Baby FAQ's

How old is he?
Corbin is now 2-1/2 weeks old!

How big is he?
At his last doctor's appointment (at 6 days old), he weighed in at 8 lbs, 3 oz. His doctor says he rarely sees babies get back to their birth weight so quickly. Obviously, he's a good eater! As for size, he's still in newborn-size clothing, but just barely.







Who does he look like - you or Jeff?
He definitely got the Meibos chin and the Cox cowlick. Other than that, we're not too sure. His ears are smaller than either Jeff's or Bryant's and his eyes are currently a steel gray, but we know eye color can change. I think he got the Meibos hands, too. He looks a lot like Bryant did as a baby (once Bryant put on a little fat). You can certainly see the resemblance.

How does Bryant like his new brother?
He adores Corbin! Bryant has to tell everyone about how he's now a big brother, even the lady at the McDonald's drive thru. Today, at his school orientation, he had to stop by every teacher's room to show off his new brother. We were, of course, a huge hit. Bryant also offers to hold Corbin or play with him to keep him occupied when we have to get stuff done. He loves to pick out new outfits for Corbin to wear. Bryant is an excellent helper, especially with dishes and laundry.

Is he a good sleeper?
Is any newborn a good sleeper? He has times where he'll sleep for three or even four hours at a time, but the norm is usually between two and three. He's a very noisy sleeper! Jeff and I will lie in bed and laugh when we hear some of the noises he makes. Fortunately, we've learned to sleep through most of them. Especially Jeff.

Is he a good baby?
Of course he is! He has his cranky moments - usually when he's hungry - but he's very sweet. He turns toward the sound of his brother's voice, fusses when his dad stops talking (especially when he wants attention), and lets me know when he wants me with a warning "Waah" (it's like he's saying "Hey!"). He loves to be held close. I think he just likes hearing the sound of our hearts beating. He also loves to look around and prefers sitting up in our laps when he's wide awake.

When is his blessing?
We're doing the blessing and Bryant's baptism the same weekend since all of their grandparents will be here. Bryant will be baptized on September 5th. Corbin's blessing will be the next day at church. All of our friends and family are invited to come if in the area (I know it's not likely, but the invitation's extended just the same).

Here at Last!

Bryant would like everyone to know he is officially a big brother! Corbin Lee Meibos was born Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at 12:25 pm. He weighed 8 lbs, 2 oz and was 20-1/2 inches long. He's a cutie!

Hot and Busy

The thermometer is threatening to go on strike if it doesn't cool down soon. We haven't had a day under ninety degrees in ages. Even the water at the pool isn't cool anymore. Re-entering feels like you're getting into a hot tub. We've had a lot of rain recently, but I swear it almost immediately turns into steam as soon as it hits the ground. At least I don't have to pay for a sauna. (Ha, ha! That was a joke, people!)

Since Bryant's birthday was two days after school let out, we did his party the weekend before to ensure his friends would be in town. Instead of a big party at the park, as originally planned, Bryant opted to have a sleepover with his two best friends. They had a blast! Video games, Lego battles, fighting with swords, pillows, and balloons. For dinner, we had chicken fries, curly fries, and juice boxes (Bryant's choice). Dessert doubled as Bryant's birthday cake. Because we were going out of town, we did Warm Delights (individual cakes you 'bake' in the microwave) to avoid having leftovers. The boys loved them. They stayed up late giggling and talking, then got up early to play more video games. Bryant later told me it was the best birthday he ever had.

School let out June 10th and we took off just as soon as Jeff got home from work to Orlando to hit the Disney water parks - one last hurrah before our threesome becomes a foursome. Per Bryant's request, we went to Blizzard Beach on Thursday, then Typhoon Lagoon on Friday (his birthday). Bryant and Jeff went on the slides and played in the wave pools while I lazed about in the lazy rivers and took much needed naps on a lounge chair. We were very proud of Bryant when he went on a waterslide he was scared of at Typhoon Lagoon. After the first time down, he wanted to go down it over and over again! We splurged and got a funnel cake for a snack - so good! Dinner was at Red Lobster because it was too hot to cook. Bryant's overly-emotionaly mom teared up when the waitstaff sang Happy Birthday to him. On Saturday, we went to Downtown Disney and, of course, the Lego Store. Bryant and Jeff filled up their customary cup with loose Legos - only the cool ones, obviously. Then we had Bryant's birthday lunch at McDonald's.

After we ate, we went back to our fifth wheel to see if the power had gone back on (several blocks had lost power that morning). Fortunately, we didn't blow a fuse or anything when it did, but the air conditioning hadn't caught up with the heat yet, so we went for a drive to Clermont - one of Jeff's areas he served in on his mission. He showed us the beat-up apartment complex he stayed in and a couple of other places that have changed drastically in ten years. On the way back to the RV park, we found Lake Louisa State Park. The sign showed it had RV camping sites, so we paid the entrance fee to check it out. Not too far into the park, there was a parking lot with canoes and a dock. We stopped to see how much it was to rent the canoes and to admire the view. As we walked down toward the water, we passed a sign that read "Alligators in water". Bryant, always being ten steps ahead of us, piped up "Yep, there's one right here!" Sure enough, in the water just below us was a six-foot gator, just watching us. Unfortunately, we had left our camera in the fifth-wheel, but we watching him until he swam off. He wasn't the only wildlife we spotted that day. Later, as we were leaving the park, we saw a gopher tortoise on the side of the road. I will never again claim a turtle/tortoise is slow. That thing took off so fast! He disappeared into a burrow after dashing across the ground. We really liked the Lake Louisa area. We may stay there sometime.

The following Tuesday (June 16th), Bryant went to Cub Scouts with Jeff for the first time (for church, at least). He looked so handsome in his uniform! They made Father's Day gifts. Bryant loved it. He came back with the biggest grin. He's been working hard to pass off things so he can earn his Wolf Badge. He's already got his Bobcat badge (if you look carefully, you can see it on his shirt). We counted the other day and he had passed off twenty-one things. It's more than that now because he and Jeff went to the park and passed a few more off. We're hoping he'll get his Wolf Badge before the end of the summer so he can start earning belt loops and pins. Bryant is really excited about the pins, since he has a pin collection prominantly displayed on his curtain already.

Before school let out, Bryant participated in an Invention Convention. Each student in second and third grade had to come up with an invention and make a display about it. Bryant chose to do Sunblock Wipes. We took pictures of different kinds of sunblock available now and demonstrated how much easier sunblock wipes would be to apply. Bryant posed very nicely and in some cases, very creatively. As part of the assignment, he was required to stand next to his display and explain it to people as they passed. Instead of waiting for people to ask questions, he was flagging them down - parents, teachers, even the principal! He's quite the salesman. And yes, he got a good grade on it.

His end of school year party was a bowling field trip. Originally, Jeff and I were both going to chaperone, but the scheduling of the busses got messed up and they never showed. They rescheduled the field trip for the following week, but Jeff wasn't able to take more time off to go. Bryant was pretty bummed about it, but he still had a lot of fun. The manager at the bowling alley jokingly accused me of trying to smuggle out a bowling ball (ha, ha, very funny - no, not really). Bryant was hilarious to watch. He's played bowling on the Wii, so he thought it would be very similar. He would run up to the lane and throw the ball, striking a pose as he watched it make its way to the pins. His score wasn't the greatest, but we figured we could remedy that by making Jeff take us bowling another time.

After many headaches and phone calls, we finally got our XBox back from repair. Then we got a second one. Somehow they had messed up and sent us an extra. The representative helping us was very surprised when we admitted it and rewarded us by sending us an extra accessory - a new wireless controller. We would have sent it back no matter what, but it's always nice to know doing the right thing can pay off.

Corbin's room is finally complete. Jeff originally was going to build a dresser for each of the boys, but a few weeks ago, I was at Walmart and discovered they were clearancing out a lot of their furniture. I was able to pick up two really nice dressers and a desk for our office for the same amount it would have cost us in materials to build the dressers alone. And all Jeff had to do was assemble them. He was pretty impressed with the quality of the furniture. I'm just thrilled to finally have it.

Last Wednesday, Bryant had his trophy presentation for his soccer season. They had a barbeque at the amenities center. The kids swam in the pool while the food cooked, then received their trophies while still wearing their bathing suits. His coach said there are three things you could always count on with Bryant - he always wanted the ball passed to him, he was always hungry (no surprise there), and he was always good for great conversation. So true. He talks to anyone who'll listen. And every twenty minutes during the day, I hear "Mom, I'm hungry." Even if we just ate. Darn kid.

We finally have a fence on two sides of our property. Our neighbors got a golden retriever puppy and put up a fence for her. I'm now very jealous. Next year, we're hoping to finish off the back section at the very least so the neighborhood kids will stop using our yard as a thoroughfare.

After nine months of waiting...Bryant has finally lost another tooth! (What did you think I was going to say?) He was so worried he wouldn't be able to whistle anymore (a newfound skill), but nature prevailed and it came out this week. After wrestling with his friends. Go figure. We were both relieved when he could still pucker up and whistle a tune. He has two more ready to come. I love seeing his smile now. He's a bit bummed he can't eat corn on the cob for a while, but his new tooth is already starting to come in.

Only 5-1/2 more weeks left! We're excited thinking that we're finally in the month Corbin could be born in (if he's a couple of weeks early - please let that be the case!). We are so ready for it, too. My waist has finally surpassed Jeff's size-wise - a very depressing thought for me. Bryant and I go to the pool or the beach to cool down at least 2-3 times a week. We don't leave the air conditioning for much else. The baby clothes are washed, the room is done, we are ready. We've made arrangements for Bryant's baptism and Corbin's blessing (September 5th and 6th). Now we just need the kid to come. Why does time have to drag so slowly?

Bryant and Jeff have signed up to enter an all-ages, everybody welcome, pinewood derby for church. They'll be racing in the regulation round since Jeff isn't sure if he'd do so well in the cheater's round. I wouldn't want to try to face people who are talking about using open flames and CO2 cartridges, either. The actual event is on Saturday, July 11th. I hope my boys do well! Jeff is working very hard to make sure their cars look really good. He even went out and bought a small vice, files, and a few other 'necessary' tools - including a digital scale. At least I know he'll use them for years to come.

That's it for this month. I think I've gone on long enough, anyway. Official baby countdown - 38 days!

Can it get any hotter?

The weather here has been crazy! We had a couple of weeks of hot, high-80's-low-90's and then a solid week of rain. Not just sprinkles, but 4-5 inches a day. We're finally getting blue skies again and with it, the humidity. Yikes! Fortunately, we can go to the pool to cool off and may the person who invented air conditioning be blessed forever.
This week, Bryant had two soccer games - one on Thursday and one today (which we have to leave in 30 minutes to get to). Thursday's game was to make up for the lack of one over Memorial Day weekend. The poor kids were so sweaty and gross afterwards due to the humidity, but it was a good game. At least the sun was behind clouds the whole time.
School is almost over - just a week and a half left to go. Bryant and I are very ready for summer. I doubt we'll be sleeping in, since we don't even sleep in on the weekends, but the no homework thing will be very nice. Bryant's class is having three end-of-year parties - bowling on Thursday, a BBQ the following Monday, and pizza on the last day of school.
Mother's Day was very low-key for us. Jeff and Bryant each gave me a card. Bryant's read "Happy Mother's Day from your favorite little headache." In a handwritten addition - "and I always will be." They also gave me a certificate to get a manicure and pedicure (more on that in a sec) and a recipe book Bryant's class wrote. The recipes were hilarious!!! None of them were edited, so they came straight from the minds of second graders. I couldn't stop laughing as I read them.
Jeff's birthday was also low-key. I stole him away from work for lunch. He wandered around Dick's Sporting Goods, deciding on the perfect bait to take on a father-son camping trip. We bought a canopy and screen enclosure (good for camping and the beach) and a new fishing reel for Jeff's fishing pole. Bryant and I gave him some cast-iron cookware he'd been eyeing.
The baby shower was a blast. A dozen ladies in my home, eating yummy treats and enjoying looking at really, really cute baby things. LOVED it. A few favorite items: a onesie that reads "Mom Rules", a bib that reads "I love my big brother", a blanket so soft it should be illegal, and a monkey backpack/harness.
Jeff and Bryant got out of the house to avoid the excess estrogen and went on a father-son campout for church. They fished (caught no fish) and Bryant caught 3 crabs. Bryant came back dirty and smiling. (No ticks, thank heavens!)
Memorial Day weekend was fairly quiet. We went to lunch and a movie (Night at the Museum 2 - VERY funny) using gift cards Jeff had won at work. We also went to Sears and bought (using more gift cards) a stroller/carseat combo, a booster seat, and a new watch for Jeff.
Today, we're hosting another Halo night. About fifteen guys (and one girl - me!) are going to be playing Halo 3 from 3 pm-midnight. I love hosting this thing. We've kind of become the official location for it. We're going to have a blast!
Oops, ran out of time. Gotta go or Bryant's going to be late for his game.

A Remembrance

On Friday, May 22nd, my great-grandma passed away at the age of 94. Unfortunately, we were unable to attend the funeral in Mesa, Arizona. This is a copy of her obituary that appeared in the East Valley Tribune (Chandler, AZ) on May 27th.

DAVIDSON, Vivian Lambson
Vivian Lambson Davidson passed away peacefully in her home on May 22, 2009 at the age of 94. Vivian, born in Redlands, Arizona on July 21, 1914 was the daughter of Gila Valley pioneers Ephraim and Maybelle Lambson. She is survived by her sons, Vance, Edward, Douglas and daughter, Arlene, one sister Ardith and a brother Phil. She was preceded by her husband Arlo in 1978, their son Stephen in 2006 and a grandson Jason in 1989. She leaves behind a posterity of 26 grandchildren, 53 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren. She was married to Arlo B. Davidson of Safford in 1935. Together they worked in the Gila Valley running movie theaters for Louis Long. They later moved to Phoenix and then to Chandler in 1945 where Vivian ran Davidson's Reliable Hardware and Arlo was a mail carrier. Affectionately known as "Mrs. Reliable" she served the household needs of the community for over 30 years. After she retired, she moved to Mesa to work in the Arizona Temple. In her lifetime, she served in many capacities for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, making the most of each and every calling. As a mother, she was a vigilant teacher and very supportive of her children's many talents and activities. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 30 at the Miller Ward Building, 933 E. Brown Road, Mesa with a visitation 1 hour prior at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be at Valley of the Sun Cemetery, Chandler. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ. Arrangements by Bueler Mortuary.

Baby Shower

The baby shower last night was awesome! Thanks to Allison, Tami, Jennifer, Lisa, Marivi, and everyone else who helped and/or came. The food was great, the company even better. The best part? No boys (father-son campout). I loved everything - you did a wonderful job, so thank you ladies! I'll post photos later. By the way, onesies totally rock!

May Day!

No, we're not calling for help. The weather has been so amazing, it's almost cause to celebrate. Last weekend, we went to the beach and had a wonderfully relaxing time. Bryant and Jeff built an evil lair - complete with traps - and I wandered up and down collecting shells. We tried a new beach this time, with finer sand, and liked it a lot. It's at Anastasia State Park. They have RV camping spots there with water and electric hookups. We'll probably take a long weekend after school lets out and go stay for a couple of days. There's windsurfing, kayak, and canoe rentals as well as a fish cleaning station. There's also an old coquina quarry and nature trail. It should prove to be a good weekend.
In a couple of weeks, some friends of mine are throwing me a baby shower. It's going to be at our house because Jeff and Bryant are going on a father/son campout. They bought a new tent and a couple of cots. Bryant is really excited about it, but he's a little bummed about missing the shower. He made me promise to save him a cupcake.
Decluttering is done and the stuff is shipped off to Goodwill. It's amazing how clean the house stays when there's not a lot of junk in the way. It takes less than 30 minutes to completely clean the house most mornings. That's going to really nice once the baby is born.
Speaking of which - he's doing just fine. My blood pressure is staying down (thank heavens!) and he's growing like a weed. He spends most his time squirming and stretching and making me just plain uncomfortable. Today, I laid down for a nap and he kicked and moved for over an hour. No sleep for me. Sigh.
Jeff finished painting Corbin's room (by the way, that's the name we've chosen) about a week ago. It looks great. Bryant helped put the crib up and I put Winnie the Pooh decals on the walls. I've also recovered the bumper pad in dard blue. All that's left is the curtain, a pillowcase, a crib sheet, and his dresser. Then we're done.
Ooh! Funny thing happened while making dinner tonight. I was making baked potatoes. Less than a minute before the timer went off, I heard a *pop*. I checked it out and found potato guts all over the inside of my oven. One of the potatoes had exploded! Poor Jeff will have to help clean it up because I can't quite get in there.
Only five more weeks of school! We're getting excited. Every day it gets hotter and hotter walking down to the bus stop and back. Thank goodness for air conditioning! Still, we're sweating by the time we get home in the afternoons. We are SO going to be living at the pool and beach this summer.