ummmm My heart just exploded!

Ok, so not for any real reason. But just imagine this - I walked into the brightly lit warehouse, the smell of newly opened boxes and lots of cardboard wafting toward me. My feet padded across the glimmering cement floor and I found myself with my hand caressing a box, what was in that box? My Valentines present to myself and the Husband - a not so insanely priced but pricey camera with all the bells and whistles. Now I will spend my time figuring out how to use said item while trying to achieve some sort of balance in my life. :)

Our new addition

I know what your thinking, it's the inevitable announcement - drumroll please...........

Picture Courtesy of Me

No of course I didn't just give birth and no I'm not pregnant...I got a new lamp! Why all the hype? Because I love it and I am excited about the transformation that I am trying to make in my home. I want it to be a home that is beautiful and comfortable and uniquely mine. While a lamp from Ikea may not speak "originality", the way I choose to configure and piece together my own home does, at least for me. I am the proud new owner of the Knappa hanging lamp ($24.99) and the corner of my living room looks so much more pleasant for it!

This is what I found

When I walked into Little's room after his nap. I heard his calls, which he issues with great force. These are not cries or whines but truly a call like "aaaaaaah!". I know he's calling me and so I venture into his room. Normally I would find him laying on his tummy with his head lifted, smiling brightly and panting with excitement. But today I found this - yes, he has learned how to climb the gates that retain him. And so we enter a new and exciting realm of living with a toddler!

I took the cutest picture the other day, but for the life of me I cannot decide whether it is appropriate to post pictures of Little's cute and absolutely adorable bum on my blog? What say the general public?

How is it?

That my camera is broken? Really it's not my camera its the stupid card that stores the pictures that go in my camera. I tried to download them and three times now it has frozen my computer and I've had to just shut it down. I am frustrated by this for multiple reasons - one being that there are some stinkin' cute pictures on my camera that I wanted to post here and I cannot get them off my camera - second being that I really want a new camera and so this just adds to the list of reasons I should get said VERY EXPENSIVE new camera. I think maybe there is a virus on the memory card or something, so I'm trying to figure that out. I should have some interesting things coming up as I will be inheriting 3 extra kids for a week very soon. Should be interesting to say the least.

The whole weight thing is going ok, I've been the same for the last 6 weeks and just bounce around in a 1 lb. range. So thats ok I guess - but I think the GIANT piece of chocolate cake I had over a two day period is going to do bad things this week. Life has been crazy and I'm really getting into knitting again. I just unraveled an entire bootie today because it had a minor mistake, but I want them to look perfect. And I'm trying to finish a hat and start a baby sweater, so it should be a busy craft time over the next little while.

I will continue to try and keep it updated here. :) See you soon!

Stroller GiveAway at I Never Grew Up

I Never Grew Up is having a giveaway for a wonderfully splendid IndieTwin Stroller (pictured below). When considering the thought of having two children in the future (not near future, mind you.) this stroller calms some of the nerves that arise when thinking of going walking in the mall or anywhere really.

Check out the giveaway if you have some of those nerves that need to be calmed when taking multiple children out of the house at once. I fell in love with this upon seeing it, and hearing how wonderfully it works and accomadates various needs - plus I'm all about anything functional and fabulously pretty or chic!

Projects

I have been working on several projects lately, some long term and large and some within the foreseeable future. I tend to take on lots of things to fill my "spare" time, not that there is much of that with Little literally trying to RUN around. But I have found several things that I enjoy and look forward to working with on a continual basis. As I have mentioned Knitting is one of those things and I have found a new love for cross-stitch. My mother-in-law does a beautiful job making stockings among other things and I thought I would try my hand at it and have found it to be something I enjoy attempting.

I finished a knitted ruffled scarf yesterday. It is dark brown and pink and it turned out really well! Now I want to make a hat that matches, just for the future happenstance that I may in my lifetime give birth to a little girl (we're thinking we're more of the boy making variety since my last miscarriage was a boy and then we had Little).

A "project" that had been in the works for a while was finally leaving Little with a sitter long enough to go to the Temple and enjoy a session without panic overtaking both Husband and I and giving up and turning around before we even reached the parking lot. It has now been accomplished and we are hoping to make it more of a regular occurance.

On the actual craft Project front, I have finally started using my Cricut that I got for Christmas and Little is going to have a birthday with the most fun signs and invitations - Hopefully I will be able to post his invites after they have been sent out so I don't ruin the fun for any recipient.

I have also started back into knitting my grandmothers famous baby booties - they don't come off and are so snugly cute. I made Little 3 pairs and that is what he wore for the longest time. Now that I am a more experienced knitter I am hoping to make some with more complex color schemes (i.e. stripes, different colored soles) and just stockpile them 'til we bring forth another Little or until I have reason to give some away as gifts.

I'm trying to get back into blogging more regularly, so as I try to dedicate my time to all the things I find very important in my life I will be attempting to be here more regularly with well-crafted posts.

Remembering 2008

I have been thinking about all the changes that happened in 2008 for me and Husband and Little. And while they may not seem momentous, they have changed our lives, for better or worse.

In {2008}

Husband and I moved into our apartment 30 minutes away from school and most family. (only downstairs from some family).

Husband and I made plenty of trips to the emergency room with false labor and those darn tricky braxton hicks contractions, among other pregnancy related lovlies like a shortening cervix, bleeding, very little fetal movement (lazy Little!) and a really bad case of heartburn that I thought was labor...

Husband and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary by going and getting an amnio and realizing that we would deliver our Little three years to the very day after we were married.

Husband and I welcomed Little into our lives with open arms.

I recovered from a c-section delivery and battled with my pregnancy pounds (lost 22 lbs of water weight in 2 weeks).

I rejoined Weight Watchers and took my family with me!

I started and FINISHED two classes at school and got good grades!

Husband started his 2nd year of Ph.D. education.

Husband submitted his first article for publication in a peer reviewed journal.

Husband started and stopped(due to school demands) an outside Therapy gig.

Little ate and slept and pooped and cried. Then he smiled, cooed, laughed, ate solids, got 4 teeth and began crawling and enjoying all the many adventures around him.

Little said his first word "Peh Pah" our little dogs name.... so much for Mama or Dadda.

I reached Lifetime status at WW and continued losing....

We made several life changing decisions, with the help of the divine...

Husband and I started reading scriptures to Little every night (sometimes only three or four verses, but we did it).

Husband and I eliminated violent and innapropriate media from our home to set an example for our children.

We suffered with those around us who suffered and grieved for their struggles and losses.

I watched my father struggle with a year long health battle requiring over 200 days in the hospital...and I watched him beat the D#%^ thing and I am grateful for his life!

I watched my mother change careers and succeed tremendously and flourish in her new environment.

I realized how very important life is to me, not just my own but all those I care for and love.

2008 was a year in the trenches for my entire family and we made it through on the other side stronger, with more intense and concrete testimonies of the gospel and conviction that cannot be removed from us.

I guess if I was looking for a year of positive changes made, I definately got what I was looking for and I am eternally grateful for all the blessings I have recieved! They have not come to us without trials to prove our determination and faith but we have recieved blessings and we are thankful for the entirety of our experiences.

Welcome to 2009...what are you going to bring us this year?