May Contain Brief Nudity

Tar Baby

Have I mentioned that Liam is obsessed with guitars?  OBSESSED.  It all started when Papa played the "tar" for him long ago.  Liam was hooked, and since then, he spends 90% of his days talking about it.  "Papa?  Tar??"  It never gets old.  We often visit Papa for the sole reason of listening to the tar.  Signature Liam moves include enthusiastic deep knee bends and slow groovy swaying to slower melodies.  He's very serious about his music. 

You can imagine his delight when we had dinner at Uncle Bret's house and there was a tar his size!  Take a wild guess what he wants for his next birthday...We just may have a Jimi Hendrix in the making!  Of course, I'll teach him piano, just to keep him well-rounded.  

Sweetest picture ever?  

Well, Color Me Irish!

The Charles' celebrated St. Patty's day at our house for the second year in a row.  Looks like we have a little tradition starting...Of course, I made the traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage and I dare say I'm getting the hang of that dish!  It took seventeen takes to get these two of the little leprechauns. Seventeen.  

Baby Dominic has still not figured out the whole night vs. day thing.  Wake up, little guy!  Everyone took turns giggling him (while trying not to breathe on the three-day-old dude) with no real results.  I even broke out the big guns, bouncing him and singing the Star Wars cantina song.  He was immune!  

This is a kid who is used to posing for pictures.  Hmm...

 

Liam the Leprechaun loves hanging out with the cousins.  He's just starting to be able to play with the big kids, although I heard a few of them whine "Liam keeps following me around!"  You'll get the hang of playtime soon, little guy.  

I'll just eat my shoe if Kevin's family ever moves (or I might just go with them).  Good people.  

Papa O'John, pub style.  

Okay, I admit it.  I hogged the baby.  But can you blame me?  

Days of Plenty

I'm so proud of Molly.  The Benefit Concert was more than successful; it was, in every way, perfect.  I kept telling her afterwards, "You did this.  You."  And it literally was a one-woman production.  I mean sure, she had help with the details, but so much of her heart, sweat and tears went into this from the day it was conceived.  She was able to raise over six thousand dollars to go towards children's headstones.

  

I wasn't really sure what the feeling of the show was going to be...I knew there would be a long list of amazingly talented vocalists singing a couple of songs each, but I didn't know that it would be a veritable emotional rollercoaster of goodness (and plenty).  

The VOICES, people!  The whole thing started out with Lea Cabrera.  Alone.  With a mic.  ROCKING us to our core singing "Oh Darling" by The Beatles.  You may have seen her on American Idol (she was a Hollywood week finalist), but I can't imagine that whoever won that year was better than she was.  No way.  And picture Brian Clark, who actually played Javert in Les Mis on Broadway, singing "Stars." Unbelievable.  Cherie Call's folksy storytelling was delicious, and so were the other soloists.  Some of the more mature women in the audience (who will remain nameless) even got a little flushed when a Michael Buble cover artist shimmied his tushie to "Save the Last Dance for Me"...

I paid $10 for an entire seat, but I only needed the edge! 

And then there was Molly, who sang "Days of Plenty" while my slideshow played in the background.  It was beautiful.  She was beautiful.  I don't know how a grieving mother could pull that off, but she did.  I just loved the beautiful simplicity of the night.  Great talent.  Simple stage.  Good people.  Done and done.

I think the "Angel Families" felt proud that their little ones were remembered.  I will remember them.  The night was for them.  And there will be many more like it in coming years, as Days of Plenty will be an annual event.  So, see you next year!  And as I've said a thousand times, I just love those Jacksons.

Raining Babies

Three healthy babies.  Three proud mothers.  One hospital.  One day.  I had the honor of holding three precious newborns within hours of their births.  Yes, March 10th, 2011 was a very good day.  Beating all possible heavenly odds, my sister-in-law and two of my dear friends all gave birth to perfect babies at the Park City Medical Center yesterday.  While so many of the details were nearly identical, their labor and delivery stories could not have been more different, which proves the no-two-births-are-alike theory.  I made the rounds today visiting Rooms 1, 2 and 3 on the Women & Newborns floor.    The nurses were wondering suspiciously what went on one night last summer that would elicit the scenario in which I found myself...

Room 1: Dominic Kawika Wilton, 7 lbs 5 oz, 20 inches

I love my new nephew.  Doesn't he look like his daddy?  He was snoozing when I visited (which doesn't bode well for tonight's sleep), and I loved listening to him squeak while he slept in my arms.  Tracie's labor was three hours start-to-finish.  I know.  Apparently, things move a little quicker with your third kid.  She was a complete rockstar and never even asked for pain meds.  Dominic was born forty minutes after she arrived at the hospital, and was almost born in the tub.  She spent her ten minutes of transition soaking and then crab-walked two feet to the toilet and then birthing stool to deliver with the baby crowning.  Wonder Woman, I tell you.  Actually, I'm not even sure Wonder Woman endured childbirth.  Oh, and who looks this good after childbirth?  I'm not convinced that she actually birthed this child.  What a sweet Party of Five!  And not to mention plenty of testosterone...  

Room 2: Zina Jane Briggs ("Zuzu"), 5 lbs 9 oz, 19 inches

I'm so proud of my friend, Emma.  She is going to be a darling mama.  We can honestly talk about everything, and I feel so lucky that I was able to share her first day of motherhood with her.  I will never forget it.  Emma's water broke (sort of) on Wednesday and was told that she needed to be admitted to the hospital.  She labored gracefully, walking the halls and using the birthing ball to work through each contraction.  She was able to use tools she learned in her hypnobirthing classes for relaxation, although she would never need to move completely into a trance.  With the help of an early epidural, she was able to enjoy the experience as much as possible and brought a beautiful, perfect baby girl into the world at 7:36am Thursday morning.  She recalls being as shocked as I was when Liam was born that an actual baby came out.  It's a miracle, isn't it?  Such sweet moments these are.  

Room 3: Patton Eason (7ish lbs...I forgot to write down the stats!)  

Brantley had better treat Tristin like a queen after the birth experience she endured!  She was truly a warrior and I will never look at her again without an incredibly high sense of respect.  There is a kind of mother-code, an unspoken level of respect women have for each other when they know the other has gone to hell and back; that she conquered the impossible and came out smiling.  Tristin is my heroine.  She arrived at the hospital dilated 4 cm and was progressing rapidly.  Emma got her epidural while Tristin got hooked up to the I.V.  When the I.V. was finally placed, the anesthesiologist attempted to place her epidural, but it didn't take.  After twelve painful pokes with the elephant-sized needle and three attempts administering the goods, the epidural proved to be ineffective.  The doctor said he had not seen such a reaction in at least five years.  Her transition lasted about an hour, she pushed for about forty-five minutes, and Patton finally arrived.  So Tristin, who was planning a medicated birth, was forced to "go natural."  Ironically, Emma, who was planning a natural birth, went medicated and reported that the worst part of her labor was hearing Tristin's screams of agony next door.   Seriously.  

And so the friends/neighbors who have shared a community for so long, now share a bond few can imagine.  Patton and Zuzu will have so much to talk about when they grow up!  Thank you to all three families for letting me be a part of this amazing time.  I can't stop thinking about it.  And I'll say it again, I would be happy to help whenever you need it, so CALL ME.