First Snow

There's something about gray, rainy days that make me want to wear thick socks and sleep. But make it a gray, snowy day and I'm inspired to sew and bake. Big fat flakes fell outside the window this afternoon, so I turned up the Christmas music while I did dishes, trimmed chicken, and thought about crafty holiday projects. I love this time of year.

Mercy is patiently working on tooth number two. It's pretty cute how she sticks her little tongue in and out as she plays with the one tooth poking through. The new teeth must be inspiring her increased desire for real food. Her favorites so far are sweet potatoes and pears. She likes green beans, peas, and squash well enough, and isn't such a fan of bananas or turkey. She's completely dropped a couple nursings and is up to eating solids two or three times a day. I'm not sure yet if I'm sad or excited about that. Her hair is growing in and she's started rubbing her head with her left hand while sucking her thumb on the right. It's super darling and I love watching her discover herself and the world around her.

Abraham is a potty pro. He's had a couple accidents, but nothing worth making particular mention of. I'm still very aware of his whereabouts and how long it's been since he last went, but for all intents and purposes I'd consider him trained. He spends a large portion of each day trying on underwear (which he continues to wear backwards) and generally seems so pleased with himself. He still wears a diaper at night, but even there he's showing real progress. I'm so proud of him. He's as tantrum prone as ever and continues to drive us just a little mad, but his tenderness and personal sense of humor are also really developing, giving me a glimpse at the sane boy he may be some day. 

The boys went to the dentist yesterday for their semi-annual cleaning and Hyrum has a cavity. He goes back in a couple weeks to get it filled. He's become something of a scardy-cat, claiming he's afraid of just about everything. He's shown a real interest in our scripture study this past week and is soaking up all the information he can get. This child talks all the time and is forever asking questions. It is my daily challenge to be patient and encouraging. I love that he loves to learn.

Matthew interviewed at Lincoln Labs in Boston last week. He loved what he saw and would really like to work there. They gave him no indication when he'd hear yea or nay, so now we just wait. He had a phone interview with SpaceX yesterday. They told him at the end of the conversation that they would not be extending a job offer. At least we know. He had another phone evaluation with Nielson today and they would like to fly him out to San Francisco for an on-site interview. Tomorrow he has a phone interview with Health Catalyst in Utah. There have been lots of interviews and promising conversations, and we are really grateful, but we are both getting a little tired and think it would be lovely to receive an offer and start making plans.