Fields of Blue!

I'm pretty sure my favorite thing about Texas is the spring and it's blue bonnet lined highways.  This year was probably the best EVER for viewing the gorgeous state flower.  It didn't matter what kind of day I was having.  As soon as I started driving down these roads and seeing these beautiful flowers, I couldn't help but smile.  Everywhere I went these little beauties greeted me.  They're seriously EVERYWHERE!!  They're in backyards, front yards, lining the highways and in parks. You can't escape them, not that you'd ever want to.  Truly a gift from God to be surrounded by such splendor.   

When the blue bonnets go away, spring is no yet over.  Soon the fields of the yellow flowers appear and after they die off, we get fields of brown eyed susans.  This is when my love affair with Texas gets a little out of control.  Of course I force my children to get dressed up so we can take their pictures with the bonnets.  This time we drove all the way to Dripping Springs and realized I had forgotten my camera.  After finally retrieving my camera and hearing Eliza scream the entire drive, we decided to stick around our neighborhood instead of going back.  Circle C didn't disappoint.  We had fields upon fields of blue bonnets just waiting to be frolicked through!! 

Sadie was very sweet and held Liza the whole time while I took WAY too many pictures.  

Eliza eventually fell asleep after her 30 minute tantrum in the car.  

  

The boys weren't too excited about taking pictures with flowers.  Where were the garbage trucks, race cars and ninjas? 

Basically this was as good as it was going to get when you place two young lads in a field of purple flowers.  

Wahoo!!  They're sooooo excited!!

Jack was especially grumpy because he got motion sickness in the car and is also pretty allergic to all these flowers.  His poor little eyes do not like the spring season.  They get really puffy and itchy.  So when I mentioned before that you can't escape the blue bonnets, I was speaking of Jack.  Poor kid! 

George is always fun to take pictures of because he hasn't entered the stage of awkward smiling.  

I love that his eyes are as vibrant as the flowers!

 And he's wearing his angry eyes too!! 

One night Chase took the three older kids to church scouts and YM.  I took advantage of the quiet opportunity to take Eliza and I on a peaceful drive.  She isn't usually a big fan of the car, but this night, she just slept while I drove through more fields of blue bonnets.  I just couldn't get enough of them!! 

I want to live here!! 

Across the street are some barns with horses and sheep.  Man alive, these animals have the best sitting rooms on earth!  I love that these roads are just up the street from our house.  I also just love Texas.  Pretty soon I'll be cursing the heat and mosquitoes, but for now, I'm relishing these lovely spring days that point my eyes up to heaven a little more often. 

You Say It's Your Birthday!

It's April again and that means it's party time.  I have to admit, I get VERY antsy this time of year.  I used to love planning birthday parties for the older kids, but now it's just becoming a dark cloud that lurks around until the parties are over!  

Chase and I like to keep things simple for each other.  I made some Tres Leches for his work buddies and brought group B (George and Eliza) in to say hello.  This was Eliza's official debut at NFP!  Everyone loved her and we had a lovely little visit. 

Breakfast in bed!!  I was NOT on top of things this year.  I totally forgot to get the bread to make him some french toast, so he got an omelet instead. It didn't look very good (and I doubt it tasted any better) but everything looks great on a "you are special" plate.  We love our daddy so much!!  Maybe next year I'll be less sleep deprived and he can get his french toast!

Chase wanted to go to dinner with his favorite peeps, so I texted all the wives and we met at a yummy pizza place downtown.  The pizza was so good, we decided we needed fried donut holes at the trailer across the street too.  Yum!!  The sad thing about this picture is that half the people are moving away from Austin.  I feel bad for Chase.  I feel like all his friends are moving away!!  I'm losing some great friends too, but I still have a lot of people here that I love.  

The Lunts went to the wrong Pizza place, couldn't find a parking space and then got so frustrated, they went home. We missed those guys!!

For my birthday I told Chase I didn't want to do ANYTHING special.  I was just TIRED!!  I wanted to eat a yummy dinner and go to bed!  He asked if I was sure I didn't want anyone else to come to dinner with us and I wasn't kidding when I said "no."  I was too tired for conversation.  Too tired to be polite.  I just wanted to VERY low key night.  

I guess 35 is a big birthday.  I had no idea until people started telling me. I honestly forget my birthday some years.  It's just not that big of a deal to me.  I asked Julie to come get a pedicure with me, I went shopping at the Domain by myself, and that was totally good enough for me.  Chase had other plans for the evening.  We took Eliza with us to Jack Allen's and on the drive back I kept saying how excited I was to go to bed!!  Chase was acting strange and I started accusing him of planning something even though I told him not to.  He denied planning anything but I didn't believe him.  I got to the point that I told him I didn't want to go home because I was afraid people were there.  I honestly DID NOT want to celebrate my birthday with anyone else!!  He religiously told me that I could go home and that I didn't have to worry.  

So we walked in and the first thing I see are balloons and a ton of treats on the table, then all my friends popped out from behind the counter!  I was slightly surprised, slightly angry and slightly grateful I have a husband who appreciates a girl's night even when his girl isn't up for one.  Of course I burst into tears!  I always cry when I'm embarrassed or scared, I had sadly realized that I wasn't going to sleep anytime soon, and I was just totally overwhelmed by all these amazing women that I love so much!!  When you have a baby, you sometimes get into a funk.  You never leave your house because the baby is always sleeping and you never see your friends anymore because you're too tired to go out at night or meet at the park in the morning.  After a while you feel like people have forgotten about you, and that's ok, because you know you brought it upon yourself for never getting out, but it's still kind of sad.  

Seeing all these wonderful ladies jump out from behind that counter made me realize that I have the greatest friends in the world.  They aren't seasonal, or fair weather.  Even if they haven't seen me in a while, I know they would drop anything to help me.  I'm bummed because four of these sweet women are moving away this summer.  Life will be so dull with out them! They always make it hard to say goodnight! So, even though I went to bed at 2 a.m, I went to bed with a full heart! Happy Birthday to me!!

The next morning I got some crepes in bed! We're tired, we're actually exhausted, but we are so grateful for another year of good health, wonderful family, and a  home over our heads.  Feeling very blessed and grateful!

And a huge shout out to Trader Joe's.  When the cashier found out it was my birthday, he gave me a bouquet of hydrangeas for free!!  One more reason (in addition to the current million) I love that store!!

Life Goes On!

So even though we never sleep and it seems Eliza always does, we still need to press forward!  Life is still happening all around us and although in a zombie state at times, we still manage to have a little fun.  

While the kids are at school George, Eliza and I have been meeting friends at Lady Bird to walk around the lake.  Sometimes we have to stop to nurse but that's not a problem for us. George just throws rocks in the water and I enjoy the view.  Austin is seriously such an amazing city!!  

We've been having FHE outside lately. We have to take full advantage of the mosquito free weather before we're attacked in  June!

The kids are getting pretty good at making their own s'mores.

Every spring this happens to poor Jack.  It used to happen to Sadie but she seems to have outgrown seasonal allergies for now.  Poor guy had to stay home from school a few times because his eyes were so swollen from the pollen.  All the antihistamines are making him pretty sleepy too. 

But when he stays home, we all get to witness his AMAZING architectural masterpieces. Sometimes I look at what he builds and am astonished at the complexity of these structures.  I love how he combined train tracks, hot wheels and wooden blocks to make this one.  

We'v been getting quite a bit of rain lately so the creeks are full.  I love that our neighborhood has such a fun creek to play in.  The kids could spend all day there.  

Some days I feel like all I do is feed Eliza.  Poor George gets really bored so we have to do something exciting, even if it's taking a short trip to the car wash.  George used to be terrified, but now loves watching the big sponges and hoses clean the car.  I feel like if we get out at least once a day, George is a happy camper!

I have the same philosophy for myself too.  If I've been cooped up for a few days of nursing and changing diapers and I hear the girls are hanging out?  Well, even if I'm ridiculously tired, I try to go because it's totally therapeutic.  I usually stay out WAY too late and pay for it the next day but am always glad I spent some time with my buddies.  Women need women.  That's a fact!

And sometimes I'll come home from a Relief Society function and find this.  

Oh, how I love this man!!

Sure love this little man too.  Sometimes when we all need a little laugh, I'll hike George's pants up really high after changing his diaper. George doesn't even notice (or care) and that's what makes it so funny!

He's been having a great time with his buddies this year in this little play group.  They all play so well together.  After a few months of not hosting, I was finally able to have everyone over again.  Other than Miles getting stuck on the trampoline while I was nursing Eliza, having 5 kids under the age of three went surprisingly well!

George and I take a lot of little walks around the neighborhood.  He and this stroller are attached at the hip.  He loves strolling it everywhere.  Who knew when I bought it for Sadie 8 years ago, it would end up being George's favorite toy!  One walk we found a dead tarantula.  Our neighbor was brave enough to pick it up with a spoon and put it G's stroller.  He loved walking it around and showing it to everyone.  Chase was out of town, so we sent him this picture!

Evenings usually consist of shenanigans like this or shriekingly running away from Daddy the tickle monster.  

And this is what I do all day.  If I'm feeling REALLY productive, I'll go ahead and clip Eliza's fingernails while she's sleeping.  Sometimes it's the only thing we accomplish all day!

2 Months of Eliza

She's starting to gets some rolls on those little thighs!  It's amazing how much she has grown in these short 4 weeks.  She's already 11 pounds (42%) and 22 3/4 inches (64%) with a whopping 89% in head circumference at 39 1/2.  She's still taking in WAY more milk than her little stomach can handle, so we can pretty much count on some breast milk projectile vomit at least twice a week.  I felt bad for the nurse when she gave her the rotavirus vaccine.  It was an oral liquid and she puked it ALL over the office floor. She has a pretty sensitive gag reflex but I'm not too worried about it.  As long as I don't feed her without burping between sides or when she has the hiccups, then we're all good. It's when we lay her down too quickly after feeding or overwhelm her when my milk comes in that we  have a problem.  Otherwise, this little peanut is doing exceptionally well.  Doctor Woods is very impressed with her weight gain and says as long as she's gaining weight, there's no need to worry.  

I'm still pumping several times a day.  She can never eat a full feeding, so I pump the rest out.  I'm a total milk hoarder!!  It's liquid gold.  None shall be wasted!!  There are already at least 75 bags in my freezer!

Eliza has really started to enjoy her baths these days.  Her first bath was not a pleasant one, but now we make sure to get her in there when she's well rested and recently fed.

I tried to get a picture of her in Aunt Eliza's heart outfit before she grows out of it.  The little nugget was NOT happy about being photographed that day.  She also has two clogged tear ducts so every time she cries we've got lots of goop to clean up. I feel like I'm constantly cleaning out her eyes.  When she wakes up her eyes are sometimes glued shut.  This started around her newborn pics and is still going strong a month later.  I'm VERY excited for this stage to be over.  I've tried rubbing ointment in them and have also dropped in breast milk, but nothing seems to be working.  I guess it will just have to heal itself.  

Getting her to take a good nap has proven to be quite difficult as well.  I feel like she wants to be held ALL the time.  This would be great if I didn't have three other kids.  I figured out that if I wedge her inside the Boppy pillow, she feels like she's being held and sleeps longer.  There's this big tag on the pillowcase strongly advising not to use the pillow as a sleeping device.  Well, they shouldn't have made it so dang comfortable then!  Desperate times call for desperate measures!  How can I resist when she sleeps so well?  

For a while she hated being swaddled, but we found she sleeps WAY longer at night when she's wrapped up tight.  Her favorite time of day is when she gets to snuggle on Chase's chest.  It's my favorite time of the day too.  The other kids are in bed, and we just watch some television while Eliza snoozes and snuggles.  

Sometimes I can make it through an entire episode of Jimmy Fallon and sometimes even if the Utes are playing in the sweet 16, I totally pass out!!  Sorry Utes!!  Eliza and I are just too tired!!

We've been VERY tempted as of late to shave her head with Chase's trimmers.  She's lost almost all her hair on top and is starting to look at lot like her dad;-).  

Love this pic!!  Chase didn't know I was snapping away when he was picking his nose!

Looooove my partner in crime.  No matter how hard life gets or how ridiculously tired we feel, he's always at the sink doing dishes, making lunches for the kids, sending them off to school or taking Eliza when I need a break.  I won the lottery with this guy!!

My sweet friend Jen took this picture as she sat behind me our first Sunday back after Eliza was born. It had been two months without going to church and I think the bishop was starting to worry we might go inactive.  What better way to bring a family out of the newborn fog and into the light of the gospel than asking a father with 4 inconsecutive hours of sleep at night to speak in sacrament meeting.  I was planning on bringing Eliza to church after her 2 month vaccinations.  We were a few weeks shy, but I kept her away from the primary.  Besides, we couldn't miss hearing Chase speak.  He did a great job!!  He spoke about "experimenting upon the word."  Lately the church has been dealing with a lot of backlash over gay rights and women not having the priesthood.  Chase did a great job helping the congregation to focus on the fact that it's ok to question and wrestle with the lord in prayer.  He did mention that no matter what we do, "give the Lord equal time."  It's something Grandma Beth told Jim when he went to college.  It's great advise!!  What I love about the gospel is that we are always encouraged to find out for ourselves if something is true.  Gaining a personal testimony can only be done when we take our thoughts to the Lord and grow stronger through the answers we receive.  

Our little "vacation" from church was kind of relaxing but it feels nice to be taking the sacrament again.  As hard as it is to get all the kids ready, wrestle through the complaining, and be inside on a beautiful day, it always feels better to be at church.  Connie always taught Chase to "be where you're supposed to be, when you're supposed to be there." I know we're where the Lord wants us to be.

So sleep deprivation is HARD but totally worth it when I get to stare at this pretty face.  My goodness, I am so in love with this little creature!!  

Does this lady look sleep deprived to you?  

The struggle is real people!!