My baby is a thumb sucka!

Milly gets so into sucking her thumb that she can't sleep, she doesn't realize she is gouging her face with her other fingers, and she gags herself with her long fingers while trying to find her thumb. We have tried several different things to help rid her of this pesky habit, but I think we may just have to accept it. Our baby is a thumb sucka!

One way we tried was to put her in her swing on full blast in hopes that she wouldn't be able to connect thumb with mouth in motion, before being swayed to sleep. This worked for a few naps but finally she got the hang of it.

Our latest trick involves socks on the hands. This made her really mad until she realized she could still suck her thumb through the sock. Unless she chews a hole in it this will prevent her from scratching up her face for awhile. We have also tried swaddeling her arms to her side which only works when she is too tired to roll around and get out. And the obvious answer, the pacifier, she won't use one. Any other ideas?

And They're Off . . . .

Today was a great day for a bike ride and we got to try out the Chariot behind the bike! This has probably been the best purchase we ever made (next to the Mexican mini-cooler, which is also my kitchen stool and a door stop). I love things with multiple functions! So far we have used the Chariot as a jogging stroller and now a bike trailer, but we're most excited about the ski feature! I think Milly likes it too. It must be pretty comfy because she falls asleep as soon as it gets going. Isn't that the life! Taking a nap while giving your dad a great workout!
How do you like Milly's new ride?!

"You'll Thank Me When Your Older"

In the last LDS General Conference Elder Ballard encouraged all children to put their arms around their mother often and tell her they love her. Since I live a bit too far away for a hug, I hope this post will convey the warmth of a hug and remind my mom that I love her.




On any given Sat. evening in the Thayne household you might hear my mom say, "We have the BYU play tonight, hurry and get ready so we don't loose our seats, and remember no jeans!" For as long as I can remember my mom bought season tickets (4th row) to the BYU performing arts. Which meant that every-other month on a Saturday night she would drag us, (sometimes literally) all dressed up, to sit through a 2 hour performance. We would all roll our eyes, (including my dad) and ask do we have to go! She would always respond "yes, you'll thank me when your older." Well, I'm a little bit older and I would like to say "Thank you mom." Not just for forcing culture on us but for many, many, things: Thank you mom . . .



1. For forcing culture on us! Today I consider a treat what I once considered torture. I now go to the symphony only once a year on my birthday and love every minute of it; when I was a kid we went often and I would twiddle my thumbs, counting the minutes before it was over. My mom always took us to places and events most people would say "kids don't belong." Although I was usually board stiff, I learned to act like a Lady at a young age and I kinda liked wearing my pretty purple dress coat too. Favorite memories: The BYU creamery after plays, girls trip to San. Fransisco to see Phantom, just me and mom at CATS; performed at the original theater in London, and last but not least; making fun of the BYU plays with Stan.



2.For teaching me to be charitable. My mom has always taken families and individuals under her wing and gives and gives and gives and gives some more. Favorite memories: cutting down extra christmas trees for a family that wouldn't otherwise get one, late night grocery drops to friends in need, boxes and boxes of stuff for the mexico christmas caravan leaving our house, garage sales where everything cost 25 cents. (that was my idea!)



3.For giving us every opportunity possible. Although I never excelled in anything my mom made sure I dabbled in everything! I took lessons in: piano, violin (age 4), guitar, banjo, clarinet, voice, Italian, Japanese(age 4or5), Spanish, sewing, pottery, girl scouts (she was our leader), dance of every type, swimming, soccer (she coached), tee ball, soft ball (once again she coached), lacrosse, skiing, rock climbing, and the list goes on. Favorite memories: Ice cream and cheetos at the winder dairy after girl scouts, pottery class in Aunt Carole's garage



4.For being a stay-at-home, working mom. My mom had a beauty shop in our home, so besides being a full time mom she was also a full time beautician. I had the best of both worlds. I learned the self-reliance of a child of a working mom and had the attention and supervision of a stay-at-home mom. Memories: helping mom take out perm rollers in the beauty shop, having free reign of the kitchen while making after school snacks (usually melted marshmallows or cheese crips)



5. For giving me a great childhood!



Happy Mother's Day! I love you

She's a Camper

Monday was such a beautiful day we got itchin to go play in the great outdoors. We hesitated briefly questioning if milly was old enough to go camping yet and then decided, why not, there has to be a first sometime! So we packed up and went to the Clackamas river. Monday afternoon was gorgeous I wish we would have gotten there earlier. Tuesday was a little cloudy so we mostly drove and checked out fishing spots for later in the summer. Milly loved laying in my arms and looking up into the tall trees above. No matter how I held her she had her head craned toward the sky gazing at the tree tops.

We ended up having a visitor for most of our stay. An 82 yr. old man, living off of the land and out of his van, named James Milton Burnette. He was a character. He described himself as a quarter indian, antisocial, democratic socialist, retired from just about everything you could think of including security for a logging co. and a politician. Now he wanders, literally, sleeping in his van at camp sites or staying in a little lean-to cabin he has near Bend, OR. For the next several weeks he plans to hike up in the hills and make a camp without a tent, and very little supplies. I was of course very worried and tried to give him our tent or at least a tarp, both of which he refused, saying "that's too luxurious, I don't want to get too comfortable". He does this type of thing year around! One of his hands was very dark and paralyzed from being left out of his sleeping bag and getting frost bite one night. In the end all he would take was a bag of goldfish crackers, and a blue enamel camp mug, telling us he could eat mushrooms and berries when he was hungry. Crazy thing is he does this all by choice, the guys got dough! I wouldn't have believed him but he had a stickin nice van, and before we left HE tried to give US money. We enjoyed his company and you could tell he really enjoyed having someone to talk to, we heard a story about nearly everything.

Snug as a Bug!

Whatz up?

99th percentile!

Milly had her 2 month Dr. checkup this week. The Dr. was surprised at her growth, she is now 13lbs. and 26in. long. Which puts her in the 99th percentile for her height and 90th for weight. This didn't mean much to me until the Dr. showed us the typical growth chart and put things into perspective. Basically if there were 100 babies, Milly's same age, randomly selected and put into the same room with her she would be the longest baby there, there might be one baby longer. She is in the size range for babies 6-9 months, which makes sense because last night she fit perfectly in a 9 month sleeper! She now has nick names such as "string beaner" and "milly the mile". We love our long and beautiful babe!

Milly likes mayo

Milly is already for an outing

She even helps dad with his computer work

and does capoeira