General Conference - a unique experience

So yeah.  Guess who got to tweet about Conference from the media room for OKEspanol?  Me and my handsome hubby.  That was a really cool and fun thing to get to do.  I think it was also the best way for me to do it all preggo and stuff cause I could walk around and go to the bathroom for the 20th time during one session without bugging anyone.

It really was great because it was also my last hurrah at work.  As of today (Monday, April 8, 2013) I am officially a stay-at-home wife and mummy.  I've been going through a few withdrawals earlier in the day but I am fully committed to the cause.  Go mama!

We got copies of the talks a half and hour beforehand and got to feel all journalist-y next to Des News and SL Trib writers.  It was a great weekend date with Paco.  I'll never forget it.

P.S.  I wrote this as a draft and never got to finish it before Moses came so here it is a little out of order.  Oops

Note to our new baby boy

Dearest upcoming baby boy,

Hello lovely young son.  Who would have thought that we could produce a boy?  What a blessing.  I have been thinking about you and imagining you lately.  I can't wait to meet you but I'm glad you are still baking inside of me.  I'm still figuring this whole mothering thing out, bye the way.  I've had the exceptional opportunity to take care of your big sis Lizzie now for two wonderful years and it's been fabulous.  I wonder things like, how will you get along?  How will you see each other and me and your dad?  What a journey it is.

I've also been thinking a lot about success and what defines success in children.  In this day and age, people spend a lot of time talking about success and their kids so of course I have been reading a lot about it and I'm still figuring that out too but I have come to some conclusions that I want to share with you.  I want you to be successful but not in the way the world sees it.  I want you to be successful in the ways that matter.

I used to think success meant playing an instrument extremely well or getting the best grade in school.  These are excellent things to achieve and can be important but what if you did that by cheating?  To me, success means being kind to the loner at school, going on a mission and preaching the gospel as a young worthy man, making others feel like they are children of God, having a strong work ethic that empowers you to do your best in any situation, finding a spouse who shares your values and whom you marry in the temple.  This is success and I am writing this note as much for me as for you because I need to remember this.  That in an amoral world, you have morals and ethics.  This is my greatest prayer for you my darling son.  I love you.

Love,

Your mother

38 weeks, day 6

Weight gained:  30 pounds
Feelings:  Excited, calm, happy, nervous
Outward appearance:  Hmmmm, never have quite caught that "pregnant glow" look
Days remaining:  8
Type of walk:  Waddle for sure
Days left until I stop working to become a full-time, stay-at-home mom:  3
Feelings on leaving the workforce:  Mixed.  I've never wanted to be one of those moms who is on the computer working from home and patting her kids on their heads as they run by.  I want to be fully present and I don't think I can continue to work, even part-time, with 2 kids.  Even with Lizzie it's tricky cause I squeeze it in between her naps and during her bedtime.  However, I will miss the adult interaction and just the sense of accomplishment I get when I get in there and work hard and lead meetings and network and all that fun stuff I've been doing for the past 12 years or so.  I enjoy working and I enjoy being mom.
Puffiness level:  Not too bad.  Not as puffy as last time.
Gym attendance:  I go almost every day.  Mostly water aerobics.  Feels good.
Cravings:  Protein (meat and eggs) and cereal.
Current obsessions:  Reading the Book of Mormon in the morning, taking a warm shower, watching Lizzie dance with reckless abandon, talking with Paul at night as we fall asleep (one of my all-time favorites anyway, you know that talking you do when you are about to drop off to dreamland and it's dark and you just say whatever is on your mind), taking lots of naps (oh how I wish I could store them up like a camel), watching Lizzie laugh with reckless joy and abandon (Paul says that light in her eyes when she laughs is a mark of no regrets, I agree), reading a couple of mom blogs which I treasure including Nat the Fat Rat (LDS mom based out of NYC), No More Mom Jeans (LDS fashion blogger who has the worst sense of fashion so I read it ironically, so funny!), and anything by Richard and Linda Eyre and their daughters who created the site Power of Moms.

Well, there ya go.  And some pics below for laughs and giggles.  I'm lookin big!

Easter 2013

And what a great Easter it was!  We invited Nate and Jenny McAllister and their family up to celebrate and spend the night.  Paul made the most amazing dutch oven food for dinner.  Pork loin with cornbread stuffing and for the second layer, potatoes.  Yum!

Looks delectable doesn't it?  I must say my hubby is a fine cook.  He is very skilled at experimenting and not afraid to do it at all while I worry about straying from the recipe.  Anyway, so after dinner, we played games and had a campfire and then some of the kids watched a movie on our projector downstairs while I played bunny and ran around hiding plastic eggs for the next morning.  Hehe that was a lotta fun.

The next morning we had a yummy breakfast prepared by Jenny and then it was so funny because Miriam kept pretending she needed to go for a walk outside but she was trying to scope out the egg situation.  It's all good though.  We caught her in her scheme.  Side note - I LOVE Miriam.  She reminds me of myself sooo much at her age.  She has high energy but she is sweet and sooo loving and patient with Lizzie.  She just doted on our little girl the whole time and Lizzie, little social bug that she is, just loved having cousins over and hanging out.

So then we did the hunt and Lizzie looked so darn cute walking around with her basket and everyone got a good amount of eggs and candy and rolled up scriptures I had included.

 Afterwards, Lizzie hung out with Ethan and Seth for a while and watched Enchanted.  She cracked me up because she kinda just sidled up to the boys on the bean bag like she didn't want them to notice.  Hilarious.

 On Easter, we dressed her up in a cute little dress confection which made her look like a cupcake and she got more cousin time.  Happy baby.

Lizzie you are two!!!

So dear Lizzie had her two-year birthday on Saturday, March 23.  I can't believe we have a two year old.  She had a fun-filled day, I'll tell ya, what, lil apple of our eye.  We started off the day by walking into her room with a banana bread muffin with candles on it. She ate that up and then we celebrated with her over breakfast and had her open her presents.  She got a cute dolly and doggie from her Mami Vicki and Opi and some Mr. Potato Head stuff from us and we got her an awesome little kiddie picnic table and a whole kitchen which we showed her and placed in the basement for her to play with.  She loved that and giggled with delight over it! 

I took her to her swimming class a little later on, which she loves and then took her home for lunch and a nap.  After her nap, I took her down to Salt Lake where we met up with all of her cousins and family there to tour the Living Planet Aquarium which she loved.  She was mesmerized by all the fishies in the glass aquariums and really loved that.  I liked that it was the perfect size, not too terribly large. Then, we took her to her grandma Irene's home and had pizza and cake and sang to her.  She loved all the love and attention she got there and more presents.  She got a dolly from Tiffany's family, a Mrs. Potato Head from Martha's family and some darling British clothes from her British cousins.  Then, we drove home and put her to bed.  She had a lovely day and seemed very happy.  

A few days later, I took her in for her two-year check up.  She has a perfect bill of health and guess what??  She measured 35.5 inches which means that she will grow to be 5'11"!!  You go girl.  I see a volleyball player in the future but also I don't want to hinder you by only pushing sports.  You pursue whatever talents you'd like, my darling, as long as you are pursuing something good and noble.  I look forward to my tall, lanky lady.  

Also, Lizzie has never been sweeter in her life.  Every day she says something smart or cute like today she picked out the word "o" for "Opi" in the word "mommy."  And to think I wasn't sure if she was really picking that up!  She also turned to a little girl behind her in the library today and said to her "my mommy, no mine!"  The little girl just looked at her confused.  So funny.  Everything is "no mine" but at the same time she is so sweet and giggly.  I just wanna eat her up.  Well, here are a few pics of her special day for your viewing pleasure.

The new kitchen

With all her prezzies

I am obsessed with looking at her when she is asleep

She and Bethany are such great buddies

She was a little scared of the huge catfish

With her sweet cousins

I love this pic!

Her special Winne the Pooh cake

She loved the frosting!

Wearing her cute new little British outfit

Spiritual Sunday

It's been too long since I did one of these but it's also been in the back of my mind and I have something to share this week.  LDS Living came out with a best pieces of advice column and a lot of people contributed.  I love getting nuggets of wisdom this way and there were a lot of gems but my favorite was a poem that Elaine Dalton, young women general president, shared.

You don't have to tell how you live each day
You don't have to tell if you work or play
A tried and true barometer stands in its place
You don't have to tell, it will show in your face
If you live close to God and His infinite grace
You won't have to tell, it will show in your face

Wow.  Ever since I read that last night, I can't stop thinking about it.

It will show in your face...

It takes me back to Alma 5 which talks about having His image in our countenance.  I need to remember this more.  In fact, I am going to make it a goal to focus on this during sacrament.  Does it show in my face?  Maybe if I think of this every Sunday, it'll stay with me all week.  That's the hard part for me, remembering to keep up with my goals all week.

Paul shared something really neat too which I've been trying to focus on.  He said that during his mission he spent every sacrament thinking only of others and how he could serve them.  I tried to do that this Sunday.  It was helpful.

I was trying to think about the best advice I've ever received.  I think something that our friends the Shamo's told us the other day was one of the best.  They said:

Treat everyone like they are truly a Child of God from the people in your family to the person whom you can barely look at between their tattoos and piercings.  They are all children of God.

Anyway, that's what I've got today.

Have I told you about my little girl?

She is as sweet as can be
Her spirit comes straight from heaven
Her kisses make my whole world come alive
Her eyes are so bright and full of life and love

Have I told you about my little girl?
I love her more each day
Her breath is so sweet
Her toes are so perfect
And when she hugs me, I feel complete

I miss her when she's sleeping
I dream of her at night
I love to watch her run and dance and jump
She does it all so right

Have I told you about my little girl
I will love her forever