Mom Remembers

Two nights ago, it was Soren--and not Carl!--that woke us up screaming in the night. He had thrown up in his crib. He was sick and frightened. I carried him downstairs, still crying, for a bath while Scott cleaned up his bedding. I held him close and kept talking to him calmly but he was inconsolable. He kept sobbing while I peeled off his sticky clothes and put him in the water. I soaped Soren up and rinsed him off. He cried. I took him out of the bath. He kept crying. I dried him off, with the usually laughter-inducing fanfare. He continued crying. I was about to put on his diaper when he threw up again. Back into the bath. Scott brought down new pajamas. I ran another bath. Soren wailed. 15 minutes later, Soren was clean, warmly-dressed, sitting on the couch between his attentive parents, and still crying. It was 3:30 am and I didn't know how else to console him. After a moment, Scott noticed that Soren's cries were actually a wailed rececitation of the alphabet....

Dear Carl, Almost two weeks ago, you received your name and a blessing. You were wearing the family gown, which has now been worn by your father, your brother, and you. Many who love you were in attendance and many more had sent their best wishes. Your father, grandfathers, and great-grandfather circled around you and used the power they received from your Heavenly Father to bless you. You began the journey of life with God's choice gifts for you laid out at your feet. You were blessed with a strong and healthy body . That body truly is a gift from God and it is holy. With your body, you can enjoy God's creations and realize the righteous desires of your spirit. It is marvelous to be healthy and capable; protect that gift by obeying the Word of Wisdom and using caution in your physical activities. Your father said, "We bless you with the powers of the mind , that you will have an incisive and keen intellect." You were admonished to use that power by solving spirit...

Today Carl is six weeks old. That means it has been six weeks since I had a good night of sleep. Scott says that, among other things, our body uses sleep to organize and store our long term memories. Research has demonstrated that poor sleep results in poor memory storage. In other words, we can't remember well what happens on the days we are tired. No wonder I remember so little about the first three months of Soren's life. With this in mind, it seems much more urgent that I record some of the things I can remember about Carl's infancy. I wouldn't want to forget my sweet newborn and his ever-so-gradual development. I remember the first day home from the hospital. Our home felt as much like heaven that day as it ever has. Carl was sweet and easy to care for. Soren was elated to spend time with his father. When all four of us where in the same room, I thought my heart would burst for joy. I can't describe the way I felt and so I'm glad I slept well the n...