Boston Lee {7 months}

Boston continues to grow by leaps and bounds. This month was no different than the last, and he is even now beginning to crawl and get around. I'm not ready!! But he is loving being able to move around and explore more than before, so it makes him happy. He will start out sitting, end up on his tummy, rolls around any direction he wants, inches forward a little, and scoots backwards. So pretty much nothing is safe anymore. But it sure makes him happy!

This is my favorite new thing he does!! Look at him up on his toes like that. He's so strong!

Boston is learning to use his cups and loves to try... but he hasn't figured out the trick yet.

 He is really good at feeding himself these days though! He eats solid foods like pureed fruits and veggies, but I've also started giving him small bits of things we are eating. He has had small pieces of soft cantaloup, grapes, black bean, noodles, and cheerios broken in half. He also loves baby puff snacks. I still can't believe he is only 7 months old with all he is doing and learning!

 Boston's "happy places" are in the bath and in his doorframe jumper. When I'm filling up the bath he will practically fly out of my arms to get in as soon as possible. He LOVES bath time!

 I'm glad that Christmas decorations have been up right before Boston has been able to crawl around. Having a crawling baby with ornaments and fragile things is difficult, so it was perfect timing for us this year. He can't get to something super fast yet so we always have time to see if he is about to get to something he shouldn't and grab it away first.

 He has been in my very favorite baby stage: sitting up. I LOVE that I can place him on the floor surrounded by toys and he will sit there for awhile just looking through the toys at his own pace. He is content for longer periods of time.

 Post-nap chubbalubba smiles

Boston isn't sleeping well through the night lately. He hasn't in... probably a few months. I can't even remember the last time he slept through the night. He cries out for me anywhere from 1 to 5 times at night. I don't swaddle him anymore and he just lays in whatever position he wants, which typically ends up being on his tummy. But if he loses his binkie or misses me in the night then I end up in there several times just calming him down. I need to get on with sleep training...

In the daytime, he typically wakes up around 6:30am, takes a nap around 8-9am, another nap around 12-2, and a final one around 4-5pm. He's a great napper! To get him prepared for a nap, I usually just drape a swaddling blanket around his shoulders and sit down with him in the rocking chair. He's so heavy now that I pretty much can't hold him cradled "like a baby" because he's so heavy and big. But luckily just cuddling on my lap for a minute or two is all he needs to feel like it's bedtime and he will start to fall asleep. I lay him down when he is drowsy and he usually rolls right over and falls asleep. Such a good boy!

Instead of his morning nap, I took him to the grocery store and he just couldn't make it to the end. haha It was so sad and funny to watch.

He loves his siblings so much!!

He is easily 23 pounds (although I haven't weighed him this month), needs to start wearing size 4 diapers, wears 12 month clothes and a couple of items are 18 months. Yikes!

 Boston still isn't saying anything more than just "mamama" sometimes. It's not often either. But he is still only 7 months so I'm not worried. He is just so big and smart and active that I have to keep reminding myself he is ONLY 7 months old and not almost 1 year old. Sometimes in my mind I make him 1 year old because of his size.

Boston loves to scratch at anything nearby. He does this 4-finger scratch on his chest that makes him look like an old man just waking up from a nap or something. haha. He also does this "pat pat pat" on anyone nearby. Another funny thing he does is that he makes funny animal noises. Sometimes he sounds like an ape saying "aw aw aw aw", other times he sounds like a donkey when he breathes in with a loud, grating sound.

Oh, sweet boy. We just adore you so much!!! Thank you for being ours.

Grandpa Brent

The weekend before Thanksgiving, my Grandpa L. Brent Goates passed away. It had been 16 years since his wife, my Grandma Helen, had died of cancer. Even though we were all saddened by his passing, we are all so happy and thankful to know that they have finally been reunited after such a long time apart. He lived such a good life, full of church service, community service, family service, and temple service. He was able to seal so many of his grandchildren to their spouses, and even live long enough to meet his great-great-grandson! We are so blessed to have him as our Grandpa, and I'm thankful for all the memories I have with him. I especially loved it when he would say to me "Jamie, you are so beautiful. You have your Grandmother's smile."

The morning after Thanksgiving, I was able to catch a flight to Salt Lake so I could be there for the viewing and funeral. I wish so much my whole family could have come, but especially Ryan. He was on-call the whole holiday weekend so there was no way he could switch at such late notice. We were really worried that he would get called in a lot, and particularly in the middle of the night, causing him to have to take Grace and Logan in with him at all hours of the night. But we felt I needed to be in Utah and there was no other way around the situation. Thankfully, Ryan was not called in AT ALL any of the nights, there were NO babies to see most of the weekend, and no ladies laboring. It was truly a miracle! He had never had that kind of call weekend in the 18 months we have lived here. I am positive that Grandma Helen was helping to pull strings in order to make the weekend go smoothly for us.

The funeral program

Memories and accomplishments on display

 At the viewing, we were told the family should show up early for a "special viewing" that was only open to the Office of the First Presidency. We weren't sure who would actually show up, but while we waited we had some special time with just aunts, uncles and cousins. It was so wonderful! It was incredibly sweet and memorable for me to be able to be in a room full of so many people I love and haven't seen in so long. We all love our Grandpa Brent and Grandma Helen, and it brought us together (many of us traveling into Utah for it) to remember them.

Elder Oaks was able to come with his wife. It was so kind of them!

 Lindsey, Ben and I were able to fly in that day. I'm thankful for our spouses who took care of our families at home so we could come and be together!

After the special viewing, we went out to dinner at Red Robin and had a great time catching up! It's so rare for all of our siblings to be together and especially just as adults. We sure missed the spouses though.

 Chuuuuub.

On saturday morning, there was a family prayer before the funeral. President Eyring and President Nelson attended which was so kind of them when they have so many others things going on!

President Nelson spoke about knowing Grandpa Brent while he served as one of the original regional authorities. 

President Eyring spoke at the end, but admitted he had only associated with my Grandpa a couple of times. Once when his mother was ill at LDS Hospital where my Grandpa was the administrator for many years. He also read a sweet, personal letter from President Monson, who was able to visit Grandpa Brent a few days before he passed and give him a final priesthood blessing. Such sweet men, they are! They must be incredibly busy, not to mention dealing with their own family and health struggles. And yet they attend these funerals and pay respect to families. Truly examples of charity and the love of Christ.

 My favorite part of President Eyring's talk was when he said "Well I'm sure Brent and Helen are very busy where they are, but if they're able to read the transcript from this meeting..." haha. We all laughed a little, and he even looked back at President Nelson who gave him a little encouraging nod and smile. It was just so sweet!

At the end of the meeting, all of the descendants of my grandparents stood and turned around to face the congregation while we sang "As Sisters in Zion/Army of Helaman" medley. There are quite a lot of us! It was a powerful moment and a special spirit was felt. There were a lot of wet eyes and I personally felt strengthened as I remembered how well my grandparents have taught us service and charity by their examples!

The family all headed to the cemetery where the weather ended up so perfect! It was a beautiful clear day and not too cold. Another blessing on that special day.

 Every year on Memorial Day, our extended family gathers at this spot to remember Grandfather Lee, Grandma Helen, and other family buried there, and we sing together. After the dedicatory prayer, it felt totally right to do the same and sing the two hymns we always do: "We Thank Thee Oh God For a Prophet" and "Love At Home". It was completely unplanned, but by far my favorite moment of the weekend! It just felt right, and like Grandma and Grandpa would have wanted us to. I sure love this family of mine and this heritage I belong to!

 'Til we meet again, Grandpa Brent!

After the funeral and luncheon, Boston and I went to go meet his new little cousin, Wesley Turner. He is getting chunky but still little compared to my big chunky monkey. Wesley is so cute!

 I also got to finally meet my newest niece Claire Helen Goates!! So fun to have all these babies. We had a nice time relaxing Saturday evening with family while we watched the Utah football game.

 On sunday morning I flew back to California. It was a really quick trip, jam-packed with funeral events and family time. It was so so so wonderful to be there though!! I will always feel grateful that it worked out for me to be there and that Ryan's work load that weekend was so easy. Truly tender mercies.