Wellness

Wow...has it really been two months since I've posted anything? Such a slacker I have been. That is all about to change (I hope). I have embarked on a "Wellness" challenge with a couple of friends and one of the items is to blog/journal once a week. I'm excited for the motivation it is bringing me to do a few things I know I should have been doing anyway. So here's the concept:

You get one point for each of the following:

1. Drinking 64 oz of water a day

2. Eating 6 servings of fruits/veggies a day

3. Reading scriptures/something spiritual for 15 minutes a day

4. Not eating after 8pm

5. Exercising 30 minutes per day

6. Not eating sweets/soda/candy

You get one point for each item every day. Then each week you get a point for:

1. Serving someone outside your family

2. Blogging/journaling

THEN there is a weekly challenge that is worth 10 points. This week is to write down 5 things every day that we're grateful for and to also send someone a thank you note. That's a pretty easy one. Some of them aren't so easy. Like not eating out for two weeks straight. Anywho...that's the challenge. Everyone pitched in $10 and then the money is divied up between the winners. I'm on day 4 and I'm already loving and hating it. It really is more of a challenge than I thought it would be. But it's good to challenge myself and grow.

Each week I hope to blog about what happened the previous week and whatever else might have happened that week. It'll be good to start writing again.

So...the above picture is of my little man. We went to Dumont this past weekend and the weather was GORGEOUS. Like the best EVER. I took a ton of pictures, but I just love this one. He's such a good, happy boy. He makes my heart smile.

Magic

The other day I was thinking about babies and just how magical they are. Even when Chase is up at two in the morning I love just holding him. And when he's in his Exer Saucer and playing with his toys, it's truly magical watching him learn and figuring things out. After having this thought the other day, I then had a little conversation with myself about the magic of babies and wondered when the magic fades. Does it disappear when they hit the terrible twos? When they go to school? When they become teenagers? And then an amazing thought occurred to me. Perhaps it NEVER fades. Maybe your children seem magical forever. Because they're always learning and growing and I'm sure they're just as exciting when they're 30 as when they're babies. And that was kind of a cool concept, 'cuz it made me think that maybe my mom and dad still feel that way about me. And if they feel that way about me...just think how Heavenly Father feels about each of us! I bet he gets so excited seeing us learn and grow and develop. And if he feels a smidgen for me the way I feel about my little man, then he loves me a lot! And that makes me feel all warm and tingly inside.

Vaccines

Is there anyone out there who doesn't vaccinate their children? I've been researching this for the last couple of years and I just can't bring myself to do it. It seems like he's more likely to be harmed from the vaccine than he is to get whatever the vaccine protects against. And have you read the ingredients in these vaccines? Formaldehyde, Mercury, Polysorbate 80...half of the ingredients have been linked to cancer, improper brain development, neurological disorders, etc. What is a mom to do?

It's not like I think he's going to have some major issue...the chances are small. But if it's a 1 in 200 chance that he suffers an adverse reaction from the vaccine and a 1 in 500 chance that he actually gets Hepatitis, Polio, etc., it just doesn't make sense to play the odds. Especially because vaccine reactions can be just as bad as the diseases themselves.

What are your thoughts? Has anyone done research on the subject?

Hooded Towel

A couple weeks ago I turned this....

In to this....

Okay, so the people are added, but two towels became one cute hooded towel for Chase. Isn't he a cute little elephant head?

3 Months

Um...where did the last three months go? Did they seem to disappear as quickly for everyone else as they did for me? In a strange way it seems like we've had Chase forever. But yet at the same time it feels like we just embarked on this latest adventure just yesterday.

It's amazing to me how quickly he develops. The first week he's zoning out, then he briefly stares, then he gazes, then he smiles, then he shrieks with delight. And today...he laughed. Like REALLY laughed. It was the cutest thing I've ever heard. I was kissin' him behind the ears and "gettin' him" and he started laughing. So of course I had to do it a half a dozen more times 'cuz I wanted to hear it over and over again. It seems like each week he progresses and it's so fun to see what will be next.

He's such a fun little boy and am lovin' how much joy (and craziness) he brings to our lives. I started work this past week and it's been quite the adjustment trying to figure out this new routine. It breaks my heart when I come home and he's grumpy...only because I know how many happy wonderful moments I missed throughout the day. Being home with him all day I really got to know him...how he likes to be handled, what helps him fall asleep. Now I find myself going back to how I felt the first few weeks...second guessing myself and not knowing if I'm reading him right or knowing what he needs. I think that's the most difficult part. I want to know everything about him so that I can provide the best possible life for him. I'm lucky that Rhett wants the same thing and is so attentive. He's such a great daddy.

Anywhoo...Chase turned 3 (months, that is) yesterday, so I took a few pictures. He was such a great sport about the whole thing. He didn't fuss throughout all the posing and position changes. He even looked at the camera for most of the shots. He's so curious. You could just see it in his eyes that he was trying to figure out what mommy was doing. Hopefully he appreciates all the bazillion photos he'll have to look back on when he's older.

Momma's Surfer Dude

Last week Chase and I spent a few days at a friends cabin up in Utah. It was so nice to get away and do something different. And Chase was a perfect little angel the whole time. Maybe he's like his mom and likes to travel and see new places. 'Cuz he seemed so happy up there. Not that he's not happy at home, but there was a marked difference.

My friend's dad went fishing every day and we ate fish at just about every meal. And oh my was it good. Not only could he catch it, but he could fry it up like a pro as well. Every time I'm at their cabin it makes me want one. Vegas gets so hot in the summer. How awesome would it be to have a cabin in the mountains just a couple of hours away? I've gotta come up with some great business idea to make lots of money so I can get me one. And while I'm at it, I might as well get a beach house too. Okay, so I'm a total dreamer, but a girl has gotta have goals, right?

My sweetie pie

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted. My how time flies by when you're taking care of a newborn! And let's face it, when I get an hour of spare time, I'm usually trying to stuff my face, take a nap, or de-stinkify myself with a shower. Blogging isn't really at the top of the priority list.

Here are a few pictures I've taken over the last month:

Chase cuddling up with his daddy. This was just last night. Aren't they adorable?

This was taken last night as well. Chase was playing with his daddy and just staring at him. He loves when Rhett gets home.

Most baby showers I go to I make a hooded towel. I haven't even made Chase one. In fact, until yesterday I hadn't made him anything. I thought I'd have time after he was born, so I didn't worry about it while I was pregnant. Ya, I didn't realize that breast feeding, diaper changing, getting something to eat for myself, trying to get him to sleep, and entertaining him was going to take 18 hours a day. That leaves about 6 hours for me to sleep, shower, blog, take pictures, clean the house, etc. Thank goodness the last couple of days he's been so mellow. I could actually put him in the bouncer and he could entertain himself for once. Anyways, yesterday I made him a matching receiving blanket and burp cloth. They're cute little turtles. They turned out pretty good for my first ones...not that they're difficult to make, but I was happy about finally getting something done.

Someone's a little sleepy.

I love this picture. Is it messed up that I reach for my camera (rather than my baby) when he's giving me this perturbed face? Of course I love the smiles and the chill moments, but he makes the cutest sad faces too.

We went to Zion National Park for the fourth of July and took these two pictures down at the river. It was gorgeous out and Chase was so good all day...except when daddy dipped his toes in the freezing cold water. He wasn't a big fan of that. I love the piercing eyes...just staring up at dad.

Rhett is such a good daddy. He loves his little man and his little man loves him. I think Chase gets sick of me by the end of the day, 'cuz when daddy gets home he seems to want to be with him. And that's perfectly fine with me. I love seeing the two of them together. Makes me love them even more.

So...a few things I've learned about Chase over the last six weeks (yep, he's six weeks old today):

1. He sleeps a million times better when he's swaddled.

2. He loves taking a bath (and pees within a minute of getting in the tub).

3. He has awesome head control. I don't know how, but he's had great head control from the very beginning.

4. He can sleep thru just about anything. We made sure to keep it noisy when he sleeps so he wouldn't be a light sleeper.

5. He's not a super huge fan of the car seat. He hasn't been in it too many times, but half the time he screams.

6. He loves his pacifier. We only give him one if he's inconsolable, but when he's screaming bloody murder and we give him his binky, he's a little angel. It's been nice to have that to fall back on.

7. When he wears a onesie with a crab on it...he's crabby all day long. It's true. The last two times he's worn an outfit with a crab on it he is super fussy cranky pants. I think I'm going to burn them all!

8. He LOVES sugar. When he was circumcised he was given a finger of sugar to suck on while they did the procedure. The doc said the only time he cried is when they took the finger out of his mouth. How crazy is that? I tried breastfeeding him afterwards and he didn't want anything to do with it. He is SO not getting sugar for a very long time.

9. He started smiling in response to other's smiling at him yesterday. It was so exciting. He doesn't do it all the time, but he did it quite a few times yesterday and today. I've yet to capture it with my camera though.

10. Babies can projectile poop...when you're in the middle of changing their diaper...all over the wall and floor! Unfortunately I had to find this out the hard way.