Question

So I know that my body will never quite be the same after having a baby. I also know that I'm not built to be super skinny. And I'm really okay with that.

I know that eating right and exercising is the best way to stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight.

But try as I might, these extra pounds from being pregnant are just NOT going anywhere.

Partly because I'm just a little too addicted to ice cream, and finding time to exercise, be a mom, and work is hard. But I've tried to be better and everyone told me that nursing would help me lose the baby fat. It's not helping.

Any ideas? What do all of you do to find the time and stay motivated?

Growing

I feel like Lauren has grown and learned a ton just in the last week. Things she can't seem to quite get one day she's a pro at the next.

Just the last two days she's found her voice and has been screeching, singing and gurgling almost non-stop. All during sacrament meeting too!

I found her like this the other day when i went to check on her: eyes peeking out of her blanket with her binky perched on the side of her head.

And this is how she usually sleeps. Our little drama queen with one arm across her eyes/forehead. (Sorry it's blurry.)

She has been the best baby ever. She had a little bug last week and wasn't very happy for a few days, but it's passed and she's happier than ever. She's still trying to figure out how to roll over consistently. She just gets mad when she's on her tummy. She still sleeps really well. Three naps a day and 10-12 hours at night. Can't ask for much more than that! We sure do love her!

A Holiday

Having a day off is so nice every now and then. It was a bummer that Chase still had to work yesterday but I went and spent the day with my mom, dad and brother. We went up to North Fork and had dutch oven breakfast and took Lauren on her first hike. It was good times!

Nothing like a little snooze in the sunshine. :)

The Ultimate Surprise

Chase is a snoop. Think he always has been and forever will be. It has been impossible for me to surprise him even once the whole time we've been married. Thus it has been my goal to surprise him with a present. After four years I did it!

After asking Chase what he wanted for his birthday and not getting a definite response, I was stumped. His birthday was two days away and I didn't have a clue what to get him. I knew what he wanted though but it just wasn't possible: a 32"-42" flat screen TV just wasn't in the budget.

But thanks to great family members who were willing to contribute we made it happen! I was able to *cough* lie about getting his family to pitch in for a TV and told him he needed to give me an idea for something else he wanted. He sent me a list of headphones on Amazon to take a look at.

I ordered the TV Wednesday and then made up an authentic-looking fake Amazon receipt from an old one I had saved on my email with the headphones listed on it. I then 'happened' to leave it sitting on the counter so he would be sure to see it. Then I wrapped it up with a big jar of oatmeal and lemonade to give some deceptive weight to the box when he opened up the fake receipt. He opened it up and and kind of smiled thinking that his headphones would be here on Monday.

And the look on his face was priceless when he opened up that big box of headphones to find a big TV instead.

I have to say that I was pretty proud of myself that I was finally able to surprise him!

Thoroughly Disgusted

There I was, standing at the lab counter when I felt a tickle in my shoe. Little bit of a scratch from the other foot, and it went away.

There was that little tickle again. Took my shoe off to scratch better... and what popped out?

A HUGE hobo spider.

Spiders don't typically bother me, but they had better stay out of my shoes!

{Shudder.}

Monday Musings

Sometimes I like headbands on babies. I want to find some that don't squish Lauren's head and are really skinny.

Lauren still isn't very happy. She's been pretty grumpy the last few days. Waiting for the doctor to call back with some ideas.

Mondays at work are really long.

Chase's birthday present gets here today! (A post coming on that later.) Hee hee!

Chase is old. At least he thinks so. 26 is more than half-way to 30, which is ANCIENT, if you didn't know. :)

Something stinks under our kitchen sink and I don't know what it is.

I actually found a pair of pants that fit digging through some old winter clothes this morning. YAY! I love finding random clothes you forgot about.

My petunias are close to being resurrected after I just about killed them last weekend.

Curtain rods are expensive! Not going to pay 12 bucks for one.

I wonder if I could get arthritis in my thumb from pipetting too much.

Found a yummy recipe for Lemon Sour Cream Cupcakes I want to try.

Dark green carpet hides dirt much better than beige carpet. I think I'll forget to vacuum.

Bear Lake

This last weekend we headed to Bear Lake with my family for a fun vacation. Growing up we went to Bear Lake every year so it was fun to go back again! Lauren experienced the cold water and swimming for the first time. She looked pretty darn cute in her suit and sun hat. And of course we played lots with cousins!

My List

I'm copying you Mandy, I think these are kind of fun... The ones I've done are in bold. There are times in my life I think I've done alot, then other times I feel like I haven't done a thing!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (Does orchestra count?)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (I wasn't but Chase was!)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (Not yet, but I will in Idaho in 2013!)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
47. Had your portrait painted (Does a characture count?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud -
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (It was a tithing check I forgot about. How sad is that?)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (Pretty sure my boss from the CIL lab would have fired me if he had a legitimate reason. He did NOT like me much. That's okay, I didn't care much for him either. :))
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Pacific Ocean
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument

3 Months

A month really isn't that long, but looking back at Lauren's 2 month pictures, it's amazing how much she has changed. I think she has the prettiest blue eyes I have ever seen.


At 3 months Lauren is:
Very smiley.
Squealing and screeching more than talking. (Man! She has a high pitched squeal!)
Yelling instead of crying when she's mad. She hardly ever cries.
Sucking constantly on her fingers.
The little drool monster.
Kinda rolling over from her stomach to back.
Loving her clothes off.
Going through another growth spurt.

What would we do without her? :)

(And another plug for my awesome sister-in-law, she took Lauren's pictures!)

Moved

We're moved. No internet yet so this one is short. But we made it and love our new place. Pictures of our weekend and new apartment coming soon!