Our bed! (A year and a half later.....oops)

Found this in my drafts.... figured it was probably time to post it.  [And when we eventually move into a house, there are some other pieces of furniture from that website that I plan on making. They really are very easy to follow and you can (sort of) choose how much you want them to cost. I think after everything, we ended up spending $220 after we decided to get nicer pieces of wood for some parts.]
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Remember this post on how we started making our bed?
With David going out of town for interviews and a family trip to Goblin Valley, we finally finished it three weeks later and we are SO happy with it!
Definitely one of those things we hope we can pass on to our kids someday.
(We got the original plans from here and made a few tiny adjustments. And let's be honest. David and his dad mostly built it. I just sleep in it....)

It looks so big without the mattress/box spring and pillows on it.

Still working on finding other pillows that work because these red ones were from the living room.

An Untraditional Wedding Song

If I got married again, I would do things differently. Don't get me wrong, I loved my wedding! But, just a few of those decisions were made during a stressful semester and sort of don't really feel like they are "me" anymore.

I would have gotten the ice cream bar. (Which David reallllllly wanted.) I would have nixed the yellow. I don't know why I thought I needed purple, grey, AND yellow. But that's that.   I would have also had more dancing. 

Our grand plan was to do all the meet-and-greet stuff, eat cake, toss the bouquet, etc, do the First Dance, and then keep dancing and while other people were dancing we were going to slip away. Of course, we didn't realize that at your wedding you are always being watched. So we tried to make a quiet exit after a mere five songs. AND EVERYONE FOLLOWED US. (Like normal. I don't know why I thought our wedding would be different. oy.)

BUT. One choice I will always always always do again was our first song. 

David went on an LDS mission to San Francisco -- CHINESE speaking. So he spent a lot of his time in Chinatown, got to know lots of Chinese people and got pretty fluent. And of course, like all foreign missionaries do, they come home with some music that they might not have listened to otherwise.

Fast forward to when we start dating/are almost engaged. He shows me this video of one of his favorite Chinese songs. And being the baby that I am = TEARS. Seriously. It got to me. Because when you're in love, you can't possibly imagine your life without your other half. And this song got even better because he would sing me the words in my ear sometimes when I would force him to dance around the kitchen with me. I eventually learned the words from us singing it enough.

              

Because it's about how much they love each other and wanting to be the fairy tale they have always heard about.  TRUE LOVE, you guys. TRUE LOVE. I'm a sucker for it.

So of course, we decide to skip any traditional/normal song for our First Dance. Sometimes I go back and watch this video and get all fuzzy and warm. If it's really late at night, I might even be found weeping again over the love story.

I linked it here so you can watch it. 

Then and Now - mini version

I've been thinking about this all week and then I was inspired by this.  (A great blog!)

Exactly one year ago tomorrow, we were heading down to New York to watch General Conference with my family. It was also the day we found out about Noah.

I snapped this picture before we got in the car.

The next weekend we drove down again to go through the temple with my sister.

As I made David take this picture with me, I remember thinking that we were keeping a happy secret.

And now life is so, so different. In the best way possible.

Noah @ 4 months

Noah is at the BEST age right now.

14 lbs 1 oz, 24 3/4 inches long

NOAH:
▲  will gurgle and babble ALL day long - lately it is vowel sounds while rolling his tongue in his mouth. He kept doing it while we were out shopping today and I was laughing the whole time
▲  last week of sleeping was no bueno, but TODAY WAS MAGICAL. He's pretty good about sleeping through the night and I kind of had just given up on naps, but today I laid him down and he played and talked with his lovey  (a thin small burp cloth) and then closed his eyes. I was in heaven. My mommy heart hurts when he cries.
▲ had a fantastic appointment and everything looked great. And he cooed at the doctor the whole time she was trying to talk to me. So funny. He just wants to be a part of every conversation
▲ puts everything in his mouth. and sucks on my shirts every time I'm holding him. He is pretty good about holding all his toys and getting them up to his mouth.
▲  his hair is kind of starting to grow in and when it sticks up, it is the cutest peach fuzz

MOMMY (& Daddy):
▲ absolutely loving the fact he is sleeping well at night. When you are in the middle of the fuzziness and delirium that come with a newborn, everything starts to seem hopeless. And while sometimes it is too easy for me to find something to complain and say that being a mom is hard, not sleeping was definitely the one thing that killed me to give up. And now that he is pretty regular, life is THE BEST.
▲ Things are great. He has a sort-of schedule and that helps me to kind of plan on what I can accomplish each day. I love hanging out with my buddy all day and I miss him when he is asleep (even though I am glad for the break).
▲  I got my act together and started making dinner every night (instead of making David do it when he got home). Coincidence that this happened when he started sleeping regularly? DEFINITELY NOT.
▲  Trying to get back on the working out bandwagon. There isn't really much for great trails nearby or sidewalks that don't disappear here, so I'm debating getting a gym pass but they are SO pricey and it would be a 20 minute drive. (PLUS stinky weather. It snowed again today....) I almost can't remember what it feels like to run a mile. So if you ladies (and gents?) have any suggestions for an at-home workout, throw them this direction and maybe, just maaaaaaybe, I'll be ready for the pool and not just the hot weather that I miss so much.

3/17/2014

I'm kind of obsessed with our baby --

In case that wasn't obvious enough on Instagram. So if you have seen enough, you can skip this post. I won't be offended. :)

[This post could alternately be titled "Why It Is Worth It to Bully Your Husband to Buy a Nice Camera & Lenses."]

These are straight from my camera with no editing. (They could use a little bit, but I don't feel like it...) Just shows what good lighting and learning manual can do.

Having a cute baby helps too, I guess...

Noah @ 3 months

12 lbs 3 oz

24 inches long

has the cutest little cheeks now!

NOAH:

• is definitely more vocal about what he does/does not like  - and is starting to realize he does NOT like hiccups

• still LOVES being talked to more than toys and will coo at you to get your attention

• supplementing has done wonders for his sleep habits (and Mom's sanity!). still not sleeping normally but doing MUCH better (hallelujah!!)

• did FABULOUSLY on his first plane flight(s) at 12 weeks. 

• figured out he can suck on his hand and now tries to stick the whole thing in his mouth.

• rubbed off most of his newborn hair and now has awesome old man hair at the back of his head

• is just barely starting to get chunky and have the little lines around his wrists and feet!

• has now met almost all of his extended family (and we are so grateful you all came to his blessing!)

MOM (and Dad?): 

• This month has been full of vacation/visitors for us, so it has really gone by quickly. We are sad to not have any planned for awhile, but excited that winter is on its way out. (about time!)

• Buying new shirts helps make you accept your post-partum body more, but with spring coming, so do my plans to start getting healthy. I definitely have eaten too much sugar this vacation. 

• I am still learning the balance between taking care of Noah while still managing to take care of myself. Definitely something I have to figure out each day. 

• I am terrrrrrified of how our flights home will go tomorrow. They are all daytime flights so NOT when la bebe will be sleeping.

• Also, I need a haircut. And inspiration. Anyone have any advice/ideas?

And Noah is crying so that is the end of this post.

if you want more, just follow me on instagram

and if you really can't help yourself and want even more, Noah has an instagram too. 

A few things.....

1. I think I am extremely witty when I write posts at 3 am before the crack of dawn and the return of my sanity slash filter in my head. Then the light comes and my self-confidence returns to a normal "95% on a good day"......

2. This maaay be another post later (yay, so exciting!) where I can (unnecessarily) disclose more (unwanted) details but I have yet to decide what to do about feeding/formula-ing with my tiny distracted drowsy eater who would much rather party instead. The convenience of the bottle + other snags along the way make it sound so lovely and enticing to just give up on a la natural, olden time way of sustaining a child. BUT. My sentimental heart hasn't fully accepted that I would have to give up bonding that way with le bébé. So here I sit, still doing both and I'm strangely okay with my indecisiveness for now. Is that even something I need to decide? Or do I just overthink everything? Probably. 

3. David is out of town tonight and the bed is lonely. But I was just out of town for 3 nights. So obviously he trumps me in the who-has-the-more-right-to-complain-department but we both know I'm a bigger baby aaaand there we go. The bed is lonely. 

4. David had a layover in Philadelphia and had a Philly cheesesteak for dinner. Because when in Philly, right? I replied that I had a bowl of raisin bran and when in Hartford?...........turns out he had that twice this week while I was gone. Truth. In Hartford we eat the exciting raisin bran. 

5. I said goodbye to the NY house again today after going down with Mom to paint a couple rooms/clean up some stuff to make it look nicer. And hopefully it sells soon and that was really goodbye for reals. Anyone looking for a home in the NY area? Available to buy or rent now, I think.... So send any prospectors this way because we would hate to have them keep searching in this cold weather when we have a lovely updated home waiting to be occupado. 

  

From the kitchen window this afternoon. He looked right at me then gracefully leapt away. Leapt is a word, right? 

Noah @ 2 months

9 lbs 9 oz

22.25 inches

Still skinny and long - We're working on that. 

Noah: 
• smiles all the time. It is fantastic for making us feel like good parents. 
• likes his owl toy and his soccer ball rattle, also loves being talked to 
• has this weird obsession about staring at the pictures on our living room wall. He will ignore me to watch them.
• smiles and coos at his reflection in the mirror. It is adorable and I die from the cuteness every time. I should get this on camera. 
• likes to give himself hiccups and, of course, it is usually when we are trying to get him to wind down. Which drives me bonkers. 
• still a stinkbug about being on a schedule - normalized enough I can semi predict it. But there is always a catch (ALWAYS. And it's usually sleep-related)
• he REFUSES to sleep longer than an hour in his crib. Which is nice for my sentimental side that LOVES to hold him all day. Awful for my sleep/sanity that needs more than an hour at a time and at least some of it in a bed, not a recliner.  

 >>>>> [so. ANY suggestions for this sleep-crazed momma? please please send them over. We promise to try anything and everything - aka I'm desperate] <<<<<<

Mom (& Dad, but still mostly Mom):

• loved loved LOVED having David's parents come! Noah really loves the attention and it was so incredibly nice to have them take over when I was exhausted and a little sick. And I am SO excited for my mom to come this weekend!

• BF is still really tough. We are working on it, but we also are supplementing with formula. Which is nice for church and when I need a break. And hopefully Noah starts gaining more weight.

• speaking of church, I have 2 callings and sometimes I feel super overwhelmed. Sundays are not relaxing

• everyone says "it will get better" and I'm kind of still waiting for it to get better. (Still enjoying the moment though!) Does it really or is that just what you say to make it through the day/week/month?

• Target is my drug of choice. I can wander just enough aisles to satisfy my need to get out of the house until Noah wakes up. 

• I am definitely realizing how much motherhood (parenthood?) is all about being selfless and doing things for others and when you finally get a minute to yourself you are too tired to accomplish anything other than maybe closing your eyes for a second. And I'm realizing how selfish I was (AM) and how it is hard to give that up. 

• I've lost all but 8(ish) pounds of baby weight but my body has changed SO much and I'm still not quite sure how to dress myself or how I feel about it. I'm (mostly) okay with it because, HELLO I HAD A BABY. I wasn't super skinny or anything like that before, but at least it was familiar and I knew what I liked. Now everything is ......... Strange. 

And I wrote most of this in the middle of the night holding my sweet little boy. He is changing so fast already and I'm sad to leave the newborn phase behind (but then I take a good, long nap and I'm not TOO sad).

Noah @ 1 Month

Noah is a tall skinny boy with long feet and long fingers. (And just so I remember - 56th percentile for height, 7th for weight, and 73rd for head circumference.)

Noah at 1 month: 
• likes to skip napping between feeding at least once a day
• hates having his diaper changed
• falls asleep in his car seat
• is super super stubborn
• likes to lay on the ground and hang out with his daddy — will make the cutest noises doing it
• likes his bouncer on vibrate
• gave us THE MOST ADORABLE LAUGH while falling asleep the other night. (And we were watching a movie and it was perfectly timed to a funny part - we laughed so hard. We always die over how cute he is.)
• obsessed with putting his hands by his face. But when he is sleeping, he hits himself in the face and wakes himself up - so he sleeps swaddled

• rolled over from front to back on NYE! 

Mom (& Dad, but mostly Mom) at 1 month:
• slowly feel like we are getting the hang of things
• lots of tears at 2 weeks (for Mom, of course...), only occasionally when I am completely exhausted now. Which actually is more often than "occasionally" if we are being real here.
• really appreciate the rare chances I get to leave the house. Cabin fever 

exists and it's name is Natalie. 
• BF is.......challenging. For baby and momma. 
• I sleep 10000x better when he is in the other room. If not, every little sniff and loud breath makes me jump out of bed and check on him. 
• I sleep better now than I did at the end of pregnancy. Nowhere even close to as much but quality is much mucho improved
• Christmas was super low-key since we didn't have family here and couldn't exactly go anywhere- we slept in til around 11 and didn't open presents til after noon. Noah definitely got spoiled and we didn't even get him anything.

It is definitely as hard as we thought it would be, but a million times more rewarding than we imagined. I guess we'll keep him. ;)

NOAH

Better late than never, right?

Our future Thanksgivings will never be the same because of how special this one was. It was the most marvelous surprise!

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NOAH DAVID BEAN

7 lbs 4 oz

20 inches

November 28, 2013