So as your know, we are currently living in Oakland. Oakland has been interesting to say the least! In the short time we have been here, we have had some crazy and some great experiences. This has definitely been the hardest place for me to live thus far. Oakland really isn't that friendly of a place and somewhat scary at times. Here is a short recap of our experiences so far. On black Friday there was man shot in the Walmart parking lot that I was shopping at (I actually saw his body laying on the ground), a random lady walked up to us and gave us a $100 bill for Christmas, and I left my purse on the floor of McDonald's (which had the $100 from the lady). However, even though there have been some crazy things, I am still very thankful to be here. Minus the shooting, the other two events that happened were good. The lady that gave us the money taught me and awesome lesson (see previous post) and the fact that my purse was in tact and everything was still there after carelessly leaving on the floor of McDonald's has restored my trust in humanity. It has also given me the assurance that not EVERYONE in Oakland is bad and scary.
I have decided that I need to have a better attitude about this place. So here are so positives of being here. #1 its warm! I hate the cold weather and this job is basically going to insure that we completely miss the Missouri winter. Who can complain about that? #2 My husband is working and making money to provide for our family (this should probably be #1). I am so grateful that he is such a hard worker and even though I dont get to see him near as much as I would like because he works long hours, I am so grateful that he has a job and that it pays well enough for me to be a stay at home mom to raise Rylee. #3 I am SO grateful that we are able to travel with Justin. I cant imagine what life would be like if he had to leave us for months at a time to work so the fact that we are able to travel with him is a blessing. #4 I am consider the other wives that we travel with to be my good friends. I enjoy their company and their children! I love watching the kids play while us women get our girl talk time. #5 there are some great places to shop here. Never thought I would say this, but I am OBSESSED with the $1 store. Who would have thought???? But there are tons of shopping places which keep me entertained during the day (however thats not always a good thing). #6 there are parks and walking trails that I actually feel safe going to around here! #7 there is a gym for me to work out! I dont have an excuse to not work out anymore so guess what...I am doing it! #8 We have a temple that is less then a 20 minute drive (its only like 10 miles away but takes longer to get there). #9 Did I mention the weather? :) Seriously I LOVE the weather. I hate the snow and cold and I am not sad to not have it! #10 No matter where I go, I still have the most important things to me. I have my family, the Gospel, and facebook...(ha ha). But in all honesty, I am grateful for facebook and my blog because I can use it to keep in touch with my family back at home. I am able to post pictures of Rylee and tell about all of our exciting adventures.
I will post some pictures of our time here so far!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Why don't I do this more often???
Tonight really got me thinking...how come I dont work out more often? Why is it so hard for me to get dressed and just do it? I was thinking about all of the benefits to working out, and guess what, there are tons! So I decided to write them down that way when a day comes that I dont feel like doing it, I can read this and hopefully it will inspire me. So here is my future motivation...hopefully!
Reasons I love to work out:
1. It's healthy, plain and simple.
2. Once I start doing it, I actually enjoy it
3. I feel good after I do it. Not only do I feel a sense of pride, I also feel a sense of accomplishment.
4. It gives me bragging rights, I feel like a "cooler" person when I can say "yeah, I work out" (I know that one is kinda silly but hey, this is for me...right??) :)
5. It gives me a chance to burn off some stress. Even though my life isn't full of stress, I am still human and trust me, I am a much happier person when I am not stressed out.
6. It's one thing that I can do that I do just for me. It's not a mommy thing, or a wife thing, its a me thing.
7. My body looks a lot better which means I have more confidence in the way I look.
8. Because I have more confidence, I am more likely to get dressed up and put on makeup and try to look nice for my husband.
9. I have more energy
10. When I am actually working out, I don't get down on myself because I am not, not working out...if that makes sense! When I am not working out I get a lower self esteem because I know it's something that I should be doing and it is a heavy weight on my shoulders.
11. I tend to pay better attention to what and how much I am eating because I know whatever I eat, I have to burn off in the gym. Its takes me about an hour to burn about 400 calories. It takes me about 30 seconds to eat 400 calories, I definitely pay more attention!
12. My husband finds me more attractive. I know my husband will love me no matter what but he isn't blind. I want him to love me AND be attracted to me.
13. Let's face, I married a skinny guy who happens to be a bottomless pit. However, he is skinny none the less. I DO NOT want to be that fat girl with the skinny husband.
14. I married into a skinny family. No matter what I do I will always be bigger than my inlaws, I am just built bigger. However, I have control over how much bigger I will be!
15. I love compliments. I love people to tell me I am pretty or that I look great or whatever. I especially love it when people notice a change in me and it motivates me when someone notices that I have lost weight.
16. I am less lazy and more productive
17. I am just a happier person all around. When I am happy, my family is happy. This stems from the confidence thing and it affects every aspect of my life. If I set goals with my workouts it motivates me to set goals with other things in my life. It seems like when I start getting into a habit of working out, I also get into a habit of reading my scriptures and saying my prayers. I know that sounds weird but for me, the two things are connected somehow.
I know there are many many more benefits to it. I hope that this post will help me when I start slacking again. I know that time will come when I get tired of it, or burnt out but hopefully this will help me remember why I really do love doing it!
Reasons I love to work out:
1. It's healthy, plain and simple.
2. Once I start doing it, I actually enjoy it
3. I feel good after I do it. Not only do I feel a sense of pride, I also feel a sense of accomplishment.
4. It gives me bragging rights, I feel like a "cooler" person when I can say "yeah, I work out" (I know that one is kinda silly but hey, this is for me...right??) :)
5. It gives me a chance to burn off some stress. Even though my life isn't full of stress, I am still human and trust me, I am a much happier person when I am not stressed out.
6. It's one thing that I can do that I do just for me. It's not a mommy thing, or a wife thing, its a me thing.
7. My body looks a lot better which means I have more confidence in the way I look.
8. Because I have more confidence, I am more likely to get dressed up and put on makeup and try to look nice for my husband.
9. I have more energy
10. When I am actually working out, I don't get down on myself because I am not, not working out...if that makes sense! When I am not working out I get a lower self esteem because I know it's something that I should be doing and it is a heavy weight on my shoulders.
11. I tend to pay better attention to what and how much I am eating because I know whatever I eat, I have to burn off in the gym. Its takes me about an hour to burn about 400 calories. It takes me about 30 seconds to eat 400 calories, I definitely pay more attention!
12. My husband finds me more attractive. I know my husband will love me no matter what but he isn't blind. I want him to love me AND be attracted to me.
13. Let's face, I married a skinny guy who happens to be a bottomless pit. However, he is skinny none the less. I DO NOT want to be that fat girl with the skinny husband.
14. I married into a skinny family. No matter what I do I will always be bigger than my inlaws, I am just built bigger. However, I have control over how much bigger I will be!
15. I love compliments. I love people to tell me I am pretty or that I look great or whatever. I especially love it when people notice a change in me and it motivates me when someone notices that I have lost weight.
16. I am less lazy and more productive
17. I am just a happier person all around. When I am happy, my family is happy. This stems from the confidence thing and it affects every aspect of my life. If I set goals with my workouts it motivates me to set goals with other things in my life. It seems like when I start getting into a habit of working out, I also get into a habit of reading my scriptures and saying my prayers. I know that sounds weird but for me, the two things are connected somehow.
I know there are many many more benefits to it. I hope that this post will help me when I start slacking again. I know that time will come when I get tired of it, or burnt out but hopefully this will help me remember why I really do love doing it!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Christmas Ornaments
Rylee's First Christmas
Justin's Ornament
Family Ornament
Family
Another Family
The ornament I made for Justin
All of the ornaments (minus one)
The year before last, I went to a Christmas party and they made these ornaments. They are cheap, simple, and fun to make! Today I invited the kids over to make them with me and we had tons of fun! I didn't pictures of the ones that the kids made, but I did take pictures of the ones that I made (and the ONE that I convinced Justin to make.) Here is how you make them:
You buy clear small plastic cups (I bought the Great Value Brand 5 oz. cups). You color them with permanent markers however you want. Then you put them on a cookie sheet (I put a piece of foil down just to protect my cookie sheet) and put them in the oven at 300 degrees. They are only in the oven for about 1 1/2 minutes or less. Watch them because they melt fast and if they melt too much then they curl up. Let them cool for a few minutes and then take a hot glue gun and melt a hole in the top and stick a ribbon through. Simple as that and this is the final result...so fun!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The only words that come to mind are Thank You!
So today I had probably one of the most humbling experiences ever. I can hardly come up with the words to explain what this means to me, but I will try. This is definitely an experience I hope I will NEVER forget.
Tonight Justin, Rylee, and I took a trip to Walmart. This was just a normal food trip to the store. We were walking up and down each isle trying to remember what was on my list (I have a bad tendency to make a list and then forget it when we leave). Walking down one of the isles we passed a lady. I politely gave her a little smile as we passed her and apparently Justin did the same. Neither of us thought anything about it until we started down the next isle and I get a gentle tap on my shoulder. I noticed it was the lady from the isle before my first thought was "oh crap, did we do something to offend her?" So she proceeds to say this "I do not have any grandchildren near and I couldn't help but notice your beautiful daughter and I want you to have this. Please make sure to get her something nice with it." I was totally confused and looked at Justin and he had the same confused look on his face. I said to her "Thank you but I can't"....she cut me off and said "yes you can" as she slipped the $100 bill in my hand. I looked at her with tears rolling down my face and said "Thank you so much, can I at least give you a hug?" She said of course and we hugged. She walked away and I was just standing there frozen with tears running down my face. How could a woman who doesn't even know us be so kind towards us?
My Thoughts: This woman has taught me such a valuable lesson, whether its money or whatever, we should always be willing to help our neighbors. This woman didnt know me, she didn't know Justin, she has no clue if we will actually use that money to buy Rylee something nice but that didn't stop her from giving it to us. I will never get the chance to repay her or send her a thank your note, I probably wont ever see this woman again, but she has inspired me. The thoughts keep storming through my head "why us?" There were so many other people there with children, why did she pick us? Then it hit me, she was prompted by the spirit to be give us that money and she followed those promptings. Maybe its not for the money aspect of it (although that helps) but maybe it was to soften my heart. Now I feel it is my responsibility to pass on that random act of kindness. Her generosity towards me and my family makes me want to share that same generosity with someone else. Just think, if I pass on this act of kindness to someone, then they pass it on to someone else and so forth, how many lives will be affected by this one woman? The $100 is awesome, but the lesson she taught me of kindness and the pure love of Christ is way more valuable and for that I am forever grateful to this woman...whoever she is!
Tonight Justin, Rylee, and I took a trip to Walmart. This was just a normal food trip to the store. We were walking up and down each isle trying to remember what was on my list (I have a bad tendency to make a list and then forget it when we leave). Walking down one of the isles we passed a lady. I politely gave her a little smile as we passed her and apparently Justin did the same. Neither of us thought anything about it until we started down the next isle and I get a gentle tap on my shoulder. I noticed it was the lady from the isle before my first thought was "oh crap, did we do something to offend her?" So she proceeds to say this "I do not have any grandchildren near and I couldn't help but notice your beautiful daughter and I want you to have this. Please make sure to get her something nice with it." I was totally confused and looked at Justin and he had the same confused look on his face. I said to her "Thank you but I can't"....she cut me off and said "yes you can" as she slipped the $100 bill in my hand. I looked at her with tears rolling down my face and said "Thank you so much, can I at least give you a hug?" She said of course and we hugged. She walked away and I was just standing there frozen with tears running down my face. How could a woman who doesn't even know us be so kind towards us?
My Thoughts: This woman has taught me such a valuable lesson, whether its money or whatever, we should always be willing to help our neighbors. This woman didnt know me, she didn't know Justin, she has no clue if we will actually use that money to buy Rylee something nice but that didn't stop her from giving it to us. I will never get the chance to repay her or send her a thank your note, I probably wont ever see this woman again, but she has inspired me. The thoughts keep storming through my head "why us?" There were so many other people there with children, why did she pick us? Then it hit me, she was prompted by the spirit to be give us that money and she followed those promptings. Maybe its not for the money aspect of it (although that helps) but maybe it was to soften my heart. Now I feel it is my responsibility to pass on that random act of kindness. Her generosity towards me and my family makes me want to share that same generosity with someone else. Just think, if I pass on this act of kindness to someone, then they pass it on to someone else and so forth, how many lives will be affected by this one woman? The $100 is awesome, but the lesson she taught me of kindness and the pure love of Christ is way more valuable and for that I am forever grateful to this woman...whoever she is!
Monday, November 14, 2011
I'm Back!!!!
So we are one the road again which means...I will BLOG AGAIN!!!! Its so much easier to blog when we are on the road because I actually have my own computer and internet! So here is a little of what has happened in the last 4 weeks. Rylee is constantly standing up on things, she LOVES standing so much. I really think that she will be walking very soon and thankfully because I am tired of her pants being worn on the knees! She has a few words already. I think she is going to be a talker like her mommy! She really likes to imitate noises and sounds. Her first word was Sadi. It sounds more like day-di but its definitely Sadi. She starts saying it over and over again as soon as Sadi walks in the room. She also says Mama, Dada, and kitty. I know this is going to sound unbelievable but I have also heard her say Lindsey (as in her aunt Lindsey). I have witnesses that heard it to! I asked her were Lindsey was and she said it almost clear as day. Of course she wont say it again but she did say it once! She also has an obsession with a certain DVD that we bought her and its a singing DVD. They sing do-re-me-fa-so-la-te-do and when they sing the last "do" she starts saying "do, do, do, do" its very funny!
Before we left for California we had a chance to go up and see my family. While we were there, my mom had an early Christmas for Rylee and us. It was fun watching her open the presents. Since I know my mom never checks my blog, I can post this because I am very excited about it! We are surprising my mom with pictures of her kids and grandkids! I am so excited because Justin and I were able to get some family pictures done in the process! The kids were crazy while taking pictures but thankfully Hilary (the photographer) was able to get some good ones! I am so excited about them! This is the first time I have actually let loose of some money to have a professional take pictures for us!
Also, We were able to take a "mini vacation" to California. While there we were able to visit the city where Justin grew up. It was a great little get-away before Justin has to start working hard on this Hotel job. We had such a great time! I was able to see his old house, the schools that he went to, and able to meet some of his friends from high school. It was a great trip but I am glad to be done traveling for a while.
Now we are in Oakland, CA. So far so good. We are living in an extended stay hotel which is basically a hotel room with a small kitchen and sitting area. Its in a really nice area close to the airport and the place is actually pretty nice...small, but nice! Rylee is adjusting to sleeping in her pack N play which is always loads of fun...not!!! Its hard to just let her cry herself to sleep because I try to keep her quiet because there are other people staying here. When we are at home she is really good at letting me put her in her crib and then she just falls asleep but its definitely not that easy with her pack N play! Thats really about all for now! I have some pictures to post but I am going to do it in another post. I find that easier then trying to post them as I write!
Before we left for California we had a chance to go up and see my family. While we were there, my mom had an early Christmas for Rylee and us. It was fun watching her open the presents. Since I know my mom never checks my blog, I can post this because I am very excited about it! We are surprising my mom with pictures of her kids and grandkids! I am so excited because Justin and I were able to get some family pictures done in the process! The kids were crazy while taking pictures but thankfully Hilary (the photographer) was able to get some good ones! I am so excited about them! This is the first time I have actually let loose of some money to have a professional take pictures for us!
Also, We were able to take a "mini vacation" to California. While there we were able to visit the city where Justin grew up. It was a great little get-away before Justin has to start working hard on this Hotel job. We had such a great time! I was able to see his old house, the schools that he went to, and able to meet some of his friends from high school. It was a great trip but I am glad to be done traveling for a while.
Now we are in Oakland, CA. So far so good. We are living in an extended stay hotel which is basically a hotel room with a small kitchen and sitting area. Its in a really nice area close to the airport and the place is actually pretty nice...small, but nice! Rylee is adjusting to sleeping in her pack N play which is always loads of fun...not!!! Its hard to just let her cry herself to sleep because I try to keep her quiet because there are other people staying here. When we are at home she is really good at letting me put her in her crib and then she just falls asleep but its definitely not that easy with her pack N play! Thats really about all for now! I have some pictures to post but I am going to do it in another post. I find that easier then trying to post them as I write!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Birthday
Rylee standing up for the first time
My pillow case wrapping
Blowing out my birthday match!
The very handsome love of my life!
ice cream cake
Matthew at dinner
Jacob at dinner
my beautiful family
my favorite little girl showing off her teeth!
The day started off with going out to eat for lunch at Fiesta Fresh which is an awesome Mexican restaurant here in Hilton Head. It was really good and of course we went there with Josh and Jamie which is always a good time. After that, the boys went back to work and Jamie and I headed to the mall to let the kids play at the play place. The kids loved it! Later that day for dinner we went to Wild Wings, again with Josh and Jamie. We had a great time there and the food was really good!After Wild Wings, Justin and I went off island to get the traditional ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. Josh and Jamie came over and had some cake with us and it was awesome! After eating ice cream cake Rylee surprised us all by pulling herself into the standing position while holding onto the couch. It was an awesome birthday present. Speaking of birthday presents, Justin got me a compact set of scriptures. Justin's mom is making me a church bag because I get tired of carrying around three bags at church and wanted something that I could just pick up every Sunday that strictly has church stuff in there. i am so excited about this gift and cant wait to start using it! The scriptures go right along with the gift. I will post pictures as soon as I get the bag from Lynn! Such an awesome birthday! So grateful that Josh and Jamie were here to help celebrate!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
About dang time!
So if anyone actually reads my blog, you know that it has been a LONG time since I have posted anything. I do have an excuse, maybe not a good one but at least its an excuse! It it tons easier for me to update my blog when we are on the road because we typically have internet where we go but at home we do not. If I want to use the internet I have to go over to my inlaws house which ends up being a hassle because I have to find something to do with Rylee and then I have to use their computer. I am much more comfortable doing it from my own computer and its a lot fast because I know how to use mine! So here is a brief update on life!
So much has happend since New York. We came home on April 1st when Rylee was 6 weeks old. The first big thing that happened is that Rylee slept through the night the FIRST night we were home and she has been doing it every night since! I really think that all she wanted was to be in her own room and own crib. As far as Justin and I go, he went back to working at the lake house a lot and being away a lot with that. It was hard on both Rylee and me not having him home as much, however I am so THANKFUL that I have a husband who works so hard to support his family and gives me the opportunity to stay at home and raise our daughter. However, it was still hard having him away, but thankfully I was blessed with a pretty well natured baby so I didnt go too crazy doing the single mom thing. I was VERY grateful when the lake house job was over and I was able to have my husband back.
Rylee has grown so much and so fast. I cant seem to get over how fast this has all went. It seems like yesterday I delivered her and looked into her beautiful blue eyes for the first time and thought "well I guess there is no turning back now." My life has changed so much just because of her. I love everything about her...well almost everything, she does seem to have an attitude. Justin says she gets it from me but I dont agree with him. At exactly 4 months and 2 days she started rolling and from then on she rolls everywhere (including off my bed!) Somewhere after she hit 5 months she was sitting up. I dont have an exact date on this because I was so nervous about her falling over that I was constantly surrounding her with pillows. She was pretty unsteady at first but now she is a sitting pro. On October ninth she had the biggest day of her life so far. She started playing patty cake, and she signed the word "more" and "all done" and she pulled herself into the standing position for the first time. I think I have a very smart child but it was like she woke up one day and she was a little smarter :) Oh yeah, she crawls now too. She knows how to crawl the standard crawl however she prefers to army crawl everywhere and she is getting faster and faster at doing it. And she has also started recently going from laying, to sitting, back to laying and so forth. She is becoming so interactive and I just love it!
As for other things, we havent done anything too special. In August we were blessed with an opportunity to go out to Utah and see our best friends Joe and Jess. We had a blast there however the drive was LONG! It didnt help that a highway was closed for flooding so we had to detour which seemed to add hours onto the trip. However the 24 hours in the car was so worth it! We had such a great time just hanging out with them. Of course Rylee was able to meet her future husband Lincoln. But dont worry, the two were supervised the whole time. There was no hanky panky going on! :) It was so fun getting to see Lincoln again and introduce the Scott family to Rylee. We were there for Joey's birthday which seems to be a pattern for our vacations with them. Every time we plan a vacation it seems to be either mine or Joey's birthday. Also it seems like either me or Jess are pregnant at the time. One day, neither of us will be pregnant and Jess and I are going to leave the kids with their daddy's and we are going to go ride roller coasters or something that we cant do when we are pregnant, maybe even go to a "club" and get a groove on...maybe one day! On the way back from Utah we had the opportunity to stop through Maryville and see my dear friends Scott and Kelli. I was so thrilled to be able to stop through and introduce Rylee to them and to, well, just see them again! We tried to make it there a little earlier so we could go to church and see all my other Maryville friends but the drive took too long and we missed church by like 5 minutes! Oh well, gives us an excuse to go back up there for another visit!
Another fun thing that we did this summer was take Rylee to the lake for the first time. She first went when she was about 4 months old. It was so much fun and that is where we found out that she is a total water baby! This little girl is just like her momma. I have a DEEP love for the water and so does she! I hope she stays like that forever! We have taken her a few times since and the last time she went, Justin was able to go with us and the three of us road the tube together. It was a blast and she loved it!
Here are a few other things that are definitely worth mentioning. One of my best friends, Linsey, got married in August. I had the opportunity to be in the wedding with her and to share that special day with her. It was great to see and spend time with my friends from high school. That was also the first time EVER that I spent the night away from my baby. She went to stay with my mom while I did the wedding stuff. It was hard for me but it was good for me to get away for a bit! I also had the chance to go to Worlds of Fun with my husband, siblings, and cousin Shawn. It was so much fun. We had a blast there even though it rained for a few hours. And the best part is the tickets were free and we were even able to ride the rip cord for free. Thanks, Sara for knowing someone who has the authority to get us free tickets!
In June, Justin's sister came out with her family to visit for a week. It was so great getting to see my nieces and having them so close. I wish they could live closer so we could see them more! We had Christmas in June and the girls thought that was the coolest thing so I think this will be a tradition. While they were there we also had the opportunity to bless our little girl. I have always dreamed of the day when my husband would be able to bless our baby. To have a husband who is worthy to hold the priesthood to be able to perform this blessing meant the world to me. It was awesome to be surrounded by family and have so much family and friends there to witness this special day. In August, we took a trip to the river with Justin's parents and we took the dogs with us. Sadi is a GREAT camper. She did so good and Rylee did pretty good too! However the trip home would end up being one of the worst trips home EVER! We were about two hours away from home and Justin's truck break down. The rear end went out which happens to be a very expensive fix! He was without a truck for a little over a month which meant he had to drive my Jeep until we got the money to fix it. I am so happy that it is fixed now and he has his vehicle back and I have mine back!
Oh yeah, last thing and then I swear I am done. So in June, Justin challenged me to a bet. I am a VERY competitive person so naturally I took him up on her challenge. The challenge was that I had to work out everyday for the next six weeks and my goal was to lose 16 pounds. Justin's end was that he had to bulk up and get ripped. Whoever won was able to spend $300 on whatever they wanted to. So I worked my butt off the whole time and lost a total of 10 pounds. Not my goal of 16 but I would take 10 any day! Justin quit about half way through so even though I didnt hit my 16 he still says I won...I am not going to argue! So this is how I spent my money. First, I decided that I wanted to feel pretty again so I went and got my hair done. This is the first time I have cut my hair short since Justin and I have been married so I was a little nervous but LOVE the results! I also got highlights put in it. Next, I went and threw away all of my makeup (most of it I had from when Justin and I got married which I know is NO GOOD) I replaced it with brand new makeup that I LOVE! then I went and bought some new jeans to go with my new hair, new make up, and new body! Thank you Justin for knowing how to get me to start something and stick with it, just wave a bet in my face and some money and I will stick to anything! I have an awesome husband for so many reason but I really love him for motivating to make changes that make me feel so much better about myself. I am still working on the rest of the 16 pounds. Slowly but surely I am getting there!
I will post pictures soon!
So much has happend since New York. We came home on April 1st when Rylee was 6 weeks old. The first big thing that happened is that Rylee slept through the night the FIRST night we were home and she has been doing it every night since! I really think that all she wanted was to be in her own room and own crib. As far as Justin and I go, he went back to working at the lake house a lot and being away a lot with that. It was hard on both Rylee and me not having him home as much, however I am so THANKFUL that I have a husband who works so hard to support his family and gives me the opportunity to stay at home and raise our daughter. However, it was still hard having him away, but thankfully I was blessed with a pretty well natured baby so I didnt go too crazy doing the single mom thing. I was VERY grateful when the lake house job was over and I was able to have my husband back.
Rylee has grown so much and so fast. I cant seem to get over how fast this has all went. It seems like yesterday I delivered her and looked into her beautiful blue eyes for the first time and thought "well I guess there is no turning back now." My life has changed so much just because of her. I love everything about her...well almost everything, she does seem to have an attitude. Justin says she gets it from me but I dont agree with him. At exactly 4 months and 2 days she started rolling and from then on she rolls everywhere (including off my bed!) Somewhere after she hit 5 months she was sitting up. I dont have an exact date on this because I was so nervous about her falling over that I was constantly surrounding her with pillows. She was pretty unsteady at first but now she is a sitting pro. On October ninth she had the biggest day of her life so far. She started playing patty cake, and she signed the word "more" and "all done" and she pulled herself into the standing position for the first time. I think I have a very smart child but it was like she woke up one day and she was a little smarter :) Oh yeah, she crawls now too. She knows how to crawl the standard crawl however she prefers to army crawl everywhere and she is getting faster and faster at doing it. And she has also started recently going from laying, to sitting, back to laying and so forth. She is becoming so interactive and I just love it!
As for other things, we havent done anything too special. In August we were blessed with an opportunity to go out to Utah and see our best friends Joe and Jess. We had a blast there however the drive was LONG! It didnt help that a highway was closed for flooding so we had to detour which seemed to add hours onto the trip. However the 24 hours in the car was so worth it! We had such a great time just hanging out with them. Of course Rylee was able to meet her future husband Lincoln. But dont worry, the two were supervised the whole time. There was no hanky panky going on! :) It was so fun getting to see Lincoln again and introduce the Scott family to Rylee. We were there for Joey's birthday which seems to be a pattern for our vacations with them. Every time we plan a vacation it seems to be either mine or Joey's birthday. Also it seems like either me or Jess are pregnant at the time. One day, neither of us will be pregnant and Jess and I are going to leave the kids with their daddy's and we are going to go ride roller coasters or something that we cant do when we are pregnant, maybe even go to a "club" and get a groove on...maybe one day! On the way back from Utah we had the opportunity to stop through Maryville and see my dear friends Scott and Kelli. I was so thrilled to be able to stop through and introduce Rylee to them and to, well, just see them again! We tried to make it there a little earlier so we could go to church and see all my other Maryville friends but the drive took too long and we missed church by like 5 minutes! Oh well, gives us an excuse to go back up there for another visit!
Another fun thing that we did this summer was take Rylee to the lake for the first time. She first went when she was about 4 months old. It was so much fun and that is where we found out that she is a total water baby! This little girl is just like her momma. I have a DEEP love for the water and so does she! I hope she stays like that forever! We have taken her a few times since and the last time she went, Justin was able to go with us and the three of us road the tube together. It was a blast and she loved it!
Here are a few other things that are definitely worth mentioning. One of my best friends, Linsey, got married in August. I had the opportunity to be in the wedding with her and to share that special day with her. It was great to see and spend time with my friends from high school. That was also the first time EVER that I spent the night away from my baby. She went to stay with my mom while I did the wedding stuff. It was hard for me but it was good for me to get away for a bit! I also had the chance to go to Worlds of Fun with my husband, siblings, and cousin Shawn. It was so much fun. We had a blast there even though it rained for a few hours. And the best part is the tickets were free and we were even able to ride the rip cord for free. Thanks, Sara for knowing someone who has the authority to get us free tickets!
In June, Justin's sister came out with her family to visit for a week. It was so great getting to see my nieces and having them so close. I wish they could live closer so we could see them more! We had Christmas in June and the girls thought that was the coolest thing so I think this will be a tradition. While they were there we also had the opportunity to bless our little girl. I have always dreamed of the day when my husband would be able to bless our baby. To have a husband who is worthy to hold the priesthood to be able to perform this blessing meant the world to me. It was awesome to be surrounded by family and have so much family and friends there to witness this special day. In August, we took a trip to the river with Justin's parents and we took the dogs with us. Sadi is a GREAT camper. She did so good and Rylee did pretty good too! However the trip home would end up being one of the worst trips home EVER! We were about two hours away from home and Justin's truck break down. The rear end went out which happens to be a very expensive fix! He was without a truck for a little over a month which meant he had to drive my Jeep until we got the money to fix it. I am so happy that it is fixed now and he has his vehicle back and I have mine back!
Oh yeah, last thing and then I swear I am done. So in June, Justin challenged me to a bet. I am a VERY competitive person so naturally I took him up on her challenge. The challenge was that I had to work out everyday for the next six weeks and my goal was to lose 16 pounds. Justin's end was that he had to bulk up and get ripped. Whoever won was able to spend $300 on whatever they wanted to. So I worked my butt off the whole time and lost a total of 10 pounds. Not my goal of 16 but I would take 10 any day! Justin quit about half way through so even though I didnt hit my 16 he still says I won...I am not going to argue! So this is how I spent my money. First, I decided that I wanted to feel pretty again so I went and got my hair done. This is the first time I have cut my hair short since Justin and I have been married so I was a little nervous but LOVE the results! I also got highlights put in it. Next, I went and threw away all of my makeup (most of it I had from when Justin and I got married which I know is NO GOOD) I replaced it with brand new makeup that I LOVE! then I went and bought some new jeans to go with my new hair, new make up, and new body! Thank you Justin for knowing how to get me to start something and stick with it, just wave a bet in my face and some money and I will stick to anything! I have an awesome husband for so many reason but I really love him for motivating to make changes that make me feel so much better about myself. I am still working on the rest of the 16 pounds. Slowly but surely I am getting there!
I will post pictures soon!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Daddy's little girl
So I have come to the conclusion that Rylee is going to be a daddy's girl. However, on top of that she looks just like him. Its really not fair. I carried her for 9 months, gave birth to her, am her main source of food supply and yet I get NO say in what she looks like. Its just not fair. She should at least get my eyes or my mouth or SOMETHING! I have a feeling that the only thing this little girl is going to get from me is my attitude. However, that is the one thing I was really hoping she would get from her daddy (I was a brat!) I had Justin's mom send me some pictures from when he was a baby and here they are to compare to Rylee. Like I said....its just not fair!
Rylee
Justin
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Being MOMMY and DADDY!
I have to say, I LOVE being a mommy. This has been the most amazing experience so far and its only beginning. I always thought that I understood what it meant to be a mother. As you are growing up you hear about how you will never know the true feeling and meaning of love until you have a child of your own. I never understood what exactly that meant but now I do. I hold this little girl in my arms and I cant even begin to explain the amount of love that I have for her. She is so perfect in every way, I dont know how we lived without her. Being a mother is not easy by any means but it is definitely worth every minute of it. Nursing has been a bit of a struggle, however I am completely dedicated to making it work so I will just keep going. I love being able to nurse her. I love that it is something that only I can give her. Its our mommy daughter time and lucky for us we get to do it a lot!
I spent a lot of time preparing for the birth however I did not even think about what to expect afterwards. I had no clue what the body had to go through to repair itself after delivery. However I have not had to luxury of sitting around and just letting myself heal. The DAY AFTER they released me, they had me bring my 3 day old baby back to the pediatrician office to have her jaundice checked out. She barely has jaundice but they still want to check her. So on top of the lack of sleep I am trying to get my newborn baby and my sore self ready for a doctors appointment. Then the next day we had to go out to get some stuff and then on day 5 I was stuck taking my baby BACK again for another check up. Today is the first day that I have been able to sleep and relax. Its been a stressful week and I am pretty sure I have been the crabbiest person ever but finally I feel like I got a little bit of sleep. Now I just need to get over this soreness! Regardless I would do this all over again to have her. I just cant get over how much I love this little girl. My life is so blessed and I cant even begin to explain the feelings of gratitude that I have for this amazing blessing. I catch myself tearing up just from looking at her. I am just so overwhelmed with love. I also have to say how grateful I am to have the support of the members of the church and our extended family. We have been blessed to have dinners brought to us and I cant even explain how grateful I am for that. It is so nice to not have to think about what to make or going shopping for the groceries to make it! Especially since I cant drive for 2 weeks I am VERY grateful! So thanks to all who have helped! Here are so pics from home. I must say that I LOVE being able to dress this little girl up...its so much fun!
Our beautiful baby!
So last Thursday I had my typical weekly doctors appointment (well I say typical but I was 4 days over due by this time so I didnt expect to still be having appointments!) So when I got to the doctors they did the normal listen to the babies heart rate and check to see if I was dilated. I of course was not dilated more than a 1 which was devastating because I have been having consistent contractions for a week and a half. So they doctor listened to the babies heart rate and it had lowered, it was not low enough to be extremely concerned but still lower. The previous night I had a little freak our moment because I hadnt felt her move for a quite a while so Justin and I both tried poking and pushing on my stomach to try to get her to move, I tried flipping to each side and was getting nothing. This lasted for about 15 minutes. Finally I asked Justin to say a prayer that we would know what to do. Within seconds of finishing the prayer I felt her move again. I was relieved and knew that things were ok. However I mentioned this to the doctor so she started feeling around on my stomach and determined that my fluids felt low so she immediately sent me to have another ultrasound. (I think that brings my total up to 6 ultrasounds throughout this pregnancy!) After having the ultrasound they said that I would need to go over to the hospital to be induced because my fluid levels were below where she would like. Since I was already overdue there was no need to monitor me any further.
I called Justin and told him to meet me at the hospital (made sure I stopped to get my last meal for a while too) So when I got to the hospital they made me start off in triage...I pretty much hate triage. I was waiting there for what felt like forever! I guess they were running low on birthing rooms and I overheard my nurse fighting for me to be the one that got the next available. I was really concerned about not getting a birthing room. One of the things that I like most about this hospital is that each patient gets their own room and they actually have the baby in that room. So I was glad she was standing up for me and it worked because I got the next one!
So we moved into the birthing room, however even though I was still having contractions I was not dilated. So the first part of induction is to insert a pill to soften the cervix. For some people this puts them into labor naturally and for others they have to do the IV medicine. I was really hoping for the pill to work because I really wanted to be able to do the whirl pool while having contractions just to see if I like it and because I have heard so many wonderful things about them. So they put the first pill in and I only dilated to about a two. So they put another one in (after 4 pills they start the IV) This one must have worked because my contractions got stronger and I was dilating. When I was dilated to about a 5-6 and they knew I wasnt going to need the IV they finally let me go into the whirl pool tub. I LOVED this. It was awesome and really helped me relax. They also gave me some Nuvane which didnt help at all with the pain, however it did put me to sleep between the contractions. When I got out of the tub I was dilated to almost an 8. So they asked me one last time if I wanted an epidural. I told them that since I had made it this far without one I was going to turn it down...again (they asked me like 20 times if I wanted one.)
However once I hit an 8 I was beginning to regret my decision. This is the point where I lost the "mind over matter" I was starting to freak out and wanted to cry. However lucky for me I went from an 8 to a 10 pretty quickly and was ready to start pushing. Pushing was so hard and they told me to try to get 3 good pushes within each contraction. I told them I wanted to get 4 in every time because I wanted this baby out! So every time I would have a contraction I would get 4 good pushes in. They asked if I wanted a mirror and I am glad that I had one to see but I wish they would have put it up right before the baby came out. The whole 2 steps forward and 1 step back part of labor was hard for me to see. I would start to see progress and then as the contraction ended she would slide right back up.
Eventually she did come! It was such an amazing feeling when they put her on my stomach (and the pushing was finally over) I looked over at Justin and he was tearing up, I was crying too. Well I was trying to cry but my body was too exhausted to push out any tears...it was pretty pathetic! I am very happy that I did it naturally, however I have learned that you do not get a reward for suffering through all the pain of a natural labor. They do not put your name on a plaque or anything like that. I would have gotten the same results if I would have had an epidural but not all the pain! I have to say, I loved the fact that I could get up and walk around within minutes of having her. I was able to sit up to see her get her measurements and weight. If I would have had an epidural I would not have been able to do that. I think next time I will be getting the epidural. I have done the natural thing and now I can say that I have done it. Who knows, I might prefer natural but I will definitely give it something to compare to! It was an amazing experience none the less!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
A burnt blessing
When I was a kid, occasionally my mom would overcook something and tell us not to complain because it was simply a burnt blessing. Well I have been cooking this baby in my oven for my 40 weeks due time and now she has become a "burnt blessing." She has stayed in the oven a few days too long! However she is still a very special blessing in our lives. We are so excited to see her and hold her and just tell her how much we love her. I think of how long we had to wait to have her already so what is a few more days! I have to admit that I have had an overall good pregnancy. Its been long, and not always easy but I am sure it will be well worth it. The wait is almost over! Anyhow, I am really ready for our little "burnt blessing" to get here! I already love her so much and I dont even know what she looks like! AHHHHH....I cant wait!
The debate
So recently I have debated deleting my facebook account. I read on a blog that a friend of mine did it because she was constantly on it. I unfortunately have the same addiction. I find myself checking it from my phone multiple times a day as well as on the lap top. I love facebook for the simple fact that I can be nosy without anyone knowing that I am being nosy! I love that I can stay updated on the lives of old friends, new friends, and people I dont even know very well. Also its a great way to stay in touch with my family, they are not great about checking my blog but they all check their facebook as well! Especially with the new arrival approaching and the family and friends being so far away, facebook is a great way for me to post pictures and update everyone on our progress as a family.
Now, the downside to facebook. First of all, it is an addiction. There is no other way to put it, I have an addiction to facebook. I check it when I am bored, I check it when I am tired, I check it every time I open the computer...its pathetic! Also I have been having a slight problem with getting offended with comments...this could be the out of control hormones that I am experiencing right now, or the simple fact that you are not able to sense sarcasm with words only. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a very sarcastic person so while may be sarcastically venting on one of my status updates, some people my think that I am seriously upset or stressing out. This is turn leads to comments that I dont always like. I had an incident the other day where I made a sarcastic comment, where I was trying to be funny about the baby being late (I guess I am not a good comedian) and ended up getting my feelings hurt by a comment (dont worry, it wasnt anyone that checks out my blog). After being upset about this and venting to my husband about it, I realized that it was most likely a combination of hormones and miscommunication on both ends.
Justin and I have realized that facebook, while having so many great aspects to it also has many downfalls as well. I wish I could say that I could just knock my addiction without getting rid of it all together but in reality I doubt it. We are considering both deleting our accounts and just sticking to a blog. Opinions on this matter would be great!
Now, the downside to facebook. First of all, it is an addiction. There is no other way to put it, I have an addiction to facebook. I check it when I am bored, I check it when I am tired, I check it every time I open the computer...its pathetic! Also I have been having a slight problem with getting offended with comments...this could be the out of control hormones that I am experiencing right now, or the simple fact that you are not able to sense sarcasm with words only. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a very sarcastic person so while may be sarcastically venting on one of my status updates, some people my think that I am seriously upset or stressing out. This is turn leads to comments that I dont always like. I had an incident the other day where I made a sarcastic comment, where I was trying to be funny about the baby being late (I guess I am not a good comedian) and ended up getting my feelings hurt by a comment (dont worry, it wasnt anyone that checks out my blog). After being upset about this and venting to my husband about it, I realized that it was most likely a combination of hormones and miscommunication on both ends.
Justin and I have realized that facebook, while having so many great aspects to it also has many downfalls as well. I wish I could say that I could just knock my addiction without getting rid of it all together but in reality I doubt it. We are considering both deleting our accounts and just sticking to a blog. Opinions on this matter would be great!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
First trip to the hospital
So yesterday I was feeling a little weird all day. I had a sudden burst of energy and just wanted to deep clean our apartment. So, I turned on the Ipod and started dancing and cleaning (the dancing was my idea of trying to be active to induce labor) :). Anyhow, so Justin came home that night and I was feeling some slight contractions but I wasn't sure if they were Braxton Hicks or if they were the real deal so I didn't think much of them. At about 9:20 at night I decided to start timing them. They were pretty subtle so I wasn't sure if they were just pains or real contractions...eventually they started getting harder and harder so I was sure they were contractions. I told Justin to get some sleep (I knew I wouldnt be able to) so he went to bed around 10:30. I stayed up and kept timing them finally at about 1:00 in the morning I woke him up and told him that it was time to go. When we left for the hospital my contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart. To make this story a little more interesting I will let you know that we hadnt filled up our tank in the Jeep and were running on fumes and of course there were no gas stations opened at 1:00 in the morning. I guess we are not in Missouri anymore! So we said a prayer before we left that we would be able to find a gas station and sure enough we found one on the way to the hospital. I know that the Lord helped us in finding one because if we hadnt found one we probably wouldnt have made it (yes it was that empty)! Anyhow, we made it to the hospital and checked in the Triage. My contractions were getting worse and I was really nervous so my blood pressure was a little high. They check me to see if I was dilated and of course I wasn't. The most pain that I had felt was when the doctor checked me. I have been checked by my doctor before and it never really hurt that bad, but when this doctor checked me I thought she stuck it up there so far that I was going to be able to choke on it. It was miserable. Anyhow since I wasn't dilated she told me to go walk around for a bit and they would check me again. As I walked around my contractions were getting stronger and stronger and coming about every two minutes. However, at about 3:30 she came in to check me again and nothing. I am probably only dilated to a one. So they told me to go home. I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to go home and relax with the contractions that I was having so they gave me some pills to take the edge off and put me to sleep. They worked, but I think they that slowed down my contractions. Because I woke up this morning and am back to were I can barely feel them now. I am pretty bummed about it but I guess that she will come when she is ready. I just hope that she decides she is ready pretty soon...I know we are ready for her to be here!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Words of Gratitude
I am not sure what happened to me but I was laying in bed and I just started thinking of all of the many blessings that I have in my life. I am so grateful for so many things but particularly for the really important ones. The first blessing I have is an amazing husband whom I love dearly. He is always making me smile and he is constantly brightening my day. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful Eternal companion. Secondly I am grateful for this little life that I have growing inside of me. I know that she is truly of gift from our loving Heavenly Father. He has trusted her in our care and I just hope that we can do a good job of raising her! Its crazy the love that you can feel for someone you have never even seen before, but I already love her so much! Next, I am grateful for my wonderful family. My family is my some of my best friends. I know I don't tell them near enough how much they mean to me but I don't know where I would be without them! I am also grateful for my friends. I have many great friends who may as well be family. Lastly I am thankful to have the Gospel in my life. Where would I be without it? I know I would be so lost if I didn't know that I had a Heavenly Father who loved me so much that He would send His Son down to pay the ultimate price for my sins.
I am just so grateful for so many things. My life has truly been blessed. Not saying that I don't have hard times like everyone else, but in the end, I have the things that truly do matter to me and for that I am blessed.
I am just so grateful for so many things. My life has truly been blessed. Not saying that I don't have hard times like everyone else, but in the end, I have the things that truly do matter to me and for that I am blessed.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Trip to Palmyra!
So Justin and I had the opportunity to go to Palmyra last Sunday. It was an amazing and perfect Sunday activity for us. We had the opportunity to tour the Smith Farm, the Sacred Grove, and Hill Cumorah. It was such and awesome experience to be able to stand on the exact same ground where Joseph Smith stood and where he held the plates. It was so neat to be walk through the Sacred Grove where Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ came in a vision to Joseph Smith together, side by side. Also, to know and think that this is the land that is talked about in the Book of Mormon where Moroni hid the plates that stayed there for years upon years never being disturbed until Joseph Smith was commanded to translate them. Such and amazing experience for the both of us! However next time I think we will pick a warmer day to go. It was soooooo cold there. They told us that the temperature was about 7 degrees...before the sun went down. We went to Hill Cumorah after the sun was down and the temperature was so cold and the wind made it even colder, so we didnt get to enjoy that for very long! Hope you enjoy the pictures!
On top of Hill Cumorah and it was FREEZING! That is why we have such goofy looks on our faces.
On top of Hill Cumorah and it was FREEZING! That is why we have such goofy looks on our faces.
Angel Moroni on Top of Hill Cumorah
This is how high the snow was on top of Hill Cumorah
In the Sacred Grove, such an awesome experience
Walking through the Sacred Grove...very cold and very spiritual however I am not acting very spiritual, but we were freezing so I had to lighten the mood a little!
The Smith Home
The bricks where Joseph Smith hid the plates from the mob
The kitchen in the Smith Home
The Palmyra Temple from the Smith farm
The Smith Cabin
The VERY narrow stairs in the cabin
Justin and I in the room where Angel Moroni came to Joseph Smith
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