Story of My Life

It seems like every time I try and start up a regular exercise routine, the universe turns against me! Last night was the perfect example. It was the perfect night! We took a family walk, gave Austin a bath, and had him to bed by 8:00pm. Then Josh and I got ready for bed and read out of the Ensign and had a nice little discussion about our readings. Josh had to be up abnormally early the next morning and I planned on going to the gym really early so we both were asleep by 9:00pm. Then, at exactly 10:30, Austin woke up screaming and the drama began. At first it was just me that got up with him since I am the one with the plumbing to get him to go back to sleep relatively fast. However, tonight those tricks weren't working. He was in pain. I'm pretty sure it was his stomach but I just couldn't tell with all the screaming and moving he was doing. He refused to nurse so I started wondering if it was his teeth? Or maybe he bit his lip? Or his tongue? It was all so confusing and so stressful and I was trying so hard to keep him quiet so Josh could get some sleep.

After an hour of that, it became apparent that there was nothing I could do and I put him back in his crib and figured he is probably just overly tired and needs to cry it out? Wrong again... After what felt like eternity of laying there listening to him scream, I got up again and went for round two. This lead to the same events as round one. So after a second struggle, back into his crib he went and this time I called for back up. Josh came in and gave Austin a blessing and held him which worked like a charm! He had stopped crying and was content to let his Daddy hold him and rub his back. Now the trick was getting him to fall asleep like that, which just wasn't going to happen. He was too worked up and now he was definitely overly tired. Then, out of nowhere, our teenage next door neighbor decided to add to the situation by opening her window and belting out a Kelly Clarkson song as loud as she possibly could! SERIOUSLY???!!!! I could have killed someone in that moment, I'm so not kidding.... So what did I do? I did what every unrested, stressed out Mom would have done. I opened up my son's bedroom window and yelled at her! I mean, seriously, out of all the stupid annoying songs she could have sung like a cracked out crazy person from her bedroom window, did it have to be BREAKAWAY?!!!  Go "spread your wings and learn how to fly" somewhere else you psycho!!

She stopped. It's a good thing too because I was in no mood to be messed with. We laid Austin down a few more times and even tried putting him in our bed with us but to no avail. It basically came to the point where he was just really needing sleep more than anything and by now it was past midnight. So we gave him some infant's Tylenol and put the poor guy to bed for a final time. He screamed for a while and then finally gave in to slumber!

The next thing I know, it is 5:30am and Josh is getting up for work. We are both exhausted. I feel so bad for him because I will have it rough at the gym, but he will have it rough trying to think at work. What a crazy night!

So now I have the decision of lounging around the house and recovering from last nights adventure, or getting my butt up, my caffeine on, and running those 5 miles I had in mind 24 hours ago. 

Don't worry, I made the right choice! We recently discovered the gym daycare and it has been a lifesaver! Now Mom can run out her frustrations and baby can make some new friends! Everybody wins :).

The 9am Thoughts of a Housewife

Being a Mom is a crazy good time. Is it rewarding? Yes! Is it what I'm used to? No. Do I love it nonetheless? Absolutely. I love that instead of money I am rewarded by slobbery kisses. Except for last night..... that kiss involved a bite that left my lip bleeding and when I yelled "ouch!" he looked behind him like I must have been talking to someone else! So then of course I started laughing.....silly baby.

 

Being a Mom also makes you think crazy things. It's like my brain is on overdrive ALL...THE...TIME. Here's just a few thoughts from this lovely morning:

 

1) Where's the caffeine??? This is the first thought that pops in my head at around 6'ish in the morning when Josh's alarm goes off and I am instantly engaged in going over "the list" for today. Yes, it's an actual list. It started off as a list in my head but then I realized I am no longer capable of remembering things with all the sleep deprivation that has gone on this past year so it is now a list I keep on my iPhone.

 

2) How fast can I get ready before the little songbird in the room across the hall starts squawking instead of singing? Well, that depends on if I actually plan on leaving the house today. If the answer is yes, then I usually  jump out of bed and let the race-pit style of hair and makeup begin. If no, then out come the yoga pants and not so lovely headband or ponytail....sometimes both.

 

3) Will he be poopy? Oh gosh, I hope not. Changing Austin's poopy diapers is seriously a chore and not because it is disgusting, but because it is such a struggle! He can't sit still! I try so hard not to get poop on the carpet (we can't use the changing table anymore because it is too dangerous) and of course I try not to get it all over myself. And then there's the baby powder. We usually end up inhaling more than we use. If only I had 1/10th of his energy!

 

4) Are all the electrical cords hidden, stairs blocked off, bathroom doors closed, remotes put up high, and wicker baskets covered with blankets? If not, all chaos ensues. Then again, he usually ends up finding them and getting past my "parental control" anyway so I don't know why I bother. For example, As I was cleaning up his breakfast mess, he found his way past my makeshift baby-gate and found his way up the stairs!

 

5) Should we go for a morning walk? Since we took a step outside and were almost knocked over by the wind, I decided against that one. Walking should be enjoyed, not endured.

 

6) Is it nap time yet? This one needs no explanation.

 

7) What should I do first when it IS nap time? This one's a little more difficult. Should I go over the list again and start working? Or should I enjoy my 2 hours of bliss and catch up on social networking while I watch my favorite morning show? Can you guess which one I chose today? I promise my house was clean just one hour ago!

MMmmm Keith Urban...

8) Exercise.... to be or not to be, that is the question. Tuesday nights I try and go to spin class but I have been skipping it all month because it is hard to leave when Josh gets home since we get such limited time together. I could always do insanity, but today that just sounds too insane. Biking sounds good, and later sounds even better ;).

 

9) Should I eat breakfast? The answer to that usually depends on the scale. This morning it read that I gained 2 pounds since yesterday... so I guess that answer is a big fat NO :(. 2 pounds in one day you ask? Yes, I promise it is possible. Eating is an art and I am the Master! Yet another reason to go to spin class tonight.

 

10) Why did I buy the generic tampons? These things suck! Since I quit my job, name brand is a luxury. However, there are some things you just don't skimp on and I knew the second I bought them I was going to regret it.... and I do :(.

 

11) Speaking of tampons, why did Aunt Flow show up when I am still breastfeeding? Not cool Mother Nature! I knew it was inevitable, but the past 17 months of not dealing with periods has been pure bliss and I was secretly hoping it would last forever!

 

12) Will I be strong enough today to stick to a healthy diet? Lately, I have been a total weakling and it doesn't help that we have a cupboard stocked full of Easter candy! I told myself yesterday that I should just eat it all and then it will be gone and I won't have to worry about it anymore lol! Now is the 2 pounds in one day making more sense? I have been struggling with the afternoon munchies and it is so not cool. Is it boredom? Is it the sudden energy crash that comes with the warmth of the afternoon sun? All I know is it needs to stop!

This made me laugh, it's so me!

13) What should I make for dinner tonight? I started off my stay at home Mommy career with meal plans and grocery lists which quickly dissipated because we never followed it anyway. Sometimes Josh gets off work by 4:30pm, other times it's not until 7:30pm. He never knows and he can never give me an accurate time frame to plan on. That makes planning meals difficult because I never know when to start the cooking process!

 

14) Should I clean something or is my house "clean enough?" That depends on who is spending the weekend with us (because there is ALWAYS someone) and is anyone coming over to visit? Two days ago I was doing stomach exercises and while I was planking I noticed my stomach was covered in Cheerio debris that must have come from the carpet! That was my cue to vacuum.

 

15) Should I return some phone calls or use that precious time to get stuff done? This is always a tough one because I want to stay in touch with friends and family, but his naps only last so long....

 

Speaking of naps only lasting so long, today it has been about 45 minutes since I put him down and he is now screaming. It looks like blogging is the only thing I am going to get done this morning. Thank goodness he takes two naps!

 

 



Easter Best Family Pics

Here's some of the family pictures we took on Austin's first Easter right before we headed to church. It's the only time all three of us are actually dressed up enough for a decent picture ;). Have I mentioned how much I LOVE MY FAMILY?!! Austin is getting so big, Josh just keeps getting more handsome, and I love them both more and more every day..... didn't think that was possible!

 

 

Easter 2014

Playing with his new Easter gifts. Of course everything goes straight into his mouth.

We did the traditional Easter of waking up and going downstairs to see what the Easter Bunny had brought, but this time we had a little one to make the whole scenario magical and new! Austin got all sorts of fun chew toys and bath toys since he chews on everything and bath time is his favorite time of day. That Easter Bunny sure is smart ;). He looked soooooooo adorable in his little bunny ears and we tried so hard to snap a picture of him wearing them but he absolutely hates things on his head and kept ripping them off as soon as we'd put them on him. We were lucky though and got a few good ones.



Austin feeling a little unsure about the bunny ear situation

He got his first experience with bubbles that morning which was a total hit! He was so in awe of them and wasn't sure if he wanted to touch them or just look at them float down onto his head.



lovin' the bubbles

And of course Mom and Dad got a basket of their own.... it wasn't supposed to be so grandiose and full of so much sugar but Dad went a little overboard as he always does :). The flowers were the perfect touch though. They make the room so happy!



Okay, now it's REALLY time to hit the gym!

We went to sacrament but Austin wasn't cooperating very well which was a tell tale sign of how the rest of our day was going to be. I think we wore him out at the family party the day before and he still hadn't recovered. We left after sacrament and met up with Grandma Helm and Sadie at the Conductor's Room at the Railroad Pass for a delicious Easter Dinner but sadly it was kind of a let down in a lot of ways :(. For one, Austin was being such a turkey and we all had our hands full trying to keep him quiet and entertained so we didn't bother the other people. Then, it took them 11/2 hours to bring out our food and by that time, Austin had had it! So to my dismay, I had to take him back to Grandma's house and try to put him down for a nap while everyone else got to enjoy their food. They were nice enough to bring home dessert for me though :). And of course Austin never took his nap! The second we walked through the doorway to Grandma's house he suddenly got his second wind and was all over the place! It was a whole new world to explore and he wasn't going to sleep through it!



Playing on the floor with Aunt Sadie. He is so in love with her!




He loved the toys Grandma had out for him, but wanted to get into the adult stuff more! I had my work cut out for me trying to keep him out of everything.




being the center of attention, as always




BUBBLES!! I love how chubby he looks here! hehe




And more bubbles :).

 Overall, Easter was fun but very tiring. Even though it was nice to see family, we were happy to go home and relax for a while. We took some pictures of our little family all dressed up in our Easter best on my nice camera but I haven't even looked at them yet so that will have to go onto the next post. Happy Easter!

Family Party Easter Weekend

My Uncle Brian and his son, Josh, both had a birthday the same week. So we had a combined family party for them both and it was a lot of fun! We always missed out on all the family events because I was always working on Saturdays so I was really excited to finally get to be a part of this! Yet another reason why I am so glad I quit my job! We had a BBQ and the kids had fun playing in the pool. My favorite, of course, was the talking :). My cousin Josh has Autism and it is really hard for him to be around crowds so he spent most of his time upstairs. He would come down for a little while to give hugs to people and say hi, and then he would disappear again. We all love his sweet spirit so much and it was totally adorable watching him sing happy birthday to himself and blow out his candles.



Austin loved the balloons! He crawled around holding onto this one and wouldn't let it go for anything.




Poor little guy missed both naps. I was so grateful when he finally passed out on Aunt Briana. Such an angel...




Austin has never met his Uncle Creg so this was a fun little surprise!

And of course, a picture with the other birthday boy :).

Beautiful Day at the Park

 

The day is sunny, 75 degrees, and there is zero wind. As I was putting Austin into the car and complimenting him on how good he was while I did my Visiting Teaching, I decided this weather was too beautiful to take for granted. Especially since it has been 90 degrees with 20mph winds this past week. So we went to the park! We weren't the only ones with this idea and ended up making a few friends along the way. A little 16 month old boy thought Austin was pretty fun and I had fun talking with his Nanny who just happens to also be a nurse!

 

Austin loved the grass




Or more like eating the grass




My little ray of sunshine!

 

Lovin' the swing!

 

After we left to go home and make some lunch, Austin crawled over to the window and kept looking outside and whining. So I decided we needed to go for a walk because we both couldn't get enough of that beautiful sunshine! He fell asleep mid-walk and I got some alone time to enjoy the day.

LaFeber Life Lately

Date Night @ Southpoint Hotel




Gettin' crazy!

I have such a hard time keeping up with all the events in our life, that I forget to write about the little personal things that each of us has been up to. Since this is basically the only journal I have been keeping nowadays (aint nobody got time for that), I decided I need to be better at writing down the little things that make us who we are.

Let's start with the man of the house.....

Josh

Josh has been keeping busy with work. There's been a lot of crazy stuff going on at the office so he has been working a lot... at least that's what he tells me ;). No, I'm totally kidding!!

 

He and some buddies at work started up a little group that go after work on Monday nights to play tennis at a park nearby. He is sorely missed but Austin and I try to get on without him because we know how much he needs some "me time" with all the stress he is under. My favorite though is when he called me on his way home from this week's match and told me he has a war wound that hurts so bad he ended up losing the match. Okay, being a nurse, when I hear that I instantly imagine the most gruesome scene I have witnessed when people come into the ER with that kind of story. Imagine my surprise when he shows me his "hurt finger" and it turns out to be a popped blister! REALLY?!! Now I understand why God gave the duty of childbirth to women.

 

Josh is still serving on Thursday nights as a Stake Employment Officer and continues to enjoy it. He even had the opportunity to help his old boss who was recently laid off find a new job. He is such a caring person and always wants to help people. Maybe that's why all the women at work treat him like their therapist? I can't believe some of the stories they tell him!

 

Josh claims he is the Grill Master, but last night's burgers didn't agree. We both sat at the table looking at our pathetic excuse for a dinner and burst out laughing! He argues it is my fault because I was the one who prepared the burgers and he was just the one who put them on the grill. Perhaps..... I guess we will see next time. He has agreed to make dinner once a week and since he only knows how to grill or microwave, I have a feeling we will be having a lot of hamburgers, yummy or not so yummy ;).

 

Ashly

I have been keeping very busy these past few weeks. First off, my garden! The herbs have been really temperamental and most of them have died off except for the basil :(. We have been having really strong wind and it broke one of my tomato plants in half! Yes, I cried. I debated on whether to dump it and buy a new plant or just make do with what I've got and in the end I decided to keep it and see if it might grow back. And it did! It's almost as big as the other plant now! I think God knew I needed that little blessing because of how hard I fought to even start a garden in the first place. Josh thought it was a stupid idea and didn't think it was worth the money because they would probably just die anyway since we live in the desert. Boy am I excited to prove him wrong!

 

My babies first starting out

Growing tall! You can't even tell which one had a quick brush with death!

My first tomato! Are you seeing this Josh?!

Now that I am a stay at home Mom, I finally have time to do the fun stuff. And guess what! Strawberries are now in season! So for the past two days I have been making Strawberry Freezer Jam. I found a recipe online to make it super healthy and it tastes so yummy you wouldn't even know it is sugar free! I used Truvia for the sweetener and Chia Seeds instead of Pectin to thicken it up. I was so proud of myself that I gave all of the first batch away to church friends/neighbors so I spent the second day actually making some for us. It wasn't easy with a 9 month old wandering around and causing havoc and then there was of course the incident with the hand-held blender that splattered strawberry  juice all over myself and my kitchen.... but it will be worth it in the winter when we have yummy jam :). Oh and I made homemade bread to go with it! Yummo!

I made it in the crockpot which took longer but also cut down on a lot of work.

I spent my birthday money on online shopping this year. Who has time to actually go to the mall? Even if I did, Austin doesn't enjoy waiting for me in the dressing room while I try on outfits. I found the perfect website that has the most adorable clothes and after about a month of waiting, they finally arrived! Summers in Nevada are brutal so I bought a bunch of Maxi Dresses and I am sooooo glad I did! They are super comfy and since they are long, you don't have to worry about bending over or doing your chores/ picking up baby and flashing everyone your undies (or in my case, garments). I am so in love with them that I am contemplating buying more.... Please Josh??? ;)

This one is my favorite because it is already modest so I don't have to wear an undershirt




Another favorite :)

Out of all the holiday candy, Easter candy is my favorite for one reason... The Cadbury Eggs! Every time I go to the store I buy me one and everyone in my family knows I love them so much that they buy them for me too! It's pure bliss I tell you!

MMMmmmm

I found this cute Easter wreath at Target and fell in love! Now I'm on the hunt for a cute summer wreath. I love decorating!

Working out has been another passion of mine and I have loved seeing the results! However, it has been almost a month since I've seen the gym and between the fair food and Easter candy, the scale isn't very happy with me. I keep saying "next week I'll get back on track." Let's hope it really is next week or I will soon be saying bye-bye to the new obliques I just discovered!

 

 

I also have a calling at church and it has been really good for me. I am famous for never doing my visiting teaching and I will be the first to say that I haven't really cared. So what calling did they give me? Visiting Teaching Supervisor! I think someone upstairs is trying to tell me something. It gets stressful trying to keep up every month with all the sisters but it has also been a great blessing in that I am making new friends and am being forced to be social in the ward.

 

As for Austin, he already gets his own monthly update in the blog so I will leave him out of this one. He did however get his first little spanking today. He is so mischievous and is constantly doing what he shouldn't. So after telling him "No" for the millionth time today when he tried to get to the Playstation that we have tried to cleverly disguise under a blanket and then ripped apart my basket it sits on to shreds with his teeth, I finally swatted him. I barely tapped him and I highly doubt he felt anything with his diaper and pants on but for the first time he knew I meant business and he didn't like it. Go ahead and judge me, I really don't care if it means my son is safe and doesn't think he runs the show all the time.