What a Dream!

I had the most amazing dream last night that I had to write down before I forgot it!

Sorry in advance if the story is a little scattered. It's hard to get a dream written down!

I was at a lake with my family, but we didn't have our boat. We went simply to cliff jump. Now this was a lake that I've never seen before. It was HUGE and there were tall orange rocks and cliffs not only around it, but through it as well! The way the rocks went around and through the lake, made it look like tons of rivers, all intertwined together. Well we found this awesome spot and decided to jump. It didn't look too high, so me, my little sister, and a little neighbor girl of mine that I had growing up, (no idea why she was in the dream,) all jumped on the count of three. Falling through the air towards the water was crazy! I held my breath right away, and then I realized I was still falling and freaked out a little. I wasn't able to look down at the water so I didn't know how much longer I'd be falling, so I just kept taking big breaths. I remember I kept thinking, "oh my gosh hitting the water is going to hurt! I hope I don't go too deep 'cause I'm going fast!" And then, BAM! I hit the water! I hit it sideways! I almost belly flopped! But, it didn't hurt! Not even a little! Even though I'd hit sideways, once I was in the water I was straight up and down and I was going deep. I was going down FAST! All I could think about was that I couldn't hold my breath long and I hope Brooklyn and the neighbor girl are ok. I finally slowed down and began trying to swim towards the top, but I wasn't going up! I was getting forced to go backwards! We were so far under that there was a current forcing all three of us to go a certain way! I opened my eyes and looked at the other two girls. Brooklyn told me to go to the bottom and push off so we can get to the top before we ran out of air, (how she talked I have no idea.) We went down together and there were these giant purple, worm looking plants. They were gorgeous, but we realized in order to kick off we'd have to stand on those. We tried, and it didn't work. So we let the current drift us. (This whole time I kept wondering how in the world I was able to hold my breath for so long.) The current eventually pushed us to the top, against a big orange rock that we realized was hollow. We swam under and into the rock and found a girl sitting there with a lamp and a book, reading. She greeted us and then asked us not to tell anyone about the room or else the lake rangers will destroy it. And then I woke up.

It was insane how long I was underwater and getting pulled around by the current. It was an incredible feeling! I want to go boating now, AND cliff jumping!

My Current Loves/Hates

• I'm Loving Rhett and Link

I am currently obsessed with this fantastic duo from Youtube. They make me laugh, they're entertaining, they're never boring. They've also been doing videos for years so I have never run out of videos to watch! I love it! This video in particular, is just genius.

• I'm Hating My Last Week of Maternity Leave.

I don't even feel like I've been away from work for 8 weeks. I've been so busy keeping the apartment up and taking care of my baby. I'm not ready to go back to work! I know we need the extra income so it's kinda something I have to do, I just am not ready yet! Boo!

• I'm Loving My June Bugs

When I first got pregnant I downloaded the What To Expect When You're Expecting app on my phone. 110 of us then made a Facebook group, and we are all so close now. These are the most wonderful 109 women I've ever gotten to know. I love these ladies, I love their babies, I love the advice they give me, and I love that we are all going through the same thing at the same time. They have helped me when I felt helpless. They are wonderful and I love every single 109 of them!

• I'm Hating The Morning

When You have a new baby, you're kinda forced to become a morning person, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! I'm such a night person that I stay up way later than I should. So when 5-7am rolls around and my baby decides she wants to wake up and stay awake, I'm so exhausted! 

• I'm Loving Diet Coke with Lime

When do I NOT love Diet Coke with Lime?!

• I'm Hating My Hair

Since having a baby my hair has changed. It doesn't like to curl how it used to and it doesn't like to stay straight when I straighten it. It's also in desperate need of a cut/color. I will be calling my hair lady in August and I can't wait! This mama wants a new do!

• I'm Loving Bracelets on my Baby

Seriously, they're adorable. She's adorable, the bracelet only makes her moreso! 

• I'm Hating Coldsores

I have a coldsore, again! Since having a baby I get them so much now! This is a big huge one that just aches all the time. Not to mention it's annoying when I want to eat or drink anything. What a bummer coldsores are!

• I'm Loving Abreva

So glad I have it to help my coldsore. It gets so painful, the only thing that helps soothe it is Abreva! I couldn't be more grateful for this ridiculously pricey stuff!

• I'm Hating Normal Jeans

Maternity jeans are so comfortable it's ridiculous! I wish I could just wear them all the time, but my husband has banned me from continuing to wear them, since they make me look too frumpy, (and my pregnancy ended 7 weeks ago.) 

• I'm Loving Walks in the Neighborhood

We love going for walks through Daybreak. We used to just go around the lake, but now we go through the neighborhoods. We love looking at all the different houses. They're all the same looking, but different at the same. Different enough to be interesting every time we walk through the same street.

• I'm Hating Time Away From My Man

Why does he have to work so much?! Oh yeah, 'cause we have bills that need to get paid, food to buy, and a new baby to provide for!

• I'm Loving Fruit!

Mangoes, strawberries, grapes, pineapple, nectarines, watermelon, and bananas to be specific. I can't get enough. I love them all, they're just so delicious!


And now, an extra love. . . 

• I'm Loving My Baby Valarie!

She is just the sweetest! Her smiles are getting bigger and more genuine, she's crying less, and she seems to like being around her mom and dad more. She's also sleeping better at night! I love this little girl, and watching her grow up is just so fun!

That One Time

One time in church the bishop asked everyone who has been to the Manti pageant to raise their hand. . . Valarie raised hers. We had to remind her that she hasn't been there yet, the silly girl.

One time I woke up to this adorably grumpy girl:

One time I had to spend 9 hours away from my baby two days in a row. I participated in a mock trial and got paid a ton of money, but I still missed my little miss!

They fed us really well though! Mmmm good food!

One time Sean, Joe, Shane, and I went to a preview screening of Red 2. It was better than the first Red and I highly recommend it!

One time a friend said to buy this book. I bought it. It arrived today. I will be reading it tonight.

One time my baby decided to start smiling back at me. She's the cutest!

Things That Change When You Have a Baby

• Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
• I've never been a dangerous person, but I've done a few things; one in particular is cliff jumping. Just last week I went boating and had so much anxiety on the boat because I kept thinking about how awful it would be if there was an accident and I left my baby mother-less. I have turned into an extremely cautious, worry-wart.

• You respect and love your parents in an entirely new way.
• I cannot thank my parents enough for everything they've done for me. They had to go through so much with me while I was growing up, what a difficult child I was! It scares me to think that Val might put me through some of what I put my parents through. All I can do is pray that she is smarter and better than I was as a kid and teenager. I love her to death and want nothing but for her to be happy and know how wonderful and beautiful she is. And I never want her to doubt all of the love that I have for her.

• Your baby's pain feels a million times worse than your own.
• When my baby is crying and I can tell something is wrong, it makes me so sad. I hate not being able to help her sometimes, and not knowing exactly what she needs all the time is SO hard. 

• Your heart breaks much more easily.
• Her little frown, when she's trying to hold back her crying and is about to break down, kills me. It is the saddest little cry and it truly does break my heart!

• You think of someone else 756,349,887 times a day.
• I last thought of myself before my baby, uh, never. She is now all I think about, and her needs are always put before my own.

• You're all of a sudden a morning person.
• You have to be a morning person when you have a newborn. She wakes up between six and seven every morning and stays awake for at least an hour. I never in a million years thought I'd be a morning person, but I really don't have a choice anymore!

• Bodily functions are no longer repulsive.
• They're actually cute, and make me happy! Bodily functions mean she's releasing her gas and she feels good! 

• Everyday is a surprise!
• Yes, it is! You never know when you're going to get pooped on, have a good day with no fussing, or have your patience tested. Sometimes you don't even have a chance to get ready for the day or leave the house. It's just how life goes now.

• You'd rather spend your extra money on a new outfit for baby, not new shoes for you.
• So many times have I wanted to buy a new purse or outfit, and then decide to buy diapers, formula, or new pajamas because your baby has outgrown theirs.

• You give parents with a screaming child the "I know how you feel" look, instead of the "please quiet your kid" look.
• I feel for those parents with the screaming babies because now I've been there, I've been there several times. I know how embarrassing it is to be sitting in a restaurant or in church and have a screaming baby. I also know how annoying those "shut your baby up" looks are. Grumpy old man with missing teeth in Sizzler, I saw the looks you were giving me and I did not appreciate them!

• You take the time for one more hug or kiss, even if it means you'll be late.
• Anything to let my little one remember how much her mommy loves her!

• Taking a shower is now a luxury.
• And sometimes it doesn't happen very often. Good thing I don't go anywhere right now. Not quite sure what's going to happen once I go back to work. . .

• All of a sudden you want to make the world a better place.
• My child is going to grow up in this world! I have to do everything I can to keep the little good that's left stay in the world!

• You can't read the news as much as you used to because the stories about children breaks your heart.
• I used to love the news. . .

• Nothing is just yours anymore, you now share EVERYTHING.
• Literally, everything. My side of the bed, my time, my money, it's not just mine anymore. And once she gets older, I'll be sharing my food, my drinks, my clothes, my car, etc. I only lose more as times goes on!

• You want to take better care of yourself for your child.
• All of a sudden I find myself wanting to eat better, be out in the sun, and exercise more. I want to get into healthy habits now before my baby is big enough to copy me. Then when she's older, I'll be able to help her develop healthy habits also.

**Now I have to admit before I end this blog. . .I didn't come up with the list of things that change. I found them on a website. It was actually a list of 50 things, I really just picked out the ones that apply to me. The expansion on each bullet point though, is indeed, my own words.**

Top 10 Baby Things!

My friend Heather wrote an awesome blog post, (you can find it here.) I kinda, sorta thought it was brilliant, so I decided to copy the idea and write my own post about items/things I have found the most useful since having a baby! So here we go, the things I cannot live without as a new mom are:

1. Short Baby Swing

I love this swing because it is extremely mobile. I can move it in the bathroom while I'm getting ready, in the bedroom for her to sleep in when she's struggling at night, in the kitchen so I can clean while she chills. It is the best baby item, not to mention it's super cute, too!

2. Soothie Pacifiers

Valarie has a difficult time with normal binkies, but she loves the Soothie binkies. We have five of them all over our apartment. They're life savers when she's screaming uncontrollably!

3. Baby-Connect App

This was the best $5 I've ever spent! It helps me track the times I feed and change her, as well as other things like when she takes a bath or has a big milestone. It's also fantastic because I can see how many times she's fed a day and how many ounces she eats, also how many diapers she goes through in one day. It helps us have an idea of how many diapers and how much formula we go through in a week, and makes shopping for those items better.

4. Diet Coke with Lime

Sometimes I'm exhausted, sometimes I just need some caffeine. I love Diet Coke with Lime. What a lifesaver it is when I've only had three hours of sleep.

5. Swaddle Bag

This item is the best! I get super paranoid swaddling Val in a regular blanket at night, because I worry she'll pull the blanket up over her face. The Swaddle Bag is super soft and closes with velcro, so she can't undo it. It's so warm too we're able to turn our ceiling fan on and she stays nice and warm and I don't have to worry about her suffocating. We have two of these, I'm obsessed with them!

6. Camera with a BIG SD card

We bought a new camera just a couple months before Valarie was born, and I am so glad we did. We got a huge SD card to go with it so I never have to worry about it being full and not being able to take more pictures. I love documenting this little one's life!

7. Shaggy and Allred

Val HATES car rides, and sometimes the only thing that'll calm her down is Shaggy or Allred. I have both CDs in my car on replay, they're like magic! She can be screaming one moment, and then a song she likes comes on and she calms right down. Thank you for awesome music!

8. Netflix

Sometimes I just don't leave the house. I'm tired and Valarie is fussy. On these days Netflix is a lifesaver. New Girl, The IT Crowd, and Rules of Engagement are wonderful shows we can just sit back and have marathons of. 

9. Bibs

My baby spits up so much, she always needs a bib on. Burp rags are wonderful, but sometimes I can't get them to keep the spit up off her clothes. The bibs are awesome because they save her outfits! We can never have enough bibs!

10. My Husband and Family

Sometimes Val has a really fussy day and wears mom out. Shane is so nice to come home from a long day of work and take the baby for a few hours so I can calm down and get some of my patience and sanity back. 

Also, I've been having a lot of doctor appointments, errands to run, and dentist appointments lately, and Shane works during the day so I need a babysitter. My family is always willing to take her and I appreciate SO much! Brooklyn and my mom especially, they are so wonderful to take her as much as they do. I am so glad they love her so much!

Happy Fourth!

My family decided to go boating for the Fourth of July, so we went to Utah Lake SUPER early to make sure we got some beach space. The weather was terrible and we were the first people to arrive at the beach. We waited out the cold, and by 9am it had warmed up and we were able to get out on the water. I wasn't able to do anything since I'd just had a C-section 5 weeks earlier, but it was still fun to ride on the boat! It was a great way to spend our day, I love spending time with my family!

After boating we went to dinner at the in-law's house. Someone wasn't in the best mood, she was super tired!

One Month Already?!

This is a little late, but late is better than never! Valarie turned one month on the 28th of June last Friday. I can't believe it's already been one month! It seems like I've had her so long, but at the same time, the days are flying by! 

Val is still acting colicky, but she has good days. Today was one of those days. I was able to go to Target with her awake the entire time, and she didn't even cry until we were checking out! 

Sunday Valarie went to all three church meetings for the first time! We even walked to church! We had to duck out of Sacrament a little early because she was being a screamer, but she did great in relief society and Sunday school!

Just today Valarie started staying awake longer. She's beginning to notice her surroundings, she likes to sit and stare. It's adorable to see her eyes for once! (She's usually either sleeping or crying.)

Sometimes when she's crying a lot, this is the only hold that'll calm her down. 

Sometimes we try to take family pictures, but she just won't cooperate.

She still is having trouble keeping her head from cocking to the one side, but since she's turning it fine, I'm not too worried. (Because of the way she was in the womb, her neck muscles on one side are tighter, but she's doing great at turning her head back and forth, I've definitely noticed improvement!)

She's definitely growing! Her newborn jammies are getting short, and when I weighed her last Friday she was a whopping 9 lbs 13 oz. She's gained a little over two pounds in one month! That's my girl!

She's still a snuggler and loves being held. I know we're setting ourselves up for failure because we never put her down, but I can't help it. She's our baby, we can spoil her if we want to!

Since Valarie was breech, they required her to have a hip ultrasound to make sure everything was how it should be. The results were great and she was awesome too! She didn't cry once the entire time we were at the hospital!

The more baths she has, the more she's beginning to enjoy them!

She went to Daybreak Lake for the first time yesterday, we had a lot of fun with her!

She is just such a sweetheart, (when she's not crying,) and we are so happy she's in our lives! What a fun first month we've had with her, and we can't wait to have a million more with her! She's worth the sleepless nights and millions of doctor bills!

(mid-hiccup)