you're not here to defend yourself (ha! I almost chuckled when I wrote that. Almost.) I'm going to go with thinking you're pleased.

I am still feeling more happiness than sadness when I think about you and your passing. When it gets rough, I think back to the lines from some favorite hymns that so accurately convey my thoughts. I keep coming back to one line from the poem Mom selected for the program as well. "Why cry for a soul set free?" I think of you with your parents and sister, with my brother and maybe some future grandchildren (?) and how can I not be glad that you are there? That finally the day has come that we sing about, "Until at the glorified throne I kneel at His feet" or "When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, and take me home what joy shall fill my heart!" I still get weepy when I see family pictures and imagine the future family pictures without you there. I also get resentful when the children talk about their other grandpas. That someday, Caroline will stop asking where you are. That Miriam will not know you. That Caroline will start to forget. I want you to be the grandpa we are going to see. But then I imagine you fluttering your eyes at me (note to non-family readers: this was Dad's version of an eye roll) and saying, "and what difference does it make?" And I know what you would mean is something like, "isn't it best that they have grandfathers still? How would taking that away bring me back or honor my memory?" And like always, you'd be right.

Thanks for your reasoning voice in my head, Dad. I hope I always hear it.

breakfast adventures

Who says pancake dinosaurs and waffle houses are the only fun breakfast shapes?

Park City

Two days after Dad's funeral, we left for Park City. It was nice. It was cool. It was exhausting. Our children get along fabulously, including when stuck in a car next to each other for hours on end. The spitting game, though hilarious to them, got old quickly. Miriam did pretty well in the car, but there was more crying than we get at home. When we were recovering at Quintin's house in Vegas, I had Miriam laid on the floor. Jonah came up and covered her ears gently. "I don't like her as much when she cries. I don't want her to hear me say that." Then he uncovered her ears and I said, "I know. It's hard for me to listen to her cry, too. It gets frustrating." He quickly covered her ears again and said, "MOM! She heard you say that!!" After uncovering her ears, he added, "It's okay, Miriam, Mommy didn't mean that." He really takes his role as big brother seriously.


Jonah and Josh at the top of the ski lift:

Enjoying their post-slide snow cones:

Jonah, excited to ride the coaster:

Of course, we had to see Kaitlyn. No amount of time is ever enough. I sure miss her being my neighbor:

Dear Dad

Dear Dad,

I haven't been ready to post anything on the blog until now. I was too busy at first, getting things ready for your services and trying to take care of Mom. After that, it seemed nice to just let the last post stay up for a while. But now, I want to look at some of these pictures again. I saw some old pictures of you at the funeral, including some with you sporting some awesome mutton chops! But it's these pictures that remind me of the daddy I knew and love.

One of my all-time favorite pictures of our awesome family.
I hope someone will play softball with me for your birthday next year.

You and Mom were so awesome to go rafting with Quintin.

I was so proud of you and Mom--the cutest missionaries that ever were.

Of course I had to throw in this classic one for good measure. Here you are with Mom when you got married. It's hard to believe you were 39! Look at that baby face!

I love you, Dad. I will miss you. I can't wait to be together again.

Love,
little k