Ramblings about my life and my inner thoughts.
Monday, October 22, 2012
It's A........
We had our ultrasound today. It's a....GIRL. We of course love girls so wer're super excited. Now only 4.25 more months of this pregnancy business. In other news, Isabel is talking like crazy. I love her sweet little voice and am so taken aback by the things I hear her say. This afternoon I sneezed and she non chalantly said, "bless you". I love it. Her little voice is so cute. Here is a video of her amazing animal identifying skills. :)
Potty Training Funsies
One woe of being a parent: Diapers are a hassle. Whether you cloth diaper or fork out the dough for disposables there's just no way around the ickiness of diapering.
This led Dave and me to seek out potty training advise. I bought a potty for Isabel super early, like when she was 15 months. She was in no way interested in peeing on the potty. Then I came across this article on babycenter.com. We tried it when Isabel was 18 months old and it totally worked! The first day was rough. Isabel had "accidents" EVERYWHERE. I was ready to give up but Dave remained patient and the second day it just clicked for our sweet girl.
Since our fun filled potty training weekend she has been awesome. She has very few accidents. However, we've had to get used to a baby running around with no pants on when we're at home. Which leads me to a funny story that happened just last night. Isabel had not had her "number 2" for the day so I was watching her like a hawk since I had put stretchpants on her. She's a funny girl and likes to have her privacy when she does her business, so typically she goes upstairs and goes potty on the potty in her room. When she's finished she yells, "Help, Help, Help, POOOOOP" When I hear this I know I better come running because she wants me to wipe her bumm and empty her potty. So last night I got busy on the computer and didn't notice that it had gotten pretty quiet. A thought popped into my head that I should check on Isabel since she hasn't quite mastered the technique of taking her pants off before sitting on the potty. I ran upstairs (literally two minutes had gone by) and sure enough, there she was sitting on the potty with her pants ON. She looked at me proudly, pointed in the potty and shouted, "POOOOP, PEEE" which she followed up with her cute little potty dance. When I tried to carefully take her pants off in such a way to contain all the little "2's" it was to no avail. I was greeted by little nuggets rolling down her legs onto the freshly cleaned carpets. Awesome. So, while I desperately tried to hold my child on the potty so she wouldn't step in anything and I hadn't managed to get her pants off yet so I didn't want more to fall out, I looked for a package of wipes nearby (which there wasn't any to be found) to pick up the poop with. Definitely not my finest moment. Thank heavens for bath time, that's all I have to say. In her defense she did poop on the potty. :)
We spent the next half hour pulling all the different pairs of pants out of her drawers and practiced putting them on and taking them off. We'll get this thing down. So, up side of potty training early: no more diapers!!!! Downside: She can't really take her pants off herself which sometimes leads to poop disasters.
Another upside: Teeny tiny little undies.
This led Dave and me to seek out potty training advise. I bought a potty for Isabel super early, like when she was 15 months. She was in no way interested in peeing on the potty. Then I came across this article on babycenter.com. We tried it when Isabel was 18 months old and it totally worked! The first day was rough. Isabel had "accidents" EVERYWHERE. I was ready to give up but Dave remained patient and the second day it just clicked for our sweet girl.
Since our fun filled potty training weekend she has been awesome. She has very few accidents. However, we've had to get used to a baby running around with no pants on when we're at home. Which leads me to a funny story that happened just last night. Isabel had not had her "number 2" for the day so I was watching her like a hawk since I had put stretchpants on her. She's a funny girl and likes to have her privacy when she does her business, so typically she goes upstairs and goes potty on the potty in her room. When she's finished she yells, "Help, Help, Help, POOOOOP" When I hear this I know I better come running because she wants me to wipe her bumm and empty her potty. So last night I got busy on the computer and didn't notice that it had gotten pretty quiet. A thought popped into my head that I should check on Isabel since she hasn't quite mastered the technique of taking her pants off before sitting on the potty. I ran upstairs (literally two minutes had gone by) and sure enough, there she was sitting on the potty with her pants ON. She looked at me proudly, pointed in the potty and shouted, "POOOOP, PEEE" which she followed up with her cute little potty dance. When I tried to carefully take her pants off in such a way to contain all the little "2's" it was to no avail. I was greeted by little nuggets rolling down her legs onto the freshly cleaned carpets. Awesome. So, while I desperately tried to hold my child on the potty so she wouldn't step in anything and I hadn't managed to get her pants off yet so I didn't want more to fall out, I looked for a package of wipes nearby (which there wasn't any to be found) to pick up the poop with. Definitely not my finest moment. Thank heavens for bath time, that's all I have to say. In her defense she did poop on the potty. :)
We spent the next half hour pulling all the different pairs of pants out of her drawers and practiced putting them on and taking them off. We'll get this thing down. So, up side of potty training early: no more diapers!!!! Downside: She can't really take her pants off herself which sometimes leads to poop disasters.
Another upside: Teeny tiny little undies.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Little Joys in Our Home
I'm starting a new series called, "Little Joys in Our Home". It's an effort for me to focus on the little things that I am grateful for. Because I think everyone can use a reminder of how blessed they are. So this week in Little Joys in Our Home...
1. Talking babies. Isabel has gotten to the age where she tries to say everything that you say. It's the cutest thing ever. Just this morning she learned how to say wolf. Probably my favorite word of her is, "turtle".
2. I taught Isabel how to say, "No, No" and shake her finger at an object that has hurt her in an effort to distract her enough to stop crying. So, now I catch her sternly scolding things like her toys, or the wall that she just ran into and sometimes even her Daddy that tickles her too much. I love it.
3. Lady bugs. I'm growing a garden and the thing that drives me bananas is to find it overrun by aphids. They're impossible to get rid of, especially when you're growing organic. But then? I read that ladybugs eat aphids. So, I went to my local nursery and picked up 2,000 ladybugs for $10 and released them in my garden last night. Not only do I love to find a solution without chemicals but I'm kind of a tree hugger when it comes to saving things, like ladybugs. So I get to get rid of bad bugs and help feed good ones. Who needs harmful chemicals when nature has everything already thought out? Love the lady bugs.
4. Isabel loves her Daddy and he loves her. I thought I loved my husband when we got married. I didn't think I could love him any more than I already did. Then we had a baby and as I've watched him nurture her my love for him has grown into something I never thought possible. I'm so filled with joy when Daddy comes home and Isabel rushes over to him with her little hands in the air asking him to hold her. I love to watch her snuggle with him at night and hear her asking for Da Da when she wakes up from her naps. I don't know how I could want anything more than this sweet little family I have been blessed with.
1. Talking babies. Isabel has gotten to the age where she tries to say everything that you say. It's the cutest thing ever. Just this morning she learned how to say wolf. Probably my favorite word of her is, "turtle".
2. I taught Isabel how to say, "No, No" and shake her finger at an object that has hurt her in an effort to distract her enough to stop crying. So, now I catch her sternly scolding things like her toys, or the wall that she just ran into and sometimes even her Daddy that tickles her too much. I love it.
3. Lady bugs. I'm growing a garden and the thing that drives me bananas is to find it overrun by aphids. They're impossible to get rid of, especially when you're growing organic. But then? I read that ladybugs eat aphids. So, I went to my local nursery and picked up 2,000 ladybugs for $10 and released them in my garden last night. Not only do I love to find a solution without chemicals but I'm kind of a tree hugger when it comes to saving things, like ladybugs. So I get to get rid of bad bugs and help feed good ones. Who needs harmful chemicals when nature has everything already thought out? Love the lady bugs.
4. Isabel loves her Daddy and he loves her. I thought I loved my husband when we got married. I didn't think I could love him any more than I already did. Then we had a baby and as I've watched him nurture her my love for him has grown into something I never thought possible. I'm so filled with joy when Daddy comes home and Isabel rushes over to him with her little hands in the air asking him to hold her. I love to watch her snuggle with him at night and hear her asking for Da Da when she wakes up from her naps. I don't know how I could want anything more than this sweet little family I have been blessed with.
4. Starburst candies. Need I say more?
What are some of the joys in your home?
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Rebellious Much?
In my experiences as a mother I've realized so many things about myself. As I watch my daughter grow, learn and explore her little world I am constantly enlightened by her. She'll do something and I find myself going, gosh...I do that! The most recent development in Isabel's personality is rebellion. She certainly is testing her limits and boundaries.
If I say, "Isabel, those bees go OUCH. Don't touch."
What does Isabel do? She gets closer to the bees yells, "BEE" and frantically tries to grab one of them before I can reach her and pull her away.
If I say, "Isabel, we walk on the sidewalk not the street."
Isabel is looks at me with a mischievous look in her eye and before I know it she turns and makes a beeline for the street then giggles as I run to grab her just before she hits the asphalt.
Also? She's learned the word ow-ee (among many others, she's become quite the motor mouth) she knows what it means and if she falls she'll say ow or ow-ee. So why is this significant? Because when she gets angry or frustrated she'll scratch or hit my face while yelling OW-WEE. She's still really little so it doesn't hurt but man, where did she learn this aggression?!?
Isabel is definitely becoming her own little person with her own BIG personality. Her independent ways and little bouts of rebellion have made me reflect on my own rebellious heart. If I were to be honest with myself I would say that my urges to be rebellious are among my biggest flaws. My husband points out the fact that If I have something that I HAVE to get done these are the times when I am most aggressive to spend time with him. I totally recognize it now but for years I've put things off not in a spirit of procrastination but seriously? I think it's because I need to have some control or something so I rebel and think, I'm not gonna do that because I'm just not. Dumb huh?!?
My most recent rebellion comes on the heals of another disappointment.
Maybe this is TMI for a blog but sharing through writing heals me. So forgive me if I share too much.
Dave and I want a big huge family. We both feel that it is our mission here on Earth to raise wonderful children. We both feel so incredibly blessed to have Isabel, even if she is a little stinker sometimes. :) But, we've been working on another addition to our family. We've run into a little bump in the road and just experienced our third miscarriage this year. This time around wasn't so bad, I was only 4 weeks and had only known for a few days. But, any loss is a loss I feel. I think the worst part for me is that when I see that little pink line on the pregnancy test telling me that I'm growing a new baby I feel dread instead of excitement. This time around I didn't allow myself to think about having an actual baby in 9 months. Instead I waited for a miscarriage. And when the miscarriage happened I wasn't surprised. I wasn't devastated, just a little worn down. Because seriously, if we never have another child of our own we'll still be the most blessed people ever because we get to be Isabel's parents! We can still raise a big huge family and wonderful children it just may come in a different form than we had intended. We can certainly adopt and then there are foster children who need good loving homes. Whatever God has in store for us, that is what we'll do. I know this now, but for a minute I was a little bitter and rebellious.
My bed time routine consists of brushing teeth, brushing retainers, and then taking a prenatal vitamin. If I don't take my vitamin at night then I'm done for, I'll never remember. But you know what I did? I eyed the prenatal vitamin bottle and thought to myself, "Well if I can't have a healthy pregnancy then I'm not gonna take my vitamin" and I didn't. Then the next day when I was a little tired I decided to have a soda WITH caffeine. Okay, yeah my rebellion consists of skipping a night of vitamins and drinking a soda with caffeine in it, but rebellion nonetheless. Even if my moment of weakness led me to do things that are pretty inconsequential I still feel ashamed for the attitude that was behind it. The little spoiled child inside me that says well if I can't have what I want then I'm going to throw a fit about it. Instead I want to experience life with an attitude of gratitude because every day is truly a gift. And I'm so thankful for this experience that we call life where I can realize these little things and work through them. Where my loving savior has made it possible for me to become perfected through him. Where because of the atonement I'm able to have my little fits and then repent and realize my weaknesses and truly progress towards godliness.
So, among all the other things I'm working on in regards to myself I'll add giving up rebellion. It's going to seriously be so hard for me and I just know I'm not always going to succeed but, one battle at a time I know I'll get better at living with an attitude of gratitude. :)
What more can I ask for than these sweet sweet smiling faces, the oodles of giggles that surround me every day and my wonderful husband who picks me up when I feel like I can't stand? Thank you Heavenly Father for the joy that you put into my life!
If I say, "Isabel, those bees go OUCH. Don't touch."
What does Isabel do? She gets closer to the bees yells, "BEE" and frantically tries to grab one of them before I can reach her and pull her away.
If I say, "Isabel, we walk on the sidewalk not the street."
Isabel is looks at me with a mischievous look in her eye and before I know it she turns and makes a beeline for the street then giggles as I run to grab her just before she hits the asphalt.
Also? She's learned the word ow-ee (among many others, she's become quite the motor mouth) she knows what it means and if she falls she'll say ow or ow-ee. So why is this significant? Because when she gets angry or frustrated she'll scratch or hit my face while yelling OW-WEE. She's still really little so it doesn't hurt but man, where did she learn this aggression?!?
Isabel is definitely becoming her own little person with her own BIG personality. Her independent ways and little bouts of rebellion have made me reflect on my own rebellious heart. If I were to be honest with myself I would say that my urges to be rebellious are among my biggest flaws. My husband points out the fact that If I have something that I HAVE to get done these are the times when I am most aggressive to spend time with him. I totally recognize it now but for years I've put things off not in a spirit of procrastination but seriously? I think it's because I need to have some control or something so I rebel and think, I'm not gonna do that because I'm just not. Dumb huh?!?
My most recent rebellion comes on the heals of another disappointment.
Maybe this is TMI for a blog but sharing through writing heals me. So forgive me if I share too much.
Dave and I want a big huge family. We both feel that it is our mission here on Earth to raise wonderful children. We both feel so incredibly blessed to have Isabel, even if she is a little stinker sometimes. :) But, we've been working on another addition to our family. We've run into a little bump in the road and just experienced our third miscarriage this year. This time around wasn't so bad, I was only 4 weeks and had only known for a few days. But, any loss is a loss I feel. I think the worst part for me is that when I see that little pink line on the pregnancy test telling me that I'm growing a new baby I feel dread instead of excitement. This time around I didn't allow myself to think about having an actual baby in 9 months. Instead I waited for a miscarriage. And when the miscarriage happened I wasn't surprised. I wasn't devastated, just a little worn down. Because seriously, if we never have another child of our own we'll still be the most blessed people ever because we get to be Isabel's parents! We can still raise a big huge family and wonderful children it just may come in a different form than we had intended. We can certainly adopt and then there are foster children who need good loving homes. Whatever God has in store for us, that is what we'll do. I know this now, but for a minute I was a little bitter and rebellious.
My bed time routine consists of brushing teeth, brushing retainers, and then taking a prenatal vitamin. If I don't take my vitamin at night then I'm done for, I'll never remember. But you know what I did? I eyed the prenatal vitamin bottle and thought to myself, "Well if I can't have a healthy pregnancy then I'm not gonna take my vitamin" and I didn't. Then the next day when I was a little tired I decided to have a soda WITH caffeine. Okay, yeah my rebellion consists of skipping a night of vitamins and drinking a soda with caffeine in it, but rebellion nonetheless. Even if my moment of weakness led me to do things that are pretty inconsequential I still feel ashamed for the attitude that was behind it. The little spoiled child inside me that says well if I can't have what I want then I'm going to throw a fit about it. Instead I want to experience life with an attitude of gratitude because every day is truly a gift. And I'm so thankful for this experience that we call life where I can realize these little things and work through them. Where my loving savior has made it possible for me to become perfected through him. Where because of the atonement I'm able to have my little fits and then repent and realize my weaknesses and truly progress towards godliness.
So, among all the other things I'm working on in regards to myself I'll add giving up rebellion. It's going to seriously be so hard for me and I just know I'm not always going to succeed but, one battle at a time I know I'll get better at living with an attitude of gratitude. :)
What more can I ask for than these sweet sweet smiling faces, the oodles of giggles that surround me every day and my wonderful husband who picks me up when I feel like I can't stand? Thank you Heavenly Father for the joy that you put into my life!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
My Garden Project
This year I took over the gardening duties. I wanted something that
Isabel and I could do together outside. Plus? I think it's totally
awesome to be able to grow our own food! Dave put in a few extra garden
beds and has let me plan out the whole thing. I planted some seeds
right in the garden beds without starting them first and was a little
nervous that nothing would grow. But, to my delight my little seedlings
popped through the soil today.
Dave also built me some composting bins, so excited to be able to make my very own soil amendments from stuff that would usually get thrown into a yard waste bin! We're very resourceful around here. ;)
On another note, I bought Isabel a potty. Wishful thinking I suppose. She loves to sit on it...as long as her diaper is on. Otherwise she is terrified and I think maybe she's thinking, woman I'm too dang little to pee pee pee in the potty, and your incessant cheering is not helping either.
You Are Beautiful
Recently while spending time with my girlfriends the topic of body image came up. A friend who I look up to and whom I find gorgeous commented on her desire to lose a little here and there. Which led me to express my feelings in that I don't think no matter how I look I'll ever be satisfied with my body. She looked at me surprised and said, "Even now, you're not happy with how you look?" I was a little taken aback that she would assume that I'm happy, because seriously, I sometimes cry when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror pre-clothing. Even when I was the most fit and at my skinniest I was terribly sad that I didn't look like the girls in the magazines. Now that I've had a baby with breastfeeding and stretchmarks my body is definitely not what it used to be. I find myself apologizing to my husband for the way I look and lovingly he reminds me that I'm beautiful and that my mommy badge is so much more appealing than anything else.
I couldn't stop thinking about this conversation with my girls and tried to think back to when I started to hate the way I look, because certainly I didn't always feel this way. My thoughts led me back to high school when all my friends had cute bubble butts and straight hips and I had huge hips and a womanly figure. In fact my nickname was "hips". I remember one instance when I was jumping on the trampoline with my two best friends and one of them said, "It's really weird because you're so skinny but you have so much cellulite." I went home that night devastated and after dinner decided to inspect this cellulite anomaly. When, in the mirror, I saw the dimples my friends had referred to I panicked and resolved to run it off. I ran and ran and ran but it didn't seem to make a difference. I was doomed to have cellulite on my thighs. (Oh the injustice! ;))
Looking back on this story as a woman I feel a little foolish. Of course I have cellulite on my thighs, I'm a woman. Don't most women have cellulite on their thighs? I wish I could make that teenage girl (me) realize that she was beautiful and that she didn't need to worry that she looked like a woman and not a young girl. I wish I could go back and reverse the damage that has led me to struggle with the way I look. Because seriously such a dumb little incident has negatively impacted my self image in a huge way over the years.
So....what's my point right? You are beautiful! No matter how bad you think you look there is someone else out there who looks at you and thinks, "man that lady is beautiful". As bad as I think I look I have friends that have told me they think I look great not to mention my husband who reassures me every day that I'm beautiful. Let the little nitpicks go and stop living for, "someday I'll be beautiful". My resolve is to stop telling myself that if I just work out I'll be okay, or if I just put makeup on everyday I won't feel so unattractive or whatever nagging feeling I get when I feel not good enough. Instead I'm working today and tomorrow and the next day to tell myself that it's okay that my bewbies don't look like they used to because I fed my baby for 10 months with them and isn't that so much more beautiful that having them perky? ;)
Ladies, let's be gentle with ourselves. It's bad enough that we have a world telling us that we aren't beautiful enough, let's not also be the ones telling ourselves this. Because seriously we ARE beautiful. And you know what's the most beautiful thing of all? I used my body (cellulite and all) to grow this sweet little baby girl. This eternal spirit gets to be here on Earth to learn and progress because my body was able to change and grow in order to bring her here. How cool is that?
I couldn't stop thinking about this conversation with my girls and tried to think back to when I started to hate the way I look, because certainly I didn't always feel this way. My thoughts led me back to high school when all my friends had cute bubble butts and straight hips and I had huge hips and a womanly figure. In fact my nickname was "hips". I remember one instance when I was jumping on the trampoline with my two best friends and one of them said, "It's really weird because you're so skinny but you have so much cellulite." I went home that night devastated and after dinner decided to inspect this cellulite anomaly. When, in the mirror, I saw the dimples my friends had referred to I panicked and resolved to run it off. I ran and ran and ran but it didn't seem to make a difference. I was doomed to have cellulite on my thighs. (Oh the injustice! ;))
Looking back on this story as a woman I feel a little foolish. Of course I have cellulite on my thighs, I'm a woman. Don't most women have cellulite on their thighs? I wish I could make that teenage girl (me) realize that she was beautiful and that she didn't need to worry that she looked like a woman and not a young girl. I wish I could go back and reverse the damage that has led me to struggle with the way I look. Because seriously such a dumb little incident has negatively impacted my self image in a huge way over the years.
So....what's my point right? You are beautiful! No matter how bad you think you look there is someone else out there who looks at you and thinks, "man that lady is beautiful". As bad as I think I look I have friends that have told me they think I look great not to mention my husband who reassures me every day that I'm beautiful. Let the little nitpicks go and stop living for, "someday I'll be beautiful". My resolve is to stop telling myself that if I just work out I'll be okay, or if I just put makeup on everyday I won't feel so unattractive or whatever nagging feeling I get when I feel not good enough. Instead I'm working today and tomorrow and the next day to tell myself that it's okay that my bewbies don't look like they used to because I fed my baby for 10 months with them and isn't that so much more beautiful that having them perky? ;)
Ladies, let's be gentle with ourselves. It's bad enough that we have a world telling us that we aren't beautiful enough, let's not also be the ones telling ourselves this. Because seriously we ARE beautiful. And you know what's the most beautiful thing of all? I used my body (cellulite and all) to grow this sweet little baby girl. This eternal spirit gets to be here on Earth to learn and progress because my body was able to change and grow in order to bring her here. How cool is that?
Friday, May 4, 2012
The Sandbox is Complete
We finished the sand box and Isabel seems to like it quite a bit! Here it is.
Dave spent the morning leveling out the ground and then changing the
grading around the box to make sure that water drains away from it. He
never does anything half asked. :) I think we got a little too much
sand but that's okay because I'm sure half of it will end up in the
rocks surrounding the box. Now all we need are some friends to come
play, it's big enough for quite a few friends. :) Here are some more
pictures of Isabel playing with the sand for the first time. Does my
girl know how to smile for the camera or what?
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Don't Pray for Patience
Sometimes I find myself praying for virtues that I'd like to posses subsequently thinking that magically I'll posses these things simply because I prayed for them. Hasn't God said that the things that matter to us matter to him? A few months back I began to pray for patience. Simple enough, eh? I'd like to be able to be less stressed out in my life and so I think patience would be a great thing to have. I dream of being able to roll with the punches and not let the little things bother me. Why I thought that I would magically become a patient person is beyond me.
Now I am reminded that Heavenly Father teaches us through experience. I'm learning that patience doesn't just come to you through inspiration, it's something that you acquire through trying experiences. This inspiration popped into my head as I was rocking my sweet girl before her nap. I was thinking to myself, "Wow, my little girl is so sweet right now. It would be so nice if she were willing to snuggle like this more. She's been such a stinker lately. I wonder what I'm supposed to learn from this." I don't know if it's teething or a new found drive to be independent but Isabel has been quite a pill lately. She's started to throw fits and it seems that she just isn't a happy girl. Don't get me wrong, we still have fun and I wouldn't trade her for the world but the first year of her life she was a dream baby. Isabel did not whine or cry about anything, such a trooper. Then, wham everything matters to this little lady. I've found myself thinking, "Self, she's just a little baby she's not trying to make you crazy. Just roll with the punches and instead of flipping out just distract her away from her fit". I am exhausted lately, it takes all my energy to keep up with my sweet, demanding girl. But you know what? I'm learning to be patient. I'm learning what it takes to be the Momma to someone who is probably as difficult to deal with as I am. :) I'm gaining exactly what I asked my Heavenly Father for.
All I can say is, Amazing. The power of prayer is incredible and I can testify that Heavenly Father definitely answers prayers. Maybe not in a way that is immediately apparent to you and perhaps not in the way you'd like them to be answered. But, none the less He answers them. So, be warned, don't pray for things you don't REALLY want because it can be difficult when you get them. :)
I guess it's good that she's so darn cute because even when she's screaming at me for taking the toothbrush away, or the fork, or any other random object she's zeroed on on I still just want to kiss her sweet little face. Here is a picture of her first painting.
Now I am reminded that Heavenly Father teaches us through experience. I'm learning that patience doesn't just come to you through inspiration, it's something that you acquire through trying experiences. This inspiration popped into my head as I was rocking my sweet girl before her nap. I was thinking to myself, "Wow, my little girl is so sweet right now. It would be so nice if she were willing to snuggle like this more. She's been such a stinker lately. I wonder what I'm supposed to learn from this." I don't know if it's teething or a new found drive to be independent but Isabel has been quite a pill lately. She's started to throw fits and it seems that she just isn't a happy girl. Don't get me wrong, we still have fun and I wouldn't trade her for the world but the first year of her life she was a dream baby. Isabel did not whine or cry about anything, such a trooper. Then, wham everything matters to this little lady. I've found myself thinking, "Self, she's just a little baby she's not trying to make you crazy. Just roll with the punches and instead of flipping out just distract her away from her fit". I am exhausted lately, it takes all my energy to keep up with my sweet, demanding girl. But you know what? I'm learning to be patient. I'm learning what it takes to be the Momma to someone who is probably as difficult to deal with as I am. :) I'm gaining exactly what I asked my Heavenly Father for.
All I can say is, Amazing. The power of prayer is incredible and I can testify that Heavenly Father definitely answers prayers. Maybe not in a way that is immediately apparent to you and perhaps not in the way you'd like them to be answered. But, none the less He answers them. So, be warned, don't pray for things you don't REALLY want because it can be difficult when you get them. :)
I guess it's good that she's so darn cute because even when she's screaming at me for taking the toothbrush away, or the fork, or any other random object she's zeroed on on I still just want to kiss her sweet little face. Here is a picture of her first painting.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Our Latest Project
Isabel loves to play in the dirt.
I feel a little white trash letting her play in my empty flower beds/random dirt piles in my back yard. So Dave and I have been talking about possibly putting in a sandbox. One lesson I have yet to learn is that I should never mention wanting to do something to Dave unless I REALLY want to do it. Why, you ask? Because Dave is a do-er. :) Things I have mentioned in the past. "We should landscape the back yard"...the next week we started, "We should finish the basement", basement...done, "We should plant a garden"...."We should build a sandbox"...in progress. I guess what I really should say is, "We should go get massages while having other wonderful spa treatments done, eh, ehhhh?"
Soooo, I think you know how this story goes. Today I found myself clearing rock to put in three more garden beds and a sandbox. Here's our spot. I know, it doesn't look like a lot of rock to move but I've worked out exactly 4 times since I had Isabel, 14 months ago. That was a lot of rock to move for me!
Here is the frame for our new sandbox, Dave whipped it together in no time.
Isabel of course helped Daddy build. She was very helpful picking up the electric drill and squealing whenever she managed to push the button hard enough to turn it on. She also helped pound things together with the hammer. :) She just loves to imitate her Dad and Dave is so loving and patient with her they're quite the team.
I think this new sandbox will be really fun for Isabel and for all her friends to come over and play. <3
I feel a little white trash letting her play in my empty flower beds/random dirt piles in my back yard. So Dave and I have been talking about possibly putting in a sandbox. One lesson I have yet to learn is that I should never mention wanting to do something to Dave unless I REALLY want to do it. Why, you ask? Because Dave is a do-er. :) Things I have mentioned in the past. "We should landscape the back yard"...the next week we started, "We should finish the basement", basement...done, "We should plant a garden"...."We should build a sandbox"...in progress. I guess what I really should say is, "We should go get massages while having other wonderful spa treatments done, eh, ehhhh?"
Soooo, I think you know how this story goes. Today I found myself clearing rock to put in three more garden beds and a sandbox. Here's our spot. I know, it doesn't look like a lot of rock to move but I've worked out exactly 4 times since I had Isabel, 14 months ago. That was a lot of rock to move for me!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Family Fun
This past week my parents "moved" into their second home in Windsor, just ten minutes away! Which basically consisted of buying a new mattress set and borrowing a whole bunch of ugly looking crap from us kids. :) The same weekend my sister, Liz, and her family were moving to Mississippi and were able to stay for Easter. It was a blast! Isabel even skipped both her naps on Saturday (agggghhhhh). It was a little rough to readjust after all the crazy cousin fun but it was oh so worth it! Family is crazy, and irritating, and stressful but most of all wonderful. No one knows you like your family and it's so fun to just be able to me myself and not worry that someone caught a glimpse of my gut, or thought my butt looked big, or thought maybe my comments were annoying. (I'm sure someone at some point thought all these things, but I don't care because family is required to love me anyway)
I loved getting to watch Isabel play with her cousins and run around screaming with little Adam. I loved watching her run up to the other kids to hug and kiss them; it was adorable. It was so fun to have my parents here too. Something to look forward to when the retire in a year or so. I'm excited to get to go shopping with my Momma and hang out when I'm bored. I'm excited that she'll be so darn close! So many good things to look forward to. And, someday when I'm a little more "seasoned" I'll hopefully have a big house of my own where my zillion kids and grandkids can all come play. That's my version of heaven right there.
Unfortunately I am inept and remembering to snap pictures so I don't have any of my own to share of this weekend. But I thought I'd share this picture instead. Isabel woke up from her nap SUPER sweaty and her hair was crazy! Also, she loves to make giant messes when she eats.
I loved getting to watch Isabel play with her cousins and run around screaming with little Adam. I loved watching her run up to the other kids to hug and kiss them; it was adorable. It was so fun to have my parents here too. Something to look forward to when the retire in a year or so. I'm excited to get to go shopping with my Momma and hang out when I'm bored. I'm excited that she'll be so darn close! So many good things to look forward to. And, someday when I'm a little more "seasoned" I'll hopefully have a big house of my own where my zillion kids and grandkids can all come play. That's my version of heaven right there.
Unfortunately I am inept and remembering to snap pictures so I don't have any of my own to share of this weekend. But I thought I'd share this picture instead. Isabel woke up from her nap SUPER sweaty and her hair was crazy! Also, she loves to make giant messes when she eats.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Fun on the Farm
Dave took Isabel and me to a little farm up in Fort Collins and we loved it so much we just had to buy a season pass. (Such a good deal too!) They had oats that you could buy to feed all the animals which Isabel LOVED! Here is a video of her feeding the sheep.
While we were feeding the chickens Isabel began to "bock" back at them, it was so cute. They also had ponies, horses, ducks, goats, and cows. Isabel loves to moo at the cows. Whenever we go to the farm she gets a little antsy on the ride up there it's a ways away but as soon as she realizes where we are she is all smiles. She is such a funny girl she just loves to be outside exploring new things.
While we were feeding the chickens Isabel began to "bock" back at them, it was so cute. They also had ponies, horses, ducks, goats, and cows. Isabel loves to moo at the cows. Whenever we go to the farm she gets a little antsy on the ride up there it's a ways away but as soon as she realizes where we are she is all smiles. She is such a funny girl she just loves to be outside exploring new things.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Blessings
I recently had a friend tell me a story about her friend who just lost her husband and son in a canoeing accident. I could not stop thinking about that girl and what she must be going through. I can't even imagine what it would be like to lose my family so suddenly. My friend then told me how grateful she was that even though her family had just been through a trying time they were all okay. That really put things into perspective for me. The little things that seem so huge to me are nothing in comparison to what others are going through. And you know what's even crazier? Christ has been through it ALL. I'm reminded of a scripture in D&C where Joseph Smith asks the Lord how much longer he will have to endure the cruelties of men and in response the Lord answers.
D&C 122:7-8
7. And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee: if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
8. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater the he?
I have to remember that my life is in God's hands and whatever he sees fit to throw my way I'll endure with the reminder that Christ is on my side and I am no greater than the King of Kings who endured more than I'll ever be able to imagine.
This scripture has helped me in a big way as I try to heal after my second miscarriage in three months. I don't know why I'm going through this trial but I do know that it is for my good. Perhaps I'll be better able to mourn with those that mourn and succor those who stand in need of succor. I'll understand better the pain that comes with anothers loss. I do know that I'm thankful to have the gospel in my life to put an eternal perspective on things. I'm so very grateful to have a wonderful husband who is always there for me and for my beautiful baby girl. My life is so full it sometimes feels silly to grieve over a loss when I have so much more than so many others.
D&C 122:7-8
7. And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee: if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
8. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater the he?
I have to remember that my life is in God's hands and whatever he sees fit to throw my way I'll endure with the reminder that Christ is on my side and I am no greater than the King of Kings who endured more than I'll ever be able to imagine.
This scripture has helped me in a big way as I try to heal after my second miscarriage in three months. I don't know why I'm going through this trial but I do know that it is for my good. Perhaps I'll be better able to mourn with those that mourn and succor those who stand in need of succor. I'll understand better the pain that comes with anothers loss. I do know that I'm thankful to have the gospel in my life to put an eternal perspective on things. I'm so very grateful to have a wonderful husband who is always there for me and for my beautiful baby girl. My life is so full it sometimes feels silly to grieve over a loss when I have so much more than so many others.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
My Baby is a Genius!
Okay, I know every parent thinks their baby is a genius. But seriously, mine is. ;) Yesterday she learned to whistle and to say "whale". She is getting so big! At 13 months she knows all her animal sounds. She bocks like a chicken, barks like a dog, rattles her lips like an elephant, roars like a lion, meow's like a kitty, moo's like a cow...it's so flippen cute. She knows three signs also, "more", "please" and "thank you". Even genius's can be polite. :) She knows where her belly, nose, eyes, mouth and teeth are too. I just can't believe how quickly she is growing, she definitely keeps us on our toes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)