The little window

There is a little window at the bottom of our stairs. It's the window that greets us every morning. Its the window that Lucy saw her first snow from. The window that she watches Todd pull into the drive and will yell "daddy" at until he walks in the door. It's the window that I looked at to see my baby girl and guy waving goodbye to me from as I would drive away to long night shifts. It's the window that I hold Lucy up to every morning so we can take in the day. It's from that window she tells me about the birds, the planes, the cars, the trees. It's the window that I watch Lucy and Todd play in the front yard from, and watch Todd bond with all the neighbors that I typically ignore. Tonight I was working so I watched Lucy and Todd enjoy a dinner for two from that little window. I just stayed behind the glass to watch them. The sun was shining, Lucy was giggling, and I was grateful for my family and for my little window. 

#ldsconf

Conference weekend is always my favorite. This one was especially great, and I am pleased as punch with myself because I did not fall asleep for a single talk. Not one! Not even for a part of one! Usually Richars G. Scott hits the airwaves ,and you'd think I was a narcoleptic. His voice puts me out anywhere and everytime. Not this time Richard G-boom- I heard and enjoyed every word. 

My post-conference spiritual high is going strong. Todd and I held FHE for the first time in maybe... Umm... Ever? tonight. Lucy singing "Child of Gog" and blessing "Ariel" in her prayers makes my heart happy every time. We have many goals and aspirations for ourselves and our little fam and I look forward to all the good things sure to come our way! 

Night night routine

Todd always wanted a girl first. He said he didn't want to screw up a boy, because he knew he would be such a softie with his first. Because Todd is gone during the day he usually does the full "night night" routine. The whole shebang. The books,the stuffed animals, the taking out of the hair elastics, the pinnage of the baby to the bed to brush her teeth, the lotioning. All if it. My most favorite thing to do is to listen to the shenanigans from the next room. The funny accents he does while reading (or making up his own versions) of princess books, the singing he does while changing her diaper, the little conversations they have with her limited vocabulary. In this particular photo the dynamic duo is stewing over what outfits to put on the sticker girls. If it was a recording you would hear Todd teaching Lucy about "undies and color clashing with your shoes." They are the best. 

3.30.14

There was something kind of beautiful that came out of being apart from Todd for ten days. It made me love him more, appreciate him more, and it also gave me a reason to write a wall sized love letter about how much I missed him. Hopping on and off a very high, very wobbly old kitchen chair whilst being 8 months pregnant probably showed more love than anything I wrote in my note. (Or my epistle rather). Especially since a few lines in the note say things like "I missed having someone to boss around," and "I missed having someone to complain to." Real romance right there. Welcome back Toddy- I'm not sure if you caught this, but I missed you!!!! 

4.28.14

Dear pretty girl- 

     Let's always stay best friends. 

Love- mom. 

3.29.14

3.29.14

I have been living for the end of the day photos Todd sends.Working hard and playing hard. Only four LONG more days to go! 

Honesty Hour

I won't lie. Lucy and I struggled for a few weeks there. Our patience for each other was always running thin. The fits and the whining seemed to be constant (by her and me). Every day was feeling long and hard. I'm talking ---cry at nights because I was so frustrated with her and myself; hard. I take most of the blame for our rough patch. I was over- extending myself way too much. Between my photography, two nursing jobs, my full social calendar, trying to keep my house in order and being pregnant. I was feeling like a run-down, crazy, impatient wreck most of the time. Something had to change STAT. 

 I started by praying my guts out whilst sobbing my guts out to be able to handle things better and be a better mom. *** Poor Todd had no idea how to handle my lovely little break downs and just played with my hair while I prayed and cried*** ( adore him BTW) 

Second, I got a few parenting books from the library that actually provided a lot of useful advice. And I also did a lot of research on what is normal and not normal for an (almost) two year old. Turns out Lucy is 100% normal --- I'm the one who is a little cray cray :) 

But, most importantly. I slowed myself down. I stopped picking up extra shifts at the hospital and my triage job. I turned down five photography gigs. I decided to forego cooking dinner for a solid week in there. And I just let myself breathe for a moment. I tried really hard to let go of the guilt that was coming from the non-vacuumed floors and every second Lucy was spending on the iPad. I tried to focus on every darling little thing about Lucy, and tried to metiphorically punch myself in the face less. And I am so very happy that things have been dramatically better. 98% improved. Night and day- frown turned upside down- twist and shout-- better. 

Yesterday, Lucy and I sat on the porch swing in the sun for literally and hour and a half. She would crawl up and down, and all around me and my belly. She would cuddle on my chest and tell me to "sing." We sang along to "let it go" and "happy" a dozen times. We took dozens of selfies, and went through old videos. It was.perfection. I thanked Heavenly Father for getting us through our rough patch. And thanked him a billion times for my sweet,smart,sorta sassy, but totally perfect baby doll. I love that little girl and the person she is helping me to become. 

3.23.14

Todd's life today was all coconut drinks and Caribbean blue seas. (He is on a ten day dental humanitarian mission to the Dominican Republic). 

My life today was all "After hours triage- this is Suzy" failed naps and failed nursery attempts. Pretty much the same amount of exotic excitement.

Here's to spicing my life up tomorrow. Im thinking a little fabric shopping? Decoupage on the deck? I might even get crazy and pin more baby crap and a recipe or two. I haven't quite decided. Whatever I decide to do, I bet Todd's going to be super jealous and wish we could trade spots. I'm just sure of it. 

3.19.14

Pictured: A few of Lucy's current obsessions. Doing everything with a blanket over her head. The toy horse she became too big for 9 months ago. Anything dealing with minions (coloring book in back). And her princess "bottle." Which is really a sippy. Which is really something I should have taken away by now. Which is really something that probably won't happen, for quite some time. 

3.16.2014

Well hello iphone blogging app. Where have you been all my life??! I am currently laying in bed- awkwardly tilted to one side with a dozen pillows propping up various body parts (third trimester problems) and blogging. Woot woot for this invention. Yesterday we had a little bash to celebrate St. Patricks Day. I literally have zero idea why St. Patricks day exists or why we celebrate it. Something about shamrocks? Irish beer? leprachauns? The color green? I'm not really sure. But, I do know St. Pattys is a reason to make corned beef and cabbage. Which makes my handsome husband the happiest man in the world... Which makes me an awesome wife... Which makes St. Patricks day pretty awesome and worth a party (also worth a custom hand painted table runner of course).  Our friends Cory and Kerin share their love for some nice mustard and brown sugar glazed corned beef. So we had them over to celebrate. This translates to: us four adults eating and laughing at the table while our three children were un-supervised upstairs for a ridiculously un-smart amount of time. Which translates to: sharpies on the computer screen and hundreds of Clorox wipes strewn about the house. But, totally worth it. Happy St. Patricks day to us. Already excited for next year. 

11.17.2014

Today Todd brought home the cutest little Converse box. He had bought these shoes for Lucy online--- said he couldn't pass up the deal. And my heart melted... And then it turned to ice because yet again- Lucy has cooler shoes than me.  

Strolling City Creek- a fam favorite activity. 

Denver

Traveling with a toddler is something else. We missed the train to the airport (luckily another one came twenty minutes later). I never want to forget Todd sprinting as fast as he could from the car holding a car seat, a diaper bag and his duffel bag on his back. Dad life... man how times have changed.  

Lucy thought the airport was pretty cool, and kept saying "plane." We sat by the cutest Asian lady on the plane, who sort of smelled like my Hospice patients did before they die and chanted scriptures to herself in an unknown language the whole flight. But, she loved Lucy. She did not speak a lick of english. She gave Lucy a $5 bill, a cough drop, and something that resembled a rice krispy treat. The thoughtfulness of strangers blows me away sometimes.

 

Comfort Dental, the company we dream of working for someday took care of booking our flights and put us up in this great hotel. 

 It was a wonderful weekend of being woo'd by the company. We had looked into Comfort Dental quite a bit, and Todd shadowed a Comfort dentist for a few days last summer. It sounded like a great fit, so we went to their "partnership exploration" meeting at their corporate headquarters. The invitation said spouses were welcome. There was NO way, I was going to miss the meeting. Dental school has always been a team effort for us. I didn't want to miss out on anything said, and wanted to hear about our potential future for myself. You better believe I was the only wife there (we think this played out to our advantage because together we know how to work our magic :) We somehow got our way into the CEO and mastermind behind the companies office and had an awesome thirty minute chat that definitely left a huge impression on us. That night at dinner, the CEO insisted that we sit by he and his wife and our great conversations continued. We are totally sold on the company, but we are also totally sold on Dr. Kushner the founder of the whole thing. We love him, his wife and his vision.

That night at dinner, we also sat by a regional rep from Ohio. I never in my life would have ever considered Ohio an option for us. I was all Colorado or bust. But, something really clicked with this conversation. Todd and I went back to the hotel high on dreams of living in the country with a big red barn, and making the money we always dreamed of.  All while spending weekends exploring that side of the US and raising our handful of babies. We have toured the west quite a bit and think a five year adventure living near the East would be awesome. Todd will be going on to Ohio in July to see what the opportunities really are out there and meet the people. It is blowing my mind that school is winding down. Todd has been a student all 7 years of our marriage. I'm kind of stoked for that to end.

Valentines Party

My fabulous friend Aimee from http://www.theelephantofsurpriseblog.com/ was brave enough to throw a Valentines exchange for 17 kids. Which mostly means... she was brave enough to let the kids terrorize her house, so us Moms could get together, gossip and eat a terrific brunch. Those for population control would not take to kindly to our little group. We started dental school with 13 kids, and now (with pregnancies included) we are at 26 kids!! Its been a productful three years I'd say.  Personally, I'm proud and amazed at what we've done. When we we were in Denver and telling the executives that we were pregnant with our second in dental school, they thought we were crazy. Some days I feel crazy.... then I think of two of my friends who are rocking out five kids in dental school, and I feel a little less pyschotic. :) Makes me laugh thinking about how people must have treated Todd and I's moms when they said they were having their eighth child. Brave mama's Mormons make :)

We've spent six days in hotels in the past two weeks. It's been a fun February :) But,  Lucy wont stop begging to go swimming. She finds her swim diapers and puts it on and walks around crying for the "water." Sorry kid. No pool here. Looks like bath time...  again.

Sunny Days Chasin' the Clouds Away

Why yes fellow toddler mommy's, that is the Sesame Street theme song as the post title- and the same song that has the unique and terribly annoying ability to stay in my head ALL.DAY.LONG.  Lucy has an obsession with Elmo and Abby Cadabby. She has zero interest in the other characters and will yell "elmo" at the tv until a part comes on with him in it. It cracks me up. One pretty day last week we busted out the little pink bike Todd found on KSL months ago. She can finally reach the ground. It's the coolest thing to hit that little girl since the "Facetime with Elmo" app appeared on the iPad.   

Pointing at the planes 

I will never tire of her saying "hand" and reaching out grab my fingers.

I just feel like that rapist van really enhances my community and this photo. 

Sorry babe, when the snot is frozen on your face and your cheeks match your coat... it's time to go inside. So hard to be a toddler.