Going Granola

You will not believe what I've been up to.

Now that the Olympics are over I have a lot of spare time on my hands. Baby's mood and napping continues to improve that the time I have found myself with has sent me into accomplish-weird-and-strange-things mode.

I have been making baby food.

Living on a farm produces a lot of produce. I figured it would save me $$ if I utilized the goods at my fingertips and made my own baby food. Plus, my garden was ultra fabulous this year and there was no way I could possibly consume 1,000,000 zucchini (that is really not that big of an exaggeration).

So far I have done: plums, green beans, yellow squash, zucchini, and corn. I will also, by the summer's end, do peaches, pears, cantaloupe, carrots, and apples (and maybe apricots).

If your interested boil the desired fruit/vegetable for a really long time--longer than you think. Drain. Puree in a food processor until everything is just about smooth. Sometimes you will need to add 1/4-1/2 cup of water to help maintain a thin texture. Fill ice trays with the puree and place in a freezer until frozen. Pop the frozen puree out and fill a zipper bag and store in the freezer until baby is hungry.

Update on Me Part II

My daddy calls me his boy

My mommy says I'm cute and smart

I like to visit my mommy at work.  I used to get so much therapy before I was born that I've been going through withdrawls!

On my four month checkup my doctor said I was handsome.  He also said I was in the 75th percentile for weight and height.  I turn 5 months Tuesday!

My acid reflux is still really really bad.  But, my mommy has finally figured out how to give me my medicine so I ingest most of it and I spit up none or little of it.  In turn, that has been helping me a lot with my attitude and my sleeping.

Here are some developmental milestones I am doing:

-I now sleep almost 10 hours at night

-I take three naps per day, hopefully totaling five to six hours

-I will nap in my crib now, but I still prefer my swing

-I eat oatmeal because even though I started out liking rice cereal, it was harder on my reflux

-I am able to roll both ways--from my back to my front and from my front to my back--but I usually refuse unless no one is looking.  My mommy has only seen me roll a few times but she has certainly found me in different positions which tells her I do roll.

-I squeal, scream, and holler

-I play with all of my toys.  My new favorite toy is a fabric book that crinkles when I touch it that my Grandma Beth gave me

-I can hold my own bottle for at least five minutes while my mommy washes dishes.  Sometimes I don't want to though, and I just want her to hold me.

-I only cry about an hour per day which is average for a baby my age

-I like to grab my toes and even suck on them when I don't think my mommy is watching

-I like to chew on everything, mostly my fists

-I can spit bubbles and my food

Here are things I really like:

-My mommy, daddy, and kitty Damn (except we're calling her Wu right now because of the Olympics)

-Eating

-My swing

-My toys

-Being outside, I will even forget I am grumpy and hungry and tired

-Being social

-My babysitter

-My babysitter's son (I cry and throw a fit when he doesn't pay attention to me)

-Music and music videos

-Joshua from So You Think You Can Dance

-Kisses

-Funny noises

-My mommy's fake vibrato

-My bath time

-Books, especially those animal ones you can touch the different textures

-Being tickled

-Parties and BBQs

-Attention

-The Olympics, especially volleyball

-Teasing my uncle AJ (My mommy talks for me and tells him that I will be his cheerleader when he is in the NBA--he really hates the idea of me becoming a cheerleader)

-That cheerleader moving, Bring It On

-Texting

-Cell phones and remote controls

-Watching people eat

-My daddy's beard

-Touching people's faces

Here are things I do not like:

-When my mommy and daddy go to work

-Nap time, even though I do it

-Being on my stomach

-My acid reflux

-My mommy ignoring my hollering

-Relief Society, so my mommy is making me try out Elder's Quorum with my daddy

-Going to the dentist with my mommy

-Getting my nose suctioned out

-Having my fingernails cut/filed

-Not being the center of attention

-Doing things I do not want to do

Here are things I am working on:

-Being patient

-Telling what I want nicely

-Having a better attitude when it's nap time

-Being quiet in Relief Society

-Being motivated to roll instead of my intense desire to stand and sit

-Being nice to my babysitter in the afternoons

Shake It

Baby loves music and loves dancing.  As you know, Baby has not been easy.  He didn't grow out of colic until 4 and half months, he was chronically sleep deprived due to acid reflux and sensitivity to stimulation, and he has struggled with constipation.  BUT, every Wednesday evening was different.  We had a standing date in the basement to watch our favorite show, So You Think You Can Dance.  His favorite contestant was Joshua and he NEVER, EVER cried or fussed when Joshua was on stage.  I have videos of him watching but it's hard to see the television and so I included him dancing to one of his favorite songs instead to show you how bright he gets when listening to music.  

He likes all sorts of music.  We start our mornings with CMT while he eats his breakfast.  His favorite songs are Jessica Simpson, Come on Over and Brand Paisely, Waiting on a Woman.  

Radio favorites include anything by Usher, Chris Brown, and Timbaland. He also likes Apologize by One Republic.  Baby's cousin is an avid music lover, I think they will have many things in common!

Baby and Usher

Being a Therapist

I don't talk about some things out of deep respect...so I am left with vague expressions to describe soul-deep mourning.

When in the presence of genuine suffering it is my response to fix it or at least offer comfort. But sometimes it is necessary, therapeutic, to let them suffer. I did that today. I only hope it was worth it.

THEY FIT

For the last two weeks I have risen, on work days, at 5:15 am to work out.  Some days I even worked out twice.  There were no days off, not even Sunday.  All for the goal of fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothes.  I'm not the type of person that has to lose weight.  I don't really care how much I weigh as long as I look good in my clothes.  And let me tell you, I didn't look so good in my clothes after Baby came along.  In fact, it was depressing.  Not so much because of my vanity, but because of my pocketbook.  I have spent a lot of time, energy, and money on building my wardrobe and I hate wasting time, I really hate expending energy for no reason, and I REALLY REALLY HATE wasting money. 

It has all paid off, at least almost.  I fit into my tightest pair of jeans today!  Woo-hoo.  I love those jeans.  They are low rise with a flare leg.  They have rips all over and on the back pocket is a stitched rainbow.  They sound ugly by my description but they are all ME.  They make me feel good and they make me look good.  I figure I still have two inches to come off of my waist to make them fit like they did before.  But hey, I can button them and in the female world, that is all that matters.

P.S.  My 16 year-old six pack is returning--I didn't even think that was possible.  You'll have to tune in to see if, when I lose the two inches, I post a picture.  BTW, it's the six-pack I only had as a sixteen year-old.   

Utah

There's a few things that set the state of Utah apart from other states:

1.  Pioneer Day, today

This is a holiday that is only celebrated here in Utah.  A day to celebrate the travails of Utah founders (that is the white settlers).  The American Indians, the Utes as one example, 'founded' Utah long before.  I spent my Pioneer Day shopping with Baby.  I had the bright idea to run errands but everywhere I needed to go was closed...I don't know about you, but I have a hard time enjoying a mid-week holiday as a holiday should be enjoyed.  The anticipation of having to go back to work tomorrow squeezes the fun right out of it.  It was nice to have an FMLA-like day with Baby though.  Since he is older we could do more things like work out, be out of the house for a whole four hours, etc.  I think he liked having me home.

2.  The Seagull is the state bird.

For those of you non-Utahns out there, here's why. When the Pioneers (those I am commemorating today) arrived in the Salt Lake Valley it was quite miserable including marsh-like conditions, mosquitos, and other sorts of nuisances everyone hates when they move into a new home...

That first planting season an unfortunate even occurred:  locusts came by the millions and began eating the crops to nothing.  The Pioneers, being a faithful people, prayed that God would spare their crops.  A miracle happened.  Seagulls came and at all of the locusts saving the settler's crops.  There is a monument at Temple Square now which depicts the miracle.

3.  The Loads of Mormons

Do I need to say anything more about that?  

But, as a result of the numerous Mormons there are funny things about Utah:

4.  The State the Consumes the Most Jello 

compared to all of the other states.  In fact, though I'm not sure how official this is, Jello is the state food.

5.  The Largest Organ in the world

lives in the Tabernacle at Temple Square (Salt Lake City).  Apparently some of the pipes are so big an adult man can stand comfortably inside.  Although, I'm not sure how comfortable a nearly 200 year old pipe could really be.

6. The Golden Spike

which it seems every business in Weber Co. was named after.  The Golden Spike was where the Union Pacific and the Trans-Atlantic railroads met creating a glorious moment in history for consumerism and capitalism.  

7.  The Salt Lake

My dad would go to Utah from time to time when I was a kid and I remember thinking (being born and raised in Oregon and having never stepped foot in Utah until I was 17) the Salt Lake was probably the most beautiful lake on earth.  Well, in all reality (not to let down others' childhood fantasies) the Salt Lake is one of the ugliest and grossest lakes on earth.  It stinks.  I live approximately four miles from the north eastern shoreline and oh boy when the wind blows right (or wrong) it smells like someone let out a SBD; this can last for days.  

L and I had our engagement pictures at Antelope Island which is one of many islands in the Great Salt Lake and they turned out fab but we had to endure the elements:  the stink, the millions and millions of bugs--which in the pictures look like a cool photographer trick to make the bottom of the picture hazy...that's how many there actually was, the blazing hot sun because there is zero natural shade--nothing grows naturally because of the salt, the brine shrimping boats--not like Bubba Gump shrimping boats (brine shrimp feed your pet fish), etc.

8.  Narcissistic Drivers

I was listening to a radio show the other day with a Truck Driver as a guest and he said there are places that actually are worse than Utah when it comes to bad driving--he said St. Louise is really bad.

9.  The Best Snow on Earth

So proclaims the Utah license plate.  L is an avid skier and I of course am not.  I didn't think there could be much difference in snow but apparently I was wrong...a girl I used to work with had moved to Utah from NYC and I asked her one day how she liked the severe and jarring difference in culture and she said it doesn't bother her much.  When I showed my surprise she said, "Everything I deal with culturally is worth it because Utah has the best snow on earth."  She then went to on to say she has skied all over the world, including the Alps, and she said that Utah's snow is by far the best and that is the ENTIRE reason she moved and has stayed.  

I did some research...Utah's snow is so good because of the Great Salt Lake (so it is good for something).  When the lake evaporates there is some salt in the evaporation and when it condenses into snow it creates a very light and fluffy snow--good for skiing and falling (mostly why I now appreciate it).  This is unlike the heavy and wet snow Oregon gets.

9.  Salt

Because of the wealth of salt, Utah salts their freeways and roads instead of sanding them during snow storms.  Salt drops the freezing temperature which allows my place of employment demand I show up on time no matter how snowy it is.

10.  Crappy Roads and Crappy Cars

As a result of all of the snow and salt.  The salt eats the pavement and eats car paint.  The underbelly of a Utah car (and sadly the top part of our Hon.da) are usually rusty.

11.  Temples

In Utah there is a plethora of Mormon Temples which are magnificent buildings.  If you are standing at one point on I215, or standing at one place in the SLC airport you can see two temples at once--the Salt Lake Temple (probably the most famous one, the one that looks like a castle) to the east and the Bountiful Temple to the north.  I bet you could actually see three or almost four (as one is being constructed right now) if you stood on one of the Western Mountains.  

12.  You Always Know Where You Are

which is one of my favorite things about Utah.  The big mountains are on the East and so you can always gauge which direction you are going.  Plus, Utah cities have been built on a grid system which makes finding anything a breeze.  

That is not the only reason you always know where you are.  It is just as hard to forget you're in Utah as it is to forget you are in Venice.  Different reasons, Utah culture just screams from every nook and cranny...

13.  Big Hair

Utahns seem to have large and in charge hair.  I'm not sure the cultural roots of this phenomenon but I have a snide/sarcastic guess:  Utahns are a traditional people and maybe they have not altogether let go of the pompodeor (My spell check didn't offer me any other spellings for that word). 

14.  BYU

My alma-mater.  The institution that brought me to Utah.  BYU is a beautiful school--you should go there sometime just to appreciate how nice it is.  BUT, I didn't always appreciate my time there for reasons that would necessitate a separate blog entry.  Any-hoo, BYU is the most efficient and busy school in the world.  I read, in my BYU magazine, that BYU has something going on in nearly every building on campus every single day of every single year.   And I complain about my electric bill!

15.  Swamp Coolers

Because it is arid here we can use these contraptions to cool our house that are not A/C.  And they actually work.  Except if you have ever been to my house in the summer you are thinking to yourself, "Uh, yours doesn't work."  You are correct.  Our sucks.  It has a 1 horse power engine, which is huge if you think that sounds small.  Sometimes I imagine it is a real horse up there driving my swamp cooler engine and I wish I had a jockey with a whip to get that thing going...so that my house actually cools down.

Anyway, this is how they work:  It is a box that holds pads on the walls of the box.  Inside the engine turns a fan while water is sprayed from a shower-type thing onto the pads (cooling them).  The fan catches the cool air and blows it into the house.  Along with all sorts of unwanted things like bugs, allergens, dirt, oil (from the 1 horse engine)--and you know how I feel about my white carpet, rain (it sits on the roof), lightening (unfortunately for a friend of mine), and noise.

This is where I will end because I am going to celebrate the Pioneers more by watching family members blow things up.  Feel free to add your own observations about Utah...

ALTHOUGH I DON'T EXPECT MUCH SINCE MY READERS DON'T EVER COMMENT...

Quirks

Something L said the other day made me think about his quirkiness which led me to think about my quirkiness and then Baby's quirkiness. Here are a few about us you might find funny and/or interesting...or maybe it's just me who thinks they are funny and/or interesting

L:

-You know that "Tic Toc" Madonna and JT song? It really bothers him that a) there is only four minutes to save the world. He says that is just not enough time. Hasn't he seen any James Bond movies? and b) that the song does not delineate what exactly is destroying the world.

-He will use no other toilet paper than Char.min Ult.ra, the most expensive.

-He does not throw away trash, bring things in, or spot clean his car (all taking but a few seconds or minutes) but he will spend hours and hours detailing it.

-He will all out clean the kitchen floor but will not put the mop and bucket away.

-He used to refuse to wear white shirts to church, calling them lame but now he wears nothing other than white shirts to church while all of his other ones we bought over the years collect dust.

-His morality cannot handle the following: cigarette smoking and tattoos. Just reading this will start him on a soliloquy about them.

-He always thinks he has food poisoning.

-He cannot turn down free food.

-He thinks all free food is good food, even when it makes him sick, even though he worries about food poisoning.

-He wants his birthday celebrated for the entire month, and he thinks everyone that has ever met him should attend a mass celebration to express their gratitude he was born.

-He always "Knows a Guy" who will "Hook Him Up."

-He calls his classic Camaro his "weekend car" although he only drives it in the summer, rarely on weekends.

-He LOVES soy milk

M:

-I will not wear white shoes, white pants, or a white skirt after labor day or before Easter. But off-white is acceptable and so is a white dress.

-I do not wear any other color but white socks, and on the occasion I do, I stress out all day about it.

-No matter how much I try, I cannot spell 'occasion' correctly.

-I refuse to use the word "Binkie". I have caved on the others.

-I hate being late but love leaving early

-'Gift shops' at museums and or theme parks really annoy me, except the one at Tillamook Cheese Factory.

-I can't stop eating Che.x Party Mix until I become physically ill and even that does not avert me to later Che.x Party Mix binges.

-I have allowed my Cilantro to die for the third summer in a row even though I totally know how not to kill it.

-I love Hip Hop music but I am not a teenager, nor did I grow up in Urban America.

-I could spend all day, every day watching Fo.od Net.work.

-I like living in Utah.  I'm not sure when this happened and I can't believe I am admitting it!

-I pick my nose in the car and I think is funny when I get caught.

-I named my cat Damnit and I have no intention of changing her name for Baby's sake.  (Side Story:  the other day she ran off while we were outside and we began a frantic search through the neighbor's--aka the RS President--yard yelling Damnit's name at the top of our lungs!)

-I am an Eagle Eye, much to L's dismay.

-I can yo-yo like nobody's business and sometimes when I have a no-show at work I yo-yo in my office.

-My sense of smell is so sensitive I have gone to great lengths to avoid smells I know I don't like including refusing to take classes in one of the BYU buildings.

-I can type 100 words a minute and was the apple of my high school keyboarding teacher's eye (her name was Ms. Hag and boy did she live up to her name, but I secretly loved her).

-I once wrote a professional letter that simply said, "Boo-ya."

Baby:

-He laughs only once per week, on average.

-He always gets hiccups after he laughs, which is probably why he only laughs once a week.

-He fake sleeps at bedtime (it is really cute and funny).

-He will only nap, well, in a swing.

-His favorite toy is this plush female (it's name on the tag is Lily) frog.

-When hysterical he will not calm down for Mommy or Daddy, but will for Usher without fail.

-He loves Hip Hop music even though he is not a teenager, nor does he live in Urban America.

-When he is pooping he pushes so loud it attracts crowds and/or snickering glances in public.

-His transitional item is a cloth diaper spit rag.

-He LOVES soy milk.

Please feel free to list your quirks...

A Week of Firsts

Baby has had many firsts this week:

His first 4th of July which is my favorite holiday--by far, hands down, no questions asked.

And with the 4th of July came his first parade! Which he LOVED. He cried at the first siren but after that he squealed with delight at the sirens and the horses. Despite the parade being through his morning nap, he was in an excellent mood.  Look how intent his face is while he is watching the parade.

Baby had his first fit of diarrhea this week.  It was incredibly messy.  In my wildest baby nightmares (pre-baby) I never imagined there would be poop all over my house.   Sometimes reality hits when you least expect it to.  The doctor recommended Pedia.lite. Why?  Babies hate Pedia.lite--no matter what the flavor.  Baby is a good eater and even likes and gobbles down and cries for more medicine including gas drops, Baby Tylen.ol, and Prev.acid for his acid reflux

He had his first trip to L's family land in Idaho too. He had a hard time sleeping with so many people around but he enjoyed his first bonfire, his first camping trip, and his first road trip. Did he cry? Yes he did. BUT, he has started playing with his car seat toys and that really helped occupy him when he wasn't sleeping.

Yesterday was his first day in daycare, babysitting. She is a friend of a co-worker who babysits their child as well. We met her a few weeks ago and Baby was taken with her two year-old. And this morning when I dropped him off I watched him follow the two year-old with his eyes for several minutes.  My friend dropped his son off later in the day then came to work and reported that his and the babysitter's sons were dancing around Baby chanting his name.  Isn't that cute?  

I surprised myself and haven't totally obsessed about babysitting-gone-wrong-nightmare scenarios either day.  Both days when I picked him up he was happily sleeping in the swing. Plus, her little boy apparently vigilantly makes sure that the swing is rocking and the toys are moving for him at all times.  She said he took four--that's right--four naps.  I think her house is magic because my friend's son refuses to talk and eat at home but will both talk and eat at the babysitter's.  Baby refuses to nap at home and he naps at her house.  To make things even better, he transitioned home very easily and slept well through the night.  Incredible. 

Commuting

Today was my first day to work as a nurse. All we did is orientation, which I think I slept through about 2 of the 8 hrs worth of lecture. Pretty boring. I have been wanting to take the train to work since it is paid for by the university. I have not been able to though as a tech because I had to be to work before the train get get me to work so I had to drive. I have to say that it is really awesome. I am actually writing  this blog on the train. They have free wi-fi which is so cool. What will be really great is I will be able to finish all of my didactic work form the internship on the train. Not to mention saving around $10 in fuel a day. So far mass transit rocks. 

He's Just So Freakin' Cute

Like A Baby In Headlights  

"S'up, Yo?"

"My Mommy and Daddy Can't Help Themselves."

"I really do smile, sometimes."

I've Learned a Few More Things...

I would have never guessed that getting a baby to sleep would become my most valuable skill:

I thought tying my shoes was pretty important at the time, but stilettos (at least the ones I want to wear) don't have shoe laces.

Reading was hard in the beginning, but definitely worth it in the end.

I thought logarithms were hard...listening to complaining parents while wondering what Baby is doing is harder.

I thought 17 credits would do me in, but trying to get a three month-old baby to smile on demand during the 15 minutes worth of patience the Pennie.s photographer has left during the only weekend in the next two months that would accommodate three month-old pictures with a grandma who traveled a long distance with soaring gas prices really just about did me in.

Plus...

You know how when you don't think things could get any worse and then they always do in some horrific way you could have never ever predicted?  That happened today.  Don't worry, no one died.  I just wanted to.  It was one of those "most embarrassing moments" that is too embarrassing to tell anyone about and I am dying sitting here thinking about the people who witnessed my train wreck telling others about it.  Anyway, the disaster was so problematic I, to save any dignity I had left, canceled my afternoon appointments and took a long and savory nap with Baby.  

The moral of the story is:  When things get bad, there is Baby's breath on my chest to remind me that everything is as it should be.

Olympics, Here I Come!

I figure Baby can shoot for the 2024 Summer Olympics (he'll be 16).

My Life So Far

Here I am in my favorite nap place, my swing. I'm not sure if my mommy has mentioned this yet, but I used to not nap. I would cry and fuss all day and I would refuse to sleep. My mommy helped me learn to nap by putting me in here and setting it on the highest level...I like lots of movement and so eventually I would fall asleep. Now I mostly nap in my crib but every once in awhile my mommy gives me a treat and lets me nap here. I am holding one of my toys which surprised Mommy because I usually don't play with my toys very much. I like to play with Daddy and Mommy instead of toys.

Here is an update and me:

-I weight nearly 13 pounds (75th percentile)
-I am 24 inches long (90th percentile)

Here are things I like:
-Mommy
-Daddy
-Lily Mae (my best friend, plush toy)
-Eating
-Playing with Mommy and Daddy
-Bath time
-Music, especially Hip Hop (My new favorite is Usher)
-Being Outside
-My Mommy's Singing
-Church
-Auntie Shelby
-Being Naked
-Funny Noises
-Helping Mommy Put Her Makeup On and Cook
-Going Jogging with Mommy
-Sleeping with Mommy and/or Daddy

Here are things I don't like:
-Burping
-Sleeping, especially napping
-Playing with toys/myself
-Too many people in one place
-Being held by too many people
-Being ignored when I fuss for no reason
-Being held in the cradle position
-My Daddy's Singing
-Bedtime
-Television, Unless Usher Is On It
-My Car Seat
-My Acid Reflux
-Mommy going to work

Here are things I am good at:
-Kicking
-Smiling
-Talking
-Eating all my food
-Having a lot of energy
-Sleeping at night (I now sleep through the night)
-Letting Mommy and Daddy know what I want

Here are things I need to work on:
-Laughing
-Asking for things nicely
-Napping
-Keeping all my food down
-Being patient
-Sleeping during the day
-Using my Sooth.ie when I don't get what
I want

I keep on growing and figuring things out. My mommy and daddy are relieved that I am a happier baby now.

My mommy wants me to mention that she sewed my graduation outfit (the picture posted for Daddy's graduation) all by herself. Isn't she amazing? I also think she is beautiful and a genius.

Mommy and Baby Playing

 Those of you who know baby will not believe your eyes and ears when you view this adorable video of Baby smiling and almost laughing.  Baby has become happy!  He was diagnosed with acid reflux and given a prescription which has improved his mood significantly.  

Graduating Rocks!

I have to admit that I never thought it was going to end. Working on the farm I never thought I was going to go to college. It was the farthest thing from my mind. I was just going to own my own farming business.
After I got home of the mish things were not working out the way I had hoped. I began to rethink my current situation, which was spending dollars to earn pennies. Borrowing a hundred thousand to repay in one year with the proceeds coming from the farm product was not my cup of tea.
I meet this girl who was really cool, educated, and really hot ("current wife" Myndi). She was not so down with the farm either. She did not care for the fact that I was working hours which I had no control over and never really made any money. I began to think I had better do something before all the ground is sold and I am going to be flipping burgers at MC D's when I am 40. So with the encouragement of my wife I set out on this long journey.
I started my schooling career as Myndi was starting her masters. This was no easy task. I had as many as four jobs at one time while going to school. Myndi had a part time job while she went through her masters. Soon she was done with her degree and had I good job and I soon cut back to two jobs and then one. Little did she know that she would have to return to school under my degree editing all of my papers.
After four long years, many sleepless nights working at the hospital and then attending school the next day and all of the bribery that I had to do to get Myndi to correct my papers I graduated with honors and received my BSN.
I would just like to say with out the help and encouragement of my awesome wife Myndi I would still be spending dollars to make pennies on the farm and would have a secure future in the burger flipping industry.
I am sure that when I am done with my CRNA she will demand a pair of manolo blahnik for repayment.

Back in The Saddle

Today was my first day back to work.  Surprisingly, it wasn't has difficult as some people said it would be.  But on the other hand it was harder than I ever thought it would be.  Being at work reminded me how much I like my job.  As much as I complain (no surprise to my regular readers) I really do love it.  I have wanted to be a therapist for as long as I can remember.  The aspiration specifically came to me after I read "There's a boy in The Girls Bathroom" by Louis Sacher when I was in the fifth grade.  

But being at work also made me think/realize I would much rather be raising my own child than attempting to raise 50-75 of other peoples' children, depending on my caseload on a given day.  Hopefully I will be able to go part time by the end of the summer; I have been scheming up ideas to make this possible.  Stay tuned for my decision and the outcome of my scheming.

It is once more again apparent to me how much having a child changes things.  I was once a very ambitious young professional.  Now I am a mother.

***

And in other news...

Baby pooped all over Grandma Jeri last night.  After an major Memorial Day BBQ fest she offered to put Baby to bed while L and I and all of his brothers and sisters and some friends went to a movie.  When we got home she informed us that he pooped in his bath requiring her to change the water.  Then he pooped again when she was toweling him off!  It was everywhere! Baby got three baths last night...glad it wasn't me this time.

***

Speaking of BBQ fests...We bought a charcoal grill and grilled a rack of pork spareribs.  We used wood to smoke them and you wouldn't believe how much you could taste it.  Let's just say, L and I are just a shade under BBQ masters.  I even made my own BBQ sauce which completely stole the show.  We also made beef short ribs--it was the first time I have eaten and enjoyed short ribs.  My marinade was to-die-for to say the least.  To round things out we threw on some crab legs, had a green salad, and a fruit salad. Since it is L's b-day today I made the most amazing cake.  It had a black-berry cream filling, need I say more?  Too bad we didn't think to take pictures of the grandeur.  Anybody hungry now?

Lightly Used Jogging Stroller For Sale

-One year old

-Folds up compactly, I think

-Comes from a lizard-free home

-Has never ever ever been exposed to any sort of amphetamine

-Has certainly never been stolen

-Excellent condition except some minor scratches on the frame where someone did not scratch off the serial number

We may pay you to take this off of our hands.  Our clean and innocent hands. 

Drop It Like It's Hot

Snoop was on to something...

Looking in the mirror post-partum has become increasingly depressing. I actually lost 20 of 27 pounds in six weeks; unfortunately those last seven pounds are proving extremely difficult to shed.  Since I like Baby and I like to jog L and I began reviewing local ad listings for a used jogging stroller.  After only a few days we found the perfect nearly new stroller listed in Logan for a fabulous price.  Yeah it was a long drive but totally worth it if it can help me lose those pesky love handles...

It was a beautiful evening when arrived at the small Northern Utah apartment complex.  We gingerly knocked on the door in anticipation.  We love making a deal in our family; we were excited about the pending haggling in which we were about to engage. The door opened and there stood a woman holding a baby.  Normal enough...

Until we looked beyond the woman.  L half-way entered the apartment and I rear-ended him when he abruptly stopped before he was fully inside.  I push against him to alert him that "Hey, I'm still out her" and I see his right hand gesture ever so slightly for me to stop and not enter the apartment.  Suspicious I take a look around and the interior of the apartment.  I have never seen so much junk in one place.  And I have never seen so much filth.  At a closer look the woman appeared as if she hadn't showered in a few days/weeks and the baby she was holding was sporting a saggy-bottomed diaper and had snot dribbling out of his nose all of the way to his mouth.   

Looking to the right I saw that the kitchen counter was completely covered in dirty dishes, two feet high  Being quite observant, I actually noticed a bottle of pink dish detergents, completely full.  And a sweet looking pink Iris being kept alive by a dainty beer bottle vase.  Six inches away from my feet stood a crock pot which appeared as if someone had made pulled pork...six years ago.  Ew?  Except there was no insert in the crock pot!  

Then I saw the bikes.  Maybe six within my impaired view from the front porch.  Then I saw the clothes and pop cans and the papers and the food and the grocery sacks and the blankets and the toys and the used diapers and everything else a household typically contains on the floor. There was no furniture in view.  Everything these people owned was on the floor (except their dishes of course. Oh, and the dish detergent and pink Iris).   

During our brief stay the background music was Hendrix and then The Who.  Against the back wall was an aquarium that housed a flourescent light.  It wasn't until the drive home when L and I realized the aquarium was not likely the home of any sort of amphibian but of some sort of cannabis.  

The gentleman of the home began showing us what did appear to be a very lightly used jogging stroller.  But he couldn't figure out how to fold it down when L asked. Then I asked how long they have had it, found out about a year.  Why are they selling it then, and the woman answered that she has a nephew.  I am still not sure what that meant.  I asked where they got it and the woman stated it came from a local retailer.  

By this time there was a funny feeling in the air and I got anxious to ge the H out of there.  L was feeling the same and we began wrapping up with the sellers without even engaging in haggling.  Yes, we purchased the stroller.

Driving home we discussed the strange circumstances around purchasing the stroller.  And it dawned on us that we likely just bought a hot stroller.  When they said it came from a local retailer they weren't lying, they meant they got it out front of the store where it was parked by the unsuspecting legitimate owner.  Plus, weren't these people meth-heads?  So, they are stealing bikes and strollers and possibly other things like nasty crock pots and selling them to naive middle class citizens like ourselves...

The Last Few Weeks

After a brief hiatus...

While I was posting my last entry L was fetching my sister and her two boys from the airport; they came into town to visit with Baby and I. And things have been very busy ever since. That week she helped me prepare for Baby's blessing and helped teach me some valuable parenting tips. Unfortunately Baby continues to have a crying problem (some may say it is my problem), despite my best efforts at implementing her, and others', advice.

She did help me determine that there is something wrong with Baby...this type of crying is not normal--it literally will last for hours and it is extremely vehement. His face turns bright red and he thrashes his arms and legs. Nothing helps and nothing works to stop the crying. It is frustrating to not have experience behind me as a parent. I had a feeling there might be something wrong but since there was nothing obvious, besides the crying, I kept blaming my inexperience. I have never been around babies, I avoided them growing up. I didn't have that typical female draw toward them (there was this church song for young women when I was growing up that said, 'Whenever I see a baby cry, my heart reaches out...' Yeah, my heart and mind ran away...fast). In fact, the only babies I have liked, in my life, include my own baby and my sister's children.

So I made an appointment with the pediatrician. He pretty much did nothing except give me a handout which informed me of the following: babies get cold, babies get hungry, babies get bored, babies get tired, and babies get over-stimulated. The handout also included a list of books I can read to help me learn how to calm my baby. He didn't stick around long enough for me to tell him I have already read three of the listed books. You can imagine my frustration. Taking things into my own hands, I changed his formula (would any of this be happening if I breast fed?) and my sister's friend showed me a stomach massage that is the only thing, thus far, that will even take the edge off. I should note at this point that he is crying at the top of his lungs in his room next door to my computer and has been for the last two hours. Should I mention to my pediatrician I swaddled him twice, fed him, changed him, played with him, distracted him, rocked him to a semi-sleep, and turned out the lights?

How could I forget? There is one more thing that takes the edge off, the baby front carrier my book club gave me as a baby gift. The kid loves it. I have a love-hate relationship with it. I love it because baby is happy in it. I hate it because wearing it is like a continuation of pregnancy minus the convenience of the placenta feeding him and the amniotic fluid caring for his bathroom needs.

My sister and I have hypothesized, and everyday the evidence adds up more, that Baby has acid-reflux. Moreover, this is probably why he likes the front carrier, other than the obvious reason is that he is reminded of his perfect prior home in utero, it keeps him completely upright--a task not otherwise possible at this stage of his development.

A college friend once said, "Don't get mad, go shopping." And after that unhelpful doctor visit I took Baby to the Gateway, in the front carrier mind you, and enjoyed a wonderful day shopping. He loved being in the carrier and I loved being in the GAP.

***

Later that week my sister and I painted one of my basement walls red. It turned out fabulous.

And then more family came into town making my house full. We all chipped in on household chores and cooking Saturday night in preparation for the blessing. Funny thing is, we couldn't hold it at church the following day because we accidentally planned it on the same day as Stake Conference. Oops, I swear I wasn't trying to get out of Stake Conference this time. It turned out just as L wanted, however, at home. All the family and many friends came to support us and Baby. I think it was the first time our entire family was in one place at once--no one away on missions or away on sports trips or too busy with school/work.

I dressed Baby in this adorable white outfit I paid way too much for for 15 minutes of use. Baby will hate it and hate me, when he is old enough to care, for making him wear it...but that's what Mommies get to do. We served Hawaiian haystacks (later my Hawaiian uncle informed me there is nothing "Hawaiian" about the meal), an assortment of salads, and Strawberry Shortcake. It was a big hit, inauthentic as it was.

There is something special about your baby being blessed by your husband and family members. Of course I cried. And Baby did too if you were wondering. Remember? He ALWAYS cries.

***

Then it was off to Oregon. We stayed with my parents and Baby got to sleep in the cradle I slept in as a baby. He actually really like it and slept well.

My sister's baby came down with pink eye before they left Utah and thank goodness no one got it (except L's mom) but we all came down with a horrible cold the second the plane touched down.

So, here is one more thing that takes the edge off Baby's crying: airplanes/flying. I can't explain what doesn't make sense, okay...

We got to go to my favorite place on earth, so far. The Oregon Coast. So beautiful. The sun was shining and it was just a little bit windy. I wrapped Baby in this beautiful baby coat my sister loaned to us which looks like a polar bear. I couldn't stop snapping pictures of him. We just had to stop in at Tillamook Cheese Factory to watch the production and sample cheese and ice cream. If you have never eaten Tillamook Cheese you need to stop reading and run to the nearest grocery store right now. We purchased Baby a cow stuffed animal, the same one we bought his cousin three years ago.

Saturday was a very special day for my family. We were able to go to the Portland Temple to see my sister's new baby sealed to their family. I feel honored to have been in attendance. Especially since there was some drama around being admitted; I'd lost my temple recommend!

Sunday was another very special day. We were able to attend my sister's new baby's blessing. The baby's birth mother was in attendance and it was an honor to meet her.