Tagged

My friend Nicole tagged me in her blog last week. She asked me some of these questions and it was fun to think about these this week...so here are the questions:

What is your favorite book and why?
I have never been a big reader, in fact I didn't really learn how to read until I was in sixth grade when my neighbor made me read out loud to her on the bus everyday. She finally caught my attention by having me read some young adult LDS novels. Since then I have read a lot of different books but I still have fond memories of one of the first books I ever read, it was by Anita Stanfield called "First Love & Forever". It's horribly cheesy and I like to make fun of it a little bit but it's about a BYU student who had the choice to marry a handsome rich Australian, but who wasn't a member of the church...or a return missionary. She choose the RM, and after ten years of marriage was so unhappy and questioned whether she made the right decision, then the handsome Australian re-enters her life. It is a gripping story!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In ten years...that is crazy, I saw on my friend Courtney's blog when she answered it saying we would be almost 40 and I'll have a ten year old! I am hoping that in ten years, we have finally finished our degrees and we are in careers that we enjoy. I would like to have a few more kids, own a home or have a reasonable interest rate on our mortgage, with a garage or shop for Jed and a little craft/sewing room for me. I see myself doing the same routine, church, mutual (or whatever the new calling is) boy scouts, then family activities camping and hiking...but it will be more fun with a child who is old enough to enjoy some of these outdoors activities.

Where is your favorite restaurant and what do you order there?

I think I have a few favorites, but my favorite in Utah is Barry's the little hamburger place in Spanish Fork, I always get the deluxe cheese burger with a dr. pepper. I love their white sauce! In Alaska my favorite is Bear's Tooth and their ooooh sooo delicious nachos! I love them! in fact I wish I could have some right now!

What was your first childhood memory?
I think my first memory was when my mom got pulled over in our big green van. I remember crying really hard and being in the car seat. I can't really expand much on that memory because that is basically all I remember, I think I was scared of the police officer and me crying was making my mom stressed out. I had to have been really small to have been in the car seat maybe 2 or 3 years old. LOL I also remember one time playing in the garage with my siblings and they had me on top of the chest freezer and I had to go to the bathroom and I couldn't get down from the freezer so I went in my pants...I think I was still being potty trained but my older sister got mad at me because it was really messy and she had to clean me up.

What is the most daring thing you have ever done or what are you the most proud of accomplishing?
This one is easy! It was when I finally made the decision to move to Alaska for a boy, with the hope that we'd actually get married. That was the scariest thing I think I've done. I packed everything in my little car and picked up my friend Becky, we drove for 5 days and on the fifth day we got to Tok, and I freaked out so rather than driving to Anchorage...we detoured and drove to Fairbanks. Once we got to Fairbanks I puked in the Fred Meyers parking lot because I was so nervous. I finally made it to Anchorage and was more calm about my decision, until we had to take Becky to the airport. We helped her get checked in and walked her to the security area and said our goodbyes and cried. I watched her walk away and then Jed and I walked out holding hands I realized that he was all I had, I had moved away from everything I had know, family, friends, my hometown, my college...I gave up everything just to date Jed. Good thing we got married! It has been the best decision I've made and it's helped me grow so much.

My List

Before I had Elliot I was worried about what I would do during my Maternity leave. I thought that it was going to be a long 8 weeks before returning to work, so I started a mental list of things that I could do to keep me busy while I was stuck at home. That list included:

• Make a quilt for Elliot
  
• Edit all our home videos with iMovie and post them on YouTube for the family to see
  
• Go to the Apple store for some One:One training on how to use iMovie
• Blog
• Get caught up on my DVR recordings
• Rent all the cheesy chick flicks, and Disney movies that Jed would endure watching with me but would not enjoy...so I thought I could get them out of the way while he was at work.
• Finish some other craft projects that have been lingering for longer than two years.
  
• Take naps
• work out and get my rockin' body back ;)
  
• Read a book
  
• Re-pot one of my house plants
  
• Have the house clean and dinner ready when Jed got home from work

Guess how many of those things I've been able to do in the last six weeks? Well, I have a quilt top done for Elliot, but that is because my mom helped me with the hard parts while she was here. I've been able to read 1.5 books, which is kind of a big deal since I am usually in school and I don't have time to read anything (really I just don't want to because I am too tired). Taking a nap hasn't happened, because by the time I get the laundry changed and eat breakfast/lunch/dinner Elliot is ready to eat again. My DVR keeps backing up and I haven't rented any movies yet...you have to leave the house to rent a movie, except with netflix, but I keep forgetting to update our Que to add all those cheesy movies. As far as having the house clean and dinner ready for Jed when he gets home...I think it is an unrealistic goal and it probably won't ever happen.

After a few weeks off this is my realistic To Do list:

• Feed Elliot
• Eat Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner & snacks in between
• Remember to get a glass of water, my phone, the iPad/book, and TV remote before sitting down to feed Elliot ---because once I am down I am pretty much grounded and it can be really boring staring at the wall while he is chowing down.
• Brush my teeth---at one time I had the high expectation to shower everyday...but that was too much. I may actually be able to reapproach that goal now that Elliot and I have got a better routine.
• change out of my bathrobe---even if it is just into yoga pants
• Then if any time is left over I can reapproach my previous list of things to do.

So that is why I have been away, which I am sure I don't need to explain, most of you reading this have gone through this stage of life and probably even tried to warn me about it...but we all have to learn our own way.

Elliot is growing everyday! I don't know how big he is but I know he is out grown 90% of his newborn clothes. That is sad to see those little outfits be put away, I don't want him to grow up but at the same time I want him to grow up more than anything...no offense but newborns are kind of boring, Elliot is not much of a conversationalist. He is however, very alert and always wide eyed and watching me. He wants to see everything and I can see his little eyes watching and learning new things everyday.

As busy as things have been Jed and I have been able to get out a little bit and go on some hikes with Elliot which was fun. Elliot was really good he didn't fuss and he seemed to stay really warm ( I would assume he would cry if he was uncomfortable, right?)

I love this picture of Jed & Elliot on our hike on Flat Top, the sun makes it look like we are summiting the mountain but in reality we are not even close...and the sun is setting on us because we (rather I) was too slow.

This could be argued that it is a picture of a gassy baby, but he was smiling and I am claiming this as his first Captured Smile!

My Baby

It has been a very busy month! But can you believe it? It is already been 4 weeks. My little Paco is growing so much, he is starting to get little chubby rolls on his thighs and his arms. He is almost out of the newborn diapers and the newborn clothes are getting a little snug on him. He is overall such a good baby, he doesn't fuss too much---and now that I've figured out the breastfeeding thing I'm doing much better...and he is putting on the pounds. He is very wide eyed and awake most of the day and night. He usually just wants to sit up and look around...he will fight to stay awake, I don't think he wants to miss anything.
My mom came on the 26th to help and she has been such a huge help! She is so helpful and as a Newborn ICU nurse she had all sorts of tricks. She taught him how to take a Binky, which right now I am very glad he takes one but if he becomes dependent on it I know who to blame. Not only has she been very helpful with things around the house and with Paco, it has been so nice to have her here and to spend time with her.

She is in the bedroom right now packing her bags to go home.
I am really really going to miss her.

I know she is ready to go home but I am sad to see her leave...I miss my family.

Not only do I miss my family but tomorrow will be the first day that I am left alone. I am not so much scared of being left alone to take care of the baby I think I have that taken care of...I am sad to be alone.
I was putting left overs away after dinner tonight and thinking to myself, I will have to eat lunch alone tomorrow and it made me really sad...I think I will be very ready to go back to work just to have some social interaction.

Paco and his daddy...aren't they adorable? ;)