My dear sweet Zane. The hardest part of your day today was when you bent the teeth on your comb and this is the best job mom could do at setting them back to straight. 
Oh, how you cried those big wet tears. Oh, how that bottom lip turned down and you looked at me, begging me to make them perfectly straight. No matter how I tried to tell you that it was the best I could do, or convince you that it was still okay and your comb could still perform the many functions it had been performing today, you would not be consoled. Eventually, you moved on to your phone and your cars and found joy in them. You even made your way back to your comb and the crooked teeth didn't seem so bad after all.
As I thought about that, I suddenly wondered how many times in my life, especially the last few weeks, has Heavenly Father looked at me and said "Oh, my dear sweet daughter. It's okay. Even though things aren't perfect, they are still good and as they should be. Not only that, you too, will soon outgrow this stage and move on to other things, and these 'crooked teeth' will not seem so significant." Sometimes I'm sure my big problems seem so silly, like crooked teeth on a comb.
Thanks son, for helping Mom gain a little perspective today.
Kevin's been putting in long days lately and so it's left to me to bathe the kids and get them to bed some nights. I try to bathe them at the same time--Nora in the infant bath on the counter and Zane in the tub. It's one of the few times in the day that they're both perfectly happy and content. This is what happened as I was undressing Nora. I guess Zane just couldn't wait his turn tonight. If only bath time could last for a couple of hours.
Of course I checked on him several time throughout the night and only found him on the floor once. He slept great and I even had to wake him up at 8:15 so we could be on time for church. He loves his puppy, blanket and new pillow case from Grandma Pickup. The last few mornings he has thrown his pillow and his puppy out of bed in the morning and tried to walk around with them all morning. Puppy comes to breakfast with us and it takes some coaxing to get him to leave his pillow. 
Nora Pickup was blessed by her father on December 22, 2008 at Grandpa and Grandma Tolman's home in Rigby, Idaho. For our friends who aren't familiar with our LDS customs, an infant in the LDS church is given a name and a blessing by someone who holds the preisthood, often his or her father. This is similar to a christening. She was a very good girl and didn't cry at all. 
Nora's blessing dress was made by Grandma Tolman. There is around 200 hours of needlework in the little dress and it it certainly going to be a treasured heirloom for years to come. Because the weather was so awful some of our family were not able to make it. We missed them but understand. The roads were terrible and many were closed before the night was over. We were happy to have Grandpa & Grandma Tolman, Grandpa & Grandma Pickup, Jessica, Chris & Kristi and their family. 
Nora's blessing was so sweet. She is such an easy-going baby (most of the time). We are starting to see more smiles. She brings a really special spirit to our home. We are blessed to have her here.
