The Peterson Pen

5 stages of "pea" grief by Emily Franklin

2010-05-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Heard this on NPR today and liked the bit by Emily Franklin. The audio automatically starts at 1:30, the beginning of Franklin's piece (which ends at 9:55). Anyone with kids who eat (or don't eat) food will appreciate what she has to say!

De um a dez (from one to ten)

2009-12-15T21:40:00.000-08:00

Here's a video of Christian counting to ten in Portuguese. His pronunciation is just a good as it is in English!

Update on Liam

2009-12-05T22:24:00.001-08:00

Liam is doing great today! He now weighs 5 lbs 2 oz. That's only a 1 oz gain from yesterday but it's progress. Also, he's much more active today, and THAT is something to be excited about! The nurse said when she came in today she thought, "he's acting like a completely different baby." So tomorrow (Sunday) they want us to do "rooming in." That's where we stay overnight in the hospital with him and they let us do an entire night's routine alone. If we need help the nurses are just in the next room. It's a transition night for bringing home babies that have had difficulty eating, etc. Assuming all goes well (and it should) we'll get to bring him home Monday morning!

And more photos of Liam

2009-12-05T22:21:00.000-08:00

More photos of Liam

2009-12-05T22:18:00.000-08:00

Liam's cleft palate

2009-12-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Liam's cleft palate. The cleft is only on the soft tissue so it should be a fairly simple surgery. He will most likely have the surgery when he is about 9 months old. We will start meeting with a team of specialists in the next few weeks. The reason they wait until then is because they want to hear him making sounds (words) to determine if the cleft has any impact on his speech and, if so, to see if the surgery helps.

Something else we've noticed, and you can see it in this photo, is his lip. It looks like his lip maybe had a cleft but then it filled in. And his left nostril looks slightly indented. We aren't sure if his lip and nostril are just that way because of birth (sometimes babies are a little "deformed" when they're born, but they fill out fine) or if it is due to any sort of cleft. We'll just have to wait and see.

Update on Liam

2009-12-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

It was weird yesterday bringing Katherine home from the hospital while our baby was still in the NICU. Liam was doing better yesterday. He's getting more aggressive with his eating. And if he keeps up at the current rate he might even be able to come home by this Sunday or Monday.

Yesterday morning they ran a CT scan on him. The scan results indicated everything they were looking was normal. Also, they were concerned about how far back his tongue was attached, but after a closer examination they determined that too, was normal. We're still waiting on some blood tests (for possible infections) to come back but they're expecting those to be negative (that's good).

So, right now he needs to be eating, and specifically working to eat (not just being fed). As long as he does that we should be able to get him back in a few days. His cleft palate in the back of his mouth will be fixed with surgery when he is 9-12 months old. Fortunately it's only on the soft palate, so it should be a minor fix.

Liam Jay moved to the NICU

2009-12-03T23:02:00.000-08:00

Today they moved Liam into the NICU. The main reason is that he is not eating well and his weight has dropped to 4 lbs 12 oz. He's very lethargic, even for a 35 week baby, let alone a 37 week baby. They're not sure how long he'll have to stay in the NICU, possibilities right now are 3, 5, or 7 days.

Tomorrow (Friday) they're doing a CT scan on Liam for two main reasons. First, they want to get a better picture of his cleft pallet. From what can be seen, his cleft pallet is a small triangle shaped cleft in the rear of the roof of his mouth. From what the doctors can tell so far only soft tissue is affected, meaning that he isn't missing any bone. He will definitely need surgery between 9-12 months old in order to close the cleft. The second reason for the CT scan is to get a better view of his esophagus. The doctors cannot see the opening for his esophagus, so they think his tongue may be attached too far back. It doesn't appear to be attached so far back that his esophagus is completely closed off (he can eat at least a little, and they can successfully insert a feeding tube), but having a smaller opening from his mouth to his esophagus does make it all that much harder for him to eat. Another update coming after the CT scan tomorrow (Friday)...

Christian's Magic Trick

2009-08-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

OKC Zoo

2009-07-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

We went to the Oklahoma City Zoo a few weeks ago and had a blast! We were very impressed with the size and quality of the zoo. Coming from Rexburg where nothing is impressive aside from the University, we have thoroughly been enjoying all that Norman and OKC has to offer in the way of entertainment. We also love the ward we are in and we love our callings. We also have a network of friends whom we love to hang out with and trade off babysitting with in the ward. David has started meeting with his research team and major professor. We are so excited for him to start school and get into the swing of things. We really feel like this is the best place we could have possibly gone for school. We love it here!

My Christmas wishlist for the next 25 years....

2009-04-29T17:20:00.001-07:00

Could it be a musically-inclined Peterson?

2009-03-22T22:50:00.001-07:00

On your mark! Go! Get Set!

2009-03-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

When the weather keeps you inside for months you adapt. This one's for Erik in particular.

And here's another photo just for fun...

2008-12-01T22:19:00.001-08:00

I love this hat on him!

Bowling for Family Night

2008-12-01T20:46:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from our family night tonight at the bowling alley. Christian (his favorite word is "ball") was VERY excited to see an entire wall full of balls. He hasn't quite got the idea of pushing the ball down the lane though (he just kept trying to run down the lane to get the ball after we helped him roll it!).

Christian giving his opinion of Hull's Hypothetico-Deductive Theory

2008-11-13T15:46:00.000-08:00

Christian Being Silly

2008-11-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

Adventures with Belly

2008-10-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

These are some commercials David and some friend made for their class business (for his minor). The company runs concessions stands at events on and off campus (mostly on). "Feed the belly!" Oh yeah, it's helpful to watch the first one first.

One of my favorite movies (because of the content, not the cinematography)

2008-09-27T17:11:00.001-07:00

Christian Likes to Move It Move It

2008-09-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

Some videos of Christian

2008-08-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

For all those who haven't been able to open these after receiving them through email, here they are on the web. Enjoy.

What really happened with King Louie and Shere Kahn

2008-05-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

Craig's List...it's not just economical, it's comical.

2008-04-03T23:09:00.000-07:00

These are actual quotes that we found on Craig's List OC. The funniest ones are usually from the "free" category:

"Free used crib bed. Would also make a great dog bed for a
larger animal."

"free table... come and get it----714-624-8527 no flakes please"

"Free Clean Dirt"

"Free...dirt....It isn't perfectly clean, but not too bad, either.... "

"I have a 42" Mitsubishi TV. The picture just stopped working."

"Free Phonebooks" (aren't those already free?)

"Free Big Screen and Treadmill" (what's the story behind this combination?)

"Free Desk Yesterday @ 9:00 AM"

"free broken cement"

"FREE - medical exam table" (hey,put that in your guest room with a Frankenstein theme!)

If you find any more from Craig's List or anywhere else please post them on our blog!

Is There A Santa Claus?

2007-12-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA O'HANLON.

115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

-Francis Pharcellus Church

[http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/]

Can you see the resemblance?

2007-12-09T22:04:00.000-08:00

MOTHER...

...AND SON

Holly, Jolly Christian

2007-11-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

Well it seems like most of our blogs are about Christian. There are at least 2 reasons: he's cuter than we are and he draws a bigger crowd. First we want to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. When we look at the past year we realize we have so much to be thankful for this year. What makes us happiest are memories like this one:

Messin' with Christian

2007-10-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

Christian is destined to buy a harley and ride with the wind in his face. Watch the video. You'll see how much he loves the "wind" in his face. This is the most interactive he's ever been. Until now we've gotten a few random smiles. But as you'll see in the video he is much more responsive to us now.

"Pumpkin" Potter

2007-10-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

We had a ward Halloween party tonight and decided to get a little more creative with our pumpkin carving (last year was a disaster). Anyway, we thought this year wasn't so great too, but after we put the candle in this is what we got! Can you tell who it is?

Who is this guy?

2007-10-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, so take a close look at this guy...did you see it? Wierd huh? Feel free to comment...I think we need to give him a name!

Conference Weekend

2007-10-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

We went to Salt Lake for conference weekend. Although we didn't get to go in to any of the session we had a great time. Friday night we went to David's mission reunion. His old companions were surprised to see us walk in with a baby. Everyone thought Christian was adorable (especially in his "automatic sprinkler" onzie). To impress his mission buddies David made "Bolo de Mel" (Honey Cake, a staple of the Madeira Island). A portuguese guy there said it actually tasted like the real thing!

It was fun to see family. Everyone was very excited to see Christian (maybe us too). Our toilet flooded in the hotel room and the front desk made David plunge it himself (no janitorial staff at 1:00 am?). By the morning water had leaked about 2 feet into the carpet in the room. We switched rooms.

Some of our favorite topics from conference were Sister Beck's talk about mothers. She talked about "mothers who know" the gospel is true. We have both been blessed with such mothers. We also liked President Eyering's talk when he spoke about the importance of remembering the blessings the Lord gives us. To help us do better with this we've decided to keep a family journal (you'll see parts of it here on the blog).

We were invited to have Christian's baby blessing at the Duffy's cabin (thank you!). It was a wonderful experience. Sister Duffy made a very tasty dinner afterwords. We really enjoyed spending time with family and friends.

Video of Baby Christian

2007-10-01T22:11:00.000-07:00

Just trying to figure out some of this blog stuff...enjoy!