Virginia Is For Christensens

Nothin to talk about

2012-02-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

I keep thinking to myself, "I really need to update my blog", but I don't have anything interesting to say. It's unfortunate. My days are spent watching Evie makes laps around the house, cause she's a pro at crawling now. Did I tell you? I basically just monitor her and make sure she doesn't eat anything too dangerous. Last month she found a thumb tack and put it in her mouth. Luckily, I got it out before any damage was done, but that just about gave me a heart attack. My house is a complete disaster because I cannot seem to get down a good cleaning regiment and because most of the time I am just too dang lazy. Evelyn is loving being mobile and able to go wherever she wants to go. She has turned into a pretty low maintenance little girl and I am really enjoying it. She just crawls around, squealing the whole time, and tries to find new ways to scare me to death, like getting to the second step on the stairs, or almost eating a dead bug I didn't know existed. I think she is starting to feel better because she is eating and sleeping again. Yay! Unfortunately, she has reverted back to waking up at 4am everyday thinking that she needs to eat. Being sick is the pits. Right now she is napping and I SHOULD be doing the dishes, or folding laundry, or cleaning the kitchen, but instead I think I will finish blogging and then read a book. See what I mean about being lazy? It's a sickness. Evie and I did go on a walk today though, so I get points for that.

Dan is still really busy at work, but he's trying to get the last week of March off so that we can go to SLC and see his family. Hopefully that works out. He hasn't been back to Utah in over a year I think. He is such an amazing man and I love him.

Saturday

2012-01-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

It's the end of January, but here in Virginia it sure doesn't feel like it. Today was in the high 60s, and I think most people would rejoice over that, but I'm not one of those people. I love, love winter; with the snow, scarves, boots, hot chocolate, and cuddling under blankets that comes with it. It's such a magical time of year. But, not in Virginia. Since it wasn't cold at all today, we decided to go to one of the many parks in the chesapeake area and have some fun. We went to this beautiful park that had a little lake and a giant bridge that went across it, and we fed the ducks, geese, and sea gulls that were there. Evie was pretty entertained with the birds for the first little while, but Dan and I had a lot if fun. Evelyn also tried the swings again, now that she's a little bigger, and she absolutely loved it. We took turns pushing her and hearing her squeal and giggle. It was glorious. On our way home we stopped at ihop for dinner and evie had her very first restaurant meal that was all her own. I forgot to bring any food for her with us, so we just ordered some scrambled eggs and pancakes off the children's menu and called it good. In case you were wondering, she was thrilled by the whole experience and let the whole restaurant know it. I took lots of super cute pictures of us at the park, as well as some videos, but somehow they were all deleted. Still not sure how, so I'm trying not to dwell on that for now. There was a really funny one of evelyn with her plate if food. Sei la vie. The picture at the top is now the only one I have because I sent it to Facebook.

This last week has been really rough. Evie started it with a cold and ended it with an ear infection. Combine that with teething, and that has been our week. So, that is why we went out and did something today. Man, did I need to get out. Of. The. House. Other than that, life has been pretty ordinary, and I'm beginning to think that's not such a bad thing.

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resolutions

2012-01-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

This year, I am going to try really hard to:

go to bed earlier than 11
be a better mom to Evie

by playing more
and being more creative

keep losing weight
work out at least once a week. This one may be the hardest one
eat better
go out and see things on weekends
go to the temple more
complain less
read more
take more pictures... as soon as I find my camera's battery charger

I'll let you know how it goes. Here's to 2012!

Bedroom

2012-01-17T04:52:00.001-08:00

We finally moved the dresser from our garage to our bedroom this weekend. Hallelujah. So, our bedroom is almost done now. I just need a bookcase or something to fill a little wall space and maybe a bench to go under the window? Something. But, what do you think so far?

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being a mom has taught me many things

2012-01-14T20:04:00.000-08:00

including, but not limited to, doing almost everything with one hand. ie: cooking, cleaning, my hair, errands, etc.
going around with food stains on your clothes is acceptable
also, not showering until 2 in the afternoon is also acceptable
an outing to the grocery store is a grand affair
how to be patient
and then add more patience onto that patience
that sometimes I am just not going to look my best and that is okay
how to get stains out of anything
that I have no imagination, so I need to work on that
time management; I thought I learned this in college, but that was nothing compared to squeezing everything I need to do into 2 short nap periods of time during the day.
to be more tidy. she sticks EVERYTHING in her mouth, so keep stuff off the floor
that I no longer require 8 hrs of sleep to survive
how to entertain a tiny human
and that crock pot dinners are the best thing ever

But, mostly it has taught me love and joy. Love is so much more complex and deep than I comprehended before hand. I love Dan and I love my family, but the love a parent has for their child is something completely different. Being a parent myself has really helped me realize just how much my heavenly father loves me. It has improved my relationship with Him and my Savior and I am so grateful for that. Sometimes it's frustrating and hard, but at the end of the day it is so worth it to have Evie and call myself a mother. I have been thinking about this a lot lately because I was thinking there was no way I was ready for another baby just yet, but now I don't know. Evelyn has brought us so much joy and she is becoming so independent already that I think another baby may not be such a bad thing after all. However, this is not an announcement because it is just a passing thought and more than likely will not happen.

I love being a mom and I love my little family. I am so thankful to have a home where we can feel comfortable, safe, and have the spirit. I am so happy to be in Virginia and have the opportunity to meet the great people I have met and seen all the things I have been able to see.

Being a mom has taught me all of that; to count my blessings, multi-task, and to be grateful for the little things. Being a parent truly is a sanctifying process and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

nine months

2012-01-09T18:17:00.000-08:00

My baby girl is turning into a toddler! Yikes! I can't believe how fast she is growing up. Within the last couple of days she has learned to pull herself up, go from laying down to sitting, and started stacking things. She still isn't doing the traditional crawling thing, but her push-up/worm thing that she does is very effective and she is really good at it. If I don't keep a close eye on her, she gets into everything. I feel like she is happier now that she is mobile and can get to places she wants to go, because she is just so smart that being tied down in any one place or activity for too long makes her ornery. Evie is eating solid food like a champ now and can drink out of a sippy cup and loves it. What!? I am loving watching her learn and grow and seeing that cute little personality come out. Recently, her favorite thing to do is shake her head "no" about everything. She thinks it is quite hilarious. Also, she loves it if you go away from her and say, "come here Evie girl". She gets so excited and vigorously does the worm towards you. Another fun thing she has been doing lately is pushing her box of Baby Einstein DVDs around. She stands up with the box in front of her and pushes it around. Maybe it's time for one of those toys that helps babies walk. She talks to me all day long, saying things like "babababa" and "dadadadada". I'm pretty sure she isn't associating "dada" with Dan, but he sure seems to get a kick out of it anyway. Evelyn had her nine month check up today and everything looks great! Apparently she's in the middle, percentage wise, in almost every category. I don't know what else to say about her except that she is an absolute joy and I love her. I have to go because she got into the TV cabinet again.

Goodbye 2011 and Hello 2012

2012-01-03T14:40:00.000-08:00

This year was a really great, and eventful, year for the Christensens. I wasn't sure how to go about cataloging it so that I could remember it all, and then my amazing cousin used this format for her post, and I am going to copy it.

In January we had to say goodbye to my sweet grandpa Nelson. He was 94 years old and was happy and loving until his last moments. I was able to go out to Utah with my family for the funeral. The rest of that month was spent getting ready for a baby and blogging about nonsense.

In February Dan and I had our last Valentine's Day together with no kids. The food was delicious. We still lived in Manhattan, KS where it actually snows in the winter and Dan got to be a super hero, Lianne and Derek came to visit, and I started some serious nesting.

March was a little rough because I was so humongous and uncomfortable. Most of this month was spent keeping my mind off of the human I was growing inside of me with sewing and crafting of a general nature. I also had my baby shower, which was a lot of fun.

April was the best month by far because my beautiful Evelyn Louisa was born. We learned all kinds of new things this month like, how to change a diaper without getting pee everywhere,breastfeeding takes a lot of patience, how to function on little to no sleep, and that life is just better with a baby. For Easter my mom and sisters came up to visit us which was a delightful surprise.

In May, Dan graduated from Vet school, finally, and we blessed our little Evie. In case you were wondering, she cried through the entire blessing. Dan was pretty flustered, poor guy. I also got to celebrate my very first mother's day as a new mother; Dan bought me a nook. This month we learned which acid reflux medicine worked on Evie and everyone was so much happier as a result. At the end of May, Dan went to San Antonio for training and I moved in with my parents.

Most of June was spent missing Dan and hanging out with my parents. I had two new nieces born this month as well; Calvyn Abigayle and Jori Colette. At the end of June, we said goodbye to our beloved Manhattan and moved to Virginia. Oh! I also had a birthday somewhere in there as well. 24!

In July we moved into our house and started settling into our new life in Virginia. Also, I fell down the stairs and broke my back.

Because of my back injury, most of August we had house guests, which was great. My mom came first and stayed a week, followed by Lianne, then my dad, and finally Diane. While my mom was here we went to the beach. It was a perfect day for the beach and it was fun to get out of the house. Most of the time spent with Lianne was playing with Calvyn and Evie, so we didn't get out and do much unfortunately. We took my dad to Yorktown while he was here and walked around the museum there, and I swear my dad was like a kid in a candy shop. The week that Diane was here was pretty epic. We had a fire, earthquake, tornado, and hurricane all in the same week. Needless to say, her time here was very exciting.

September started with the end of Diane's stay, which was a little rough for me. We had so many visitors helping me out for so long, that after she left I was super nervous about taking care of Evie by myself with my back still out of commission. So, needless to say, most of this month was adjusting to wearing a brace and taking care of Evelyn at the same time. It was also this month that Dan surprised me with the cutest letter.

October brought us Dan's birthday, Evie's first Halloween, and the start of solid foods. I was also able to record some of Evie's delightful giggles, because at this point Evelyn giggled and smiled all day long. Also this month, Kasie Fry came to visit us. Love her.

November was a pretty exciting month. Evie turned seven months, I mourned her no longer being a newborn, celebrated Veteran's Day, and Evie and I went to Utah for a week to visit the Christensens. After we got back from Utah we had a delicious Thanksgiving meal with a giant turkey and great friends.

December was so much fun. At the beginning of this month, we decked our halls with Christmas decor and wrapped some presents to put under our brand new tree. Evie turned 8 months old, Dan had a pretty fun work party in which Evie met Santa, Dan bought me a droid, and we went to Wichita for a week to spend Christmas with my family. I never did get around the posting about Christmas, so here are some pictures.

Evelyn in her "my first Christmas" jammies

All dressed up to reenact the nativity story.

Having fun at Exploration Place

Calvyn and Evelyn having fun together.

This year was my favorite by far. Here's hoping next year is just as great.

getting ready to jet

2011-12-19T12:03:00.001-08:00

So here is a quick recap of what has been going on at the Christensen household.

I have stopped nursing evie because she kept biting me

Evie eats solids like a champ.

She now loves those sweet potato puffs and is getting used to apples

We had some friends and their projector over last night to watch White Christmas. Classic.

Dan is playing intramural basketball.

We all did a lot of Christmas shopping this last weekend

Dan is being super cryptic about my gift, which just makes me so curious I want to die

I have cleaned all the bathrooms and still have a lot of laundry and dishes to do before we leave.

Because we are leaving on Wednesday to spend the week with my family. Hooray!

I love Christmas time. I cannot wait to see the fam. What are you doing for the holidays?

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work party

2011-12-16T18:41:00.000-08:00

Today was Dan's work party and it was a lot fun. We ate some yummy food, played some fun games, and got out of the house, which was a huge plus for me. Let's be honest, we could have gone anywhere to do anything and I would have loved every moment of it, but let me just tell you about today and I think you'll agree that today was awesome by any standards. One of the games we played was a Christmas version of project runway, and guess who got to be the model for our team? That's right folks, Daniel. Watching these boys trying to make something cute out of wrapping paper was like watching a train wreck and not being able to do anything about it.

Dan is the "special" one

Yep, there was music playing and they did the cat walk. It was the highlight of my week. Possibly my month. Poor Dan, but he was a really good sport and it was hysterical.

Evie's first picture with Santa

After the Christmas party we went and did a little shopping for Christmas pajamas and such, which was a lot of fun actually because we never go shopping together. Dan HATES shopping, but he had a good time picking out pajamas. We went to dinner after that and ate some yummy food and now we're cuddling on the couch watching Modern Family. Pretty great day.

something about nothing

2011-12-14T14:45:00.000-08:00

I'm tired of not having a car and never being able to go anywhere

Dan gets to go play basketball and to scouts
but I stay here
and do the dishes, repeatedly
and the laundry
and clean the living room
and play with baby toys
and watch yo gabba gabba
and dance around the kitchen with my baby

And I really do love it

Except that sometimes it becomes too much

and I feel like I need a break

a break from being in the house all day long

ya know?

My problems are pretty unoriginal and I know I don't have anything to complain about really.

And most days I'm just fine staying here all day

but today Dan went straight from work to a basketball game

and then straight to scouts from there

so I can't go run the errands I need to because he won't get home until 8ish

No, we can't share the car. We thought about that, but traffic is so bad that if I were to take Dan to and from work everyday, that would be 4 hours in the car a day for Evie. No thanks.

Also, Dan can't use the public transportation, like carpools and such, because he doesn't have a set schedule.

So here I am. Stuck. Oh well. There are worse things in life. It's a good thing I love that Evie girl so much

If you read this whole thing, you are a champion

sorry about complaining.

8 months

2011-12-08T17:38:00.001-08:00

My baby is eight months old today. She is becoming more and more independent too. She doesn't like to just sit on the couch and relax with me anymore. It's just go go go with her these days. She does something I like to call the scoot. It isn't quite crawling, but it gets her where she wants to go; so now I need to baby proof my house. Evie has turned into such a sweet little girl. She loves to give me hugs, reaches for me and Dan, and giggles all day long. I try to find new ways to keep us both entertained during the day, and most of the time she's pretty easy going and happy to watch me do the dishes. Lately she's been helping me decorate and redecorate our house. She loves to sit on my tummy and feel me laugh cause it moves her up and down, which in turn makes her laugh. I'm loving watching her learn new things and see her little personality come out. She is incredibly stubborn (where does she get that?) and determined, couple that with incredibly smart and you've got a dangerous trifecta. Lately she's been a little sick, so that's been no fun, but overall she is just adorable and so much fun. I'm looking forward to this next month and what it brings.

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what to get him

2011-12-05T11:06:00.001-08:00

I have a problem, friends, and I would like your help. I can never think of anything good to get Dan on holidays. I have no idea what to get him for Christmas this year. When I ask him what he wants he says things like gloves and thermals for army, which ill get him obviously, but I would like to get him something good. Something that he doesn't necessarily need but that he'll enjoy. He always gets me such great gifts. Any ideas?

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When you give a girl a smartphone

2011-12-03T05:58:00.001-08:00

she will insist on doing everything with the phone

like taking pictures

and blogging (by accident)

and facebook stalking

So eventually you will have to do an intervention

because who needs that many pictures of Evelyn (everyone. right?)

and it's okay to be out of contact with everyone for a little while (gasp)

because you can check your email and watch netflix on your computer and tv

no need to do such things on your phone

right?

Except you can!

So, if you give this girl a smartphone, be prepared for all the crazy that comes with it

Merry Christmas to meeeee!

p.s. Dan may be regretting his decision to get me a droid for Christmas.

2011-12-02T06:00:00.001-08:00

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when Evie goes to sleep...

2011-11-28T09:45:00.001-08:00

I try so hard to get motivated to clean things or do some sort of crafting project that is productive, but 9 times out of 10 I end up...

curling up on my bed and reading a book
taking a nap
watching a movie
eating some snacks
blogging
spending way too much time on pinterest
chatting to Kasie on facebook

My life could be so much better if I took advantage of her nap times, but what can I say, I must be a masochist. And, my baby just woke up! :)

Deck the halls

2011-11-26T14:54:00.001-08:00

Our little village

Awesome Christmas calendar from Melissa and our Christmas tree

We're ready for Christmas! 'Tis the Season!

turkey anyone?

2011-11-24T18:33:00.001-08:00

While I was flying home from Utah on Tuesday, I asked Dan to go to the store and get us a turkey before they were all gone. Apparently I should have been specific about the turkey because Dan came home with a 21lb frozen turkey. What the what? Needless to say, I spent all day thawing that sucker out in the sink. Every 30 minutes I would replace the water and turn it over. This year we were going it alone for Thanksgiving, but we wanted some turkey anyways so I cooked it! For the first time ever! And, you know what? It was delicious. We had some friends over and they helped eat some of that enormous bird, as well as supplied the potatoes and sweet potatoes, but there is still a whole half left. Anyone want any? Happy Thanksgiving!

Utah

2011-11-23T06:09:00.001-08:00

playing the piano with grandpa

Evelyn and Jori. Doesn't this picture just melt your heart?

cheese!

Evelyn meets Evie. Second cousins??

I tried and tried to get a picture with both of them smiling. This is what I got

too cute.

Evie: "I want that." Yoink. Evleyn: "okay..." haha

such cute girls!

Evelyn with great grandma Bennett

2 teeth!

Okay. So, on the Christensen side of the family we had three girls born within 12 weeks of eachother

AND THEN, another little girl was born on the 18th

which makes a whopping 4 girls this year!

left to right: Miriam, Evelyn, and Jori

not pictured: Elena June-- she was still in the hospital

cousins!

with great grandma Nelson

with great grandma Butler

Evelyn LOVED the puppies. She giggled every time she saw them. Jori liked them, I think. She was mostly along for the ride.

And that was my trip to Utah. I got to see a lot of family and had a lot of fun. I'm sorry if I didn't see you while I was there, but trying to see my whole family in one week is hard enough, let alone all the people I would love to see and spend time with. This trip was mostly just so the Christensens could meet Evelyn because none of them had yet, and I think they all fell in love with her. How could you not? Hopefully we will be back really soon, so if I didn't catch you on this go around, hopefully I will next time. xoxo

veterans day

2011-11-13T17:03:00.001-08:00

Because of Veterans Day, Dan got Friday off and we headed to North Carolina to go to the temple. It was great! We haven't been able to make it to the temple since before Evie was born because it was a 3 hour drive and my poor pregnant self just couldn't do it, and then we had Evie and that same 3 hour drive seemed even more impossible. But, we made it to Raleigh on Friday night and I went and did a session that night while Dan and Evie hung out in the hotel room watching soccer, and then Dan did a session Saturday morning. It was great to be able to go, but we both like it a lot better when we can go together. Maybe we can find a couple to go with from now on and trade off babysitting.

Our Bishop asked all the military members in the ward to wear their uniforms to church today and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take pictures. Doesn't he look great?


Handsome

now and then

2011-11-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law asked for some family pictures of us, and as I was going through all of my pictures I marveled at how different everything is now as compared to then. I cannot believe how big my Evie Lou is! How did that happen? Her car seat used to swallow her because she was so small and now the seat belt is moved up to the highest setting. I just can't believe it. I am loving this stage in her life, with all the smiling and giggling, but at the same time I miss the newborn phase when she could barely stay awake and cuddled with me all day long. The only time I get cuddles now is right before and right after naps, not that I am complaining. I love that I have a super curious and intelligent baby and I love that she wants to try new things and explore her world, but at the same time, can't she just stay little forever? I know I'm not the only one who feels this way about their baby. I am certainly not AT ALL ready for another baby right now, but it is kind of sad how fast they grow up.

Those are my thoughts. Enjoy the pictures.

p.s. I am not sad at all to be over the colic baby phase. That was torture. In saying that, I just want to give a shout out to my amazing sister-in-law, Ariel. Hang in there. I know it seems like it will never end, but it will eventually. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Love you!

seven months

2011-11-07T14:35:00.000-08:00

My little girl is seven months old today. What!? How did that happen? Let me tell you about her.

She rolls back and forth all over the living room floor

She is one determined little girl. When she sees something she wants, she figures out a way to get there

She is almost crawling! Yikes.

Her first little tooth is finally peeking through like a tiny dagger

She sits up all by herself

She'll giggle if I laugh

She smiles all the time and has become quite the ham in front of the camera

Because of her teething pain, she doesn't want anyone but mom lately

She is pretty tall for her age already

She just keeps getting cuter

some shinnanigans

2011-11-06T08:16:00.000-08:00

The last night Kasie was here we wanted to take her to a restaurant on the beach so she could have some seafood and see the boardwalk and ocean. It was a great idea in theory. Unfortunately it is no longer tourist season in Virginia Beach so most of the restaurants were closed. Also, by the time we got to the beach is was almost dark and was very chilly. The only restaurant open that we saw was this little Greek place, so we thought, "What's the harm? We'll go here. At least it's on the boardwalk". Except that the food wasn't all that great and I spent the rest of the evening being very ill. Ah well. We did get to take some pictures together, though.

like mother, like daughter

not the best picture of me, but Kasie looks cute

weird sauce

drunk Evelyn

happy Evelyn

took Kas to the beach and it was way too cold for that little girl, but she was a trooper.

sweetest girl alive.

The day Kasie left we made one last trip to Virginia Beach so she could see it in daylight. We ate at red lobster, seafood-check, and then went to the boardwalk and beach. Hopefully she had fun. She bought a couple shirts and a hoodie from a souvenir shop, so look out Utah, Virginia is comin' your way.

halloween baby

2011-11-02T05:01:00.000-07:00

Some of you may not know this, but Dan's birthday is halloween. Consequently, it has become one his favorite holidays. This year my dear husband turned 30, so I tried to make his birthday and halloween as exciting as possible because he was actually pretty sad about turning 30.

this has nothing to do with halloween, but she is so cute! She loves food now

carving pumpkins

Kasie and I still hadn't started carving ours.

I owned that pumpkin

this is mine and Kasie's pumpkin. He's "special"

Dan's pumpkin. He worked really hard on it. pretty awesome

On his birthday I took him to a Japanese steakhouse. It was really good and really fun. They knew it was his birthday, so they sang to him and gave him this slice of pineapple.

cheesecake. First time I've ever made cheesecake.

Happy Birthday, honey. I love you.

I'm super disappointed that I didn't get a picture of us in our Halloween costumes. Part of Dan's birthday present this year was that we actually bought costumes. He was a knight, I was a maiden, and Evie was a princess. She was so adorable. I'm kicking myself. Hopefully I was able to alleviate some of the pain that turning 30 was giving Dan. I tried to make it as fun as possible so he wouldn't have time to think about how old he was getting. Poor guy. On the up side, he doesn't look a day over 22.

Guess who's in town?

2011-10-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

My best friend, Kasie Fry, is in town this week. I am so excited to spend the week with her and to have a friend around. I'm not ashamed to admit that I have been incredibly lonely since we've been here, so I couldn't be more excited. I didn't sleep much last night because I was so anxious about her being here this morning. But, here she is and we are going to tear it up. You should be jealous.

right now

2011-10-24T10:55:00.001-07:00

we are up in Evelyn's room playing. She is in her crib having a grand old time with her toys and I am sitting in the rocker typing on the computer. Every once in a while she looks over at me and laughs and I say, "Yep. I'm still here."
My house is a complete mess. Especially my bedroom. It is so messy! Clothes everywhere. We desperately need a dresser folks.
I am thinking about what I can make as a treat for family home evening. I was thinking something to do with pumpkins. I got this recipe from my cousin that looks delicious, so I think I'll try it.
I am showered, dressed, and have make-up on. Personal victory.
there are clothes in the washer that need to be put in the dryer and dirty dishes in the sink
it is beautiful outside and the trees are turning colors

I am so happy.

good morning

2011-10-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

sometimes I think I live my life in pink and green

2011-10-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, the color scheme for my house in not pink and green. Not at all. But Evie seems to take up so much of the living room space that it kind of looks that way. We start our day with baby einstein in the bumbo while I take a shower and eat breakfast. Then there's some play/ funny faces time followed by a nap. After the nap she eats her rice cereal and loves it; making a huge mess in the process. Sometimes we go for a walk, but more often than not we play on the floor together or I put her in her entertainer. Depending on the day, she'll watch me do the dishes in the kitchen sitting in her bouncer, all the while listening to music and dancing. Sometimes I even cook a little something. This is followed by another nap and another round of rice cereal, followed by an attempt at a vegetable or fruit of some kind. At this point she hates all non-milk, non-cereal items. Sigh. And that is how most of our days go.

But, not lately. Because lately little miss has had a really stuffy nose. Which means she has a really hard time sleeping or nursing. So, most days it's just crying all day long until she wears herself out. I feel really bad for her and I wish there was something I could do, but more than that I just feel frustrated and exhausted. Dan didn't get home until 9 last night, so I didn't get to get out of the house and go anywhere. I'm just exhausted. Any words of encouragement?

So this is what my life looks like. Pink and green, baby.

Loves her baby einstein. Is she cute or what?

talk

2011-10-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

So, Dan and I have to give talks in church on the 23rd.

Eek!

I HATE hate talking in front of people

I can write papers and make things sound okay, but actually getting up in front of hundreds of people and reading it?

No thank you.

Because of my debilitating fear, I am having a hard time getting started.

Any thoughts from my friends out there as to how to make a great talk?

How do you start when preparing a talk?

What kinds of things do you look for?

In case you're interested, the topic is humility and gratitude.

Also, in case you were wondering, Dan is great at giving talks.

Seriously exceptional.

So I have to get up there and blunder around for a couple of minutes

and then he takes up the rest of the time with something super spiritual and profound

which makes everyone wonder, "what does he see in her?".

I know I'm just being dramatic, but seriously.

I hate giving talks.

4 day weekend

2011-10-11T04:34:00.000-07:00

Dan had Friday and Monday off this weekend and we tried to make the most of it. On Friday we went to old time country market and corn maze, pictured below, on Saturday we mostly just hung around the house watching movies and relaxing. Saturday was also sort of a comedy of errors when it came to making dinner.I was trying this new recipe I found and it was really labor intensive, so I was thinking it was going to be really yummy. BUT, while I was frying the chicken the oil splashed me in the face and I now have several small burns on my face around my eyes, and then the oven caught on fire, and the pasta almost burned, and the meal didn't even taste that great. Sigh. So, on Sunday Dan helped me cook dinner (tacos) by making tortillas. Have you ever had homemade tortillas? Yum. He used to make them all the time on his mission in Russia, so he made them for me and it was a lot of fun.

is he not the most handsome man you've ever seen?

On Monday we went to a pumpkin patch and got ourselves some pumpkins! We've always been really bad about decorating and celebrating holidays, but now that we have Evie we're trying to make more of an effort. Dan picked the biggest pumpkin he could find, Evie was indifferent as usual, and we all had fun.

Excuse the no make up please

just missed the smile

this is her new thing; sucking on her lower lip

Corn Maze

2011-10-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

On Friday we went to the corn maze here in Chesapeake and it was a lot of fun. It was quite a bit different from other corn mazes I've been to in other places. Basically, they gave you a "map" of the maze and you were supposed to just go through the whole maze and find the five stamp stations. When you found a stamp you stamped on your map where you thought you were. Dan took this very seriously. He immediately switched into eagle scout mode and I thought it was pretty darn funny. We thought at the end of the maze we would get some sort of prize for finding all five stamps. But, sadly we did not. We did, however, get a ride on the wagon afterwards and two free shots on the corn gun. It was a lot of fun.

Brumby's Breadbasket. The best homemade cinnamon rolls and ice cream. Yum

first stamp

playing with the corn

second stamp

Where's Dan?

third stamp

fourth stamp?

all tuckered out

hayride

corn gun

6 months

2011-10-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

Guess who's eating rice cereal now!? Yay! She loved it too, after she got over the initial shock of it not being milk that is. She is still just as cute as ever and loves to laugh and smile at everyone. Her new favorite thing to do is squealing in a seriously high pitched voice.

Something needs to change

2011-10-05T05:26:00.000-07:00

I went to bed at 9pm last night. Yeah.... Does that make me old and boring? Probably. But Evie Lou and I went on a walk yesterday and in order to get the stroller up and down the stairs outside I had to carry the whole thing with her in it. Needless to say, my back was hurting A LOT by the time Evie went to bed last night, so I took a tylenol PM and hit the hay. She has been waking up around 3 or 4 every night. What is that about? Should I feed her? Let her cry it out? I don't know what to do. She wakes up completely upset with real tears and everything. Last night I let her cry for like half an hour and she still didn't go back to sleep so I just fed her. Good thing I went to bed so early or I wouldn't have gotten any sleep last night. Oy vei.

Also, I'm thinking something needs to be done about all of Evie's things. I would like to take our living room back and not have it constantly overrun with Evelyn's toys and things. Any ideas? I would have it all in her room, but she won't play without someone in the room with her and being in her room all day everyday doesn't sound like fun to me. Thoughts? I just need a change. I'm trying to decorate our home and make it feel like a house instead of a college dorm, but having a baby makes that a tad difficult. So, if you have any organizational ideas I would really appreciate it.

giggles

2011-10-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad when daddy comes home...

2011-10-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend was general conference (yay!) so we got to be at home all weekend. Can I just say how much I love having Dan home? I got to take a long, hot shower, sleep in until 9am, and cuddle on the couch watching conference. It's so nice having someone else around to take Evie when I need to shower or eat something. Did I mention that I got to eat lunch the last two days? Yes! Anyways, here is some pictures that I took today.

Watching conference together

too dark

my favorite thing

2011-09-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Lately Evelyn has been making me laugh. A lot. My favorite part is when I laugh at what she's doing, and it makes her laugh. So then we're in this giggling cycle where I laugh which makes her laugh, etc. I LOVE it. I can't get enough of her little giggles. She makes my world go round.

p.s. Is my Evie Lou not the most precious girl you've ever seen?

My sanity

2011-09-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

My poor Evie Lou has been sick the last couple of days. Which means that she has required extra cuddles, kisses, walks, and rocking to make her comfortable, and I am more than happy to oblige. Yesterday she cried all day long because she just didn't feel well and no matter what I did it wasn't enough. Yesterday also happened to be the day that Dan didn't get home until 8:30 because he had an emergency come in at the clinic, which means that I was taking care of Evie all by myself all day long while she was MAD at the world. Because of all of that extra holding and walking, when I woke up this morning I felt like a semi had run me over during the night while I slept. A huge semi that was carrying train wheels or something super heavy. I could pin point to you on my back the EXACT vertebrae that is fractured because it feels swollen and like there are 3 of them. Hopefully that goes away soon. I definitely did too much yesterday, but I didn't really have a choice in the matter. I would do anything for that little girl, even brake my back, if it means it will make her a little happier. Also, I don't know if this is an over share, my precious baby girl had TWO disgusting diapers in a row yesterday. It made my eyes water it was so bad. Poor sick girl. I wonder what it would be like to have all of your needs taken care of by someone else at all times, especially when you're sick. I imagine it would be pretty awesome. In fact, that is what I am asking for for my birthday next year. A day where someone takes care of all my needs all day long. That would be fabulous. Yesterday I let Evie fall asleep in her swing, comfort nurse, sleep on my chest, and numerous other things that I always say "no" to under normal circumstances, but when your baby cries all day long you will do ANYTHING to get her to sleep. You know?

Evelyn is almost 6 months old! What!? How did that happen? She loves her baby einstein video and laughs and smiles through the whole thing, she LOVES her baths and thinks it's the funniest thing in the world when she splashes us, and she loves to cuddle and watch TV with me. I think I'm accidentally on purpose indoctrinating her to love 30 Rock and Gilmore Girls. Whatevs. We can't all be perfect parents.

So this post was a bit random, but I needed to get some stuff out for my own sanity (hence, the title) because I haven't left the house in a couple days and I'm in quite a bit of pain. Just know that Evie is just as cute as ever, if not more so, and I think she is starting to feel a little better (fingers crossed).

p.s. I have a rash/hives on my face. What? I bought some new face wash and apparently my face hates it. So glamorous, this life I lead.

To the man who...

2011-09-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

always calls during his lunch time to see how we are and has done this since we started dating
is always willing to go out of his way to make me or Evie more comfortable
runs out to get ice cream or snacks without complaint
went shopping with me on Saturday because I wanted to and I still have no friends
And didn't complain once the whole time
went to a priesthood meeting last night and while there wrote me a beautiful letter
Which he left on the couch for me to find this morning. It details how much he loves and appreciates me
does more than his share of housework and diaper changes
sometimes gets up in the middle of the night with me and Evie because I have to get up. Solidarity.
never complains and is always optimistic
loves us with his whole heart
has the best work ethic I have ever seen
always makes me laugh (and sometimes snort)
is always ready with a hug and encouraging words when I need it most*

To the man who is my eternal companion and my very best friend, you make me feel worthwhile. Thank you.

* I was feeling pretty discouraged last night and then this morning I found a letter he wrote to me last night before he got home, lying on the couch. Part of which said, "I don't think you realize who you are. You are a very talented, intelligent, and capable person... I don't know why you seem to doubt yourself but you're an amazing woman and I've seen you do amazing things in these past two years."

big surprise, I need help again

2011-09-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Evie will go down for naps just fine, but she won't stay asleep. She wakes up grumpy and tired but won't go back to sleep. She's down to 3 naps a day, but should we go down to 2? She gets so fussy before nap time, so I don't know what else to do but put her down for a nap. If she's tired, why won't she stay asleep? Any suggestions?

Holy mess

2011-09-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

That title is actually deceiving. There is nothing holy about this mess. And believe me when I tell you that my house IS A MESS, but I don't feel well and my baby is only 5 months old, so I think I deserve some leeway when it comes to being messy.

I am so tired, guys. So tired.

I ordered pizza for dinner. Sorry, honey, but this wife ain't cookin' tonight.

I can't wait until Friday because Dan promised to take me back to this Japanese place that we found last week.

BEST FOOD EVER

Seriously, everything there was divine and I couldn't be more excited.

We're going to buy Dan some crab traps and fishing gear and he is going to do some crabbing.

Nice.

So tired....

Pictures and Confessions

2011-09-09T10:37:00.000-07:00

Made grilled salmon for dinner the other night and thought it was pretty, so I took a picture.

Army strong!

My back hurts a lot today, so I let Evie fall asleep in her swing
Sometimes I accidentally nurse her to sleep, but I still let her.
I often let her watch TV with me when I'm too tired to do anything else
I have no idea what I'm doing being a parent. Can you tell?


She loves the sea lion we bought her at the aquarium

We still only have one car, so I haven't left the house since Monday. I may go insane.
Because of said insanity, I cut my own hair today. I gave myself bangs. Hopefully it doesn't look too hideous.
I make banana bread almost every week and more often than not, Dan doesn't get any.

Do you still want to be my friend?

10 things

2011-09-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY got Evie down for a nap and decided that I would go take a nice long shower. So, I was in my bathroom about to get IN the shower when I see him. The cockroach. Oh my gosh, EW! I thought at first he was dead and I was a little grossed out but I was going to take a shower anyway. And then he moved. So I sprayed him with hairspray and hit him with Dan's boot 3 times and the sucker wouldn't die! I screamed, shut the door, and took a shower in the guest bathroom. I figure we don't really need that bathroom anyway, right? His name is Ted and I've relinquished my bathroom to him.
I love obnoxious pop songs. The more obnoxious the song, the more I like it. Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Justin Bieber, Hanson, etc. Judge me if you want, but have you ever tried to clean your house to anything OTHER than a pop song? It's not nearly as fun. Plus, Dan hates it, which makes it that much more fun.
I also love movies. Good, bad, and in between.
Our lawn out front is, I swear, a foot long. We still haven't bought a lawn mower, so I'm waiting for the neighborhood committee to come to our door with pitchforks.
My house never feels clean enough. Baby stuff everywhere
Teething is the worst ever
Today is the first day in a month that I have been home alone taking care of Evie. So far so good. I just have to remember to relax a bit after doing things and try not to do too much.
I have to remind myself daily that Evelyn is worth not being able to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes. And, she absolutely is, but who doesn't want to improve themselves?
Dan took me on a date on Friday to a cinema cafe where we ate mediocre food and watched Cowboys and Aliens, which was pretty mediocre as well. We had a blast heckling to each other and swing dancing in the parking lot. I love that boy.
Dan watches terribly girly movies with me on a regular basis. He absolutely hates it, but he loves me so he does it anyway. Is he perfect or what?

2011-09-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

Is this not the cutest picture you've ever seen?

Grandma and Evie at the beach

She was fine with the water as long as she couldn't see the waves coming at her

We took a bus tour of the Norfolk Naval Base on Friday

Seriously impressive. The one on the left was made from the metal from the Twin Towers

The start of football season. Go BYU and K-STATE!!

teething

2011-09-01T18:34:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty positive that Evie has started teething already. She seems pretty miserable. Any ideas from you mommies out there?
I've tried those teething rings that you freeze and she hates the cold. It's actually pretty funny to put it in her mouth. Ever seen a baby with a lemon? It's like that.

What worked for you?

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

Well, she came went with very little inconvenience to us.
We were expecting the worst, so we stocked up on:
water
flashlights
batteries
canned food
diapers
and cash
But, turns out we didn't really need it.
We had a lot of rain and some pretty bad gusts of wind,
but honestly I'm not sure it was any worse than a Kansas thunderstorm
We stayed inside all day long and tried to entertain ourselves
as best we could.
Lots of movies
and books
games
and playing with Evie.

New brace

2011-08-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

I got a new brace last week! Remember that brace the ER gave me that made me look like a turtle? NO MORE! My new brace basically only has 3 pieces, it's super light, and almost not noticeable. So happy about it, let me tell you.

My dad left on Sunday and I was sad to see him go. He was such a huge help. My mother-in-law is flying in today, which means that yesterday and today I was all alone for the first time since my accident. I admit I was a little scared at first, but then I got kind of excited. I had missed Evie and I's one on one time. But then Evie decided to be extra fussy yesterday and never wanted to be put down. Maybe she missed me more than I thought. By the end of the day my back was killing me and I wasn't sure if I could do another day like that one, but she's been really great today and I will have help the rest of the week. I just pray that by the time Diane leaves I will be healed enough to take care of Evie without hurting myself too much.

Some things I've discovered about myself recently

2011-08-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

I love LOVE peanut butter and honey sandwiches. I've been eating them since I was really little and they never seem to get old.
I'm a control freak when it comes to certain things. Like driving, cooking and Evie
I hate asking for help
I don't like letting other people clean my house, but lately I have had to because I can't
I have no sense of style
and no clear vision for what my house should look like
I'm not very creative, but boy am I trying
I have a huge list of crafts I want to do but may never actually get around to doing
I am a compulsive list maker and day planner. Seriously, my planner is the most used thing in my purse. It's full of papers, lists, budgets, and remembrances that it's bursting.
I have been married over 2 years and still miss my husband during the day. I hope that never goes away.

Evie Lou

2011-08-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Is four months old now. Can I tell you a little bit about her?

She....
slobbers ALL THE TIME
and consequently must always wear a bib
loves to talk and gurgle
sleeps a solid 9 hours every night
looks cute in everything
smiles constantly
giggles
is now grabbing for things in front of her
and sticking them right in her mouth
flirts with all the boys
can roll over, though I haven't seen it first hand
loves her dad and laughs at him all day
has become fascinated with rubbing her head. Not sure what that's all about.
completes me. (reference?)

Evelyn and Calvyn

2011-08-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

So Lianne is here this week to help me out and we decided to take lots of pictures of our two little girls together. There are a lot of them, so I'm just going to post this one.

Side note: Look what I made today for Evie's bows. I'm actually pretty proud of it.

Evelyn giggles a lot now. It's so cute. We are completely addicted to it. I wish I could get her to laugh more, but man can Dan get that girl to laugh. She just thinks everything he does is hilarious.

Virginia Beach

2011-08-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

We took a leisurely stroll down Virginia Beach yesterday so that mom could say she saw it. We felt bad that she wasn't able to do anything fun while she was here because all she did was take care of me and Evie, so we took her to the beach!
There are sand crabs all over the beach and they are so much fun to watch. We also saw a dolphin, which was awesome, seagulls, and some pelicans!
Before you get upset though, Dan gave me permission to take my back brace off for pictures. I can walk around and stuff as long as I'm careful and go really slow, so I was able to enjoy myself.
In other news, I decided to stop taking the heavy pain meds so I could nurse Evie again because I miss that little stinker so much. Luckily my pain really isn't that bad anymore and can be managed with Ibuprofen.
Lianne is here now this week, and I'm hoping since I'm more mobile and not in as much pain that we will be able to do some fun things while she's here.
Pictures of Calvy and Evie together to come.

p.s. I just re-read this and realized how disjointed it all sounds and that most of the grammar isn't good, but I'm very groggy and tired. Please excuse the terrible writing.

robots and leggings

2011-08-03T11:04:00.001-07:00

to answer your question

2011-08-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

No, I was not holding Evelyn. Thank goodness. The thought of falling down the stairs with her gives me nightmares.

Because of the heavy duty pain meds I'm on I cannot nurse her right now. I'm super sad about it.

I am not allowed to lift anything, so I can't pick Evie up at all. This made me cry.

So, my mom picks her up and hands her to me and I get to feed her bottles. It's not as good, but it's something. This will be my life for about a month.

I miss my baby girl.

I fell

2011-07-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

I was going to write a post about how much fun we had yesterday at the Virginia Aquarium and show lots of pictures, but something a tad different happened yesterday that I thought I would write about instead.

Last night I fell down our stairs. Dan was downstairs with Evie and we were going to put her down for the night, so I went upstairs to get her binky. On my way down i slipped on the first step and fell the rest of the way down the stairs. Sad. Dan called an ambulance and I had to go to the hospital. All I knew at the time was that I was in an excruciating amount of pain, but I didn't black out and I could still feel my legs. They took some x-rays and FINALLY gave me some pain meds so I could start breathing normally again. In the end they told me that I have a compression fracture on my t7 vertebrae which is not life threatening and does not need surgery. It will just have to heal itself over time and I have to take it easy for a couple weeks. The doctor basically just said that it's going to hurt a lot until it gets better, so they gave me some pretty heavy pain medication to take, which doesn't completely alleviate the pain but it does make it manageable. So, my mom is flying out here tonight to help for a week because I can't do much to take care of Evie right now and Dan cant take any time off. We were supposed to give talks in church today but I managed to get out of that. Who knew that all I had to do was fall down the stairs. Dan had to call the bishopric this morning to tell them we couldn't make it and why and since then the ward members have been calling us and wanting to help out. The relief society president called this morning to see if there was anything she could do and now she's setting up people to bring us meals the rest of this week. One incredibly nice family brought us dinner tonight already and offered to babysit or drive me anywhere. We are so blessed. It's incredible how kind our ward has been already.

I will be relaxing and trying not to move too much for the next couple of weeks, so can you think of any things to do to keep me occupied in the meantime? Nothing that requires standing or walking.

pictures

2011-07-28T13:38:00.001-07:00

So I think Evie is finally through her growth spurt. She's been eating at normal times and taking normal naps, which makes my life SOOO much easier.

We went to Joe's Crab Shack last night for dinner. Isn't Dan cute in a bib?

I'm bored all the time so I have about a zillion pictures of Evie now. Too bad she isn't smiling in any of them. The camera mesmerizes her too much to smile. Se la vie.

Today...

2011-07-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen while listening to music and dancing
Evie sucked her fists and smiled while she watched
I made an egg sandwich for lunch and watched North and South
Evie chewed on her burp cloth
I started to do my hair and make-up
Evie threw a huge tantrum and went down for a nap
I checked my email
Evie woke up screaming, so I fed her again
Finished my hair
Evie threw another tantrum and went down for a nap. again.

Repeat:
30 min nap. Feeding.

Growth spurts suck.

Man, I'm bored

2011-07-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

Because Dan works on base and it's a 20 min drive (with no traffic) he has the car all day long. Which means that I am stuck at home. All. Day. Long. Last week I didn't leave the house for 4 days straight. I'm seriously going stir crazy. I would take Evie out for a walk, but it's been record high temperatures here this week and feels like walking into a sauna every time I go outside. No thank you. Today I did some online shopping and bought some new jeans and some new shirts. Ever since the babe was born I haven't really felt myself and I still can't wear most of my pre-pregnancy clothes. It is incredibly depressing. So, I thought I kind of deserved it since, you know, I gave birth to a baby and all. Dan won't mind. I hope. I plan on working out everyday, but then the day starts and before I know it it's over and I still haven't worked out at all. Where did the day go? Hopefully Evie and I can find something interesting to do today besides watching Netflix. Any suggestions?

Evie Lou's Room

2011-07-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

sorry these are fuzzy. They were taken with my phone.

Our House

2011-07-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

We love our home. I am decorating and furnishing one room at a time. Evie's room is all done so I'll put pictures up of her room soon. Yay a nursery!

Are you comfortable? You should get comfortable.

2011-07-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

Cause this post may be really long.

All our household goods came on Thursday and we have almost everything unpacked now. It's been really funny to see all of our stuff spread out in a 4 bedroom house. We moved from a tiny 1 bedroom apartment to this house, so you can imagine that we really don't have a whole lot of furniture. Because of this, our house still feels and looks a little empty even though all of the things we own are now in it. Ha! Our plan is to do one pay check at a time and one room at a time. Hopefully we'll have it all done before people come to visit us.

PLEASE come visit us!

Little Evie is doing soooo much better. She plays and smiles all day long. Last night she slept through the night. Yay! We rejoiced. Actually, I woke up at 4am even though she didn't because apparently now I'M stuck on that routine. Typical.

I've been sick lately which has been a huge bummer, but I'm feeling better today. However, I did loose my voice. I had a sore throat and now I have no voice. Has that ever happened to you? It's kinda funny.

There are about a million things we want to do here in Virginia and hopefully we'll be able to start doing them soon.

Are you going to go see the new Harry Potter movie? I'm soooo excited! Dan promised to take me and hopefully we can get a babysitter. Last one folks! Jump on board the train.

Dan starts work on Friday, which coincidentally is the day he gets paid, so there goes all my hopes of going shopping. Oh well. We'll have to go sometime when he gets home. We need to get a washer/dryer, a lawnmower, a TV, and a crib mattress. Anyone have any of these that they don't want?

Today we are going to a laundromat to do laundry and will maybe wander around some stores wishing we were able to buy things. Right now we're still using Barnes and Noble as our sole source of internet, so if you would like to talk to me, PLEASE call!

Love you all.

Barnes and Noble

2011-07-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

That is where I am right now. We don't have internet at our house yet, so we came here to quickly use their internet.

Here is a quick update:
We moved into our new house on Friday and it is beautiful! I wish I had pictures to show, but I don't yet. However, all of our household goods are still in Kansas. Yeah... Luckily for us, our neighbors and the ward members here have been amazing. Because of all of their kindness we have something to sleep on, towels, soap, a baby swing, a baby bouncer, a pack and play, a microwave, and some movies to watch. Seriously, their generosity knows no bounds. We had to make a list of what belongs to who so we can return it to the right people. We have been so blessed.

Here's hoping our things come soon and that our internet gets going even sooner!

my 24th birthday

2011-06-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday. The big 2-4. I actually forgot it was my birthday until I got a text from one of my friends this morning. Dan forgot too. Before you get too upset, just know that we have been insanely busy trying to get everything done with paperwork and stuff. The Army requires a ridiculous amount of things from you when you move to a new place. We signed the lease on our house this morning, so happy birthday to me! Maybe next week Dan and I will celebrate, but even if we don't it's not a big deal. Birthdays just aren't as big a deal as they used to be once you have a baby. Her birthdays are way more special.

Here's a depressing/funny story for you:
Right now we're staying on base in a navy hotel and every time we've left the base Dan has been with me. Well, yesterday I decided to go pick up some food from Domino's and left Dan in the hotel room. When I tried to get back on base with just my driver's license they were absolutely shocked. He asked me if I had anything else to show him besides my DL, which confused me, and I said no. Apparently I need a dependent ID. What? So, he wouldn't let me on the base and instead sent me to the pass office. So, I can't get on the base without Dan, I can't get a dependent ID without Dan, and I was just stuck unable to get home. Every person I talked to just said the same thing, that I need a dependent ID, I kept replying that I understand that, but my husband is in the hotel room on base, which I can't get to, and so he can't come get me or help me out. If they could just let me on base I could go get him and show that he is in the Army, but no. I was stranded for about an hour until a lady (after laughing for quite a while at my predicament) took pity on me and gave me a temporary visitor's pass. Hallelujah. Apparently if your husband is in the military you can't do anything without him. You don't matter. You're nothing. Period. Stupid Army.

some thoughts on moving

2011-06-28T09:19:00.001-07:00

i miss my friends
i miss my mom
i am sooo happy to have Dan around again
thank goodness I have Dan or this would be a whole lot harder
the East coast isn't exactly what I had imagined
but, i love being able to see the Ocean
i'm making a list of all the things we need to see and do while we're here
it's really long
poor Evie is exhausted from being dragged around on all our errands
but, we have to constantly be doing things because moving is a lot of work
i cannot wait to decorate our house
i also cannot wait for Evie Lou to have her own room!
i am incredibly bored because Dan is at work right now
Dan looks really good in his uniform
nice ;)
Evie is no longer sleeping through the night
what happened?
i sure hope i learn to love Virginia as much as i loved Kansas
we move into our house on Friday
yay!!!
Dan promised to see the new Harry Potter movie with me
since I have no friends or family around
and I may have cried a little bit about that
he said that I always have him
and that he is my go-to guy

how did I get so lucky?
as long as I have that amazing man
and my sweet Evie girl
everything will be fine.
right?

our trip East

2011-06-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

good-bye Kansas

Mississippi river

tuckered out

Atlantic ocean

heading towards the tunnel that goes THROUGH the ocean

in the tunnel

driving on the ocean. how often do you see that?

Virginia is for Us.

Manhappenin

2011-06-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

We left Manhattan, KS on Wednesday.
Manhattan was...

our home for five years
the place we met and fell in love
where Evie was born
where our very best friends live
where we both got our degrees (my BA and his DVM)
the best time of our lives... so far

We will truly miss you, Kansas. Thanks for everything.

my life, as of late

2011-06-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

bought evie a little play gym. she loves it
dan comes home on Tuesday!
the movers came yesterday and now our apartment is completely empty
it made me cry to see our apartment empty
hanging out with my dad cause my mom is still in Dallas with Lianne
AND...

baby Calvyn was born last Saturday

she tucked her legs into her shirt. haha.

my husband is the best. and i'll tell you why

2011-06-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those days where you're more thankful for your spouse than other days? I had one of those days today. Even though Dan isn't here, I still feel his love and support all the time. He calls me every time they get a 15 minute break in between lectures, he makes sure that we read scriptures and say prayers over the phone every night, and he is always willing to listen to me whine and give me advice.

I went over to a friend's house tonight to have dinner and to say goodbye since we're leaving and it just made me realize even more how lucky I am to have a man like mine. He is so helpful with Evie and everything else around the house that it never feels like that's "mine" and working is "his", but that we're partners in everything. He is optimistic, handsome, charming, incredibly funny, and smart as all get out. How did I get so lucky? I get to see him in 6 days. I'm starting to count down the hours (almost).

Miracle

2011-06-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

Does this look like a miracle to you? No? Well then let me enlighten you as to why it is, in fact, a miracle.

I laid Evie down on the couch for a second so I could run to the bathroom, and when I got back she was asleep. No binkie required. No rocking required. No coaxing of any sort. This baby is becoming a very easy child. Thank heavens for acid reflux medicine. She did this whole "going to bed by herself" thing last night, too. Have I mentioned how much I love my doctor lately? He never gave up on her by just saying it's colic and moving on, but instead he diligently searched for an answer.

P.S. Lianne is in labor!!!! Soon we'll be welcoming a new baby girl into the Nelson family!!

eventful car ride home

2011-06-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to go back to Wichita because I am exhausted and could use the help. So, Evie and I packed up our things (okay, I did) and started on our merry way. Evie usually does really well in the car. She'll fall asleep and stay that way the whole time. Imagine my surprise when an hour into the drive she wakes up screaming and crying so hard that her face is red and real tears are on her cheeks. Heart breaking. So I pull over to see what is going on. I begin to take her out of her car seat and accidentally bump her head on the car seat handle and she starts crying even harder. So sad. I started cuddling her to try and make her feel better and apologized over and over again as she bawled into my chest, and then it happened. All the sudden I felt wet and I look down to see what was going on because I don't usually just feel wet for no reason. I can't even remember the last time I wet my pants. Lo and behold, my little girl had peed all over me. Somehow it had gone up and over her diaper and onto my shirt, but it also went down her leg and onto my pants. Pretty impressive actually because you would think gravity would keep it from traveling up and over, but my baby is Houdini. I immediately grab my diaper bag and begin to change her diaper in my lap in the back of my car. What else could I do? Little miss has left me yet another present because she loves me so much. Come to find out Evie had pooped through her diaper and all of her clothes. No wonder the pee had no where to go. There was poop everywhere. (if you're getting uncomfortable because of all the potty talk, I apologize. please stop reading) I went through all the wipes in my diaper case and tried to clean her up as best I could, but she had somehow managed to get it on her tummy, back, legs and arms. Seriously, she's magic. After I got her somewhat clean, I had to decide what to do with that epic diaper. There was no trash can in sight and I couldn't very well leave it in the car because it's an incredibly poopy diaper that would just get my car poopy too. So, I am ashamed to admit, I left it on the side of the road. I in no way encourage littering and I never litter, ever, but what else could I do? Sorry world, but I had no choice. By this point little girl had stopped crying a little, but she was still very upset so I went ahead and fed her. In the back of my car. On the side of the road. Yeah, I'm that awesome. After she was changed and fed she seemed to be much happier so i turned my attention to me. After this ordeal I was covered in pee and poop. Really, really gross. I unzipped my suitcase as much as I could and grabbed the first things I found, which happened to be my pink sweats and black tank, and that folks is what I have been wearing since. Yes, it was immodest and yes, it wasn't matching or at all flattering, but it was clean. Sue me. Needless to say, that was the most eventful car ride of my life. And the most disgusting. I've been cuddling with her since we got to my parents house because I still feel so bad that she had to go through that. You would never think that going to the bathroom would be traumatic, but when you're 2 months old it sure seems to be.

two months

2011-06-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

you're two months old and you...

have a huge head. 90th percentile.
weigh over 10lbs
take 3 good naps a day
smile constantly
love to be swaddled
hate being alone
can only sleep on your side or tummy
have abandoned your cradle for your bouncer
make me laugh
have taught me patience and endurance
sleep through the night
are too long to wear newborn onesies anymore
love your binky
are exceptional in every way

Near the end of my pregnancy people were always saying things like, "enjoy this time now because everything is going to change", or "get some sleep now because you won't once the baby is born", and my favorite, "once that baby is here you two won't have any time together, so enjoy it while it lasts". Well sweetie, I have to say that I 100% disagree with all of this. I'm glad everything changed. I love my life the way it is. I didn't sleep at all near the end of my pregnancy because I was so uncomfortable, so it's not like I get any less sleep now. In fact, I think I actually get more now. I thought I loved your dad before, but it's nothing compared to how much I love him now. From the moment he held you in his arms, he was wrapped around your finger. You have made us love each other more and made our marriage even better. I love my little 2 month old girl. I have never been more tired, frustrated, or busy in my life, but I wouldn't change a thing.

you're two months old and I adore everything about you. Thank you for coming into my life and making me realize how much I was missing.

hallelujah

2011-06-03T18:28:00.001-07:00

you guys, my baby takes naps.

not only does she take naps, but she also doesn't cry all day long anymore.
she still fusses occasionally, but who doesn't?
i'm in heaven.

also, she sleeps 7 hours at a time at night and smiles constantly.

i knew that baby was in there somewhere.

i feel like i should send her doctor a pony.
or some chocolate.
or a million dollars.

Baby Update

2011-06-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

Evie and I went to the doctor yesterday for her 2 month check up and she cried the entire time we were there. This is kind of a big deal because every other time I've gone there, complaining about her crying all day long, she doesn't cry AT ALL. Seriously little girl? So, I don't think they believed me about her being fussy, but they sure saw it yesterday. To add some insult to injury, she had to get her 2 month shots. Poor thing. She cried so hard her face turned red and she could hardly breathe. I felt so bad for her! So, I spent the majority of last night cuddling with my little girl trying to make her feel better. I asked the doctor while we were there what else we could do about her being fussy because he and I are both completely at a loss as to why she cries all the time. He said he doesn't think she's colicky because she sleeps fine at night, so he gave us a new prescription for a different acid blocker that's a lot more intense than the Zantac stuff. I gave it to her this morning, so we'll see how today goes and whether this will work or not. Fingers crossed! Honestly, if this doesn't work then I just have no idea what else to do. I don't eat dairy, spicy food, caffeine, or chocolate anymore. Cutting diet Dr. Pepper and chocolate out of my diet is heart breaking, but what can you do? Even without all these things, she's still fussy, which makes me think it isn't me.

We're back in Manhattan for right now because I have to start packing and throwing things out, then after that comes the epic cleaning. I am glad to be home because I sure missed my bed and Evie really missed her swing. Seriously, that thing has been a life saver. She can sit in there and swing, watching the mobile and listening to the music for a solid hour. Yay! Constant motion folks, that's the key.

So, here's hoping the new medicine works and that I can get everything packed before we move in 2 weeks.

help me please

2011-05-31T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hello all you mothers out there.
Question:
My baby cries pretty much all the time. I have tried Mylicon, Gripe Water, Pedialyte, and baby Zantac, but still she cries for the majority of the day. She has some times of pleasantness that last like 15min at a time, but then she all the sudden freaks out and starts crying again. I'm out of ideas. Help!

bad news bears

2011-05-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

Found out that the Army has hosed us...again
apparently they typed the wrong report date on Dan's orders
so we actually report to Norfolk at the end of June. Not August
which means we don't get to spend the 4th of July with my family
or see Dave before he goes on his mission
or go to the cabin
or have any kind of vacation before we leave.
It also means that we only have a few weeks to get everything ready to move
and Dan is still in San Antonio
so this responsibility falls solely on my shoulders.
what joy is mine.
I'm in Wichita now with my parents,
but now I need to go back to Manhattan and pack things we'll need right away
decide what things to throw out and what to keep
and pack all our valuables.
Hopefully Dan can get our travel arrangements made so the Army will pack and ship our stuff
but who knows.
We still don't have a place to live, so here's hoping we find something.

You guys, this sucks. We're stressed.

Haven't Updated in a While-- this is a long one

2011-05-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

Dan is in San Antonio, so I have been really busy... and really bored. I'll explain:
-Dan is my best friend, so when he's gone I don't have anyone to talk to or play with=bored
-Also when he's gone, I'm a single parent. And, let me tell you, it's hard=busy
-Doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day now that Evelyn is here and I'm alone=busy
-Because I'm alone with a new baby, I drove to Wichita and am spending some time with my parents, which is great because then I get to have some breaks from baby duty
-However, the down side to this is that there is nothing to do=bored

But, mostly I'm just trying to keep up with my little girl. Some days are better than others. On the good days she smiles and has pleasant play times before her naps, but the bad days are horrific. Those are the days that she's fussy ALL DAY LONG. Those are also the days that I pray for someone to come home soon so I can go for a drive or run some errands by myself. It's amazing the tole a day of crying can take on you. But, she's mostly good now that she has her acid reflux medicine. I spend my days holding Evelyn, watching movies, and reading books. Exciting right?

Random thought:
Today we have had exceptionally bad weather. They have been threatening us with tornadoes, floods, and thunderstorms all day long. Usually, this would scare me to death and send me running to the basement for the duration of the day, but today was different. The weather did make me extremely nervous because I have a crippling fear of tornadoes, but I found that most of my thoughts were about my little girl instead of being afraid for me. I kept thinking of the things I could grab for her in a moments notice, like blankets and my diaper bag, and what I would do if a tornado came our way; roll into a ball with her in the middle, in case you were wondering. My mom and dad wanted to hold her, but I found that I wasn't comfortable unless I was holding her and I would just hover in their general area until they gave her back. I have never felt so protective of anyone or anything is my whole life and the sensation took me completely by surprise. Do you ever get used to that? I love that little girl more than life itself and I would do anything to keep her safe. It's quite overwhelming. Thank you, tornadoes, for making me realize yet again how much this little one means to me.

Great Weekend

2011-05-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend:

Dan graduated from Vet School! These four years have been really tough on us both, but especially on him, so we're ecstatic that he's done.
Dan's parents came into town
as did mine, for graduation
we all went out to dinner
Evie got a lot of attention. There were days when I barely got to hold her at all, and I missed her
Our little Evelyn Louisa was blessed by her daddy and both grandpas
And, Dan and I got to go on a date, without the squidge.

Dr, Daniel Christensen

Evie right before her blessing. She's wearing the same dress I wore for my blessing. Pretty special.

Pretty amazing.

However, Dan left today for San Antonio and Evie and I won't see him for 5 weeks. :(
We are really going to miss him. Mostly me, but I'm sure she will too.

My angel

2011-05-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Evie is a month old now and we've both learned a lot.
I know just how to comfort her when she cries
and what different cries mean.
she is now successfully on a schedule, which means we're both happier
she is also now on acid reflux medicine, so she doesn't cry all the time anymore
I consistently get around 7 hrs of sleep a night.
she's learned that her favorite place to be is on me
which, I confess, is my favorite as well.
she'll fall asleep very quickly if I hold her tight to me
and then we cuddle before I put her down for a nap
she loves being outside
and goes on walks with Dan every day.
we can't imagine life without our Evie
even if life with her is more complicated.

mother's day

2011-05-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

I love my mom
and, I love being a mom

Mother's day is pretty great

Things to love today

2011-05-05T18:54:00.001-07:00

Last night was really rotten and I didn't get much sleep, so to cheer myself up, here is a list of things I love today:

Bavarian danishes
kettle cooked chips
comfy yoga pants
Dr. Duff
children's Zantac
Brandon Sanderson -- look him up. You won't be disappointed
peanut M&M's
a husband who comes home and lets me take a nap
Sara Lee honey-wheat bread
peanut butter

It's not a coincidence that most of the things on this list are food. I'm hungry all the time and food is really yummy. :)

Still Alive

2011-05-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

It occurs to me that all of my posts recently have been about Evelyn. Of course, she is the most exciting thing going on in our lives right now, so it's no wonder they have all been about her. But, I thought I would give everyone a quick update on Britany and Dan as well, seeing as this is our blog.

Britany

spends all day hanging with Evie
made a book list and is hoping to actually read the books on the list
has finished all of Grey's Anatomy and Gilmore Girls. Again.
(watched said shows while nursing)
has now moved onto Numb3rs
desperately wants a Nook
loves being a stay at home mom
hasn't touched a blow dryer in months. who has the time?
got 9 hours of sleep last night. :)

Dan

is in his last week of Vet School!
and couldn't be more excited
last rotation is Cardiology, and so far it's been breezy.
FINALLY got the official orders from Army
and is expected to report to Norfolk, VA on August 26
has all kinds of great ideas as to how to dispose of his pager after graduation
a blow torch was mentioned
graduates on May 13
leaves for training in San Antonio on May 17
parent's will be here on the 12th for graduation
and so, Evie will be blessed on the 15th while they're here
is planning a two week trip to Utah for the end of July and beginning of August
cause lil bro is going into the MTC and, hello, the CABIN!!!,
before heading to Virginia.
will officially be a Captain in Army on the 17th, which means real money
which means all kinds of happiness.

Wow, Dan had way more updates than me. He leads an exciting life that one.

Unpredictable

2011-05-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

This little girl is completely unpredictable.
I have been trying like a mad person to get her on a schedule so she knows when she is supposed to sleep, eat, be awake, and such, but to no avail.
She's been waking up at 7am every morning the past couple of days, which was the goal, but as far as consistency goes, that's it.
Our first feeding of the day is pretty regular, 7, but after that it's complete chaos! Sometimes she wants to eat an hour and half later, sometimes two and a half, and sometimes not at all. What the heck little girl?
Today she had several half hour naps, followed by crying, and two hour and half naps.
Seriously. Unpredictable. She makes it impossible to predict when she is going to eat, which in turn makes my day impossible to predict.
I'm hoping this calms down soon, but in the meantime, any suggestions?

p.s. She has been such a champ at night lately. I think I average 6-7 hrs a night, which is unheard of for a newborn, right? It's just during the day that she's weird. Help!

What I've learned so far

2011-04-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

it takes a lot of patience to breast feed
the first week of a baby's life is a constant battle to keep them awake
it takes forever to get your baby on a schedule
still haven't mastered that one
Evelyn won't go down for naps when I lay her in her bassinet
she will only fall asleep if I'm holding her to my chest
not sure how this happened because I put her down every chance I get
she is incredibly cuddly and needy
which, I confess, I kind of like
so, I'm working on putting her down for naps without cuddling first
it's not going so great
Evelyn will fall asleep in her car seat as soon as you pick it up
so I made an impromptu trip to the grocery store today just so she would fall asleep
not sure if this makes me a bad mom or not
I could eat all day long and still be hungry
in fact, I do eat all day long
and I'm hungry right now
I have the best husband in the entire world
and Evie couldn't ask for a better dad
I can't imagine my life without this little one in it anymore
because she is my world

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

Today

2011-04-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

Evelyn went right back to sleep after her middle of the night feedings. Yay!
She also didn't want to stay up past 11pm. Another BIG yay!
As a result, I got about 6 hours of sleep. Hallelujah.
She did a little better with her afternoon naps
but, not by a lot
of course she is a perfect angel once Dan gets home
show off
I was able to clean a little today
put all my maternity cloths in a bin under the bed
and got out all of my non-maternity stuff
folded the laundry that has been sitting in our closet for weeks
made dinner
straightened up the living room and kitchen
and watched Arrested Development with the Hubby

All-in-all, it was a MUCH better day. I hope tomorrow goes as smoothly.

Lately

2011-04-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

Dan bought me flowers, lillies, just because.
It made me cry a little

My mom left
This also made me cry a little. Okay, a lot.

Evelyn is slowly getting better at eating
she has also decided that being fussy from 11pm-1am is a good idea
this makes for a couple of very exhausted parents
the last couple of days she has also been extremely fussy in the afternoon
and refused to take any naps in between feedings
which makes for a very exhausted and frustrated me
It brought me to tears today
there are burp cloths strewn all over our apartment
as well as bottles
and blankets
the mess is driving me a little crazy, but who has the time to clean?
especially when your baby won't nap
I don't think I have ever been more worn down and frustrated in my life
But, I've also never been more happy and content
her little face makes even the worse moments worth it

I love what being a Dad has done to Dan. He is such a natural. I wish everyone in the world could see him in action because it's adorable. Last night when I couldn't get Evie to settle down for about an hour and a half, I finally just broke down crying and woke Dan up. He simply got up, took her from me, held her for a little while and she fell right to sleep. She loves her daddy. It's not like I hadn't been holding and rocking her the entire time. So unfair, but somehow I don't care all that much because at least she finally went to sleep. Being a parent is really hard, but I am loving it and so is Dan. We're exhausted and a little overwhelmed but extremely happy to have this little angel in our lives.

pucker up

2011-04-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

Evelyn does this face. A lot. I like to say she's just practicing for when she starts dating.

People have been asking me where we got her name from, so I'll explain. I have wanted to name my daughter Evelyn for as long as I can remember. I have just always loved that name. It just so happens that it is also my grandma Nelson's middle name. The name Louisa comes from my great grandma Bluhm, who had a lot of middle names, so we named Evie after her. We thought that would be kind of special for her later on. So, there ya go!

Little Girl

2011-04-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

Evelyn has dimples.
She also has her dad's dark hair.
When they delivered her and started doing all those tests on her, she didn't cry. Not once.
At one point she did look at the nurse like, "wth?" but that was it.
She loves to eat her hands. Especially when I am trying to feed her.
So I have to pry her hands away from her face.
She poops frequently. I'm not sure if this is an over share, but we are quite proud. Doing something right
She takes up the majority of the apartment with all of her stuff.
I'm totally okay with that.
My mom is here this week to help out, so I have actually been able to shower
Dan had to go back to his internship this morning, but they let him leave early
He is totally smitten.
And, so am I.

Evelyn Louisa

2011-04-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

Extremely miserable. Extreme. They had to poke me 4 times to find a good place for my IV
FOUR times.
+ contractions= misery
I almost passed out from all the pain :(
BUT I didn't

After the epidural. Bliss

She just came right out. I think I only pushed 4-6 times
Bless her

Finally getting to hold her

proud daddy

Itty bitty girl in a big seat

Precious

Given loves by Grandma

We're already so obsessed with her and so in love. The Christensens are a happy bunch

Happy

2011-04-02T05:57:00.001-07:00

Some things that have made me a happy girl the last couple of days:

There are very few things, in my opinion, as satisfying as crossing things off a list.

Our pantry is full

Eating taco salad for dinner. Yum.
(Dan was unsure as to why I wanted to take a picture of him eating, so he wouldn't cooperate)

Yay! It's not cereal! We were running REALLY low on groceries and may or may not have been eating just cereal the past couple of days.

It really is the little things in life that make it worthwhile.

Also, General Conference was this weekend. How amazing is it that we can relax in our own homes and listen to the prophet and apostles? So blessed.

Jealousy

2011-03-31T15:13:00.001-07:00

I've been looking at pictures of my friends' houses on their blogs (that's you Jess and Kathleen) and I am seriously jealous! I cannot wait to have a real house and an actual nursery. I have so much cute stuff to decorate my baby's room with, but no where to put it, so right now it's just sitting in a box. Sniff. I can't wait to decorate my own home the way that I want to and to be able to actually paint the walls! Oh, to not have white walls, that will be the day. I guess what I am saying is this; as much as it will pain us to leave our lovely Manhattan, I couldn't be more excited to get to Virginia and be able to have more room and decorate my own home! (It won't really be ours, we'll just rent, but you get the gist)

Soooooo jealous! I can't wait to have a nursery.... sigh...

BUT, for now we are making the best of what we have. We really do LOVE our little apartment and will miss it a lot when we move as well, but since our family is expanding so is my need for more space and more freedom to decorate. That is all. Sorry this was such a rant fest.

no good, rotten, very bad day

2011-03-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I went to the doctor today and he checked me out. Nothing. Apparently I'm not even close, so thanks for all the pointers for trying to induce, and we did try a few, but looks like she isn't ready yet.

So, to cheer me up, Dan and I rented Megamind and ordered a pizza and are spending the evening in. Love my man. Funny movie. Good food. Not a bad end to the day.

Great Expectations

2011-03-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

So, turns out Dan has this whole week off. This was just about the best surprise we could have gotten, and he is really enjoying himself. Because he has this week off I am doing everything I can think of to speed this little lady's coming as much as possible. There is no guarantee that if she comes after this week that Dan will get any time off to see her. Thank you Vet School. So, any old wives tales about inducing labor you wanna share with me would be much appreciated. I'll try almost anything, but I draw the line at eating weird things. No thanks.

Our crib got delivered today. Unfortunately, it was the wrong crib. Womp womp. So, we had to call them so they could come pick up this giant box and send us the right one. We'll probably get the real deal in a week or so, but it's no biggie since we were just going to leave it in the box anyways. (Easier to move to Virginia that way)

Dan got a call from an Army guy this afternoon saying that he has a hard copy of his orders! Yay! Dan will meet with him on Thursday and get his orders, so then we'll actually know WHEN we're leaving and be able to apply for housing, moving, etc. Exciting news!

Here's hoping baby comes tonight!

About Nothing

2011-03-25T10:09:00.001-07:00

I am obsessed with the way my bed looks when it's made

Unfortunately, it's hardly ever made
Because I'm always in it

I am now 37 weeks and would love it if this little girl came early

In other news:
I am now wearing my wedding ring around my neck
because I'm terrified that eventually I won't be able to take it off

There is nothing else in this apartment to clean or organize
and I'm bored

p.s. Remember those straight AE jeans I wore almost everyday?
I miss them
A lot
I also miss being able to wear a skirt
those were the good 'ole days...
However, I do LOVE my maternity dresses
I'll probably miss them

Hobbies: Revisited

2011-03-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

Banana Bread. Yum.
Not Pictured: all different kinds of cookies that Dan devoured
very quickly

Baby rag quilt

Other quilt. This one isn't quite finished. It still needs a border

Eventual burp rags. Not quite finished yet

Dear Baby

2011-03-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

I don't wanna force you into this crazy world before you're ready, but I am quite ready to meet you. Pregnancy has been great, up until about 2 weeks ago. I used to love your kicks and movements and would watch with great interest to see where you were going and how your body was positioned. But now, it's so crammed in there that your movements usually hurt or just make me incredibly uncomfortable. It's not your fault that you're like a genie in a tiny lamp, but know that there is a lot more room out here in the world just waiting for you to explore. Also, your tiny self is making it impossible for me to sleep through the night and pregnancy is amplifying my allergy symptoms to the point that I can't go outside at all. So, I guess I am trying to persuade you to come as early as possible. I am no longer terrified about birth or being a good mother, as I am more focused on just not wanting to be pregnant anymore. I want to hold you, kiss you, and cuddle you. I want to lay on my back and wear normal clothes. I already love you so much, little girl, but you're making life a little difficult lately. Please come out soon.

-Love,
Mom

2011-03-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

BYU won!!!!! By 22!!!!!!! They have to keep winning, cause I'm only about half way done with my bucket of cheeseballs. Britany and I ate at a fancy restaurant for our anniversary, and man were we out of our league. Whenever I eat at a place like that, I always feel like everyone around us knows that we don't belong and at any moment our waiter will make us stand up and escort us to the peasant table. Britany is about ready to pop. She says that women have a hormone that makes them forget all the pains they go through during pregnancy, so they don't hesitate to have more kids later on. I'm assuming the men are just supposed to keep their mouths shut, right? I sure as heck won't forget. I wonder if I'll feel guilty when she gets pregnant again? Probably not. Little Evelyn already has more clothes, furniture, and toys than I do. It just dawned on me that I'm about to be outnumbered by the women in my own home! I need to go buy a violent video game or something to restore the balance. Or a pot-bellied pig named Grumkins.

Solution

2011-03-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your helpful comments! I definitely needed them. Getting organized and ready for baby is a little more stressful than I thought it would be. But, here's what I did:

Nursing station. AKA "my happy place"
Notice the picture on the wall. It's an original Walt Disney painting that my mother-in-law sent for her grandbaby
This is as close to a nursery as we're getting right now
Bought the plastic drawer thing so all the stuff for nursing is right there

Bought a storage chest to go in the living room
It's full of all the stuff for Evelyn we don't have a place for yet because she doesn't have a room
Also, it kind of hides the pack-n-play
Once she's born, the bouncer will find a more permanent home in the living room
But, for now it's out of the way

Moved all of our clothes out of the dresser and instead put all our stuff in these storage bins
and that hanging shelf
So, now she has the dresser for all her clothes and accessories

we were already storing all our un-needed clothing in containers under the bed
so, I just went and bought some more and added to the mess

So, there's a place for almost everything now and I am able to breathe a little easier. I just cannot wait for her to get here!

Problem

2011-03-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

Our apartment is small
like really small
And right now we're finally getting all the things we need for baby
Which makes our kitchen/living room look like this

What should I do?
I have no idea where to put all these things
and how do I make a place for my little Evelyn when space is so limited?
Help!

Shower the Baby

2011-03-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

Abby was my little helper. She gave me presents and helped me open them

Little tutu made by Katie. Thnks!

K-state piggy bank with her name on it. :)

Yesterday my visiting teachers put together a baby shower for me and it was a lot of fun. My ward is chock full of incredibly talented and generous people, so little Evelyn got a lot of unique, home made things that I am incredibly excited about. These are just a few pictures cause I didn't want to overwhelm everyone with pictures of just me opening presents.
After my shower my mom and I went to lunch and then headed over to the Little Britches Consignment sale where we found a lot of really great things. Mostly mom found a lot of things, but I got some infant toys and a crib bumper. Three of the ladies in my ward who are super talented were there selling their merchandise as well, so it was a lot of fun to look at all their amazing stuff. Jenna Ratcliffe makes these amazing aprons and nursing covers, so if you're interested in something like that, let me know and I'll have her email you. Also, you should check out Bellagirl Boutique and Sarahsassafras for one of the kind bows, clothes, wipes cases, and bow holders. SOO cute! Sarah Smith and Rachel Bittle were kind enough to give me some free bows and a diaper wipes case for free as a gift for my shower. Seriously, this little girl is going to look so adorable. Overall, it was a really great day and thanks to everyone's incredible generosity, we have almost everything me need now.

Easter bow, green and brown bow, and pink and blue felt bow made by Sarah Smith
White bow with headband, pink flowers, and multi-color bow made by Rachel Bittle

Diaper Wipes Case made by Sarah Smith

35 weeks

Today I cried

2011-03-09T18:11:00.001-08:00

Because Dan started talking about all the things he can't wait to do with Evelyn
Like taking her to the zoo
and teaching her to fight with a sword
(we'll cross that bridge when we get there)
And then he just sat and talked to my tummy for a little while
and told her how much he loves his little sweetie
and can't wait for her to come along and meet him

And I cried a little because it was so sweet.
He is going to be an amazing daddy.

Hobbies

2011-03-08T09:55:00.001-08:00

I have decided that I am tired of spending my days cleaning, running errands, and watching TV. So, I decided to get some hobbies. Sewing has always been something that I have wanted to do because it can be so beneficial with kids and things and it's also a lot of fun. My mom taught me how to sew when I was younger, but that was a really long time ago and I have forgotten almost everything. Regardless, last week I made up my mind that I would take up sewing as a hobby. Problem: I didn't have a sewing machine or any sewing supplies.
Solution: I went out and bought a sewing machine (with Dan's permission of course), a rotary cutter and board, and some thread.
Since then I have been working on 2 different baby blankets. One is a quilt (which is sooo much harder than my mom made it look) and the other is a baby rag quilt. Baby rag quilts are really cute and also pretty easy, so that's going pretty well. As soon as they're done, I'll post some pictures.

I've also decided to do more baking. I've always loved to cook and bake, but I hardly ever do it, so now is the time. Hobby number 2: baking. Yesterday I made banana bread and it was delicious. Today I am going to make Almond Peach bread, Orange cranberry brunch rolls, and no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies. Before you say, whoa slow down killer, most of these things will be for the relief society activity tonight that I am SUPER excited about. I seriously love our relief society and our activities are always so fun. So, wish me luck! I'm off to buy some baking supplies and some fabric. Hobbies here I come!

Lately

2011-03-04T07:12:00.000-08:00

Dan has been working non stop and always comes home smelling like cows
According to my doctor this little girl and I are perfect, which is a pretty cool compliment
I feel like a whale
We bought a stroller/car seat combo that I'm super excited about. Eddie Bauer baby!
We also bought a breast pump for me
My stress level has decreased slightly because of these purchases
I went with my friend Katee to buy fabric for some baby blankets
SUPER excited about how they're going to look
This little girl is going to be swaddled in home-made bliss
Seriously
Our apartment has never been cleaner
I spent a fortune at Target buying organizational things and now our closet looks immaculate
Put all the baby clothes in the dresser in preparation for her coming
Threw away a lot of stuff that I don't want to move with us
I have been watching Gossip Girl
Don't judge, I needed some drama and something to do
I am slightly ashamed to say that I am in love with Chuck
I'm kind of loving my new calling-- Visiting teaching supervisor
Didn't think that would happen to be honest
I'm getting more and more excited to hold this little one
When I'm not cleaning, I'm bored out of my mind
I always look forward to Dan coming home

Welcome to my life. Isn't it great?