It Takes Two

And it does. Not just literally, but decidedly too.

To have a kid.

I was ready to get pregnant with Nae the summer of 2008. Jaren was nowhere near that. So I held out for October of 2008. That came and I was told no and had to wait another two months till Jaren felt ready.

And I'm so grateful I did. Having him excited and on board with the pregnancy made it that much easier. He helped with housework when I was feeling ill. He made me food the entire first trimester when I just laid on the couch whining and moaning about how, "I can't move, I'm going to throw up... I need to eat! I can't move!" I never threw up... But I really did feel like it.

And he was ready for her when she came. It was a huge huge adjustment. I babysat and have been around babies and kids my whole life. He has not. I felt totally comfortable with a baby. It took him some adjusting.

I guess I never considered that it would be this process  with each child. I figured the ice has been broken - we have one, now we can have more! Not so simple.

First, there is the issue of "do I want Jaren around?" If I have a baby anytime in between April and Mid October I run the chance of not having him available to help when I really need it. And I know I'd like his help for at least the first 2 1/2 months. Because that's the hardest time I think. Once I get that kid to 3 months I have a schedule built up with regular naps and feeding times and life is predictable. Not necessarily easy, but much more do-able than before. And in reality, I guess The hardest hardest part is the first month and a half where I'm healing from a C-Section and the kid is eating every 2 hours. Nursing for 45 minutes and then needing to eat again an hour later.

So, if I want him around ideally for the first 2-3 months I'd need to have a kid no later than January. And I really don't want to go that deep into winter. So, for me, it's November or December. Since we know I'll have to go 3 weeks early we have to plan for the 37 week due date and not the 40 Week one. Just to be safe.

So, that means the time to start trying again is only a few months away. I can't say I feel ready and Jaren definitely does not feel ready. But I know I want Nae and this kid to be around 2 years apart. So that means I have to either get pregnant this coming spring or wait till the next one. And I don't want them to be 3 years apart. I don't want to wait that long. Jaren seems fine with it.... I'm not.

So we are stuck. And it was starting to be a source of emotion between us. Or, more like a source of emotion for me. Like always. I know it's months away. But that comes fast. And we would have to wrap our mind around it now in order to be ready when that time comes.

I think communication is the most important part of marriage. Or for any relationship. You can get nothing absolutely nothing accomplished if you both don't talk. If you don't talk about your feelings and the why's and how's of it, things get left unsaid and then come back later to bite you in the rear.

Sunday (2 weeks ago) Jaren and I sat down and discussed the why's and how's of it. In the end we came to the conclusion that it's okay if I have a kid in June or July. I have plenty of help available and Nae would be that much older and easier to handle. She would be able to understand me and me her. Which would make the not being able to move because of the C-section or nursing easier when she needed something. I don't mind 2 1/2 years apart or so.

Just the knowledge that I'm not stuck on only 2 months out of the year to have a kid ever takes a huge weight off my shoulder. I know Jaren still wouldn't be as readily available as he would if it were winter. But, I'll take that over the alternative.

And the thing is - we don't know if it will be easy to get pregnant this time. We were so fortunate last time. I don't expect it to be as easy. Apparently when the doctor who did an ultrasound to check out my uteri's found out how easy it was for us to conceive he let me know that I was abnormal. Not just because of my innards, but because women with my "condition" usually don't get pregnant for months to years and a lot of times need help to do so.

I'm prepared for it to take time. Which doesn't play well into my "can have kids" months and "can't have kids" months. In the end, I wont care when if it's going to take time. All I'll care is that it happens.  And having Jaren totally ready is the most important thing.  Talking yesterday made me feel so much more at peace with it.  Free somehow.  Free to choose.  I've always been free to choose, but with my guidelines and wants I really am not as free as I'd like.

After a few weeks has since gone by when I wrote this I feel even more calm about it all.  That in the end when we know it's right for us to have a baby, we will try.  And when he/she comes it will all work out.  Even if it might be hard for the first bit.  I mean, my mom had 3 summer babies and my dad farmed.  If she can do it - I can, too.  

Baby Favorites: Part 3

Ointments, Creams and Pastes:  One thing I didn't know - I'm sure this is common knowledge to all Mommies, but no matter how much baby sitting I did (a whole lot) I never had this explained or did I learn this.  But you should always use an ointment, paste or cream when changing a diaper and not just baby powder.  We didn't know and alternated between both when Naomi was first born and she got a really bad rash.  We then only used an ointment and it went away and she didn't get another till she was 5 months old and eating solids.  And even that was only caused by the Carrots.  Or her sitting in her poo for too long (when she started sleeping through the night).

When she got her first really bad open sore one I went on a massive diaper cream/ointment hunt.  I had to find which one worked!  Amazingly the best thing was lots of nakey time and lansinoh (did you know it's not just for boobies?) right on the owie, then I put the thickest cream I could find.  I changed her diaper every 2-3 hours and have continued with that.  I tried out two different Desitin paste's/cream's (the two tubs you see) and found that the light blue "rapid relief" comes off easily.  I wanted something that didn't.  So I found the purple tub "maximum strength" (also super expensive.. yikes) and that was wonderful!  It didn't come off easily (which means you use quite a bit of diaper wipes during diaper changes) so that when she pood or peed it would stay.

Once her rash was gone I went back to Aquaphor during the day (it's a clear ointment and is easy to remove and does a good job of protecting) since I change her diaper every 2-3 hours.  Then at nights I put the purple thick cream on and it's still there in the morning with her super full wet and or poopy diaper!  That's my diaper cocktail.

I like triple paste, too, but it's uber expensive as well, but only a few bucks more than the purple Desitin so I may try it once I'm out of that tub.  I haven't seen what all the hoopla is about with ButtPaste.  I've used it and it comes off pretty easily. But maybe the tub is thicker paste like the Desitin tubs?

Mommies, share your thoughts!

Stephanie's Baby Shower!

Alright. Today was the big day. Stephanie's baby shower. I woke up a little after 8, ate breakfast then got started cleaning at around 9:30. Not kidding when I say I cleaned ALL DAY until the shower. My house was filthy! I ran into town to pick up some things for games for the shower and some groceries. I came back, we hung up streamers and then everyone started walking in the door.

Lindsey even came out to help. I bribed her with promises to buy her lunch, of course.
She get's ahead of herself. Here she was putting up streamers but couldn't find the tape. I couldn't resist a picture in her helpless state. I found it in between the cushions by her left foot. (she did this repeatedly until I finally told her to put the tape in her pocket)

Food!

Going to get food!
Steph was super excited to open her presents. And can I just say she got a TON of stuff. There were a lot of people there!
Don't quite know why I was looking behind me. After Steph opened her presents we passed them around so everyone could see them.
She got a lot of cow things (because my family owns a diary farm). It was really funny. If you click on that picture you'll see the cow blanket she has.The girl behind me in green is less than 4 weeks away from her due date. Her baby shower is the one I went to the Saturday of Kristina's meet and greet I wasn't able to make it to.

(What I'm thinking in my head): Look at all these PRESENTS! I want some. That is the cutest little boy outfit I have EVER seen! I want one. I want a baby boy. I want a baby. I WANT ONE (or two)! Let me tell you something. That positive (or demanding) thinking thing does NOT work. I am not pregnant!

This is the cutest diaper cake I've ever seen.

This little boy was so cute. He was dancing to his mom's ring tone "It's a hard knock life, for us" It was so funny (as you can see on everyone's faces).


1/2 of the room (I counted 15 people, not including the babies)
The other half (I counted 11 more, not including myself and the other people up and mingling). There ended up being around 28 people)

Lindsey Lady Lovely Locks and I

We played a candy game and his mommy won a Baby Ruth (for baby girl) and he got very upset because she wouldn't let him open the WHOLE candy bar (in which I thank her for the sake of my newish (is just over 1 1/2 years old still new?) carpet)

I couldn't resist taking this picture. I tried to get him when he was screaming and throwing his head back. I don't know why it was so funny to me.

All in all everything turned out wonderful. I didn't have to worry about food because Steph, her mom and sisters took care of it. My house needed a good deep clean and it got 95% of one. The other 5% will come throughout this week. Jaren FINALLY put up lights outside and they are so bright! I don't think anyone knows how excited I am. I hated how dark it was, no porch light-NOTHING since we got new siding back in January. I'm SO EXCITED!!! I can see!!

Okay, thanks for all of your advice and suggestions of great games to play. I decided less was more and only did a few things. I had a friend, Breanne, give me a great idea. You give out cards to each person with random letters on them. For example, "DLSDI" or "SKEFD" or "MLDAIC" and they make a saying, advice, scentence anything that partains to stephanie and her baby. It turned out to be pretty funny. I let them rearrange the letters to fit their scentnce as long as they only used one word that started with each of the letters. I also bought a small notebook and had it passed around so that people could write advice in it. I was a bit bummed that it didn't make it around to everyone and only 15 people wrote in it.

I also played the candy game, where you take a word about babies/pregnancy and match it with a candy bar. Like, OBGYN= Butterfinger, Baby Girl=Baby Ruth, Baby Diaper=Mounds. It was fun, BUT. For the life of me, I went to 3 of the 6 stores in Rexburg(I barely had time for that today) that I know carry candy bars and I COULD NOT find a Big Hunk OR a 100 Grand that wasn't in a pack of 30 assorted candy bars - that only had 4 100 Grand's in it! Uhg. Frustrating. So instead I bought "Pay Day" and told everyone that when the delivery happens a huge chunk of would be happiness comes out of your... fill in the blank (with Pay Day). Oh! And I couldn't find a Fast Break! I had to buy a 10 pack of mini Fast Breaks. SO. ANNOYING.

But everyone left and everything got picked up and my house is CLEAN! Wahoo! Who wants a shower is next???? (As Jaren get's up to hit me upside the head)

Oopse, Forgot!

If only I had a super snazzy camera would this picture turn out NOT blurry. Sorry, my friends. I'm workin on it. Maybe next year sometime after I've saved up for 10 months.

This should have been with the last post but me being the tired person I am every time I post at night, forgot.

But, hey! This gives me something to blog about today. This blogging every day for November thing is getting really tiring. Can't say I'll do the same for December.

Today I only had 2 things due, and I finished them. I don't have anything due tomorrow! But, I do have some stuff I need done by Thursday and I'm considering getting them done today with my time. That would be the smart thing to do, right? But what kind of procrastinator would I be if I actually got something done BEFORE the last minute?

One that might be trying to change her ways... maybe.

Tomorrow I'm going to post about how I'm going to be coming to Utah on the 21st and about how I'm pretty sure I'll be there in time for dinner Friday night and whoever wants to come can come. But.... I'll save that for tomorrow :)

Baby Shower Invites

November 1st I got together with Stephanie to work on her baby shower invitations. Nathan (the husband - my brother) picked out the paper. Surprisingly, he did a very good job at matching.

An eye for the crafty, Nathan, eh? :)

I looked up all sorts of different ways to word an invitation and I settled on what you'll see below. (had to scratch out some vital information that only those VIP's invited get to see)

Stephanie seemed a little bit overwhelmed with 40 invitations to do!

Luckily they started to crank on out rather quickly once we got the hang of it.

We worked on them for a few hours then I took the rest home and worked on them the next night. (do you sense a recurring theme in some of these pictures? Besides my Indian couches.. I always have to have a blanket on me. This one in particular was made by my grandma and given to me as a gift when I graduated from High School)

The end product!! I'm so very proud. I knew I wanted to make the invites because I loved the way one of my friends turned out. It took quite a bit of time but in the end, for 40 invites it ended up being less than 20 bucks. Not so bad, eh?

I hope you can all see the super cute giraffe stamp we used. I made sure to buy an extra (just in case I need to use it someday)

I'll let everyone know how the shower goes. Thanks for your great ideas!

Baby Shower

No! Not mine, silly!

I'm throwing my Sister-in-law, Stephanie a baby shower. She is having a boy in February and I'm really excited.

I was wondering if anyone had any good shower ideas? Games, favors - anything.

I sometimes like to be somewhat crafty and I'm making the invites. I'll post a picture someday. If they turn out as cute as I hope.

:D