Housing Search

Colton and I have a lease that finishes on the first of May. Even though we love our landlords (Leavitt Land) we are trying to find a place with a few basic essentials:

Washer and Dryer.

No Stairs.

Preferably NOT an apartment complex.

Dishwasher.

Good Neighborhood.

Nice Yard.

Good Neighbors.

Close to the door parking.

Large rooms.

Amenities: Walking Path's/Gym/Playground/Pool/Cable TV/Internet (anything fun.)

We are currently paying $425 for a two bedroom, 1 bath apartment. It is up a flight of metal stairs, and has coin-op laundry (that takes my sweet ADD prone Colton 6 days to do.) But it's SO nice compared to all the horrible places we have looked at.

Let me tell you what we have found:

Cute=Tiny

Great Deal=Trashed

Pet's OK=Stinky

Washer Dryer Hookups=Dryer in the Kitchen

Quiet Neighbors=Creepy Old Man

We went and viewed two basement apartments today. The first one was okay. It was small and cramped feeling (the ceilings were only 6 inches from Colton's head, and he's pretty short.) The yard was kind of crappy, and it was about half the size of our place. But all in all it was okay.

The second place we went, we knocked on the door and they slammed it in our face. (They were the upstairs renters.)

There were cockroaches in the tub.

Spiders on the wall.

The 2nd "bedroom" was INSIDE the first bedroom. (IE it was a walk in closet.)

When we went outside to see the "beautifully landscaped yard." There was a bassinet in the middle of the grass, broken barbies, various dangerous wood projects and a few dirty diapers. 

A terrorizing pit bull, a mutt and a hideous chihuahua/weiner dog mix met us at the gate. 

When I asked how you accessed the back yard, the landlord said "I don't know." 

As he says this a man with a mullet and no teeth comes out of the seemingly uninhabited" shed. He is holding a paper with a line of powder in it. (Yup.) 

He shows us how to sneak into the gate, and then asks the landlord if he can chuck a few dogs in the desert on his way out of town. (Straight face, no joke.)

The landlord replies "No, I just got rid of 3 cats." (Now we know where the smell came from.)

As we left the man said "Whats the babies name?" 

I replied "MaTai."

What's that mean?

"It means Chief"

"Well we are extremely Chief friendly at this place."

Cue half naked 10 year old running through the yard.

Other fun finds include places with half full ponds two feet from the door. (Toddler death wish?)

Downstairs neighbors who have 30 beer boxes full of diapers scattered on the lawn.

"Private deck" consisted of 5 pieces of wood held up by concrete blocks.

Fenced back yards with giant holes every two feet.

Duplexes with "Wanda's Sunflower Nails and Special Services" next door.

The list goes on.

Perfect. Awesome. Great.

Needless to say. 

We are still looking.

There are so many apartment complexes in Cedar City, but I don't know where to look! All the property management places just hand you lists of rentals, and send you on your way, and Craigslist is leading us to these wonderful gems.

So we are at the point of driving street by street and calling "For Rent" numbers.

We really just want to rent a small house and stay in it until we move North or buy. We want something stable that we can make a home.

Wish Us Luck.

 

A Few Things...

Colton and I said that we were not letting our son have screen time (tv, computers, iPhone) until he was two, because they can get seizures and it's
not good for their development.

Tai is currently laying on the couch watching a Spanish game show. Intently. I really needed to pee. And well, some housework needs to get done. (At least he will be bilingual?)

Also, after spending an hour and a half at 4 am listening to Tai babble and kick, I gave him to Colton and said "your turn."

As I was falling asleep Colton let out a scream and said "stop it you freeeeek." Tai had a steel grip...on his armpit hair.

This only slightly outweighs me sleep talking to Colton "go get Tai he is awake." and Colton deliriously yelling "I AM HOLDING HIM ALREADY!!" (as he pointed to his arms cradled around nothing.) After checking his arms I responded "no honey I think he is in his crib."

We need more sleep.


Cue the picture of my boys watching UFC weigh ins while I make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. We keep it classy.

Breastfeeding Pro's and Con's

I've been thinking about breastfeeding a lot lately. Mostly because it's finally become routine and doesn't feel so stressful anymore.

It has been fairly convenient-minus the time we were on the freeway and couldn't stop because Colton had to get to work and Tai was screaming. I definitely pumped in the car going 89 miles an hour. I am sure the other drivers loved the show. (kidding-I was totally covered people.)

When I was pregnant with Tai, breastfeeding was the HOT topic. I had people tell me do it, don't do it, it kills, it's gross, it is necessary, its pointless, it's easy.

My best friend got the hang of it right off the bat, and thought it was so convenient. She loved how easy it was.

For me it started WAY stressful. Like it would take twenty minutes to get him to latch and I had to be sitting in a certain chair with a certain pillow and him in an exact position to get him to eat. It seriously took 3 people. (only two adults live here, ya. Not easy.)

I would get so stressed and sad and feel bad he was hungry. I would sigh with relief the minute he finished eating and then panic when he woke up and got hungry again.

So I started pumping and giving him bottles. I still felt way guilty he wasn't "-"actually breastfeeding." Enter lactation specialist to tell me how bad pumping is and that I will lose all my milk. Greeeeeat.

So we tried to go back to latching. That was even worse and even harder. So I was determined to do it my way. I calls the hospital and told them I NEEDED a nipple shield (which basically elongates the nipple so baby can eat directly from you.) She told me all about how if you use a shield for too long you will lose your milk. Whatever. I picked one up from her and tried it out immediately.

When Tai latched in ten seconds, I started crying. It was so awesome and easy and stress free. It got a little annoying because the guard is silicone and doesn't stick very well, but even that was nothing compared to the panic of breastfeeding.

Then of course it got annoying when I wanted to go out or invite people over. It sucks to excuse yourself to go feed a baby for a half hour or leave a restaurant. I am NOT nor will I ever be one to nurse in public. Way too self conscious.

(I get it's natural and all that, but I think moms just get so used to exposing themselves multiple times a day they forget that not everyone loves to see
It.) And nursing covers, don't work much. I end up with a sweaty baby and he usually kicks it off and exposes me anyways. Combine that with trying to apply a shield in the dark. Pass.

So I started pumping again. Just for the times we wanted to go out. That sucked. I went from pumping 12 ounces every few hours to like 2 in 8 hours. It was HORRIBLE and TIME CONSUMING. Not to mention when I finally got done he was hungry, I was empty and he just gobbled down the bottle. But I kept trying and slowly built the supply back up.

Now I'm at a point where we do both. I mainly breastfeed him and if he's sleeping and there's extra I pump. It's always a little relieving when I have a few extra bottles in my fridge. :)

I would say I'm glad I kept going. It was stressful, there were tears. But we have saved so much money, he is healthy, and a good weight. Sometimes it would be so convenient to just make him a bottle of formula! (I watch moms do that enviously when they are shopping and Tai is fussy.) But I know if I have the ability, and the supply, breastfeeding is the only option.

A few pro's:

As long as you give them NO formula, they will stop having dirty diapers for days at a time. (We are at a week!) It is perfectly healthy, they aren't constipated, the milk is just so good it absorbs through their stomachs. a lot of people told me this is a myth, but it totally works for us. (Any formula will ruin this, because even one bottle coats their stomach for up to 2 weeks, so breast milk cant be absorbed. so if you have to supplement, that's why this probably won't occur for you.)

It's convenient at night, you don't have to get up and make a bottle or warm a bottle.

It's cheap. (Free actually!)

It's good for them! Tai has barely gotten sick since we have had him. And the one time he has, it's only lasted a short period of time. (I got it from him and I was so miserable for a week!)

It burns extra calories. (If only I could get the desire to exercise.)

I love the fact that I can just relax when feeding him. Sit and watch a show I like and just put my feet up. In our house, if I am pumping or breastfeeding, I get to choose the show/the video games go off. Since Colton usually hates what i choose, he will do dishes or tidy up. That's nice.

Some Con's:

It's time-consuming. Basically a half hour every three hours.

Even if your baby isn't up, or he has slept too long, you will wake up sore and engorged and needing to pump/feed. Pumping at 4 am sucks.

It's a huge commitment. It makes it hard to go out of town, especially when people want to do things away from home. It makes it hard to leave them with someone-you have to pump days in advance to have enough. You can't go anywhere (ya, honeymoon isn't happening anytime soon.)

So I'm definitely glad I stuck with it. It has paid off!

I would suggest that you follow your heart.

Lactation nurses are great but they don't know everything. Don't let them guilt you or scare you into anything. But do consult them before you quit. They really helped me.

Don't feel guilty for your choice (I beat myself up about pumping.) Your baby will get fed regardless.

If you pump, invest in a good one, you will use it so often! (Thanks Britt!)

Make breastfeeding something exciting. Watch your favorite shows while you feed baby, eat a snack. Love on your cute babe.

Building A Home

It's amazing how things slowly start to come together.

When Colton and I first moved in together it was a little chaotic. We made a quick decision and found a cute studio apartment.

It didn't have a dishwasher, there was hardly any room in the place, and we loved it.

We bought a small futon, a tiny entertainment stand, and a tiny kitchen table. I found some chairs at a thrift store, we shared his blue, sticker covered dresser and we made things work.

We had to hand wash EVERYTHING, and our few shelves were so high up we had to buy storage so I could reach cereal. Our microwave (that I scored at a thrift store) sat on a wobbly table next to the front door.

Then we decided to move and make room for baby. (and get away from our psycho neighbor who worshipped trees at 3 am.) It took us an hour to move every piece of furniture out of our old apartment and into the new one.

At first it was really sad. We had a huge two bedroom apartment with a bed, a dresser and two night stands. We had our small futon and tiny tv stand and the whole set up looked funny in a huge apartment.

Slowly we have "upgraded." We got some awesome couches for free, a huge mattress, (ours was a full) and a nursery set. We acquired a rocking chair, and some bar stools, a vacuum cleaner and a side table.

It's fun building a home. It's fun to replace old bedding with something fresh and soft (thanks mom Kynaston.) It's fun to switch out the old shabby bar stools for a couple cute cherry wood ones. It makes you feel good to DI the vacuum that hasn't worked for anything since you bought it, and start using a vacuum that actually works.

We couldn't do it without our friends and family. They lend us their trucks to move furniture. They give us something they don't use that we really needed (a kitchenaid!!!) Sometimes they are just really generous, (my mother in law gave us a merchandise credit to buy something we needed-we got bedding because Colton's old full bedding didn't fit our king size bed.)

I'm looking forward to getting a bed frame so we can get our mattress off the floor. I'm excited to one day have a kitchen table with chairs that match and room to have people sit down. I can't wait to get our couches cleaned and repaired so they look as good as they are!

It's the little things that make me so excited about building a home. It makes me feel like I accomplished something.

Also sometimes it doesn't matter how big our apartment is. I make Tai sit on the porch like a little old man. ;)

MaTai Update

MaTai is majoring in clinging to mom, with a minor in kicking the crap out of me while I sleep. He gets straight A's in not taking naps, and is currently excelling at whining so that I can't get housework done. He is extremely proficient at expelling bodily fluids on only me, and is mastering the ability to wind his fingers in my hair in seconds.

As I wrote this he was so excited with his kicking activities he projectile vomited across himself, me, and my new comforter. Biggest puke yet. Yay for babies and milestones.

Say hello to Mr. Innocent.

For friends/family of new moms :)

As I'm getting more into the baby raising business ;) I am getting asked a lot about what helps and what I liked/disliked with my first baby. All my friends are in the stage where they are having their first or helping a new mon.

So for anyone that knows a new mom or a soon to be mom, here is my advice.

A few obvious:

Wash your hands! Always! Regardless of when you did it last, do it in front of her!

If you are sick, don't go around the baby. Don't let your family around the baby. Period.

Don't kiss the babies face/head or put your fingers in their mouth.

1. Dinners are amazing for the first week or so! If you bring her dinner, bring it in disposable containers that you don't need returned. Make sure she knows they don't need returned. (I stressed for weeks about getting containers and pans back to people that I barely knew, it was a constant nagging feeling.

Also, prepare food that is generally safe. (Don't put mushrooms in Alfredo sauce, or large peppers in a salad.)

It's nice to feed husbands too. Maybe it was just because we arent married, but people in our ward would bring small portions (barely enough for one person) over and we would end up having to cook.

If you volunteer to make a meal, make a meal. We had someone put a frozen pizza and a chocolate bar on our door after volunteering to do dinner for us, and that just sucked. I didn't plan anything because we were told we would get dinner, and then it was barely enough for me, and honestly, brand new, tired, breastfeeding moms don't always want frozen pizza. I just know if we volunteered to make dinner it would be something nutritious and filling and homemade. Maybe that's just me.

2. Don't show up unannounced. It's horrible when you have baby puke all over you or you are nursing and someone is knocking on the door wanting to visit. Seriously. I've ignored many a knock because I wasn't clean/decent/emotionally ready to chat for an hour :)

3. Ask a mother what she needs. Even if she has a registry we often have specific things we need. Clothes are nice, but a lot of the time we have so many for the first little while its overwhelming. If you want to get clothes ask a mom what size she needs, returns get stressful also. If you are unsure, always go for bigger sizes-we got so much 0-3 month and nothing for later on-it's nice to have new outfits for when they get older.

4. Diapers are the best gift! Buy bigger diapers or ask what size they don't have. Everyone gets size 1s. We ended up with 2500 size 1 diapers and nothing bigger. Again, lots of returns and exchanges. It's doable, but can be quite a task! Also, Big boxes of wipes are cheap and last forever.

(If you throw a shower- diaper showers are the best, we haven't bought diapers yet and still have a 6 month supply. It saves a lot of money and really, really, REALLY helps!) A pack of diapers and something small like baby wash, diaper cream, a pacifier or a toy is a great combo. It's usually the little things that get forgotten.

5. Call her and check up on her. We do get lonely! But at the same time we need our space. If you want to visit or see the baby, send a message that says "I would love to come visit, call me when you are ready!" That way we aren't put on the spot and can be prepared for it!

6. Stay indoors! I hated feeling pressured to go out or take my baby out to dinner. Its hard to tote a carrier around. I didn't want to leave him at home and I didn't want to expose him. Having dinner and date nights at home, at our apartment was the best for us and the easiest-all babies stuff was with us already.

7. Don't try to take over. I had a hard
time with people feeding or changing my baby for the first little while. That was my job and I wanted to do it. Don't bathe the baby or give him medicine or change his outfit or even bundle him without first checking with mama bear. We like to feel in charge and call the shots.

8. Keep your parenting to yourself. Unless you are asked specifically, don't comment on your disapproval of something. (Co-sleeping, nursing, rocking to sleep.) It will cause serious resentment and it's just not your place.

9. Sometimes the best help is just holding the baby while we do dishes, sitting with him while we are running errands or even just watching a movie with us at our house :) All the little tasks seem big at first!

10. Show interest. Even if you are at a totally different stage in your life, it's nice to celebrate something so special with our friends. The friends we are closest with are the ones who made the effort and showed love and care when baby was born. The ones who called or came to the hospital or brought cookies over or gave advice. That's really the most important and best thing you can do for a mom. Show interest in her child.

New Moms-Supplies

I've been wanting to put something up about what we used/didn't use because a lot of new moms ask me and I know I would have liked to know. (Not that we listen anyways, we think our babies need it all!)

This is total opinion and trial and error. I ignored everyone telling me what I needed/didn't need and then wished I had listened later! Haha. (if you moms want to add anything please let me know.)

First of all, invest in you! The first few months are HARD. You are messy and in pajamas and sweats and tank tops all the time. So get stuff you think is
Cute! Victoria's secret yoga pants, bright tank tops, aeropostale pink sparkly sweats ;) It will make you feel good, and girly, and you will need that!

Nursing bras should be an obvious but I didn't get one for several weeks after and they are lifesavers! So convenient! Have one for the hospital!

Here are a few things we loved:

If you have a smartphone, get a baby app! We used the free similaci?! one. It has counters for weight gain, feeding times/amounts, diaper changes, etc.. It's great while you are getting in a routine and helps when doctors ask questions about wet diapers and schedules. Also with feeding it counts how long they are eating. I lost track of time and amounts and everything in between. We also love our nature sounds app and nursery rhymes.

Do get an alarm clock. We don't have one (I use my cell) but we need one. It is easier to see what time you get up with baby and how often when it's huge and in your face.

Do invest in an automatic breast pump. We use ours all the time and it's convenient when you want to go to the store.

Do get some kind of mattress cover
for under you. Breastfeeding baby=milk all over the sheets. Plus spit up and the occasional accident when they poop while they eat.

Do get a stain remover spray and keep it on your changing table for when they have blowouts. Also a bucket of water with detergent is a must. (Many a cute outfit was ruined before we did this.)

Do return clothes you don't need. It's not worth it when they wear them once-and the extra store credit goes great towards diapers and stuff you need!
Trust me those outfits add up.

We personally love our changing table and use it for every change-some people told me not to bother but we love it. Especially if you are on one level, it makes it easy to have everything in the same place for each change.

Do get a Boppy or some kind of U shaped pillow. Tai eats on it, sleeps on it, sits up on it, has tummy time, and goes everywhere with it! It's wonderful.

Do buy a big container of sanitizer- and
keep it where people come in so it's easily accessible (we got given a big bottle-it was a great gift!)

Do get a nightlight! Or a touch lamp. Something that makes it easy to see baby and get up without turning on bright lights or making noise.
Do get things second hand! Babies grow out of things so fast! (swings, play gyms, jumpers etc.) Its not worth shelling out hundreds for brand new things.

Do get a bassinet for your room. It's convenient, cozy and nice for when they are just tiny. You probably won't even touch your crib for months after you have your babe. We haven't yet!

Do get blankets you really love. We find ourselves using the same five blankets and they are all ones we picked out ourselves.

Other things we loved:bottle drying rack, a mini pouch to put in your purse with a few diapers and wipes-for short trips, pacifier straps so they stay put, carseat cover to keep out prying ladies, car mirror to see them when you drive, a jumper, tummy time toys, nail clippers, a pacifier thermometer! (I was not messing around with rectal temps or trying to hold his arm still.)


Don't bother with:

A baby bath. (We rarely use ours, it's too bulky and easier and more fun to bathe with them.)

A bottle warmer (it takes 20 minutes and the baby will be ticked.)

A bulky stroller. Really a small umbrella stroller is just as nice-easier to pack in and out. We have a gorgeous one that we love but its hard for me to lift and carry. It also takes up so much room in the car it's impractical to travel with if you have groceries.

Stuffed animals-This is the worst gift to get. Haha. They aren't supposed to have them in the crib and they get bulky quick. Pick one you love or get one special one and DI the rest. We got a stuffed animal/mini blanket/silk backed comfort toy that works for travel and bedtime.

Baby shoes-They are just cute for pictures. When a newborn is kicking the crap out of you, they won't be fun.

Diaper Pail- Diapers are just easier to take out daily. Plastic grocery bags work great. (or the dollar store sells packs of 75, and they are scented) and refills get pricey. We just got Tai his own garbage with a foot button and it is perfect!

Excess anything: Clothes, blankets, socks, HATS. They really will use the same things over and over and the rest will just clutter up space!

Also-when people ask what you need, tell them. They are going to get you something, so make sure it's something you will use!

From A New Mom To A Soon To Be Mom

I've been thinking a lot lately about things I wish I had known or things that I wish would have gone differently. Everything from showers to the hospital to pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Here is my advice to a new mom. Advice I wish I'd known.

1. Do call the nurse if you have questions.

2. Do make sure that your voice is heard. Do not let a doctor talk you into something you aren't ready for or tell you things are fine if they aren't (ie my birth story and the epidural not working.) If something feels off, tell someone. I whined about my throat hurting for two days before someone looked at it. It was so white and swollen I could barely eat. Getting a gargle for it was the best thing that happened-and my mom brought it in.

3. Rest in the hospital and tell people no. You won't want anyone but Your hubby and your mom in the room while you are in labor. I just wanted to sleep and rest and take everything in.

It has always bothered me that so many people held Tai before I did. If I could do it again I would have made everyone go home or wait it the waiting room until I was good and ready. It was not a good experience waking up in pain and having my entire family in the room. (That's not something I would have okay'd anyways, it just happened because I was under anesthesia.) I feel a little bitter about it because I should have gotten the first moments with my son, not anyone else.

4. Do bring a nice robe to the hospital, or something that you feel okay in. People will be in and out and you will be hanging in and out of that ridiculous robe. You will feel better in something that covers you, but is easy to adjust or remove.

5. Do Get Take Out! The hospital food is all super health conscious. (Boiled chicken and rice.) Blah. After 9 months of heartburn and indigestion and craving what baby wanted, I really enjoyed a shake and some fries from Carl's junior. Really. It was great. Also, if you crave ice cream at 3 am, tell the nurse. Trust me, they have it.

6. Have people bring in what you need. Make special requests (ie: herbal tea, better pillows, a laptop to watch movies on.)

7. Let your hubby cuddle with you on the hospital bed. If you are feeling lonely and overwhelmed, this really helps. Plus when you need something you can poke him instead of trying to call across the room and not wake the baby. Haha. This being said:

8. Use The Nurse Button! You don't want to feel needy, well you are needy! Haha. Let them help you. Let her hand you your water. Let her get you more ice. Trust me, you pay for it.

9. Sleep with your little one when you are in the hospital. There will be few days when they sleep so long and peacefully, and honestly, they are only small for such a short amount of
time. Don't take it for granted. That being said:

10. Sleep!! This is total hypocrisy on my part, I barely slept because I didn't want to miss a single moment of my new son. But it made me a psycho. If you refuse to sleep in hospital, have someone bundle up baby the second you are home and sleep with him in your arms in your own bed. It will feel great and you will be at peace knowing he is next to you. Trust me.

11. If you are going to breastfeed (which I highly suggest because it's free, easy, and soooo good for them.) ask for help! It won't come very easy. It will be frustrating, and if you don't start right it makes life so hard. We went back to a lactation consultant over and over until we figured out what worked for us because we got so screwed up. People will tell you all different things and it will make it really confusing. And there were times I almost gave up. A lot of times. If I could do it again I would not introduce a pacifier or use a bottle to give him pumped milk. I would only do direct latching-it makes it easier on you because they are willing to keep trying. After he got a bottle he got lazy. Also, go with your instinct. I had people telling me pumping would make me lose my supply, and a shield was bad for supply and bottles were evil. To this day, I pump when I feel like it and use a shield for every feeding. It's what works for us and my supply is fine! If it is stressing you out to do it one way, try something else and dont feel guilty.

12. Don't travel for a while. Not even 30 minutes away. We did this a few weeks after Tai was born and I was miserable. It's hard when you have a new routine and you are tired and you don't really want to share your baby with anyone. I would go in the bathroom and just cry and cry because I was so stressed. It's not worth it. Enjoy them and get in a routine and feel totally comfortable before you venture out.

13. Speak up! (I still struggle with this.) if you want people to wash their hands, make them do it! If someone is coughing, tell them they can't hold the baby. If you don't want his face and head kissed (the number one way they get sick) tell people no. If the baby is sleeping tell people he isn't going to get passed around. Some people might not like your rules, but honey, you are the mom!

14. Finally, don't compare babies. Yours will be infinitely different than your best friends. If hers can recite 5 languages, and yours Is barely holding his head up, it's FINE. Babies are different :)

That's my shpeel.

Tai wants to show you his hat. (I don't know how this happens. But we fell asleep feeding him and he woke up with the nipple guard on his head...)

Dream Wedding Follow Up

After writing long essays and answering questions at midnight and putting so much effort into winning us a wedding, "there were too many entries and the finalists were drawn from a hat."

Great. Thanks for wasting my time.

Post Pregnancy Symptoms

6!things I totally didn't expect after pregnancy:

1. Excessive sleep sweating.
Every time I wake up from a nap, whether it's hot, cold, blankets on, off, etc. I am DRENCHED in sweat. My whole body is on fire. Colton will be completely covered in blankets and I will have shed everything of and be next to an open window and I am still soaked! Does anyone else have this problem?

2. Exhaustion.
Okay, yes, I should have expected this.
And I did expect to be tired. But I am flat out exhausted all the time. I used to have to listen to a book on tape for an hour before I could fall asleep.
Now: I shut my eyes and wake up an hour later totally confused. I have been listening to the same book on tape for 3 months. I literally comprehend about two minutes worth of the book before I am out. It's the kind of exhaustion where I never feel refreshed. I shut my eyes when he is babbling himself to sleep, and wake up with him babbling to himself because he is hungry and awake and I cannot figure out why he won't sleep (oh, 3 hours have passed?...dang.)

3. Unstretched Stretch Marks Look Like Horrible Scars:
Call me Simba. Roar. They are awful. They are deep, they are thick and they basically make my stomach look like a shriveled octopus head. If you think stretch marks are bad when the baby is in, wait until he is out. All I can say is, anti-stretch mark lotion, is a load of crap.

4. Extreme weight gain:
I gained very little for most of my pregnancy. I was all baby. And then, bam. I gained a TON right at the end. Thank you eight pound baby. And now, I feel like I don't have the time, or energy to work it off. Better still, diets are a no no because I'm breastfeeding. It just sucks.

Colton goes to the gym everyday, and he is Mr. six pack despite the fact that he eats junk 24/7 (a whole pizza, 2 am.) I probably should make him stay home with Tai and use that time to go to the gym myself :) I just decided this as I was typing.

We are trying to eat healthier. This morning i made oatmeal banana breakfast bars. He looked at them in disgust until I told him I found it off an MMA fighters diet website. (aka pinterest.) He ate that stuff up. Don't judge me.

5. Bigger boobs:
I have always had a big chest. But when I tried to put on a jacket that was too big for me before I was pregnant, and it was 8 inches away from buttoning over my chest, I about had a meltdown. I couldn't believe my body had changed that much! This was after pulling up pants that wouldn't even go past my thighs! Ugh.

6. Goodbye, Hygiene:
There are days when Colton comes home from work and I'm still in my pajamas. I have puke, pee, drool and food on me, and I haven't touched my hair. Literally he walks in the door some nights and I say "oh good you are here! Shower time!" I relish the five minutes I spend washing my hair and the ten minutes after that when I'm perfectly clean. (yes, it only lasts for ten minutes.) Some days I will bathe with Tai, and not wash my hair at all because I can't hold him and wash my hair at the same time-then he gets cold and needs to be taken out.

Shoot, there are even some days when tai will not let me put him down and will not nap. Days where Colton comes home on his lunch break and I beg him to hold the baby while I brush my teeth and get breakfast.

At the end of the day, despite feeling fat and dirty and exhausted, he is worth every second of my time. I might have a messy house and look like hell, but I have a happy baby. I have a little boy who smiles at everything, and talks to me and loves his mama. I have a little boy who I absolutely adore and who is already too big! It's true what they say, babies grow up, cleaning can wait.

I will get the hang of it all eventually, but I never want it to be at the expense of Tai. Colton can eat frozen pizza everyday if it means I can snuggle my little boy just a few minutes longer.

Sick baby

Let's talk about something I think is a complete and total sin. And selfish to
boot.

If you know you are sick, have been sick, or are getting sick, if you have been around someone who is sick, do not under ANY circumstances put yourself around a baby. Period.

This rule should cover putting yourself around ANYONE but especially a baby.

Nothing makes me more angry than when someone comes to my house, or invites me over, and then is sick. It is so inconsiderate.

People who try and hide being sick, that is even worse. I should smack you. Stifling your cough and taking a million cough drops does NOT make you less contagious. Period.

It's that moment when you sit down, hand someone your child and all the sudden hear them coughing out a lung or realize they sound stuffed up that makes me so mad.

I will tell you why. This sweet little boy, who I have tried to protect, is sick with a cold. He can't breathe, he won't eat, he is coughing his small little lungs out. And it's because he was exposed to someone who didn't bother mentioning they were sick and held him anyways. If you love him, don't be selfish-he doesn't deserve to get sick.

I am one ticked off mama. I have had a sad, fevered and sweaty little boy clinging to me for three days, and now I am sick too and it is rough.

I need to shower (badly.) I need to clean. I need to pay bills. But my little boy comes first and he needs his mama. That has meant constant supervision to make sure he can breathe and isn't boiling hot and gets a tiny bit of sleep clung to his mom.

So the moral of this story is, if you are sick, I don't care how badly you want to see my baby, or visit, let me know you have been sick or avoid holding this little boy.

I will never have more respect for you than if you tell me "sorry, we are sick, we will have to see you another day."

Wedding!

This week we entered a competition for a dream wedding in Southern Utah.

When I got the e-mail from St. George Weddings announcing a dream wedding with everything covered, I about died. 

How amazing would that be?

To have everything planned and prepared!

No money to worry about, and a marriage to look forward to without the stress.

I feel like Colton and I have been through so much together and conquered so much in the three years.

I feel like we do deserve it. 

I feel like we have proven the strength of our relationship.

For two years we used to argue and fight over nothing at all, and it felt like our relationship was so hard when we were just dating and going to school and things were actually easy.

We were immature, and selfish and stupid.

We had money and time and freedom to do whatever we wanted, Vegas trips and long weekends and traveling back and forth. 

Sushi nights and dates to whatever exciting thing we could come up with.

But we were miserable.

Constantly trying to one up the other person, or hurt each other to 'win.'

Using money to buy love.

Pure stupidity.

Then we got pregnant.

It was scary. It took a lot of tough decisions and sacrifice.

But we both made the right ones.

And then all the sudden in a year we have gone through many trials, really hard, very REAL trials. 

Trials that break relationships and test love.

 (Pregnancy hormones, moving in, job losses, money problems, new baby, lack of sleep.)

All in a year! At the same time!

 We are poor, we have very little, we don't go out, we just can't.

But.

And at the end of the day we are a stronger, happier couple for it.
We have found real love in sacrifice and unselfishness.
We have found peace and joy in our relationship.
We have found bliss in our little family and our son.

And now we work daily.
To keep our relationship strong, to keep realistic, to live within our means.

And for me that will always mean putting Tai first.
If Tai needs a play gym or a stuffed hippo, no matter how unnecessary, it will come before my wants.
That's just who I am.

I will give him a diamond pacifier before I get my diamond ring.

I feel like that's always how it's going to be, I will always justify his needs before mine. I have such a hard time getting anything for myself or buying anything for myself. When I get a new pair of pants (because none fit) I am thinking in the back of my head, "I should have bought Tai a __________" 

It's not always that he needs anything, it's just that I feel like i'm being selfish when I put my needs first.

It's the same with Colton, if he asks for something I will sacrifice whatever I can to make sure he has it.

It makes me happy to see them happy.

This drives Colton crazy. To the point where if I show interest in anything he tries to get it for me.

I just don't need material things to be happy, my happiness is in my families happiness.

So I have no idea how i'm ever going to justify a wedding (this could go towards Tai's college fund.)

I could use a push and a shove in the right direction.

Am I Crazy?

Sorry for the rambling.

Beautiful Dream Wedding Gods, I could really use some luck right now.

:)

2 Months

Our sweet little guy:

Is 100% breastfed. (yay!)

Is alllll smiles. Heart melting.

Sleeps about 7 hours at night.

Eats a ton! (6 oz every 3 hours?!)

But is still only in the 20th percentile for weight. (10 lbs 7 oz!)

Is always sucking on his hands. He loves them.

Rarely has a stinky diaper or blowout (another perk of breastfeeding-only wet diapers!)

Is officially out of newborn clothes :(

Wants to play with dad but clings to mom.

Sleeps in his own bassinet (usually!)

Loves bathes. The sound alone soothes him.

Is in LOVE with his mobile and swing toys.

Likes car rides and sitting in his car seat.

Kicks and wiggles like none other!

Is still an amazing baby! Rarely cries (this last week has been an exception because he has had a little cold.)

Also, our doctor told us he is "hung like a five year old."

Hahahaha.

TMI? Sue me. We laughed!

Also, he is obsessed with trying to watch tv. We said no screen time until he was 2 and we try hard, but sometimes he sneaks a peek and sometimes mom needs 2 seconds to pee :)

Again, sue me. :)

And yes. He may be watching toddlers and tiaras. Last week it was Jersey Shore. Ah, the quality of Netflix.

Awesome Parenting: The Colton Edition

Introducing Colton.

The dad who can sleep, eat and play video games while babysitting.

Here are some examples of places I have found them in.

You may have to play find the baby in some of these. 

Enjoy.

My Personal Favorite. Ignore the giant MMA inflicted bruise.

Pictures Of Our Boy

Life Lately Has Been A Whole Lot Of This:

I put him in his bed and a half hour later came in and he was just sucking on his fists. He is such a good self-soother and almost makes me feel guilty with how good he pacifies himself.

Tai Has been sick the past week with the sniffles and getting him down to sleep has been really rough. Colton took a turn last night and after waiting a half hour for him to come start a movie I found them both asleep, with Tai clutching Colts hand.

Tai has learned how to smile! It is the most adorable thing. I get jealous because every single time Colton even makes eye contact with him, Tai breaks out in a giggle and a smile. Sure...ignore the one who feeds, bathes, changes and holds you all day and all night... :)

He fell asleep at the mall when I was trying to find his blessing outfit.

He was supposed to be sleeping again...nope. All smiles looking at his mobile and laughing to himself.
Note the bedding set. I love it so much.

Visiting Daddy at work on his birthday (April 2nd) I can't get over how much this little boy adores his dad.
Also, everyone tells me Tai looks like an old man. Okay.

Friends, Friends

Life has been a little chaotic lately, in a good way. We are finally starting to build a good group of friends in Cedar and that means I actually get a social life sometimes!

We have been doing dinner and a movie nights with Mic & Whitney, so far on the list, the Hunger Games and The Vow. Both of which were super fun and (Tai slept through both 4 hour dates, miracle baby.)

We love game nights with Sierra & Matt. Colton took 9 phases to learn Phase 10. He called it a learning curve,  I call it the kid is really bad at games.We put him on phase 7 (7 cards of one color) (aka the moron phase) just to make him feel better.

We don't see Houston & Andrea as much as we would like (working schedules never match) but we love hanging out and doing dinner and getting out with the kids.

Also, our good friend Brian is such a great sport and sometimes brings by a lucky lady. Seriously girls, if you want a sweet, kind hearted guy who sings and plays guitar and wants to settle down, let me know. He's a keeper!

It's nice to be around people in the same period of life as us. (Married with kids, or expecting kids, or at least like kids, haha.) There is a lot more to relate to, and you don't feel as bad when you have to stop playing a game to go feed a crying baby or change a diaper or tell your spouse off for being an I-D-I-O-T. (It happens.)

We love our friends and wouldn't be able to stay sane without them! It's amazing how once the honeymoon wears off it gets fun to just be around people and eat and talk. It makes crawling into bed together at the end of the night more fun and gives us things to reflect on. Everyone is different, every relationship is different, and sometimes it takes being around other people to appreciate each other.

Slacker...

I Am A Slacker...I know I know.
One of our laptop overheats after five minutes, and is ready to explode, thisonedoesn'thaveaspacebar. (I'm so funny :) ) and well blogging from a phone gets really exhausting. And let's face it, exhausted is what I've been lately. Needless to say I would KILL for a new computer. (My Birthday is May 25, okay? Perfect.

Colton's Birthday

For Colton's Birthday we went out to Chili's a day early to celebrate, and planned on spending and evening in after he got off work on his actual birthday.

Instead.

I threw him a surprise party

.

He went to the gym and I told him I wanted him to pick me up a treat on the way home.

So he needed to call me and I would decide what I wanted.

(Yes, a treat for me on his birthday, I suck.)

I also told him I forgot candles and frosting for his cake.

He opened the door sweaty and limping, carrying a bag of potatoes (he decided he wanted those for dinner) and uttered a few swear words of surprise.

Please note, I did get him an angry birds cake.

Don't act like your husband/boyfriend/self isn't obsessed.

He picked out the number candles for himself. (Which made me laugh.)

We had to re-stage the picture because he blew the candles out too fast.

He decided right then was an opportune moment to answer the phone.

 I also want to add that this was an ice cream cake. And I was under the impression that ice cream cakes had ice cream AND cake in them. Was I wrong? This one was all ice cream.

Lame.

\

All in all the night was a success.

He got a new hat and some x-box gear, shoes and a shaver.

Happy Birthday Babe!