Don't judge me, but...

I am waaaaay behind on posting pictures of my kiddos! With my postpartum and Paige's colic/reflux, and Bryce's terrible twos, and the business...well it's not a great excuse, but it kept me away from pics. It is easier for me, I guess to write about my life than to dig out my camera, remember how to download pics, and post them!

Anyway, I'm going to play catch up here, mostly for the sake of the grandparents, and the thought that one day, I'll have this blog printed onto a book for our family. So here goes the last 4 months of our life in fast forward!


Bryce at his 2nd birthday with the ragtop hair do - I miss his cute long hair!





Paige at one-week-old with her great-grandmother, Mary Jarvis. And yes, she is smiling :)







Bryce's first day of montessori preschool, August 17, 2009



Paige's baby blessing day - September 6, 2009






Our little outing to the temple on general conference weekend. Yeah, I know it's crooked. We didn't take the picture, can't you tell? :)

I promise I will do better! Well, I can't guarantee it, but I know I'll try :)

Albert Eistein once said...

“I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent; curiosity, obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my ideas.”

So most of you who know me well know that I am an all-or-nothing person. I am always 100-110% about anything I do...nutrition/health, joining the LDS church, running (when I wasn't injured), yoga, babies (the science of breastfeeding specifically), and U2 (mostly a teen/early adulthood obsession, but I am going to their concert!), and other naturalistic granola-child things. Whatever it is that I'm obsessed about, I learn everything I can about it and make it a big part of my life!

My newest obsession: reading fiction. I've always been a reader, but I have been on a break from it. I've always enjoyed it, but with my head injury from my car accident in college, I had a really hard time reading and learning, so it was everything I could do to simply get by in college. Incidentally, recovering from my head injury/accident in itself was an obsession to prove to people and myself that I could do it. I was also looking for my religion, so all of my free reading time went to spiritual non-fiction, which ultimately and gratefully led me to the LDS church. Soon after joining the church, I met and married my awesome husband, Scott, started a business (another successful obsession) and now have 2 beautiful children.

So, I'm nursing again, and I thought it would be a great time to pick up reading fiction again. Boy, I should've seen this coming, but I have really enjoyed this journey. I've joined a book club and have read some amazing books. I am officially addicted. I have read a lot of great books (see my book area on the right) BUT the best book I have read in a REALLY long time is (drum roll, please) The Hunger Games and it's sequel, Catching Fire. I couldn't put it down, nor could I stop thinking about it when I wasn't reading. I had to force myself to go to bed, and sometimes couldn't even sleep because I had to know what happened next. Now I'm dying because the 3rd book isn't out yet, and won't be for about a year. (If you haven't gotten the hint already, READ IT...I promise you will love it). Fortunately I am reading another good book now, and I know that there are many other great books out there waiting to be read.

I used to be embarrased/apologetic for being this intense, because I have been told that some people are/were a little intimidated by me and my intense-ness (is that a word?) but I have since accepted that this is who I am. Afterall, life is short. I was born this way, and all my obsessions have led to new knowledge or understandings about myself and life. It has truly made my life and my family's life a fun adventure!

p.s. read the books and tell me what you think! :)

If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

I never knew this phrase to be true until I became a mother. As much as I wish it weren't true, I know that if I keep myself in order and happy, the rest of my family is happy too. I also know that if I'm in a bad mood, so is everyone in my house. So fortunately and unfortunately, (depending on how you look at it) I have a large affect on my family.

I have gained a deeper understanding of this truth over the past few months. I haven't blogged about it, because I felt like if you don't have anything good to write, don't write anything at all. But the truth is, we all have trials. I want my kids to know that they happen to all of us, we can learn a lot from them, and they can make us stronger, better people if we let them. Also, if I can help another woman who is struggling too, all the better.

Some women have a hard time with pregnancy, others have a hard time getting pregnant, and others have a hard time with newborns. I am in the last group. I don't know if it's genetics, or bad luck, or if I'm supposed to learn a lesson, but both of my children have had moderate-severe acid reflux. The first few months are the worst, and fortunately, this time, I knew what the problem was and sought medical treatment instead of letting it go and thinking "it will get better on its own." Anyway, this time, I also came down with postpartum depression and I have never dealt with this before. I was afraid to share this because it is such a private thing for many women, but I felt I should share it. I have always been a happy person, upbeat, and optimistic, sometimes to a fault :) I very rarely cry (only 2-3 times in each pregnancy) and I consider myself pretty stable emotionally. Lately, I have been crying almost every day, feeling hopeless, and quite grumpy to be around. Needless to say my house was not a happy house for a couple months. The worst part is that I felt out of control, and I couldn't think postive thoughts and snap out of it. No gratitude lists or happy songs or massages could break this pattern. So, I came to the unpleasant reality that I had postpartum depression.

The truth is it's very common for women because birth hormones, breastfeeding hormones, the lack of sleep, caring for a newborn, and no alone time with your spouse is very taxing on a woman...not to mention the guilt associated with not spending much time with your older kid(s). It's a real problem that affects women, no matter what their background.

All of my friends know I am a gung-ho naturalistic kind of person (some would say "part-granola" :) and always look for the natural solution to problems. I started with taking herbs, but that didn't seem to be enough. So I went to my naturopath and chiropractor about it, and they both said I might have some mineral deficiencies after the birth and possibly due to nursing. The minerals mentioned were iron and vitamin D as the main ones, and others too. I was taking a good mineral supplement before, but I switched to a new mineral supplement specifically for moods from my chiropractor, and voilà! I was back to myself in less than 8 hours! I am so glad I didn't go to a "regular" dr. who would put me on anti-depressants. Who knows what future problems that would bring...

So now I am officially back to myself! And wouldn't you know it, but everyone in my family became simultaneously happy again too...

Bryce's First Prayer!

Today was so cute at our house! We were sitting down for Sunday breakfast this morning, and Bryce wanted to say the prayer. Usually, one of us says a simple prayer and he repeats us. We start out saying what we're grateful for, and then ask for blessing on the food/day/etc. Today, Scott started it by saying "Heavenly Father" and then Bryce said, "Father...Mommy, Daddy, Grandmas, Grandpas (yes, he used plural), Hannah (his cousin)...Amen." It was so cute and it made my day!

Can someone please explain...

...WHY men don't listen to women?! Don't get me wrong, I have a wonderful husband, but after almost 5 years, I feel like he rarely listens to me.

Example: Yesterday he was making me a sandwich because I was nursing and hungry (surprise, surprise), which was very nice of him to do. I asked him to put mustard on the sandwich and then I said, looking him in the eye, "Oh, I need to get more mustard at the store today - we are almost out." Then I wrote it on my list. Almost exactly 10 minutes later, in a completely oblivious tone of voice, Scott says, "Honey, can you get mustard at the store today, we are almost out." I told him I wouldn't even justify that with a response because I had just said it, which of course, he didn't remember. I asked him the question above, and he said that women talk at least twice as much as men, and men just can't handle all the information. Hmm...

We laughed, but I still need to know...why is this the norm? Why do ALL men ignore what their wives say after being married a while? This is probably one of those Mars - Venus questions, but I didn't read that book so I am asking you. Any insight into this phenomenon would be greatly appreciated :)

The Newborn Experience

My fabulously talented friend, Mary, took some amazing pictures when Paige was 3 weeks old. She's 6 weeks old now and quite a bit bigger, but this has been my first opportunity to blog in a while.

.

Let me just say that I'm glad the first month is over! It is probably the hardest month for any mother-child, and Paige and I were no exception. We had some issues to work out and she was quite fussy for a while. I then got the baby blues but I got through it! Fortunately, I had a lot of family around to help me and support me. We are all happy and Paige is doing great now!

Poll: Which of the above pics should I include in her newborn announcements?

Also, here's Bryce at 2 and just before a haircut...

Gas Shmas

Anybody who says that "newborns don't smile, they just have gas" is full of it. Last night, Scott was playing with Paige, who was only 4 days old. He was putting his mouth up to her hand and teasing her. Since she's legally blind like all newborns, she enjoyed feeling his mouth and playing with it, and a big smile came across her face. She was having fun, not having gas. So there!

She's Here!

We are so excited that Paige joined our family this past Saturday! As most of you know, I wanted a waterbirth/homebirth, and I had the MOST wonderful relaxing experience possible. I was more comfortable and relaxed in my home, so I dilated super fast! I watched some of my favorite movies, in this order: Nacho Libre, Dan in Real Life, and the beginning of The Holiday. I enjoyed the difficult parts of labor in a birthing tub, which they call the "midwives' epidural" and now I know why. I felt instantaneous pain relief when I got in, and it did slow my labor down a little bit (just like an epidural would). It was fine, because I was so close to the end, so it was still pretty quick. I started labor around 8am, and had her at 2:04 p.m. I was talking and laughing in between contractions until the last 20 minutes. I actually was able to enjoy watching my movies too! :) It was so awesome. I will never birth another way again!

Paige was 21" long and weighed in at 7 lbs, 9 oz, almost a pound smaller than Bryce was when he was born. She's my petite little lady! She is doing great, is very alert, and likes to wiggle. She kinda looks like me when I was born - full head of dark brown hair (that fell out for me and came back in sandy brown). We'll see how she looks when she develops.

The above pic is of Scott and Paige at the delivery. Here are some pics of her today. I know I'm biased, but I think she's beautiful!

Paige enjoying some fresh air this afternoon!

Bryce & Paige

Bryce kissing Paige!

Scott, Bryce & Paige reading

Bryce is handling being a big brother very well. He is excited to be a big brother!

I just have to laugh...

So I'm 38 weeks pregnant, and I have just done the most embarrassing thing in years. I can't believe it, but I was walking in my sleep (somehow) and I fell and sprained my ankle. I haven't walked in my sleep in almost 20 years, so it is quite the shocker to me. All I remember is being on the floor in the dark in a lot of pain. Scott said I must have been dreaming because I said "No, no, no!" and then he heard a thud. As usual, he was wonderful and came to my rescue (but, poor guy, seeing his very pregnant wife on the floor screaming in the middle of the night must have been scary) Scott thinks I tripped on one of the umpteenth pillows I use to sleep with that I must have kicked off onto the floor when I got up. Gotta love pregnancy!

Bryce is being very cute about it though. He keeps pointing at my foot and saying, "Momma's foot hurts...owie" and he's giving me extra kisses. At least I am getting special treatment :) But it sure blows my plans to go on lots of walks this week to bring on my labor early. Deep breath...sigh...laugh...I must have much more character to build :)

Thanks!

Thank you to all those who participated in my baby showers. One of my best friends, Mary, threw one for me last weekend and it was great fun! Unfortunately, she's also my photographer friend, and since she was hosting the party, there weren't many pics. But some relatives and friends got a little marker-happy with my belly, and drew some notes on there. So at least I have a couple belly shots! And, yes, I do have an outie!

My ward friends also threw me a shower this past Tuesday, but I don't have pics from that yet, so I'll post those when I get them. I am just so excited to have so many oh-so-cute baby girl clothes! This is going to be so much fun! Thank you!

An ode to estrogen

So most of you know that we're having a girl. Some of you have asked if the pregnancies are any different. The best things about this pregnancy is I am much more mellow and kicked-back than last time, which I attribute to their personalities - Bryce is very strong-minded and stubborn, and I think Paige is much more peaceful and laid-back. Also, I haven't had the swollen feet or aching back, which I attribute to my fantastic chiropractor. Otherwise, pregnancy still agrees with me and I enjoy it just like with Bryce.

Well, I am so excited to have a girl! I've never been that girly - never into bows and frills and dresses, but now I am SO into it. I can't wait for the cute outfits with hats and shoes. Who would've ever guessed that about me, but I am so excited about it!

Well now that I am 36 weeks, I have shifted into GIRLY mode - on overdrive! I have been sooo obsessed, for a few weeks now, with chick flicks. My husband was a little annoyed at first, until he realized it made me sweeter and more romantic and cuddly. Now he's ok with it and says I can watch these movies whenever I want! I've even decided to watch the movies during my labor. Why not be a little distracted by beautiful people, romantic (and funny) scenes, and falling in love during a less-than-comfortable day of my life (to say the least). Here are some of the movies I have been frequently watching, that will probably make it to my labor playlist ...

I've also decided to watch another fave - Nacho Libre (hilariously funny, but not at all a chick flick).

Here's hoping my labor isn't so long that I actually finish all 4 movies! :)

p.s. since I am watching all of these movies way to much, if any of you has a suggestion of another great chick-flick, let me know!

I'm baaaack!

I'm sorry, folks, that it's been a while since I blogged about the happenings in my life and my family. I have a couple excuses ... and you know what they say about excuses! We've been really, really busy with business (can't complain), my camera-to-computer connection was off that I wasn't patient enough to fix, I've been taking care of a sick husband and toddler, and I got a little addicted to Facebook. I'm still busy, but my family's recovering, I fixed the computer, and I'm taking a break from Facebook. I've decided that blogging is way more important than Facebook, so I promise to be better!


Onto our news...I had a wonderful May 3 this year! For those of you who don't know, it is the 11-year anniversary that I survived a near fatal-car accident that changed my life FOREVER. It is also the 6-year anniversary that I got baptised into the LDS church, which also changed my life FOREVER. Both anniversaries mark the most positively-significant occurences in my life that allowed me the opportunity to seriously change the direction my life was headed. Both have resulted in a better outlook on life, happiness that I never knew before, and an ability to appreciate the present and accept the past and future better than I ever did before.


Every year on May 3, I go to the mountains because that is where I have always gotten my answers to life's big questions, which is something I really needed, especially after the accident. This year was no different. Even though Scott was a little sick, we all went out to Saguaro lake and had a picnic and enjoyed the fresh air. It is wonderful that I can share this special day with my family, and I look forward to telling my kids all about these experiences someday. I want them to know that:


I am truly grateful for life, as I know it is truly a gift that I am still alive, and that we all have the gift of life,


I am grateful for ALL the experiences in my life, good and bad, that have shaped me to the person I am,

I am grateful that I was preserved so that I could find out and join about the LDS church, which answered my biggest questions and has brought the most joy into my life.


Here are some pics from our special day (they aren't very good, but we were lucky to find anybody to take our pic - even if he was a kid and didn't really know our camera :)

Too much to say...

I have bit my tongue for years. Every once in a while, I blog about something I'm passionate about that has nothing to do with my family. It is politics. So often, I end up wanting to blog about those feelings or news I have heard, or other thoughts I have. But I don't because I think to myself, no this is a family blog and it's not appropriate. Well, I just can't keep it inside any longer. I am far too opinionated and far to passionate about the freedoms of this country that we are currently LOSING in the name of "change" that I have decided to create another blog dedicated to that end. To educate and discuss on one of the most passionate subjects in my life right now. If you want to read it, enjoy. If you don't, it won't hurt my feelings. At least I will have an outlet to express my angst, so to speak...

http://mypoliticalangst.blogspot.com/

Love, Kim

Long overdue...

I strongly feel the need to publically express some personal and spiritual feelings that I have about my religious faith. Many of the people who read this blog are LDS; however, there are many who aren't, and I feel like I should publically express my testimony and how strongly I feel about my membership in the LDS church.


I was just watching General Conference, where our Prophet and Apostles spoke to us for a couple days (live in Salt Lake and on TV elsewhere). It was wonderful, peaceful, inspiring, and insightful. It made me again disappointed with myself in that I have no problem telling a perfect stranger why I joined the church and what it means to me, but that I have a hard time telling old friends, family and loved ones about it. So it is time to publically say...

• I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, that he lived a perfect life as an example to us and that he suffered and died for us voluntarily so that we may live eternally with him.


• I know that he organized the church on the earth, but that over time, the church changed (partly due to other people killing his apostles, etc) and the true church was no longer on the Earth.


• I know that Joseph Smith received a vision from Heavenly Father (God) and Jesus Christ, when he was looking for the right church to attend. They told him to attend none of them, and in time, revealed the true gospel, which is now known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.


• I know that the priesthood was restored to Joseph Smith through John the Baptist, and Peter, James and John from the New Testament times. Through that we now have present-day prophets, apostles and modern revelation, as occured through these apostles and Jesus Christ when they were on the earth.


• I married my sweet husband, Scott, in the Mesa LDS Temple (much to the disappointment of many of my non-LDS friends and relatives) because in temple weddings, we can be married for time and eternity by living virtuous principles and obeying the commandments.


• I know that I will live with Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father, my family, and many, many more wonderful people for eternity as I continue to strive to live the gospel more fully in my life.

I have been a member of the church for almost 6 years (May 3, 2003), and it has been the most joyful, peaceful time of my life. I am so happy to be a member of the church, because I receive GREAT blessings through my obedience to the commandments. And yes, I am including the blessings I received when I gave up coffee, tea, and alcohol. I can't imagine my life without the gospel. It would be dark and confusing. I would be happy to go into further detail with any of you, and if you would like to research this independently, I highly recommend http://www.mormon.org/ for more information. Thank you.

Music and the Stories of Life

I have recently watched two of my favorite movies back-to-back, Dan in Real Life and Nacho Libre. They are quite different from each other, but there is one thing they have in common...their soundtracks are perfect. Nacho Libre's music is goofy, random and totally makes me laugh. Dan in Real Life's music is sincere, funny at times, and totally makes me get all warm and fuzzy inside. Those would also be my description of the movies themselves. I have seen each of these films 10-15 times each and I can't get enough of them. Now I know why... the music brings the stories to life. I can think of several other classic movies with great soundtracks...Forrest Gump, The Breakfast Club, The Notebook, and Shawshank Redemption. Those are just a few, as I know there are many other movies with superb soundtracks...music that ingrains the story into your soul and doesn't let you forget about it. That, my friend, makes a great movie.
And if you've ever wondered what my life's soundtrack would be, just ask me. I already have it on cd...for at least the first 30 years of my life :)

Heaven on Earth

I have recently read of HBO's plans to portray the LDS temple in a casual light. This is the church's response, a simple message about the true purpose of temples. Enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x_-TQivCx8

What was I thinking?

My friend Mary took the cutest picture of our fam last fall for our Christmas photo and I didn't even post it! For crying out loud!(scottish accent used here)

Anyway, here's our photo from our Christmas card. It's about the only thing Christmasy that made it to the blog this year, and it's 3 months late. Oh well, we can't all be perfect like those once-or-twice-a-week bloggers. You know who you are :)

But there is one thing I can be very proud of...I have my taxes done and submitted early!! This is a first since our business opened 4 years ago. Yay for refunds!

Bryce loves Wawa!

We have been terrible at taking family videos, even with our new camera. We either forget when the time is right because we're enjoying the moment, or we record it and the lighting/angles/something looks terrible. Maybe my expectations are too high, but that's me.
This is a pretty monumental event for Bryce. Up until very recently, he HATED taking a bath or doing anything that got him even a little wet. We have spent so much time and money on bath toys to help him enjoy it, and he's finally decided water time is fun. So we let the good hygeine rules on drinking from a hose go out the window and enjoyed Bryce having fun with water. Afterall, you're only a kid once. Bring on the germs!

p.s. I love his muscle shirt!

Little laugh for your Wednesday

The following is the winning entry in an annual contest at Texas A&M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term. This year's term was Political Correctness.

The winner wrote: "Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."
R. J. Wiedemann LtCol. USMC Ret.

Where have I been?

Some of you may be asking yourself that question, when I've been a relatively faithful blogger. Well if you want to know, our computer with all our pics crashed right after our vacation (hence no holiday pics), then I got a horrid sinus infection (no more pics) and now we are slammed with our busy season (ie all the snow birds just realized they only have 2-3 more months to get hearing aids and get them adjusted/programmed and such before they leave for the summer...yikes for them...Great for us!).

I am truly grateful the Lord continues to bless us, even though the news spells horrors of the economy. I am also grateful my uber smart husband picked the PERFECT industry to start a business. Things haven't been so busy for us in TWO years! We prayed for it, but I am still grateful. Plus I have had the best closing ratio (selling ratio) in the history of our business. I am for once doing better than my husband (but don't tell him I said that : ) The last time I was close to this good was the last time I was pregnant... maybe the hormones are good for my selling strategy...or maybe my "glow" makes me cuter so all the old people have no choice but to say "Here's my credit card!" :) Either way, I'll take it!

Anyway, last Sunday I was determined to download videos and post something cute from the farm in Texas we visited over Christmas and the ultrasound we just had on DVD, but NOTHING worked!

I was hoping for a really cute way to tell you all that we are having a GIRL!! But this boring way will have to do. I just want you all to know that I will someday have pics up here again, but for now, know that I love you all and hope that life brings you blessings as it brings me mine :)