Dear Gym, I love you.

I joined a gym this past week. Yes I admit it. After producing offspring and joining the group of people who no longer pride themselves on showing off as much of their body in public as possible (I was never a huge fan) I rejoined a gym.

I missed my workouts and group classes and promptly upon returning to the gym fell right back in love! Let me just tell you that an hour long pilates class will literally kick your butt! I cannot walk today - but as my sister said: "It hurts so good!"

The best (haha) experience so far at the gym was when I locked my belongings in the locker room for class. Exciting right? No, the exciting part came when, after class was over, I entered the locker room to find my lock missing and a very girlishly cute note written and taped to the front. It read something like this:

Dear Locker User:

My clone and I were to impatient to wait for the belongings we so forgetfully left behind so we forced gym management to cut the lock on your locker after informing them that we are more important than a person's right to privacy. After retrieving our belongings from your locker we proceeded to leave a note on the door advertising to the entire gym that you were the moron who did not hear us paging you(you know you ARE supposed to hear over that speaker system that is blaring music in the group room to keep you from passing out as you torque your body in wierd ways at amazing intervals) and therefore we left your locker open and let everyone know about it. Hope all your money is still here when you get back!

Insincerely,

Self Absorbed Girls

So really the gym manager made things right and gave me a new lock to take home. But the dismay that I felt when I found my things left open to the public - OVERWHELMING. I'll get over it, and I still love the gym. Maybe from now on I'll check to make sure the top shelf is free of hair barrettes before I lock it next time.

Now I've got to work on the guilt I feel when I leave Little for an hour to attend the gym.

Baby Mama....Worked Out!

Shot!

Little and I got shot! By a camera! We took a beautiful hike up South Fork (Provo Canyon) and my sister took our pictures, and I in turn took some of her - my handiwork was not up to her standard, alas I'm not a photographer. But I must say that the photos she took of me and Little are wonderful!

Cleaning House

I have been cleaning my house and got the itch to rearrange furniture. My house frequently gets away from me in the cleaning department. So Husband and I cleaned this weekend and I rearranged some furniture, this was some of my inspiration:


Courtesy of DominoMag Website

I rearranged my living room to be a little more livable for me instead of so formulaic. Just add a TV stand against the wall opposite the banquette and you've got more of what my house looks like. We'll see how it agrees with our lifestyle....

To Swaddle or Not to Swaddle?

We have been running into a problem here with Little. He sleeps like a champ when he is swaddled (think: baby that looks like a burrito with a head), but he is now over 6 months old and we are still swaddling him which he artfully removes himself from by thrashing his body back and forth until his arms are free! We tried last night for over 30 minutes to get him to fall asleep in his crib without being swaddled and it was a fiasco, so we swaddled him better and then he went to sleep.

I'm afraid we're going to end up trying to swaddle him 'til he's 2 or 3 years old!

What do you think, to swaddle or not to swaddle?

Obsessed... maybe a Little

A few days ago I was taking some pictures of Little and this one just made me and the Husband laugh. Everytime we look at it a giggle or chuckle escapes our lips! Little is just the most adorable boy ever. When I start to take pictures of him I cannot stop myself. Alas, we now have over 2500 pictures on our computer of Little and no one else! I don't think there is a picture of me on there since he was 2 months old. I should probably remedy that so he remembers I raised him! ;)

With Halloween coming up I am hoping to throw myself a party. Funny how after you get married and move away there are not that many people to invite to a party, so it is for me! I'm thinking color themes of autumn and a fun donut bar(what is better than an orchestrated mess making), my nieces and nephews will hopefully attend and partake in the festivities that were

pretty much non-existent last year! What was I supposed to dress up as.. a pregnant lady? This year I'm thinking Wonderwoman, what do you think?

BabyMama Out!

I thought the world was broken!

But I was sooooooooo wrong! It's just different than I thought. I have spent the last few weeks keeping track of a Utah original that was in a plane crash in Arizona with her husband. I have never been in tears so many times, so frequently and not just because I am sad for their situation but because I am happy that people are supporting them. I cannot imagine going through such a terrible ordeal and not being able to hold Little or kiss him all over and tell him how much I cherish him. Of course when he is older he will push me away and say things like "Mom don't kiss me! That's gross!!!" but for now I am absorbing all the joy a 6 month old can bestow upon a family.

I pray for Nie everyday that her family will heal, that her and her husband who she loves so much will heal and that their faith will get them through. When I read about them and their love for eachother, their family and their beliefs (my beliefs) I am touched so deeply I cannot push back the tears. I have read that through her blog Nie has made people want to be better parents and that she spreads hope and love. I never knew her before, but I hope that in me somewhere is something that resembles her goodness, happiness and love for everyone! In her absence (the reason I found her blog) I have been shown how a person can live and be truly happy.

To keep up to date on Stephanie and Christian's progress read here.

Back to School for Baby Mama

I am amazed at the panic and stress that is taking up residence in my heart. For some reason back to school time does that to me EVERY TIME! As an adult you would think I was way past that, both emotionally and the fact that I should have been done with my degree by now and not having to return to school. But noooooo, I am now returning to school finish my Associates by the time the husband finishes his Ph.D. and we head off for yet another destination. This is my goal because I need to be able to transfer my Associates degree to another school so that I don't have to take even more ridiculous general education credits before I can specialize.

Alas, I will once again be a student and grace the halls of this institution.

I have braved the bookstore lines and spent unmetionable amounts of money on books that are "special edition" so that I can not buy them anywhere else. I have gotten my university ID card so that I can be admitted to the testing center, I am prepared and now all thats left to do is feel prepared as I step into a whirlwind of madness that I had hoped never to have to witness let alone be a part of ever again. But I do enjoy the challenge!

Wish me luck as I embark on the journey of studenthood as a mother!

Smiles, (maybe grimaces)

Baby Mama