The Joy of Being a...

I saw a book on a shelf yesterday that was called "The Joy of being a Woman" and I thought, if you have to search for it and define it and write about it so much, it might not be that real. Not that I don't find joy in being a woman, but I hope the author of that book knows real joy. Maybe the book is fantastic, but I'm not going to read it any time soon. I'll tell you what's real joy. Love is real joy. Sacrifice is real joy. Being a parent (from all 3 months of my experience) is real joy because of the before mentioned aspects of real joy.

More pics from the day of Johnny boy's blessing thanks to my amazing brother, Jon Canlas.

A Name and a Blessing

John Davis Covey was blessed on Sunday, February 3, 2008 in the Lehi 8th ward in the Lehi North Stake. Many people that loved him were there. He wore a little white tuxedo, thanks to Gavin Welch, his generous 5 year old neighbor that let him borrow it.

He hosted lunch at his house on Love Lane right after sacrament meeting and lots of people came. His mom was worried about fitting everyone in a seat, but mostly everyone stood around and enjoyed talking to each other.

Here is John Davis Covey, son of John Felt Covey, son of Jon Parish Covey, son of John Mack Richards Covey. Hopefully, the generations are obviously identifiable in the picture.

Here is baby johnny with his mother, Christine Davis Covey, his gammie, Teri Matheson Davis Allan, and his great Grandma LL, Laura Lee Crosby Matheson McCombs. Try saying that ten times fast! He is wearing the blessing blanket that Grandma Bebosby (Grandma LL's mom) started and Grandma LL finished.

Here is Johnny Quattro (Johnny Tsunami, Johnny baby, sweet boy, lovey dovey johnny covey, and many other aliases not included in this list) with auntie Dana. Dana Allison and I served on Temple Square together and she is at the U right now finishing her second year of medical school. Hats off to her.

But a big touchdown sign to Johnny for being born and growing and being so kind to his parents. We are loving being with you and can't wait to get to know you more and have you be our oldest boy. We love you, Johnny.

From the mouths of babes

Driving home with Isaac, Ila and baby Johnny in the back seat, Isaac is holding a Power Rangers action figure that our five year old neighbor, Gavin, left at our house. Isaac and Gavin play together every once in a while.

Isaac (speaking for the Power Ranger): "I am a superhero. I am not Gavin's. I like Isaac. Do you know Dora? (speaking to Ila) Are you Dora?"

Ila (speaking for herself): "My name is Ila."

Isaac (speaking for the Power Ranger): "Hi, Dora."

Ila (silence)

Isaac (don't know who he is speaking for now): "Dora, why are you not saying anything?"

During the same drive home, Ila threw her lion into the back window of the car. I told Isaac he could try to reach for it but he was not allowed to unbuckle his seatbelt. Isaac recovered the toy lion and handed it back to Ila.

Christine: "Isaac, you got the lion for your sister! You are the hero!"

Isaac: "I am not a hero. Heroes wear capes."

Christine: "Well, then what are you?"

Isaac: "I am a man."

You can tell it was quite a long drive and the Canlas kiddos are quite humorous because there's more. Ila had a poopy diaper. Isaac is famous for his incredible and oft put to good use sense of smell. He smells things before he eats them and if they don't pass the sniffer test, he will not partake. He caught a whiff of the stinky diaper and immediately plugged his nose.

Isaac: "Eeew! Yucky! I smell Ila's poop! I'm going to eat my shoe."

And I assume, in order to get the bad smell out of his nose and mouth, he started licking his shoe.

Before this eventful drive, Isaac was upset at Chuck-o-Rama that he didn't have any chocolate chips on his soft-serve ice cream. So I scooped some of Ruby's chocolate chips from her long since abandoned bowl and put them on top of Isaac's ice cream.

Christine: "Isaac, can you say thank you to Ruby for being so nice?"

Isaac: "Thanks, Ruby. She's the perfect sister for me."

Sleeping Beauties

In college, we had a cd that we made for each other called Sunday Naps. It was mellow music perfect for the Sunday afternoon sleepy time. Here are my boys indulging in unposed matching Sunday naps. I wonder if they were dreaming about the same thing, too.

Here is Johnny trying out his Bumbo. He obviously thought I was putting him in a plane where the responsibility to take off rested on his shoulders, well - arms.

When it rains, it pours

Johnny is such a good baby. He's always happy, smiling and let's me get my school work done, for which I am very grateful. However, when he is sad, he lets you know. It doesn't happen very often, but I thought I should immortalize the way his face looks 0.0001% of the time.

Stash that 'stache

We had a little bit of fun before Johnny shaved and got a hair cut. I even added gel to his hair just to increase the effect.





Does anyone see a resemblance (minus the double chins)?



Johnny is so cute. One day, he'll grow a mustache like his dad. We can only hope he'll be as handsome. Here's Johny showing off his hair-free upper lip as well as his cute new blanket from Nana. I don't know if you can tell, but there are all the events of a boy's life on the pattern. Blessing day, baptism, primary, going on a mission and getting married in the temple. It is so cute!


Here, Johnny is showing off his doggy slippers from Gammie. This boy is loved by many, that's for sure. We like to think we love you best, dude!

Keeping it all in the Family

A new baby is so exciting. You wonder what he's going to look like when he's born and then he's born and you wonder what he's going to look like when he grows up. And every time I am with the Coveys, they tell me that Johnny looks exactly like me and every time I'm with my family, they tell me that Johnny looks like his Papa Covey.

I'll let you be the judge.

Here are some pictures of some of Johnny's cousins. (I didn't want to hurt his self esteem by telling him he looks like a girl or vice versa scar any of the girls by telling them they look like a boy, so I purposefully left out pictures of any of the cute girl cousins)



Nigel Harvey Anderson

Lance Charles Bennett - I confirmed with his mother.

Isaac Arsenio Canlas - I picked this picture because Isaac looks especially like Johnny when he's really hungry and determined to latch on as quickly as he can.



Here's Papa Covey's picture for comparison.

Beepa gets extra credit for matching Johnny's hairstyle of choice. But don't let that affect your decision.


And here's the subject in question. I love when people tell me who he looks like because it's fun to hear the different opinions and I have absolutely no idea. You know how you can't see the forest because of the trees? I don't think I can see who he looks like because I hang out with him all of the time. Oh well, no matter who he looks like, I think he's pretty cute!

Honesty, like modesty, is always in style

So I will be honest. I LOVE picking my son's boogers. I love cleaning house in there. I love the satisfaction of pulling one out and seeing it on a Q-tip. It's the perfect combination of gross yet fun. I love clearing the way. I love contributing to more oxygen getting to his brain. (I am, after all, incredibly concerned with the development of his brain with the cod liver oil that tastes like Pledge furniture polish that I drink every day as a testament to that loving concern).

Here are a few pics of the glorious process.

A walk in the library

This week, we went to the library with Isaac and Camille and Nigel. We went to the dinosaur section and picked 16 books for Isaac to take home. That's right - 16. While Isaac was picking books, Johnny Quattro was running around looking for photo opps.

He's like the little traveling gnome.

One day we'll read about fish and dinosaurs and all other kinds of creatures.

I'm not admitting that this is a New Year's resolution or anything. It just happens to be a change that I've made in my life that just happens to be near the change of one year to the next. And I have to say in my defense that I was doing this before the year started. Walking. Jogging. Let's call it wogging. I'm following a program with my sisters called from Couch to 5K. We walk a little bit, we run a little bit and I'm sore enough after 3 times a week that I consider it effective.

Here's Johnny Quattro with his cousin Nigel enjoying the jogger (walker, whatever).

Forget the two front teeth!

For Christmas, we usually know exactly what we're getting each other, but I love to surprise Johnny with at least one thing. Our first Christmas, I had his cowboy boots taken to the cobbler (as in shoe, not peach) and redid the soles. This Christmas, it was matching pajama pants for father and son. Since I made up the pattern, Johnny actually looks like he's a bow-legged cowboy wearing them. Baby Johnny's pants look much more normal. Can't wait to get you some boots to match your dad, baby boy!

All of the girls got pajama pants from Mom Covey. Needless to say, I am being very brave posting such an unflattering post-partum picture.