I don’t even know where to begin.

I know who to blame though. No need for name calling, you know who you are.

I have been watching Vampire Diaries. The whole first season in a week. And then I just subscribed to Netflix so I could watch the rest of them. What is happening to me?! I just feel…so…..HUNGRY!!!!

Sometimes I get a little too intense about life. A little..uppity, you could call it. I feel like every single second of my life needs to count for something. I need to use my time wisely, and be productive. When Ryan gets home from work I always account for my day. I need to show someone that I had a full day.

Enter Vampire Diaries. I did not have one single piece of clean clothing. The floors were so dirty I cringed to walk on them with my bare feet. We ate spaghetti day after day after day. I didn’t even notice I ran out of deodorant. Okay okay, I am exaggerating, but the house really did go to crap and I didn’t even care. When I finished the first season I told Ryan I would get the house clean and everything running smoothly before I started watching the next season. Well, I done did. Hellooooo Damon!

P.S. Has anyone else noticed that Stefan has chicken legs? They look like stilts! For this reason, and this reason alone, I have to choose Damon. Just sayin’.

Among other things, I went to my first yoga class. It was awesome, except for the fact that I walked in late. I noisily took my shoes off and rolled out my yoga mat while everything was peacefully laying down while doing some deep breathing. Embarrassing.

I started a little class with Tommy called Messy Monsters through our city. We had our first one last week and it was awesome. Tommy was adorable. I loved having time just for him, kissing his little soft cheeks and making him giggle. We made spooky ghosts and a spider web. Btw, Tommy is really into scary and spooky right now – it’s adorable!

Beauty Update

Remember this post I wrote back in May? Well, I’ve been trying some of these new steps and have come back to report.

I started exfoliating every day with a daily exfoliant – just something I picked up from Wal-Mart in the skincare section. Let me tell you, a noticeable difference! Way less blackheads, less oily, and my skin is so much softer. There is no way I could stop using it now!

Toner – I picked up a $5 bottle at Walgreens. I haven’t been using this for as long, but right away I have noticed that my skin is even less oily. Enough of a difference that I will most certainly continue to use it.

I have just started to use primer, but am going to give that more time before I gather my thoughts on that one. If you didn’t read the comments on my beauty post in May, you should take a look at advice that was given. Also, for those of you who said they didn’t do any of those steps, I noticed that you all have perfect, flawless skin…no wonder!

Also, here you can watch Jordan from Fun Cheap or Free putting on some make-up with some great tips. I have gotten so many compliments on my eyelashes, thanks to her!

So What’s New?

I hate this question. LOATHE this question. Detest is with a passion!

When you are a stay-at-home mother (SAHM) and your days consist of parks and grocery shopping, there is never anything new to report. Never. (okay, not all the time…but enough to make me hate this question).

I remember being a single adult and I always had something new to share. Between weird dates and work mishaps, my life was filled with new experiences and stories. Now my life has taken a different pace, and things are a bit different.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my life. I really do. I enjoy the familiarity I have with my husband – that we know each other so well and laugh together daily. I am thrilled that I have found him, that I never feel self-conscious, and I look forward to raising our children and achieving our goals. I love our boys and find real joy in raising them. I am thankful for the privilege daily, and love talking about them to Ryan and close friends and family. They make me laugh multiple times a day and love me so unconditionally. I am so blessed.

But. In the journey of becoming a wife and mother, I have lost myself a little bit. The other day I was asking Ryan, “What do I find fun?” “What do I enjoy?” I honestly didn’t know! I’ve changed so much since my single life. Now I’m looking in the mirror and trying to figure Katie out. I came to a conclusion, in part due to The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (great book!). I need to have my own activities and experiences. I need to continue to develop my intellect and talents. I need to cultivate friendships and make time for them. Exciting, right? I am making time for ME!
As a start, I signed up for a beginning yoga class through Gilbert Parks and Rec. I’ve always wanted to get going on that, see if I really like it. Why not now? I plan on always being involved in something, whether it is a recreational class or educational. I will be sure to let you know how it goes!

I’m curious. How do you make time for yourself? And what do you do with that time?

Traditions

I love traditions! Weekly, seasonal, for holidays, whatever – they are great.

I haven’t been doing any traditions with my family yet because it was just us, and then just Tommy and he was a baby, etc. But, Tommy is old enough now, so we are going to get crackin’. I sat down and wrote a list of traditions I wanted to incorporate from both families, as well as new ones I knew other people did. I have no shame in borrowing things from people. Traditions, clothes, baby names, toothbrush…

One thing I love about The NieNie Dialogues (don’t know that blog? Who are you and where have you been?!) is how Stephanie has so much tradition in her family. Back to school, when fall arrives, birthdays, etc. I realize that really helps a family be close when they have happy memories and are excited to create new memories together. So, starting now, I am going to start our traditions. And, a difficult one for me, I am going to take pictures! That way we can look back at fun times and laugh at each other. I mean, with each other.

So, I want to know what your favorite traditions are so I can shamelessly use them. Please, share!

Blog Identity Crisis

Have you ever had an identity crisis with your blog? It’s been terrible. I haven’t written much, and most of it is just an update of my 35 goals (which I am having a love/hate relationship with right now). You’re probably thinking, what’s up? This blog ain’t Katie-Did, it’s Katie-Don’t.

Hahahaha, I think I’m clever sometimes.

So for awhile I have felt like I should have posts about my children and our comings and goings, but writing about that does not excite me in the least. I love my children and all, but I am realistic and know that only a small percentage of people really are interested in when my child starts to crawl, what new words/phrases Tommy comes up with, etc. There is nothing more depressing then writing a post that you know most people will find boring.

Plus, I live and breathe my children ALL day. This lady needs some time off, expressing thoughts and feelings not related to my children.

I’m not in this to keep a family journal. I’m in this to let off some steam, let my hair down, be a little silly, and share my thoughts about life. I have hesitated writing my opinions and sometimes scandalous thoughts for fear that people won’t like me. This fear is paralyzing, and has made my life terribly boring.

Then I realized that I would find and develop true friendships with people who appreciate my genuine and unique personality, but only once I allowed myself to really be me.

So there you have it folks. I’ll be seeing you around. Soon.

35 Things: August Update

So I only got one thing done this month…

Wait, scratch that. I didn’t.

So, uh, wish me luck!

What’s with the no meat thing?

I have spent months composing this post in my head before I am actually writing it here for my public audience. It has taken me months to figure out my exact feelings about it, so bear with me because it will be a long post.

About a year ago my sister and mother read Eat to Live and The China Study independently of each other. When my sister first told me about this way of eating, I was like, “What? No meat or dairy?! What would you eat??” Sounded extreme, to say the least. Plus, for some reason I always thought people who were vegetarian were weird. Can’t we all just eat normal, people? And I remember I called vegans stupid, once. So anyway, a bit hostile…but as my sister told me the numerous health benefits behind this way of eating, my interest was piqued because of how well it corresponded with the Word of Wisdom, my religious law of health.

Before moving on, let me state here that no one needs to eat dairy for calcium, or meat for protein. There is a sufficient amount of both of these nutrients in plant-based foods. I am not going to get into the health benefits here. That is not the purpose of this blog and I figure if you really want to know, you will read into it yourself. I highly recommend The China Study. Or watch the documentary Forks Over Knives on Netflix. Moving on…

After I read the books and watched the documentary, food was all I could think about. I could eat this, but if I ate this I would get cancer. I needed this for protein, but this will just raise my cholesterol and give me colon cancer. Okay, I’m exaggerating a bit, but really, I thought about food 24/7. Then I started feeling like I knew everything about eating healthy, and that feeling made me start looking down on other people for eating a regular American diet. Because the Word of Wisdom counsels church members to eat meat sparingly, I concluded that everyone around me was eating waaay to much meat.

So, we are at the self-righteous stage. I started feeling yucky (why yes, I have a 2yr old!). Like, my feelings were churning inside and I knew something wasn’t right. So I sorted some things out and these are my conclusions. I feel very strongly about these, so please be kind.

1. Jesus Christ provided meat and dairy. I don’t like hearing the word “can’t”. Meat and dairy were now something I couldn’t have, and that didn’t settle with me. No way would He provide meat and dairy, and then have it kill us in the end with cancer and diabetes. NO WAY. Let us remember D&C Section 49 that states that meat is ordained for the use of man for food. Take that with Section 89 and figure out what works for you.

2. The Word of Wisdom is personal. Diet is not essential to our salvation. I am stating this here, and let me be struck down if I am incorrect – Heavenly Father is not going to ask me how much meat I ate at the pearly gates. In fact, He might even ask if I enjoyed prime rib. Okay, I kid. But if there was some nutritional information that was important for our eternal salvation, the prophet would make sure we knew about it. In no way does eating a certain diet make a person better or more righteous then the other. There are some health laws that are commandments, like abstaining from alcohol and drugs. But going to bed early and rising early in the morning is not essential for a temple recommend, just like eating meat or dairy. People have various interpretations for what is healthy, especially in the LDS world. To some, caffeine is a big no-no. Other people can’t eat wheat even though the Word of Wisdom states that grains are ordained for the use of man. As I stated before, the Word of Wisdom is personal and no one should go around deciding who is more or less righteous depending on what they eat. We all have room for improvement, so from time to time let’s read Section 89 and see how we can be better so that we can always receive the blessings promised to us. I have no doubt that the Holy Ghost will guide each of us as to what will improve our health and better our lives, little baby steps at a time.

3. Diet is personal. You don’t realize how much so until you radically change yours and watch the effects. It is not my place to say what you should eat, or what your children should eat. Leave that to the doctor, or I will share my thoughts kindly if you ask me questions. But only if you ask questions. This is something I am still learning, but usually NO advice is appreciated unless asked for. If you are really passionate about something in your life, then show by example. That will create much more interest then a lecture would! This is an obvious statement, but I am saying it anyway: There is no one right way of eating. Celebrate differences. Let’s all enjoy food together, shall we?

So that brings me to my personal diet. People ask me a lot these days what I am eating, etc. I have tried all sorts of things and have found something that I am really comfortable with and feel great about it. I am vegan at home. Everything I bake and cook is plant-based, and I really enjoy it. When I am out and about I am vegetarian and don’t stress about the dairy. If it is easy to omit cheese, then I go for it. If it will make someone uncomfortable or my choices are limited, then bring on the cream!

To my friends and family: please don’t stop eating with me! If my friend became vegetarian I would be deer in headlights trying to think of something to feed them. If you want to invite me to dinner, I would love to bring something along that we can all share. I can eat out almost anywhere except a burger joint. Not bad, right?

And, please know that I do not care what you eat. Seriously. I promise no judgment from me and my little family.

Any questions? Thoughts? Please share!

35 Things: July Update and Revisions

I have been dreading this post. I did ONE thing for the month of July. The summer really slows me down. Thank goodness it’s almost over!

35. Organize pantry and cupboards – Thank goodness this one is over. It needed to be done. Here are the pictures. I hope they cheer you up when you realize that yours isn’t that bad!

And yes, I have more revisions. It’s all of my home stuff. I had home goals all over the place and I am realizing that I want to focus on ONE room and get it done!

10. Paint kitchen  Buy chairs for front room

11. Paint master bedroom  Buy rug for front room

12. Paint master bathroom  Make window treatments for front room

31. Refinish nightstands  Purchase blinds for front room

Hopefully I have some exciting reveals of the front room by the end of September!!

The Cash System and Beyond

This is a post in which I discuss finance in a very general way. I enjoy learning about finances and budgeting, so I thought I would share what I have learned as of late.

A few of my friends know that Ryan and I were doing the cash system. This came about because Ryan and I would have a budget, but weren’t really sticking to it. Basically I would check the account every once in awhile and make sure we were only spending a certain amount so that we could save a specific amount when the pay period was over. We hardly ever saved as much as we wanted to and it would stress me out that we weren’t meeting our financial goals.

Then we read Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Make-Over. It’s a great book, the type I enjoy reading. Anyway, he recommends doing the envelope system so that you can only spend what is allotted in each envelope until you add more cash the next pay day. So Ryan and I decided that would be a great way to save more money and started doing it. We did it for several months, between 6-9 I’m thinking…anyway, it was great. We were saving more money then we had allotted in our previous budget and knew exactly how much we were spending on what.

But, there are a few cons to the envelope system. Well, quite a few. First, ON payday we would go over our budget and head to the bank to pull out money in specific denominations so that we could divide it up between all the folders. Then we would need to remember the envelopes every single time we went somewhere. At times when checking out at the grocery store I would have 4-5 different transactions with a different envelope for each one. There were several times when we needed something, say medicine, but we had 3 more days until we would get more money for it. Obviously we can’t go without medicine, so we would take money from another envelope and use it for medicine. We tried not to do this often so that the other envelopes would still have enough money for its intended use. It would get frustrating, though, to have multiple envelopes with a lot of money and another needed envelope empty. We edited our budget quite a few times trying to figure out the perfect amounts to put in each envelope, but it never happened.

But before you wonder if doing the envelope system is worth all the hassle, let me share some wonderful things it did for our budget. We were saving more than we ever had before. Also, I learned to really discern between needs and wants, as well as learn to wait to buy the things I wanted. There were countless times that I felt like I needed something, only to find after waiting a month or so for the envelope to accumulate enough money, that it really wasn’t necessary. It was also nice to have all of the money we needed in an envelope come Christmas, Anniversary, etc and not deplete our bank account with the purchase of family presents and events.

After some time of this, Ryan and I felt like we were disciplined enough to get rid of the envelopes and try leaving the money in the account. This time, though, we put a set amount into savings as soon as we were paid. A friend of mine told me to do this months ago, but for some reason (probably because we always overspent) I felt like it wouldn’t leave me with enough money, and that there was no way of knowing how much I could really save that pay period. The cash system cured my thinking, so now I just make however much money was left in our account work for us.

It has been really fun to have a lump sum of money in the account every pay period because I feel like I am ridiculously rich compared to looking at envelopes of $10-$20. Before I would set aside money for things I didn’t even need that month, but now I use the money for only the things I need that month. I have been asking my friends how they can know if they can buy something, especially at the beginning of the pay period. Through their advice and being cautious through these months, I have gotten a feel for how much money I need for things like gas and food, with some extra for miscellaneous entertainment and life events. I now understand that you don’t need a budget listing how much you can spend on every single thing if you are able to stay within the limits you set and save as much as you intended.

An interesting journey for us, but well worth it. Would anyone else like to share their budgeting tips? I am always interested in other people’s methods and learning how to be better!

Messy Habits = Messy House

So I know I disappeared for the month of July. Sometimes I postpone writing in my blog because I have to get psyched up to write for an audience. It takes energy to write something interesting. I started a private blog so that I could document my life happenings without having to put any energy into it, so that is where all my blog posts are for the month of July!

This month hasn’t been all that great. Every single night for dinner I was always missing at least one ingredient, and dinner was always late. We ate out a lot, which I hate because that is using money that I would have gladly spent elsewhere! Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to eat out for a date, but to feed the family for emergency dinners multiple times is no fun.

But mostly, I am frustrated with the state of my house. If you have seen it and it has been tidy, then you are lucky and came during a little second of time when my house was decent. I am a messy person. All of my college roommates and siblings can attest to this. I have terribly messy living habits and I really want to change, but it is SO hard! I am interrupted a thousand times throughout the day so tasks throughout the house are only partially done. I wouldn’t mind having a few things to tidy up in each room at the end of the day, that would be manageable and, I hope, realistic. Instead I have huge messes, sticky floors, piles of clothes, stacks of papers, etc in every room. I am working a little bit at a time on decluttering rooms and finding a place for everything that I really do need. I am definitely not a hoarder. However, this takes time and I feel like I am taking two steps forward and one step back very very slowly and have a hard time seeing any progress.

Anyway, I don’t know…am I being realistic? I have just never been one of those naturally neat people. I realize now, though, that I thrive in a clean and neat environment. I am really happy, I enjoy playing with my children, I look for ways I can help others, I make Ryan laugh, and at the end of the day I feel peace. I can think of a million habits I can start, like folding the laundry as soon as it is done, have Tommy put his toy away before he starts playing with another one, clear the table as soon as we finish eating, etc…but where do I start? It isn’t realistic to expect myself to suddenly implement all new habits. And all day I am beating myself up with internal dialogue. I am trying FlyLady but it doesn’t really seem to be going anywhere. Maybe I just need to be nice to myself and let it happen, even though it is so much slower then I would like.

Any tips? If you don’t have any, at least leave me a shout out of encouragement. I need all the happy thoughts I can get.

35 Things: June Update Plus Revision

So, not the most productive month of my life. I didn’t even blog once! When the summer weather hits in full force, I find that I am tired more often. Here is what I did this month:
17. Make homemade laundry detergent – haven’t tried it yet
20. Eat a strict whole foods, plant-based diet for 6 weeks
Can I use the word “strict” loosely here? I ate a few dairy-filled baked treats – but no meat. I have been working towards a whole foods, plant-based diet for months by cooking dinners that fit into that category and no longer buying meat and dairy. However, the “whole foods” bit is what gets me. Sometimes you just want to snack, ya know? I am trying to remedy that by making my own vegan muffins with whole-wheat flour, and am on the look-out for other snacks. I do want to say that I really loved doing this and am not looking back. So long, meat and dairy! I am going to write a different blog post about the why, what, and how of my diet change.
Also, I revised some goals and wanted to document that here.
34. Completely finish the boys’ room – I decided it is decorated enough for now. I just don’t have any interest to work on it this year.
I switched it to:
34. Organize filing cabinet (scary!)
The other was:
35. Finish advent calendar – I was sewing my own advent calendar. When I was looking through my goals I realized that I didn’t even like the project. I will gladly buy one instead of using my precious time to make something I don’t love and will probably end up looking mediocre.
I switched it to:
35. Organize pantry and cupboards - when I moved into the house I just put stuff everywhere. Now I have a real sense of where I like to bake, prep dinner, etc and want the cupboards to reflect that use. Plus, my pantry is HORRIFIC. I will post a before and after so that everyone else with a pantry like mine can feel better about themselves and hope for a better tomorrow.

35 Things: May Update

Wow, we are almost halfway through the year. In May I:

4. Read 1 of 3 church books – I read my first, Jesus the Christ. This book was, hands down, the most beneficial book I have ever read. Probably the best spiritual material I have read besides the scriptures. This is a MUST read.

7. Clean out and organize extra room – I am so glad this is done!

23. Read three secular nonfiction books – I read Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson. This is also a must read. I own it if anyone would like to borrow it!

29. Go on a bike ride with my parents – My parents are cyclists and I’ve always wanted to try out the hobby. I went on a ride with my dad when he was in town last weekend and enjoyed it more than any other exercise. The hard part about this activity is that I don’t have a lot of time to ride it. Ryan is gone by 5:30 AM and doesn’t get home until 6:30 PM, so that leaves Saturday for bike rides. Also, my bum was SO sore after. Oh, the tenderness!

32. Paint chicken wire frame – I will take a picture once I figure out where I am going to hang it.

Now on to June!

Tommy’s Talking

I just wanted to jot down a little conversation that Ryan and I had with Tommy after dinner today. Tommy had woken up last night crying. When I went in to console him, he kept saying “amels” (animals). I soothed him and put him back in bed to sleep.

After dinner we asked Tommy if he had a bad dream last night, if it was scary and made him cry. Tommy doesn’t know what dreams are, so it surprised me when he said “amels”. Ryan asked him what happened and after some stutters and obvious thinking, he said “eat Tommy”. Ryan told him that animals would never eat Tommy (that may be a lie, but he’s 2!). Then Tommy says, as if continuing on the not-eating-Tommy strain, “amels don’t eat fruit snacks…(big pause)…eat water”. I hid my face so I could laugh and Ryan confirmed to Tommy that, indeed, animals do not eat fruit snacks but do like water.

Basically it was adorable. I love him.

A Whole New Territory

I just had my first girls night with the Lorsch girls, and it was refreshingly fun. My sister-in-law Cara knows a whole bunch about skin care and beauty products and introduced me to this whole new realm.

Now, I know some of you are like, duh. But, there are some of you who are like me and think that all you need to do is clean your face, put on some lotion, and slather on the make-up and you are good to do. You will be surprised, my friends, that there are actually multiple steps to achieving Skin Greatness. We went to Sephora today and I got the low-down on what I should be doing to my face.

1. Cleanse – clean your face with a cleanser. Pretty simple, right?
2. Exfoliate – yes, every day. A very gentle exfoliation though. Avoid it if you have some major pimples so you don’t spread the bacteria everywhere.
3. Tone – apply toner to your face to even your skin’s ph level. Did I even type ph right?
4. Treat – You can just do this step at night, which would be applying some sort of anti-acne or preventative aging serum.
5. SPF – gotta protect that skin!
6. Moisturize
7. Primer – I honestly didn’t even know about this. If I understand it right, it helps your make-up last all day and prevents it from smudging or coming off.
8. Foundation – putting on whatever make-up you want

I currently do 1, 6, and 8…I feel so out of touch! This probably explains why not even halfway through the day my foundation is basically gone and my zitty oily face is back for the world to see.

Now, I don’t have a bunch of money to go buy all these products. I have been doing some research on products to buy, but I want to know what you use. Is there a product you can’t live without? What steps do you consider essential for you skin care regimen? I want/need better skin, but don’t know where to start!

Charlie is 2 months

My sweet baby is two months! Celebrating the anniversary of your kids birth is a good thing to do because then it reminds you that you gave birth a relatively short time ago, so baby chub is okay. I hate feeling uncomfortable in clothes though.

Anyway, enough of that tangent. My Charlie is the sweetest, chubbiest boy around. He is 14 lbs., 13 oz. and is as round as a baby can get. If he leans over, only slightly, he instantly gets three back rolls. Then I go and kiss them and giggle until he gets embarrassed and rights himself again. Don’t you love naked babies? I love kissing Charlie’s naked belly!

Charlie is a very social baby. He will try so hard to stay awake if it seems like anything is going on. This is why he had a 5 hour wakeful period today (ugh). However, Charlie evens the scales by sleeping like a champ at night. He only wakes up once during the night, while Tommy was still up three times in the night at this age.

If well-rested and fed, Charlie loves being talked to. He talks back with his coos, sometimes getting very animated with his eyebrows and lips. It is the cutest darn thing I have ever seen and it melts my heart each and every time. Charlie also smiles very easily when you talk to him all lovey dovey. Which I like to do often, since I’m his mom and all. He is still sleeping in our bed and every day I say I am moving him out…so we’ll see when that finally happens.

Bittersweet

A few of my friends from the ward have posted their thoughts on a recent tragedy, and I realized that I ought to post my thoughts as well so that I don’t forget what I have learned.

Tuesday morning I received a call from Ryan that my friend’s four year old boy passed away suddenly that morning. I wouldn’t say I was close with Amy (my friend), but she is the type of person that you don’t need to hang out with a lot to feel like you are friends. Sudden deaths are difficult to grasp. The shock and grief make a nasty combination and I was instantly in this whirlwind when Ryan gave me the news. I had just seen that little boy on Sunday and he was perfectly fine being his silly cute self.

This experience made me really look at Amy, really look at the type of person she is. I realized, though I had known it before, that Amy is an amazing mother. She truly has a gospel-centered home where her family is the priority and teaching them the gospel is number one. That Sunday when I had seen Isaac, Amy had stopped by to get directions to someone’s house in the ward who could use some fellowshipping. Her whole family was with her, holding a plate of goodies, off to roam the neighborhood and find these people who needed friends. Another example is that Amy gave me her double jogging stroller, fixing up the tires before giving it to me even though I told her I would gladly take care of it since I was getting a free stroller! She brought it over with her 10 year old daughter. These are just two of numerous examples in where she has included her children in acts of service. Whenever there is someone in need, Amy is always there.

I remember shortly after I had Tommy I felt like I was going through the hardest thing in the world (even though he was an easy baby) and Amy would spontaneously pop over every once in awhile to see how I was doing. I always felt her sincere love for me and she always left a smile on my face. Isaac was always with her. Isaac and her children knew their mom had a testimony because they watched her in action. Amy also makes it a priority to go to the temple once a week. When one of her children was asked in school what his mom’s favorite thing to do was, he said go to the temple. What an amazing legacy of a Christ-centered life Amy is giving to her children and future posterity.
The point of this is that I realized that Amy has no reason to have regrets. Her sweet little boy is back with his Heavenly Father, but she knows that she gave him the home and love that he deserved. She doesn’t have to wonder if Isaac really knew she loved him, or if he knew that she loved the temple, or loved church. Amy is an amazing mother and has given me a new perspective on what it means to be a good mother and what I need to change to have no regrets. Really, what is most important? Teaching my children the gospel through word and deed. Loving my children, and letting them know I love them. Also, loving Ryan and letting my children know how much I love their daddy. This is most important. Not decorating my house or having cute clothes, though sometimes I think that way. Thank you, Amy and Isaac, for helping me see this while my children are still young. Thank you.

Almost three years ago, my cousin’s husband passed away suddenly, leaving her with three little kids. I cried for weeks and was depressed for months. I was angry with my Heavenly Father and could not comprehend why her husband really needed to go. There is nothing more important then being a husband and daddy. In my mind, there was no justifiable reason for such a tragedy. It took me a long time to really understand that Heavenly Father has a plan, and sometimes it takes awhile for us to see why things happen, though sometimes we never know. I had the privilege of attending my sweet cousin’s wedding to a great guy who loves her little children so much. The spirit was there, and I was reminded that Heavenly Father loves us.

Because of that experience, I handled this tragedy much better. Though I cried and hurt so badly for this amazing family, I also felt the strongest peace in my heart that they will see Isaac again. I know that the Plan of Salvation is real. Families can be forever, but we need to do our part if we expect Heavenly Father’s blessings. Be worthy to be married in the temple and attend regularly. When I saw Amy at the memorial service and at church, I could see that she knows it. She knows. The most important thing I have learned is that the blessings of the temple are the most important thing I have in my life. Nothing can get in the way of me being worthy for those blessings so that whatever comes my way, I can know that I will be reunited with my loved ones again.

Hickey

I came home from some much needed alone time (aka retail therapy) tonight to a hungry baby. While nursing him I noticed a bruise on his arm. Alarmed, I asked Ryan what happened, wondering if Tommy had hit him. Ryan looked at it and told me Charlie had been sucking on his arm while waiting for me. So there you have it, a hickey!

This is a great visual example to those fathers out there demonstrating the strength of a babe’s suck. Can you blame us for wincing when we nurse??

35 Things: April Update

This month was a bit more productive then the last. I feel like I am starting to get the hang of this two kids thing. That and Tommy is doing much better, I think we are out of the adjustment period. Anyway, this month:
13. Organize laundry room – it feels soooo much better now
15. Organize desk – that hasn’t quite stopped the clutter though
32. Paint chicken wire frame – it looks awesome. I’ll put up pictures later once I figure out where I am going to hang it.
I think I am in need of revising some goals, or rethinking the timeline, etc. Different needs come up that change what goals I want to work on, so to be more practical I might have a revision posted sometime. How is everyone else doing with their goals? Even though I’m not where I wanted to be with crossing things off my list, I am still doing way more then I would if I hadn’t made my goals!

Tommy’s Birthday

The Saturday before Tommy’s birthday we invited friends and family over to celebrate. Originally I had wanted to meet at Freestone Park, have a picnic, and have the kids ride the train. Unfortunately for us, weather got in the way.

Keeping with tradition, we wanted to make a fun cake for Tommy’s birthday. Last year we made the monkey cake, which turned out amazing if I do say so myself, so we thought we would try a train this time around.

It didn’t quite turn out like I had imagined. Well, nothing like I had imagined. A train wreck if you will, heh heh. I think the picture is actually making it look better then it really did. I mean, the little cousins didn’t even want a piece. So sad. When Ryan and I were decorating it the night before (until 1 AM) we were both laughing so hard at how ridiculous it looked. Silent, shoulder-shaking, knee slapping laughter. We were also tired…

I think my expectations were a little high for a small family get-together. There were only two other kids that were able to be there, so games weren’t really an option. We all sat around and visited while eating some Subway, which is nice and all, but I wanted it to be a little extra special. Too bad I didn’t plan for that extra special.

Next year I plan on a little more preparation, decoration, and having some more kiddos to play with. Tommy did get some fun presents: the zoo membership that I mentioned before, a wagon, play-doh and accessories, a superhero cape, ball, monster truck, and backhoe loader. We got him a train set, $15 from Walgreens and definitely has the quality of $15…but Tommy doesn’t know the difference

Tommy is 2

I can’t believe Tommy is two years old. I am just loving him so much, so long as I remember to be patient… It has been such a joy to watch him grow up and learn and develop. Right now he is still very much a sweet-hearted little boy who loves cars, construction vehicles, Mickey Mouse, fire trucks, Donald Duck, and his power wheels car.

He has just started playing with other kids, particularly his cousin Chloe. I suspect this is because she is 11 months older then him, so she shows him the ropes on how to really play. He loves fruit snacks and treats and wrestling with his daddy. He loves to be silly and laugh. Tommy talks nonstop when he is at home and often repeats almost everything I say, which sometimes makes me laugh depending on what it is I’m saying.

Tommy makes me smile and laugh every day, as well as rip my hair out. He isn’t terribly wild as little boys go, but he sure does like to try my patience. If he can run instead of walk, then he will run. He loves to take walks with us at night and drink chocolate milk.

He always sleeps with his “choo choo” blanket (thomas the tank engine) and wants every body part tucked in except his head. He still takes naps and has me rock him before nap and bedtime each day. His favorite songs are “I Love to See the Temple”, the ABC’s, and “I Am A Child of God”.

His favorite color is yellow and he likes to pick out his shirts, and usually picks three that he insists on wearing all at the same time. Tommy has yet to watch an entire movie, but has really been enjoying little Disney clips of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck on YouTube. Basically he is the cutest 2 year old around. We just love him so much!

A Trip to the Zoo

For Tommy’s birthday, Ryan’s parents gave us a zoo membership for the year. Ryan had been eyeing that and brought it up to me every once in awhile, but I’m not an animal person, so I never let him commit me to anything.

Obviously Ryan was thrilled with the gift, I thought it was pretty cool, and Tommy was clueless. We went for the first time with my sister Alisa and her kids shortly after I had Charlie. As in, much too soon after I had Charlie. I carried him around in my Moby Wrap but was completely drained and tired within 30 minutes of walking around.

Tommy, on the other hand, had a blast with his daddy. It was neat watching Tommy see these animals for the first time in real life after watching them on YouTube and Curious George, etc.

He would tell me the names of the animals repeatedly as well as what color they were and whether or not they were loud. Just so you know, all of the animals are loud.

The best part about the zoo, my opinion of course, is the play places and splash pads. We went there another time about two weeks ago and I just took Tommy to those areas and let him run loose. You still get to see the animals as you are walking to the play areas, but then there isn’t too much walking and staring at animals sleeping behind a bush.

So, all of my friends in Arizona – I can get you and your kiddos in for free if you want to come with me. I know it’s getting hot, but we can still go to the wet places!

A New Car

I never thought I could be so excited about a van, but here I am, writing about it with pictures included!

We bought it at a used dealership on Main and traded in Ryan’s VW Passat. Both Ryan’s car and mine have some serious mechanical issues, but mine was in “better” condition, so it is now Ryan’s to drive to and from work. The van is a 2002 Mazda MPV with 95,000 miles. This is a car I plan on making last, so I have been keeping it super clean and being careful not to hit curbs (I have a terrible habit of doing that…).

Anyway, we got a great deal on the van and couldn’t be more thrilled. Plus, it has those automatic sliding doors. I still get a thrill when I push the button to open them – so cool! And it’s really nice not having to bend way down to get the babes out of the car. I now am no longer dreading road trips. Bring it on!

Easter

I am really trying to be better at documenting our family life. I have already posted more this year than all of last year combined, thanks to my New Year’s Goals.

Easter is always a wonderful and relaxing holiday. Every year I go to the Mesa Temple Easter Pageant because it reminds me what is most important. That Jesus Christ lives, and because of that, we will all live again. You can read a message about that here by a Prophet of God, Thomas S. Monson. This year we went with our friends Michael and Krystal Charboneau and the missionaries. I hope they were able to feel the wonderful spirit and the truthfulness of the Easter message.

Our only Easter “tradition” is an Easter egg hunt which we do on the Saturday before Easter. Tommy totally got the hang of it this year and thought it was the coolest thing that there were eggs hidden around the yard. This began Tommy’s obsession of candy, which he now asks for every day. He stayed outside for an hour after it was over looking for stray pieces of candy that the older cousins left in their eggs or on the ground. What can I say, he’s just like his mommy!

Easter Sunday was beautiful. I was able to play the violin with the ward choir and sing in a trio during the Sacrament service. A little nerve-wracking, but I was so stressed with taking care of both boys that I didn’t have time to really be nervous. It felt good to finally play a violin musical number since I have been meaning to for some time.

All in all, a beautiful holiday.

Mastitis: The Breast Infection

Yes, I am writing about my boob infection on my public family blog. I’m trying to make my blog more realistic and down-to-earth. Is it working?

So I never had any complications when Tommy was nursing, except for the fact that he didn’t like to open his mouth very wide… But, since I have been nursing Charlie I started having a pain on the left side of my left breast. I figured it was just a clogged duct and tried rubbing it with hot water in the shower to help it out. It wasn’t bothering me too much until Tuesday night when I woke up with a fever and couldn’t stop shivering. I was in and out of sleep and kept finding myself plastered against Ryan for body warmth while he hovered an inch away from the side of the bed. I figured I ought to call the Doc, but didn’t get around to it until 2:30 PM the next day. They scheduled an appointment for Thursday morning, so I took my ibuprofen and went on with life.

At around 7 PM that night while Ryan was at scouts I started feeling really bad. My whole body ached and I couldn’t stop rocking myself to deal with the pain. This is especially difficult to deal with when you have a toddler who demands your time regardless of how you are feeling. My mom came over to help, told me I looked awful, and suggested I go to urgent care. I didn’t know it at the time, but my mom had a strong feeling that she should call me to see how I was doing, which led to her coming over. We waited until Ryan came home around 8:15 PM and then my mom took me out while Ryan tended to the kiddos.

We went to three urgent care’s because, get this, they close at EIGHT. Yes. I assumed they would be open until at least 10 PM and was sorely disappointed. Luckily we found one that was open until nine and made our way in. I filled out the paperwork and found out I had a fever of 103 (I had never bothered to check my temp). After I showed my doctor the hurt area, he concluded that I had a bad case of mastitis. Oh, and after you have been pregnant and had a baby, it is no longer awkward for a doctor to look at your boob or bumb – just so ya know. He told me I would need a shot in the buttocks and take antibiotics for ten days. I was worried about the shot though. I’ve never had a needle in my bumb before, and was thinking it was a soft and tender area for such a sharp needle.

I was right. That shot hurt so bad. And the pain lasted two days after! After the assistant gave me the shot I couldn’t stand up I was so light headed. After resting awhile they had to wheel me out of the building because I wasn’t getting much better. Thankfully the dizziness eased up by the time we got back home and I was able to walk in unassisted.

Did I mention the Doc gave me vicodin? It worked pretty swell!

Anyway, it’s not like the story is that exciting, but it was pretty intense for me. A good journaling experience, you know? But it got me thinking, we go through a lot of physical pain for our kids. There is the pregnancy, labor, delivery, post-partum healing, nursing, etc. And that doesn’t include toddlers climbing on you, hitting you with their toys, stepping on you, etc. So basically, I want my kids to know that even though being a mom really hurts sometimes, I still love being their Mommy.

35 Things: March Update

Oh March, where did you go? I didn’t get anything done in March. Nothing! Well, I did get some of my monthly goals, but not all of them. I’m just passing on all of my March goals to April in hopes that I will catch up sometime. I remain optimistic – I will do better next month!

Little Charlie: One Month Old

My sweet baby boy is already one month! He has gotten so big and chubby, I just love kissing his squishy little cheeks.

At one month Charlie is still sleeping his nights and days away, which I like because it makes things easier with Tommy. He loves to nurse and hardly ever spits up. At night he has been giving me up to 4 hours of sleep at a time. He loves to look at people and stick his tongue out. His hair is still as dark and full as ever!


And here is the little bugger today:

We love you Charlie!

Things to Remember

Having gone through another pregnancy and birth of a child, I’ve realized that I had forgotten how hard it all is. Now I’m hanging my head in embarrassment as I remember how little (or no) service I gave to friends of mine who have added to their families within the year. To make sure that doesn’t happen again, I am making a little list of all the things that I would or did appreciate people helping me with.

1. Take the other children. When you are 8+ months pregnant or have a new baby, you are exhausted. Taking care of rambunctious children is so difficult. Invite the other kids over to play so mommy can sleep.

2. Make dinner. I remembered that I didn’t really want to cook after I had a baby, but I forgot how hard it was to cook the last month of my pregnancy. So, bring dinner when pregnant and after.

3. Run errands. A day or two before I need to get groceries, call and offer to grab some items for my friend in need. Shopping for food is draining, and little errands like returning a library book can be annoying.

4. Clean/Organize. Some people are comfortable helping you clean their dirty floors or kitchen, others aren’t. Sincerely offer to help and let them decide if they will take you up on it. Let’s just say that clean floors make a mommy happy.

I know I probably left some things out. Any other ideas?

35 Things: February Update

So it was kinda hard to stay motivated through the last month of my pregnancy. And, it’s been hard to work on my goals with a newborn babe and all. But alas, I press forward and do what I can.

14. Organize night stands – this was pretty easy. Organized yes, but does that mean they are clean at the moment? No.

25. Save up and purchase my piano – I did it! Thanks to saving funds from birthday, graduation, and monthly spending money, I bought my piano. It was a craigslist find and I am in love with it. It still needs to be tuned, mind you. But that doesn’t stop me from playing it when I can! And don’t worry, I’ve straightened my picture frames!

27. Plant a garden – I have finally done it. It’s one of those things that you mean to do, and want to try, but suddenly you realize that planting season is over and the opportunity is gone until next season. I already have little plants popping up and can’t wait to eat some fresh grown produce!

So there you have it. Nothing too exciting, but I did get all of my monthly goals done for February. I’m just now beginning to realize how many repetitive monthly goals I have, but it will be awesome to cross them off in December.

Charlie’s Birth Story

So I have a beautiful baby named Charlie who is now 8 days old. I want to document the story of his birth so he can read all the gory details at the awkward age of 11. Seriously, when is he really going to want to know all about it??? Maybe his wife will appreciate it…

My due date pic: Feb 27th

It all started the day after my due date, February 28th to be exact. My friend Liz was amazingly in tune with my needs that day because I was exhausted and did not have the energy to be a mother. Liz called me and asked if she could watch Tommy for me. I was like, holy cow, yes please! I dropped him off, still in my pajamas, and Liz told me to take all the time I needed. I promptly went home and slept for three hours and woke up feeling amazing. Then I picked up Tommy and took him home for a nap and did some last minute nesting activities in anticipation for Charles to arrive. I had been having contractions on and off the past week, some strong, some weak, and was so done with the teasing. Enough already!!!

After Ryan came home he started talking about how great castor oil worked for Tommy last time, and how great it would be if he didn’t have to go to work the next day. I got the hint, and let’s be honest, I was eager to have this baby. I grabbed the castor oil and emptied 4 tablespoons into a glass, which it turns out, is quite a bit of oil. I added some Dr. Pepper and went for it. Nasty, yes. But not as nasty as when I took it with Tommy. I’ll have to write a post about the Do’s and Don’ts of Castor Oil sometime… Anyway, we continued on with our day. I had some minor loose bowels here and there, but nothing to get excited about. Hardly anything had happened when I took it with Tommy, so I wasn’t worried about it.

We went to Walmart that night so get some things for Ryan’s scouting activity. Let me just say that it was a mistake, if you catch my drift. And we left quickly.

Ryan put Tommy to bed and I spent my time between the bed and the toilet. It.Was.AWFUL. At one point while sitting on the toilet in misery I remembered that I took 4 TEASPOONS of castor oil with Tommy. NOT, I repeat, NOT 4 TABLESPOONS. Big mistake. Put that in the “Dont't” category. I was so miserable and in so much pain. But the silver lining was that some serious contractions had started. I cried here and there, not because of the contractions, mind you, and took at least 5 baths that night to soothe my sore area. I started to get panicky about going into labor with diarrhea (what would happened when I pushed?!?!?!?!) and moaned about my situation.

Thankfully, it eased up a bit towards early morning about the same time I started having strong contractions 3-5 minutes apart. We called Ryan’s Mom who came over at 4 AM and left for the hospital. I hadn’t been checked in 2 weeks, so the only thing I knew was that 2 weeks ago I had been dilated to 2 cm and 80% effaced. Imagine my disappointment when the nurse told me I was at 3 cm. Poo. Literally.

I labored for the next hour in triage while they monitored my contractions. At that point they checked me again and I was at 4 cm. By the way, my cervix was behind the baby’s head at this point and it was indescribably painful to get checked. I insisted that they wouldn’t look again until I had an epidural. Since I was 2 days past due I was admitted and waited to go into the labor and delivery room. It took forever because my friend Blair was in my delivery room taking her sweet time pushing out her baby while I was hanging out in triage. Okay, I kid. But I did have to wait an hour for her! Within that hour the contractions started getting serious and I coped by wiggling my feet and moaning in a deep creepy voice.

In the labor and delivery room – between contractions

I continued to moan once I was in the labor and delivery room while I waited an hour for the anesthesiologist. My nurse could not find a vein anywhere for the IV, so I cried while she repeatedly poked me and gave me serious bruises. I have heard people talk about how awful it is when this happens, but had never experienced it for myself. Let me tell you, it was awful.

The bruise

Then my doctor and the anesthesiologist walked in at the same time. Of course I wanted my epidural before the doc started rummaging around in there, but there were patients to see, so the epidural had to wait. The doctor popped my water, gave me a pep talk, and then went off to see his patients. The anesthesiologist came in and gave me a walking epidural which turned out great.

In the course of getting my shot I was having really bad contractions. It was so hard to sit still on the bed while moaning/crying through the pain. At one point I felt this sharp stab in my bumb and jumped up in pain. It felt like the shot doctor had stabbed me in the buttocks with a needle. The doc explained that I had experience (insert long medical word here) which was like hitting your funny bone and feeling a tingle in your fingers. Basically, the needle had bumped into a vein that was in my spinal fluid that made my bumb hurt. Then the serious work began and I sobbed into Ryan while getting my shot and working through contractions. It was traumatic.

Then the miracle of the epidural started its magic. The nurse checked me and I was now at a 7. I was proud of myself for laboring to that point on my own, but was thoroughly enjoying the comfort of the moment. I was able to move my legs all around and feel the pressure of the contractions, but the pain was nonexistent. Thirty minutes later I was feeling some serious pressure and the need to push. I called the nurse and indeed, I was completely dilated and effaced. They called the doctor and I got ready to push out my sweet baby boy.

It was nice to have control of my legs and put them in the stirrups all on my own. I know, I’m a big girl. I started off with one big push that brought the head to the surface. I was starting to tear a little, so the doctor gave me a mild episiotomy and then coached me to push slow and steady so he could ease the head out. With that I just needed one more push and his body slipped right out. It was amazing to feel him leaving my body and to see how incredibly big and long he was! No words can describe that of meeting your baby for the first time. Of course I cried, and loved him the moment I saw all of his dark black hair. He didn’t made one sound, but just laid on me as though getting birthed was no big deal.

Charles Ryan Lorsch measured 8lbs, 11oz and was 21 inches long. Born on Leap Year, but I’m not sure I really care. The 28th of February is as good a day as any to celebrate a birthday, right?

So far Charlie does not cry much, but loves to be held when he is awake and nurse every waking moment. He has beautiful eye lashes and huge eyes, lots of hair, and has promising eyebrows that are sure to turn out like his Daddy’s. He is so precious and beautiful, and reminds me constantly of how blessed I am to be a mother.

Candid car seat picture

Happy Birthday Charlie!

I have one more blog post to fit in this month, and by golly I will do it even if I just gave birth!

I delivered my beautiful baby boy today and have absolutely fallen in love. I wanted to write him a birthday post since the 29th of February won't come around for awhile :) Oh, and pictures and birth story will follow once I am home.

Charles Ryan, you have worked your way into our hearts in a few short hours. We love your long, dark brown hair that makes you look like a rock star. The dimple in your left cheek just kills me with its cuteness, I can't wait until you smile on purpose and show it off! You remind me so much of your big brother Tommy, but at the same time, don't really look anything like him. You have given me hope by being so mild mannered thus far today. Crying, so far, hasn't been your thing. You just like to coo and look at me, and melt my heart over and over again. You love to nurse and did so for three hours straight today, which is why Mommy just got some formula to protect her nipples from your ever-hungry lips. I cannot wait to bring you home and start our life together as a family. You are loved so much by so many, I am so thankful that Heavenly Father trusted me to be your mother.

Love and kisses
Mommy

Valentine’s Day

Seeing as how I am writing in my blog more often, I want to make sure I write about actual “events”. I always feel really lame when I try to remember the previous holiday and can’t recall anything. I don’t want to live my life without memories!

Valentine’s Day was actually wonderful this year. I’m assuming it is wonderful every year, but I don’t remember them… Anyway, Ryan and I have been doing the cash system for awhile now and hadn’t set anything aside for V Day. Normally Ryan would pull some money from his spending, but seeing as how he is in debt with the Bank of Lorsch, he couldn’t do that either. I could tell he was really nervous about trying to make the day special without any funds to get me some chocolates or something. But the thing is, I didn’t want flowers or chocolates or anything that could be purchased. What I really wanted was to celebrate the love that we have for each other, because isn’t that what the day is about anyway?

To do that I requested that Ryan make a playlist of 5-10 songs that made him think of me, our marriage, family, etc. They couldn’t be songs that I would hear if I turned on the radio either. I wanted him to search out music that really meant something to him, not just a generic love song. I promised him I would do the same. I noticed in the weeks leading up to V Day that Ryan was getting more and more nervous. I have never seen him fret over anything like this before, but was touched because I knew Ryan was taking it seriously. When something needs to be done, my man likes to do it right.

Ryan’s Dad watched Tommy for us on V Day (MIL was out of town, poor guy). We picked up dessert after dropping Tommy off and sat down on the couch after Ryan plugged in the iPod. The first 5 songs were mine, and we smiled while listening to the lyrics and laughed when some lines were all too true. Then Ryan played his 5 songs. I knew he had spent hours searching for these songs and was so excited to hear what he came up with. I was so touched when I heard the songs. While they were playing Ryan would whisper into my ear why a particular line reminded him of me, and none of it was cliché or generic. It really made me feel loved. Not hey-you’re-my-wife-so-I-love-you, but that he really loved ME. I couldn’t help crying, and let’s not pretend that Ryan wasn’t misty-eyed either.

I’ve realized that our love has become so strong and beautiful as time goes on. Even though the novelty of marriage and seeing each other naked has worn off, the novelty of truly knowing and loving a person has not. Ryan’s love has changed me. I see who I was while we were dating and first married and am amazed at the change for good I see in myself. Even more amazing is how well Ryan has loved me, and that he chose to marry me when I was a rock with a lot of rough edges. Not that I am even close to being polished, mind you, but a lot has changed in myself for the better. I am so thankful each day that Ryan could see my potential when we were dating, because I’m sure that is why he chose to be with me forever. And so, because I love him, I will continue to work on improving myself every day. To be a better wife and mother, to be a woman that he can’t wait to come home to at the end of a long day. To be his best friend, a confidant, who will listen without a judging ear. He is my true love, my soul mate, my eternal companion.

P.S. I took pictures of us on Valentine’s Day, but my computer mysteriously ate them. At least I made an attempt at proper documentation of an important holiday.

Mood Swings and Soda

All is well in the Land of Lorsch. Well, Ryan would probably raise an eyebrow to that. It’s just that, in this last month of pregnancy, I have been experiencing some serious mood swings. Usually I just need to eat something or lay down and happy Katie returns, for which we are all thankful.

Lately Tommy has been thriving on being a naughty boy. I need some help with figuring out a disciplinary solution. In the past when he would do a “no no”, I would plop him in the crib and he would cry, and after awhile I would pull him out. This was enough motivation that if I said “no no” about something, the majority of the time he would shy away from his naughty acts. Now this is no longer the case and I am at my wits end! Tommy is amused with the crib now and just hangs out and talks to himself until I finally get him. Also, when he hears “no no”, that usually makes him smile and he will go ahead and be naughty. So, what do I do? I don’t think he is old enough for me to revoke a privilege, like going to the park, because he doesn’t understand that we were going to the park but his naughty behavior made it so we aren’t going anymore. I also don’t like the idea of inflicting any physical pain. I’m a believer in having the consequences be natural and/or make sense with the bad behavior. Does anyone know what to do with a little boy turned naughty?

And lastly, I crave soda like a madwoman. This didn’t happen until my last month, but I have an average of two cans a day. Surprisingly, my weight has been staying the same. Have I found a new weight solution for us ladies with 4 weeks until baby time? I have been trying to drink a variety without too much caffeine so I don’t get addicted to my beloved Dr. Pepper. I have never been one to buy soda and have it hanging around at home, but now I go crazy without it at my fingertips! Just the thought of putting my lips to that icy can of sugary sweetness makes my lips quiver!!!

35 Things: January Update

Yo yo! January was a good month. Not too pregnant, seriously nesting, and great weather. I’m not going to bother with the goals I have to repeat on a monthly or weekly basis because that will just get tedious. Plus, that allows me to have a grand sign-off in December since I will be reaching my goals. So here is what I did get done:

5. Read new Relief Society Manual – I’m really glad I did this. Reading it in one month helped me be immersed in the spirit of Relief Society and to really get a feel for what this amazing organization is all about. I love being a member of Relief Society. More information here about the Relief Society organization.

8. Organize Tommy’s clothes for new baby – done, and feels great!

9. Paint hallway – I am so glad I finally got this done. Now the paint color flows through the house instead of stopping abruptly. Except for the kitchen area…but that is not happening when I am due within the month! Ryan had to help me out with this one because the fumes were…a bit toxic at times.

16. Create master shopping list – This was the hardest one for me. It’s hard to figure out all the things you buy on a regular basis for your household. However, now that I have this list, I feel so much more organized. Now I just need to circle the items I need to buy as I run out of the supplies, so hopefully I stop forgetting to buy important items like, say, toilet paper. I also realize that I am going to discover forgotten items on a regular basis, but a little update won’t be a big deal!

I will admit that when I looked over the goals I want to get done in February, I was a bit overwhelmed. I now look and feel seriously pregnant, with really low energy to go along with it. I don’t even know why I wrote that in past tense, because I still am overwhelmed. So feel free to leave a comment like, “You can do it!” Or, "Keeping busy will make the baby come faster!”, etc.

Much love to you all

Katie

To Make It All Official

Though I mentioned the pending arrival of Baby #2 in my sidebar, I have yet to really write anything about this little baby growing inside me. This baby has hardly received the same amount of mental attention that Tommy did while pregnant, but I think that has to do with the fact that I spend my days guarding the toilet paper and making sure Tommy doesn’t jump off high surfaces. That being said, I am completely excited about this little boy being a part of our family.

I feel like this pregnancy has been easier than the first, but that is probably because I am not working full-time and I get to nap with Tommy. I am 35 weeks, due February 27th, and am trying really hard to not get excited. For those of you who read my blog up to the delivery of Tommy, you know I was 8 days late and whined almost daily on my blog about it. So this time around I’m trying to prepare for an “early March” delivery, hiding my packed bags so I don’t have a constant reminder that, as the doctor likes to say, the baby could come at any time from 36 weeks.

This child has been much more aggressive then Tommy. He is always pushing a little too hard in various directions that make me feel internally bruised and beat up by the end of the day. This development makes me nervous as I would really like another mellow and chill kid like Tommy. I need easy babies, people. My threshold for stress and difficult things is not high enough for any high maintenance children.

Ryan and I decided early on that we liked the name Charlie. Probably Charles Ryan Lorsch, officially. But, I’m not 100%. Since I haven’t done any other name searching, I’ve decided I need to kick my butt into gear and start looking through family history albums to get some ideas.

Can you tell that I have zero mental energy? Trying to be creative right now is really pointless. I need to save my energy for when Tommy throws some olives or wrestles with me while changing a poopy diaper. I will leave you with this adorable picture from Christmas that my sister-in-law Cara took of Tommy while he was wearing protective glasses.

Home Update

Hi all, do you like my blog makeover? I’m especially proud of the header I designed. I just love yellow!

Anyway, I thought I would do a blog update of home happenings. I created a picture frame collage and finally filled in the last frame, so I wanted to show it here. I don’t know how to take pictures of mirrors and glass without a glare, so you’ll just have to enjoy my amateur photographs. I collected all the frames at thrift stores and spray painted them white. The large middle picture I put yellow crepe paper down (used to be red velvet), but I don’t think I love it. A bit too bold for me, perhaps. I’m excited it’s done though and can’t wait to rotate new family pictures into it each year.

A MAJOR highlight on the home front was the new white fan we purchased for the family room. Here is the previous brown tuscan-styled fan:

And here is our new white fan!

I love LOVE looove our fan. It is so much brighter than the other fan and draws little attention to the ceiling. In fact, our new fan is basically invisible and I’ve found that I no longer stare at the semi-gloss ceilings with hatred. They just aren’t as noticeable anymore.

Further, Ryan surprised me with some new light fixtures for Christmas. I didn’t even think to put them on my Christmas list, but because my husband is so thoughtful and observant, he knew which fixtures I have been eyeing over the months and surprised me with them for Christmas. It is amazing how big of a difference light fixtures make to the home. The rooms feel more elegant and less heavy.

So there you have it. I’m in the process of doing some painting prep for the hallway and will definitely share some pictures once I’ve finished that.

35 Things: 2012 Edition

It makes me a bit nervous to make my list so public, but I suppose it does help with motivation. I don't know what I'm afraid of, it's not like you're gonna slap my wrist if I don't complete it. Anyway, here's The List.

Spiritual
1. Read entire Book of Mormon using David Ridges study guide (available at Deseret Book)
2. Have seven days of perfect prayer out of each month
3. Read every Ensign for the year before the end of 2012
4. Read 3 church books
5. Read the new Relief Society manual (the one about Relief Society)
6. Go to the temple 12 times

Home
7. Clean out and organize extra room (including the closet)
8. Organize Tommy's old clothes for new baby
9. Paint hallway
10. Paint kitchen
11. Paint master bedroom
12. Paint master bathroom
13. Organize laundry room
14. Organize night stands
15. Organize desk
16. Create master shopping list for all household items, including toiletries, groceries, etc
17. Make and try out homemade laundry detergent

Health
18. Participate in a physical activity once a week (a walk, bike ride, etc)
19. Find 30 whole-foods, plant-based recipes that my family loves
20. Eat a strict whole foods, plant-based diet for 6 weeks (no meat, dairy, or sweets)

Personal
21. Write 52 blog posts (averaging 4 a month)
22. Complete 12 substantial acts of service
23. Read 3 secular, non-fiction books
24. Perform musical number in church

Financial
25. Continue to save up for and purchase my piano

Activities
26. Throw a party
27. Plant a garden
28. Can salsa
29. Go on a bike ride with my parents (they are hard-core cyclists)

Projects
30. Refinish couch
31. Refinish night stands
32. Paint chicken wire frame
33. Finish lamps
34. Complete finish boys' room
35. Finish advent calendar

There you have it! Once you sit down and start writing a list, you realize that 35 is a really big number... So, I've broken it down by month in hopes that I can stay on top of things and complete this list.

I wish you luck on your new year endeavors!!

Happy New Year!

Oh wait, that was a week ago, wasn't it? I didn't get an awesome start to the new year like I had hoped. Tommy had strep throat two days before New Years, and then a bad cold, and then an ear infection. Meanwhile I started feeling nasty on New Years Day and have been battling a cold ever since.

Whenever I have a cold, I wonder why I usually refer to it as "just a cold." Maybe I'm remembering times when I get a runny nose? Seriously, this thing knocks me out worse than the flu. Great goodness!

On another note, I have my New Years Goals I will reveal on my next post that I am really excited about. I got the idea from my friend Katie who created a "35 things" to-do list for 2011. I watched enviously as she slowly checked off her admirable list while I couldn't even remember what my goals were for that year. Let's just say that a to-do list of tasks works so much better for me than a wanting-to-do-better general goal.

Along with that, I've decided to do some baby-step goals each week. Ryan and I get together on Sunday and review our goals from the past week and decide if we need to work on it some more, or if we've mastered the new habit/skill and then set a new goal. This week my goal was to do one load of laundry a day and fold it the same day I clean the laundry. Nothing makes my room look dirty faster than a pile of clean or dirty clothes. I have been in the terrible habit of thinking of my laundry as "done" when it was sitting in the dryer. It has been awesome to have everything folded and put away by the end of each day. I'm amazed at how little time it takes to complete one load and how much more productive and awesome it makes me feel. Anyway, I have a feeling these weekly goals will be geared towards making me a better homemaker. I've struggled with the whole managing the home things, and I've only got one kid!

Anyhow, I love you all and hope that your New Year has started a little better than mine. At least mine can only get better, right??

Chicago

I've been procrastinating this post for awhile because I really hate adding pictures to my posts. Is there an easier way to do it than through Blogger? Please share.

Anyway, for Ryan's and my birthday, Ryan's parents generously gave us their frequent flyer miles to take a trip to Chicago. A dear friend of mine, Meghan, moved their last January and put us up for the four days that we were there. Ryan's parents also watched Tommy for us, so we had a kidless "hurrah" before baby #2 gets here in February.

I am recording this for memory's sake, so if you get bored feel free to move along!

The first morning there Meghan took us to the milk & honey cafe which was right up the street from their house. This place had the coolest "city" vibe, I kept looking around for Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan to meet up or something. The food though, oh my gosh, the food was amazing. I would have eaten there every meal if I could have.

Next, Meghan took us on a tour of the Shedd Aquarium. The architecture was amazing and judging from the excited squeals next to me, I'm going to guess this was one of Ryan's favorite places. I finally got to touch a starfish with my bare hand! It's something I've always wanted to do, and just fyi, they are surprisingly slimy. Another thing I've always wanted to touch is a sea cucumber. I kinda just want to squeeze one...

That night we had the best pizza of my life. It is this tiny little restaurant called the Oven Grinder. Rumor is that the Oven Grinder played a major role sneaking in alcohol during the prohibition period. It made me feel a little rebellious eating there! Also, on the street in front of the Oven Grinder is where the St. Valentines Day Massacre occured. Intense! Like I was saying though, these pizzas were amazing. They were actually pizza pies, but the best pizza I have ever had.

That would be Fernando's hand on my head...

We spent a lot of time strolling the streets downtown, heading to all the fancy shops and touristy locations. It was fun to finally see "The Bean", I don't even know what its real name is...and check out the cityscape from the park.

We also got to see the Water Tower, one of the few surviving buildings from the famed Chicago Fire. It makes me a little sad that so many historic buildings are gone from that period, but so it is my friends.

Another place we stopped at for a little snack is Wow Bao. The name is worth every penny for whatever you buy there. But really, you get this little pastry puff filled with yummy meat of your choice.

We were lucky to be there when they were having some sort of swap meet/boutique booth kinda thing. I don't even know what to call it. This is where I got all my souveineirs, excluding the maternity jeans from H&M. Tons of sellers were there, most of whom had Etsy shops, that were selling the coolest things. If I had it my way, Gilbert would have a lot more shops selling homemade products that are one-of-a-kind cool. I guess we have Etsy instead...

Another day we went to the Chicago Zoo. This zoo is outdoors and free! Free is my friend, but you gotta be skeptical about free. Imagine my surprise when this zoo was huge, beautiful, and had the friendliest animals around. A perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

View from the zoo

Nearby is the Conservatory, which I pronounced "Consuvatree" in a British accent due to childhood influence from the board game Clue. This was also free and spectacular. There were so many beautiful plants I had never seen before that I knew would die the second I tried to plant it in Arizona soil. The best part was the moss exhibit that housed dinosaurs. It was awesome.

Of course we went to the Navy Pier, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone heading to Chicago. While it is cool that the World Fair was held here (why did we stop having World Fairs, anyhow?), all the shops were very touristy. I would have rather wandered down streets in the heart of Chicago and stumbled on amazing food and fantastic shops. It was still a nice visit though. We took a picture of the famous ferris wheel, and then I made Ryan go on this ride with me which he thought was totally lame but I thought was totally scary once it got going. Bad decision.

One of our last stops was at a pizza place (I'm drawing a blank on the name) where grafitti was encouraged. Another touristy stop that was fun and allowed me to leave my mark on Chicago forever.

I am going to leave you with this beautiful sculpture that is on the same street as Meghan's. It's just chillin in someone's front yard, probably for people like me to take pictures of it. I dubbed it the "poop" fountain :)