Highway signs for moms

I laughed out loud reading these highway signs for moms on the back page of my Babytalk magazine. Maybe because I just made a trip to Boise with my twin sister and our kids crammed in the back. We got kicked out of the McDonald's outdoor playland area in Burley, Idaho because our kids weren't wearing socks. We were the only people out there and somehow the management saw fit to kick us out. There was no sign saying they needed socks though there were plenty of signs saying they needed their shoes off. And while I do understand germs can spread through bare feet, I'm positive those playlands aren't kept very clean to begin with and that's the risk you run when allowing your children some playtime along the road.



So, here are the Mom highway signs from the magazine:

Diner where folks won't give you the hairy eyeball for nursing--Exit 9

Forget Route 118: It's so bumpy your baby may barf up his entire last meal

Scenic overlook of three thrilling bulldozers in action--Exit 24

Rest stop with picnic area that's not insanely close to traffic: 300 yards on right

Only playland in tri-state area where they occasionally clean the ball pit--Exit 29

Pop in another Dan Zanes CD (no decent radio station for 50 miles)

Restaurant where waiters don't hand your baby a balloon just before you climb back into your overstuffed car--Exit 38B

Weight limit: Way, way heavier than you

Eyes crossing, next 60 miles (make your spouse drive--you need a nap)

Exit 4--Restroom with crud-free changing table

Bailey's First Year

Click through to see the "scrapbook" I created of Bailey's first year, I made it to read like a children's story to document all of her major milestones.

Part Time with Schedule > Part Time On Call

I am very pleased that it seems my schedule at work should be becoming a bit more regular now. For the past few months I've been working a little extra, covering while some were on vacation, maternity leave, paternity leave, sick, funerals, etc. While the extra work has been good for my bank account, and I was happy to help out considering the fact that I was allowed a 5-month leave of absence when I had Bailey, it turned out to be more difficult in actuality.

What happened couldn't really have been anticipated:

1. Tyler had to go out of town a few times during those couple of months for his new job.

2. I changed daycare providers 3 times during that time period, making a total of 4 day-care homes Bailey has been in since January. (All of whom I've liked, but for personal reasons, job changes, etc. they had to quit doing their in-home daycare services.)

3. Work was exceptionally busy (as it is in the summer, but this year topped others to date). Sometimes the database had crashed, sometimes we were just plain overloaded or had an unexpected shortage of staff, all things which couldn't have been helped. On those occasions I made last-minute arrangements to come in earlier than planned.

Altogether with work demands and Tyler's being gone this probably accounted for re-arranging my daycare schedule at last 8 times in the last 10 weeks. Since I was working an afternoon - evening shift and Bailey needed picked up by 5 at those homes, this required an effort almost one time per week to engage the services of friends, neighbors, relatives, etc., all of to whom I owe a HUGE THANK YOU!

That being said, I do really enjoy my job and am grateful that I'm able to work where a 10-15 hour work week is permitted and that I'm able to be with my baby as often as I am.

Moab Foreshadowing

A few nights ago I had a dream about my upcoming half marathon in Moab--I'm running it in mid-October.

In the dream, I was forced to run the race in flip-flops because though I had brought my running shoes, for some reason we had to cross a stream to get to the starting point and I was unable to carry my shoes because this time they didn't have a "sweat bag" pick up to put items in that you carried with you at the waiting area. Somehow no one else had had this problem in my dream though and I remember being frustrated that their shoes weren't wet or that they were smart enough to have figured that part out.

So just two days following my dream, when heading to the rec center for my workout, my shoes were nowhere to be found. I've looked everywhere, but it's most likely that I left them at the rec center on Thursday when I went to workout and afterwards took Bailey and Caiden swimming there. I went home in my flip-flops.

I asked the rec center staff if my shoes had been turned in but they haven't. I guess I'll get a new pair of running shoes out of this, but I sure hope I don't have to run a race in flip-flops.

If any readers are interested, I'm kind of looking for someone to go with me for the car ride to Moab and to watch Bailey for the couples hours I'll be running. I promise a shared hotel room and some hiking in the area afterwards.

Uintas Confession

Read about my recent trip to the Uintas over on my family outdoors blog.

Gilgal Made Over

I paid another visit to one of my favorite places in Salt Lake City. I blogged about it before, here, but it's really worth re-visiting (literally and figuratively). My friend Katie was in town and we met for dinner then headed over to check it out. It was Bailey's first time there too, though I know we'll be going many times.

I was a little bit sad that Gilgal Gardens seems to have gotten a makeover recently. I dislike that kind of thing because makeovers have a way of bringing more people around when you want to keep a place all to yourself (like why did they ever decide to pave the road into Maple Canyon??). But I can't exactly say that I didn't enjoy all the fresh flowers around either, or that they didn't add to the beauty and overall exotic-ness of the place. Bailey loved the flowers too so I couldn't be upset about them, though I fondly recall hopping over the torn fence the first time I visited it in a more dilapidated condition.

In the photo below I'm pointing out an inscription I particularly like, one that I had at one time kept memorized because I loved it so, and have of course forgotten even after the reminder the other night.


Bailey tried reading some rocks too : )


See Katie's complete set of Gilgal Garden photos here, including the infamous Joseph Smith sphinx and the creator's sculpture of himself.

Already becoming so Bailey

It's amazing to me how Bailey has already developed so much personality and individuality. She just hit 11 months and part of me already has anxiety about the 1 year mark and what that means (I'm thinking of titling that blog "365 sleepless nights"). But I do love getting to know her and who she is and more about who she will be as she becomes more of her own person!

Right now Bailey's favorite thing to do is still to unload a drawer, cabinet, bag, purse, etc. as seen in this photo:


Her favorite place to be is anywhere outside.

She says "Uh-oh" and "ball" really well and clearly understands what each of them means. She points up in the air every time she hears an airplane even when we are indoors. She "barks" back at the dogs when she hears one outside.

She still just has the bottom two teeth, but is anxious to eat anything and everything in sight, especially if it is going in someone's mouth. I can see the beginnings of one of her top teeth now and I think it won't be too long before it breaks through.

She still hasn't slept through the night. (Well one time she did, when we were camping, but I do not count what was an extreme outlier in her patterns, and anyway I couldn't sleep out of paranoia about the fact that she was actually still sleeping. That and also because her all-time worst night of sleeping was also on a camping trip. The two nights pretty much just cancel each other out.)

She takes two naps a day on days where I care for her at home though she's a bit more stubborn about doing it on day-care days, those days she might take a short snooze in the car when Daddy picks her up. I would like her to sleep through the night of course, but I've stopped hoping for it and stopped thinking it was entirely realistic though common at this age. I am dealing with it quite well I think except that I've become a bit neurotic about the way the sheets should be on the bed. : )

Bailey is starting to give cuddles more and more too despite the fact that she's such a wiggle worm at play. She occasionally will draw back from me and then lean in and lay her head down on my shoulder. It's so sweet. My friend Katie took these photos of Bailey giving me a hug outside a restaurant the other day and also one that really captured Bailey's bright blue eyes and white hair and tan arms. Thank you Katie I love these!

Walking, Talking Baby Doll

Check out Bailey's walking and talking skills over on Tyler's blog here. He put together a few videos we've taken of her walking and her attempts to talk on the phone, though I'm not sure where she got the idea to hold the phone all the way behind her head. She is already a better walker and will be running before we know it I'm sure.

She is getting more and more grown up every day. I took this the other day of her playing with her high chair, she played there for a long time just chatting away about something. Her hair is getting longer and thicker too, but it is so incredibly light that it hardly shows up in pictures at all.

Baby Bird

Bailey and I were at home getting ready for the day when I opened the door to the garage to check on something and right there on the mat was a baby bird. Most likely the bird was injured though I couldn't see how or where. But he only took small little steps and didn't get spooked at our curiosity. Bailey was very interested in it and every time we came near to the garage again would kick her legs and lean forward out of my arms to see inside (she loves animals). This was while I was trying to take pictures of it. I stepped down and opened the door to the back yard in case it might be able to walk outside and a few minutes later when we came back it was gone. I hope it survived.

Conor Oberst and the mystic emotional basketcase.

I went to see Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band with the HB on Saturday. I was really looking forward to it having seen him in 2006 when he was touring as "Bright Eyes". It was an incredible show then, and I knew it would be incredible again. I was long overdue for a good concert too and the summer outdoor shows can be especially moving.



I've liked his music from the very start, for how expressive and raw and un-manufactured it is. And I'm particularly liking this new turn towards a more folk-rock sound that retains his original intensity. I don't believe intensity should be sacrificed for anything, probably it should, but I've never found reason for it.



I am still reeling from the emotions of the past several weeks. And the show really got me thinking. I've discovered what my problem is, you may laugh, but bear with me. I feel like I have all the passion of an artist, but none of the talent. Perhaps if I were a musician, a painter, a writer, or an actress people would value my ability to articulate what I'm feeling, but because I have no such talent my expressiveness is deemed inappropriate.

That may sound a bit defensive, but in truth I never meant to hurt anyone. I have made very careful deliberations about what needed to be censored on this blog while still allowing it to represent who I am and the way I experience life. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I DO wish that personal pain was something people were more willing to discuss. I begin to feel a bit robot-ish when I'm not able to express myself, and I have a totally irrational fear that I will stop feeling alive when I allow myself to stop feeling things. I found it really refreshing to discuss true emotions when I participated in group therapy for a short while when I was at BYU. I just wish there was more honesty about the way marriage is and the way religion is and just more honesty about the way people are and the way they feel things.

Thank God there are rock concerts for letting some of that stuff out. Now if only I were a rock star.

Happy Father's Day

I loved being able to see Tyler become a father all over again this last year. I loved how sweetly he sped to the hospital to see Bailey and I between coaching two football practices a day that first week of practice. I love to see him now as he plays peek-a-boo with her and he helps her "practice" her gymnastics by flipping her in the air. She adores her father so much and just loves to sit outside and watch him work in the yard.


This year Tyler will coach Caiden's little league football team again. Caiden adores his father too, though he might not like my use of that word. He always has to keep tabs on where Tyler is at and often asks him before bed to play a short game of sword-fighting of Call of Duty. This year Tyler taught him how to rappel and now it's the first thing he wants to do when we arrive in camp. Tyler is an excellent teacher.


Here is a picture of me and my dad when I was little.


I don't remember that picture specifically, but I do remember loving it when he played his violin.

When I was little he sometimes had to go on overnight business trips and would take turns taking each of us. I remember one time on such a trip I had just learned to count to 100 and I did it aloud for him in the car. I remember finishing and then asking him if he wanted to hear me do it again and I remember him saying yes. I can't imagine how annoying that must have been, but it seems an important memory for such a small little event.

One of the greatest things my dad taught me when I was little was to help me learn to waterski. I hated it the first time when I was 9. I couldn't control the skis and they always ended up behind me with my legs behind me and I couldn't get them to come around in front and then stay parallel pointing up in the water. Eventually the next two summers my dad would get in the water behind me (he did this for my sister and I) and he would hold the bottom of the skis steady under the water and wait there while I took off and went as far and long as I could. At first that wasn't far at all, but eventually it got longer and longer and the end of the summer I turned 11 I finally was able to waterski for a long time and began to learn to get up on my own. A few years later he led us kids in being able to drop a ski and eventually get up slalom waterskiing. I love waterskiing still and thank my dad for teaching me!

Evidence of Independence

See my post below about how if you have ears that stick out it means you are fiercely independent.

I am on the right, with the ears that stick out to there.



Check out Bailey's ears, perhaps this is why she still doesn't sleep through the night--she has a mind of her own!

Wisdom of my face

I caught just a few minutes of the radio on my way in to work this morning and they were discussing Chinese Face reading with an expert who recently wrote the book "Wisdom of Your Face." Lucky for me, I caught a portion about a facial feature I have, or at least was very prominent when I was a baby and that Bailey and I share. That is our ears stick out. From the blog:

So what in Barack Obama’s face might have contributed to his success? Here is what Chinese Face Reading has to say:

1 - His ears stick out. This reveals a highly independent nature, not always doing what he’s told.

Highly independent? Sounds pretty accurate to me. Interesting stuff.

Wishing I was a Brother

Growing up my sister and I were often envious of our brothers' 50-mile hikes each summer. Since boyscouting was sanctioned by our church, we would eventually approach our Bishop and request that the young women be able to have their own 50-miler. Of course the hopeful words from him never actually came to fruition.

For just a moment here let me be the victim. Let me just say how unfair it all is and how my heart is breaking over it before you tell me how miniscule it is and how oversensitive I'm being. Let me say how I am not sure I'll get over it or when I'll stop crying every time I think about it before you tell me I shouldn't express negative feelings in a public place.

When you're growing up people tell you "life isn't fair" but no one ever says "life is a bitch," just like when you're getting marred people tell you "marriage is hard" but no one ever says "sometimes marriage is a world of pain."

In this case, I would say life is certainly a bitch. I pride myself on knowing what I want and working hard to get it. I'm attracted to people that are decisive and ambitious and I think that's because that's how I see myself or maybe it's just how I try to be. So when I've said over and over that I want to do something, but been denied the opportunity, it breaks my heart that the same person who would deny me would gladly give that opportunity to people who have never asked for it or even perhaps realized they wanted it before such an opportunity was presented to them. Am I less worthy? Am I less deserving?

Some may say "let him have time to himself" to which I would say "I do. I've encouraged numerous activities that wouldn't have even taken place if I hadn't suggested them as well as willingly sent him to others when I would have rather had him with me." I've stood by as he got invited to do something by others that I asked him to do and watched him go with them.

I'm not heart-broken that he's going on a technical canyonnering camping trip with his brothers and not with me, I'm heart-broken that when I ask to do something hard-core, when I'm bursting to try something new, to explore the unknown together, I get turned down and then suddenly, the trip is planned as a brothers-only occasion.

I love being a woman, but I sure wish I was somebody's brother.

And You Will Tell Them Yes

This is from an old Nike ad that I love, it inspires me in so many ways:


"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly.
AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES."


It's amazing how overtime we forget that that's what we're hearing all around us all the time. How you can live your life thinking you won't let it get to you and then suddenly realize you've been letting it happen for a really long time. And something cheesy, though powerful, cheesy because it's a marketing gimick, moves you to snap out of it again.

Caiden's Summer

I'm not sure, but I think he might be having some fun this summer.

I'm going to do my best to help out, but I'm not sure what the picture is, is he cuddling with his girlfriend on the couch? :) He would die if I asked him that.

Eaters of the Rocks, Drinkers of the Rain

Our first camping trip with Bailey didn't go as well as we'd hoped it would so this one seemed to have the same anticipation build up as that. I don't think we've ever gone 6 weeks between trips in the spring time. And as excited as I was, I was struggling with anxiety about everything, going somewhere new on a holiday weekend, getting any sleep, and being able to get some decent exercise and exploration in. So oddly, Tyler and I decided to change our plans in the hopes that at least a familiar place would relieve some of the pressure for things to go well on this trip. Though I would have loved to try a new place, I knew I would need to be flexible about hikes falling through and thought that might be a shame if it was something I'd never done before. Lucky for us, Tyler had some friends going to the San Rafael Swell this weekend that we'd been meaning to go camping with for a while We coordinated to meet them Thursday morning for a hike and take it from there.

After a long car ride, Bailey was eager to wiggle her little cinnabuns around so I put her down in the sand to play. I figured she was going to get dirty anyway, let it happen and clean her up afterward rather than fight it all day. Not surprisingly she began immediately popping rocks into her mouth. I condone this only because I watch her very closely and because she is so damn set to do it anyway.

We hiked Crack Canyon which for some reason I didn't remember being so awesome? Perhaps when I was there before we didn't hike as far back or my memory of it was drowned out by the memory of a camp chair falling in the fire with the car keys in the pocket and a dust storm in the middle of the night and getting lost when I came out of the canyon and also getting my car stuck on a huge shrub the night we arrived. Yes, that all happened on the same trip, August 2004.

So anyway, Crack was awesome and so were Tyler's friends.

And most incredibly--Bailey slept through the entire night that night! That was her first time in her life to do that, including any night at home. We borrowed Tyler's brother's tent (much larger and taller than ours) to try setting up Bailey's portable crib in it and it worked. I couldn't believe she slept so well. She even took a great nap in the pack-n-play the next day too, and she looked really snug in there.

Friday all of us hiked out to Wild Horse Window, or as we later learned is actually named Skylight Arch. I love the canyons, but this reminded me of how much I just hiking right on the rock. I mean, we usually pick a campsite that has rock to climb on right around us anyway, but this was just really nice and here and there would be a different colored wild flower for me to show Bailey and let her learn about it (mostly with her mouth) as we hiked to the next one.



Tyler and I and the kids took a quick drive to Hanksville to get some ice and because none of us had ever been there. There was a cool old church and it was good to know how close it was and what was there.

Then Bailey did not do that well that night (last night) and the rain never once let up either. A friend of mine met us at the campsite late and unfortunately had to set up in the rain and basically wait it out til morning. But this morning it was still raining and there didn't seem to be any sign of it letting up. We had all been up a lot in the night and up early with Bailey so like the schmuck friend that I am, I bailed and we decided to drive back home today.

We did first pay a visit to Goblin Valley despite the potential mud baths we could get there with it being so wet and rainy. It was cool to see all the streams formed in the park with the little bit of moisture.

Once we knew we were headed home later, I wanted to get Bailey as much outside time as possible before getting in the car. I also really hoped that I could play in the rain long enough and get my clothes wet enough to warrant Tyler stripping me down and wrapping me in a blanket for the ride home, but alas, he wouldn't have any of that in front of the children. So we headed back home in our dirty clothes and I will be folding them just as soon as I'm done here.

A few other favorite pictures from the trip:







Watch Tyler's blog as well as our family outdoor adventure blog for more detailed accounts of these hikes. Also, tons of pictures on our Flickr site in the San Rafael section.

Four

Today is mine and Tyler's four year anniversary. He started out the morning in Grand Junction, Colorado and is in Telluride tonight visiting some of the properties he is over. He sent me some beautiful flowers. My neighbor got them for me because I didn't hear them while I was putting Bailey down. When I came out he told me he had my flowers and then I made him show me the little gopher he had caught in his yard. I have to admit the gopher was absolutely adorable albeit pesky.

I think I've talked more than I should have here about my marriage, and probably because it was such a huge adjustment for me and because I'm an idealist about things. I'm happy to be celebrating my fourth year with Tyler. He is the world to me. I can't imagine not being married to him and I would marry him again any day!

I love you babe!

Peekaboo 2

Yes I know I already posted a video of her playing peekaboo, but this is just too irresistable!



She was 9 months old on Tuesday. She weights 17 pounds and 1 ounce now (in the 20th percentile), and measures 27.5 inches long (the 50th percentile for height). I'm so impressed with what a happy baby she is, how smiley she is to everyone and how playful and full of life and energy she is, even if diapering her is like wrestling a crocodile!

My Breakup with 24 Hour Fitness

Yesterday I broke up with 24 Hour Fitness.

It was hard to do, and took a lot of deliberation, but it needed to be done. However since notifying them of this breakup I've been informed that it must be prolonged until July 24th, so I guess I"ll have plenty of awkward moments to look forward to in the coming months as I continue to use the gym with them knowing full well my intentions to leave.

I've been with 24 Hour Fitness longer than with any other gym, but since having Bailey have cut my visits to 3-4 times per week (instead of 6-7). I now work out at home a couple of days a week, something I never thought I'd be able to do, but it's hard to get to the gym with a baby and fit it in before work, and thanks to Exercise TV and April for the great downloads, I have some home workouts that I really love and that really kick my butt!

Instead my family will be signing up for a membership at the nearby Oquirrh Park Fitness / recreation center. It's right by the Olympic oval and just as close as my gym was to the house (I think about 2 miles?). Anyway, we can all have a membership there for less than my gym membership was costing me personally. Not that we will all make it there often to work out, it will still be me primarily using the benefits, but this way, we can use their pool for free anytime all we want. They have a really sweet set of pools that make it all worth it when you have kids--a lap pool, a diving pool, an indoor pool w/ mini lazy river and waterslide and swim lanes, and a great kids play area and pool outdoors too. I'm not joking, the kids play area and pool is really incredible for a local rec center, tons of little fountain thingys and squirt guns and giant buckets that dump water, super shallow areas and so on.

So I'll look forward to using these benefits when we actually sign up there come July.

In the meantime, I'll still be sweating it out with my ex-gym.