Have a Daisy Day!

Gray's life

2010-12-11T09:48:00.005-07:00

Working out - December 3, 2010

I've been missing my boys this week - far too much studying and not enough playing 'round these parts. I feel like my stress level has been way above normal since I got my appendix out. Couple it with the normal stresses of finals and the holidays, and I've been no fun to be around. I'm tired. My body aches. I can't shake this head cold. And there's no time to bake. It's horrible.

But I needed to take a sec to post about my sweet Grayson. He will drive me absolutely crazy one moment and the very next he is melting my heart. He is so dang opinionated! He will stumble out of bed in the morning and if he's in a good mood he says, "It's sunny time!" even if it's still dark outside. But if he's grumpy, he says, "It's NOT sunny time Mom!" in a very grumpy voice. If he likes something I say, he takes credit for it, but if he doesn't like it, he'll argue it until I'm chasing him around the house and we're both laughing. If I tell him it's time for a bath and he doesn't want to take one, he'll say, "I told you Mom, it's NOT time for a bath." But if he wants to take one, he says, "I told you Mom, it's time for a bath." It's so freaking adorable and completely maddening at the same time.

When I'm talking to someone and Grayson needs to tell me something he will yell, "Mom, I need talk to you!" even if it's Josh that has my attention. It's cute now, but we're definitely going to have to work on waiting to speak to Mom when she's already engaged in conversation. When I see his poop face, I ask him if he wants to run to the potty so he can get a sticker for his potty chart to earn a car. He yells at me to go away, but when he's finished, he's all smiles and asks me if he can go potty. He'll sit on the toilet for a minute then announce, "I finished!" and there will be nothing in the toilet bowl. I'm not sure he'll ever potty train, and he's almost three years old.

Grayson LOVES candy, especially 'gum candy' which is what he calls chewy candy (taffy, tootsie rolls) versus 'candy' which is hard candy (candy canes, suckers, Nerds). I think he's actually pretty clever for coming up with that. He loves to do happy/sad faces and will ask you to be one or the other hundreds of times in a row. When he wants to 'get you' he wil step back, get down like a football blocker and come full-speed toward you. I actually get kind-of scared that he's going to hurt me! He loves to be chased/scared/thrown around/etc. The greatest latest thing, though, are his prayers. Grayson likes to say his prayers by himself now, without any help, and he does a really good job. He always thanks Heavenly Father for each one of us, for the food (even if we're not sitting down to eat), for our home, and for his footballs and his basketballs. Every once in a while he'll thank God for me twice! He's 100% boy and I love every last little thing about him.

Picture with Lightning McQueen - October 9, 2010

Flashlight nap - October 15, 2010
Remember this? - October 17, 2010
Carving pumpkins - October 22, 2010

DH is my world

2010-10-29T08:39:00.002-06:00

I hate that my life revolves around dental hygiene. Grayson fell down at day care last Thursday (eight days ago) and split his chin open on the window well cover. I was stuck in class and got the message an hour later during my lunch. I had ridden the bus down that day and still had three hours of clinic to go, so I called Josh to take him to Instacare. Once again, very lucky Josh now works from home, but I was secretly jealous of him and kinda sad about the whole situation.

I know it's not practical, but I couldn't help but feel like the mom is supposed to be the one taking her kids to the dentist and the ER and things like that. I know it's ridiculous to not be appreciative that not only is my husband able to do it, he's willing, because a lot of people may not get that, but I still felt cheated and useless in a way. However, I recognized the time constraints for me to get there in a timely manner, the lack of true emergency (he did this last Thanksgiving), and the importance of me being in clinic, so I stayed at school and tried not to think about it.

Anyway, what do I do when all is said and done? I post about Gray's accident on my Perio blog for school and not even my own personal blog! Have I gone crazy? Grandmas need to find out about these accidents online! So here I give you Grayson's perio post from last week:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This morning I told Grayson I was going to come into the office and do my perio blog. He said, "Mom, I need do my perio blog too." except of course he said perio blog really cute and toddler-like. So I thought, yeah, I'll post a pic of my sweet boy's poor mouth. He sat on my lap and watched old Mickey Mouse cartoons on YouTube in one window while I did my post and now that I'm done with it, I told him it's his turn. Of course now he's lost interest, but I still want to do it.

Grayson in the last 1.5 hours: I go Amy's house today? It not nighttime, Mom. I not poopy (he lied). Where Christie car? What this? I make pancakes in fridge (he puts his blocks in small stacks in the fridge and says they're pancakes). That not Cookie, that Elmo! Where Daddy go? -Daddy's working downstairs, honey.- I go work on the 'puter downstairs too (and he marches off all business-like until Josh drags him back upstairs and I get the evil eye for letting him go down there in the first place, heh heh). What this? You're sad, Mom; no, you're happy! I just kidding, Mom. I see the letter O! I need my shoes. Where my frog go? I take a picture for those kids. What this?

It's beyond awesome being a parent, and I totally can't blame Ashley for wanting one. But alla that love just means more heartbreak when you see six stitches in your little boy's chin, a fat lip with a mangled hole in it, and even worse, blood filled tissue underneath his tongue. Definitely something I'd chart on the IO/EO exam.

Poor Josh

2010-10-14T09:57:00.001-06:00

Josh works hard - too hard, actually - and I often put him in a pickle about it. Last weekend when he wasn't working for AGFA, he was working on his sister's house, which she's trying to renovate for renters. He even took Thursday off work to help her. And that's where it gets tricky.

You see, I didn't have a single test to study for all last weekend - yay! But even though I was around more, my husband was not. In fact, I saw less of him than I normally would. I was pretty pissed by the time Sunday rolled around, and I finally told him so. The hard part is I admire how hard he works and how giving he is to others (both extremely attractive qualities to me), but if we're both available on a Friday night, why not spring for a sitter and go out for a change?

Oh right, the money. The pickle.

We spent the majority of our savings on the down-payment for our house. The rest of it has slowly been going to my schooling. We're still waiting for the $8k incentive for first-time home buyers, which we'd expected to have before I paid this semester's tuition. Without that cushion, things have started feeling a little tight, and I found out last week that not only will I need to come up with the $4,800 for next semester's tuition by January, I'll also need to pay for my boards exams at the same time - another $2,000. Throw in books and daycare for the month and we're easily out $7,500 in January. Josh asked if I could hear the sound effects of a toilet flushing in the distance when I told him. No wonder he feels the pressure to work so hard to keep his job.

So to my husband, who presently exists in an impossible situation, and will do so until this program is over: thanks babe. You're one in a million. Let's get a Redbox and eat stir-fry for dinner tonight.

That yucky

2010-10-04T20:55:00.002-06:00

Just gotta put this down while I'm thinking of it...

Gray always wants to try condiments and cooking ingredients. Josh and I have pretty much made it the norm that he can try a small amount of anything he asks for. This includes very obviously disgusting stuff. He's tried unsweetened cocoa powder, red pepper flakes, plain mustard (which he actually likes and will lick directly off the plate), table salt, cooking vanilla, tabasco sauce, and salsa (another like of his).

Anyway, we always have a glass of milk and/or water handy because he squinches his face up real tight and will flail his arms about like he's on the brink of flying once the offending taste touches his tongue. Once he downs 3-4 ounces of this liquid medication, he very seriously and solemly will declare, "That yucky" and so far hasn't asked for that particular item again.

Pretty sweet way of letting him learn on his own, right?

So tonight he asked me for some juice but I said no, it's time to get ready for bed. So he opened up the fridge and brought the lemon juice bottle to me, insisting that he have juice before we brush his teeth. I told him he wouldn't like it - it's very sour Grayson - but he told me, "I do like it, Mom."

Okay, whatever you say dearie.

Lucky for him, I pulled out a teaspoon instead of a glass and poured him a bit. I asked, "Are you sure you want to try this?" and he said yes, reaching for the spoon himself. I told him to open up and I poured it on his tongue.

Instant reaction, classic response. As he reached for his water, I asked him, "That was yucky wasn't it, honey?" After guzzling for a few seconds, he looked me square in the eye and said, "No Mommy. That not yucky. That yummy." then started guzzling again. Wanting to call his bluff, I asked him if he wanted some more since it tasted so yummy. He responded with, "No Mommy. I save for later."

Smart boy.

One of those days

2010-10-01T16:16:00.003-06:00

Oh my.

Grayson, sweetie, I love you to pieces. And if I wasn't so tired today from the adventure we had during the night when the rest of the world was sleeping, I might be angry or frustrated with you right now. Maybe you planned it this way; knowing I'd be dragging all day could give you the leg up you've had all morning. Regardless, I couldn't let today finish without letting you know what a handful you've been thus far. And it's only 2pm.

Remember last night around 2:45am when you woke up so sad? And you cried and cried and didn't want to be consoled and told me to go away and then cried for me to come back over and over and over again? I remember. I remember because I was not sleeping. Back and forth between our rooms for nearly an hour. And within 20 minutes of finally falling back asleep you were crying again, so I brought you into bed with me and Daddy. Remember how you insisted on sleeping with your train and I pulled that stupid thing out from underneath me at least three or four times during (the rest of the) night? Yeah, I wouldn't call that a stellar night's sleep.

And then remember this morning during breakfast when you purposefully threw your cereal all over the floor, including the milk? I didn't mind so much because I hadn't cleaned the floors yet. But then you got out your crackers and started shaking the open container upside down to get out every. last. one. after I had just swept. Fortunately the vacuum was still out, so I just sucked up all those zillions of crumbs so I could mop. But then remember when you purposefully followed me around the kitchen while I did mop, walking on the clean, wet areas right after I asked you not to so you wouldn't slip and fall but then you did slip and fall anyway? That was so sad.

And then remember when I was in the shower and I saw you get into the top drawer and pull out the floss and you started pulling it out in big long strands and I begged you to stop and please put it back because it's my favorite kind of floss and Glide can be kinda expensive but instead you ran out of the room and I didn't see you or the floss again until after I was getting dressed and you came back into the room and had unraveled the entire container and were wrapping it around things like a spider's web so I had to untangle it all and then throw it away? Thank goodness I got a 6-pack last time Costco had it on coupon.

And remember earlier when you were so sweet and insistent on helping me vacuum, and you were trying to put the wand back inside the vacuum even though I had it out so I could use the hose to vacuum the stairs and you put that dent in the wall on accident? Don't worry, it's not a very big dent. I'll ask Daddy to fix it sometime.

And then remember when you came into the office while I was doing my online perio assignment and you smelled so strongly of my perfume, and after investigating I had to give you an 'uh-oh' for using the bathroom drawer handles as a ladder, so I sent you to your room while I went to clean up everything only to come back out and find you in YOUR bathroom and you had emptied every drawer and were in the process of pulling out towels and opening the extra bar soaps we had stashed under the sink for guests? At least that was a little easier to clean up than the mess in my bathroom.

But then remember when I was putting away all the stuff from my Primary meeting this morning and I saw you come out of my room (note to self - get a freaking lock for the bedroom door already) with my eyelash curler but I didn't notice any other makeup out of place, so I didn't think anything of it until you asked for a popsicle and I saw all the drawing you had done on your arm, shorts, both legs, and even the bottom of your foot and I asked you to show me where you got it and it was my brown eyeliner and then you showed me the tube of lipstick you'd also taken but fortunately hadn't had the time to use yet? That lipstick sure was a close call. I sure hope the eyeliner comes out of your shorts.
That's pretty much when I decided to write this blog post so I toted you downstairs to get the camera from Daddy so we could take a picture and in the bit of time I've been writing this post you've pulled a variety of items out of the diaper bag and my backpack. I really don't mind that at all, though. It was fun 'talking' on the phone with you, and throwing that orange ball up and down the stairs couldn't have been more entertaining. But man, could you let me build a decently tall tower just once before kicking it over?

But honestly, the best part about this day is now, two hours later, you're nearly lifeless at my feet, crushing that orange ball against my leg as you hold out against the sleepiness that's trying to consume you. I'd love for you to fall asleep because then I could too, and we could spend a couple hours outside later when it's a bit cooler and we won't be crabby.

Yeah, I think I'll go rock you to sleep now if you'll let me. But I have a special request: please keep days like today at a minimum.

I not sad, I happy!

2010-09-23T21:52:00.000-06:00

For one of my classes, we're required to write a weekly blog post about experiences we had in clinic during that week. Luckily for me, it gets me into a reflective mood and I actually post a thing or two on this blog as well. Yay for mandatory assignments that benefit my posterity as well!

The bad news is it always leaves me thinking of Grayson and the opportunity cost of me being in this program. I'm not having the best experiences so far this semester and I've noticed it's caused my emotions to run a bit high these last couple of weeks. Josh has been nothing short of amazing this semester so far, and I repaid him with a snippy attitude and short fuse when I got home from school today. Bad wife.

I kissed Grayson tonight as we put him to bed and told him I love him. He responded with, "I love you too." Then he interlaced his fingers in mine and told me, "I love your hand." So innocent, so adorable, so plain and simple, so delightful. I started tearing up. He saw my tears and put his arms around my neck, asking, "You so sad?" His bottom lip began to quiver a bit and I could see how sad he was at the thought of me being sad, and then I really did start to cry. I literally sobbed for about 20 seconds, wrapped in the arms of my tender two-year-old. He held me so tightly, so concerned about me. "Mommy, you crying?" "Why you so sad, Mom?" I honestly didn't want him to let go.

Somehow I was able to compose myself and as I pulled away from him, he worriedly looked into my eyes. I told him I wasn't sad anymore. He asked, "You happy?" because he's smart enough to know that either you're sad or you're happy, period.

So yes, Grayson. I'm happy. You make me happy. I'm happy because you are sweet and silly and brave to the point of stupidity. I'm happy because you're ridiculously smart and healthy. I'm happy because you're so good about eating your dinner and picking up your toys. You have the best facial expressions, and you said "See ya later, sucka" so perfectly to Daddy earlier tonight. I love the way you do monkey face and always know if the stoplight means stop or go. I'm happy because you know I'm Mommy, and Grandma is Grandma, and you correct me when I call her Mom on accident. I'm happy because Miss Amy tells me how nice you are to the other kids and how well you obey her. I'm happy because you're mine and you always will be.

Thanks bud, for making me so happy. And for reminding me why I am.

Get a grip

2010-09-17T11:22:00.000-06:00

I'm two loads of laundry into the weekend and already feeling behind. It's after 9am Friday morning and there are two more to go (towels last week, sheets this week). I just finished the assignment that's due before noon, but Gray and I are still in our jammies, and the floor is screaming for attention. Scrubbed my shower and toilet last week but not my sink; vacuumed the house but didn't dust. Ran out of milk this morning and I haven't baked for ages. Seems I just can't get it all done anymore.

Maybe there just aren't enough hours in the week for my mom-life AND my school-life. Last weekend I spent about 10 hours studying for a test on Monday. I'll do that again this weekend. And the next. And the next after that. And the next after that one too. Between my classes, I will have at least one test every Monday for the next 12 weeks. Throw in a quiz every Tuesday and Thursday, the fact that I'm away from home (and my son) from 7am to 6pm every Monday through Thursday, and I'm borderline tears. Familial responsibilities consume me as soon as I walk in the door - dinner, dishes, playtime, jammies, brush teeth, storytime, prayers, good night. By 9pm (if I'm lucky enough that Grayson has stayed in his bed), I'm ready for bed myself - not up for pre-treating clothing stains, packing lunches and laying out clothes for the next day, or cracking open a textbook for an hour. I just want to fall into an uninterrupted slumber.

But I don't, because I can't. I want to be the best mom and I want to be the best student, so I do stay outside a bit longer than I should when Grayson wants to swing or play on the slide, and I occasionally leave the dishes in the sink until the next evening. And I often stay up until 10:30 or 11pm, studying for my classes the following day. No television, no pleasure reading. But I'm okay with that, because that's what I choose to do. And Josh has gotten so much better at being done working when it's time to be done. He helped make dinner last night, and he occasionally does the dishes. He makes the bed some mornings, helps Gray pick up his toys before bedtime, and picks him up from day care when I have to catch the later bus home. Josh will probably even let me head to the library tomorrow afternoon for 5-6 uninterrupted hours of studying, even though it means he can't work in the garage or basement. He really is the best husband and father.

Already this morning Grayson has asked me to draw him a butterfly, build a tower with him, and sing his frog to sleep. I love being here for him. I love the way his voice inflects up a bit when he says "Mom" right before he asks me for something. I know there's a time and season for every stage of life, and sometimes I'm bummed I chose to intertwine these two very different seasons into the same two years, but I know he knows I love him, and I'm pretty sure he knows he's my number one guy. He's going to help me try out a zucchini brownie recipe this afternoon, after we go grocery shopping together. He's good about helping me fold the laundry, and he still loves to vacuum, so I'm pretty confident I'll get the things done that I need to, even if it takes a bit longer to do them.

I just needed a minute to get a grip on my responsibilities, my priorities, and how to mesh them together. Breathe in, breathe out. One day at a time. Oh my, I just love that little boy so much. My little boy. No one told me I could manage to love him more every time I see him, but I swear it happens. I look at him and my heart nearly bursts. With joy, with pride, with love. He is so funny, and quirky, and boyish, and tender, and troublesome, and sweet all at once. He truly is the light of my life.

A Summer of Firsts

2010-09-10T11:44:00.000-06:00

Now that summer is over, I figure I'd better do a quick recap of all the 'firsts' Gray had before I let any more time or memory slip away.

First donut - April 24, 2010

First buggy 'ride' - May 10, 2010

First time passing out in a swing - May 16, 2010

First time away from just Mommy overnight (sans Mexico) -

May 28-30, 2010

First ice cream cone - May 29, 2010First s'mores - May 31, 2010

First time building a tower without help - June 3, 2010First own meal at Lone Star Taqueria - June 21, 2010 First time passing out in Wal-Mart - June 23, 2010 First family reunion - June 25, 2010 First big fireworks show and carnival ride - July 3, 2010 First movie on the big screen - July 5, 2010 First time stuck climbing the pantry shelves - July 8, 2010 First family hike - July 30, 2010 First pinata! - August 22, 2010

As you can see, the kid's been busy this summer! Grayson also got his first bloody nose July 12 and learned how to open the outside doors this summer. It only took a few popsicles before he knew how to push his own Otter Pops up from the bottom, and he can eat cherries, plums, apricots, etc., and successfully spit out the pits. In the last month he's learned how to propel himself on a little scooter we got for him, and he denounced naps entirely. He also ripped out the bottom of one pair of shorts and I fixed them! This summer was a good one. Can't wait for the next!

Grayisms

2010-09-01T19:16:00.003-06:00

Some of the latest funnies to come out of the kid's mouth:

I not sad, I happy! (when he's in trouble, we tell him "This is so sad" and put him in his room. For the last couple months, as soon as he realizes where we're headed, he cries out, hoping it'll keep him out of his room.)
You can't reach it. (smiling as he holds something in his hand over his head)
You big trouble, Mom. (for some reason, Josh is never in big trouble - he's even told me to go to his room and then he's shut the door behind me)
I not in big trouble. (when we catch him in the act)
I working here! (when he wants to keep playing instead of whatever he needs to be doing)
I need popsicle. (he never wants one, he needs it)
Just stop a minute, k Dad? (when they're wrestling or chasing and Gray wants to get a leg up, he pulls this one on Josh)
I going now. Bye! (announcing his departure from the room; he even waves as he goes)
Mom, Mom, Mom, there the ABC's! (he gets so excited when he notices letters on signs and such)
Um, green. (anytime we ask him what color something is)

Grayson's such a sweet little boy. He's extra big into kisses and hugs right now and will often insist on both when he's leaving, even if it's just to go outside. This morning he kissed me goodbye through the shower door when he left my bathroom. He always makes the kissing sound (mu-wah) when he kisses, and he likes to pull your face toward his using both hands. It's very endearing.

He's also very sensitive. Whenever anyone's crying (child or adult, real or fictional) he gets a worried look on his face and will tell me they are 'so sad' seemingly near tears himself. If they're a real person, he usually walks over to give them a hug and tell them he's so sorry. I love it most of the time, but it gets a little embarrassing when he does it to strangers at church or at the store.

I'm THAT mother

2010-08-11T09:21:00.003-06:00

I lost Grayson in Kohl's yesterday.

We were looking for a new pair of shoes for him and I had unstrapped him from the seat so he could walk around a bit, go up on his tip-toes, and see how they fit. We found a pair we liked (unbeknownst to me they were 25 bucks!) and he sat down to take them off while I started putting shoe boxes back on the shelves. He started walking away from me, down the aisle, and I asked him to come back. He turned back to me for a minute, but then I saw 'the look' and he took off running in the opposite direction.

You see, Grayson gets this impish, mischievous look when he wants you to chase him or tickle him or throw him around. If you ignore 'the look' for too long, he'll start pulling on your hand, begging you to "get me, Mom" or "chase me, Dad" or whatever it is he'd have you do to him. It's very endearing, generally. But not this day. Not in Kohl's.

I just happened to be sitting cross-legged on the floor while I was sorting out the discarded shoes, so by the time I got up to follow him, he was turning the corner at the end of the aisle. I turned the corner about 15 seconds later, but poof!

He was already gone.

I quickly strode past all the shoe aisles, scanning up and down. No Grayson.

I thought I heard a crash across the main aisle in housewares, so I scanned those aisles as well. No Grayson.

I started calling his name as I headed back to shoes, expecting to hear his little voice pipe up, "I right here!" like he does when we're playing at home and I pretend I can't see him. Still no Grayson.

I started panicking. He disappeared so quickly, I just knew someone had taken him. He was probably already outside now, headed toward her car. He wouldn't be screaming if she offered him candy when she picked him up. Does she have a car seat for him? What am I going to tell Josh? Am I going to have to do an interview for the news? Will anyone empathize with me, or will I 'get what I deserved'? Will witnesses give their testimonials that the other woman seemed like his mother? She kept him happy, smiling all the way through the store as she carried him out the door without blinking an eye. When he's with me, he screams "Help me, Dad!" while I try to bend his legs and force his feet through the legs holes so I can strap him into the cart. Without fail, when he realizes I'm about to do up the buckle, he looks at me so angry, yet defeated, and cries, "No, Mom, please, no strap!" in one last futile attempt at freedom. We make for quite the show.

By this time I had searched textiles and women's bras as well. Still no Grayson. I went back to shoes to see if he had magically reappeared when I suddenly thought to say a prayer. God was kind enough to answer me and it was good news! I immediately knew Grayson hadn't been taken and was just wandering the store. I also knew he wasn't scared and that everything would be all right.

I saw a worker in shoes and asked him to radio for help for me to find my son. He directed me to a register to have the woman there call it in. I totally butted in line (sorry lady) and asked her what I was supposed to do if my son was lost in the store. The worker called a 'code yellow' (description: 2-year-old boy with dirty blonde hair and a bad haircut; wearing gray shirt, gray shorts, and white tennis shoes with the tags still on) and instructed me to stay there so they could bring him to me when they found him. Instead, I parked my diaper bag at an empty register and started walking toward the registers on the other side of the store. I must have had the 'my little boy is lost and I don't know whether I'm going to cry or beat him to a pulp' look on my face because a worker walked up to me and said, "He's over here."

Grayson was standing in the entry way by the far registers. I don't know how long he had been there, but when he saw me he started laughing and ran into the juniors section. I sighed, a worker darted after him, another said, "Wow, he's fast!" and another customer said, "Oh, it's so hard to see the short ones through all the racks." She smiled at me and told me she'd lost her son once before. I can’t say I felt better, but I did manage to feel less stupid.

We eventually made it home. Because Grayson had run through the store wearing the $25 shoes, they came home with us too. I didn’t cry and I didn’t beat Grayson when he was finally back in my arms. I just held him. Tightly.

I’m still THAT mother who will wrestle her toddler into the cart seat no matter how loudly he screams. The one who will let people cut in front of her in the checkout when her cart is full and they only have a couple of items. The one who will compliment a store’s management when she has a good experience. The one who will kiss her boy and tell him how much she loves him for as long as he’ll let her.

But I’m now also THAT mother who will ask God and others for help, and thank them profusely when it’s given. The one who will be slow to judge other parents for mistakes they may have made, knowing she's made plenty herself. The one to spring for $25 shoes every once in a while because hey, Grayson can really move in those puppies. The one that remembers no matter how crazy he makes me, Grayson is the apple of my eye, and I want nothing more than for him to be safe, healthy, and happy.

I want to know...

2010-03-26T13:24:00.000-06:00

...why isn't it hip or cool to save up the money to get things done instead of financing every last little wish on your list?

Josh and I want to buy a home, we save 20% down. We want to put me through school, we put that money aside and don't touch it. We want to upgrade our water heater and a/c unit, we save for it now - can't use the school money, it's already been spent. Won't use the salesman's "6 months same as cash" selling tactic - we don't know what's going to happen to us financially in the next six months, so it would be stupid to spend money we haven't yet earned.

To me, it's simple (and there might be only 2% of the population that actually functions this way), so why does the United States of America, the very country that was founded on freedoms of every kind, choose to spend money it's not yet earned? What has this country been teaching its citizens? Why would our country choose the burden of indebtedness?

Debt does not feel good. I have gone into debt three times in my life - I financed $9k of my car in 2003 after I finished paying off $6k in student loans. I paid as much as I could every month because I hated the feeling of not being in control of my own finances (my 4-year car loan was paid in full after two years had passed). Josh and I now owe a bank about 78% of the purchase price of the home we live in. I hate that feeling, too, but it's pretty hard to save up enough money to purchase a home outright, at least the first time around.

Deficit spending baffles me. Very little of it may be necessary once in a very great while, but at some point in time Big Daddy USA is going to have to man up and realize it can't give everyone everything they want.

Now, as long as Josh and I keep our health, we'll be good to go. Like most others, we're just one debilitating disease away from bankruptcy. I can't believe a country as great as ours can allow its citizens to lose everything and then some because of the cost of treating a disease. It just doesn't make sense. We shouldn't have to deficit spend to ensure people get the life-sustaining treatments and medications they need. Maybe our country is spending its money on the wrong things? Certainly there's a better way for everyone involved. Anyone know what it is?

No more excuses

2010-01-08T17:48:00.001-07:00

There is no good explanation for my last blog post being about what Grayson ate for dinner that evening, or the one before to feature a batch of cookies I had made (but man, were they good!). I have much more important things to share about my son and our lives as they pass by one day at a time. I guess I'm just doing odd things when I finally make the time to post something.

School will not keep me too busy to write down how cute it is when Grayson comes up to us and says "Hold you" the way Cade used to do when he was the same age. The fact that my computer died and nearly took 6-7 months worth of pictures with it (although it did manage to destroy most of our videos) will not stop me from telling you that Grayson didn't make it to just 22 months without his first trip to Instacare (stitches). Vaseline head, home purchase, the holidays and a new room in the basement - there's so much you've missed!

So...following this post will be several highlights I never bothered posting before. Pictures will accompany when available. But first I need to go check out what the kid's up to. Last time I saw him he was 'working on' Josh's extra computer with a screwdriver, but I just now heard the piano. Cross your fingers I'm not going to regret leaving him alone to blog for a few minutes.

Insatiable

2009-12-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

Grayson's dinner tonight:

3/4 cup of leftover casserole
1 container of spinach and cheese raviolis
2 mandarin oranges
13 ounces of milk
1 slice cheddar cheese
a handful of Costco animal crackers
a handful of craisins
3 mini doughnuts for dessert

He just kept asking for more. More, more, more. Then he started naming specific things he wanted: cheese, crackers, raisins, cookies. Every time I thought he was done, he threw me for another loop. And when I finally took him out of his chair, there were no crumbs left behind; he didn't hide a single thing. My baby was hungry. Little pig.

mmmm...cookies

2009-11-11T18:43:00.001-07:00

Steps to achieve the most delicious peanut butter cookies ever.

1. Live with Shaneil for a spell.
2. Get her to give you her peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe.
3. Mix all the ingredients up in your Kitchen-Aid.
4. Take the dough: and make it into little balls that you roll in sugar and flatten with a fork.5. Cook them.
6. Cool them.7. Love them.

PS - Happy Halloween!

2009-11-09T22:39:00.003-07:00

I got this mouse costume on clearance last year at Old Navy for five bucks. I figured it'd be a safe way to go since Grayson wouldn't be old enough to tell me what he "wants to be for Halloween" yet. Cheap costume, no prep work, and no back talk. Perfect!
I stayed home and handed out toothbrushes while Josh took Grayson around our cul-de-sac to go trick-or-treating. We had been practicing saying "Trick or Treat!" all week, but I couldn't get him to put all three words together on a regular basis.

In action
(look at his little tail!)

Fortunately, he got the important part down pat, so Josh would knock on the door and when it opened, Grayson would yell "treat!" It was very cute (I know this because they surprise 'treated' me after they were done). He loved helping me when kids came to our house and he would step up to the door and take the candy out of his bag and put it into theirs. It was so cute. Such a beautiful night, such an adorable little boy. All three of us had a great Halloween. Can't wait for next year!

stuff

2009-11-04T19:52:00.003-07:00

We met a woman today whose husband goes by his middle name - like Josh does, but for an entirely different reason. Her husband's middle name is Jory. I think I like it, but maybe for a girl. I do like Dayna, though, and it obviously has more significance than Jory would, but I am really liking Jory. Maybe even more than Giana. We'll see.

No, this definitely is NOT an annoucement, but I have been fantasizing lately about how cute Grayson would be with a little baby around the house. There's a baby girl at his daycare and apparently he just loves her. He pets her forehead and says "Hi Baby!" all day long. And of course there'd be the added perk of instant playmate, right? For example, he wouldn't be turning my chair 'round and 'round right now if he had a sibling to distract him, or pulling on my shirt sleeve because he really wants to hop up here and type something himself. Is that the way it works with a little brother or sister or is this just wishful thinking?

But then I think to myself about how in love I am with my baby-turned-little-boy and I just can't imagine not being able to enjoy him as fully as I do. He is truly my ultimate joy in life - I almost feel like I'd be betraying him by bringing such a distraction into our home. On the other hand, we never intended or planned on him being an only child, so I'm sure those feelings will shift once my program is over and life isn't so hectic. I guess we'll see.

I might as well be pregnant with the way I've been craving cookies lately. Two weekends ago I made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies for some of Josh's coworkers and I didn't like the way they turned out. So I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies instead but I burned one tray and Grayson and I kept eating the rest to the point that there weren't many left, so I froze the remaining 20 or so for a church activity later this month. Of course that made me feel guilty so I baked a new batch of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies this last weekend and they were

so.

damn.

good.

Seriously, they were absolutely delicious. I filled a container for Josh to drop off at work but kept the rest for myself. I am ashamed to admit it was difficult to limit myself to just four cookies per day. Luckily, Grayson didn't like them and Josh has been working so late every night that he usually gets home in time to eat dinner and head straight to bed, so I got to eat as many as I wanted without really having to share. Sadly, they are all gone now and I ate every single last one. The good (and bad) news is that I'm making another batch this weekend to give to a professor of mine to celebrate his birthday. I've already begun fantasizing about all of those cookies and where I'll hide the extras so I don't have to share again. My obsession is almost perverse.

A few more tidbits I'm thinking about right now:
1. I doubt I'll ever tire of combining red peppers with mushrooms.
2. I tricked my son into letting me cook dinner without interruption tonight by giving him a pack of smarties. Just shameful.
3. I'll never get to fully cross "do the dishes" off my list of things to do.
4. The sound of laughter belting from my little boy is the most satisfying sound in the world.
5. Goodbye $62k; hello homeownership and alla its accompanying headaches. We couldn't be more excited to meet you.

What's That?

2009-10-27T22:47:00.000-06:00

Just had to throw a little update in here because I'm so infatuated with my son.

Grayson walks all around the house/store/church/etc. and constantly stops to point at something and ask "What's that?" only it sounds more like "Whu ta?" I'll answer him with either a long drawn-out explanation or a short one-word response, but no matter what I say, he cocks his head a little like he's really listening to me and then repeats the last word I said. He even inflects his voice up at the end of the sentence like he's not sure he understood me correctly. It's just so dang cute! He's been repeating things for a while now, but lately he's gotten really good at actually communicating with us. Just Saturday morning we all ended up in our bed and Grayson said his first three-word sentence: "I love Daddy," accompanied with all three signs. He tries to say the ABC's by himself but I have to jump in to give him ~~a little~~ a slew of guidance (he tries to sign the letters too - it's so cute). He parrots the books we read together and my phone conversations. He repeated two lines of our prayers tonight. He is such an adorable little boy!

20 months would be my absolute favorite new age except he's also begun to throw fits when I don't give him what he wants. Example: "No Grayson, you cannot have the knife; Mommy will cut the apple for you." His response: tears of abandonment accompanied by a literal meltdown until he's on the floor and banging his head against something. But it is so so cute how he always rubs my back when we embrace, says "uh-oh" when he purposefully drops something on the ground, hunts for things with his hand on his forehead, shoulders shrugged down, and toes on their tips, and 'jumps' as high as he can. Oh, he just melts my heart.

Dang, I need to be better about pulling out the camera to catch these little moments.

Like a Bee

2009-10-12T21:42:00.000-06:00

Wow, am I busy as of late. School really has me hopping. Couple it with Josh's upgrade schedule and all of the equipment problems that ensue, thereby requiring even more of his time and attention on weekends, and it's a wonder I ever actually finish something - cooking, cleaning, studying, playing. And sometimes I don't. Somehow I'm managing to surround myself with just enough of the organized chaos that I've not yet gone completely crazy, but I don't know how I'm doing it.

It gets frustrating that I simply can't find the time to scrub the floor the way I used to. The dishes wait a day to be cleaned now and the last load of laundry often sits in the dryer for a few days before I finally drag them out to fold (and that's usually only because we finally need those clothes back in circulation). I can't remember the last time I spent an hour pulling weeds in the yard, and there has been no jam-making or bread-baking since the program started. It's still uncomfortable to be living like this. Sadly, I feel like I've switched from flourishing mode to strictly surviving.

I don't know why I didn't think my program would require this much time, but I just didn't. Josh groaned the other day when I mentioned I had to study for another test - it seems there's always a test, and there usually is. At least one test per week, sometimes more. The weekends are invaluable for me. Instead of getting household chores completed, I take off to the library for several hours and study in relative peace while my saintly husband wrangles the kid and tries to get the yard work done. But I didn't get my last two Saturdays (Josh was working - Sundays, too) so I've gotten a bit behind in my studies. Things aren't looking up for this weekend, either, and I'll be taking the hardest test to date next Monday.

*sigh*

I really miss my son. We used to play so often. We'd play outside, have lunch in the yard and swing afterward, read book after book after book before naptime, practice signing together, play the piano together, make my bed together. I realized this last weekend that I have to consciously force myself not to hurry him along, pick him up and carry him instead of letting him go at his own pace. I force myself to read a book with him before bedtime and laugh at his antics instead of shushing him. I no longer let him help me fold the laundry or empty the dishwasher - it takes too long. I leave him in his room for as long as possible every morning, just trying to get in one more minute of sleep or study. For some reason, I've placed Grayson last on my list of things worth spending time on. Now that my time is so valuable, he's become even less so. It broke my heart to realize it.

That's not the kind of mom I want Grayson to have, and that's not the kind of mom I want to be. So I started changing today. We had fun when we got home from school and day care. We danced to the radio, including our favorite, "If I Could Turn Back Time", and he practiced his latest move - 'jumping' in place - for at least 20 minutes. He helped me empty the garbage, and we mated socks together. It was so much better than waiting until after he'd gone to sleep to do it. I didn't open a single book tonight, didn't fill out a single flash card. I have a quiz tomorrow and a test on Wednesday, but you know what? Meriting a "B" is going to get me the same degree earning an "A" will, so as long as I know my stuff and pass my boards, I'm not going to sweat it if the primary molars have oblique ridges or not. I have more important things, and people, to spend my time on.

Shu, shu

2009-09-17T21:53:00.001-06:00

Grayson is completely obsessed with shoes as of late. He'll meander throughout the house signing and saying "shoes" and then put his finger to his lips and say "hmm" like he's trying to remember where he left them. Then he promptly fetches them from their place by the door and brings them to me to help put them on his naked feet. Immediately thereafter, he retrieves *my* shoes from their respective spot alongside his, and insists that I put them on *my* naked feet. If I manage to slip them off and hide them from him, he simply finds another pair, brings them to me, and recites "shoes" over and over again until I put them on out of frustration to get him to leave me and the blasted shoes alone. And if you're wondering, yes, I have worn Josh's shoes on several occasions.

I thought things would simply go on this way for a while until he learns to put them on completely by himself, but tonight he threw a wrench into the system - he went to bed actually holding his shoes. He had one in each hand and he never let go. He wouldn't even drop them for a drink of water or to cuddle his frog. I only just now took them away as he's been sleeping for nearly two hours and I thought it would be safe to do so. Bummer I didn't think to take a picture first. It was quite humorous to see.

School is going wonderfully for me, but home life is still a little chaotic. I take the bus down to campus most days, so I have to get up extra early to drop Gray off at day care and still have time to park my car and get to the bus stop. It's working out for the most part so far, but he's an absolute beast some mornings and it's all I can do to get him strapped in to his car seat without beating him into submission. We were running so late this morning I had to drive down to campus instead. Most mornings go off without a hitch, though, so I can't really complain. I just wish Josh's schedule allowed him to drop Grayson off once in a while. All those early mornings in a row get brutal by week's end.

Other than that, things are the same. Josh is still a work-addicted provider; Grayson is still deliciously adorable and jaw-clenchingly frustrating all at the same time; and I'm still dwelling on the stupid mistake I made on my first test that merited me an A- instead of an A. Boo! At least I'll never forget what kind of cementoenamel junction is the most prevalent, right? It's overlap, fyi. Stupid, stupid mistake. We're anxiously awaiting word about a dreamy short-sale we put an offer on months ago. It's a bit expensive, but it's basically Josh's dream home, so we threw our hats into the ring. The bank has since done the BPO and has been reviewing the offers since last Friday, so we hope to hear something by next week.

PS - The worst mistake you could ever make it to list your home with the Prudential Real Estate team at the South Vally office in Draper, Utah. An especially bad move would be to involve Cheryl Staley in any part of the transaction. If you need details, just let me know. Otherwise, take my word for it and FIND A DIFFERENT AGENT!

True Love

2009-09-03T22:58:00.002-06:00

I ♥ my dental hygiene program.
I ♥ a husband who brings me flowers for our anniversary, even when I completely forgot about it (sorry babe).
I ♥ a clean home and a relaxed mind.
I ♥ evening walks with my family with no particular place to go.
I ♥ secret lunches with my insignificant other.
I ♥ holidays that mean no school for me, and no work for Josh. It's like a mini-vacation!
I ♥ pushing my son on the swing set, helping him pick fresh tomatoes from the garden, and the way he still giggles at peek-a-boo.
I ♥ parades and am so excited to watch one on Saturday!

But I mostly love my sweet baby who is growing up too dang fast and becoming more independent every day. Grayson signs so many words now, and he parrots everything I say. He's become really good at pronouncing his 'k' sound - rock, stuck, etc. He got a haircut last week (pics on a camera somewhere) and it's horribly short. He looked like he was going to enlist that very day. Gray now has all of his primary teeth except his four second molars which, coupled with his haircut, make him look like a little boy instead of a baby. It would be sad but he's still such a handsome little fella. I can hardly take my eyes off of him.

Grayson is already 19 months old and wow, do I remember that bald little head shining up at me just like it was yesterday. I miss him a lot when I'm at school, but Josh and I are very thankful we even have this opportunity to make strides toward creating a better situation for our family in the future. One day he'll divorce AGFA and pursue something less stressful and more personally rewarding. In the meantime, though, life is good. We have no complaints.

I ♥ my life.

Long time, no post

2009-08-03T14:09:00.000-06:00

I just don't seem to have enough time in the day to post on this blog after I check my email. How can that be? I'm not exactly sure, but if it means Gray's a little happier and my house is a little cleaner, it's well worth the time spent offline. A quick update while the kiddie naps.

Boat ride, July 29, 2009

Grayson: Turned 18 months old yesterday! Ate his first hot dog at Lake Powell this last week and sadly, he liked it. Also tried his first soda pop (root beer) and liked it. Latest growth spurt must be over because his appetite has gone way down. Will sign to me that he's tired but then won't go to sleep. When I tell him he's being silly, he signs that to me instead. Such a smart and funny boy. Gives great back scratches, loves looking for birds through the windows, and climbs like a monkey. Attended nursery for the first time last Sunday and the ladies in there told Josh he was very well-behaved and quite 'durable' (apparently that means he let the older kids push him over, take his toys, and merely got up to go get something else instead of throwing a fit). My great baby is becoming a good little boy.

Josh: Work- work- working to keep himself recession-proof and doing a fine job of it. Missed out on a great vacation in order to keep the peace between AGFA and IHC. Everyone loves him, me especially. What a saint!

Me: Dental hygiene program pre-req's - check. CPR and first aid certifications - check. Dental hygienist observation hours - check. Tooth molds for dental anatomy class - check. Scrubs - check. Still need books, updated immunizations, and a long-sleeved lab coat.

People ask me all the time if I'm getting excited for the dental hygiene program to start. Honestly, I am not. I'm still enjoying the summer break right now! And I'm worried about moving and about who's going to take care of Gray while I'm in class. Life would be so much easier if we could just find the perfect house and get settled into it before classes begin August 26. We've placed two offers on short sales, but those can take forever, so we're still looking. The upside is there isn't much activity on the house we're presently renting, so every day it doesn't sell is another day we can save more money (20% down + fall semester's tuition is stressing me out). Good times ahead!

Anyway, my summer has been consumed with Grayson, vacations, and school preparations. I'm loving it!

Photo dump

2009-07-08T14:15:00.000-06:00

June pics, sans vacations...

Happy Father's Day! June 21 Hiking with Grandpa, June 15My mom said no more haircuts, Grandma! But man, do I look good now! June 9You gonna push me or what? June 12Melting Grandpa's heart, June 12Thirsty, June 28

The first weekend in June all of my siblings and their families came up/over to attend the baby blessing of our family's newest addition - Zoey. Since everyone was here, we partied all day Saturday, hitting up the Wheeler Farm Summer Stampede that morning, touring the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house that afternoon, and eating dinner in our back yard that evening. It was a wonderful day!

Feeding ducks (this will be boring to everyone except me)

Cousins, June 6

My Family, June 6

May videos

2009-06-30T19:09:00.002-06:00

As it's the last day of June now, I figured I'd better try to get at least one more post published. Yes, I still need to tell all y'all about our awesome trip to DC, and we've just returned from the first Lake Powell trip of the season, but because this is a Mom blog, and because I'm utterly infatuated with the little boy that sleeps in the room down the hall, prefers his daddy to me, and chants 'bah bah bah' over and over again whenever he sees a round toy, I'm going to update about Gray.

Grayson's not a big talker. 'Da' 'Mah' and 'bah' came early and quite easily, and he signs probably 30 words that we've learned by watching a couple of Signing Time dvds (thank you library!). But he's slow to actually say the words, choosing instead to grin from ear to ear while I praise him for signing something or doing what I asked. He seems so smart and mature to me in what he understands and what he can communicate, but I'm sure all parents feel that way about their children. But seriously, how many 16-month-olds will say 'ca' and do the sign for cat when you ask them what says 'meow'? How many will put your makeup away and shut the drawer if you tell them to? How many actually pick up their toys when it's time to clean up? (Ah, let me live the dream if it's more than just my gifted son.)

Anyway, a couple of months ago, long before sign language, I tried teaching Grayson body parts. Guess which body part he said first? Belly button ('beh buh'). And second? Teeth. When he says 'tees' he shows his teeth so perfectly, without opening too wide. And even though he obviously has a preference for the obscure parts, he'll honk his nose if you ask him where it is. It's just too funny.

May 8, 2009

One of my favorite things about this 14+ month stage is all the mimicking Gray does. Just today I scratched the palm of my hand because it itched. But I only realized what I was doing after I looked down to see Grayson watching me intently and doing the same. I absolutely adore my little shadow, although it freaks me out how closely he watches and how perfectly he mirrors. He's even gotten my electric razor out of the drawer and run it over his legs a couple of times - thank goodness he can't reach the outlet to plug it in.

Because of his desire to copy every thing I do, Grayson is on track to grow up a neat freak, maybe even a bit OCD if I don't chill out in the next couple of years. When I'm mopping the floor, he's also on his knees wiping the floor clean with his cloth. When I'm putting things away, he's alongside me, helping out as best he can. He loves to help empty the dishwasher and he opens the dresser doors for me when I'm putting away the clean, folded laundry. And when I'm vacuuming, I'm nearly running over him and his tiny toes he's so anxious to jump in and help out.

May 5, 2009

While at my mom's house a couple weeks ago, I helped her do some spring cleaning. I used the vacuum a lot, and there was Grayson, just itching to assist. Luckily, he discovered a push-along toy my mom has that plays a tune as it spins around. Perfect! My little shadow pushed and pulled that thing all over the house as we vacuumed. He was right behind me. If I moved a chair to vacuum underneath, he also moved it to 'vacuum' underneath. I didn't get a picture of it, but I really wish I had. It was so so cute. This is the first toy I bought him after we got home from that trip and he still loves it. I almost regret it because it's insanely noisy on the tile, but he could have more annoying habits, right?

Whirlwind

2009-06-17T23:17:00.002-06:00

Life is just crazy right now. We went to DC for almost a week and came home just in time to clean up the house for my sister's family to come in Friday morning. We played all weekend with the rest of my fam and everyone left Sunday evening. So Monday morning brought about some more house cleaning just in time to leave for southern Utah late that afternoon so Josh could do an upgrade at DRMC in St. George and VVMC in Cedar City. It was a big upgrade and expected to last a full week or more. Things weren't perfect Monday when the new system went live, so Josh figured he couldn't leave until Thursday or Friday.

Well...having already been in southern Utah for an entire week, job shadowing a dental hygienist, helping my mom spring clean her house, ending up sick with some crazy flu on Sunday and Monday, thinking every waking moment about how long our grass was getting, and feeling like Grayson was distracting my folks from their 'California friends', I wasn't too hip on sticking around for several more days. So I bought my dad a couple of bananas and hung his jeans out to dry in exchange for him to fire up Josh's Pathfinder we keep down there and check the tire pressure for me. After a small hiccup involving expired plates, Grayson and I finally headed home yesterday afternoon. We did stop in at the Cedar City PF to catch lunch with Karynn, her son Kiel, and new sweet baby girl Kierstyn. (Ha Karynn, I just realized I got all the K's in your family at lunch that day!) I'm so glad we did because that's the first time I've seen Kierstyn in real life and holy cow she's so cute!
Grayson thinks he's so big and it just cracks me up. Whenever he sees 'babies' (which includes toddlers that don't respond to him the way he thinks they should) he kind-of pats them and caresses their arms/hair/face and makes cooing sounds the way mommies do when they're showing their kids how to pet animals. So yeah, basically he pets them like they're animals. Kierstyn is not loving it.

Anyway, lots and lots to do (just took 11 mins to get alla the pics off one of our cameras) but for now I'm going to go fall into my nice warm bed with its fresh-from-the-dryer sheets and pillowcases and fall asleep to the sound of the rain that's falling outside. If only Josh were here...

So how was DC?

2009-06-07T22:02:00.002-06:00

You'd never guess that it was absolutely FANTASTIC, what with my extensive blogging recaps describing it to you coupled with my brilliant photography. I've yet to snatch the pictures and videos off my cameras and onto my hard drive to upload, so I'll just give you a couple of highlights for now and elaborate on them next week:

Grayson loves flying
Grayson loves dogs (we miss you Moose and Molly!)
Grayson loves trains
Grayson loves warm rain
Grayson loves horses if he's riding on top of them (thanks for the ride, Spud!)
Grayson loves birds
Grayson loves cheering for the home team at baseball games
Grayson loves nursery until it's time to put the toys away
Grayson loves teeter-totters
Grayson loves fishies

Most of all, Grayson loves Jake and Lori; Amanda; Katie, Todd, Bronson and Garrett; Joy; Steve and Carol; Laura, Nick and Noah; and Jessica, Jason, Austin, Layla and Ryan. This trip was probably one of the best vacations I've ever taken, and I think it's because we didn't try to overplan a lot while we were there. Yes, we may have 'wasted' a bit of time, but just being able to relax and meet new faces or see ones we haven't in a long time was so gratifying.

What goal again?

2009-05-22T11:04:00.004-06:00

There's no way I'm going to make 10 posts this month. That would require one post every three days, which obviously hasn't happened. It also would require me not cutting three days from May by going on vacation, which is definitely going to happen. Maybe June will be my blogging month...

So we're finally taking a vacation. Yes, we go to Lake Powell every summer, but this is a real vacation complete with airplane, rental car, and baby gear up the wazoo. I took summer classes in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and when I realized I didn't have to take a class this summer, I determined we would go somewhere before I start the dental hygiene program.

This was no easy feat. I had to work around IHC's upgrade schedule, Josh's on-call schedule, his coworkers' training schedules, the Lake Powell trips, church obligations, the Wasatch Roller Derby bouts, and finally the schedules of the people we're going to visit (thank goodness they keep themselves more available than Josh does!). As it is, we'll be missing my niece's baptism and one friend's wife flies out the day after we arrive, but all in all the timing worked out splendidly.

Where are we going? To Washington, D.C.! We're going to visit Jake and Lori, Katie and Todd, and Josh's uncle's family. I seriously couldn't be more excited. Jake and I went to high school together and have always stayed good friends. I technically met Katie online, but really became friends with her when we both lived in Vegas. Josh's aunt and uncle are so super nice and very successful - good people to get life lessons from. It's going to be a great trip.

So Grayson is 15 months old now and this is my first flight ever with a baby/toddler/child. Any tips or suggestions to make it as painless and easy as possible? We got nonstop flights both ways, 4.5 hours long. Our flight leaves Thursday, May 28, so please share your wisdom asap. There are some suggestions I found on Vanessa's blog that sound good, but if you have something more to add, please do so! {This means you Jenise, if you can stop staring at Dax long enough to read this post. ;-) }

Sunshine, you work wonders

2009-05-08T07:41:00.001-06:00

Grayson had a slight fever Sunday morning which escalated to 102.8 by early evening. So when he was struggling to breathe when he woke Monday morning and then kept panting and wheezing throughout the day, I took him in to the pediatrician that afternoon. Turns out he has croup. His doctor said the parainfluenza virus has been going around lately and he's not the first croup case she's treated recently. They gave him vaporized epinephrine and an oral steroid and he sounded much better that night before bedtime.

He wasn't very wheezy Tuesday and he broke his fever Monday night, but he was very clingy and whiny and sounded raspy when he would cry. The doc gave me a one-time prescription for the steroid 'just in case' so we filled it Tuesday and he seemed to breathe well through the night (although he wasn't sleeping through the night. Mommy=walking zombie since Saturday).

Wednesday he coughed a lot more and sounded a little congested but mostly he just cried and seemed even more clingy than he was Tuesday. When I say 'clingy' I mean he grips me tightly enough that it semi-chokes me. He's like a little monkey that climbs all over me and freaks out whenever I try to put him down. Even when he takes a break from full-on crying there's a constant whimper that permeates my brain and makes my head hurt. Poor guy. I feel so bad when he's sick. And then I feel guilty for turning on the vacuum to drown him out for a few minutes because I don't know what to do and his incessant noise is driving me bonkers.

Fast forward to today, Friday. Grayson slept through the night last night and hasn't been coughing yet today (although he did sneeze twice). He's playing by himself and isn't insisting I hold him all the time. Why the change? I gave up isolating ourselves yesterday and took him outside to work in the yard for a couple of hours. He loved it. He followed me all around the yard as I sprayed weeds growing in the grass. He tried to put on my gloves and danced while I sang to him. He studied me pulling the crabgrass out of the flower bed and proceeded to help me - grunting as he pulled and all. He even threw his weed (small stem of grass) into my weed pile. It was quite adorable to see my little gardener in action.

Maybe his spirits lifted to know that the weed problem is mine and he'll be too young to have to help for a few more years. Maybe the slight breeze cleared all of that infection out of him. It's more probable that enough time has passed that his body is finally kicking some viral butt, but when I see the slightly pinked hue of sun-kissed skin running over his nose and onto his cheeks, I know it's simply because life is more enjoyable when the sun shines.

The Biggest Loser

2009-05-06T09:24:00.001-06:00

I don't get to watch a lot of television, but I do enjoy catching The Biggest Loser when I can. We have a RS activity almost every Tuesday night so if I get around to it, I'll watch the episodes online later in the week. But occasionally Josh doesn't get home on time for me to attend the activities and Grayson and I sit in front of the boob tube for two hours and witness the amazing journey of these overweight contestants.

I've been pretty diligent at watching this season since the players were split into blue and black teams and let me just say, I really dislike Ron. I hate that the other people felt obligated to keep him on the ranch so much so that they were willing to vote stronger teammates off early on (even though it meant keeping Ron, a weak player, around) and their entire team more likely to continue losing challenges, thereby forcing the elimination of more strong players. A vicious cycle and they fell right into it.

Anyway, for anyone that watches it and is reading this post right now, how are you voting between Ron and Mike? I'm enough of a grudge-holder that I don't want Mike to win ANYTHING because of the way his father has behaved. So...do I send Mike to the final four and hope that Tara beats him and he walks away empty handed, or do I send Ron to the final four to ensure Mike doesn't have a chance at the $250k even though it means risking him getting the $100k consolation prize?

Reaching goals

2009-05-05T12:52:00.005-06:00

I was going to set the goal of blogging every day in May but then I realized May had already begun and I would undoubtedly fail. Instead, my goal is to post 10 times this month. I think I can handle blogging every third day.

Last week I achieved a goal that I set a while back - I baked bread from wheat that I ground myself!

Ta-da! Stockpiling wheat, January 17, 2009

First you grind it up

into whole-wheat flourThen mix it into your other ingredientsRoll into loaves, rise, and bake in the ovenFinally, slice and serve

I forgot to take a pic of the bread pans before baking so you'll just have to trust me that those loaves came from my dough. And yes, it tasted simply divine.

Finally baking my own bread is part of a larger goal Josh and I set at the beginning of this year; the goal to "Get prepared." What a blanket, difficult-to-measure, trite little goal. We were pretty gung ho about it back in January, but our passion died down a bit when my class and Josh's job both became more time-consuming. I waxed some cheese in February for our long-term food storage, but all of my videos and pics from that afternoon are forever locked away on a damaged memory card that will only give me error messages when I try to retrieve them. I waxed a couple of blocks again in March but didn't have Josh available to videotape it, so I only have a few pictures to show you.

Ingredients:

These cheese blocks...

...plus these melted wax blocks...

...equal these wax-covered cheese blocks!

Completely cover with 2-3 layers and you get cheese with an indefinite shelf life. Yay!

Now that I'm out of school for the summer, I've started cracking down on what still needs to be done to 'Be prepared'. We have a long way to go, but thankfully we have a pretty good start.

Finally, there's another, more exciting goal that's been in the works since Josh and I married three years ago: Save enough money to put 20% down on a home. We have finally reached the point in our finances that we are comfortable doing just that and still have a bit in savings for my dental hygiene program and any hiccups life throws our way. It's very exciting to be 'in the market' right now when interest rates are good and the federal government will give us $8k for taking someone else's house off their hands for them.

The sad news about the house situation is that we aren't planting our garden this year because we don't want to leave our boxes and decorative rock behind when we move. Especially disappointing is that a fellow ward member promised to help me can my own salsa this summer using vegetables I grow myself. Bummer. That's a goal I'll have to reach in 2010 instead.

Spring has sprung

2009-04-19T18:21:00.000-06:00

A lot has been going on as of late around these parts. Too much, but I promise I've been taking pictures even though I've not been sharing them. One day I may get around to posting Dec08-Feb09 for my sweet baby, but for now, here is the month of April...

Grayson has fallen in love:

We've been spending a lot of time outside (when there is no snow!)Which means yard work has begun:
Note the shudder at 1:07 - that's my boy!

I mailed in my acceptance form:

The Easter Bunny came to visit Gray at Grandma's house and that health nut brought him raisins and a banana in his basket!

But he got plenty of candy at two different Easter Egg hunts:
Grayson's finally begun reading books instead of eating them:

And finally, yesterday I spent 3 hours, 48 minutes on a 217-question Microbiology final that seriously kicked my ass. The good news is I had an 'A' in the class going in to the final, and now I've just the lab final to take Wednesday and I will be finished with this class and semester!

Something I've learned about (so pretty for a nasty tapeworm)

Ugh.

2009-03-26T14:17:00.002-06:00

The snow outside is depressing me. So is the laundry that needs to be folded, the baby that won't let me put him down, and the test for which I need to study. And yet I can't bring myself to do much else but contemplate my life. Too much on my mind as of late.

It's become quite difficult for me to recognize the real purpose of life. Gray and I had (until about five days ago) quite the routine going day in and day out - weekends included. Wake up, make bed, eat breakfast, bathe, dress, clean something, eat early lunch, he naps while I study, eat late lunch, play, welcome Josh home, eat dinner, clean up after dinner, get Grayson to bed, spend a bit o' time with Josh, go to sleep. Of course there are several diaper changes (I've the most regular baby I've ever known), phone calls, errands, laundry loads, and other time-consuming activities (cooking, shopping, class, church obligations) thrown in there, but I still find myself shocked at how much free time I don't seem to have. I know I could get an extra 1 1/2 hours out of each day if I could figure out how to get Grayson to feed himself without making a complete mess, but it's constant cleanup for now.

Anyway, I've begun to feel like my 'free time' has been dwindling over the last month. Instead of blogging, I'm pulling Grayson out of cupboards, holding ice on his latest bump, and cleaning up his toys. Instead of pulling weeds and planning this year's garden, I'm waxing cheese and scouring the ads for good deals on food storage items. Instead of leisure reading, I'm studying food labels and googling new recipes for chicken. Valiant endeavors? Yes, of course. But shouldn't I be able to do it all?

Maybe I spend too much time keeping my home clean. Maye I spend too much time studying for tests. Maybe I spend too much time trying out new recipes and stocking my pantry. Who knows? But the real question is...do I want to do all of this plus toss full-time dental hygiene school into the mix?

Honestly, I'm not sure I do. My Microbiology class this semester is difficult - more difficult than I remember Anatomy or Physiology being - and I would love to be able to dismiss it entirely and focus 100% on my family. I won't because that would be a terrible waste of $1000 and all the time I've spent succeeding in it thus far, but as of this moment, I can't imagine doing it for another two years.

I'm 32 years old and I've only recently embarked on the adventures of marriage and motherhood. A lot of people are done having babies by the time I finally started. I am at least 10 years older than the majority of students in my class. I almost feel like I'm ripping myself off by splitting my efforts between family and education - how much has Josh suffered since I've been in school? How much do my studies suffer since I've had a baby? Have I become a jack of two trades, mastering neither?

It seems so easy for other women. Either they have time on their side or their husbands have the job and degree they want and they don't need to plan for future changes. Is that reality, or have I once again fallen into the trap of comparing myself with others?

I have now spent one hour of my very valuable free time organizing these thoughts in my brain and writing them down. I am glad I did. Yes, I have about 20 unfinished blog posts, but this suddenly became more important to me than posting pictures of Grayson's first (and last!) hair cut. I will now fold the kitchen towels, hang up the jeans to dry, and start a load of whites. Once that's done, I will share a snack with Grayson, play with him for an hour, then spend the last hour before I leave for class studying for my test. And when this class ends in one month, I will have to decide what the real purpose of my life is.

All Things Gray

2009-03-11T13:23:00.003-06:00

My sweet baby is no longer a baby, it seems. He started taking small, independent steps back in December, but finally ventured out and actually walked on January 22. How do I remember something that long ago? I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget to blog about it. Josh stopped by the house to eat lunch in between sites that afternoon and we were talking in the kitchen when suddenly Grayson let go of the island and took three steps into the middle of the kitchen with no help or prodding. Josh made Grayson practice all night while I was at school so that we could record him walking the next day. You can imagine that he mastered it quickly with that kind of hard-core training.

Runway Practice, January 23

Grayson is a very generous little boy. He loves putting his Cheerios in my mouth and wiping my face after I'm done eating them. He offers me multiple sips of whatever he's drinking, and even pours water from his bath on me. He tries to brush my hair and read me his books. He doesn't mind knocking down the towers I build with his blocks, making cleanup so much easier. He's really such a thoughtful fella.
I know most babies love music, but Grayson SERIOUSLY. LOVES. MUSIC. He will come running from another room if he hears the radio. He enters the room, grinning wildly, then abruptly stops in his tracks and begins bouncing away. If he's sad for a minute and you need a quick distraction, just turn on some tunes. He immediately forgets that you took whatever object of his mouth and starts jiving. He's come down with a combination arm dancing/bouncing maneuver that just cracks me up. He loves to play the piano, but in an effort to preserve its pristine condition, we got him a small drum and xylophone instead, both of which he enjoys pounding on nearly as much.

Dancin' Fool, February 14

Grayson's personality has just skyrocketed. I dare say we recently entered the realm of the terrible twos because this baby can offer some serious meltdowns when he wants to. Should I make the mistake of taking something from him that he was not ready to part with, I will definitely know of his displeasure. He occasionally tells me 'no' when I do something he doesn't like, saying 'no no no no' and waging his little finger at me while doing so. I had no idea I was a finger wagger until now!

But overall he seems as happy and content as he was as a little baby. Poor thing is so happy all the time it's hard to tell when he's sick. Last week he seemed a little grumpy with a slightly runny nose and tons of saliva so I chalked it up to him finally cutting his molars. When Grayson held a fever for two days, though, I took him into the doctor on Friday to make sure he was okay. Turns out that while he is cutting four molars right now (two have since broken through), he had a double ear infection as well! I felt so bad that I'd waited to take him in, but honestly, he was just acting like he was teething, nothing more. I guess a year of parental duties haven't completely prepared me for the unexpected, but I'm working on it.

Table Dancing, January 20

Going out, January 23Birthday lunch, February 2
This chair is just right, February 3

First (and last) experience with mac 'n cheese, February 9

My light

2009-02-19T16:47:00.002-07:00

With the way I've blogged the last two months you'd never guess Gray celebrated his first Christmas and sampled his first birthday cake. You wouldn't know that he walks like it's nobody's business, dances a serious jig, sleeps through the night, takes semi-regular naps, opens every drawer and cupboard in the house that isn't glued shut, and has become feistily independent. The lack of blogging doesn't mean I don't love him, though. It just means he keeps me on my toes and I'd rather spend my time dancing alongside him than perched in front of my computer screen. He is the best part about my day. Grayson, I love being your mommy more than you'll ever know. I love you!

Future hygienist?

2009-02-15T15:56:00.001-07:00

I know I've been out of commission since February began, but it's been for good reason. First, I threw two birthday parties for Grayson which resulted in a total of three thorough house cleanings and a steady stream of dishes for days afterward. Second, my Microbiology class this semester is extremely difficult and I've been spending a lot of my free time studying and on my labs. Sadly, I only got an 89 on our first test, but the class average was a mere 67 so I must still be a good student. The high score on the test was a 95 so it's not impossible to ace his tests - I just need to study a little bit harder next time.

In the middle of everything, I needed to take the HOAE by February 13 to finish my application to this year's dental hygiene program. Taking that test turned out to be a bigger hassle than everything else combined. It takes nearly 2 1/2 hours to take the test and of course it's only offered during day hours. Couple that with an hour's drive round trip to the campus and back and either Josh needed to stay home from work one day or I'd have to get a babysitter for four long hours.

After several failed attempts of arranging my free time with my class, with Josh's work schedule, and with our other obligations, I finally made it down to take the test on Friday - the last day the test was available. I must be one of the freaks that has good luck instead of bad luck on Friday the 13th because I scored in the 90th percentile for nonverbal and the 99th percentile in all the remaining subjects - verbal, arithmetic, academic aptitude, spelling, reading comprehension, the natural sciences, and the vocational adjustment index. As it turns out, no one is placed in the 100th percentile, even if they miss no questions (like me). Yay!

So it looks like I'll have an excellent chance at getting into the 2009 program. Which is what I was told last year when I got denied for taking the wrong Chemistry class. I should know by mid-April what the next couple of years hold for me. If I don't get in this year we've decided we're going to scrap the whole thing and just focus on family. Josh and I aren't spring chickens anymore and we don't necessarily want Grayson to be an only child. We know that our ultimate goal of furthering Josh's education will work out when it's supposed to.

Dear Wells Fargo

2009-02-12T16:38:00.001-07:00

So you all probably think I'm quick to complain and not as quick to compliment, but I promise that's completely contrary to the way I operate. I actually love giving praise to a person or company moreso than giving criticism (but you'd better believe that life is much more pleasant for you if you stay on my good side). In fact, it should be stated that during my call to Albertson's 877 number Monday night, I told LaTonya that I wanted to make it very clear that I have never been mistreated by anyone at that Albertson's store before that evening, and she actually let me file two compliment reports (if you want to call them that) about other workers. Brandon and Braydon, you are the most helpful grocery store workers ever!

But let's rewind to last week - or rather, a few years ago. When Josh and I married, we added my name to his banking accounts at America First Credit Union for a variety of reasons, but I never closed my Wells Fargo accounts because I'm lazy and there are many more WF branches lurking around than AFCU branches. I've had my WF accounts since 1996 - back when it was a First Security account (before WF bought them out).

When we moved to Las Vegas, we figured we'd have to go with WF because AFCU is only in Utah. It just so happened that there was a WF in a shopping complex less than a mile from our house - perfect, except that every single person at that branch was terribly rude. I've never known any customer service personnel more focused on making things as difficult as possible for their customers as that entire branch. It was absolute torture to do the simplest of tasks there, and I didn't go in more than 1-2 times per month. Luckily for us, a few months later we embraced the beauty that is ING Direct and linked our WF and AFCU checking accounts to our ING accounts. We dumbed down the WF account as much as possible and only kept the checking account out of the necessity of having a local branch to make deposits to. But as quickly as those deposits posted, we transferred them to ING, so we've not kept a balance of more than $25 in WF since June 2006.

Anyway, when we moved back to Utah, we planned to close the WF account completely, use AFCU for our deposits and keep ING for everything else. But once again, there is a WF branch much closer to my house (same shopping plaza as the Albertson's), and the nearest AFCU is almost 2 miles away, so I haven't closed the account. And I'm glad, because as I've made sporadic deposits here and there over the last 16 months, I've learned that...

My new Wells Fargo branch is full of nice people. REALLY nice people. Almost sickeningly nice. They want my business and they'll go out of their way to make sure I'm always taken care of and promptly. I love it. They coo over Grayson and always offer me a pen and a sucker when I use the drive-up window. I ♥ them.

Ironically, I told them these things just last week. An exceptionally nice girl helped me at the window and when my transaction was complete I asked her if the manager was available. After noting her deer-in-headlights look, I assured her it wasn't anything bad, I just wanted to pay her a compliment. And I did. A big one. I told the manager about my branch in Vegas and suggested that she take her staff down there and teach them how to treat their customers. I told her I don't expect the red carpet considering I don't really use any of their services and only keep a very small amount of money in my account, but I appreciate it anyway. After referring to myself as an 'unimportant customer' she quickly interrupted me and assured me I was NOT unimportant. Then she apologized for interrupting.

Fast forward one week and lookit what arrived in the mail today (no, not Grayson, the card he's holding): It's a card from Wells Fargo thanking me for my business. It says, "Thank you so much for your feedback today. We wanted to let you know how much we appreciate your business. Thank you again." Jodi signed it. Melissa signed it. Crystal Hanson signed it. Somebody Campbell signed it. Even a doctor signed it! And most of them also included their own little diddy to me. So in summary I just want to say that Wells Fargo, although I won't be making you my primary banking institution any time soon, you just scored some really big points with me. I'm going to remember this.

Dear Allie at Albertson's

2009-02-10T13:26:00.002-07:00

Remember me from last night? The woman you were short with when I asked about more frozen potatoes? Remember that? How stupid you tried to make me feel by sending me to look for a sale item amongst the regularly-priced items when you knew they were out of stock? That wasn't very nice, but I would have let it slide had our evening ended there.

But remember how after I checked out and started looking at my receipt, you were very rude and condescending when I asked you to refund me the $2.00 difference from the two cans of Enfamil I purchased for my son? Remember how the shelf tag said $21.99 for the 24-ounce can but I was charged $22.99 for the 20% more free (28.8-ounce) can? Remember how I explained to you that 20% of 24 ounces is 4.8 ounces, so the 28.8-ounce cans perched in that spot on the shelf were obviously supposed to be the same price as the 24-ounce cans? Remember how you couldn't find a separate shelf tag for the 28.8-ounce cans? Remember when I showed you that the can said "20% more free" and not "20% more for one more dollar"? Remember how you kept saying over and over again that the UPC code was different, and I acknowledged that, but I just wanted you to stop and think about some simple math for a minute? Remember how I just wanted my two bucks back, but you were completely unhelpful and started walking away from me when our conversation wasn't finished?

Well, I went in today to talk to a REAL manager and guess who was right? I was. Are you surprised? I sure as hell wasn't. The REAL manager mentioned you'll be getting a private lesson from the big wigs on using some common sense. Well, that is, if you're around long enough to get it. When I told her that I called the 877 number last night to complain about my experiences with you, the REAL manager mentioned that means you might be gone before they'll get a chance to educate you on properly interpreting shelf tags. Oops - sorry about that! And as a bonus, seems Albertson's has a policy that if something rings up incorrectly, it's free. In this case, one can of formula was free, and the other was just price-matched to the shelf tag.

So to summarize...I paid $22.99 each for two cans of formula, used 2 $3.00 manufacturer coupons plus an Albertson's matching coupon of another $1.00 off each, plus I did a partial payment with two $5.00 Enfamil checks. The total refunded to me was $24.75, so when all was said and done, I spent $4.61 on 56.6 ounces of formula powder, plus about 10 minutes on the phone last night and maybe another 15 minutes in the store today. Not too shabby, eh?

What cost me very little may end up costing you your job. Gees, that's too bad. Or not. It's your fault, so you should be held accountable for your actions. All I wanted was two dollars refunded to me. Why wouldn't you just do it? You knew I was right, but I guess the thought of caving to another couponing mother was just too much. Maybe next time you see a mother shopping only the ad items you'll be a little nicer to her instead of dismissing her as irrelevant. My two primary jobs are (listed in order of importance) 1) Taking excellent care of my son; and 2) Stretching my husband's hard-earned dollars as far as possible. Guess what? I'm really good at both of them, thank you very much.

And dare I say that you can have an opinion about how I spend my money when you start paying my bills? Fair enough? Good. Glad to see we've come to an understanding.

Sincerely,
Daisy Paige

All growed up

2009-01-29T22:35:00.001-07:00

This afternoon a neighbor girl came over and spent 15 minutes with Grayson and me before I left her in charge of caring for my sweet baby until Josh came home an hour later. Gray was fine - he grinned when she got here and showed her how to hammer his blocks. She was fine, too, and starting talking to and playing with him as soon as she walked through the door.

I was not fine. I was sad. I was sad to see how big he's gotten. So independent. He gave me loves then quickly turned his attention back to Lydia and his toys. How quickly I was forgotten and how heart-breaking it was for me. Grayson was so excited to have someone new to play with he didn't need Ma-ma-ma-ma anymore. I watched him from the doorway for a minute but he didn't notice. So I left for school. I went early so I could stop by the lab and draw pictures of E. coli and Staphylococcus before my lecture began. I got that done with plenty of time to finish my other lab drawings for next week, and got to lecture with enough time to review what we'd covered last week. I wasn't hurried or stressed out. It was a nice change from constantly running behind after the bi-weekly pass-off with Josh.

My boy's usually asleep when I get home at 9pm, and I loathe the nights I don't get to brush his teeth and read him a story. Tonight was one of those nights, and sadly, Grayson didn't need me to be here in order to fall asleep. I shouldn't be, but I'm disappointed - it's just not the same telling a sleeping baby how much you treasure him. So as much as I needed Lydia to come over and help me out for an hour today, I don't plan on making it a regular occurrence. I need my baby to need me. I can't stand that's he's growing up without me.

*tear*

John Updike

2009-01-27T12:16:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite short-story authors. I read that he passed away today. I'm a little sad about it - weird, considering I've never met the man and I haven't read his works extensively. Funny how a small bit of loss lingers when someone moves on from this life, even if you didn't know them well.

Musings

2009-01-16T13:33:00.001-07:00

Amazing what little things keep running around inside my brain while I'm waiting for Gray to fall asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got something in the mail last week that was miraculously neither baby- nor bill-related. It was something just for me, and I haven't opened it yet. It's not a package of something I bought online or a magazine subscription. It's not a personal item from a friend. It's strictly business. It's a sealed manila envelope, and it cost UVU exactly one dollar to mail it to me. It's the application packet for the 2009 Dental Hygiene program.

I have to get moving if I'm serious about applying to this year's program. If that's the case, why did I wait so many months to request an application? I don't know. I'd like to say I've been too busy, but it only took an email to the department to request it. And I actually thought about it several times before I finally sent my request. Truth be told, I'm as scared to get into the program as I am to get denied, for a couple of reasons.

First, the program costs $20k. We already have that saved up, so it's okay theoretically, but seriously...TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS? Even worse, who's going to watch Grayson while I'm off getting educated and how much will that tack on to the cost? The class times vary from semester to semester, but had I gotten into the 2008 program, my classes for this semester would be more or less from 8:30am to 2pm Mon, Wed, Fri. But last semester it would have been Mon afternoon, all day Tues and Wed, and Thurs morning. Completely different schedules every semester. Additionally, there are required clinics and experiences scheduled outside of class time throughout the semester that would take me away. Can I leave my baby all of that time? And if so, with whom?

Josh and I have talked a little about buying a home near UVU's campus and giving a room (or preferably a downstairs MIL apartment) to a fellow student/nanny in exchange for her to watch Gray while I'm in class, but it's so scary to bring someone into your home like that. And truth be told, we don't necessarily want to own a house in Utah County. Our ultimate goal is to get back to southern Utah where Josh can go back to school full-time. Getting stuck with a house anywhere in northern Utah may hinder that, which is another reason we've not yet purchased a home.

So where should we buy, if at all? Buy a house in southern Utah now and rent it out until we get down there in a few years? Or just keep renting up here, putting all extra money into our 'down-payment fund'? And why are homes so big? Don't people realize that the more home you have, the more you have to clean and the more opportunity for stuff to get lost?

How come so many of Grayson's things are lost and where did they go? Small board book. Teething ring. Blanket. Sock. Plastic snack holder with lid. Another sock. Nail file. Teething tablets. It seems something is always suddenly missing. As someone who always knows exactly where something is (just ask Josh, I'm like magic!), it's bewildering and absolutely frustrating. I hate this part of being a mom. This part plus the part where my kid doesn't like me wiping his nose and face are my least favorite parts. (And yet my baby doesn’t seem to mind when HE wipes his face on my shoulder or pants.)

And why do so many of my pants need safety-pins to stay on? Do clothes keep getting bigger? I've been the same weight and height since I was in high school, and for the life of me I don't understand how I was a size four 15 years ago and now some one's and even zero's are too big. What gives, clothing manufacturers? Do I need to start shopping in the junior section? And if so, what are the chances I'll still find 'long-length' jeans there? And why are pants only sold in even-numbered inseam lengths? A pair of jeans with a 33-inch inseam would be absolutely perfect, yet it seems so unattainable.

I'm hungry. Going to go try and eat myself into a pair of pants now, I suppose.

So far not so good

2009-01-15T22:18:00.003-07:00

I couldn't resist taking this video this afternoon and posting it here to show all y'all what a failure I am, even when I do let the kid cry himself to sleep. Granted, 40 minutes is a rarity, and yesterday afternoon he cried himself to sleep in 8 minutes (after the first 31-minute attempt failed), but I don't know that I'll ever let him go that long again. I'll probably revert back to my 15-minute limit because it breaks my heart to see him so sad.

Two nights ago, I stayed up until 1 am reading the Baby Wise book that my sister-in-law lent me but I never bothered picking up before now. I read more than half of it only to discover that Grayson's poor sleeping habits are all my fault. It's also my fault that he essentially snacks all day long and often needs to nurse before he can fall asleep. There are so many things I was supposed to do those first three months of his life and I botched every single one. Bad mommy! If only I'd had the energy or time to read the damn book, I'd have known about them and averted these months and months of suffering!

So, Mr. Ezzo, Dr. Bucknam...what does a perpetually exhausted mother do when she's already screwed up the first year of her son's life? Is he doomed to have ADHD? Do I have to finish the book or is the guilt brought on by the first half of the book sufficient?

If that meltdown doesn't kill you, looking at these eyes and listening to his residual gasps for air definitely will.

PS - On the bright side (or not)...I have no idea if Gray's sleeping through the night because I turned the volume on his monitor all the way down last night and the night before. If he's waking to eat or be comforted, he's figured it out on his own, because we don't hear him anymore. But sadly, I find myself waking up several times throughout the night anyway, thinking I hear him. I instantly check the monitor in a semi-panic, so even though I find he's sleeping just fine, it still takes me a bit to calm down and drift back to sleep. Oh, what I'd give for one, just ONE, night of nine consecutive hours of slumber - no interruptions (myself included). Will that day ever come again?

Sleepless in Salt Lake

2009-01-13T13:01:00.007-07:00

So I'm pretty ticked right now. This is the THIRD time I've done Grayson's 11-month post and he keeps erasing it for me. Not sure how it happened the first time, but a few minutes ago I highlighted everything to change my font type and size after I finally finished it and wouldn't you know Grayson pressed the space bar and immediately thereafter Blogger was nice enough to automatically save my draft for me. I lost every word, every picture, every video, every bit of punctuation down to the last comma. The only things left were the post title and label.

*sigh*

Needless to say, someone is no longer on my lap and is now throwing a fit that I put him in his crib. And you know what? I don't feel bad for him. I don't feel bad because he's supposed to be sleeping but he won't take a nap. This kid is the WORST SLEEPER EVER. I'm lucky if I get an hour's worth of naps from him in increments throughout the day. He's up at least once and usually twice during the night, and is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after only 8-9 hours of sleep. Aren't babies supposed to sleep 10-11 hours at night? Seriously, it's no wonder so many women choose to work out of the home. I've contemplated going to work full-time just to get a break, and I have a good baby. I'd probably have sold him off by now if he wasn't so easy-going.

He's still screaming in his room. I know he's not hungry. I know his diaper is clean. I know he is tired. I know he's so upset by now that if I pick him up to console him, I'll be calming him for about 10 minutes before he'll loosen his death grip on my arms. He still won't fall asleep after that, but he'll be calm enough that I might be able to stop holding him and fold the whites. What should I do? I give him 20 minutes to cry himself to sleep when it's obvious he needs a nap, but that only works 1-2 times out of every 5 attempts. Am I supposed to just let him cry until he finally falls asleep no matter how long it takes? And what are some natural remedies for a constant headache besides drinking more water?

Anyway, this post was supposed to be fun and light-hearted but now all I can do is fume. Blah. I guess I'll save the 11-month post for tomorrow when I'm in a better mood.

Meme

2009-01-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

I've never done these kind of blog posts before, but I sat down today to finally update on the holidays and Grayson and was instantly overwhelmed to the point of merely saving drafts and blog-hopping instead. I happened across this meme and was so impressed with the number of things I could bold, I'm posting it here. If you want to participate just copy and paste the list into your own blog and bold all the things you have done. Let's see what we have in common!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world (both!)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (enabling adoption totally counts)
16. Had food poisoning (pretty sure)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch-hiked (picked some up, though)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (no way...a half-marathon was enough for me!)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (I really wanted to but I let cost hold me back - REGRET IT!)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (is that possible?)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant (but I gave a stranger my blanket after an outdoor movie once)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater (I've always wanted to do that and we never took the opportunity in Vegas...do they have drive-ins in SLC?)
55. Been in a movie (I was in a print advertisement, though!)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma (I can't, thanks to polycythemia)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (I doubt it was speeding)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (Book of Mormon doesn't count?)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (yikes!)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (I saw Michael Richards (from Seinfeld) and Montel Williams at the SLC airport when I worked for SkyWest)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

This bag makes me happy!

2009-01-09T16:03:00.012-07:00

I treated myself to my very own 'Have a Daisy Day!' tote bag this morning.It's going to be great! I might make it my new Primary bag, depending on how long the straps actually are. A friend made me that logo several years ago - nicey! And Raffi, if you ever find this post and notice that I photoshopped out your name, please accept my sincerest apologies.

Anyway, you can get yourself a Personalized Classic Tote Bag for only $7.99 with free shipping from ArtsCow. As far as I can tell, only the white with black accent or the white with red accent is on sale. This offer is limited to one bag per person at the $7.99 price; two or more are going to cost you $11.99 each, but you still get the free shipping. This offer ends January 15.

You can view and order it here: http://www.artscow.com/Create/ShowProduct.aspx?ProductId=322

You'll need to sign up for ArtsCow if you've not already done so and upload your photo. Throw your picture on the bag, checkout, and enter Checkout Code TOTEBAG799 on the Billing & Shipping info page. Easy breezy.

If for some reason the coupon shows 'expired' when you go to checkout, it's because the quantity is limited to 200 bags/day, so try again tomorrow. But this time try a little earlier.

New artistic impressions of Christ

2009-01-05T11:43:00.007-07:00

David Bowman has had a passion for art ever since he could pick up a pencil. He loves creating images of the Savior that inspire and uplift. Along with his Christian fine art, David has also written and illustrated a series of scripture storybooks for children titled "Who's Your Hero." Check out his website at www.bowman-art.com to see more of his precious art.

"Innocence"
The Savior tells us we need to become as little children to inherit the kingdom of God. I've often wondered what it is about little children Jesus loves most, and I think its their innocence. They are clean slates, seeing the world and others through untarnished eyes. Their hearts are pure, without the baggage of cynicism and self-doubt. In this piece, I've tried to imagine how a child would act upon meeting the Master for the first time. Without reservation or inhibition, I think he would simply want to play with Him. He would be at complete ease, allowing his pure little heart to soak in the love and laughter of His pure, infinite heart. Its no wonder Christ delights in these little ones and sets them up to be our examples. ~~~~~ I think it goes without saying that I ♥ this first one most because it reminds me of Grayson playing with his loving older brother.

"Security"
One of the greatest human needs is a sense of security. In all aspects of life, we naturally gravitate towards anything that makes us feel safe. In this piece, I wanted to convey a sense of complete peace and calm like only the Savior can provide. It's a security that allows us to rest assured, without fear or worry, when we put ourselves trustingly in His arms. Little children have that inherent kind of trust in their parents, so it's fitting that the man and girl who modeled for "Security" are actually father and daughter. They generated
the exact feel I was looking for.

"My Child"
This piece conveys an intimate, up-close-and-personal feeling of the Savior's love. Notice how all the lines draw your attention and point towards Jesus' face in the center. I chose the name "My Child" because the only thing that could compare (even remotely) to Christ's compassion for us is the love of a parent for his/her child. This image is also intended to put things in perspective. Above all, we are God's children first. He allows us the privelege of experiencing parenthood for ourselves and we are entrusted to be the mothers and fathers of His children here on earth.

11 months!

2009-01-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

Over the last month, Grayson...

Grew to 19 pounds, 14 ounces and 28.5 inches tall
Helped me earn an A in Philosophy
Attended his first Nativity
Took his first step (December 21, Amanda's birthday!)
Grew two new teeth (cut his 8th over Christmas)
Celebrated his first Christmas
Unwrapped his first present
Ate his first chocolate chip
Celebrated his first New Year

Grayson has become such a ham. He's very into mimicking everything we do and say. In addition to waving and clapping, he 'brushes' his hair and teeth when we do, talks into our cell phones (for a minute before he eats them), and copies our body actions, too - sticks his tongue out, throws his hands up in the air, opens 'wide'. The minute he hears music (radio, TV, computer, toys), his legs start bobbing and his arms start waving around. We call it arm dancing. We used to think he was doing the 'rolling' part of Pat-A-Cake, but I have a suspicion it came from us practicing the hokey-pokey for our family's Christmas party talent show at my folks' house (wait for the holiday recap post - I still have to figure out how to get those videos off our main camera). He reaches to sit up on my lap when I play this for him and immediately starts arms dancing to the music and pitchforks. He loves music so much. It's a no-fail way to distract him when he's throwing a fit.

Grayson has also become very inquisitive. He studies our faces when we speak to him and watches how we do things then tries to do them by himself. He loves when I play with his toys with him, and will help me put them away when we're finished. He's already a very organized little boy - I guess being OCD is genetic!

Sometimes he sleeps up on his knees like a frog, December 4

Brushing hair, December 9Hey, where are the dishes for me to pull out for you Mommy? December 13What an adorable bum! December 16 First waffles (plain), December 20Hey, just 'cause Santa isn't here doesn't mean I can't sit in his chair! December 29This kid seriously needs a hair cut.
Fresh out of the bath, New Year's EveFirst chocolate, courtesy my father:

Feedback Required

2008-12-30T14:21:00.004-07:00

We bought a Kitchenaid mixer earlier this month and I was so excited to use it to start baking my very own whole-wheat bread. We eat Harper's Homemade Honey Wheat bread and it is soooo good. It's nice and heavy and has a homemade taste and feel. Unfortunately, this is the only thing I can find about it on google, and I don't think that's right since the packaging lists an Idaho address. But I digress...

Josh and I (mostly Josh) consume about two loaves of bread per week, so in order to avoid repeated trips to the grocery store every week, I buy 6-8 loaves at a time and just freeze them. We started wondering a couple months ago if it would be cheaper to start baking our own bread instead, and we decided to go for it. Thus, the purchase of the Kitchenaid, which is something I've wanted for a long time anyway, and we also bought the grain mill attachment to go with it. However, we heard from many people that even with the 475-watt motor our mixer has, grinding wheat may tax it too strongly, so Josh bought a Nutrimill grain mill to grind our wheat instead.

All of that is fine and well, except now our quest to make cheap homemade bread has cost us more than $500. We'll consider it a good investment, though, if we find the perfect appliance combination and I become a successful bread-maker. And we haven't used either wheat grinder yet so we can return one, so tell me...what's your take? Which would you keep and why? What have you heard about the Kitchenaid attachment, or Nutrimill, or both?

In the meantime, I bought some wheat flour from the store so I could at least start practicing the actual bread baking. And that leads me to my next question...what bread recipe is the best? We'd like to find something similar to or better than the Harper's bread we eat right now. The ingredient list for that bread is: 100% Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Honey, Soybean Oil, Salt, Yeast. That's it. The bread bag obviously doesn't list quantities, so I looked around online for a recipe and found this one, which I'm going to try out tomorrow; that is, unless all y'all have THE PERFECT bread recipe to share with me.

So let's have it - recommendations for grain mills and wheat bread recipes - I'm open to all feedback and suggestions. Thanks!

I am Prideful

2008-12-23T11:14:00.015-07:00

*This post is long and I wonder if it shares too much with those in my ward that read this blog, but because this is my journal and it's a lesson I needed to re-learn, I am going to leave it.*

I realized it again last night. And I have the worst kind. This is why...

I got a call yesterday afternoon from someone in the ward asking if I could take a meal to a family where the mother just had surgery. Sure, no problem. I had never met these people and thought it'd be a good opportunity to do so. So I loaded up Grayson last night and we headed out through the snow to the address I was given. My heart sank when we drove into the circle of the overbuilt, brand-new homes in our ward boundaries, and I found myself getting quite annoyed that here I was - basically a single mother during this and last week while Josh worked from 7am-9pm every day (including Saturday and Sunday), taking quite a bit of time out of my VERY busy week trying to get all holiday-related things accomplished before we leave town Wednesday - taking dinner to a family that seemed to have so much more than we do. The husband opened the door to a room filled with beautiful furniture and a tv that nearly consumed the entire wall of their immaculate home, and I wanted to know why I, the woman whose family lives on as little as possible in order to save all extra money for the 'house fund', had prepared a dinner for these people that didn't seem to need it.

I was so frustrated I didn't bother to ask their names or engage their little boy in conversation. I just dropped the meal off and said I'd return later for the pan. Then I left. Even worse, I saw the mom come walking into the room through a window while I drove away and I recognized her. She's very stylish and always dressed to the nines, and has a son to match just a few months younger than Grayson. As I drove home I stewed about how she probably gets to take her baby to Relief Society every Sunday while I pass mine off to anyone available so I can go to Primary. I pulled into our still snow-covered driveway and sighed as I realized the husband had probably snow-blowed their driveway and walks while I was cooking for his family only to have to shovel my own drive when I got home or wait for Josh to do it later that night when he was finally done working.

I could see I was on a pretty bad downward spiral and it felt completely opposite to this, which is what I preferred, so I asked God to please help me feel the spirit of the Christmas season instead of all my bitterness. Because God is so nice to me even though I'm not always nice to His other children, He made me remember something I had heard once about pride looking up instead of down. A quick search led me right to the source:

"Most of us consider pride to be a sin of those on the top, such as the rich and the learned, looking down at the rest of us. (See 2 Ne. 9:42.) There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous."
President Ezra Taft Benson, “Beware of Pride,” Ensign, May 1989, 4

Jealousy a form of pride? Guilty as charged. I contemplated ways to eliminate (or at the very least, lessen) my jealousy, and in the end decided to make a list of 50 things I've been blessed with that I am grateful for, regardless if others have them or not.

It worked. In making that list I realized how much God does love me and my little family. Josh and I have wanted for nothing since we married, and we're able to save a substantial amount of money every month, putting us in a better financial position than many find themselves right now. Grayson has everything he needs, as do we. Our time to own a home will come soon enough, and in the meantime we've been very lucky with the homes we've rented and the areas in which we've lived. Josh's job is secure - a luxury in the present economic circumstances for many - and it allows me to stay home with our son. We've been able to put a lot of resources into preparing for our future needs because we've been so blessed with our present ones. Life is so much better when you forget to compare yourself to others. Hey, typing that line just made me think of a line in a poem I read long along and loved enough that I pasted a copy into my scriptures:

"If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans."

-Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Good idea, Mr. Ehrmann. I'll keep that in mind.

Favorite things

2008-12-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

Even though I hate the snow, I LOVE the clothes wintertime brings with it. Requiring beanies, pea coats, and turtlenecks is pretty much winter's only redeeming quality. Pair it with my sweet baby boy and I'm in heaven!Toss in a Daddy, and my heart just melts.I'm secretly pleased to report that Grayson hates the snow as much as I do.All right...in real life he was just mad that I put him down, but he did get curious when I showed him the snow and let him touch it. He didn't even seem to mind how cold it was! For those who haven't guessed yet, Maryann was sweet enough to come over this morning and take some pictures for me to send out in holiday cards this year. Unfortunately for me, Josh's head is too little to look really great in a hat, so I'm sending out this one even though my head is so crooked and Grayson and I look like twins. Hey, beggars can't be choosers!And I'm posting this picture strictly because I love the look on Grayson's face.

Is it Christmas already?

2008-12-13T13:03:00.011-07:00

Sure seems like it around here right now! For example, what happens when a good amount of snow finally falls?My husband gets all giddy about being able to use the snowblower he bought for 50 bucks off KSL in the middle of summer.And suddenly work seems like play for the neighborhood children:Josh and the snowblower in action!

This is as country as we'll ever get!

2008-12-13T12:58:00.011-07:00

It's too bad because we really liked dancing with those pitchforks!

The latest on Mormons

2008-12-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

I originally wrote this post on December 10, but when I went to reference it today, I couldn't find it. I guess it's because I never finished uploading the pictures and posted it. Silly me!

This is the final installment of my 'latest' trilogy. It's "The latest on Mormons" because there's been so much happening spiritually with the holiday season. On Grayson's 10-month birthday we went to a live Nativity the singles ward in our stake put on. It was so beautiful and Grayson loved it! He 'oohs' now when he sees something fascinating, and he did it throughout the presentation.Our ward had its Christmas party on December 5 and Grayson and I went to it with our neighbors, Bill and Kit, since Josh was traveling to southern Utah to work.

The food and company was wonderful, but the best part was that all the Primary kids got to act out parts of the nativity in a Christmas program. My kids were the sheep, and they did such a good job! We made our costumes in class the Sunday before and they turned out so cute. Once again I couldn't tell who was more pleased with the kids, me or their parents.

My sheep (sans Annie)Action!

I secretly loved that there was no Santa Claus at the party. The focus was entirely on the program and it really brought to light the true reason for this holiday season. However, this does mean that Grayson still has not met Santa so there is no picture of them together. I guess I'll settle for a picture of Gray with his zombie-eyed mommy instead.December 6 was our tithing settlement and Grayson and I went alone while Josh was at work. I reminded Josh a couple weeks ago that we were not doing Christmas this year because he already got what he wanted, so while I was in the middle of meeting with the bishop, I felt impressed to tell him we wanted to give our Christmas to a family in the ward if they needed it (don't worry, there is one present under the tree for Grayson to open on his first Christmas morning and for us to video him doing so). I can't go into too much detail about the family he told me we could help or how we chose them because some members of my ward read this blog, but just know that that was some of the most enjoyable Christmas shopping I've ever done! It took THREE attempts to successfully deliver our gifts, and we loved the excitement of every one of them. I am so grateful for a hard-working husband that's always game for whatever I plan, even if it means giving Christmas away without asking beforehand. I love my family and my life so much. What a perfect first week in December!

The latest on Family

2008-12-09T12:12:00.001-07:00

My family had an awful lot of fun during November, but I didn't pull out the camera for any of it. Holly joined my brother in England for about five days since he was there for work and it would be years before they got another opportunity to go without the kiddies (they've another baby coming), so Hailey and Hunter stayed behind and were shuttled between Holly's mom and sisters for the week. Hailey is in kindergarten and we didn't want her to miss any school, so I got to help out with her as well. Hailey got to sleep over two different nights and Grayson and I picked her up from school one day, dropped her off again, and everything in between.

We had loads of fun while she was here. She's a very generous little girl. We went to Wendy's for lunch one day and she was nice enough to give Grayson the toy when I wouldn't let her share the fries. And she was insistent that we make cupcakes for all the cousins she was going to see over the weekend when she left my house to go to another aunt's. So we headed to the store in search of the perfect sprinkles and we found them! She helped mix the batter and pour it into the tins, and when the cupcakes were baked and cooled, I frosted and she sprinkled. They were super yummy and tons of fun to make together. I sure do love that girl.

Cupcakes! November 13

My folks came up that same weekend for Christy and Brett's wedding and stayed with us. Grayson couldn't get enough of all the attention, lucky kid. We met Maryann and her girls at the reception and everyone came back to our house for a quick game of Golf. We went for a walk the next morning, met Maryann's family for breakfast at IHOP (my first time there - it was good, but not good enough that I'll go back), came home, went to a neighbor's boutique, then my parents left that afternoon. Poor Grayson looked so confused after having been entertained by first Hailey and then Grandma and Grandpa, it almost made me want another baby just so he'd have a permanent playmate.

My parents also came up the following weekend for the BYU/Utah game and we all got together again. We played games Friday night at Don and Holly's, but having learned our lesson the week before, Josh and I had everyone over for breakfast Saturday morning at our house instead of going out. We made waffles, cinnamon and orange rolls, OJ and scrambled eggs. Mmm mmm good! Definitely more fun and much cheaper than IHOP.

After breakfast we cleaned off the kid's table so they could draw. I gave them some paper, stickers, and markers, and soon the big game's excitement crept into their artwork:
Hailey predicted the Utes would win because according to her calculations, there were more people cheering for them than for the Y. Josh and I have the luxury of not really favoring one team over the other, but I gravitate more toward the Utes because of my brother, and Josh gravitates more toward the Y because...well, all good Mormons cheer for the Cougars, right? So we purposefully dressed Grayson in a non-partisan onesie to show our support for both teams. (Sorry Don, but sometimes sacrifices such as this must be made in order to preserve harmony in a dual-faith household.)

Sweet Memories

Don and Holly had us up to their house for Thanksgiving dinner, and I'm lamenting the fact that I once again didn't pull out the camera to capture Grayson going to town on all that turkey. Dinner was so delicious and our contribution was a fruit pie and a pan of rainbow jello, both of which were fun and fairly simple to make. Instead of doing a regular rainbow, though, I used only red, yellow, and orange to keep a 'fall' theme for Thanksgiving. I also cut my usual 12 layers down to 10 (more room in the pan for whipped cream!):I wish I'd taken a picture of the kick-ass raspberry cream pie I made to share. Oh my, it was sooo good - the perfect balance of tart and sweet, yummiest pie crust ever, and it looked all professional cut and served on individual plates. I will definitely make it again, and I already know that I'm going to up the amount of fruit I use in the topping.

The last thing I'll share with you today is the video I started taking of Grayson climbing up Don and Holly's stairs. Hunter and Hailey were playing at the top and Grayson started heading up there to join them, but his pants were falling down and making him slip, so Josh went in to pull them up. Right when he did so, Hailey tumbled down the stairs and straight into Grayson. Thankfully Josh's presence broke her fall for the most part and Gray only fell off one step. It didn't hurt him, though, and everyone was okay. Whew!

So...what's the latest?

2008-12-08T08:14:00.003-07:00

I'm a bad Mommy. I took about six pictures of Grayson during the entire month of November. That's it. And I just shared most of them in his 10-month post. Grayson woke shortly before 4am yesterday morning to eat, and I couldn't fall asleep again once he was finished, so I spent a couple of hours finishing his 10-month post, writing this one, and catching up on everyone else. Those four hours seriously flew by!

November was a bad month to miss picture-wise. That was the month Grayson started standing by himself, both when we let go of him and when he chose to let go on his own. He's gotten really good at balance-checking himself, and already walks all over the house while holding on to objects. No 'real' steps though! We tried taking pictures and videoing it, but as soon as we catch his eye, he's down on all fours and makes a beeline for the camera.

Grayson perfected waving and saying 'bah' (bye) when Josh leaves for work in the mornings and will do it about 75% of the time when others leave and we prompt him. It's very cute because he waves his hand reversed so he's actually waving goodbye to himself (or beckoning others to come, depending on how you interpret it).

Grayson also started 'kissing' us regularly last month. It's so funny to watch him study our puckered lips and then see his interpretation of what we're doing. Here are his first attempts on November 2:It's absolutely disgusting but adorable at the same time. See how Josh is pulling away in the second pic? Let's just say that so far I'm the only one foolish or slow enough to catch some of Grayson's excess saliva in my mouth and on my face.

Grayson is back to teething again. I don't know why it takes so long for me to figure out what alla his extra drool and fussiness means, but by the time I do the tip of the tooth has usually broken through. Case in point - four days ago I declared, "He must be teething." I checked and voila! there it is, his lower left lateral. Duh, Mom.

There's been a lot more going on around here, but I'll have to save it for tomorrow because I have some homework to get done before I go to my last class of the semester tonight. Yay me!

10 months!

2008-12-02T09:55:00.003-07:00

During the last month, Grayson...

Grew to 19.5 pounds, 28 inches
Started cutting his lower laterals
Enjoyed his first Thanksgiving dinner, including turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie
Offered up his room to guests three times!
Learned to climb stairs
Stood without support
Decided he'd rather eat books than read them
Had his first taste of waffles and ice cream (don't worry Dad, it was vanilla)
Celebrated another wedding with us - congrats Brett & Christy!
Watched the Utah football team go undefeated - congrats Don!

No real pics to go along with this post because I've become very bad at pulling out the camera. It seems he's changed so much, but you would never know it based on that short list above.

November 18Go Utes! - November 22

November 25

Grayson is still wholly enthralled with the vaccuum. I've always been somewhat of a 'neat freak' but once my baby started crawling, I found myself vacuuming every other day instead of twice/week. He gets very serious when I pull out the vacuum and follows me all over the house, keeping a watchful eye on that big, noisy machine. He keeps a safe distance until it's turned off, but once it is, he's right there, checking it out, playing with the attachments, or just banging on it.

Squeals of delight:

Is it possible...

2008-11-24T11:33:00.002-07:00

...for a bad sleeper to become even worse? Grayson slept all through the night from 2-4 months old, but not since (except that one time for our anniversary). And I dare say last night was his

Worst. Night. Ever.

Recap: He didn't fall asleep until almost 10pm. Woke up around 12:30am. I fed him, but instead of falling asleep again, he was WIDE awake. Put him in his crib to play. Wailed like he was on fire for the next 10 minutes. Took him out of crib to settle him down, but he refused comforting. Even me singing Primary songs didn't help, and it usually does. After Josh and I danced around the situation in a similar manner for almost an hour, we finally ended up putting our screaming baby in his crib and ignoring him. We were both so exhausted that we fell asleep despite the noise, and neither of us has any idea how long he cried before passing out, but I know it was at least 8 minutes. He woke up again just after 6am and and was ready for the day. What the??

...for an already wonderful husband to become even better? Josh really stepped up his game the last couple of weeks and I'm in heaven! I just hope the small things I try to do to make his life better make him feel as loved as he makes me feel. Recap: Remember the group presentation we're giving tonight on bankruptcy? Well, the dreamy guest speaker I lined up forgot about parent-teacher conferences (she teaches 5th grade) this week, so is unavailable to come to my class. No worries, because she's awesome and agreed to let me videotape her instead. Well, the 5-10 minute interview ended up being 21 minutes long and I needed to cut it down. Between finding the program to get the video off our camcorder and onto my hard drive for editing, finding a conversion program to make it editable, and finding an editing program that wouldn't drop the audio, he spent about 10 hours over the last two days helping me. Top it all off with the dinner he made us last night plus cleaning up the entire kitchen (including hand washing and drying all of the flatware), and I wonder why he's not yet been translated.

...for me to actually enjoy my Primary class so much I'm going to miss being their teacher next year? I've been teaching Primary for a year now, and I've had this same group of nine 5- and 6-year-olds since January 1. It's hard sometimes. Between 7 and 9 kids come each week, and I've been a solo teacher since my partner got upgraded to the presidency August 3. Which reminds me, I never posted the pic I took of the thank you card we made for her - it was so fun!
Anyway, our annual Primary program was yesterday, and I don't know who was more pleased with my kids - me or their parents. I had eight there, and they all did such a good job with their parts and singing the songs. I teared up twice during the program and again during our lesson when I thanked them all for working so hard and doing so well. They really are such good kids. I get a little sad that I'm only going to be their teacher for five more weeks, but it will be fun to meet some more children in the ward and get to know and love them as well.

...for Christmas to be right around the corner? After this presentation is done tonight and our paper submitted this Saturday, I need to get serious about decorating. I debated putting up a tree, and am going to go ahead with it, but instead of nice glass (and breakable) ornaments, I'm going to ask my nieces and nephews to help me make something like these. It will be fun, it will create precious memories, and Grayson will be able to go to town on the tree without getting put in time out. Win-win-win!

Twosday Treat

2008-11-18T08:31:00.010-07:00

In my last Grayson update, I mentioned how helpful he is around the house. Since it's been a while since I uploaded any videos, I'm treating you to a double feature today. Enjoy!

October 27, 2008 - Shredding paper
(A little long, so I'd watch only the first 45 secs)

November 4, 2008 - Mating socks

The results...

2008-11-05T08:53:00.008-07:00

1. Barack Obama is the country's new president.
2. I am not going to put music on my blog (60% of you are anti-).
3. I'm not the only one that hated Michelle Obama's dress last night, and my husband is not the only one that thought she looked pregnant.
Poor McCain lost this election because of the distaste people have for W. and that idiot side-kick he chose as his running mate (ironic that the one thing I respect about Palin are her views on abortion). Now we all just have to hope that Obama will deliver on all that he promised. The good news is the Republicans can win either way: 1) Obama delivers, the country thrives and is happy, international relations soar - win for everyone! 2) Obama fails to deliver, people hate him as much as Bush, Republicans guaranteed the White House in 2012. And as a bonus to all you Utahns, I think Romney would be able to take Palin in a debate.

One thing's for certain, though. Anyone that's willing to be president during times like these deserves our utmost respect. Shall we give it to him, or shall we cut off our nose to spite our face?

9 months!

2008-11-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

During the last month, Grayson...

Grew to 18 pounds, 9 ounces and 27 3/4 inches
Started saying 'mama' and 'dada' when respectively hitting us - we think he really understands!
Started taking a few steps while holding on to objects
Finished growing two more top teeth
Decided he loves eating Cheerios, blueberries, and raw red potatoes
Fed himself small bites of food (it's so cute to see his little fingers work so hard)
Got his first fever and rash, sending us to the pediatrician for Grayson's first sick visit
Started climbing up on things to reach forbidden items
Watched Pyper get blessed
Wore his first band-aid (those little paper cuts sure do bleed!)
Dressed up for his first Halloween (but no trick-or-treating yet)
Followed me all over the house, helping me vacuum, sweep, fold laundry, and shred paper

Here are some pics from the month of October. How quickly time passes and how terrible I've become at taking and posting photos.

First, the freakishly short second toe I mentioned in this post:October 10 - Hey, a band-aid! I can't wait to chew on it!

October 12 - Ewww...Pyper has girl germs!

October 16 - My new favorite thing about Grayson. He 'chews' the air and his bottom lip sticks out when his lips come together. He often has this same look when he's babbling and trying to copy me when I make a popping noise with my lips. It's hilarious.

October 22 - Grayson loves that when he touches this lamp it magically turns on, goes brighter, then turns off. He gets a kick out of it every time. In this pic I moved my bracelet out of his reach so he was forced to reach a little further - on his tip-toes.

October 26 - Spiderwoman and TiggerOctober 29 - Walking around the bar chairs (look at that tongue)October 31 - Grayson and the local nutjobsHappy Halloween!

Bankruptcy?

2008-10-27T12:37:00.008-06:00

While some of you might be shaking your heads at us, wondering how we could let our consumer debt get so out of control that we've no option but to file bankruptcy, please stop making yourself dizzy. In fact, we've officially saved our 20% down-payment now, and as soon as we figure out where we want to live for the next five years, we're going to start looking for a house to buy there (holy crap, that's a scary thought). Yay us! Yay for setting and achieving goals! Yay for making budgets and following them!

So what's with the post title? Well, I might need your help and it has to do with bankruptcy.

My Philosophy class this semester is an 'Ethics & Values' class, and our grade requires the completion of a major group project. My group's assignment is to present arguments for and against the ethics of filing bankruptcy. We would LOVE to have guest speakers address our class - tell their story and take questions from the class - but none of us knows anyone that is able AND willing to do it.

This is where you come in. I'm looking for someone that can spend two hours on Monday evening, November 24, in a Lehi Junior High classroom talking about one of the following:

Their decision to file bankruptcy, how they came to make it, and how it's impacted their life since filing;
Their decision NOT to file bankruptcy although they had been considering it, how they came to make it, and how paying the debt has impacted their life;
Their current financial situation, why it has presented bankruptcy as an option, and the reasons they have for or against filing.

If, for some reason, you are or know someone that can help us out, but you're quite adverse to the idea of speaking in front of people and would be willing to answer some questions about your situation instead, please let me know because we'd LOVE to have real-life situations, feelings, and responses for our project. You can comment on this post or email me privately at cleaningvegas@gmail.com. Thank you!

Like Father, Like Son?

2008-10-23T13:12:00.005-06:00

I've always wanted to post a baby pic of Grayson along with baby pics of Josh and I so we could determine who he really looks like once and for all. Unfortunately, Josh's mom doesn't have any pics of him until he started getting school photos taken, so I've never done it until now. But I can assure you he looks just like Josh. In fact, the only proof I have that he's my kid is that I watched him come out of my body.

My mommy and me, February 1, 1977

Me and my boy, February 2, 2008

My mom's a hottie! Too bad I look like a train wreck. And I don't think I was a big baby, but I look huge compared to my little Grayson.

Two days later, I look more like my mother and Grayson like me. Yay!

Daisy Paige, 7 months

Grayson Keith, 7 months

Maybe that's my nose and giant forehead, but he must look more like Josh did as an infant. Lucky for us, Grayson got Josh's cute little ears, and we're fairly certain his baby blues are going to stay that way. And even though his hair has lightened a lot, I'm pretty sure he won't go towhead like I did.

And just so Josh doesn't feel left out and lonely because there aren't any pics of him in this post, I am now going to dissect Grayson's personality. Following is a list of various traits Grayson has, in no particular order, and which of us I think donated them.

From Josh

Freakishly short second toe. I know this is a physical trait, but I have never seen someone whose second toe was shorter than the big toe as well as the third toe. And it's barely tied in length to the fourth toe. Sometimes I wonder why he's able to balance so well standing. Josh's sister told me a grandfather or uncle had the same weird toe.
Our silly baby thrives on minimal sleep. He doesn't get that from this sleeping beauty.
Speaking of sleep, Grayson is a light sleeper and will wake at the quietest noises. It drives me crazy about Josh, too.
Grayson has an obsession with electronics. He's playing with a mouse right now, with Josh's phone charger at his feet and the external hard drive on its side from him crawling on it. He heads straight for the mess of cords and routers under Josh's desk when he comes into the office, and he had a meltdown yesterday when I wouldn't let him pull on the printer cord. There's no question where his inner geek comes from.
Grayon shies away from PDA, just like his daddy.
Grayson will eat pretty much anything with little or no complaint, something I really appreciate about Josh.

From Me!

Now that both the top middle teeth are in, Grayson grinds them against the bottom ones. He gets this from my mom and my brother.
Grayson hates getting dressed, and seems to despise clothes in general. He's just plain happier when he's naked. Definitely comes from yours truly.
Grayson is a social bug. Forget eating or napping if there are people around to look at or play with. Cards, anyone?
Grayson isn't very good at taking naps. Neither is this mommy.
Grayson gets a big grin when he hears people talk. He loves the phone and he likes to jabber with me. Josh is relatively quiet, so even though he's always on the phone for work, I'm going to take this one as mine.
Grayson lunges for my Nalgenes and nearly drowns himself trying to get a drink of water. Been there, done that.
We've recently discovered that Grayson is a real whiner when he's sick. In the rare event that I don't feel well, everyone knows about it.
Grayson takes every opportunity to get his hands dirty and play with the houseplants.

That's all I can think of for now. I'm winning by two! I'll add more after Josh sees my list and comes up with some counter-arguments.

So adventurous!

2008-10-22T11:02:00.002-06:00

You may notice I added a little bit o' flair to the edges of my blog this morning, but because I'm terrified of change, the primary format remained intact. I'm also thinking of venturing out into the world of slideshows and possibly music that starts playing when you open my blog to view it. However, I'm torn because I get frustrated when I'm blog-hopping with some Jimmy Buffett playing in the background and someone's playlist interferes when I click on their page. So I opened a poll to get your input, if you even care. See it up there? It's just under my header.

So what say ye, the masses? You have one week to weigh in. Wait...considering the length of time that passes between my posts, I'll give you until 9pm MST on Election Day to vote.

Letting it out

2008-10-21T17:34:00.007-06:00

This is not a political blog, and I hate to intermix politics with my interpersonal relationships, but I just have to make one comment before I go insane. I tire of keeping it to myself day after day in my attempt to maintain peace with the Republican majority in Utah.

McCain is a moron for choosing Palin as his running mate. She alone is going to cost him the election - she cost him my vote and others' votes as well. If only he'd had the courage to choose someone this country needs, and not someone he merely thought could get him elected, this campaign could be going in a much different direction. But I can't feel sorry for him because this is what he chose, and if his desire to be elected outweighed his desire to find the best running mate, so be it. He doesn't deserve the presidency. Please don't give it to him.

But more important, please don't give it to her.

8 months!

2008-10-02T11:49:00.001-06:00

Over the last month, Grayson...

Grew to 18 pounds and 27 1/4 inches long
Cut two more teeth with another two close behind
Got his first professional pictures taken
Learned to sit up by himself, then...
Promptly decided it's more fun to pull himself up to stand than to merely sit around
Helped Josh and I celebrate our 3rd anniversary
Changed his babbling to variations of 'da-dah-duh-da', much to Josh's joy and my dismay
Welcomed any food I put into his mouth *except* peas
Watched his friend, Kimball, get blessed
Impressed Grandma with his 'horn-honking' skills
Attended his first ward campout (but we didn't camp)
Actively cheered the Bomber Babes to yet another victory
Ate his first tomato

I was picking veggies out in the garden last week and left Grayson on the lawn to crawl around (in fact, it was the same day as my last post, hence his outfit). While I was working my way around the garden boxes, fighting off leaves twice the size of my head in an attempt to find wayward zucchinis before they got too big, Grayson found my bowl of tomatoes and helped himself to one. By the time I reached him it was too late, so I let him finish it. After he was done, I took him inside for a couple of pics and washed him up. Sadly, these tomato stains didn't come out in yesterday's wash.
I think my favorite thing about Grayson right now is that he loves shaking his hands. No matter what he's holding, he will continually shake it up and down like a mad man. It can be paper, a washcloth, a measuring tape, a rattle, a magazine, a bottle, a toy, a shirt, a tomato...you get the idea. And he'll even clasp his hands together and shake them for a spell without holding anything at all. The best part about it is this little grin he gets when he's doing it because he's just enjoying himself so much. And when he notices you're watching him, he tops it all off with the cutest smile. Melts my heart every time. I need to get it on video before he stops doing it.

New Parents' Guide to Babies

2008-09-30T10:46:00.001-06:00

Just because the first couple of teeth come in without a hitch,

doesn't mean they all will.

My poor baby has been just miserable for the last 2-3 weeks. His two middle bottom teeth came in so easily and without any real effort or pain. He seemed to be extra droolly for a bit and then viola! there they were. Here are the bottoms on July 29:
Fast forward two months and we find Grayson working really hard on getting those uppers. In addition to the constant salivating and chewing on everything he can get his hands on, he's had a runny nose and been very needy, fussy, and just plain sad. Teething tablets have become the norm at our house and I give him the occasional dose of baby Tylenol when things are really bad.

Thankfully, we're 1/2 of the way done with this round of misery. His left middle top tooth finally broke through about a week ago and a corner of the tooth to its left has already come through, but he's still working on the upper right middle tooth. I put him back in that same outfit today for a comparison shot but he doesn't let me poke at his face or mouth anymore, so I couldn't get a good picture of alla the nonsense that's going on inside his mouth. But you can see the tooth that has come all the way in when he smiles - so cute! But how sad to see how much older he looks now than he did just two months ago. Stop growing up!

Does anyone know

2008-09-29T08:55:00.002-06:00

if Cadbury mini eggs are made in China?

My heart is breaking right now at the very thought.

Yet another...UPDATE

2008-09-19T17:44:00.003-06:00

Life is continuing, even if you wouldn't know it by my lack of blogging. Here's a little diddy on each of us.

Josh: So dreamy. Hard worker. Recession-proofing his place in the workforce. Gives great back-scratches and is always willing to run last-minute errands for me. Love that man.

Me: In order to re-apply to the dental hygiene program (Fall 2009) I have to be a current student by next February. In order to be a current student by then, I had to take a class this semester or Spring semester. So guess who's taking yet another class? Yepper. Luckily, I found a Philosophy class that meets only one evening per week in Lehi, so I don't have to drive all the way down to the main UVU campus in Orem. The bad news is that this class is ONLY required of UVU grads, so if I don't go to school there, it will have been a waste of 600 bucks and an entire semester. But hey, that's life, right?

Grayson: I need him to stop growing up again. There are just too many times I look at him and realize how quickly he's become his own person and while he brings me so much joy, it also brings a tear to my eye. I just want him to stay little forever. He's really begun cruising on all fours and started pulling himself up on me, boxes, planters, etc. this last week. In the last four days he's gotten two bruises on his forehead, a bruise on his cheek, and a scratch on the bottom of his foot (how??). If I didn't know any better, I'd think his daddy beat him. He LOVES food and recently began eating every 2-3 hours instead of every 3-4. I seriously considered nixing the whole nursing bit because it really wears on me, but I'm just too cheap to switch to formula. He still gets up at least once in the middle of the night, so I'm glad we had a couple of interruption-free months while they lasted.

Josh used to call these Grayson's "Elvis" jammies because the collar always folded up like that. They're too small to wear now. Sad!My silly baby doesn't like to sit IN the activity seat as much as he likes to crawl ON it. (I promise-promise he usually wears clothes - I'm not THAT lazy!)
Finally, I thought about sharing my complete lack of respect for John McCain for all my liberal friends, or maybe a beautiful YouTube video link Karynn sent me earlier for all my conservative friends, so in order to keep harmony in the universe, enjoy this little video instead:

Eat your hearts out, terrorists!

2008-09-11T08:08:00.005-06:00

We finally hosted our ice cream party on August 23. I invited 109 families, recruited three additional 'scoopers', enlisted Maryann to take photographs, borrowed a sound system, a HUGE tent shade, and several deck chairs from neighbors, and purchased an additional 15 cartons of ice cream for a total of 35 (my visiting teacher brought 8 as well). We set up the huge canopy to keep us and the ice cream shaded and kept our extra Dreyer's on ice in some coolers. We set up a couple of shady spots in our backyard so parents could easily watch their kiddies play on our back neighbor's swing set during the party. We also set up a small table with water and a 'farmer's market' so neighbors could bring extra garden goodies to share with others.

What a hit! People in the neighborhood were still talking about the party for days afterward. I took all of the ice cream bars and the few extra cartons to deliver to neighbors that couldn't make it. All in all, it was a huge success. Some random pics of the event:

Grayson was such a champ during the party. He's a very social baby, and just loved being around all those people.

He even learned how to play the air guitar! Thanks Gabe!

My Brother's Keeper (sort of)

2008-09-10T12:03:00.003-06:00

Just popping in to say hello. Josh rebuilt my computer and I've finally finished reinstalling all my programs, arranging my files/folders, and personalizing it all back to the way it was. Now I can function in cyberspace again. Yay me!

You may be wondering why Josh rebuilt my computer in the first place. In a nutshell, I accidentally downloaded a virus during a google search for computer programs to lighten videos. Josh spent 3 hours on our anniversary trying to get it cleaned up, but he had to rebuild it in the end. Fortunately, he was able to hook up an external hard drive and backup all my pics so I didn't lose too much in the process. Last week, Maryann was nice enough to let me use her internet to change a bunch of online passwords, pay my fall tuition, and copy the ice cream party pics she took for me, so naturally our babies ended up lying by each other during our visit. Grayson has this habit of reaching out and grabbing whoever happens to be nearby, so he immediately reached over and grabbed Pyper. Maryann snatched up her camera and voila! precious memories formed in an instant.

Pyper's too far away, Mom. Please move her closer to me.

Oh look, her hand!This baby is mine.

I'm keeping an eye on her for Dana.

I heart my baby

2008-09-07T08:00:00.018-06:00

Dearest Grayson,

Thank you so much for being so good during our anniversary dinner last night. I love that everywhere we take you, people rush over to get a better glimpse of your smiling face. You are seriously the best baby I've ever known - so loving, so alert, so cheerful, so smiley. I almost feel guilty that other people don't have the pleasure of having babies just like you. And a special thank you for going to bed early last night and staying asleep until 7am. Not only did Daddy and I get to spend a few uninterrupted hours together, but we didn't pay for it the next morning with sleep-deprivation.

You are the sweetest boy in the world!

Love,

Your well-rested Mommy

Charming little fellow

Sweet baby boy

7 months!

2008-09-02T10:58:00.002-06:00

During the past month, Grayson...

Grew to 17.5 pounds and 27 inches long
Helped thank our wonderful neighbors with a Dreyer's Neighborhood ice cream party!
Started eating rice cereal if it's mixed very thick with pureed fruits and veggies - Hallelujah!
Went to Lagoon (but didn't get to do any rides)
Started waking between 3-5am for an early-morning snack (no more sleeping through the night - so sad!)
Sits up on his own if I put him there, but cannot pull himself into a sitting position on his own
Helped Mommy 'trim' the ficus tree
Started chanting a mix of "Ba-bah-buh" when he talks
Started crawling!

My mother made it very clear that even though Grayson's been making crawling motions for weeks now, his first real-life crawl was at HER house just a few days ago. (We determined that real-life crawling involved Grayson moving his hands and knees rhythmically in order to propel himself forward.) Here's your video, Grandma:

And in other news, "Happy Anniversary" babe. I have to say that our third year of marriage has been my favorite so far. Love ya!

Two-word Tuesday

2008-08-27T11:47:00.002-06:00

Yay!
Whoops.

The Couponizer

2008-08-25T09:29:00.008-06:00

I've become one of those mommies. Not only do I have zucchini squash coming out of my eyeballs, freezer jam in the fridge, and several bread recipes out while I bake and bake, searching for the best one - I've also started couponing a little. I haven't fallen off the deep end and become completely obsessed with it, but I have to admit there was a small thrill when I got some 64-ounce Juicy Juice for 88 cents each, 'bought' some makeup for free, and made 60 cents on some new cereal for Grayson (sure hurts less when he refuses to eat it if it didn't cost anything in the first place!).

Anyway, if there are any of you venturing out into the coupon world, a coupon organizer might be helpful to have. I don't really have a system yet, so I entered this contest to win one. It sure looks like a good system to have if you're a serious couponer. And who knows, this system just might convert you!

Garden update

2008-08-22T10:46:00.021-06:00

Josh and I are boring, and I just updated about Grayson yesterday, so all I really have left to blog about is the garden.

Let me just start off by saying that I never want to see another zucchini or crook-neck squash again in my life. I give about half away, I have 10 cups of shredded zucchini in the freezer, I've made two batches of chocolate zucchini bread and baked two batches of zucchini chocolate chip cookies. We eat at least one zuke and one squash every night with dinner, and even with all of that consumption, we have another 8 fruits in the fridge, and dozens more that will be ready for picking in the next day or two. I go out in the morning to pick what I can see and the very next day, zukes that were 2-3 inches long the morning before have suddenly grown to 10+ inches. It's absolutely maddening.

Anyway, we're done harvesting radishes, beets and lettuce and we've pulled those plants completely out. We get the occasional tomato, but most are still green. My red peppers aren't red yet, and I'm getting very impatient waiting for them to turn. In the meantime, we've grown some fabulous cucumbers, jalapeños, beans and carrots. I think the beans are on their way out, though, which is fine because I have a gallon size Ziploc of them in the freezer. Does anyone know how to freeze squash?

We have cantaloupe and watermelon that aren't ready yet, but they look so cute growing out there in our little corner. You see, our garden started out like this, but it quickly grew into this:
The cucumber, honeydew, and watermelon plants were vining out all over the place and we had to intervene. Josh had the brilliant idea to make a remesh arch across each box to let the vines grow up and over. Here's a pic of the cucumber arch when we first put it in July 29:Here's what it looks like now (can barely see it with the zukes growing so big and crazy in front):Anyway, since the plants are now growing along the arch, the fruits tend to hang down through the mesh squares. The little melons are so cute!
According to Mel, the vines will have a strong enough hold on the fruits to keep them attached until they're ripe, so we'll see.

And just for fun, here's a pic of this morning's loot:

Grayson update

2008-08-21T19:04:00.001-06:00

Some of my blog-stalkers (aka: college friends and Grandmas that don't leave comments) have requested an update on the kid. Here it is.

Bad Mommy! You don't blog about me enough!

I've regrettably missed journaling some of Grayson's more fantastic feats, like the time I was studying for my Chem final (Aug 4) and I looked over to see he had rolled to the top of the stairs and his left foot was dangling over the top step. That silly baby had to make at least 5-6 complete revolutions to get over there and he did it in less than two minutes. Needless to say, I don't put him and his blanket down behind the couch anymore. Of course, now that he's in the middle of the living room, he just rolls until he bangs his head into said couch (or the coffee table). Fortunately, he's only hit it hard enough to leave a bump one time, and that was just two days ago.

Then there was the one and only (I'm a good enough mommy to learn from my mistakes) time he scooted himself off my bed and onto the floor (Aug 8). Don't worry, nothing broke or bled, though I nearly had a heart attack. I couldn't figure out how he rolled through my pillow blockade so I recreated the situation a few days later and watched for a very long time until I saw him get up on all fours and back his way through the very narrow gap between two pillow corners. Um, yeah...my blockade only works against rolling babies. Not scooting/crawling ones. Sly little fellow, that one!

Grayson still doesn't 'do' baby food, but he loves to eat whatever I am eating and willing to share with him. So far he's enjoyed cantaloupe, zucchini, bananas, grapes, pineapple, and watermelon that way. I guess he thinks he's not getting enough fiber, though, because he also enjoys eating paper and ficus leaves. I didn't realize he ever completely ingested one of the leaves until two days ago (Aug 19) when I caught him red-handed and with a sour look on his face as he kept smacking his mouth and pushing his tongue out. Later that afternoon, I found part of a previously eaten leaf in his diaper. The piece from two days ago showed up in this morning's diaper. Poor baby. Lucky me.

Grayson is a very busy and attentive baby. He cannot keep still for one second - he's always looking around for something to play with or chew on. No matter what's in my hand, he wants it, and he wants it NOW. He lunges for everything and grabs anything he can get his hands on, and boy does that kid have a grip! I'm finally starting to understand why so many new moms get their hair cut. But I love him t h i s much more because of it. His personality is absolutely delightful.

A couple of photos for you to enjoy:

July 27 - Grayson and Grandpa Keith

July 29 - Look! My teeth are big enough that you can finally see them!

August 6 - Sometimes I roll all the way under random objects but Mommy can't get the camera quickly enough to take my picture.
August 10 - Grayson, Uncle Eric, cousin GabriellaAugust 17 - What talent! Sometimes I hold stuff in my mouth so I can use my hands to grab other things I want to play with.

Yes. My baby is crazy.

2008-08-08T08:08:00.000-06:00

6 months!

2008-08-02T12:02:00.001-06:00

I'm a little late here, aren't I? This and the rest of July's posts are coming soon, I promise!

During the past month, Grayson...

Grew to 16 pounds and 26 inches long (his growth is starting to slow down and he's now barely above the 25th percentile)
Attended his first Bomber Babes roller derby match
Met several more of my dearest friends
Saw his first fireworks and holiday parade!
Went to Lake Powell for the first time (in fact, he spent his 6-month birthday at the lake!)
Welcomed yet another cousin to the family, miss Pyper Palmer
Got two teeth!
Stopped eating rice cereal completely and cringes at bananas, pears, applesauce, green beans and peas, but he LOVES cantaloupe
Started rolling back to tummy and gets up on all fours - he'll soon be crawling!
Helped me earn an 'A' in Chemistry. Yay!

June recap

2008-07-24T13:25:00.002-06:00

Before too much more time passes, there are a couple of June events I don't want to forget...

Tamsen and Eric blessed one of Grayson's new cousins, Gabriella, on June 1 (Happy Birthday, Dana!). We had a great time visiting with lots of family at a nearby park afterward. It was a little windy, but always fun to get together and pig out.

Yay for me and my party!

Special thanks to Natalie for her bundt pan Rainbow Jell-o adventure!

Josh worked in southern Utah June 5-6, so Grayson and I tagged along to see family and meet another new cousin. Grandma had a softball game June 5 and Grayson really enjoyed watching it. And like all good Grandmas, when her team was at bat and she wasn't up any time soon, she would come out to sit with us.

Caleen, Grayson, Bailey, Grandma, Me

The next day we made up a couple of sandwiches and headed to Cedar City to picnic at a local park. The wind sucked, but it was nice to see Penny's family, even if we all ended up crowding her kitchen while the flooded carpet was pulled up in the living room.

Grayson & JosephI just like this pic. I have a hunch Grayson may be the favorite.

We spent an ominous Friday the 13th at Rich and Joni's for a bbq with some southern Utah friends. Russ and Hill came up from Vegas and it's the first time we've seen them since our quick trip down there last November. Grayson also got to meet Jeff and Alicia, Kasey and Monique, Darren and Leslie, Jed and Nicole, and everyone's kiddies. There was so much to talk about and catch up on - it's always worth the hassle of gathering everyone together.

June 14th was our busy day! We woke early to set tables, cut fruit and skewer it, and stuff croissant sandwiches for Maryann's Toquerville baby shower. Tons of ladies came out to support her, which is exactly what we wanted. I tried to get 'action shots' of the party, so unfortunately I just took random pics of no one in particular. Here's one of them:
That night was the entire family's birthday present to Les Miserables at Tuacahn (thanks Mom and Dad!). Grayson did well with all the people and music (I made ear plugs out of napkins for him and I think it helped). Josh felt him relieve what he thought was gas during the performance and took him to get changed. When he came back, Grayson was naked! Turns out Grayson had had his second blowout ever, and it was a bad one. It had leaked all over Josh's shirt as well. Go figure I hadn't taken a change of clothes or any jammies for the little guy, but Penny had an extra nightgown in her bag and let us borrow it. I did have to get up and help put him to sleep later on, but I didn't mind. I got to sing 'A Heart Full of Love' to him because we were away from everybody. He loved it.

Grayson and I got to get together for girls' dinner with Chazzie, Jen, Natalie, Erika and Kristine on June 17th. It was so much fun seeing Jen's baby, eating all that delicious food, and catching up on the last couple of years. Hopefully Chazzie will help Josh and me find our dream home when the time comes!

My I.O. came for a visit and met Grayson for the first time on June 18th. It was a covert operation, but everything went smoothly, even the carpet cleaning the next day. I miss our travel memories, inside jokes, casual conversations, and daily Dave Barry quotes, but I understand it must be this way in order to keep harmony in his marriage.

We had family dinner at Don and Holly's June 22 and I took this pic in the car on the way home. Believe it or not, Grayson has two more chins under that one. So cute to look at, such a pain to clean.
The first Lake Powell trip was June 24-28 but we didn't get to go. :-( One of Josh's coworkers asked those days off before Josh had the chance, so he couldn't get the time off work. Grayson and I thought about going without him, but I wasn't confident I could make a 6-hour drive alone with a 4 1/2 month old in the back seat without killing us both, so we stayed home and pretended to get extra sleep instead. And let's face it, we needed a break! We're still bummed we missed out, but thank goodness we have another one coming so soon!

July 4th recap

2008-07-08T11:13:00.000-06:00

Grayson's first 4th of July made for a wonderful weekend, if I do say so myself. On July 3, Josh, Grayson and I met up with Maryann, Riley, and Preston to watch the Riverton parade. We caught tons of taffy candy, almost converted to Catholicism, and I accused an elected official of making too much money. Fun, fun!!

I'm so excited to get out of this chair and watch the parade, Mom!Grayson's two most patriotic cousinsEven I thought this was neato

Later that night, Don and his crew met us at the park to watch the annual 'Movie in the Park.' They showed Bee Movie. I wasn't very excited because I didn't love it the first time Josh and I saw it, but I was pleasantly surprised by how entertained I was this time around. Maybe it's because I had a baby distracting me during this viewing, and babies make life just *that* much better.

Josh didn't have to work July 4th, so we spent his day off working in the yards and around the house. I declared freedom from clutter and cleaned out That Drawer; you know, the one in the kitchen where everything ends up. I also de-cluttered my desk in the office and Grayson's closet. Believe it or not, I'm a much happier person now. We were a little worried about taking Grayson to watch the fireworks that night because he startles quite easily, so we decided just to park at a local business and watch the fireworks from inside the car. Unfortunately, all the parking lots were taken with fellow firework watchers so we ended up on a street in some random neighborhood. I love fireworks, but I don't love watching them from a car near a bunch of people I don't know, so we drove home after a few minutes. I thought my first 4th of July back in Utah was ruined until we got home and saw that you can clearly see the fireworks from our own front yard! So we laid out a blanket and caught the last 15 minutes of the show in quiet splendor. Grayson loved it so much, he slept right through all the drama and sky sparkles. Why were we worried again?

We wrapped up the weekend with a picnic up Parley's Canyon with Josh's family Saturday afternoon. I took my camera, but the only picture I thought to take was one of all the sleeping babies. Of course Grayson woke up right when we started snapping photos, but rest assured the sight of three sleeping babies was quite beautiful while it lasted.