cosby's are cool

Summer is here, which means we finally have interesting activities to report on. Of course, having Anna around is always interesting. She's getting cuter by the day. She coos and smiles all the time-- while I'm feeding her, after I feed her, while we're playing, in the bath, on the changing table. It makes me SO HAPPY and I just kiss her all over. She's so alert and interested in everything now. She loves to be sitting up so she can look around; we love to laugh at her wobbling balance attempts while she builds up her trunk and neck muscles. True, there are plenty of fussy and frustrating moments, but her cuteness and cuddliness more than make up for any of that.


So, onto the fun. We made it to one free outdoor Houston Symphony concert this summer. We went to dinner at Pollo Campero. Sam said he ate there all the time on his mission in El Salvador and has really been wanting to go back and to share the experience with me. I thought the food was very yummy-- better than KFC-- and it was fun to eat my fried chicken with salsa in a corn tortilla that came as a side to my combo meal. We were the only non-Hispanics there and I think I got the full experience with the European football semi-finals playing and the radio blasting trumpet-tooting, Latin pop.

The evening was gorgeous-- not too hot, and a little breezy. A cute old couple was walking by us to put up their chairs and the old woman saw Anna and said, "Well she is just too cute to pass up," and proceeded to coo at her and comp- liment her hair and eyes. Later, when we were taking some pictures, she said, "Would you like my husband to take a picture? He's very good at taking pictures. He can take one now, and some later, at intermission too. His pictures are very good." So we had the old man take our picture.

The music was wonderful. The symphony played "The Fountains of Rome" by Respighi, which I had never heard before. It was simple and pretty and I enjoyed it more than I expected to. They played Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto next with the second prize winner of the Ima Hogg Young Artist Competition as the soloist. It's one of our favorite pieces and was a surprise since the contest had been held that week and we didn't know who would be performing. Anna was a little fussy during those but slept most of the time. After intermission they played Respighi's "The Pines of Rome." We stayed long enough to hear my favorite part, but Anna and I were both tired, so we left a little early and heard the finale in the parking lot as we drove away. Sam and I promised ourselves we weren't going to give up doing the things we enjoy just because Anna makes it a little harder, and it was nice to live up to that promise, even if it means doing a things a little simpler than we used to.

The next week, we had a new couple in our ward over to dinner. They just moved in from Provo and have two adorable 5-month-old identical twin daughters. The story of their pregnancy and birth was quite an exciting one, and reminded me how grateful I am that Anna and I were both so healthy through the whole thing. We had so much fun getting to know them and we love having more friends our age in the ward (though there are a lot already!).


The next day, we packed up the car and headed to Dallas for a Cosby family reunion! Anna did really well in the car and slept the whole way, though she had two rough nights following that. She had a baptism by fire into the fun and craziness of Cosby gatherings and though she would let me know when things were getting a little too loud and exciting for her, she did really well over all.

We had SUCH a good time with our family. Sam's parents hosted all of us and were so sweet to give up their room and huge walk-in closet so Anna would have a quiet place to sleep AND Sam and I wouldn't be kept up by her at night. Ruth created a child's heaven in the back yard with kiddie pools, sprinklers, sandboxes, and the trampoline. I loved to sit out there in the evenings on her swing and chat with my sister- and brother-in-laws. It was also the perfect setting for evening scripture study where we enjoyed one another's insights and testimonies.

In the beautiful back yard

We went to a waterpark and had great fun floating around the lazy river in a train and racing down the slides. We played lots of games and Guitar Hero (not my or Anna's favorite). We had a town parade and delicious barbeque on the 4th. We enjoyed the cousins' talents in our quick little talent show (definitely my favorite-- especially Isaac's roaring rendition of "Praise to the Man"). And mostly we just talked and ate and relaxed, which is exactly how vacations should be. We missed Jacob while we were there and will miss everyone else until we can find another time to be together again.

Cousin Isaac

Daddy daughter time

With Cousin Isabelle

Little Firecracker?

Four tired patriotic cousins (and Oma, the bear)

We caught Anna sucking her thumb for the first time during a nap

Anna and Aunt Amy

Things have been pretty quiet since we've been home. Anna had her two month check up. She's 23 in long and 13 lb 6 oz which puts her at the 90th percentile for weight. We love her little rolls. She got her vaccinations today and so far all has gone well and will hopefully continue that way.


I leave for Ohio in a week to visit my family and attend my friend Christine's wedding. Anna will get to meet her Grandpa Stay, her Great Grandparents, and one of her namesakes, Anna Jo, along with all my wonderful friends there. I can't wait, though I'm a little nervous about the flight, and making Anna transition to another strange environment. Still, I imagine it'll be a little bit easier flying with her when all she needs to be entertained is me, and not books, toys, snacks, juice boxes, kleenexes, restraining devices, etc. Ah, the joys to come...

baby face

I just uploaded a lot more pictures to Month 2 in my web albums which you can view by clicking on the link to the right. You'll want to check it out seeing as Anna is undeniably the cutest baby ever. You don't want to miss that.

domesticity

Don't tell Betty Friedan, but there's something really satisfying about knowing that Sam is going to come home to a clean house, a hot dinner, a pretty wife, a happy child, and freshly baked muffins.

she's back

That's right, folks. I am officially back. This morning I went for my first run in many months, and it felt great. Yes, it was slow, and it was short, but it was running nonetheless. It gave me such a thrill, and visions of leisurely 5-milers opened before me. Wish me luck (and an open treadmill at the gym) for the future.

Jesse Eldred Stay

Just as the sun
Which blesses us
During the day
With light and warmth--

And in the evening
Drops below the horizon
Leaving us
In the chill dark of night--

Is not extinguished!

But shines still
On distant shores
Blessing with its radiance
Other Souls
Beyond our view

So this dear one
Who warmed our hearts
And lighted our lives
Through the day--

Now gone
Beyond the limited horizon
Of our mortal view.

Leaving us
In dark sorrow
And chill loneliness--

Is not dead!

But sheds warmth and light
On dear souls gone before
--Jesse E. Stay

That poem was written by my grandfather, Jesse Eldred Stay, who died this morning at 7:13 AM. Many of his children were with him and said he died peacefully, for which we are grateful. Here are a couple of eloquent tributes to him from my cousin and sister, but I felt like I should add my own memories.

I found out when I checked my email this morning and sat quietly for a moment, waiting for a sense of shock or for tears, but none came. I just couldn't be sad about a life well-lived. Grandpa would have been 87 next month and I don't think I know anyone personally whose had a life as full as his. He was a WWII hero, flying over 40 missions as the pilot of a B-24 bomber. He lived all over the country and world in his career with the Air Force, earning a masters degree, working in the Pentagon, and retiring as a Colonel. He was a Bishop, Stake President, Mission President, member of the LA Temple Presidency, and Patriarch. My maiden name, Stay, was recognized everywhere I went and I was often asked if I was related to Jesse Stay. I was always proud and happy to answer that I was his granddaughter.

People may have met my grandfather because he held important positions, but they remembered him for his kindness, humor, and generosity. I heard countless stories from people I met about how as their bishop, or neighbor, or mission president, he had rendered some great service, or given wise counsel that was never forgotten. I've often spoken of what a Christ-like man my own father is and I have no doubt he learned how to selflessly love and serve from his own father.

Unfortunately, I didn't know my grandpa very well. We lived across the country from him during my childhood and rarely got to see him. When we did, it was often at family reunions and there wasn't much one-on-one time with grandpa when he has 50 grandchildren to give attention to. However, I did spend two Christmases at my grandparents' house in Huntington Beach, CA while I was in college and loved being with and learning from my grandparents then.

Always, on our first morning there, Grandpa would make his famous pancakes and freshly squeezed orange juice from his own orange tree. There was always more than we could ever eat and grandpa would tell stories of his childhood, or of my dad as a child. Then he'd send us off to the beach stocked with sand toys, boogie boards, towels, and hats.

After spending the whole day at the beach, we'd come home to a warm dinner. Grandpa never ever let anyone do the dishes. Often, he wouldn't even let me put my dish in the sink. He said it was because he liked things put in a certain way in the dishwasher, but really, he just liked to be the one who was doing the work. He always had to be serving.

In the evenings, we'd tell more stories, or watch movies. Grandma and Grandpa always had ice cream for us. I remember one evening, Grandpa asked Grandma if she would like a bowl. She said yes she would, but that she would get them both a bowl. Grandma scooted forward to push herself out of the couch, but Grandpa just grabbed her by the hips and pulled her back down. At 84 though, Grandpa wasn't quick enough to get off the couch before Grandma was the one pulling on his hand to pull him to the couch while propelling herself upwards. They just kept pulling and giggling and teasing like a couple of newly weds. Their only argument was over who got to serve the other.

And that's what I remember most about my Grandpa: laughing at his bad puns and silly jokes while he cooked for us, or cleaned up after us. I never really saw him excelling in any of his high status roles, but I know I saw him succeeding in his most important ones as husband and father. I love him and will miss him, but I will always be grateful for the legacy of love and service he left behind.

"my little buttercup...

...has the sweetest smile"


Anna's getting very good at smiling. The best is when she smiles because she realizes it's me. Her mouth opens wide, her cheeks spring up, and her eyes squint with glee. Whenever she does that, I get SO happy and praise and kiss and cuddle her. However, she still does lots of lesser smiles for other things that please her like a soft blanket, or passing gas, or peeing with no diaper on, or right before she spits up-- you know, the really pleasurable things in life.


Still, Anna's getting to be lots of fun. She continues to adore bath time and loves it when Mommy massages her soapy body or when Daddy makes a wave pool ("They have this at Schlitterbahn, Anna!") She likes to listen to music and dance around the room. If she's in her bouncy seat, she wiggles her arms and legs. I love to sing to her and she especially enjoys it when we do action songs (like "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes"-- her current favorite) and I move her arms and legs for her. When she's feeling a little more docile, she likes to go on walks and be lulled by the rhythm of the stroller. If we prop her up, she can sit up in the rocking chair and just looks around the room while we rock her. I think we're going to buy a swing soon.


Of course, play time is some of the best time with Anna. She's alert and cute and interactive. I personally think she's cutest while she's eating. That may be because she likes to snuggle into me and look at my face, and a profile shows off her big round eyes and tiny eyelashes.

I soak up all her cute and loving moments to get through the trying ones. For instance, yesterday at church, I expected Anna to fall asleep in the car ride over and continue to snooze through the first hour or so. Didn't happen. For the first hour, we rotated between eating and being held/rocked by Mommy. Then for the second hour, I tried to bring her into Sunday School, but she would start fussing the moment I opened the door to the classroom. If I wandered the hall, she was content to just look around, but the second I opened the door, her face would start to crinkle up and I could see a nice loud cry would erupt at any moment. So no Sunday School.

She has also started to cry in the evenings. The first time it happened, we just didn't know what to do. She cried and cried and sounded so desperate and afraid, but if you held her, she just got even more stimulated and wailed harder. It drove me to tears and finally she was tired and hungry enough to nurse herself to sleep. That week, I read three books with varying advice on soothing, napping, and bedtime. We've started swaddling Anna again and she's gone from 40 minutes to 10 minutes of crying time in her crib before she falls asleep. And last night she slept for two 4-hour stretches.

It's a huge roller coaster ride. One day I think I'm doing great and think, "Maybe we're figuring this out." And the next will be really hard. I'll read one book and think, "Yeah, that sounds good!" and the next will just confuse me. I just hope and pray that being a good parent means I keep trying and playing with and loving Anna rather than having all the answers. Hopefully her smiles indicate that that's true.

PS-- look on the right for a permanent link to my picasa web albums with the latest pictures of Anna

sixty years

Today is my Grandma and Grandpa Holt's sixtieth wedding anniversary. I asked my Grandpa Roly if he had any favorite memories from the last sixty years, and this was his response:

"Oh, well, I got lots of 'em. There were lots of special times and memories. I carried your grandmother down a mountain once-- not a real happy memory, but, well.... I guess it's all the little day to day things that made it special. You work hard at it and you just keep going at it and holding hands. And then after a time, you're not just holding hands, you're holding your heart's delight, and then even the little things like holding hands become special."

I'm sure he was holding Grandma's hand right then. He said goodbye while telling me what a beautiful smile Grandma had.

What an amazing legacy of love from a wonderful marriage of six decades.

pictures

for lots of pictures of Anna, visit http://picasaweb.google.com/hmcosby

life as we know it....

...has changed forever for the better.

We're very in love with little Anna. Here are a few things about her.

• Anna loves soft things. Whenever she's fussy, we just wrap her up in them or put her in a fleece outfit and she goes limp with pleasure. She especially loves them rubbed against her cheek and will often give us a smile for that.
  
  
  
• Anna likes to eat. She gets really excited when she knows food is coming and puts her arms above her head, like she's on a roller coaster. While eating she smacks her lips and makes little "mm...mmm" sounds. She often eats too fast at first and ends up breathing some of it in and coughs and coughs. And then literally dives in for more.
  
  
• Eating agrees with Anna. She's around a plump 9 pounds these days and all the cuter for being a little chubby.
  
  
• Anna loves bath time. Though she looks terrified the entire time, she's quiet and looking around and not complaining. So I take that as a sign that she likes it.
  
  
  
• Anna is an amazing pooper. Every few days or so she just poops volumes, all at one time, which have thankfully always landed on the changing table cover and not on our carpet or bed.
  
  
  
• When Anna is awake and alert she's a lot of fun to play with. We read stories, sing songs, play the piano, have tummy time, and take walks. Anna loves to be snuggled next to Mom in the Moby-style wrap during anytime of the day.

I'll try to post some pictures soon so you can enjoy her cuteness. We've been busy enjoying family time and taking advantage of my mom's talents and capabilities while she's been here so blogging has been put on the back burner.

Anna is a good sharer and would love to give up her room for visitors. So plan a trip. See you soon!

smitten

I'm having a blissful moment. It's quiet here with Sam and Mom at church. Anna just finished eating and is asleep on my chest. She is so soft and warm and cuddling her makes me so relaxed and eases any pain I had been feeling in my abdomen. It has been a crazy week and I love that it has brought me to this point: quiet, comfortable, contemplative, with a beautiful new daughter just in time for Mother's Day.


Several people have asked, so I thought I'd write about what happened between last Friday and today.

As you read two posts ago, I started having contractions on Friday evening. They continued through the night, and though they were more painful than any of the Braxton-Hicks contractions I'd had before, they seemed pretty irregular to me (I was so naive). So, I spent the night on the couch breathing and forcing my self to relax during contractions, and sleeping for the 15-25 minutes between each one. I thought about waking up Sam to rub my back, but I thought, "I'll feel so bad and silly if I keep him up all night for no reason," and just stuck it out for several hours. Eventually Sam woke up and got me some breakfast. I showered (thank goodness) and got ready for the day. We had planned on going to the Space Center, but I told Sam I didn't think I was up to it and instead made a grocery and movie list so we'd be prepared for the coming week of me just resting.

So, Sam went shopping and I talked on the phone with my mom and a friend. By noon I was really tired and came in to lay on the bed. Sam got home sometime after one and asked how I was doing. I was having some contractions close together by this point, but there would still be periods of up to 20 minutes without one. I told Sam I wanted him to rub my back and got up out of bed. Suddenly, a really hard contraction came that sent me kneeling to the floor. It was worse than all the others and ended with me calling to Sam that my water had broken.

Our bag wasn't packed for the hospital and Sam had only been home for five or ten minutes. I could tell he was nervous, but he got together everything we needed, called some people to come take care of things around the apartment, and attended to me when I'd call him. In the mean time, I crawled into the bathtub and started the warm water. It felt great. I am sold on the idea of a water birth. While there, I called my mom and told her the news. She bought a plane ticket and left for the airport an hour later.

Eventually things were ready and Sam got me into the car. I had a few contractions on the way to the hospital (a 12-minute drive) and was happy to be up and walking again once we pulled up. By this time, the contractions were really strong, but I could handle them as long as I could hold onto Sam as they happened.

We got into the delivery room and I changed into a hospital gown. The nurses started asking all sorts of questions that I was in no mood to answer and started hooking me up the the electronic fetal monitor. I don't remember things very clearly from this point on, but I know there was some talk of an ultrasound and someone told me I was dilated to 9 cm and should resist any urge to push.

Through what seemed like an eternity, but was, in reality just a few minutes, I got an IV in (on the fourth try...) and several other uncomfortable things. I asked what was going on and the nurses explained that the baby was breech and that she'd have to be delivered by c-section. They took Sam to suit him up for the OR and sign some papers while they took off the EFM and got me ready for the OR. Those were the worst moments when there was a flurry of activity going on around me, and I didn't have Sam or anyone else to get me through really strong, painful contractions. I felt so out of control and was probably in shock since my whole body was shaking and was freezing.

Finally, they got me to the OR and waited for a contraction to end to administer the anesthesia. I felt immediate relief flood my body and warmth came back. That feeling is the best argument in favor of an epidural that I've ever had. Soon, Sam was back with me, stroking my head and telling me how great I was doing. I felt calm and eager for the baby to come. The surgery took about half an hour and after a little tugging a pressure, I heard the doctors say, "There's one arm, and the other" and soon, a healthy cry filled the room. A nurse brought the baby to show her to us and of course, I started crying. I was so happy and relieved. I just kept thinking, "She's here!" They cleaned her and let Sam hold her a little before they went to weigh and measure her.

Sam left to be with Anna while I got cleaned up. They used some glue to hold the incision closed and complimented me on how fat-free my belly was. I thought it pretty funny that even with my belly cut open, I was still getting comments about my figure. We sure are an image-focused society, aren't we?

The next couple days were the hardest. It was hours before I was allowed to even see Anna, and when I did, she was in an isolette with oxygen pumping, a tube in her mouth to her stomach to release gas, an IV, heart monitors, a respiration monitor, a blood oxygen monitor, and blood pressure cuff. Her lungs were both underdeveloped (from being premature) and had liquid in them that hadn't been squeezed out in the normal fashion of being pushed through a birth canal. It was almost 24 hours after her birth that I was first allowed to hold her, but every time Sam or I did, all the levels that should have been going up went down and all the ones that should have been going down went up because of all the unfamiliar stimulation. So every couple of minutes, another alarm would go off on one thing or another and annoy both Anna and the nurses. I cried almost every time I saw her (fluctuating hormones and pain medication didn't help that). The nurses always made sure to tell me she was OK and that she just needed time and I shouldn't worry. I knew they were right, and I was honestly not worried at all, it was just so difficult to not be able to hold and comfort my baby, and to know that any effort to do so made things worse, not better.

By the third day, Anna was pretty stable, but wasn't making great improvements. One morning I went in to see her (I was doing great by this point, by the way, and was able to walk to the nursery from my room-- a great accomplishment for a c-section mommy, the nurses said) and the nurse on duty asked where I went to school. I was wearing a BYU t-shirt and told her I had gone to Brigham Young University in Utah. At that, she told me she was also a member of the LDS church and was friends with many people I knew. She was so comforting, and such a help. She even gave me her cell phone number in case I had any questions. She mentioned, in that first conversation that many NICU babies made a turn-around at about 72 hours, just hours away for our Anna.

Needless to say, she did just that. Within that same day, the nurses started feeding her my pumped breastmilk. Soon, the stomach tube came out, and soon after that, the oxygen was taken off. I went home from the hospital on Tuesday. A day or so later, they let me start breast feeding her directly, and I loved being so close to her. I went to the hospital for feedings at noon, 3, 6, and 9. In between, I would rest, and mom and I would get out about once a day. I got to drive one of those electric shopping carts at Walmart while we stocked up on diapers, wipes, diaper cream, nursing pads, baby wash, etc.

On Friday, the nurse told us that aside from the results of an EKG, and the "carseat challenge" (an hour in the car seat to make sure all her vitals were normal afterwards), Anna was ready to come home. We fed her at noon and came back for the 3 PM feeding. After feeding her and rocking her, the nurse explained that Anna was ready to go home right then! I called mom and had her come to the hospital to take pictures. We went through lots of paperwork and freed Anna of all her cords. We got lots of goodies to take home, as well. Finally, it was all done, and she was ours! We successfully got her into the car seat and introduced her to home.


It's so wonderful to have her home with us, and know she's healthy. She eats like a champ and we love watching her wiggle. She is a very light crier and heavy sleeper so far, and we hope those will continue to be her habit. We love her so very much and will continue to keep you updated on how cute she's getting with each day. Thanks everyone for all your prayers and offers of help. We've felt so supported through this whole process. We know the Lord protected both me and Anna and we are so grateful to Him for his watchful care. Being given one of His children to care for is the greatest gift we've ever been given.

anna sophia cosby

Born May 3, 2008 at 3:45 PM

6 lbs 5 oz and 18 inches

the real deal

Well folks, this is it. Labor has officially started, at least according to all the materials I got in my Prepared Childbirth class. Here's my status: dilated 3 cm, and 50% effaced (measured by my OB this morning), and I'm having mild contractions, at least 4 within one hour. With those statistics, I am definitely in the prodromal labor stage. But for all of you out there who are as ignorant about childbirth as I was until about a month ago, this stage lasts anywhere from 1-4 weeks. So don't get too excited just yet...though if you want to get a little bit excited, that's OK with me. I certainly am.

It's fun to know that my body's actually starting to do this. It may be "starting to do this" for another several weeks, but hey, so far so good, body!

With today's measurement, my doctor told us to make sure we had a bag packed and had the car seat in the car. So, we came home from the appointment and started to get things ready a bit. Then Sam and I went swimming which felt absolutely heavenly for my lower back and abdomen. This evening, we went to eat at Texas Roadhouse where we had a gift card. We got buffalo wings, ribeye steak, and ribs to share. It was really yummy, and by eating slowly and taking small bites, I was able to enjoy almost half of everything.

Here's the latest pregnancy pic. I'll be 36 weeks on Monday. Though I haven't gained much weight, the baby is still measuring within the normal range and my doctor says she thinks we're both healthy and fine. Today she told me, "You sure have done this pregnancy right!" She's a nice woman :)

Wish me luck in the weeks to come!

the greatest and best shoes in the world

A tribute. To Chacos.

I'm sure you remember how excited I was when I first bought my Chacos. I knew they were great, but I never expected what they would do for me. See, I got my Chacos in that blissful ante-pregnancy state of ignorance, just wanting a comfortable sandal.

But now, many months later, my feet have way more needs. They still need to be cool and supported-- the two original reasons for buying the Chacos-- but at a greater magnitude than I ever imagined. I've been hot since March 1st, and I tend to put my Chacos on like slippers for cooking or cleaning because they help me last longer while standing.

But what I didn't anticipate, was how my feet are slowly expanding. Any pregnant woman's do, but I just didn't think about it. I'm tying my laces a little looser these days. A few pairs of my shoes are getting snug, and at the end of a walk, I can't wait to get my Asics off.

And here is where the Chaco's shine. As my feet expand, SO DOES THE SHOE! That's right, I just adjust the straps (which are laced through the base of the sandal) and voila! a perfectly fitting pair of supportive shoes. It doesn't matter how wide my feet decide to go, these puppies will go right on with them.

So thank you to the Chaco company for solving a problem I didn't even know I was going to have.

off to the far east

Sam left this morning to spend two weeks in China (a week in Shanghai and a week in Suzho) at a conference for work. We got him all packed up last night, hopefully with enough books and multi-media to keep him occupied while he travels for the next 24 hours. I'm not too worried about him, though. He gets to fly business class, so he should be relatively comfortable on that 13 hour flight from Detroit to Tokyo.

Needless to say, I'm a little jealous, and sad to have him gone for two weeks. One of his co-workers asked if I was going with him, and when Sam said I wasn't, the man was shocked. Sam explained that I was 32 weeks pregnant and said, "I think she'd like to go to China, but I don't think she wants to travel to China right now." And that's exactly how I feel.

So, I'm trying to fill these next two weeks with good activities. Some plans are: do plenty of subbing, work on sewing the bedding for the crib, get some visiting teaching done, watch some girlie movies, read a lot, cook very little, and of course, try to get over this horrible cold that has plagued me for the last ten days.

Any other suggestions for making this time FLY by?

a little r and r

I think I've made a breakthrough. I'm sitting in my bed at 9:23 in the morning with my PJs still on perusing the internet on the lap top, and I feel no guilt whatsoever. I canceled the substituting job I had scheduled and planted a roll of toilet paper and bottle of Powerade on the bookshelf next to the bed. I've succumbed to my sick-with-a-cold, aching-from-viral-infection-and-pregnancy body and intend to take a nap after having done nothing this morning aside from eating breakfast and reading a magazine (and all that internet perusal). And no guilt. I love it.

march madness

March has been a crazy month, but we have loved it! On the 8th, Sam and I went to the Houston Rodeo, our first. I forgot my camera, but you can imagine all the rides, big hats, boots, and meat for sale. We loved watching all the events and were glad that they explained all the rules as they went along. Bull riding was certainly the most exciting, but we also appreciated the hulking steer wrestling, and the skillful calf-roping. We will definitely go again next year.

On the 11th, I flew to Utah for my brother's wedding. I spent a couple days hanging out with my mom and making the sign-in book for their reception (which I forgot to take pictures of-- maybe I can beg that of you Steve). I really enjoyed doing it and think my skills have improved. Sam flew in late Thursday night and we spent Friday with my family. We went to the Salt Lake Temple in the morning and had a wonderful, peaceful couple of hours there and then came home to a delicious lunch of chicken salad and good company. We spent the rest of the day preparing for the dinner with the Halls that night and getting some food ready for the first day of Steve and Rachel's honeymoon so they wouldn't have to worry about it.

At dinner we got to mix and mingle with Rachel's family. Steve introduced his best friend Nate to Rachel's younger sister, Deb, who lived in Steve's apartment complex, and it was at their wedding that Steve and Rachel met. Needless to say, it was great to see Nate again and reminisce on all our adventures while we were RA's and afterwards. We all chatted and ate for almost three hours, so I'd call it a success.

The next morning was the wedding. Sam and I leisurely got ready and headed back to the Salt Lake Temple. I was so glad that I'd be able to see the ceremony for at least one of my siblings, and it was a beautiful ceremony with wise words of counsel before hand. Steve and Rachel couldn't stop smiling and gazing adoringly at each other. I loved it :) Afterwards, I changed into my specially made pregnant-woman version of the bridesmaids dress (thank you to Mom who remade almost the entire dress in one night so it would fit just right), as pictured here:

We took lots of pictures at the temple until we were all too cold to be outside anymore and then we moved into the Joseph Smith Memorial Building where we took even MORE pictures. By this time, my young nephews' patience was wearing very thin, so Sam put our digital camera into the hands of one of them. By the time we got it back, it had over 150 more pictures on it with such classics as this:

Finally, it was time for the luncheon to start. I sat with several of my dad's siblings and they told some great stories about their childhood together. Eventually, we went back to grandpa's house to rest a while before heading to the reception, which was like any other wedding reception, so I'll spare the details. Here are a few pictures from the day instead.

The happy couple

The adoring (and very lucky) groom

The beautiful bride

Elizabeth (2 mos.) in the dress mom made her with extra fabric from the bridesmaids dresses

Martin, the camera-man

The Stay side

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Mommy practice

Daddy practice

One buff bride

On Tuesday I flew home again, and was so happy to be with Sam and have my own bed where I know just how to arrange all the pillows so my big pregnant body can rest. Sam had both Thursday and Friday off work, and after we ran all our errands on Thursday, we decided we should go somewhere on Friday. So we called up Sam's grandpa in Austin and told him we'd be there the next night. After Katrina got home from work on Friday, we hopped in the car and headed to the capitol along the wildflower lined highways of Texas.

We had a great dinner with Sam's grandpa Frank, who I'd never met. He is one suave and witty guy. Again, I forgot to take a picture with all of us, so I guess we'll just have to go back. After dinner, we took a very round about way to get to a campground where we could sleep for the night. (Don't worry-- I was sleeping on an air mattress. I would not survive a night on the ground at this stage.) I woke up at the very earliest stage of dawn to birds chirping and that feeling you always seem to get when camping, which is, of course, compounded by pregnancy, of really having to go to the bathroom. However, once I took care of that and could relax again, I got another hour or more of sleep before we all woke up to breakfast on our bagels.

Saturday was warm and sunny and we started the day with a walk along Town Lake in Barton Springs park, enjoying the boaters, turtles, and cool water on our feet. We ate our fill of burgers and fries at Hut's and then went to the Capitol Building. It was beautiful and I enjoyed learning a little more Texas history. We tried visiting the Governor's Mansion (closed for renovation) and the Texas History Museum (more money than we wanted to pay) and the UT business school (no parking) but eventually just headed home. I felt really tired and slept most of the way, and by the time we got home, I had a bad headache, and when I was getting in the shower, I noticed a rash all over my belly. I took a cool shower and described my symptoms to my mom over the phone. She diagnosed it as heat exhaustion, and after eating a sandwich and a delicious smoothie that Sam suggested we make, I felt much better and the rash went away later that evening as we watched "Dan in Real Life."

The dome

Governor material

Six flags

Easter Sunday was relaxing. Sam did great playing the piano for about 40 min straight during the cantata our choir performed for the service at church. It was a very uplifting meeting and I felt the love of my Savior as I sang about and pondered His atonement and resurrection. After church we went to a friend's house for Easter dinner with several other families from church and had a great time. I'll be going over later this week to look through her baby clothes from when her daughter was born in June three years ago. We're so grateful for kind families like the Longs!

For Family Home Evening yesterday, Sam and I dyed eggs (we also decided PAAS dye kit is way better than Dudley's) and to finish, here's the latest pregnancy profile, though I think I'm already bigger. It's exciting to be 30 weeks pregnant and on the last stretch! Baby Anna is a mover and I'm working hard to love all my kicks in the ribs. Sam is so helpful with lots of massages and picking things up off the floor. We'll keep you updated, though hopefully, in smaller chunks next time.

28 weeks

Sam's clever globe egg

10 points for baby

For the past two days, I've been babysitting a friend's children while she was at a family reunion and her husband was at work. They have three children: boy, 5, girl, 3, and boy, 2. They are very well-behaved and we had a great time. We made and painted salt dough, painted pictures, colored, played board games, played video games, went to a park, went miniature golfing (at a free course at the park), and made cookies. But when everything else failed to please-- either they were bored of an activity, or I was tired of running and screaming, a main staple to many of their made-up games-- we played hide-and-seek.

This is how we played: I would sit on the couch and rest, counting to 20 or 30 really slowly while they would all run and hide. Then, I'd pretend to look for them in ridiculous places like the microwave, an easter basket, or inside a book while they giggled until I "found" them. If I wasn't fast enough, the 2-year-old would come out and yell, "You found us!" with his arms up in the air. Then, one of them would count, while I would hide and the other kids would follow me to my hiding spot.

Inevitably, after a round or two, the oldest would start assigning points once everyone was found. He'd get a few points if he found you quickly, and others would get points if he thought their hiding place was clever enough (this is where the majority of my points came from). Once, yesterday, he said, "I get two points, Sister Cosby gets one point, and Sister Cosby's baby gets one point." "Awesome," I said, "my baby loves points."

We'd talked a lot about my baby that day. They'd painted her pictures and asked if she would wear pink, and wanted to know if they could see her when she was big enough to start growing outside my tummy. The next day, when we were driving the oldest to pre-school, he asked, "Sister Cosby, how do you know what your baby likes?" I didn't really understand him since he sitting at the back of the mini-van, so he repeated his question.

"You mean, how do I know if she's tired or hungry or something?" I replied.

"Well, yeah, that too," he said, and then, quieter, "but also that she likes points?"

"Well," I said, trying to keep from laughing, "everybody likes points, so don't you think she would too?"

He didn't say anything else for a while, and seemed to have forgotten about it. But then, in the afternoon, after he and his sister had argued about how to play "Jenkers" a made-up robot game, we started hide-and-seek again. And this time, nobody got more points than "Sister Cosby's baby."

taste of texas

Yesterday, Sam and I went to the Swinging Door, a barbecue restaurant that has been highly recommended to us on several occasions. It takes a while to get there since its out the much more rural town of Richmond, south of Katy, but it was well worth it.

The decor was kitchy and included a fair amount of dead animal heads and bones, and country music came from a big juke box in the hallway. We got seated and our waitress gave us our menus and starters: dill pickle slices and onions, with a jalapeño on the side.

On the handwritten and photocopied menu, we found we could get almost any combination imaginable of the meats and veggies they served there. I saw a list of meats-- brisket, chicken, pork ribs, sausage, and pecan sauce-marinated turkey-- and a note on the menu said they also served ranch style beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and green beans. Sam and I discussed which meats we wanted to try and we concluded we'd just have to ask the waitress what the vegetable choices were.

Our waitress soon came with our drinks and bread (wonder bread, butter, and a cup of bbq sauce to dip it in) and asked us what we'd like to order. I told her it was our first time there, and she suggested we split the 3-meat, 3-veggie platter. That sounded good to us and we asked what the vegetables were. She said, "ranch style beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and green beans." Who knew coleslaw was a vegetable?

Anyway, we opted for the brisket, chicken, and ribs and beans, slaw, and green beans. In the mean time, we made little sandwiches of bread, pickles, onions, peppers and bbq sauce. That may sound gross, but don't knock it till you've tried it.

Soon enough our food came, and it was DELICIOUS! It was smoky and tender and the sauce was great. The ribs were huge and meaty, and we continued our sandwich creations adding in the brisket. And the green beans were amazing. They must have been cooked in bacon grease and had some nice garlic and pepper to season them.

All in all, it was great food (and a great price-- our platter was only $15!) and lots of it. Even after dinner and sharing some leftovers with Katrina, there's still an entire thigh piece of chicken for Sam's lunch tomorrow. It was fun and busy and so quintessentially Texan that if you come visit, we'll definitely take you there. Besides, Sam really wants to try the sausage. So if you want great barbecue and a good time, come visit us and the Swinging Door!

Just be sure to bring a change of clothes because you'll smell like a smoke house when you leave...