Terrific Two's

Kylea's 2!!  I don't know how it happened, but it did.  It's been such a fun two years.  We've gotten to know this fun-loving, spirited little girl.  She makes us laugh and brightens our lives immeasurably!  We are so glad you are a part of our lives, Kylea!!

To celebrate the birthday girl we went downtown to the brand new City Creek Center.  It's beautiful!  Seriously how many malls can you say that about?  But it really is!

escalator ride up to the mall

 We took the Birthday girl to The Disney Store and let her roam around and pick a present.  It was the biggest Disney Store I have ever seen, complete with a princess castle, big screen tv and every Disney toy and trinket you can imagine.  At first she didn't know what to do with herself, she just stood in the middle of the store, looking around with the widest eyes I have ever seen.  Eventually she began exploring, and exploring (we spent 45 minutes in there) she eventually decided on a stuffed Maximus the horse toy.

 Next, we visited Sephora (a make-up store) Kylea was going to hang outside with Daddy and Grandpa and look at the fish in the creek but she eventually made her way into the store and tried on some lipstick.  She LOVES makeup.


The next day, we invited friends and family over for a Rapunzel princess party.

Welcome to our Rapunzel party!

 The cake that I made for my little princess.  The outside I piped rosettes with pearl centers and the inside is a rainbow cake (two layers and 6 colors!  It was a huge hit with Kylea and the kids)

We chatted and hung out with friends.

Opened presents, with LOTS of help from playgroup friends, haha!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Princess!  We love you so much!!

                                     

An Inconvenience? No, A Treasure!

Humbled? Yes, very.  I feel like I posted that last blog post it has just been floating around in space, weighing on my mind and causing me lots and lots of regret.  It was  a bad day, I should have written those thoughts on a piece of notebook paper and then threw it away!  But, I didn't.  Actually, I'm kind of glad that I didn't because I feel like it was a way for Heavenly Father to really help me see and correct my bad attitude.

Do you ever get the feeling that everything in the world is trying to teach you the same lesson?  I do.  The very next day after posting my frustrations with motherhood and pregnancy I found this quote,

"Remember, you are not raising an inconvenience but a human being."

I hope I'm not the only mom who can say that many times I have treated my sweet little girl as an inconvenience.  "Mommy needs to get dinner on the table,  I can't dance right now!"  How much longer will my sweet little girl want to dance with Mommy?  Not much longer.  A fancy dinner is much less important than those few precious moments spent with my little one.  

Or how about this, "pregnancy is so uncomfortable.  I don't like being pregnant!"  All the while forgetting how I mourned when the Dr. told us that it would likely be a very difficult and long process before we could have another child, and yet, here we are!  It's a miracle!  

Sweet baby, if you read those words, I hope you will remember that your mommy is not perfect (which clearly you will already know) but, I am SO grateful to have the chance to be a Mom!  We are very excited for you to join our family!

In the past, whenever I read about Laman and Lemuel in the Book of Mormon, I used to wonder how they could be so hard hearted.  They seriously witnessed SO many miracles and yet, every opportunity they had, they hardened their hearts and turned against God and their family.   I don't wonder anymore.  I see myself in them.  It's so, so easy to forget.  It's easier to complain, than to be grateful.  

Because of that, I'm grateful for the Lord's infinite mercy in providing the atonement.  So that imperfect complainers (like me!) can repent and keep trying to do better and be better everyday. 

And finally, a quote that I stumbled across shortly after the first one.  The entire talk really stung me and caused me to contemplate my poor attitude and the real value of the things (or rather, people) that I seemingly regarded with disdain.

"When you grow old, when your hair turns white and your body grows weary, when you are prone to sit in a rocker and meditate on the things of your life, nothing will be so important as the question of how your children have turned out.... Do not trade your birthright as a mother for some bauble of passing value....The baby you hold in your arms will grow as quickly as the sunrise and the sunset of the rushing days." -Gordon B. Hinkley

Those words of wisdom have caused me lots of contemplation lately.  I'm feeling especially sensitive to the rush of time since the arrival of Kylea's second birthday. When did she get so big? Wasn't it just yesterday that I held her in my arms for the very first time? More on that, very soon.

Sicky Icky

Written 9/16/2012 another unpublished post 

She hasn't been feeling well lately.  Not that anyone but me could ever tell.  She still runs and jumps and climbs and explores.  But she's cuddles just a little bit longer, complains just a little more often, and falls asleep in funny places.

Sick days are harder.  It means more waking at night.  Chasing around a grumpy toddler with medicine, and caring for runny noses and tired tantrums.  But it also means long afternoon naps cuddled up on the couch together. Reading books and watching movies all snuggled under a blanket.

I was trying to save my reminiscing for her birthday post but I can't help it.  Kylea is almost 2!  I can't believe it!  She's becoming such a beautiful little girl.  I'm exceptionally proud of her.  I know before I can even blink I'll be watching my exceptional little girl go off to college and accomplish exceptional things all on her own.  So I guess that's why I'm soaking in these moments.  They're precious gems in the treasure chest

Confession

You know those women who LOVE being pregnant?  The ones who say they love their bellies and that pregnancy makes them feel sexy? Yeah..... I'm not one of them.  I wish I was, but I'm not.

Confession time.  I hate being pregnant.  Don't get me wrong, I love the end result.  There isn't anyone on planet earth that could deny the fact that we are completely 100% bat crazy in love with our Kylea.  She is the epicenter of my universe.  She and my husband;) But I very much dislike pregnancy.

Nothing makes me feel LESS attractive than pregnancy.  And this pregnancy has definitely been more dramatic than my pregnancy with Kylea.  I've been more tired, cranky, achy, forgetful, and sick than I ever was with little Ky.  I just really hate not feeling like my normal active and healthy self.

On the bright side, we have just exited the 1st trimester.  This has kind of been like stepping into the light after a long and arduous journey through a dark tunnel.  I feel much less sick (though admittedly I still get queasy in the evening time), and I feel much more energetic.  Catching up from the weeks of being able to barely drag myself after Kylea is clearly evident.  My house is a disaster (which has been terrible for my extremely OCD nature) and my family hasn't eaten a square meal in weeks (what kind of "housewife" am I?!).  Thankfully the Lord blessed me with an extremely understanding and helpful companion in life, what would I do without him? Fortunately now, I can stand to open my pantry without running for the bathroom, and I have sufficient energy to prepare a meal AND actually play with Kylea.  It's wonderful.

None of this is meant to overshadow the fact that I AM excited.  It's funny how much different I feel this time around.  Last time, pregnancy was like stepping into the great unknown.  This time, the whole journey is very clear in my mind.  I can picture a tiny snuggly little newborn.  I can see all of the milestones that we will traverse clearly in my mind.  I am excited for Kylea to be a big sister.  She loves babies, she is naturally very nurturing and gentle and will be an excellent big sister! It's just a long and difficult journey to that point.

this belly is only 13 weeks along.  Look how enormous already!  I am literally trembling to see what the 3rd trimester brings me.

It's a blurry picture, but it very clearly depicts life the way it is right now.  My bed is unmade and a solely diaper clad Kylea is attempting to give me a sandwich.