Friday, August 31, 2012

Nothing in the World

There is nothing in the world as desirable as something that isn't yours (and as long as you're invading your little brother's space you may as well invite every one of your babies along.  You can see Koala and Baby Dora are also enjoying time on the play mat as well).



This would also explain why we've been through an extra gallon of milk a week since Noah arrived--if the baby's having milk, Claire had better be having milk too.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

The Mormon Moment

Yesterday the hubbs asked me what my newsfeed on facebook looked like after Ann Romney gave her speach.  The hubbs and I have very different newsfeeds.  The majority of his friends are conservative and so is he.  My friends, on the whole are not.  I told him, "Well, your cousin liked the speech."  He laughed and we talked a little bit about how Ann did a nice job but there were a couple of things that were missing.

And then this morning I read this blog post by Courtney Kendrick.  And it almost perfectly summed up how I feel.  I have a little girl crush on Courtney.  I envy her body acceptance and her penchant for wearing mu'umu'u's all year round and her liberal leanings that grew out of a conservative upbringing. In her post she talks about how Mormons in general have been waiting for a time of greater acceptance.  A time when the religious principles we hold so dear would be known and accepted by those outside our faith.  In general, a time when Mormon's wouldn't be seen as a peculiar people with strange practices.

With Mitt in the news many Mormons feel like this is the Mormon Moment we have all been waiting for.  A Mormon president. Courtney concludes by saying this,

"So this week, as Mitt Romney secured the nomination I waited for the almost-prophetic realization of the Mormon Moment. I waited for my heart to swell with pride and my joy to explode. I listened to Ann Romney, in her vibrant red dress and her bits of confidence praise her husband, promising I could trust him just like she trusts him. I waited for all of it to feel good to me. I listened to my fellow Mormons emote the reaction I wanted to have. But instead, it just felt more of the same.

Maybe this is someone's Mormon Moment, but it's not mine?

My Mormon Moment I suppose is more internal. It's watching our cultural practices more resemble our doctrine. It's clearing up the stereotypes we've held about women and men. It's a balancing of the female divine and the masculine order. It's holding each other accountable for our actions with firmness and love. It's about returning to simple yet strong truths taught from the beginning, truths that somehow have become muddled with culture and pedestals and unbalanced expectations.

When we can stand before the world, clear of cobwebs and secrets, holding on to the pillars of enlightenment and truth, that is my Mormon Moment, and I have absolute confidence we will get there. I am totally dedicated to the cause. And maybe I will know we've achieved something when a Mormon couple stands together at the national convention podium (maybe even the Democrat podium!) pledging their unified support and equal dedication to helping our country. Because to me, that is what Mormon marriage looks like--or should look like--now and for eternity.
I will not be voting for Mitt Romney.  That being said, I don't think he's a bad candidate.  I don't share his political beliefs which is why I won't be voting for him.

This isn't my Mormon Moment but I do feel like mine is coming. And like Courtney, I am totally dedicated to the cause.

Monday, August 27, 2012

An Announcement

It's been a big week at our house.  Last Tuesday we welcomed baby Noah into the world and it has been so fun.  I will tell you that even though my patience is wearing thin (the 4 hours of straight sleep I got last night seems to have helped with that--a fluke at this stage of the game but I will take it) being a mom for the second time around it so much better than the first time. I'll have to dedicate an entire post to how the second time around things go a little smoother (though not breast feeding if you're wondering.  I'd still be slaughtered if I were a milk cow) and you don't worry so much. But that's not what this post is about.  This post is about something different altogether.

Last Monday we made a pretty big decision about our lives too.

The hubbs got a new job.  It's an incredible opportunity and both of us feel like this is a job that will change the path of his career (in the best kind of way.)  The only trouble with the job is that it's in New York City.  And when I say New York City I mean like around the corner from Grand Central Station Manhattan.

And we've taken it.

He starts at the end of next month.  The kids and I will follow him to New York after the moving truck arrives with our things.  While we wait for the truck we'll stay at grandma's house in Salt Lake.

I am a little sick about it.  I haven't really told anyone that we're moving because saying it out loud makes it real. My heart hurts thinking about leaving San Diego.  We have loved it here.  We have great friends, we get to go to the beach once a week, there are only like 5 days a year when we can't go outside and when it hits 55 degrees here people get out their ski jackets--those are my kind of people.

So I guess this is the official announcement.  We're moving to New York City (a place I've never even really been other than the airport and a hotel near the airport).  Though, truth be told we're probably not moving to New York City.  As much as I wish I could say that we were island people (or even a specific borough kind of people) I'm pretty sure that we're suburb people.

Do you remember the book Fredrick by Leo Lionni? (if you don't you should read it right this second but it's about a mouse who doesn't do any of the work to collect food for the winter.  He spends his time collecting sunshine and colors and when the nights get long and the food gets scarce he is the one who gives the other mice hope so they can make it through the winter)



For the next 4 weeks I am going to spend my time gathering sunshine and sand and surf and trips to the zoo and time at the pool and time with my girlfriends for the long, long move and the cold winter that is ahead.



Saturday, August 25, 2012

90% Potty Trained and New Baby Boy

I'm considering getting a separate laundry basket which I can label "Things that have been Peed on."  I could pretty much fill a load every day.

Seriously.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Asking for Hate Mail

I know that I'm asking for hate mail with this one but boy do I have a tale to tell.

Yesterday Claire wanted to wear her panties.  My sister is here to help us with the new baby and watching Claire and cooking and all other kinds of slave labor that accompany a brand new baby and Claire saw that Aunt Abbey was wearing panties.  She needed to wear them too.  Church came and as I was packing Claire's bag I forgot the little pouch that we put diapers in and I forgot that Claire wasn't wearing a diaper.  We were about 30 min into church when I realized that not only did I not have any diapers but she wasn't wearing a diaper.

I sent the hubbs running home (Mormon church is 3 hours long so we still had the long haul ahead of us) and every 5 or 10 minutes I asked her if she needed to go potty.  One of the times I asked she answered that she did.  We walked to the bathroom and she sat on the potty and we talked about all of her friends who go pee on the potty (Maggie, Jane, Betsy and Ellie thank you thank you thank you) and she did it.  She just went pee.

Since then, aside from sleeping, she has been wearing panties (just like Aunt Abbey) and she hasn't had an accident yet.  She tells us when she needs to go and she is thrilled every time she hears her pee or her poop hit the water.

Someone pinch me because this is a dream.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Life Moves Pretty Fast



I'm being induced on Tuesday.  I'm sure that sentence in itself is enough to raise a few eyebrows and earn me some hate mail.  You know, letting babies stay as long as they like and letting them come out in their own time.  Natural child birth.  The whole shebang.  In my heart, I'm all about that.

But you know what I'm not all about?  10lb babies coming out of my body.


Thursday, August 16, 2012

23 1/2 hours a day

I saw this video months ago and I've thought about it various times since.  Lucky for you I have a terrible case of pregnancy insomnia and my youtube trolling let me find it again.




You have no idea at all how hopeful this makes someone whose weight passed up her husband's last week.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Beach and a Big Owie

Today was my last official beach day as a parent of one. We could not have asked for better weather.

And then when we got home she slipped and crashed her chin on the table. She kept talking about how she had a big owie "just like Aunt Kari." Yes, that same Aunt Kari who was hit by a car while running and broke every limb. Hey, a scraped chin can be traumatizing.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Some Babies

Some babies get nurseries with new paint and cribs and mobiles.  And some babies just get 5 feet of space in their parent's bedroom.


The good news is newborns can't see more than an inch in front of their faces when they are born so he'll have no idea.


And I finished the peg dolls baby is bringing for Claire.  They don't look perfect but taken as a group I feel like you can tell what they are.  Hopefully Claire will be able to tell who they are.



Thursday, August 9, 2012

Oh Dear Lloyd Dobbler

I would like to say that I think that this quote pretty much single-handedly validates my 14-year old self and her near obsessive crush on this man.


Modern Day Horror Story

Warning.  This post is not for the faint of heart.

I had an ultrasound this afternoon.  It's still a little more than 2 weeks until my due date, Pedro (which is what we call the baby in utero) already weighs 7lbs. 15oz.  Babies can gain a pound a week near the end. His legs are as long as a baby who is due today.

And his head is the size of a baby who is one week overdue.

Noodle on that for a while and feel free to share my horror.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Sunny Days

I'm about to embark on my newest pinterest-found craft project.


This is what the new baby is bringing for Claire as her "big sister" present.  I'm at least $20 into the venture and I haven't even started the work yet.  Maybe it would have been better to order them from Etsy.  My only hope is that my characters will end up looking even a little bit like the actual muppets.


Monday, August 6, 2012

Olympic Fever

So we don't have a TV.  Don't get me wrong, we watch plenty of TV we just do it exclusively on Netflix and  the internet.  Both the hubbs and I have lamented more than once this last week that we have no real way to watch the Olympics.  I love the Olympics.  Love them.  The hubbs and I were married right before the last Summer Games and at once point after a long hike we sat down and watched the entire men's marathon.  The whole thing.  Start to finish.

It was awesome.

So even though I haven't been able to spend every evening vegged out in front of the TV watching the Olympics I've still been following along.  A couple of days ago I read this article (which was incredible and you should read it).

And I guess my only response is, you're looking at this body





And all you have to say is that she has bad hair?

And don't tell me that it's just the way we look at all athletes because I've seen Michael Phelps' bad teeth and eyebrows (or should I say eyebrow) and no one's talking about them.  All everyone can seem to see in his case are his washboard abs.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Just Because

Just because I love Dwight, he makes me think of my little brother, and we could all use a little reality check.


Happy Weekend to All.  What are your plans?  The hubbs is working today (so my day is just really like any other day) but tonight we're all headed to the Padres game.  Having a toddler makes you lower expectations and we're only planning on making it through 5 innings.

Friday, August 3, 2012

So when is it appropriate?...

So when is it appropriate to put yourself on bed rest?  Tomorrow I'll be 3 weeks away from baby's arrival.  Does that seem too soon?

As my current body image is a little like this (but with smaller hoots {sad})


I think it might be time.

But first I have to finish a lesson for my church group about marriage and relationships.  Marriage and relationships and honest-to-goodness I look like this.




It's going to be awesome.  Mostly I think we'll talk about how the real secret to marital success is having separate bathrooms.  Nora Ephron said that.  Nora "Friggin' I was nominated for 3 academy awards for my romantic comedies including when Harry met Sally" Ephron people--if she doesn't know a thing or two about living happily ever after who does?

Maybe we should all pray to a higher power that I go into labor tomorrow and thus save my church group from any further romantic musings.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Admit it

You kinda want this.




Me too.  I'm certainly putting it on the short list of things to get my brothers for Christmas.