Where has all my metabolism gone....

WHHHEEEEERRRRREE??? (I am singing in my head the tune of where have all the cowboys gone, feel free to join me).

In my earlier years, my metabolism kicked butt. In fact, it seemed a little overactive. There were many shed tears in my preteen due to my scrawniness. I was the very definition of a beanpole. I was literally all legs and arms.

When I reached high school, I began to embrace the fact that I could eat ANYTHING without suffering the consequences of a pudgy belly and flabby tush. I realized that some girls envied what I once hated.

My first years of college were the same. I put on a little weight, but managed to elude the dreaded freshmen 15.

The slowing of my metabolism was so gradual, I barely noticed. However, the past couple years my eating/no exercise habits have caught up with me. Add a pregnancy, and the poundage really adds up. I remember one of the prenatal appointments watching the scale tip to a number I never knew I could reach.

Even with that being said, I have been one of the lucky ones who was able to lose the weight fairly quickly. Somehow my mind was able to trick my eyes into thinking that since I weighed less than my pre-pregnancy weight, I now looked the same (if not better) than I used to.

However, that metaphorical blindfold was viciously ripped from my eyes yesterday. The day I stepped into the dressing room with a swimsuit in hand is forever engraved in my brain.

As I surveyed my reflection, I wondered who could be so cruel as to put a fun house mirror in a dressing room. Surely that isn't what I look like?!?!?! I now understand the expression "dreaded swimsuit season.

I am officially waging war on my random bulges! I WILL reclaim my former body! I WILL look good in my new swimsuit! I WILL, with confidence, make appearance in said swimsuit!

I just wanted you to know. Maybe if some of you are facing the same dilemma, we can unite for the cause! It's on, post pregnancy body...IT IS ON!!!!

Da Bronx (as JLo would say)

We went to the Bronx Zoo on Saturday and LOVED it. The exhibits are huge and there were random peacocks roaming free. One highlight was at the gorilla exhibit...one of the gorillas sat right next to the glass and was mimicking all of the kids that were making faces at it. AMAZING how intelligent they are! Who doesn't enjoy a huge gorilla sticking it's tongue out at you?

This fine looking bunch graced us with their presence!

We rode the Monorail, fun fun! Kind of creeped me out a little, I kept picturing Jurassic Park mayhem- Wild Asia animal style...but no animals escaped during our ride- phew!

Then, after 6.5 hours of animal observations, ice cream and "fountain dew", the exhausted group went home (but not before partaking of ginormous quantities of Lucky's Diner cheesy fries). Look how cool K thinks she is, just hangin with the big girls!

First Word?

Earlier today I was making sounds and K was mimicking them. I TOTALLY think this counts as her first word, she definitely knows she is saying my name. I could watch this video all day. Note the goofy popping thing she is doing with her mouth at the end...so cute! I can't believe the daily changes in this girl!

Second video: I just thought everyone would enjoy the perspective of something going into a babies mouth. She totally grabbed the phone away from me, her hand eye coordination is freakishly good.

If she is anything like my nephew Isaac, this may be the last view many bugs will see as they meet their gummy doom!

Our Wild Weekend...

...documented via camera phone.



Our poor cars had been neglected for way too long, so we decided to live it up this past weekend and go to(HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS!!!!) the CAR WASH!!! I know, we are livin la vida LOCA!!!

So I was able to help clean approximately 1.5 cars before Kerrigan needed to be entertained. So while Jared did all the manual labor, Kerrigan and I avoided the wind and cheered him on from inside the car...
K thought she was hot stuff sitting all by herself in the passenger seat...

...the thought became KNOWLEDGE when she was when she discovered her reflection (she couldn't take her eyes off herself)

Jared engaged in some criminal activity (note the sign he is parked RIGHT in front of)..

...and Kerrigan encouraged the behavior by cheering him on!!!!

*This picture cracks me up...no one can get her to laugh like her daddy!*

THE END!!!!

A Thing Called LIFE!!!!

I love Love LoVe LOVe LOVE this picture. It is my favorite picture of me (and not just because only 1/5 of my face is showing). It is just me.

My house is a mess. The laundry basket is full of clothes needing to be folded. It is the time of day where the lighting in my house is really weird. My hair is not done, my jeans have holes- though they are getting so big that I could almost say my holes have jeans.

But none of that matters right now...I am loving on my baby and she is happy- NOTHING ELSE MATTERS at this moment!!!!


(Thanks Jamie for sharing your big photo instructions!)

MAC makeup

2 years ago I asked my sister-in-law how her eyeshadow always looked perfect, even after long days of constant chasing after 2 kids. Her secret: MAC makeup....her warning: VERY EXPENSIVE!!!

Since then I have always wanted some, and made it very apparent to Jared. Last year, we were at the mall, and I saw on the directory that there was a MAC store. When I got all excited, Jared-knowing that I was feeling the fat and ugly pregnant blues- said I could get some (he is so good to me).

So we found the store, walk in and IMMEDIATELY I feel extremely uncomfortable. There was loud music blaring on the radio, florescent shades of eyeshadow I had never beheld and very it was incredibly busy. There is something about being surrounded by people who are extremely knowledgeable about something that I know very little about that makes me feel inadequate. I looked around for a minute, and then became so overwhelmed I left, trailed by a bewildered husband.

I was so embarrassed. Here I was about to bring a child into the world, and I was too intimidated to get something I REALLY wanted! I even cried in the middle of the mall, and Jared felt so bad for me he bought me a pair of shoes instead (like I said he is so good to me!).

I have returned to various mac stores since then, more of a testing the waters than anything since I never had the money to actually buy anything. Every time I have gone, my confidence has been boosted. Last time I went, a very flamboyant man did my eyes in the shades of "floof, tweenks and all that sparkles".

For Mother's Day Jared got me a gift certificate to MAC, and I decided today was THE DAY! I was getting my makeup. There was no stopping me. Clutching my gift card, I stalwartly made my way to the store.

When I got there, the music was blaring as usual. The only employee in sight didn't even acknowledge me. My nerves started to flare up, but I supressed them. I went to her and said," I need help. I have not really changed my makeup since high school, I want something new, etc."

Needless to say, her customer services skills were not the best. I think she could smell the fear and enjoyed making me squirm. She wouldn't tell me what she thought would look good, but everytime I suggested something she said it wouldn't work with my coloring. Many times I resisted the urge to bolt.

We eventually came to some sort of middle ground. She managed to show me some looks that I LOVED, I paid for my goods and left with as much dignity as I could muster.

Regardless of the pain it took to get, I got my makeup, which I am SUPER pumped about! I can't wait to use it tomorrow! Also, I faced a fear...so 10 brave points for me.

Oh, and on my way home I got stuck in the elevator at Macy's for 20 minutes. I had to knock on the doors and yell before someone let me out. Jared's response, "Why didn't you push the emergency button?" HOW DID I NOT THINK OF THAT????

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

I just wanted to express my love and appreciation for some of the important women in our lives. Jared's grandma's are (I am so grateful for Grandpa Rulon I let him sneak his way into the Mother's Day post : ) wonderful women....Grammy is such a go- getter and makes some irresistible bread and jam- I don't know if I have ever met anyone else with so much spunk!

I wasn't able to spend as much time with Grandma Ellis as I would have liked, but she had one of the most beautiful smiles! My favorite story with her: We went and spent some time with them in Pocatello, and Jared and Grandpa Rulon went somewhere so it was just me and Lorraine. I noticed in her hand a piece of paper with my name written on it, and realized it was so she could remember my name. It meant so much to me that she had taken the time to write it down so she could call me by name, and I am so glad I have that sweet memory of her! Jared always says she had the sweetest heart of anyone he has ever known.

I couldn't find any of my pictures of my Grandma Waddell. She is about as classy as they come!

She has an amazing testimony. I have so many cards and emails from her, all with her testimony written down. I love that I will always be able to read them whenever I want, and share her testimony with my children. She is such a strong woman and I love her so much!

I found this picture of my Grandma Wilkins...isn't she BEAUTIFUL!!!! She loved her family more than anything, and I never doubted her love for me. She was such an example of service. She also had an extremely contagious laugh. I remember once playing Mad Gab with her...she was TERRIBLE at it. However, by the end Brooke, Grandma and I were laughing so hard we were all crying. I miss her so much, and am proud to have my daughter carry on her name!
I am so grateful to Jared's mom, she did an amazing job raising my husband to be the man he is today (and boy did she have her work cut out for her-just kidding: ). I couldn't ask for a better mother-in-laws. She is the best conversationalist I have ever met. Any time we go ANYWHERE with her, she makes at least 1 new friend. She can strike up a meaningful conversation with anyone- it constantly amazes me! She is an amazing grandmother as well, and Kerrigan is so blessed to be her grandchild!

My mom is THE BEST IN THE WEST (and east, north and south!) I love her so much! I want to be just like her when I grow up. I am so lucky to have her for a mother. I have gained so much respect for her as I raise a daughter of my own. She accepted the responsibilities of motherhood at a young age, and I am so grateful she did. My favorite memories are of her "tickling" my back and singing (she has an amazing voice) Angel Lullaby- which I now sing to my own daughter every night. I could not have asked for a better example of how to be a mother. She is a beautiful person, and I am blessed to be her daughter.

The day my life changed forever....

..was the best day of my life. There are some days when I just stare at Kerrigan's beautiful face and feel overwhelmed with gratitude for this gift I have been given. Whenever it is challenging, I am able to reflect on the years of tearful prayers pleading with Heavenly Father for this blessing! I hope to never take for granted my own personal miracle of motherhood. As I strive to be the best mother I can be, I hope that I can follow the examples of all these wonderful women.

Photos by Cynda

At the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, Kerrigan also realized her full blackhead potential (again, hair not zit)....and Cynda discovered her potential as a professional photographer. Good job Cyn, you really captured the exotic beauty meets deer in the headlights look K was trying to achieve! As my hero Tyra would say, this photo is FIERCE!!!

Thumbs and Bums

Since she was born, I have tried to prevent thumb sucking. Every time the thumb would go in the mouth, I would pull it out and replace it with a binky. Well, I am officially declaring truce on the thumb.

The binky won many battles....

(This picture melts my heart, she is SO TINY!!!)

...but the thumb has WON THE WAR!!!!!!

And just a random booty picture of her...she is no longer satisfied with just sitting on the couch. If I leave the room, she tries to follow....and this is as far as she makes it. (Don't worry, I have begun putting pillows on the floor just to be safe).

This is a really good picture of her birthmark on the base of her head, yet another reason we never leave the house without a headband!

My Kid ROCKS!!!!

I always thought when I became a mother, I would be one of those "over-the-top thinking my child could do no wrong overestimating their abilities they are the best kid in the world" kind of moms. Don't get me wrong, Kerrigan is completely PERFECT in my eyes. However, I have noticed that occasionally I underestimate how awesome she really is.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided I needed to "wean" her from being swaddled. I did tons of research, asked everyone I knew for advice and decided I should do it gradually (i.e. keep one arm out of the swaddling for a couple of weeks, then both then the legs).

However at that time she was waking up anyways, and screaming until I brought her in bed with me, so I decided to go cold turkey with the swaddling while letting her cry it out (just going in to comfort her without picking her up every 15 minutes). I started on a Wednesday, thinking I was going to be up ALL night for at least a week, so I could break it up by letting Jared be on baby duty Friday and Saturday night.

The first night was awful!!! She screamed and screamed for 45 minutes. When I would go in to comfort her, the little stink would grab my hand and hold it to her face while crying pitifully. By the time Jared got home from a Young Men's activity, I was sitting at my desk sobbing for my poor baby. However, within 10 minutes of him getting home she fell asleep.

The next night, I had a pep talk with Jared. "Its going to be hard, " I said. "Its going to take all your mental strength not to pick her up, " I explained. "Your heart will break, but its for the best, "I added. He was fully prepared.

Bedtime came. I fed Kerrigan, rocked her for a few extra minutes so she KNEW I loved her, braced myself and laid her down in her crib. She smiled at me, lifted her legs and bum straight up in the air, rolled to one side and fell asleep before I even left the room.

I didn't know what to think, so I tiptoed out of the room, turned on the monitor and laid down in bed fully anticipating the scream I was sure was about to emerge....but it never did!!!! This is how we found her 9 hours later (and it has been like that every night since with the exception of the night when we had company over when I put her to bed)!!!!

Like I said, my kid ROCKS!!!!

Technology Blues

Technology is A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!! Not only can I watch t.v., I can pause and rewind it AND record it so I don't have to bother with commercials. If I look hideous, I don't have yo leave the comforts of my home-I can do my banking,bills and shopping online. I can take a picture, and within minutes share it with all my friends and family....AMAZING!!!

However, technology does come at a cost. I think one of the major drawbacks is the loss of personal interactions.

Instead of receiving free lollipops from the teller at the bank drive through, we go to the drive through ATM...who only rewards us with a receipt.

Self check outs at the store have eliminated the challenge of getting the cashier to smile (a game Jared and I like to play)...and when you are checking out your own items, if you forget your membership card you can't ask a machine to scan a temporary card for the discounts to save that $1.25!

Emails have replaced hand written letters. eHarmony has replaced good old speed dating. Twitters and tweets have replaced little notes. Text messages have replaced phone calls.

Last night, Jared was trying to sleep, and since I was wide awake I decided he needed to be as well...so proceeded to poke him (in a non-facebook way)which started a war. In order to defend myself from the responding attack, I hit him in the head with my phone a couple of times (this sounds WAY more violent than it was...we were both laughing by this point).

My phone decided to call my friend Lesley, who I was in the middle of a text-ersation with. It took a few minutes to realize what had happened, and when I tried to explain to her what had happened I could barely breath I was laughing so hard.

She just laughed with me, and we talked for a few minutes. When I hung up I realized this was the first actual conversation I had had with her in OVER A YEAR!!!! She has one of my favorite laughs in the world (Allison, I am sure you agree!) and it had been over a year since I had heard it. We "talk" weekly through text messages, but....OVER A Y EAR!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!

The thought made me sad...so I have a new goal for this week. Whenever possible, I am going to avoid technology that causes me to miss a personal interaction.

I invite you to join me in this endeavor! Together, we can reclaim the lollipops, notes, letters, phone calls, and temporary membership cards (and that $1.25 in savings)! I am excited to see how it turns out. WHO IS WITH ME?!?!?!?!

Hair Things and Bouncy Swings

Baby Carrot is finally getting enough hair in the front of her head to put her hair pretties on without the headbands. They don't stay in very long and have to go further back than most people wear clippies (since that is where the majority of her hair is), but I think it still looks stinkin' CUTE!!!
I used to think it was silly when people would post like 6 pictures of their kid doing something.

I mean, really, how many different angles can you get of a child doing one activity. Soooooo, in an effort to avoid hypocrisy, I have uploaded a mere 5 pictures of K in her newest toy.

Whenever she is being held, she wants to jump up and down. So in order to spare our biceps from doing hours of 15 lb repetitions, we got her a jumper swing. Genius, right?

It would be, except she can't figure out how to use the darn thing...

She just sits there, swaying in the breeze with a baffled look on her face...

Good thing she enjoys "hanging out"....

Happy Cinco De Mayo

We had a fiesta on Saturday to celebrate Cinco De Mayo.

We were surrounded by good food (which I forgot to photograph, but thanks everyone for contributing)...

Good company...

The Jones's and Davis's made it authentic by wearing flu masks as their costumes (how could I forget to photographically document it???)

I had to include this picture...none of us realized Jackson was giving Kerrigan's head a little "massage" during picture time, such a funny little guy!

But the best part- I discovered my full potential as a blackhead (as in black hair, not acne)!!!! OOOLALA!!!!

Let's Talk

It's 11:00 on Sunday morning. I should probably be at Church right now...but instead I am sitting on my couch. I wish I could say with confidence there is a legitimate reason I am "ditching" church today.

The truth is I have turned into one of those mothers I used to mock. The mom who constantly sanitizes EVERYTHING and flees the scene when an innocent bystander dares to sniffle. People ask if they can hold Kerrigan, I hand them hand sanitizer. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME???

So no, I am not missing Church because I am sick. My baby girl isn't sick. No one (that I know of) at church is sick. Yet here I sit, terrified to take my baby to church because of the off chance that someone COULD be sick.

I find myself torn between my love/need for spiritual fulfillment and my love/need for a healthy daughter.

So what is the deal with this swine flu???? What is all the panic about? Why are people so scared of it? All I know is what Brooke has told me (about the nasty symptoms) and that there are starting to be reported cases in CT.

There is such a fine line between being a reasonably protective mom and being a crazed germaphobic nutjob....and I constantly find myself approaching (if not crossing) it.

What are your feelings? Don't worry about hurting my feelings...I want to hear what you have to say! I know it is ultimately up to us, but any insights would be great. This dilemma just solidifies my opinion that all kids should come with a manual!


Picture found at mercola.com

Twins????

The last time these cuties were photographed together was right after they were born...we were still in the hospital...
I know what you are thinking- there is NO WAY those 2 sinfully good looking women just had babies....I know, America's Next Top Model, here we come!

Alot has changed in our little ladies...it is so fun to be able to watch them grow and develop at their own rates, Kerrigan is now bigger but Kate is stomping on her when it comes to rolling over!

When we were taking this picture, a passerby asked if they were twins (could they look any different???) and we had to explain they weren't twins but they were born on the same day!


I got to take a bunch of pictures of the 2 of them, and here are my favorites:
Holy Cow, Kerrigan looks like the Incredible Hulk next to Kate...who would have thought(Kate was about 3 lbs bigger when they were born since she came late and Kerrigan came early)?

They took turns shwacking each others' faces...

Then "kissed" and made up...

And decided to hold hands...

This is my favorite. Kate rolled over onto her stomache, so I rolled Kerrigan over, hoping to get a few tummy time photos. Kerrigan wouldn't lift her head up and Kate was looking at her like she was a weirdo....so funny...

I think they will be GREAT friends!!!!