You Know You're a Nerdy Mom When....

We've been struggling to get Faith to sleep through the night. We'd had a few weeks of success here and there, but, without fail she was waking up at least once during the night for a bottle...

Well, with my increasingly pregnant state, I found myself at the end of my rope...plus the Little Diva decided that she wanted to start acting like a newborn again, waking up every 2-3 hours screaming for a bottle.

...and I'm thinking, "I love you to death, and thanks for the preview, but I need at least 1 decent night's rest before your little sister gets here."

It had to end.

I called my older sister to complain and get advice. She is a labor and delivery nurse and is pretty much my guru when it comes to all things baby.  Her reaction, "Oh no she doesn't! She's just doing it because now she knows she can. You've got to nip that in the bud."  She then proceeded to give me her sage advice...

I also had another idea, beyond her advice, that I believed would solve the problem, but it seemed so simple it was almost too good to be true.

So- we tried my sister's advice...and I got to stay up and listen to the Little Diva scream for 45 minutes before she finally gave into exhaustion. She didn't cry out again, so I suppose it worked for that night...

However, I lucked out and we had the money so we could try my plan of attack.

We moved Faith into the new crib...she is ALL OVER THE BED when she sleeps.  I swear, you check on her throughout the night and you never find her in the same position.  I also had noticed that in all her tossing and turning, she kept banging her head, hands, feet, and body against the bars of the crib.  She'd also stick her feet, legs and arms out between the bars and scream because she couldn't move the way she wanted to.

I was terrified to try crib bumpers because it had been so ingrained in me that you didn't install or use them until your baby was at least a year because they are a suffocation hazard...but I had to do something to protect her head (since she's getting to be more of a daredevil during the day...I think she will be out of bumps and into the concussion zone soon...), and to keep her pacifier inside the crib...She likes to throw it out on purpose to make me come in and take care of her.

I scoured Craig's List first and was, once again, disappointed with the finds.  Some people really need to look at what their bedding is going for BRAND NEW before they post it to sell it...seriously...I'm not going to pay for something used that I can buy cheaper or for the same price BRAND SPANKING NEW!

I started cruising websites for stores in our area and realized that it would likely be best to buy a bedding set with bumpers new.

We lucked out at a local store and found a sweet little bedding set on clearance for $40.  I wasn't sold on it, I wanted to just buy a bumper that you could purchase separate from another bedding set and some sheets...but the Little Diva will be heard...we held them up and she fell in love with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Piglet all delicately stitched and looking oh so cuddly...it was that or owls...I ended up being very glad that she picked what she did, and I think she was too.

Of course, now I have to change my nursery theme, but we haven't had time or funds for me to pick up the crafting stuff that I need yet anyway...which is just as well. Hopefully, I will be able to get it done before the new baby moves into the nursery with Faith.

I wish I'd been able to get video of her laying in her bed with all the bedding set up for the first time. She rolled around and you could tell she was lavishing in the soft, cuddly awesomeness of her new digs. If it had bedtime, I'm sure she would have gone down right then and there.

Lo and behold, the last few nights- she's slept like a log! She actually doesn't even move from the spot that she finally lands in to fall asleep...I have been up to check on her (remember- suffocation hazard...and I'm a mom, I worry about random stuff like that... she handled it like a pro)

Of course, now that she's sleeping through the night, I've been up having contractions every other hour pretty steadily (I'll contract for an hour and half or so with timeable contractions and then they stop for an hour or 2...its AWESOME....)

Its so funny how I am so excited about clearance bedding- but such is life...

What else am I excited about? What else is filling my time...

Our new cloth diapers came in the mail today.

I piled them up all neatly to take a picture of them, and then Faith decided that she wanted to snuggle up with the soft microfleece liners....of course, I had to turn it into a Kodak moment...

The company made a mistake and sent us double the order. We didn't get charged for them, so I am going to email them tomorrow and tell them about the mistake and that we will gladly pay for a 24 pack instead and they can charge us the extra $48 for the extra diapers. It will be about the same cost to ship them back to China, so we may as well keep them and get some use out of them... They're super cute, and I'm super excited to use them...like super nerdily excited.  I even bought some in a Halloween pattern so we can use them for my upcoming favorite holiday....and you'd better bet that I'm already perusing Pinterest to find cheap/free DIY ways to decorate my house.

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday...ever since I was a little kid and my dad told me that Halloween was the world's way of celebrating my birthday a week late... (I was born on my parents' anniversary, so they went out for their anniversary and I never really got much of a "party" of my own.  My dad's birthday was the 28th of October, so he would get us a joint birthday cake. When you're 5 and your dad says that Halloween is to celebrate your birthday- you believe it, okay! Ever since then, its been my favorite holiday...even more my favorite than Christmas...)

So...that's what I'm nerding out about...I think its safe to say that in 2 years I have fully made the transition from single lady (with no one to put a ring on it...until Jeff found me...) to mamma...

(I'm also nerding out about the homecoming outfits I've made for Faith and the new cupcake, but I only want to share pictures of those when they're being worn...sorry.  I'll even consider posting a tutorial about making the no sew tutus and all about it...we'll just have to see how overwhelmed I am after the new baby gets here....)

I'm hoping that tomorrow the Little Diva will be cooperative so I can find time to finish my crafts for the Divine Miss Cupcake's newborn photos and figure out the crafts for the Little Diva's 1 year photo shoot. I have an idea of what I'd like to do, but I also don't want to spend a million, zillion dollars to do it, so I am going to see if I have stuff to use to make things as opposed to going out and buying them.

I feel so bad. I have so many wonderful tutorials and crafts I want to make and between sleepless nights and contractions I just have no motivation...I promise I'll do better darlings.

Hugs and loves until next time.

Anxiety

Sitting here in the family waiting room...all by myself. Part of me is wishing I hadn't taken my visiting teacher up on her offer to babysit today...at least I would have SOMEONE...anyone...

I look down at my left hand, Jeff's wedding band around my thumb. I'll twist and turn it around my finger every now and again. I think back to sitting with him before they took him to surgery... his reaction was so funny...he kept looking down at his naked finger and seemed completely off-put by the fact that there is nothing there...

Part of me chuckles...I think back to when we were first getting married and he asked if I would be okay with him not having a wedding band, or wearing it on a chain around his neck, claiming that he was just not a "jewelry" kind of guy...I won out...and now, he obviously feels naked without it.

I know the surgery is fairly routine and straight forward...but I still worry.

I waited a long time for my prince charming...and having him be sick, even a little bit, shakes me to my very core.

Its so funny...I was very independent before I got married. I was capable of taking care of myself with very little assistance from anyone. Of course, my family was always there, and I was grateful for that...but ultimately, I knew that the only person I could rely on was me...

Fast forward almost 2 years and I honestly can't picture a life without this crazy, amazing, wonderful, funny guy...the thought of not having him around brings me to tears.

What would I do without him?  How would I go on? The pain those thoughts bring is almost unimaginable.

Losing Jeff has moved to the top of my biggest fears list.

I watched what my mom went through after my dad died when I was twelve...until now, I don't think I've ever been able to fully grasp just how much pain, and terror she was living with on a daily basis. It makes me even more grateful for her.  She may not think she was very strong, but the reality is, if it took me this long to really even remotely understand what she was going through, she was hiding it well.

Its so funny how one person can change everything you think you know about yourself.  Maybe I'm just a worry wart, but I believe my early experiences with death have made me a little more aware of just how real the possibility that someone may not be there the next day could be.  Every day that Jeff wakes up and kisses me on the forehead is a day that I pray and thank God that he is still here...

and he's not even sick (other than the hernia he is currently in surgery for)...he is usually so healthy and strong.

So....here I sit...waiting for the moment where I get to say a silent prayer and thank my Heavenly Father that I still have such a wonderful man in my life, and that my babies still get the chance to spend time with their amazing and wonderful dad...

He was terrified to be a father- I think most men are at first- he even said that he didn't know what to do with a baby...the truth that most women know is that no one really knows until they're in it, you figure it out as you go along...Well, he's figured it out beautifully. He is so wonderful with our Little Diva...he knows just what to do to make her laugh and smile, and she cannot get enough of her daddy. She has him wrapped around her little finger, and he has her heart...its a good exchange.

I am so grateful for the blessings of the temple. I am grateful that I know that my husband and I have the opportunity to be together forever as long as we live up to our covenants to each other and God.

Heaven just wouldn't be heaven without Jeff there...

I know we're working on forever...but I wouldn't mind another 100 years here to enjoy him.

Hugs and loves until next time darlings.

Creativity...

You know,

When I had Faith, I wanted to do the whole take a picture of Jeff and I kissing while pink balloons fly up from a box...but alas, we were poor college students with maybe $20 in the bank, so it didn't happen....

but now EVERYONE is doing it...I don't want to announce the gender of baby 2.0 like everyone else would...

So...we found some inspiration and decided to do something all our own...

Trying to get the angle right was Jeff's favorite part...we have about 20 pictures of us kissing, but not enough of the banner...In a perfect world we would have been holding it, but that didn't quite work...so I hung it up.

When the little diva woke up, we decided she deserved to be in on the action too! She was pretty happy about it.  You see, unlike some other divas, she is showing no fear when it comes to sharing her spotlight!

And because we like kissy face pictures soooo much.....

(Please excuse the cleavage...at this point in the pregnancy its almost impossible to hide it...)

For those of you that are wondering about the "medical" end of things- all is well. We have another "very long" baby (in the exact words of the ultra sound technician and the doc...the baby is measuring almost 21 weeks according to the average length charts and, given all measurements, likely weighs about 11 oz.  (almost a whole pound...golly gee whilikers!)  According to Dr. H. "The baby looks beautiful, keep doing whatever it is you're doing..."  You got it Dr. H....you got it!

So I guess Jeff will be living every man's dream...living in a house surrounded by beautiful women.

Lucky son of a gun!

Hugs and loves until next time darlings.

6 months...

Its so crazy how fast time has seemed to go in the last few years. What's even crazier is how fast the last 6 months has gone by and everything that has happened...

In the last 6 months: we moved and started a new life in Las Vegas, we found out that baby #2 is already on the way, we've purchased a new bed, couch, and said goodbye to my beloved laptop and hello to a brand spanking new dream machine laptop for Jeff...

There is more that's happened, but those are the big ones...

All the while, our Little Diva has been growing and growing.  Yesterday was her half birthday- she has officially been a part of our home and family for 6 months...it feels like she's always been here, like she just fits- its hard to imagine how "new" she really is... I managed to take her outside for a little photoshoot yesterday so I could try to capture her awesomeness for everyone to see:

At 6 months old, here a few of the milestones we've witnessed...

She is now the master of the double roll (i.e. rolling across a blanket) but not so good yet at rolling back from her belly if that is the way that she lands...

She says "mamma"

She LOVES solid food...in fact, I'm sure that if she didn't need her bottle for full nutrition she would eat solids all day long if she could. She has made her way through all of the first foods. She currently enjoys avocado, sweet potato, apples, pears, peas, and carrots...she loved squash but we're pretty sure she had an allergic reaction to it, so we will have to try it again later when she is older.

She gives kisses in her own special way...that way being that she opens her mouth as wide as she can and holds it open waiting for you to kiss her- she then proceeds to suck on your cheeks and make you a slobbery,wet mess...but she can't get enough of it.

She can now sit up on her own for almost a full minute.

Beyond her developmental milestones...she is full of personality.

We're pretty sure she is going to be extra melodramatic (gee I wonder where she gets that?) You always know that she wants a bottle because she shakes her arms like she is convulsing and cries out and then, the minute she sees her bottle, she starts to make relieved laughing sounds as if to say, "I'm sooooo glad you're here- I was STARVING!"  Also, when she is playing with a toy but its obviously naptime and you take the toy away, she will throw her head down into her arms and bury her face like its the end of the world...

She loves music...especially if mommy knows the words and sings along- she thinks that its the coolest thing ever! She will smile up and kick her legs in excitement and coo along with you.

She likes to lay on her belly and mindlessly kick her legs as she plays with toys...its just cute and for a moment she looks like a 4 or 5 year old in a 6 month old's body.

She is obsessed with textures. If it feels different from anything she's felt before,she will be obsessed with it! She is also obsessed with faces. She loves to feel people's faces and touch their lips, eyes/eyebrows, cheeks, etc...Early in the morning, after I bring her to lay with me in bed, she will roll over and face me and just touch my face gently and smile...she thinks it hilarious when she grabs my lips a bit too roughly and I say "Ouch, ouch..." but I think she is starting to learn that it hurts and isn't appreciated...it will be a long road. I'm just praying she kind of gets it before the new baby gets here.

She has got to be one of the happiest babies I've ever met. She only cries when she is tired and ready for a nap, hungry, or turning into a teething monster (Disclaimer: when she is a teething monster, as soon as she gets some Tylenol and teething tablets she is her regular happy self again.)
I've had several people: my bishop, friends and even random strangers ask me if she is always smiling that much and the answer is YES. She pretty much has a million dollar smile and she isn't afraid to show it off.

She is super curious and has started to mimic things. This makes it tough to do chores because she cries if she can't be in on, or watching the action as I do things around the house... Today, for example, she spit up on her new doll and Jeff used a rag to clean it off. The rag was still on the blanket next to her doll and when Jeff sat her up for a while she reached for the rag and attempted to clean off the doll in the exact same place that she had spit up on it. I managed to catch a picture of it:

Oh...Daddy, you didn't clean her enough...

Maddy Q? Are you okay?

Here, let me fix it the rest of the way!

See, I fixed it!

(P.S. There is a cute story that goes along with the doll. Its the first toy that Faith picked out all by herself. Jeff and I were walking through the toy aisle, and showing her different toys to see how she would react and she FELL IN LOVE with this little Cabbage Patch Kid. Its soft and has a little jingle bell in it.  We showed her other dolls, but she kept wanting that one. Finally, we went back to the store, and decided to see if she remembered and still liked it- she did! When we took it away she almost looked like she was ready to cry...parental guilt crept in, and we decided it was just too cute not to let her have it- especially because it was her first "official" toy.  She played with it in the cart, quiet as a mouse while we finished the rest of our shopping trip and even whined a bit when we handed it to the cashier to check out. The doll's name is Madelyn Quinn (you know Cabbage Patch Kids...) we lovingly call her Maddy Q. Faith gave her kisses in the car (I kid you not!)  and held her all the way home, happy as a clam!)

 If you make a noise that she doesn't know how to make she will sit and, with many hilarious antics, try to figure out the noise...She also tries to grab the spoon and feed herself when we're giving her solids- it makes a huge mess, but I am glad that she is already showing so much desire to be self sufficient.  She also tries to steal our forks, plates and bowls off the table and out of our hands when she sits on our laps at lunch and dinner times.  She wants to eat what we're eating, and she gets frustrated watching us, not being able to partake yet.

She wants to crawl SO BADLY! She just hasn't quite figured out that she needs to be up on her hands...She will lay on her belly and get into her superman flying position, grunt and try to swim her way forward...I'm sure if she could levitate and fly to where she wants to be, she probably would.

She LOVES to make new friends.  She is sooo friendly. She started to discover other kids at about 4 months old, and since then she has her very set way of making friends...she locks eyes with her intended target, flashes the million dollar smile, and once they are close by she giggles, coos and otherwise loves on them- super content that they are giving her the attention she so obviously deserves...

All in all, I'm pretty sure there are things that I will remember that I want to write about later...she is so awesome, fun and easygoing. I feel so lucky and blessed that she chose to come to our family.  As terrified as I am about having another baby in the house before she is even a year old, I see how kind, loving, and self sufficient she tries to be and I am so grateful. She will be a great big sister when she's given the chance and hopefully, considering how loving and kind I see her to be, she will be the world's best, best friend for baby # 2.

Here's hoping that baby #2 is just as wonderful, and here's being grateful that while our Little Diva is a melodramatic genius, she is easy going and kind....

Hugs and loves until next time darlings.

Everything and Nothing...

So,  I'm still suffering from blogger's block. Once I get going I have plenty to say, but its hard to get started. I guess part of me feels like I should always have something spiritual, monumental, or life changing to say and the reality is that my life is pretty normal and boring...but I've decided I'm okay with that.  I don't always have to inspire people, right? I just have to be me. I had to do some soul searching and remind myself that, while every once in a while I have something to say that touches someone, or answers a prayer, this blog is more for me and my family. This is how I journal. I'm awesome at blogging, and HORRIBLE at writing it down...I figure that as we start printing my "blog books" my kids will be able to read them as they get older and maybe they will laugh because they are doing something similar at a similar age, or they are struggling with something that I struggled with and my answer will give them some answers...Long story short- every once in a while there is going to be a blog about everything and nothing, and this is one of those blogs...

A few people asked for the recipe that I posted about on Facebook the other night for Tuscan Garlic Chicken...so here ya go...this is meant to be a copy cat of the dish from Olive Garden....I made some tweaks and I have to say that I think my tweaks made it taste a little more like the Olive Garden version than the recipe would have...I'll give you the link for the recipe and I will tell you what I changed (mostly because we didn't have everything it called for- but let's be honest, it wouldn't be ME cooking if I didn't tweak something...)

Recipe found HERE ....I found it on Pinterest...I've been making it a point to actually try the stuff that I find on Pinterest and I'm glad that I did. I've actually found some "keeper" recipes for the recipe box and we've tried a lot of new things that I wouldn't have even imagined or always wanted to try but didn't think it would work as an actual recipe.

Pinterest is such a funny place...I had to laugh when I realized that I'm actually kind of popular on Pinterest...I have people following my boards from all over the world...its so funny how small the big bad globe becomes when you're on the internet...

Anyway...onto the recipe tweaks... I poured the oil into the pan and cooked the chicken almost all the way through, and put them in the oven for about 10 minutes instead. I then sliced the chicken into pieces that could easily be eaten in a bite (to simplify serving and make the meal spread a little further) and since it was still a little pink, I just threw it back into the oven until the pink was cooked off...I then I drained off enough of the oil  from the pan so that I wouldn't drown the garlic and pepper sautee, so the garlic and peppers were kind of infused with the flavors from the chicken, which was nice. I also didn't use as much Garlic...I found that 2 big cloves was PLENTY, especially when it was minced really small. I also didn't use nearly as much red pepper as the recipe called for. I found that a quarter of a red bell pepper, diced small, was plenty to infuse the sauce with flavor and make sure that every serving had a little "pop" of color.  I used closer to a cup of chicken broth and I added about a 1/4 cup  FROZEN spinach and let everything simmer together until the spinach was cooked through.  I also only used half and half instead of cream and milk mixture that the recipe called for. I used about a cup of half and a half. I used cornstarch to thicken it using the "rue" technique that my grandma taught me when I was little. I took a little of the hot fluic in a measuring cup, added the corn starch (about 1 1/2 tsp) and then some cold to mix it and get the lumps out. I use this EVERY time I make gravy or white sauce, whether its with flour or corn starch.  Then I pour this mix in stirring constantly until it starts to bubble...I find this easier and FAR LESS CONFUSING than trying to get the flour frying in the butter technique to work and I NEVER have lumps in my gravy or sauces because of this little technique.  I still added the parmesan at the end of the cooking process as the recipe dictated.
I also diced some romas and put them on top of the finished product as I plated it.  It added a little extra oomph and made me feel more like I was cooking for a fancy restaurant.

Tonight I tried THIS recipe from Pioneer Woman that I found on Pinterest as well.

It looked yummy, but as I read the recipe, I got a little skeptical that all the flavors would go together...but after a long week of deep cleaning the house (we had our 90 day property inspection today and I got a little OCD about making sure everything was picture perfect for the people that would be touring our townhouse... I SCRUBBED MY GUTS OUT!) I was exhausted and this seemed simple, and I had the ingredients (well most of them and some substitutes...) so I decided...we'll give it a whirl and if we hate it Jeff can always run to Little Caesars for pizza...

Rating...I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars...I think I would have liked it better with potatoes. I think I will try it next time with some tator tots on the bottom instead or diced cooked potatoes...

My tweaks?  For starters, I salted and peppered the ground beef while it was cooking and added more to taste after I added the tomato sauce. Once upon a time, a few years ago, during a late night college study session I learned while watching food network that meat needs to be at least salted while it cooks because it helps bring out the actual flavor of the meat. Since then, I've always at least salted the meat for recipes even when the recipe says not to, and I have to say that I want to find the chef that taught me that little tidbit through the television screen and kiss him! I also added about 2 TBS of sugar to the meat mixture because it just needed to be a little sweeter for my palate's liking. It almost tasted like sloppy joe meat by the time I was done, but it was what I thought it needed (and neither Jeff or I complained... as we ate the finished product, so I may have been onto something...) Instead of cottage cheese I used Ricotta because we had some leftover from when I made crock pot lasagna last week and I didn't want it to go to waste, I also didn't have Green Onions so I diced up some regular onions really small and added about a half a palm full of dried parsley to the mix...it still worked and was still pretty good...Jeff offered to take it to work tomorrow for lunch, so I at least know it was passable...LOL

As far as life is concerned (other than trying new recipes from Pinterest...) The lady that toured our townhouse today said how amazing I looked for having a 6 month old...and then she was astonished when I told her that I was almost 5 months pregnant with #2...she said she wouldn't have known I was pregnant and that I looked rather "slim." Hello ego boost...I definitely needed that (since we all know how cute , or not, I've been feeling lately...)

Faith is getting to be a rolling devil...She has figured out how to manipulate her way onto her belly in spite of her sleeping wedge in her crib...I go in and find her on her belly and struggling to figure out a comfortable position for her face so she can breathe and quickly flip her over. I've tried EVERYTHING I can think of to keep it from happening, and she still manages to flip herself. She seems comfortable on her belly, but because she hasn't mastered flipping from her belly to her back yet I get nervous that she will suffocate if I let her have her way...I'm close to giving up...but I will keep forging ahead and hopefully my pediatrician will have some suggestions next week for what to do to either keep her on her back or help her "belly sleeping" expeditions to be a little less frightening for me.  She still has a smile that is 2 miles wide and the cutest little dimple on the right side of her smile that melts my heart every morning (even when its early and I still want to be in bed.) I've decided that her hair is unruly and I have no clue how to tame it. Some days I just go with the curls and put a little gel in and let them fall where they may, other days I spend half time I'm holding her slicking her little cowlicks down incessantly and obsessively...I just keep reminding myself that when its longer it will be heavier and I won't have to work so hard...LOL

Jeff and I finally agreed on a name for a little girl...since he is convinced #2 is a girl, I'm glad that we already know. I feel really good about it, and I don't think I'm going to change my mind...especially because of how we came about the name ( I will share the story later...as I don't want to tweak too much curiosity and drive people crazy with wanting to know. Suffice it to say, coming to this name was a spiritual experience of sorts and kind of what I thought would happen with naming Faith...the experience that didn't happen...then again, nothing went the way I planned it with Faith anyway...) Our first name for Faith, Maybelle, got a lot of negative reviews from family, and so it was tough to want to use it by the end...plus, when she came she didn't look like a Maybelle...we still love the name, and maybe we'll use it someday, but I can say that its not the name this time...and I'm pretty sure that if this new little cupcake is a girl, the name we've come to a decision on is THE NAME...we're just not going to tell anyone until she's born... sorry peanut gallery. I promise if I change my mind and want to share you'll be some of the first to hear (read) it...

Well, my house is sparkling and Jeff brought me a Diet Dr. Pepper to help me through the day...and I drank ALL of it with every intention of saving some for tomorrow...because of that I am still awake while he is asleep with nothing to keep me occupied other than the results episode of Dancing With the Stars from this week, and today's episode of General Hospital and Days of Our Lives...hopefully I will get tired soon...otherwise I will be having strange soap opera dreams (Oh yes, its happened before...)...YES I watch soap operas- GET OVER IT! I'm a fan, born and raised and nothing can take it out of my blood...unless my shows are cancelled, then things might get ugly as I lose my one dramatic outlet of late...LOL

Well...that's a little bit of everything and nothing.

Hugs and loves until next time darlings!

When is an A-line not an A-Line or why I miss Molly and Sammy

So...

I did it! I went and chopped off about 6 inches of hair.

Let me preface this by saying that the stylist did a really good job cutting my hair. So far it looks like everything is even and blended well...there's just one little problem...

The haircut I left with wasn't REALLY the one that I had asked for.

See...its cute...I will tell you the story, because you're all dying to know...but first...let me show you the pictures I showed to the stylist...

Can you see why I'm a little disappointed?

photo credit and original stylist of this look here...if she wasn't in Utah I would have looked her up...*sigh* maybe someday on the way through Utah we can visit her and she can work her magic on my head. Check out the rest of her blog, she's really talented!

Our initial consultation seemed to go well, she seemed to understand what I wanted...but looking back I think she only heard one phrase...

I'd mentioned that I had been trying to grow my hair out and had been afraid to cut it but knew that I needed to because I had baby #2 on the way...I needed to get real with myself was I think the way I'd put it.

I think all she heard was "grow it out" and "afraid" and didn't hear the rest...I don't think she even looked at the picture. When I told her I wanted a "rooster tail" (the little spikey pieces at the top of the head) she said, "Wow, that's going to have to be pretty short." and then she just kept cutting (notice that the rooster tail is NOWHERE to be found in the cut that I got...). I'm also convinced that the stacked a-line I described is more of a stacked bob with a-line tendencies...another small disappointment.

Don't get me wrong, like I said, it really is a nice cut, just not the one I asked for. She spent a lot of time cutting it and getting it perfect (in her eyes)...A LOT...I was kind of surprised by how much, she was double and triple checking everything, which I really appreciated (because I am so particular about my hair) but that also ended up being a double edged sword in the end.

I don't think she had managed her time very well...she spent a lot of time on the haircut, and I was paying for a shampoo, cut and STYLE...well, apparently running some leave in conditioner and then blow drying the hair with a round brush counts as a style...I was really disappointed... 

I won't lie, I'm never very thrilled with the way that stylists style my hair, I'm very particular about how I like things. I think I've only ever had 2 stylists style my hair and had me not walking out of the salon itching to get home and fix it. Needless to say, I came home and immediately plugged in my straightener and found my teasing comb. (The after pictures of me above are pictures after I had fixed the styling.)

I think next time (if I decide I like the shorter hair thing) I will go ahead and try to wait to make an appointment at this salon  in town a friend recommended. I tried calling for an appointment but I would have had to wait two weeks...when I'm amped for a dramatic change haircut, I have to go with it before I change my mind...I didn't want to wait 2 weeks and then go in for what would basically be considered a trim...totally not worth the $35 it would have cost...Its too short to be turned into what I'd wanted in the first place...I'll just have to let it grow out and when its time to trim it up I will try the other place to see if I get better results.

Over all...the stylist I saw today did give a good haircut...I just wish it had been what I asked for...

Oh well, my hair grows fast, Its not like its a disaster, its just not what I'd been expecting...

C'est la vie...in a week I'll either love it or hate it...

Hugs and loves until next time darlings!

Lazy Monday

We were going to go to Babies R Us today to get some oh so important Preggie Pops and possibly a few age appropriate toys for the Little Diva...

We were...but we decided that we needed a family lazy day...

Here's how it started...My awesome husband decided to see if he would have made much of a hairdresser...

Obviously...you can see that the Little Diva is THRILLED with the results, and the proud papa isn't ashamed of his hard work.

Our Princess also discovered the magic of the crinkle paper that makes up the wings of a butterfly toy that someone gave to us. She hasn't played much with anything before now, but she is starting to explore and wanting to learn how to do some things on her own...Watch her experience with the butterfly in the form of a  cheesy photo montage...

After literally MINUTES of fun with her butterfly toy, the little diva insisted that the daddy person show her how to play video games...my dear husband opted to oblige her...trust me, the wrath of the princess isn't something ANYONE in this house wants!

Eventually, we got a very tired, teething baby down for a much needed nap... My hunky husband and I took the rare opportunity to have a couple's photoshoot...we try not to do it too much, lest the rest of the world be incredibly jealous as they bask in our glory...but here it is for you to enjoy for a brief moment...try not to hate us and our fabulocity too much...

Yes...we're just that awesome...

Lazy days are the best...even if you only have them because you're too nauseous to go anywhere else...LOL

Hugs and lazy days until next time darlings!

Saturday Mocktails, Randomness, and Cloth Diapers...

1/4 a glass of peach mango juice, 1/4 glass of orange juice, fill the rest of the glass with 7 up and what do you have? A Mormon Screwdriver...ahhh Mocktails...

But, life isn't all mocktails and glamour in the Nielson house.  The teething monster has officially come out in full force.  We sure wish we were seeing more of THIS in our house these days

Today she is finally exhausted enough from lack of sleep that these pictures are current, but it is a restless sleep. She wakes up and cries for a few minutes and then, after a few minutes of chewing on the backside of her pacifier, she finally gives in to the call of the sandman and drifts away again for a short time...

Poor Little Diva. She's so tired and wants to sleep, but she just can't bring herself to until she is so exhausted that she just lays there until her body gives in to what her heart wants.  It takes every measure of self restraint I can muster not to cry with her.  It breaks my heart. I did manage to get my wonderful husband to pick up some teething tablets yesterday, and I think they help a bit, but I suppose we will have to deal with a cranky Little Diva until these teeth push through, which could take a while (from what we can see she has 3 coming in, and all are at various stages...some almost ready to break through, and others just hinting that they exist.)

The Princess did decide to almost sleep through the whole night last night- a sign that the teething tablets are working their magic, because she hasn't slept very well for the last couple of weeks... She took a bottle at about 10:30 (which wakes me up, because we're super cool in our house and zonk out at around 7 or 7:30) and woke up again around 2. I put her pacifier in her mouth and she slept until 3, 4, and then 5. Finally at 5 I decided I was sick of waking up every hour to put her pacifier back in her mouth and made her a bottle and woke her up to feed her.

In other news...Jeff dressed the princess this morning...after her bath he put her in a white onesie and diaper...and...nothing else...Let's just say mommy finished the job with some jeans and a headband and flower (her hair was a crazy mess because of her bath...she has naturally wavy hair and it goes EVERYWHERE after a bath if its not taken care of right away)- but I was very grateful for his efforts. I feel very fortunate and blessed to have a husband who takes an active role in taking care of our little one.  Sometimes you can see he is terrified that he is doing something the wrong way, but I love that he tries.  I know quite a few other people that aren't as blessed...and considering that Jeff has been the favored favorite today of the Princess, it makes me even happier- because it means that she is a happier baby.

She loves her daddy. Mommy is chopped liver when the daddy is around, but I'm okay with that because the big smiles that she gives are proof enough that its totally okay. I'd rather see her smile and be excited to be in daddy's lap than see her frustrated and sad because dad is afraid to pick her up for fear of breaking her.

All in all...this is really a blog about nothing...its a Saturday and we aren't really doing anything spectacular, just living and being...My house is a mess because I took a "sick day" yesterday (well, as much of one as I could take with a 4 month old to handle)...we went grocery shopping...we're planning on sitting down and paying some bills later...Jeff changed our air filter...and found out that his prized welder that he just bought won't work for what he needs it for (I guess its not enough amperage?) , which means he gets to take it back to the store today...I suppose while he's gone I will clean and try to get my house ready for the Sabbath. I hate starting off Sunday with a dirty house. I'd rather focus on just getting everyone ready for church and out the door.

A final random thought...mostly because I'm super excited about it: Soon I will be making the purchases necessary for us to start cloth diapering!  Some of you are thinking, "Ewww cloth..." but I can guarantee you that from all the research I've done, and friends that are avid cloth diaperers that I've talked to, these are NOT your mother's cloth diapers. Gone are the days of plastic pants and pins...the cloth diapers of today actually function very similarly to disposables, except they use snaps or velcro to latch together, and its all compact into one nifty cloth cover.  They have lots of new different types, and fun gadgets and gizmos to make cleaning them an easier, faster process.  I went back and forth when I was pregnant with Faith about cloth diapering, but eventually gave in to all the nay-sayers simply because I was tired and it seemed like disposables would just be easier...but with a second baby on the way I feel like cloth diapering will be great because it will save us a TON of money in the long run.  Did you know that from birth to potty training the average U.S. family will spend $5-6,000 dollars on diapers?!  Now...multiply that by 2...I refuse to waste that much of Jeff's paycheck every year until we no longer have kids in diapers.   Initially the cloth diapers seem expensive, but once you've purchased what you need, if you buy Onesize diapers, you're set until they are potty trained. My cousin Desiree directed me to this brand, all reviews and reports indicate that these function as well, if not better, than the more expensive brands you see on the market.

Initially we will be spending $144, as we will be opting to purchase the 24 covers with 48 liners, and we will likely need to purchase about 12 more once new baby gets here (but we're going to wait and see how this supply works for us at first), but after that, the only expenses associated with them will be for laundry (which you're going to do anyway)...we spend about $50 a month on diapers as it is right now, so this means that they will have paid for themselves in about 3 months of use. Also, there is also strong research that indicates that cloth diapered children potty train more easily than kids that were diapered with disposables...we'll have to keep you posted as potty training for us is a far distant thought.  I imagine that we will have to purchase more cloth diapers through the years to replenish our supply as things wear out (since everyone knows we're Mormon and going to have like 20 kids...LOL) but considering the savings it isn't so bad.

Well, the diva is screaming for sustenance...I should go!

Hugs and Loves until next time darlings!

P.S> I've officially lost about 12 pounds since the middle of December, and my husband agrees that its likely I've lost even more since my doctor's appointment last week...Don't freak out! Its totally normal and okay to lose weight during the first trimester...especially if you were a little overweight to begin with (guilty, but much closer to my pre-Faith weight than I thought), and extra especially if you are so sick you're lucky to manage to eat 2 or 3 bites of anything before it makes you want to vomit...liquid diets are fun (NOT)

Okay...now I mean it! Hugs and Loves until next time darlings!

Jumping Bean...not quite...

My Mr. Nielson and I had started to notice that the Little Diva enjoys standing in our laps and then trying to bob up and  down and up and down...we decided it was time to bring a gift to her when she was kind enough to take time to see us in her busy schedule between naps, chewing on her fists, bottles,  and singing to her friends on her mobiles that are on her crib and bouncer....

We thought that she'd think that a Jumperoo bouncer that goes in the doorway would be pretty neat...Well...she thought it was....something...

That's right, a $20 brilliant gift, instantly turned into a fancy chew toy...

She finally did realize that it was possible to sit up by herself...

Note the slobber stained chin glistening in the daylight...

Note the unbridled joy in her face as this new contraption allowed her to sway back and forth and twist around, giving her a lovely view of either the living room, or the guest bathroom toilet...

Of course...she'd look around to see...

and if no one was looking...this is what we were reduced to...yet again...

I suppose, after this, we will allow our diva in training to pick how she spends her day...

It's good to be the princess....

Hugs, loves, and jumping beans until next time darlings....

The Lap of Luxury...

This would be the only way to describe things in the Nielson house...especially since yesterday.... because...IT'S HERE!IT'S HERE!IT'S HERE!IT'S HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To what am I referring????

vvvv Only to THIS! vvvv

vvvvvvv O wait...maybe you want to see it from another angle???? vvvvvvvv

I say without shame that this is the nicest, fanciest bed I've ever slept on. Even when I was a kid, we never purchased new beds...we always got stuff from the D.I...or if we did get new beds, we always used the mattresses we already had or got bargain mattresses from the D.I. for $25-30...

This bed is a European Pillow Top...it even comes equipped with those fancy springs that make it so your partner doesn't feel it when you get up out of the bed. The bed itself has an upholstered headboard that is super comfy to lean up against...and there are drawers for extra storage at the end...talk about Fabulous with a capital F!

It will likely take us the entire year to pay for it (we got a great deal with 0% interest for a year and 0 down!) But it will be so worth it to sleep in this bad boy for the next 15 or so years...until we upgrade the mattress atleast. Maybe next time we will be brave (and rich enough) to splurge on memory foam...ooooohhhh ahhhhhhh....

Enough about our new toy...you are probably reading because inquiring minds want to know how our diva in training spends her day.... while the lesser people make bottles and find ways to entertain her, she does a lot of this:

and this:

and of course, this...:

See what I mean???...Lap of Luxury here in the Nielson house!
(P.S. note that this is a picture of her in first piggy tail...she is already turning into a diva as it is becoming clear that she just may prefer this to headbands....)

Hugs and Loves until next time darlings!

P.S. Here is a bonus video of our little princess. She loves her mobiles. She looks up at the characters and smiles and coos for quite a bit of time before she loses interest. I caught her mid- playtime so this video doesn't quite catch all the glory...but you get the gist! :)