Thursday, June 24, 2010

You know you're a mommy when...

You know you're a mommy when:
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Most of your wardrobe comes from Target and Costco.

You feel lucky to get a shower before noon.

You consider the major food groups to include chicken nuggets, quesadillas, and pancakes.

You know all the words to at least two Pixar movies.

You are constantly translating your toddler's language for everyone around you... including your spouse.

You know the daily cartoon line-up of Nickelodeon and Disney... and have a very strong opinion as to which ones are funny.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

My Guy


Blaine gave an exceptional talk today about fathers in Sacrament Meeting.
Really, it was awesome.

I am so blessed to have Blaine as my husband and baby-daddy.
He is the cheese to my macaroni.
I honestly don't know what I'd do without him.

I love you, Blaine.
Happy Father's day.
I'm so happy you're mine and I'm yours.
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Speaking of fathers...
Pearl Buck, author and philosopher, saw it this way:
“It is perfectly true that … children suffer from the lack of the influence of men upon them in home and school. But men lose more. They lose very much when they relegate home and children to women. They lose fun and the excitement of growing, developing life. … But they lose something deeper than that. They lose touch with the source of life itself, which is deep in the very process of living with a woman and the children a man has created with her. When he lives not there but in his office, in his work, among other men, he is strangling the roots of his own being”
(Of Men and Women, New York: John Day Co., 1941, pp. 55–56).

Saturday, June 19, 2010

I'm Taking a Break from Pouting...

This afternoon, I put Jake-man down for a nap, bundled up baby Sarah with me on my awesome couch, and busted open my dvd of Bye Bye Birdie.

I'm still smiling.

Watch this clip. I dare you to not smile. This is sure to make anyone feel happy.


Pouting

I am pouting.

I know there is a lot going for my family and me right now...

Job? Check.
House? Check.
Food? Check.
Healthy kiddos? Check.
Killer couch to rest my big butt on? Check.

But I am bummed...
All this HOA drama (lame), my baby brother leaving on his mission (sad), the realization that my son and daughter may be sharing a room until they are 18 (damn this housing market!), and the fact that I am still the the throws of postpartum hormonal bliss (insert sarcasm here), I can't wait to get outta here.

We are only seven days away from our beach house vacation; and while I am less than thrilled about being in a swimsuit right now, (shoot me, really) I am thrilled to escape.

In just a few days, I'll be spending my time listening to waves crash, watching sunsets, staring at the ocean, damaging and simmering my terrible skin, and eating, eating, eating.


Capistrano Beach circa 2009
Can't wait!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

This little Boy

This little boy, Jake is my best little pal. And, it's high time I spent some time on here cataloging some of his habits, quirks, talents, and smarts.

I know you all think you have the greatest kids ever, but you're wrong. I do. :) haha

Jake is just such a special little guy... He likes me okay, but he adores his daddy. I think he even thinks his sister is pretty cool. He gets very concerned about her when she cries, and has recently taken to giving "Saya" little treasures. I've found her binky, Jake's bendy straw, and even Mater shoved in her seat or swing.

He's pretty into Cars these days, but is starting to ask for Toy Story here and there as well. (Sometimes he'll even ask for Glee, much to his daddy's dismay.) The other day he was walking around chanting "Rusteeeze" (Lightning McQueen's sponsor) with perfect inflection.

Jake is really developing a fun sense of humor and personality. He has an infectious laugh that is just the most perfect little boy laugh you've ever heard. He's starting to recognize what's "funny" and will tell us who and what is "funny" often. He gets very excited about discovering things and shouts, "Oh boy!" when he shows things to you. It's one of my favorite things he says.

He's a daredevil about most things. He's always climbing on everything and pulling himself up where he really shouldn't be. The other night, he threw himself out of the crib because he was pretty upset he was in trouble and "grounded" from his "big boy bed". Yeah--he jumped to his freedom...guess we can't use the crib as punishment anymore.

He actually really likes his bed and enjoys reading books and saying prayers. He folds his arms, says "Amen", and sometimes pretends to pray too. It's pretty cute. I also love how much he loves books. He picks out books to read together and asks me to "read it!" for him. It's really exciting for me.

He's really starting to put sentences together... even more so since Sarah was born. I'm constantly amazed at what he can communicate and even more at what he retains and understands. He finishes phrases from books when I prompt him, he repeats everything, he even tries to sing songs back to me sometimes.

He is so much like Blaine in that he's always trying to figure things out--how they work. If he can take it apart, he will-- then he'll put it back together. He's really into sorting and putting things in containers (then taking them out again). He's a smarty. The other day I watched him pick up the itouch and unlock it by sliding his finger across the screen. He's such an observer. He watches and remembers everything we do so he can do it too.

He's not much of a cuddler or kisser but occasionally, he'll give me hug or a kiss and he loves getting kisses from Mama (even though sometimes he fights it... he's laughing the whole time).

I love his smile. I love the way his little eyes light up. He has my eyes (aside from the color)--even the fat rolly underneaths (what do you call that part) of the eyes that I have. I love his rosy cheeks, his bent ear, his full cheeks, his freckle on his back, his scraggly toenails, his Shrek hands (he gets these from me too), and his curly, unruly, dirty blonde hair. I used to think I couldn't wait until he got his dark hair so he would look more like us, but now I'm a little sad he's losing his blonde color--it's just so him.

I love his sweet voice. The way he calls me "Mama" and "Mommy". I love the way he can't say his "th" sound yet, and it always comes out as "f", (i.e. he says "baff" instead of "bath", and "fank oo" instead of "thank you"). I love how serious he gets when he is concentrating on something or playing with some toy. I love the way he runs everywhere and sometimes runs in place when he gets really excited. I love the way he jumps up and runs to the door when he knows his daddy is home.

I just love my boy. I'm so lucky to have him and I'm privileged to be his mom. I can't wait to see what he'll be like in a few years as an awkward 10-year-old and I'm dying to see Jakey as a teenager. He's a huge part of who I am these days... I know he's not perfect but he's perfect to me.
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So, this is typically what my front window looks like... the blinds pulled up and all of Jake's cars lined up and ready to roll.

He's entertained here forever and I love it. I'm usually curled up on our crappy/wonderful red chair feeding baby Sarah and observing my little guy in heaven. I've always hoped Jake would love matchbox cars. I don't know why. There's just something about little boys carrying around and loving cars that is so boyish.

We watch A LOT of Cars (Disney) these days. Jake just can't get enough of the whole gang. At least these Pixars are smart and fun to watch for Blaine and me too.

By the way, who teaches them to crash them together and drop them off the banister and yell, "Woah! Did you see that???!!!" I didn't... but I adore it.




















Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Gleek


I am a gleek.
How did I get here?
It took me being nine months pregnant and the non-stop nursing of a newborn that consumes and discards more food than our two goldfish to fall in love with this show.
Sure... it's mostly soap-teen-drama but the music... the music!
Wow.
Plus, it showcases Jane Lynch's genius. I love her.
And this Puck guy.
Who's freakin' hott.
Like, really hot.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Oh, baby!

Well... a lot of these have already been seen either on my blog, or Megan's but I really wanted to post what I had here.
It's been a little over three weeks since little Sarah was born and we are in love.
She is perfect.
She's a great sleeper, and big eater, and a champion grunter (just like her brother).
We can't get enough of her.


My brother, Scott took this picture about five minutes after Sarah was born.




Scott and Megan... The greatest aunt and uncle ever.




Daddy with baby girl.


Aunt Michelle.


Aunt Laurel.


Aunt Markelle.


Uncle Jason.


The Lee girls.


Oh wow. I am my mom.


Dee Dee.


Uncle Brent.


Uncle Doug and Aunt Jen.




Packed up and ready to be discharged from the hospital.





Wowsers... there are FOUR of us now. I kind of can't believe it.




Isabel was so sweet with baby Sarah. She was seriously disappointed that she wasn't allowed in the hospital room. We didn't know until after we were admitted in the room that the rules had changed since Jake's birth. Poor Isabel--she was heart-broken. Luckily she was at our house when we brought Sarah home.


"Look at her little baby hands!"
I can't wait to see her with her little brother or sister in October.




That's my girl.


Awe.




First pose.


Pop-pop with his third granddaughter.


This was about ten minute before the floodgates opened up.
Mom and Dad (and Matty) leaving for WA.


We love uncle Matt.



First bath.



Check out those feet. :)