Things I've Learned Since Brayden Arrived

First and foremost: my nephew got to go home today!!!! So happy! Congrats to them all!

I was asked a few days ago if I could talk for 5-10 minutes at our Relief Society thing about how my relationship with my husband has changed since we had Brayden (he is the oldest child in the ward). I've been thinking about what I can say... I keep coming back to two things. Communication and how much the baby has been a blessing to our relationship. Sure there have been changes and challenges, but we have had to be more deliberate when it comes to our relationship which has, in turn, has brought our priorities back into focus. I'll keep you posted on what I actually say... :)

Life has changed a lot in the last year. It hasn't all been easy, but I wanted to record some of my experiences and this seems like a good time...

How having a baby has changed my life:

1. I see the world through new eyes. Brayden experiences new things every day and it is all exciting and fantastic to him. Life is much happier when you rejoice in the many things you can learn every day. Each day brings a new adventure, embrace it, enjoy it, and bring it on!!!

2. Showing emotion is not weakness. Brayden is not afraid to show you that he is happy, excited, tired, angry (we love that particular face...), or upset. Things would be so much easier if we just opened up and let people know what we really feel about things. No guessing involved.

3. I know more than I thought I did. Before Brayden arrived I wasn't sure I was smart enough to be a mother. How do I know what he needs to eat? What about getting him to sleep? What happens when he gets sick? Just a few of many questions I had (and still have sometimes). As it turns out, that "mother's intuition" is quite the phenomenon and I am a believer. My confidence in that I know what is good for my child increases daily.

4. Time is precious. Babies grow fast and time flies! Enjoy each and every day, even the frustrating ones. Also, nap time is precious. Its a chance to do what you need and do what you want. Balance it so you can enjoy some time to yourself.

5. "Mommy Guilt" is real. For me it started during pregnancy. I felt guilty that I couldn't cook or do dishes and laundry without throwing up. My husband had to pick up the slack and I felt guilty that I couldn't do my "duties" as a wife. Needing help caused me all sorts of guilt. After all, I'm supposed to be able to take care of my house, husband, baby, and myself or I'm a failure right? Wrong. So I have learned (and am still learning) the art of not feeling guilty and accepting help when I need it.

There are so many more things that I have learned from Brayden. This post is getting long enough. More to come. :) Thanks for listening!

The Holidays

Wow it has been a loooong time. I made a resolution in November to be better at blogging... right after the holidays... and then low-and-behold my laptop hard drive has finally given up the ghost... and the other computer's cord broke... You never really appreciate what you have and enjoy until it all of the sudden doesn't work... I am posting now. Patience as I strive to be better at writing.

Life got really busy around Thanksgiving and Christmas season (as I am sure it does for most people... or am I just crazy?) We celebrated Thanksgiving with the LeBaron clan. It was fun to see everyone and have a chance to catch up with all that is going on in their lives. With 7 kids, 5 out of home, it gets a little crazy. I tried out my new cinnamon poached pears recipe on them and we ate ourselves full of delicious salads, potatoes, turkey... mmm... what more could you ask for?

December was just about as busy as it possibly could be. We decorated our tree at the end of November with shatter proof ornaments and plastic candy canes... They turned out to be one of the favorite toys of the season as they rolled well for chasing and made funny noises when they "bounce".

The "White Collar" tree at Festival of Trees

We did a fun thing this year. Instead of the traditional "white elephant gifts" for the LeBaron party there was going to be a treat gift exchange. We were all supposed to bring a special treat and we traded them around. I ended up getting a plate of "O Henry!" bars. They were gone before the end of the weekend. Bryce and I used my new mini-donut maker to make mini-donuts for the parties and for our neighbor gifts. It was a day full of donuts but it was fun too. We made Pumpkin with a chocolate ganache, Chocolate Orange, and Gingerbread with a caramel frosting. They were all delicious. Recipes over at What's Cooking?

The Barker party was a lot of fun for us, despite Brayden's teeth coming in... I always enjoy getting to catch up with the family and its fun to see how the family changes over the course of just one year. I am excited for Ashley and hope she figures out that whole schooling business. I know you'll do well, whatever you choose! Then there is the ever favorite talent show. We were party-poopers this year and failed to perform... but rest assured, we enjoyed the other talents. The children's nativity is possibly my favorite part. I love to see how excited the kids are to perform their respective roles. Emma and Alicia were quite serious as they practiced their "wiseman walk" up and down the hallway. :)

Brayden couldn't get enough of the snow around the lights at Temple Square!

Christmas was special for us this year as it was our first Christmas with a child. I was pleased to welcome Santa back into our home! :) He brought us quite the haul as he seemed to visit us in our home and at my parents. We woke Brayden up and groggy as he was, he seemed to know how it all worked. He brightened up to see his new rocking horse, and pulled wrapping paper off boxes like a pro. I'm pretty sure every toy but 1 that he got this year sings and makes noise. It has made for some good times since... :) I got some awesome stuff for the kitchen. I can now make my own homemade pasta and raviolis, soups with my new hand blender, and casseroles in my Rachel Ray casseround. :) Bryce got a remote control helicopter , a new sports watch, White Collar DVDs, and his favorite- Dark Chocolate Peanut M&Ms. Mom and Dad LeBaron are taking us to Washington DC this May as our gift this year as well. We did pretty well for ourselves. ;)

We spent the morning at church with my parents and ended the day arriving at the LeBaron home to visit for a day or so. We had to come home Tuesday so we could pack to get ready for our trip to Zion's Canyon on Wednesday. A lot of driving. Soo much fun. Mom, Dad, and Ben met us at a cabin just outside the canyon. The cabin was amazing! 2 full-sized bathrooms complete with jetted tubs, fireplaces, a kitchen... very posh. We did a little hiking, Brayden was introduced to buffalo and horses (up close!), and we enjoyed some 60 degree weather. It didn't end so well for my brother and mom... who both caught some sort of 24 hour bug...  But all-in-all we had a very fun time.

Ben: a regular stroller pushin' pro! 

The Narrow's Hike December 29... 

Brayden loves bread... 

 New Years Eve found us in our little house preparing for some friends to come celebrate with us. As it turns out, college towns become ghost towns over the holidays and most of the couples in our ward went out of town with family. We did have one couple, some new friends, stop by and a few of my old friends from high school came too. We played some games and watched the ball drop. We caught up with each other's life (as school keeps us all very busy) and talked about the next year and what was coming up. Bryce and our new friend got to talking about grad school and he told Bryce about his program which sounds like something Bryce could be interested in. We still don't know much about it, but there's an info meeting later this month and we hope to get some answers there. 

Its nice to be home, back into the normal swing of things... with a few exceptions as we are trying our hand at the new year resolutions thing again. :) We did alright last year, but want to implement a few changes to our routine that we think will help the household run smoother our family function a little better. We look forward to another amazing year together, full of adventure, romance, and fun.

Brayden had his final check-up before his 1 year mark. He is officially 10 months old! I can hardly believe it! He is getting so big! He never stops wiggling (even in his sleep he wiggles) and he is getting to be quite the speedy crawler. He is learning to feed himself and he likes to make a mess doing it. He stands pretty well when he is next to something and he knows he is on the verge of some thing big as he teeters on his toes. He is quite responsive when you speak to him now and often babbles back. Oh, and he is currently trying to cut 6 teeth... 4 on top, 2 more on the bottom...

Oh!  It finally snowed down here and with that came out the little snow suit we got for Brayden. We built a snow man and Brayden loved the snow. He kept trying to eat it and he looked so cute in his little suit! :)

cold on those new teeth... 

my little Tigger :)

PS. Special love to my momma for being so willing to help me out when I needed her. I am just sorry it cost her a wrist... :( You're the best mom in the world!! Love you! Feel better!

A Tribute to the Mothers in My Life

In light of recent (obvious) events in my own life my attention has been unavoidably drawn to just how amazing motherhood is... and how wonderfully incredible the women around me are. Their influence has helped to shape the person I am today and I thought it was a perfect day for me to share some thoughts and feelings I have regarding a few of the mothers I have in my life.

Mom and I at Cats 2010

Who better to begin a tribute to than my own dear mother. Words cannot describe the incredible person I know her to be. She is incredibly smart and gifted. She is organized, clever, and is not afraid to take charge in order to get things done. She is gentle and tender during quiet, private moments not too many see. I know she loves my brother and I with all her being to the point that she would do anything to help us succeed. That love for us has hurt at times when we have been less than wise with our decisions but it amplifies in our triumphs. I see it every time I get to spend time with her. I love to spend the day with her shopping, chatting, crafting. It becomes an adventure and our project list usually becomes a little longer with each visit...  But we enjoy ourselves and have fun exploring the many possibilities. I love sharing the love of creating something new with her. She has taught me a love for cooking. She has a fearlessness when it comes to trying out a new recipe, and then worries that it might not be perfect (which, it usually is). I love her so much and I couldn't have asked for a better mother and friend.

Mom holding a little lamb

My mother in law has been an incredible support to me this past... 2 years. She has given me some great advice but she respects my decisions and supports me and my husband as we progress through our life. She is a very inspiring woman with a lot of experience and stories to share. I feel so honored and privileged to be a part of her family and to receive her unconditional love on a daily basis. She is talented in so many areas, but I appreciate her ability to see the good in everyone and to share those qualities in a very sincere compliment. It means a lot to me that she would take the time to comment on the little things I feel go unnoticed sometimes.

Me and Grandma: my Jr. Prom

My Grandma B. is an incredible woman. I believe she is an angel sent to us to remind us to slow down and enjoy life. She is always so happy, sweet, and kind to everyone. I love to listen to her stories and experiences that she has had throughout her life. Her story is fascinating and I love hearing about how she and my grandpa met and got together. You have to watch her when playing games with her, or she always wins. I learned to eat broccoli and meat loaf eating at her house. I love spending time with my grandma and always feel that I am a better person afterwards. I love you grandma!

Linda and Me: my graduation day.

My aunt Linda has always been there to take me under her wing. My parents left me in her care as a little girl when they went to D.C. She did my hair in pig-tails, let me play the piano with her, and I have some fond memories exploring her walk-in closet. :) I visited her classes every so often and helped her in her classroom. (whether I was actually a help or not... you'll have to ask her.) I was certain I would serve a mission to Mexico like she did and I wanted to learn Spanish to be like her. She undertook the recent baby shower and has been almost as excited about my family as her own grand children. She has taken our family under her wing. When I had my surgery she checked in on me regularly. She is so strong and selfless. I am so grateful for the inspiration and example she has provided for me throughout my life.

What a beauty! I LOVE this pic! 

The strength my Grandma S. has never seems to have an end. I have so many fond memories being with my grandma on the ranch. I loved to help her "feed the chickens" (which included: chickens, horses, cats, dogs, birds...). I was always amazed how brave she was when there was a chicken sitting on an egg. She could reach in under a chicken and get it without getting pecked. I will never forget the time she rounded up the escaped horses with the golf cart. She read books to me, and let me help her take care of new kittens. (I was pro at catching them... the trick is plenty of patience and a quick grip 'round the tail as they try to split... I was  four.) She has a strength and attitude that is contagious as she faces life without giving up.

I have been influenced by so many wonderful women. Thank you to you all. I am a better person because of your example. Happy Mother's Day to everyone! Love you!

Cookie Love

Somehow, despite my best efforts at washing my hands they are still very sweetly red and smell faintly of butter cream frosting... Why? This is the question of the day. Luckily, I have the answer!

My latest adventure started with a text. The plan was to go home after work and party it up with... yup you guessed it... my mom! We wanted to make valentine's cookies and boy was it fun! When I got to my house my mom had already made the cookie dough and was letting it cool before we commenced the rolling, cutting, and cooking of the cookies. We were not quite sure how it would turn out... but we were having fun and that was all that mattered. The process up through cooking, however, is just the first step of creating valentine cookies... There is still the decorating...

After about a third of the cookies were frosted we began to run out of steam. Luckily my dad came up and used his abundant creativity with a few... :) (my personal favorite was the "candy land cookie" do you see the path?)



I love times like this. It is so much fun for me to hang with my mom and chat about boys and school and different cooking tips. We have a lot of fun! I love my mom and am so very grateful that she loves me back! ;) I don't know what I would do without her help and support. She has been there through thick and thin... and when I have questions about cooking something... So thanks Mom. For everything. I love you!