Goals

I have a list of goals---Same list I have made every year since I have been married.
A few things might not be the same, but mostly they are, and I have only added more.

Last year I only wanted to post really interesting things and not any of my house or to do projects, which means I didn't post hardly at all.

So this year I am just going to post when and about what I want--
This year this blog is for me.

Hope you enjoy it too, but if you don't I am not going to feel guilty about it.
I do find that it is easier to write to a pretend audience  so I will be addressing YOU, but when I write a blog the YOU changes--

For example, I wrote the last blog to my sister in law
previous ones have been written to the general public, backpacking friends, church friends, old school friends, my Biggest loser friends, and so on.

Also I gotta say the one thing that I really feel good about tonight is I went back and looked at my first face paintings and had to laugh!  They are bad--I will see if I can post some newer ones sometime soon--and HOPEFULLY next week when I look back at the year I will laugh when I look at them because my talent will have grown so much.

I feel this will also be a year of self reflection for me.  I have some things I need to figure out (not anything major, things like--Do I choose a scripture verse or just a one word theme for the new year)--OK maybe a little more deep then that--but anyway--hopefully you all can come along for the ride.

PS: My sister in law Jane has less then a week till her little peanut is officially due!  YEAH!

Warning to New Moms (Jane)

If you are like me the fuzzy baby brain takes you at least a year

So this is for my sister in law Jane--What people don't warn you about becoming a new mom

Some more warnings--

1.  Your belly still looks WAY prego when you leave, but now instead of being hard, it is like Jello (legs may do the same thing too)

2.  When your baby sleeps you want them awake, when your baby is awake you want them to sleep--meaning You spend a lot of time getting them to sleep, only to miss them when they are sleeping and hope they will wake up!

3.  You are NOT nor do you NEED TO BE a SUPER HUMAN.  Your body is still working CRAZY hard after the baby is born---You need naps, time to sleep (even if is the same crazy hours your baby sleeps), good food, comfy pj's, a silence on the phone and doorbell, a strong ability to say NO! For some reason woman feel we need to be stronger then we are.  Just learn to let things go and know you don't have to perfect while traveling this bumpy part of the road (or even the smooth parts either) You will be given about 3 months (maybe less) before people ask you to do stuff again...which leads to

4. When you go back to church people think you are FINE.  If you are not FINE, do not go back to church--maybe for just sacrament--and LEAVE as fast as possible.

5.  Your baby will most likely NOT wear all the cute clothes, so make sure to dress her in EVERYTHING you LOVE first and don't save it for a special trip out--Take lots of pictures (But know you need to take as many pictures of your second one as your first one)

6.  Speaking of pictures..take a picture of her every month with a specific toy to see how she great--make sure they are labeled because some months are hard to tell apart--Poor Pepper's are all mixed up!

7.  Going back to clothes--Shoes are totally annoying!  They are super cute, but they fall off and then old ladies stop you every 5 feet to tell you that your baby is missing a shoe--take the other one off if one falls off.

8. No matter how much PINK you have the little peanut in, someone (most likely an elderly man) will tell you what a handsome boy you have, or will ask you  -- Boy or girl?

9.  Make sure you cover the babies hands with those little hand covers--they are hard to keep on, but baby nails are like razors and will tear up her own little face if not kept covered

10.  Baby nails grow fast--it is hard to keep them cut--PS: much to lucas's horror I bit my baby's nails and not used a clipper--I was scared of the clippers once I cut Sedona's nail to short and she bled--never had that problem with bitting them--I brushed my teeth and washed her hands really well after.

11. You will smell like poop or throw up for the next few years.  So will your house.  I am sorry.  You have been warned.

12. Breastfeeding hurts--bad!  I pray that it won't for you!!

13.  Depression for new moms is real and it is hard, and it can be hard to see or mostly to admit.  It is ok--get the help you need--lucky to be living with a soon to be DR--or I should say DO!

14.  You are scared to go poop for the first time--gross, but true--you will be OK--I am sure Jon has filled you in on more details :)

15.  If you get stitches-they will itch, which is really hard when walking down the street and you have to itch-just a warning--

16.  OK IF YOU ARE READING THIS AND THINK THE LAST TWO WAS WAY TO MUCH INFO SKIP THIS NEXT PART--Down there---you will never look the same again--I won't give anymore details other then to say--everything gets stretched out and is bigger--even when most inner parts go back to mostly normal, the outer is still different--MOVING ON....

17.  OK Keep Reading now--Even if Jon is a different type of parent then you are, his ways are not Wrong. Lucas had to teach me this---No Lucas you hold her like this--No Lucas you smile at her THIS way--Ok I wasn't that bad, but kids have a mom and a dad for a reason--they are different.

18.  It is NOT called Babysitting when Jon watches the baby--Do you call it Babysitting when YOU watch the baby?  NO!  He is the other parent--he NEEDS to have one and one time with the baby, even it is her screaming for two hours while you go see a movie.  (PS: Taking a long bath doesn't count you can still hear if she is happy or not and will get out of the tub if you think she needs you)

19.  Your milk will come in at wrong times and you will leak (sometimes even with a milk pad on), and it will be embarrassing--ALWAYS carry a sweater, extra shirt, vest like thing, Just in case! (Ps: Your bra will be wet so even if you change your shirt, you still might have wet spots)

20.  Not sure if this is normal (heck maybe NONE OF these are normal), but I hear babies crying, my kids talking, laughing, crying, all the time.  Most of my showers I have to turn of the water at least once to see if I am hearing things or not.  Same with vacuuming    I have to ask Lucas--Do you hear a baby crying?  I think he is use to it, and I would say 98% of the time a baby is not crying!

21.  You love EVERYTHING your baby does, but really most people (other than aunts, and grandparents)  don't really care if your baby did the cutest yawn, or the stranger doesn't want to see your baby have the cutest hiccup--and your non baby friends still love you, but they aren't interested in coming over to "watch" the baby for 3 hours as the main source of entertainment--maybe 20-30 minutes at the tops!  BUT you are now in the "how I gave birth club" which gives you an instant bond/competition with other moms.  I LOVE being able to say "I have had all three types of birth" (c-section, Epidural at 8 CM, and no epidural after 8 cm!  Top that overly competitive moms! :)

Alright--I will stop there --I am sure i have scared you enough to wish that baby won't come for another month (ha ha ha--I know!), but really  this is AN Amazing time!  Enjoy it

We are SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS LITTLE PEANUT!!