Real Life

I get to choose just the right words when I'm blogging.  I get to edit and delete what I don't like.

I try to be pretty honest and open about what life is really like for me and my family.

I try not to sugar coat anything or spare you any gritty details.

I try to keep it real.

But sometimes I don't succeed. 

However, a picture speaks a thousand words.

So rather than tell you about my real life right now, I thought I'd show you instead.

This is the current state of my kitchen.  It is safe to assume that the rest of the counter-top not pictured looks very similar.  As does the stove and counter-tops on the opposite side of the kitchen.

The pile of laundry at the foot of my unmade bed.  It has been there an embarrassingly long time.

The pile of folded, clean J laundry that hasn't been put away.  Note the ironing board in the background - that thing hardly ever comes out.  But D had to iron his shirt for work tomorrow.  And so there it will stay for who knows how long.

The constantly cluttered bathroom counter.  And no towels hanging up.  They're in the laundry right now, but prior to that, they all found a home on our bedroom floor.

The pile of J's toys.  This is a very minimal pile right now, but only because he didn't want to play today and just wanted snuggles - it's tough to be a teething baby.

That's about as real as it gets.

Homemade Maxi Skirt

 I've been subbing a lot in nursery lately, which I love.

But knee-length, a-line skirts aren't conducive to crawling around on the floor with 9 18-month thru 3 year olds.

I have two maternity maxi-skirts in my closet, one of which I wear regularly (the other is pretty obviously maternity).  But I need a few more to mix it up for when I'm in nursery (or don't want to shave my legs).   

Patterns for maxi skirts are all over Pinterest.  

I'm not a sewer so I pin the patterns and don't do anything but stare at them longingly.

But then I found this pattern:

And I thought "that doesn't look too terribly daunting!"

I dragged D and J around with me to Joann's and Hobby Lobby and then back to Joann's for fabric (they both hated it, but they're good sports).

 

This is the final product:

Kindly ignore the mess in the background/all around me.

It's not perfect.

And I learned a lot.

I want to make another version of this skirt in another fabric pattern and implement what I've learned (anyone know where to find cute knit fabric?).

But for all its imperfections, it has given me more confidence to try some more skirt patterns.

I'm excited!  Watch for what's to come!

First Kisses

In almost every TV show/movie, the guy and girl and up together and their first kiss is magical.

As a girl raised on Disney movies, I learned a lot about first kisses with your true love.

The first kiss can wake the deepest spell cast sleep (Snow White and Sleeping Beauty), can change your social standing (Aladdin and Little Mermaid), and can melt the most beastly of hearts (Beauty and the Beast).

My first kiss wasn't with my true love.  But, I had high expectations.  As a teenage girl fully, I was wrapped up in the excitement and of twitterpation of my first "relationship."  I had to practically beg to be kissed.  (Remember when e-cards were cool to send?  I sent one to my then boyfriend asking him to kiss me with the song "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer playing in the background.  I'm not even kidding.)  My first kiss wasn't firework inducing.  It was both of our first kisses ever.  It was uncoordinated.  Sloppy.  And I was giddy!

I had lots of first kisses with various boys over the years.  Some were better than others.  And some meant more than others.  But none banished evil spells or transformed a beast or frog to a prince.

My first kiss with my true love (D) was pretty magical, honestly.  We had just sat through a less than stellar production of Beauty and the Beast (December 2008).  We went on a walk.  The moment came, the snow falling softly all around us, and we kissed.  I felt my heart flutter and for all I knew, there could've been fireworks going off in the sky (there certainly were in my mind!) and evil spells being vanquished left and right.  Silly, I know.  But I was over the moon!  He was cooler, hotter, smarter, funnier, and better than I thought I deserved.  And it all scared me.  Scared me because I knew I could love this boy.

He was my last first kiss.  

And my best, most magical first kiss.

Tired of Being Tired

Back in summer 2008 (also known as the worst summer of my life), D* and I went to therapy for my depression and anxiety.  

*He went because he was my "primary care giver" and because I had no idea how to really communicate my needs to him yet.

While the therapy was less than helpful (because I didn't want to be there and I was a really good liar/faker), I did learn one thing.

Whenever the therapist would ask me how I was doing, I would say that I was tired.

Tired is the dominant expression of my d/a.

It's not like a "I need to go to sleep" tired.

It's more like I am burned-out, broken-down, drained, beat, weary, depleted.

It doesn't matter how much I sleep, how many caffeinated beverages I drink, how much I exercise or eat energy-rich foods I eat, I'm still tired.

But, I think I might've found something to help wake me up.

Yoga.

I took a yoga class in college and loved it.

I tried to keep doing yoga at home on my own.

But then, I kind of fell out of the habit.

I started doing it again this past week and holy amazing, Batman.

I've done at least 15 minutes every morning.  Usually more.  

And then another 15-30 minutes at night.

I have felt so much more awake and connected to my body.

And the awake-ness has lasted all day!

Maybe my days of being tired are over?

Surviving or Thriving

Since coming home from vacation, I have been in survival mode, only operating off of my "to-do" list.

Grocery shop.

Make freezer meals.

Make baby food.
Lessons.

Vacuum.

Laundry.

Fold.

Put away.

Bank.

Clean Bathroom.

Clean Kitchen.

Vacuum again.

More lessons.

D has totally been the fun, playful, parent.

I've just been trying to get by.

 Today, we took a couple hours to go to the park just down the street.
I am so glad we did.

 I didn't worry about all the things I "should've" been doing.
Instead, I just existed in that moment, in that space.
Loving my boy, my husband, my dog.
Enjoying and soaking in every minute of just us, the way we are right now.

I needed those couple of hours to remind myself of my priorities.
And to remind myself to not get so caught up in the "to do" lists, that I forget those who need to be loved.

Disneyland with a Baby

Disneyland can strike fear into the hearts of parents with babies.

What will happen to their schedule?

How much food should I bring each day?

Are they going to be able to get any sleep?

Are they going to be scared of the characters?

What about the long lines?

What will the weather be like - will one sweatshirt be enough or too much?

Will they be scared of the fireworks? Parades? Shows? 
What rides can they go on?
What rides will they actually enjoy? 

We spent 3 days in the parks (March 12-14) with the T family (thanks Mom and Dad!). 

With J being 10 months old, I was concerns.

Especially because he is so wiggly and independent.

But, we survived.

Not only did we survive, we all had an awesome time!
Disneyland with a baby is not only do-able, it's totally a blast!

And here's what we learned.

The child care rooms at Disneyland and California Adventure are awesome!
At Disneyland, the Child Care Center is located at the end Main Street right next to the First Aid Center.  At California Adventure, the Child Care Center is located on the Pacific Wharf right next to the Bakery Tour.  The centers are staffed with the kindest cast members!  Not only that, but they are a quiet, clean place to change diapers, feed your kid (there are high chairs and a private room for nursing or pumping), or take a break.  And, if you happened to forget anything, these centers are well stocked - diapers, wipes, baby powder, baby lotion, baby food, formula, bottles, pacifiers, everything.  Sure, they're a little pricier than what you'd bay at Target, but not outrageous.  And super helpful.  We used the center at California Adventure more often, but both are great. 

There are so many rides without height requirements!
In Disneyland, there are no height requirements for: Casey Jr., Dumbo, the Carousel, Tarzan's Tree House, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pooh Bear's Adventure, the Monorail, Disneyland Railroad, Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Astro Orbiter, Peter Pan, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Rodger Rabbit, Small World, and the Teacups.
In California Adventure, there are no height requirements for: Little Mermaid, Golden Zephyr, the Ferris Wheel, Monsters Inc.,  the Animation Studio, Toy Story Mania, Flik's Flyers, Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, King Triton's Carousel, and Francis' Ladybug Boogie.
There are also tons of shows - Muppet's 3D, It's Tough to Be A Bug, Aladdin, Billy Hill and the Hillbilly's, etc.

J loved: Small World, Casey Jr., Dumbo, the Carousel, Jungle Cruise, the Monorail, Buzz Lightyear, Peter Pan, the Ferris Wheel, Monsters Inc., Turtle Talk with Crush, Flik's Flyers, Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, Billy Hill and the Hillbilly's and the Teacups.
J did not enjoy: the Haunted Mansion, Pooh Bear's Adventure, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Little Mermaid, Muppet's 3D, or Rodger Rabbit (loud, dark, spinning cars in the dark, etc.)
We didn't try: Pirates of the Caribbean, Astro Orbiter, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Golden Zephyr, It's Tough to Be A Bug, Aladdin, or Francis' Ladybug Boogie.

A jogging stroller works better than a non-jogging stroller.
With the curbs in both parks, it's so much easier to use a jogging stroller than a non-jogging one.  Our jogger has more storage underneath as well, which was super helpful.

Take advantage of the stroller passes!
Disneyland and California Adventure have this awesome system set up for parents whose kids are too small to ride the rides.  The stroller pass allows 2 people to go through the Fast Pass line and ride the ride quickly so the family can all experience the ride and not have to wait in long lines twice.  When you go to get in line, ask the cast member for a stroller pass.  They will give you a card to give to the cast member at the front of the line.  The cast member at the front of the line will give you a stroller pass for whoever is watching the kid in the stroller to use.  The stroller pass rocks!

Bring something to cover your stroller to help your little sleep at the parks.
We found a beach towel worked best to wrap around the stroller while J slept.  J didn't get too hot because the towel breathed well.

Bring something that lights up for night times at the park.
Glow sticks from the dollar store work well.  Disney also sells various spinning and light-up toys.  We bought one at the park and J loved it - it really helped at night time when it got dark.

Bring lots of baby wipes and hand sanitizer.
I'm not a germaphobe.  Really truly, I'm not one of those moms who stresses about my kid getting into dirt or whatever.  But Disneyland and California Adventure are on a totally different level.  And my kid loves to touch everything.

Have layers and extra clothes on hand.
It is cool in the morning and at night, but during the day it warmed up quite a bit.  Layers helped J stay comfortable and happy regardless of the weather - we did a onesie underneath a t-shirt and jeans and then a zip up hoodie.  While we were there, the mornings and evenings were in the 50's and the afternoons were in the 80's.  We also needed a change of clothes one of the three days.

Hydrate!
Seems kind of like a no brainer, but your kid's eating and sleeping schedule is going to be all messed up while you're in the parks, so keep extra formula and bottles on hand (especially if it's warm!).  And your baby will need more fluids if your outside in the heat all day.  We gave J bottles frequently - juice, water, formula.  He didn't always drink it all, but we figured a little bit of fluids quite often was better than a few ounces every few hours.

 
Don't worry about taking it slow.
Disney with a baby is a much slower experience than with older kids or just adults.  Let your kid dictate your speed.  Pay attention to when they need a break from stimulation.  Pay attention to how they react to certain rides.  Don't be afraid to sit and people watch for a while or ride the monorail back and forth.  Don't worry about spending 2 hours in the Animation Studio to let your kid crawl around and watch the big televisions.  Sure, you might not get to ride California Screamin' 8 times, and maybe you'll have to ride Small World 5 times, but you will have a happy baby, which makes everyone happy. 

Enjoy the experience.
It's not about the thrill of the rides or the stuff.  Your baby doesn't care about the souvenirs or toys.
It's more about seeing the excitement in your baby's eyes as they enjoy meeting a character or ride a fun ride or watch a fun show.  Your baby might not remember the experience, but you'll remember the laughter and the fun of seeing your baby so happy.

Ten Months!

 We tried so hard, multiple times, to get 10-month pictures of this stink.  This is the best of our attempts.   He just didn't want to sit still!

Nicknames: Jack-Jack, Jack, Action Jack, Bubba, Doddle, Bug, Stink, Stinker, Stink-Bug, Diddle, Jackie

This Month:

• Jack has teeth!  The bottom two teeth made their appearance within 18 hours of each other.
• J is walking with his walker-toy!  And he is so proud of himself!  He loves walking up and down our hallway - full of smiles, giggles, and can walk back and forth forever!
• J loves making friends.  Although he's a little shy if he can't see Mom and Dad, he greets everyone with a big smile and reaches for hugs!
• Izzy has become more wary of J now that J is much more mobile.  This doesn't stop J from chasing her all the time!  When he catches her, he loves to hold her tail or her ears.  He even likes to see the inside of her mouth.  The two of them are so funny!
• J wants to be a big kid so bad!  He wants to do everything he sees his cousins or other kids do.  And, he'll try!
• J still loves loves loves loves loves to eat.  Veggies, fruits, bread, cookies, cereal, yogurt bites, french fries.  Holy cow, this kid can pack in food!  And he loves to feed himself.  We went out to dinner with some friends and he had one french fry in each hand and went to town!
• J still loves to Skype - he recognizes the sound of the ring and gets so excited because he knows his family is on the other end!
• J's love of music grows and grows - from playing piano to playing drums to singing to listening to music.  Current favorite songs include "Itsy Bitsy Spider" "Wheels on the Bus" "Popcorn Popping" "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam" and, as always, the BYU Fight Song.
• J loves to explore the sounds things make.  He will tap and bang on anything and everything from the dog to the floor because he loves to hear the different sounds.
• We lowered J's crib mattress.  Now that he's gotten so good at pulling himself up to standing, he will pull himself up in the crib and stand and scream/cry until we come get him.
• J is down to 2 naps a day instead of 3.  
• Anytime we go to a new place, he spends quite a bit of time looking around and getting to know his environment before he really warms up and dives in.
• J gives kisses!  They're more like open mouth smacks, but you can tell him "give me kisses!" and he'll give you some!  Well, if he's in the mood.

I adore this boy!  He makes every day brighter and more fun.  What a blessing it is to be his mom!

The Car Saga

In November 2009, D and I made our first major purchase of our marriage and bought a used 2009 Toyota Corolla. 

We named her Charlotte.

Chuck, for short.

Then, in June 2010 we drove to Oregon for my sister's high school graduation.  We hit a 5-point buck outside of Shasta and got the front right side of our car smashed in.

Our insurance wouldn't cover getting it fixed.

But, there was no structural damage - only cosmetic.

So I kept driving my car.

After driving my car around for 2.5 years, we finally had saved enough money to get my car fixed.

We dropped my car off last Monday - the shop said it would take 9 business days.

Since D is out of work, we planned to just share his car until mine was done.

Doable, right?

Unfortunately, his car is a stick shift and I don't drive stick.

So this last week, I have felt like a teenager.

D has had to drive me around everywhere.

Target, the bank, the grocery store, Costco, everywhere.

I can't wait to get my freaking car back.