My Young Husband

Doug finally turned 29 to help even the score. Sunday birthdays are always low-key. We stayed home from church to avoid infecting anyone else with this awful sickness we've had in this house, took a walk, drove up the canyon and came home to make some dinner. Doug wanted one of our favorite Thai peanut noodle dishes with spinach, carrots, cilantro, and peanut sprinkled on top--delish! Photos don't really do it justice.

Before our drive, Ethan decided to have another major blowout and we opted to give them a bath. I layed them in the hallway to get them both dressed and had to take a photo. Sydney doesn't like the 'getting out of the bath' transition. She always sucks her thumb to calm herself.

Doug played with them while I made dinner and part of the dessert (he made a little too) with the new Kitchenaid he received for his birthday.

Doug's birthday marks a milestone for us. It has been one year since Ethan came home from the NICU. We are so glad that we all sleep under one roof...although in this photo, Ethan looks like he does not want to sleep in a crib with Sydney. Maybe it's the pink color he doesn't like?

Happy Birthday to Doug. He is my favorite person.  Ever.

Fiesta is a Bust

When I first found out that Doug's birthday was just 10 days after mine, I said, "Nice! We will have a fiesta for 10 days!" Doug said it well today, "This is the 2nd year in a row that our fiesta has been lame."  Yes, we've had a 2011 fiesta with the ENTIRE family sick (almost the entire 10 days!).  While Sydney is still sick, Ethan was showing signs of being 100% when we started into a new sickness--runny diapers and some serious bum rash. I didn't think bums could be so red. He was been miserable for 3 days now. His sleep has been suffering because he screams as soon as he fills his diaper. The main contributing factor to this problem--I can't smell him to know to change his diaper!  Poor kid.

He woke up from a nap with his face showing he'd slept really hard. His head was sweaty and his face had a whole bunch of lines on it. 

Then, there came meal times where he didn't want to sit on his chair directly. I put a burp cloth on his seat, but it wasn't enough.

Last night he had fussed so hard with his diaper changes (one about every hour) that he fell asleep in my arms while I calmed him down from his last change of the day. He even stayed asleep while I got him dressed and put on his brace...that has happened maybe once--ever. 

I have decided that I hate having sick kids. Hate. It is extremely stressful to watch someone suffer...let alone not be able to explain what is happening and why. 

Pre-Arranged Friendship

You may have heard of pre-arranged marriage, but have you heard of pre-arranged friendships? Pretty sure I am the first one to use the phrase. (I just googled it...I guess a girl named Amber Horne has used it, but she's the ONLY one!)  I have decided that E&S need to be friends with specific kids--yes the children of my friends. If I succeed, this means trips to the zoo, park, picnics, and other activities will be fun for everyone...including the moms.  Brilliant idea, right?

One of my pre-arranged friendships is with Kayla's daughter Brynlee. B comes over to play two times each week. So far, she is not a big fan of Ethan. It could have something to do with the 'hugs' he gives her that she thinks are attacks. When B comes over, E&S and usually napping and we just play together. When my kids wake up, B wants to leave and fast. Hopefully Ethan will get over this intense 'hugging' soon. It's really sweet, but not working in my pre-arranged friendship plans.

We went for a picnic last week at the park (the day Japan saw an 9.1 earthquake and tsunami). I was so excited to watch them experience a swing for the first time. Ethan was sick and just stared at the ground moving. Poor boy.

Sydney, on the other hand, thought the swing was the best thing ever! She would kick her legs as if she was running to get the swing to go faster. It was the cutest thing. I knew she'd love it with all the rocking she loves to do at home.

Here is a shot of Sydney and Brynlee on the swings--instant friendship on Sydney's end. She thinks B is the best. She always is trying to get her attention to 'talk'.

Another pre-arranged friendship is with Quentin, the son of my friend Tiffany. He is about 6 months younger than E&S and so they are both curious about him. So much so, that we set him behind the gate and let them look at him--like he was a zoo exhibit. (See? The zoo is going to happen!) He was a popular attraction for the few hours he was here.

Ethan decided to play for a bit while Sydney was at our "Quentin zoo exhibit".

I've always wanted to say this

"I'm growing out my hair for my role in a movie."

Yes, it's true. I've been asked to not cut my hair until July and Doug couldn't be happier. He loves my hair long and straight and I think it's rather boring.  But, when I will be portraying someone who lived in New Testament times, the long hair is stylish. The film is produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I will film in June and July--depending on when they need me. I will be an extra selected from 10,000 applicants. I feel very lucky...and happy to have my Jewish-looking nose. 

My headshot and profile shot for my application:

Thirty looks good on me

I dreaded turning 30 and leaving my twenties behind me. I felt so old...and too old to have only 1-yr olds. When they graduate high school, I will be approaching my 50's! 

Today, I woke up to a sick boy's cry. Doug is a great dad and husband--he got up with him and let me sleep. He made me breakfast and then left for work. Ethan was really fussy and coughed so hard he threw up all over himself and me. I did the dishes, laundry, cleaned up food they'd thrown on the floor and realized--this is my first birthday as a mom. Last year they were both in the hospital on my birthday. Mom birhdays aren't nearly as cushy as the days in the past, but I decided to embrace it. I took them for a short 2-mile jog on the warmest day I've seen this year. That was a great gift...I neeed that sunshine! Ethan & Sydney gave me some runner's hair bands to keep my short hair out of my face while running. Here I am sporting one of them.

Doug made up for a long day when he came home, handed me a box, and we left (thanks to Doug's mom for watching our kids!).  Inside the box were two vouchers:

When stopping at Cafe Fresh for dinner, Doug let me pick any dessert. That was a real treat. Usually Doug is a little upset by how expensive my health food desserts can be, so it was a real treat to pick whatever I wanted...with no shocked face or 'are you kidding me?' when seeing the price tag.  Hairspray was so great...so much talent and such a fun play.

My present is on it's way and we are so excited. We are already dreaming of what ice cream we will make. With my no-dairy, no-refined sugar-ness, ice cream is really expensive and not even that yummy. We already have ingredients on hand for our mint chocolate chip cookie ice cream. It was a great day! 

We saw a few friends tonight at the play and one of them said to me, "You know, I would never re-do my twenties, but I would re-live my thirties anyday." I started thinking about it--I would not want to re-live my dating days, my wedding planning days, or our infertility days. I am happy my twenties are behind me and I can't wait to see what the next decade will bring. Thirty...looks good on me!

Mission Accomplished

Not sure why deciding to wean was so difficult, but it really was hard for me. I love my 'cuddle time' with them and feeling like I am giving them something that will nourish them. But, I set a date (before I turn 30 next week) and they didn't really seem to mind. Ethan thinks it's amazing that his sippy cup has yummy milk whenever he wants it and he drinks the entire thing in one sitting. Thought I'd put my nursing pillow to good use in the morning on Wednesday--their last feeding.

The nursing pillow has been a constant fixture in our living room for 11 months and boy was I excited to move it to my closet Wednesday morning. Not sure if a photo does it justice--it is massive!

Don't know why this photo is loading vertically, but I had to include it anyway. It is an up-close shot of the center cushion on our couch. A little embarassing, but I have spent many, many hours sitting here for the last 11 months (after they came home from the hospital--but they are 13 months old now) and I couldn't help but snap a picture of the dents I made in the cushion from sitting there hours on end. Our couch will never recover...I am sure.

Top 10 things that rock about being done:
1. I get to be my own person...not attached.
2. Will hopefully lose the last 10 lbs that have clung onto my body.
3. Due to #2, I will fit into all my clothes again, but mostly my tops.
4. Don't have to consume a crazy amount of food...eating has been a chore on many occaisions.
5. When we go out to eat, I can eat a normal amount of food. At least twice, I remember finishing my entree and ordering another because it wasn't enough...so embarassing.
6. When I wake up at night for any reason, I don't have to eat a snack so I can fall back asleep without my stomach growling.
7. I can eat food that I have been strictly cutting out. Mostly: broccoli, chocolate, and some dairy--although my body doesn't like it either.
8. The extra hour I have everyday to do something else.
9. When they wake up, I don't have to every time. Doug can get up with them and I can stay in bed. I have a hard time falling back asleep.
10. I can go somewhere and not watch the clock like crazy. Not sure how many times I've seen someone at the store and they say, "Wow...you must really need to go somewhere." I feel like I run around grabbing what I need so I can get home in time for the next feeding. That has been amazing already and it's only been 3 days! Doug even said I could go on a business trip and he'd be home with them. We'll see if I can handle the separation.

Family Workout

Doug and I are training or our first half marathon as parents.  We are so excited! This means that E & S enjoy some serious jogging stroller time lately.  Considering we have been quarantined since the first week of January, it is their one time they see the clouds everyday. They love it. The only time they are fussy is if Ethan tries to 'hug' Sydney--this looks similar to smothering her with love. For some reason, she still doesn't feel the love.

On Thursday I worked out with a little yoga video (that required some light weights) during their nap time and when they woke up, they were so intrigued by the mat, yoga block, and 3 lb weights I had on the floor. I thought they wouldn't be able to lift the weights, but Sydney sure did some biceps curls a few times.