Favorite Things Swap

I love getting fun packages in the mail. Who doesn't? I was excited when I got Rachel's package containing some of her favorites things -- which are all Italian. Included were these things: a cute apron, pasta, pasta sauce, chocolates, an Italian cooking magazine, and an Italian mix CD. The sauce was Bertolli tomato and olives, and it was really good. Thanks for the fun stuff, Rachel!

Pregnancy Woes

Have you heard of Restless Legs Syndrome?

Description: If you've started feeling an uncontrollable urge to move around in bed to relieve crawling, tingling, or burning sensations deep inside your legs, you most likely have restless legs syndrome (RLS). Some researchers estimate that up to 20 percent of pregnant women develop this problem during the last few months of pregnancy, though others believe it's much less common than that.

You'll usually notice symptoms when you're at rest, especially right before you fall asleep or when sitting still for long periods, such as at the movies or during long car rides. Most of the time, you'll feel it in your legs, but some women experience it in their arms as well.

Moving your limbs brings immediate relief, but unfortunately, it's only temporary. As soon as you sit or lie down, the sensations return. Your restless legs may even be waking you up once you're asleep.


Well, it's back again for me.

Although my pregnancies aren't that easy, I feel bad complaining when I hear of ladies who are violently sick for the entire 9 months. Or the poor ladies on bed rest. Or the poor ladies who have infertility problems.

So, first off, I am very grateful to be pregnant and for having the opportunity to have kids. With that aside, I don't like being sick for the majority of the 9 months (yes, that's still going on) and I absolutely HATE having Restless Legs Syndrome.

Scene: Exhausted after a day with the little naughty bunny, Jamison. (He's not really that naughty, but some days he can be very trying.) Get in bed, am almost asleep, when BAM!, it hits. Feel the need to move my legs or they start twitching and burning like crazy. Switch positions. This works until my body completely relaxes and then BAM! it hits again. Roll over again, which is becoming difficult now. Throw covers off. Now have a shivering body, with red hot legs. Try putting covers over top part of body and sticking legs over side of bed. Doesn't work. Try getting out of bed and walking around. Doesn't work.

Nothing works! I did this for 2.5 hours last night. I think I finally just fell asleep out of pure exhaustion and frustration. Then I wake up at 6am with the same thing. Ah, misery.

I have no clue how I got through this with the last pregnancy, or how I'm going to get through this with this pregnancy. But, I am glad that it only lasts during the pregnancy. And at least it will help prepare my body for the exhaustion of getting up with a newborn every 3 hours at night. I guess that is the one plus of this situation!

Slowly Learning

Slowly but surely, Jamison is learning how to eat with a fork. In the meantime, we're having a lot of fun watching him.

Simple Pleasures

Here are three things that are simple pleasures to me:

Bath & Body Works Mentha Lip Shine

Want minty fresh lips? You can get these in any shade and in lots of different flavors.

Bing Cherry Chocolates from Harry and Davids
These are the best. You can get them in most any flavor, but the cherries are my favorite. I love splurging on these. And since Walker isn't partial to them, I get them all to myself!


Anne Taintor Products
These have to be the funniest things ever. My sisters and I love these products and laugh and laugh over them. Check out Anne Taintor's website for more.

Big Boy Bed

The time is almost here for Jamison to be moved into his toddler bed. Sad day, indeed. Fortunately, I found the cutest bed set for him. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of his favorite books.

Mister Rogers

For the last 4 or so months, Jamison and I have watched Mister Rogers' Neighborhood every week day. Jamison now knows the opening music and will come running into the TV room when he hears it. He gets excited when he sees the trolley, and especially the man. He dances to the songs and tries to snap his fingers with Mister Rogers.

Over the months, we have seen how many things, from orange juice to cheerios, are made. We have visited dance studios, bakeries, zoos, and underground mushroom farms. We have been reassured that we won't go down the bathtub drain, that cows do not bite, and that it's alright to be frightened or shy.

We have gotten to know all the characters very well, yet our favorite is Lady Elaine Fairchilde. Anna Platypus and Mayor Maggie annoy us a bit, but hearing Lady Elaine call people "toots" makes up for it. And who can go a day without seeing Neighbor Aber or Lady Aberlin?

If any of you are ever in our neighborhood, stop by. Jamison would love to show you his favorite episodes.

So what do stay-at-home moms DO, anyway?

I hear this question frequently: "What do you do all day?" If I try to explain what I do all day, it doesn't really sound like much. After Jamison was born, my mother cut out this article from the newspaper for me. I love it. (Thanks to the Carolyn Hax advice column!)


Question:

Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group ...

OK. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners ... I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events), I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy - not a bad thing at all - but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a contest ("my life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and with-out kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.

Answer:

Relax and enjoy. You're funny.

Or, you're lying about having friends with kids.

Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.

Internet searches?

I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.

So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.

It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.

It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short term relief at everyone's long term expense.

It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything - language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy.

Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand, or keep your snit to yourself.

I've Been Tagged

4 Jobs I have had
1.) Ada Community Library -- for 2.5 years in high school
2.) Testing Center at BYU-Idaho
3.) Teacher Assistant at LDS Business College
4.) Intern at the SLC District Attorney's Office

4 Movies I would watch more than once
1.) Singin' in the Rain
2.) What's Up, Doc?
3.) Freaky Friday
4.) School of Rock

4 Places I have lived
1.) Salt Lake City, Utah
2.) Boise, Idaho
3.) Rexburg, Idaho
4.) That's all!

4 Places I have been to/visited
1.) France
2.) New York City
3.) Disneyworld
4.) Hawaii

4 Favorite Foods
1.) French Fries (or anything potatoes)
2.) Cupcakes
3.) Pizza
4.) Hamburgers

4 Places I would like to Visit
1.) Austria/Germany (Walker's mission)
2.) Italy
3.) Prince Edward Island
4.) San Francisco

4 Things I am looking Forward to
1.) Having baby #2
2.) Swimming and visiting the zoo with Jamison this summer
3.) Jamison and baby #2 getting a cousin (who knows when?)
4.) Taking a vacation (maybe next year!)

4 Friends I am Tagging
1.) Holly Whatcott
2.) Rebecca Nielsen
3.) Mitzi Cannon
4.) Starla Erickson

A New Hobby

I had a goal to blog every 2-3 days. But I've been distracted. Doing what, you ask? Well, let me tell you!

My friend Heather has introduced me to digital scrapbooking. As most of you know, I am not very crafty and haven't scrapbooked a thing in my entire life. But I am darn good with a computer mouse and I have some creative juices in my brain bursting to get out. Enter digital scrapbooking. I think we're a match made in heaven.

One thing I've never understood about scrapbooking is how expensive it can be. Digi scrapbooking can be completely free, if you have internet and Photoshop. I'm pretty inexperienced in Photoshop (I was trained in InDesign), but fortunately I have a clever husband who knows just about everything you need to know about computers. I'm slowly learning and am having a great time.

These are some pages I have done this week. I'm not quite satisfied with them yet, but here they are:

Playing at the Playground

Jamison's first time down the big slide. I think the pictures are self explanatory.

Fanci Freeze

On Saturday, we treated ourselves to some ice cream cones at our local favorite, Fanci Freeze. This little place has been open since 1947, making it the oldest ice cream/burger place in Boise. Here's a description from Boise Weekly:

Shakes, malts, spins, sundaes and the Boston shake (one part sundae, one part shake) are what have made Fanci Freeze a Boise favorite for years. But because we can't live on ice cream alone, Fanci Freeze also serves a whole mess of burgers, some of the crispiest tots in town and even a grilled cheese for the non-meat-eater.

Can't beat crispy tots and shakes. So, on our latest visit, Walker was determined to teach Jamison how to lick the ice cream with his tongue, instead of just sticking his little lips onto the whole thing, thereby creating a large mess. After many attempts, he did it! Another large step for our little boy.