Five Facts

Bonnie did a cute post today and I figured I could spare ten minutes to write a quick post with five facts about me you didn't know.  I laid Baby Axel (that is his proper name in this house) on the couch next to me and so lets get this show on the road! 

The hardest part about writing this post was finding a picture that was "sexy" enough.  I went for brooding instead.

1. I have not walked out the front door of my apartment since Friday.  Newborn baby + toddler + snow = us not going anywhere.

2. My biggest fear in life is people dressed in gorilla suits.  I hate all masks, but gorilla masks top the list.

3. I use peroxide to make my hair blonder.  Basically its like that Sheer Blonde crap, but I pay 97 cents a bottle instead of 10 dollars.  It brightens it up just enough.

4. I swam into the the wall of the swimming pool in the third grade.  I lost one of my front teeth and half of the other one.  They are fake now.

5. I hate clocks that tick.  (As I sit and listen to the ticking of my living room clock.  This is what music is for. . .)

January's Goal

 Totally forgot to blog this back in January, so I'm back dating this post.  Enjoy!

My goal in January was to get my apartment in order before Axel was born.  As I'm sure you're aware it was pretty much the worst year for sickness in the history of the world (probably not a true statement) Olivia and I traded off being sick until a couple days before I had Axel.  That being said, we still got mostly unpacked.  My awesome husband did a lot since I came home from the hospital and my mom helped me organize and clean Olivia's bedroom while she was here.  There is still a few boxes to go through, but we usually tackle one or two each weekend.  I'd say January's goal: accomplished! 

Axel Thomas! (Do you want some TMI?)

I tweeted a bit while I was in labor, but I tried to steer clear of tmi tweets.  No one wants to know how dilated I am, right?  Well if you are a mom, you might be interested in that kind of thing.  I know I am!  So here's a brief run down of my day:

7:00am Show up at the hospital

7:15 Get into the sexiest hospital gown you ever did see (NOT)

8:00 After three attempts they finally found a vein and got me some pitocin

10:00 I started feeling contractions so I asked for an epidural.  I like to be prepared.

11:30 Got me that epidural and spent some time missing my legs.

12:00pm Dilated to a 5

1:30 Dilated to a 9

1:45 Felt the urge to push, never felt that with Olivia.  Didn't think to call the nurse, I knew she would be back soon.  She called my dr and he got on his way!

2:10 My doctor arrived

2:23 Pushed twice, head out.  Pushed two more times, we have a baby!

Keeping it Real

So many bloggers have been talking about our real selves vs our online blogging persona.  I don't feel like I hide much, but I don't have a lot of deep dark secrets.  I've posted about my ugly picture face, how I don't know what to do when it comes to Olivia and the pacifier, how I don't wear my wedding ring and how I almost failed a class because I didn't know what a blog was.  I'd say I was keeping it pretty real. 

But this month, it has sucked everything out of me, chewed me up and spit me out.  It could get worse, but my goodness I sure hope it doesn't! 

Things that are bad:

• I started January with a sinus infection
• Olivia got the flu
• We took three weeks to move into our new apartment and we're still not totally settled
• I got the flu
• I had to get non-stress tests done on my baby every week, something I didn't feel was necessary but I'm sure will cost us a pretty penny
• No internet or TV at my house until after the baby comes

Things that are good: (so we can end on a high note!)

• I lost two pounds!  (No I wasn't trying, yes I was still eating, just healthier and not as much thanks to my illness)
• My husband is amazing.  He's done so much work with our moving since I've been so sick and pregnant.
• Olivia loves the new house
• Olivia loves her new crib, which Adam was able to put together with out instructions!  
• I don't have to be alone with Olivia anymore for like a month (not that I don't like being alone with her, its just been hard since we've both been sick)
• Snuggling Olivia in bed while we watch Cinderella for like the millionth time

So its been bad, but can you imagine having the flu and having to give birth in a covered wagon on the trail?  These are the things I think about to help keep me grounded :)

Tomorrow is baby day!  Unless I went into labor naturally before this posts, I'm getting induced first thing tomorrow morning.

Five Favorites on Friday: Little boy names

I'm having my baby on Tuesday!  And even though my husband can't keep a secret and spilled the beans about the name to our families, I haven't told you guys.  I think that's kind of fun :)  So here are my top five baby boy names, and I'll let you know which one we picked when I blog about his birth.

1. Charles: My grandpa's name.  I think Charlie would be such a cute nick name for a little boy.

2. Andrew: My brother's name.  I can't help it!  I love those strong classic names!  I asked my sis-in-law (Andrew's wife) if we could use it and she gave me the green light.

3. Christian: My husband's middle name.  His mom really wanted it to be his first name, but his dad wasn't a fan.

4. Axel: My husband's cousin from Sweden.  He came to visit the states for the first time this past summer and he was so cute and blonde.  I just love Scandanavian names.

5. Cole: A name that Adam has loved since before we got married (I think) and we've always talked about using it.

I obviously love family names!  And to be fair, Robert (my second brother) isn't on the list because I'm considering his name for a middle name.  And Kenny (my youngest brother) isn't on the list because I want to use his middle name (Hans) and he wont let me :) 

So, which is your favorite?  And which do you think we'll be using?  Hey!  If you know the answer, no giving it away!

The pacifier questions

It was really hard to find a picture of Olivia with a pacifier.  Since she was a baby, she really only needed it to sleep.

Some call it a binki, some call it a paci.  We called it a bibi, but Olivia couldn't say the "b" (despite her love for other b words like ball, bye bye, bubble, go figure) and she called it a mimi. 

Soon after we left daycare (around 14 months) I stopped letting her have a mimi outside of her crib.  It was for nap time and bed time only.  It was the easiest transition ever.  She didn't even notice it was gone.  And nap time?  Suddenly there was something to look forward to!  And she would ask to take a nap or go to bed.

She still does this.  Nap time at our house is "mimi time" and she runs to her crib and tries to climb in herself. 

They recommend taking away the pacifier at 15 months.  Go cold turkey, they say.  Who the heck are they anyway?  And where are they when I have to put my kid down for a nap?  Hmm???  That's what I want to know.

Now with a new baby coming into our family I'm just so hesitant to force any more life changes on Olivia.  Isn't getting a new brother and less attention enough for a 22 month old to deal with?  Does she need to have her comfort object striped away from her as well? 

And we're potty training at two.  Will taking her mimi away during potty training make life hell for both of us? 

I have this strange feeling I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but if I just knew the answers it wouldn't be such a big deal. . . questions, questions.

Two book in three days

I wish I could be one of those girls that is always reading a book.  I could have button for it on my blog "Ask me what I'm reading!"  But I can't.  Why?  This Christmas vacation I read two books in three days.  Really it was almost two books in two days, but I didn't quite finish the second before bed.  I think I had two chapters left.  When I read a book I don't do anything else.  I don't shower, clean, cook, or take care of my child.  I just can't exist like that!

But let me tell you what I read over Christmas!

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) 

I love how relateable Mindy is.  Like I could have been friends with her in middle school, that time of life when true friends are so hard to come by.  And she's so funny!

Outliers: The Story of Success 

This was an incredibly interesting book.  I never thought about all the factors that go into making someone a success.  And of course as a parent there are things you can do to contribute to your child's success.  I'm just wondering, where is the balance?  Should I let my kids be children and play and use their imagination?  Or should I teach them how to work 350 days a year (like the final chapters of the book suggest.)?  Just some food for thought. 

Have you read either of these books?  What are you reading right now?

Five Favorites on Friday: Movies

I was going to title this post "Five Favorites on Friday: Postpartum Movies" but that sounded like I had five favorite movies about post pregnancy. . . stuff.  And that would be weird to even like one of those, let a lone five.  But one thing I love about taking care of a newborn is all the time you have to spend feeding them.  Sounds crazy, but its the perfect excuse for mid day movie watching.

When I had Olivia, my super awesome sister-in-law brought me a stack of DVDs to watch.  A lot of them she loved because they made her cry, which of course you're already prone to do in the days and weeks following a birth.  But that's not how I roll.  I like me some comedy, something to lighten my mood.  And so, for today, these are the five movies I'm most looking forward to watching during the days following Jan 22 (my induction date!!)

Stranger Than Fiction

Favorite Quote

Harold Crick: No, no. It's not schizophrenia. It's just a voice in my head. I mean, the voice isn't telling me to do anything. It's telling me what I've already done... accurately, and with a better vocabulary. 

The Importance of Being Earnest

 

Favorite Quote

Lady Bracknell: To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness.

School of Rock

Favorite Quote

Dewey Finn: No you're not hardcore! Unless you live hardcore! And the legend of the rent was way hardcore!

This is It

 Favorite Quote

Michael Jackson: Love, L-O-V-E love.

Nacho Libre 

(I can have two Jack Black movies on the list, it's my blog!)

Favorite Quote

Nacho: Chancho. When you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room. It's for fun. 

Okay, what movies do you want to watch in the middle of the day?

Moving at 37 weeks

VIA

We're moving to our own apartment this week.  I'm 37 week pregnant, measuring 2 weeks ahead so really 39!  Thank goodness my husband is super strong.  Are all men this strong?  Like a box that I would struggle with (and I'm no wimp) he can lift along with two more and carry them upstairs and out to the car.  It's insane. 

I hate packing.  But I love unpacking.  So I'm excited for that.

I'm giving away most of my baby girl clothes to former students and current friends.  I'm feeling so free about that.  We have so so much and with this baby being a boy, and no more kids for at least three years (I need this child to be two before I conceive again!) how long can I keep carting baby girl clothes every where we move?  I love Olivia's clothes and I just couldn't bring myself to donate them to a thrift store, but people I know?  I can do that. 

Olivia is obsessed with the "new house" and the bathtub.  She's been over to the apartment a few times when I was dropping stuff off and every time she runs to the bathtub and gets in.  This is funny because she doesn't take a bath in a real tub (we only have shower at Adam's parents) and when we tried to give her a bath in a tub at my mom's house she got so scared.  So hopefully she'll be so excited to take a bath in the "new house" and with her new tub toys she'll forget to freakout about being in a large body of water.

I've had to get a non-stress test and have my amniotic fluid checked twice because I'm measuring big.  I have an appointment this afternoon and we'll see what the dr says about an early induction.  Sorry all you natural birthing doulas, I'm all about the pitocin and epidurals.  (except maybe someday I would like to try a tub birth.  I don't know why, it looks kind of fun)

And. . . that's all I have to say today. 

Then and Now: Hospital Bag

Picture VIA

I can't remember everything I had in my hospital bag when Olivia was born, but I do have more opinions about what I want to bring this time.

Then: Nightgowns
Now: New thermal top that buttons down for easy nursing and new yoga pants for comfort. (New because I need something to look forward to!)

Then: Old computer with iTunes
Now: New computer with iTunes (Do you think they'll let me blog while I'm in labor?  My old computer had to be plugged in all the time so that wasn't an option.)

Then: One outfit for Olivia to come home in
Now: One outfit for baby boy Thomas to come home in (We didn't need more than that)

Then: My brestfriend nursing pillow
Now: My brestfriend nursing pillow.  I didn't know how to use it last time so it was pointless to have, but since seeing a lactation specialist with Olivia I know I want it at the hospital.

VIA

Then: Slippers?  I can't remember.
Now: New slippers.

Then: Makeup
Now: Makeup, but I wont be surprised at the pictures and how lousy I look!  They had me so pumped full of fluid I weighed almost the same when I got home as I did when I got to the hospital!

Then: Regular bra (I had some friends tell me they hated nursing bras, so I didn't bother buying one until after I tried nursing, just to make sure I wasn't wasting my money)
Now: These super comfy nursing bras.  Sure they're made for sleeping so they might not give great coverage, but I figure I'll wear loose tops and no one will be the wiser. 

VIA

Then: Going home clothes that were loose.
Now: Going home clothes that are tight with something loose over the top.  I bought this control top tank to wear to help hold everything in.  I wanted a belly bandit, but I just don't know if I can fork over the cash!

Then: Gallon bag of chocolate chip cookies
Now: Healthy snacks for Adam.  He had to only eat cookies because that's all I had for him.  Sounds good in theory but after awhile you start to feel sick!  

Then: Nursing pads.
Now: These nursing pads that were recommended by a mom of four.

Other things that stayed the same: toothbrush, hairbrush, shampoo, conditioner, soap, yadda yadda. . .

Does it seem like anything is missing?

Five Favorites on Friday: Blogs

Guys I feel like I got hit by a train!  Sinus infections are horrible.  I'm so glad I'm not working, but I'm stressed because I should be packing to move!  Instead I've just been sitting on the couch reading blogs.  Do you want to know my five favorite blogs?  The blogs that I check first thing when I turn on my computer?  Of course you do! (in no particular order. . . )

1. The Daily Tay is pure comic gold.  Every time I read it, I think, "Oh man, I'm totally that funny!"  But obviously I'm not or else you would be laughing right now.  And you're not.  Don't ask me how I know. . .

2. Motley Mama makes me think more than any other blog I read.  She has a great way of discussing taboo topics in a non-threatening way. 

3. MADE is my favorite crafty/sewing blog.  So often craft blogs are hard for me to get into.  I still love them, read them, but the crafts have to be awesome and the author's voice needs to shine through for me to really connect to them.  Dana does an awesome job of that, but since she has like a million followers I'm probably preaching to the choir.  I bet you already follow her!

4. E-Tells-Tales is an extremely well written blog.  I love her pictures of everything, but especially her little boy.  Elizabeth is one of the most genuine people in the blog world and she inspires my writing often.  I can't wait until she get a book deal!

5. Alisa Burke is my go to for creativity inspiration.  She is the most creative person I know (although not personally.  Bummer), I can not believe some of the stuff she comes up with, and its all gorgeous of course! 

What are your favorite blogs?

Doing things backwards I guess

Did I do things backwards by posting my resolutions on Monday and doing a year in review today?  Maybe, but too late now!

January

I got a student teacher and never thought I could be so lucky!  We seriously are the #sameperson (our favorite hashtag) and it was a joy to work with her.  Also Olivia got sick pretty much every weekend in January, which was sad but I loved the snuggles!

Sicky Baby

February

Adam and I made a deal to never celebrate Valentine's Day on the actual day ever again.

March

Olivia turned one and I proved I was not a real blogger by failing to throw her an extravagant themed birthday party.  (or to blog about it for that matter)

Olivia shares a birthday with my brother and we celebrated with our family a week before their actual birthday.  Thanks to my mom for making a cake.  Too bad I didn't let Olivia eat any!

April

My cousin Hayley got married and I got to go!  I almost missed it due to a miscommunication and no one to watch Olivia during the ceremony, but thankfully Hayley's cousin-in-laws were happy to jump in and watch her! 

My mom and me outside the Provo Temple after the ceremony

May 

I taught my last month at Bingham High School.  I loved my time there, but being with Olivia has been so great I haven't really had time to be sad.

June

I celebrated my 29th birthday by throwing up for the first time during my second pregnancy!  Also we went to Texas Roadhouse.  And I pretty much didn't blog due to my severe morning all day sickness.

Olivia helped me open presents.  I look awesome, I know.

July

Adam and I canceled our trip to Washington because of my morning sickness and instead took a trip to my parent's house in CA.  It was easier to relax and be sick in a familiar environment!  My mom watched Olivia while we took a two day trip to Palm Springs because we just love sweating.  Adam went golfing both days.

Seriously so HOT, but it just doesn't look it, does it?

August

I enjoyed my last month of summer vacation with Olivia.  We went for early morning walks and play dates at the park with Tiffanie and company before it would get to hot for us to be outside. We also went on a girls trip with my sister-in-law Martha and refinished one of my mom's wingback chairs.

Someday we'll get around to the second chair!

September 

I started full time work as a nanny and enjoyed earning money while spending time with Olivia.

October

We had so much fun trick-or-treating with Olivia that two or three houses turned into our whole street.  I failed to get a video of her saying "trick-or-treat" and I'm still really sad about that.

Our little Halloween family

November 

We celebrated our third anniversary by going to see the Tran Siberian Orchestra in concert!  The next day we celebrated Thanksgiving with Adam's family.

On the train to downtown SLC

December 

We had a great time with my family in California for Christmas.  Olivia got a cold that caused her ears to plug on the drive down, so we had a grumpy girl for the better part of two days, but once she started feeling better my little sweetheart returned to her easy going personality. 

Olivia opening her stocking with my mom.

I'm excited for a new year and all the fun adventures that await!