Sick Baby Getting Better and Better

Barely past midnight and I'm chillin with my baby girl while Miranda's asleep. Kiona's had it rough the past couple of nights. She has something called the Hands, Foot, and Mouth disease, not to be mistaken with Hoof-and-Mouth. It's a common disease amongst infants and children and its symptoms are a fever, sore throat, poor appetite, sores on her hands and feet, and in her mouth. She can't find a comfortable way to sleep so she cries often in the middle of the night. She can't find a comfortable way to just be, so she cries at all times of the day, too. We suspect that her unhealthy habit of sucking her curious, trash-can-loving, nose-picking, crotch-grabbing (from watching Michael Jackson's "This is It" a million times) fingers is how she contracted her illness.

I took Tuesday off from work and school and Miranda took Wednesday off. I try to keep Kiona calm by having Bruno Mars jam sessions with her (she plays the ukulele, while I play the guitar and our favorite song to sing is Bruno Mars "Count on Me"),

and giving her a manicure and pedicure. I have no idea what a mani/pedi entail so I just cut her finger and toe nails. I'll be taking care of Kiona the first half of Thursday until my class starts at 2:00pm, and Miranda will be going in to work at 4:00am so she can be back by the time I have to leave. She recently got a promotion so her hours are a little more flexible, thankfully. Honestly, Kiona is a pain, but there are those moments in between her crying when she smiles and dances that make me forget why I got so frustrated with her in the first place. Here are a couple of pictures of her trying to go to bed after midnight (she's not trying that hard):

Miranda is my sugar mommy and is the bread-winner for our family while I'm at school. She hates her job. She tells me everyday how much she hates it that I hate it, even. She's a trooper and a hard worker and I love her for it. Fortunately, I'll graduate at the end of this year and should be able to find a good job that will help me take back my rightful role as the provider and I'll spend the rest of my life spoiling her.

When we were dating, I really talked myself up. I probably told her that I was the man on campus in high school, lied about how much I bench pressed, and inflated my ACT score. In talking myself up, I promised her the world, but instead of telling fibs like I did about my past life, I have every intention of keeping my promise. She saw right through me when I was trying to spit game and saw potential in me that I never could. Save my parents and my mission president, no one has made me feel so good about myself like Miranda does. A couple years ago while taking calculus, a prerequisite to get into the Marriott School, I came home from class extremely overwhelmed. This had been my fourth attempt at taking the class and I was real tempted to withdraw from the class like I had each time before, but now that I was married, everything had became more time sensitive. I remember going into my room, and my wife could tell by the look on my face that I was beaten and deflated. She found me in bed crying because I could not see myself getting the grade that I needed to get accepted into the Marriott School. She held me for a few minutes to let me sob, and after a while she said, "Babe, I believe in you. You can do it." Extremely simple, yet so profound. She didn't try to help me find an easy way out and look for an alternative major, nor did she encourage my threats of quitting school. Her words picked me up and proved prophetic as I got the grade I needed. I'm currently in the Marriott School, and the end is very near

Life since we've been married has gotten better each year. We both got better at cooking so naturally, I'm better at gaining weight. School is better and I'm loving my classes, except ethics, because it's just like another Sunday school class, but with homework. We're better at reading our scriptures. Work for Miranda is better with her new position, but she still hates work, but it's better than her previous position. We communicate with each other better. We argue better (I don't know what this means, but for all intents and purposes, it's just better). And, the "watching TV" keeps getting better, if you know what I mean (ladies, don't act like you guys never talk about "watching TV " during your GNO). My love for her, overall, just gets better and better with each year of marriage, and I hope the way I show it to her gets better and better.

Prayers for my little princess that she gets better and better and back to her non-crying self. Fingers crossed that our chances of getting another baby are better and better.

I love you babe! Happy St. Patricks Day!