Wild Animal

Today I dressed Layla up in her zebra shirt and giraffe print sunglasses. We picked up our friends Shelly and Parker (Parker was wearing leopard print pants) and we headed to the zoo.

It was both of the little ones' first time at the zoo and ... they didn't love it as much as we thought they would. They liked it, but they didn't love it. I thought Layla would laugh and talk to the animals. She didn't. But she did point, bark, and meow at the animals.

The weather was nice and cool and it was a pretty day. I thought the leopard was pretty too! Layla kept calling him "kitty" and meowing at him. It made me laugh because he looked like he wanted to eat her for lunch.

This is how the ape was sleeping. Totally made me laugh. Layla thought it was her uncle Dudin because he was so hairy.

What do you think? Did we evolve from apes?

Layla got lots of compliments on her giraffe print sunglasses.

The baby elephant was absolutely adorable.

I think Layla had fun. She was definitely tired and slept the whole way home, which surprised me considering the whole way there she and Parker sat in their car seats and laughed at each other. It was fun going with our friends. We'll have to go again this summer.

And just for fun, here's a video of my wild animal at dinner tonight. One perk of being Layla's mommy is that she thinks I am the funniest person in the whole world. I love it. Oh, and don't mind her crazy Einstein hair- she had just pulled out her piggy tails.

Stuff

I feel like we do so much around here and I hardly ever write about it. I need to blog more often so I don't end up with ridiculously long posts like this one.

Mitch went to Chicago last week for work and was able to attend a Cubs game. He hates baseball because it's too slow, but I think he had fun anyways. He also was able to check out the Sears Tower (the tallest building in the US) and said it was awesome.

Layla is walking all over the place. She still falls down and crawls here and there, but she's definitely getting better at walking.

For Family Home Evening the other night we ate dinner outside and let Layla "swim" in her wade pool.

I ran in the Wasatch Back Relay and had a blast. I'll post more on that later. One week later, last Saturday, Mitch and I decided to run 10 miles to train for our half marathon on the 4th. It was 80 degrees outside and I thought I was going to pass out while running. (I have Cardiogenic Syncope, which causes me to dehydrate and overheat really fast.) Stupid idea to run that far in the heat. Mitch saved me from passing out by running to Maverik and buying me a Gatorade. My hero! He ended up running 11.3 miles total. He's definitely ready for the race. Let's hope I am!

I made a scrapbook of Layla's 1st year of life. She loves it. Almost daily she'll pull it off the shelf, flip the pages, and point at people in the pics.

Here's a few things I want to remember about Bug at this age (14 months):

1. She walks around the house saying, "dada, mama, KID-TEE!" (She pronounces "kitty" almost like it's two words.)
2. She learned meow like a cat this week.
3. She signs "more" and is now also using it when she wants to read another book. It makes me happy that she loves to read so much. For some reason the other signs are not catching on. Oh wait, that's because I'm totally not consistent. I really need to be better about that.
4. She can show you where her belly is when you ask her. She lifts up her shirt every time and her belly is always bulging out.
5. She goes up and down the stairs like a champ. She can also get off the couch by herself, but needs help getting on.
6. She will finally keep her sunglasses on! And if you show her her reflection in the car window with her glasses on, she laughs and claps.
7. She is close to mastering utensils. Tonight I helped her eat her veggies with her spork. Every time she'd get them in her mouth she would hand me the spork to hold so she could clap for herself. The girl thrives on praise. Even self praise. Super funny.
8. She won't eat anything else for dinner until she's had her fair share of veggies. It's wonderful! She loves peas and carrots the most, but will also eat corn. She still refuses to eat the green beans and puts them in her cup holder. Once she's had enough veggies, she will usually eat whatever else we offer her.
9. For the last three days she's been telling us when she goes poo. She'll say, "doo doo" and we check her diaper and it's poopy! I don't think Mitch believed me at first, but this morning I came back from running and Mitch said Layla had told him "doo doo" and he checked and she had pooped! Maybe we'll be potty training her sooner than I thought??
10. She learned to "give kisses." Melts my heart. Especially when she is playing and comes over to me just to give me a kiss and then goes off and plays again. She's such a sweet girl. She also loves to give her kitty and lamb kisses. And she makes them kiss each other, which I think is super funny.

I am still waiting to hear back on the job I really want. I check in about once a week, only to be told that it's taking longer than normal, she sends me her most sincere apologies, and says, "hopefully next Monday." Hmmm. Well, at least that's better than a no.

My new aunt, "Auntie Laura" was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints last week by my Uncle Kent. She is so happy. He is so happy. We are so happy for them! What can I say? The Gospel is happiness!

What else? We put in three new windows upstairs. And by "we" I of course mean Mitch and my dad. Thanks again, Dad, for helping out and bringing your tools! And thanks to my brother Brock for getting us the sweet deal on the windows! They look awesome. Because we had crappy blinds for two of the new windows, I decided to be crafty and make a roman shade for the smaller window. I love the way roman shades look and would love to make them for our whole house (eventually).

My biggest mistake was buying fabric that is too light. As a result, the pleats don't fold quite the way I wanted them to. It's not exactly what I was going for, but I still really like it. And now I know to buy heavier fabric next time. On the other hand, the whole thing cost me less than 20 bucks!

I also joined Pinterest. Have you heard of it? It's basically a way to save ideas you find online. I love it. I've found all sorts of ideas, projects, etc. In fact, I learned how to make the roman shade from Pinterest. I also made these oreo-filled chocolate chip cookies, thanks to Pinterest. They ended up being HUGE and way too rich for my liking. I don't think I recommend them. I sent them to scout camp with Mitch.

And, I made a 4th of July wreath based on Pinterest inspiration. I'm pretty proud considering I am not the crafty type.

Caio!

She Toddles!

We officially have a toddler now. So bittersweet. She doesn't even look like a baby anymore; she looks like a little girl. It makes me want to cry. On the other hand, I am so excited for and proud of her! And now we can take her camping (I didn't want to go and have her crawling all over the campground.)

Here's a video of our toddler toddling. You also get the privilege of hearing her say, "Wahoo!" and seeing her attack the camera, forcing the end of the video. Enjoy.

*Update: I just called my parents' house to tell them to watch this video. I was telling my dad some of the funny things Layla has done lately. He said, "You have a little angel. She's just like you were ... so sweet and easy going. You were just like her at that age." Wow, can I just say how happy that made me?! All I ever hear is how much she looks like Mitch, which I agree and it's a good thing because she's cute, but it was nice to actually hear that she got some of my genes too. (She also got my mom's slight dimple in her left cheek. Face, not bum. And my eyelashes.) So, while she might look just like Mitch, I am convinced that she has my temperament. Wahoo! Something for all my hard work.

DaDa

Layla is blessed to have Mitch as her DaDa because he wants the world for her. He loves to "hang out" with her. He misses her when he goes out of town for work. He loves to teach her new things. He thinks she's the cutest, funniest, smartest baby in the world.

I am blessed to have Mitch as the DaDa to our baby girl because he is an interactive, helpful dad. He stays home with her in the mornings so I can feed my running addiction. He lets me buy her too many clothes and tells me how cute they'll look on her. He works hard so I can stay home with our baby.

Happy Father's Day, Mitch! Layla and I love you so much.

Pink

I was so excited to see Layla in her pink swimming suit and pink hat in her pink pool.

She did not disappoint. She even danced.

The water was a little cold, so Layla only sat it in for a second. Mostly she just splashed and stepped in and out and in and out.

I am so excited to spend my summer hanging out by the pool with Bug!

Summer

It finally felt like summer today. And we took advantage of it.

This afternoon Layla had fun playing with Eliza in her wade pool while I chatted with Tynelle. (Should have taken a picture.) Despite the fact that Layla's swimming suit was much too small and threatening to cut off her circulation, I think we fully enjoyed the nice summer weather today. Layla didn't like the wade pool at first, but she quickly changed her mind. She did take a little spill in the pool and swallowed some water. It scared her and she cried. In her defense, it was nap time and she was tired. We called it a day and headed home for a bath to remove the sunscreen. The bath was not nearly as fun as the wade pool.

After her nap we headed to Babies R Us for a new swimming suit, which, might I add, is ridiculously cute and only cost six bucks! Oh, and since Layla loved Eliza's wade pool so much, I splurged and bought her a seven dollar plastic wade pool of her own. I know, best mom ever.

We are officially ready for summer! I am excited to spend time with Layla in her little pool. Well, she'll be in the pool, not me. I doubt we can both fit. But I am willing to give it a try ...

And because I regret not taking any pics of Layla and her friends today, I will add a pic of Layla and her other friends, daddy, kitty, and lamb.

And a pic of Layla and her enemy--green beans. Please notice how she picks them out of her veggie medley and puts them in her cup holder. She must be my daughter.

Punctuation

This made me laugh today:

It's so true!

Layla's Friends

Every morning Layla insists on holding her "friends." Her buddies consist of the kitty, lamb, and lately, the teddy bear. She carries them all around the house and sometimes they even come in the car with us. She will not drink any milk in the morning until she has her friends by her. She gives her friends kisses and sometimes they end up all wet from baby drool. She also loves to hand Mitch or I her friends, one at a time, and then lifts up her arms to let us know that she wants to be held too. It's pretty cute to see Mitch holding Layla and three stuffed animals. I need to get a pic of that still.

In My Next Life

Sometimes I find myself prefacing a thought with the words, "In my next life ..." I guess it's my way of day dreaming.

Anyways, the other day Mitch and I were talking about how hilarious the Tina Fey/Sarah Palin skits were a few years ago. I still crack up every time I picture Tina Fey pulling out a flute and asking if it was the talent portion.

Thinking of Tina Fey led me to tell Mitch that, "In my next life, I want to live in New York and be a writer." Yes, that is one of my day dreams. I would live in an apartment in a high rise building (but not too high up because I'm scared of heights. But since this is a day dream then I guess I wouldn't be scared of heights anymore. In that case, I'd live on the top floor and have 360 degree views). I would be a talented writer, working for some big company, and I would have time to do yoga at a fancy spa that is within walking distance. When I am about 30 or 35 I would get married, have kids, and write from home.

That is my first next life.

In my second next life, I would be a horse jockey. I remember telling my dad when I was young that I wanted to be a horse jockey. I can't remember the exact conversation, but I imagined he laughed. I don't blame him; it's a funny thought to picture a little girl handling a 1,000 pound animal running at 40 mph.

I'll never forget the day I proudly told my dad that I weighed 110 pounds. I don't know why I was proud, but at the time it seemed like some sort of milestone. Anyways, I remember how disappointed I was when he told me I couldn't be a horse jockey because jockeys only weigh 110 pounds, soaking wet, with all their gear on. I was so bummed.

But that's what day dreams are for, right? (Because I'll never have the physique to be a jockey unless I starve myself and if I did that I wouldn't have the strength to stay on the horse!)

So, "in my next life" I will be a horse jockey.

What brought on this random chain of thoughts? I watched the movie Secretariat tonight. It reminded me of my childhood dream. It also made me cry. Not because the horse wins or because her parents die (sorry if I spoiled that for anyone), but because I want so badly to ride a race horse. Even if it's just one time around the track. I want to have a death-tight grip on the horse's mane, smell the horse's sweat, feel it's muscles move under me, squeeze my legs around the horse so I don't fall off, and feel the wind rip through my hair as we race around the track. That would be awesome.

Hopefully I can own a race horse in heaven. His name will be Silver Nitrate. And he will be the fastest horse in town.

Pick a Winner

We fed Layla spaghetti for dinner the other night. She loved it.

Good thing it was bath night. Her other new favorite thing is to stick her finger up her nose. Pick a winner, Layla.

Sometimes she shoves her finger so far up her nostril that her nose bleeds. Of course, she gets upset when we tell her "no, no!" and it usually ends in crying. The other night, Layla decided to prove a point to her daddy (who was doing the punishing because mommy was laughing) and stuck a finger up both nostrils instead of just one. Oh goody.

She learned how to sign "more" and is constantly telling us when she needs more food, more milk, etc. It's super adorable. We're working on signs for milk, again, sleep, and thank you.

In other news, she is now saying "mama" and the way she says it melts my heart.

She's not walking yet, but I'm expecting it any day now.

One last random note: I haven't heard back on that job yet. I received an email today that said I will probably know by Monday. Apparently they aren't in too much of a hurry.

Working Mom

I'm bored today. I have extra time because Layla is taking another long nap. Plus, it's still weird for me to be a stay-at-home-mom. I'm just home. All day long. Usually I have a lot of things to do and I feel like I'm always busy. Running a household and chasing a one year old is not easy. But at the same time I'm bored. Doesn't really make sense, I know. Especially when you consider that my "job" includes smothering this face with kisses all day long.

The problem is that while I am busy grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, etc., I am not busy using my brain. Asking a one year old if she wants "more?" and changing stinky diapers don't exactly stimulate my thinker. I feel like it's shriveling up, slowly decaying into a void of nothingness. I feel stupider. I know, "stupider" isn't a word, but that's my point.

In order to combat my first wish to go back to school, which is pretty much impossible right now since my uber motivated hubby is becoming a doctor of sick rocket motors, I decided to put my already-earned education to use and get a job.

Now I have a job already, but they rarely have work for me to do. When they do send me something it doesn't take much time for me to finish. So I applied for more jobs to fill in the rest of my time. I applied for ten jobs, all editing jobs working from home. I spent at least 15 hours last week studying and taking editing tests for one job that I want so bad I'll cry if I don't get it. Keep in mind the woman doing the hiring told me she picked me as a potential candidate out of "hundreds of resumes," so I should just be flattered to have made it this far in the testing process. But that's not good enough for my perfectionist brain. I want the job. I am job.

I'm supposed to hear back by Thursday. They'll either offer me the job, ask me to do more testing, or tell me I suck and that I have no business editing someone else's work. Either way, I've told myself that it will all work out for the best. Trying to stay positive.

While I was ridiculously busy last week, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I used my brain. And I feel smarter already. If I don't get the job, I'll wait to hear back on the others and then apply for some more. I need to work I've decided. Just part-time and from home. I want my first priorities to be my hubby and our girl.

Speaking of my hubby, he is doing so great at work. I am really proud of him. I'm a little nervous for him to start school. Not because I think he can't do it. I know he'll do awesome. But because I know he'll be super busy and I hope he's not so busy at work that school stresses him out. I want him to enjoy it- as much as one can actually enjoy school, that is.

And our girl is doing awesome. She will probably be walking this week or next. Actually, she can walk, she just doesn't know how to stop and stay standing up. She prefers to squeal and dive to her destination. While it makes me laugh, every single time, I do wish she'd take it a little more serious and slow down. She would have been walking weeks ago if she'd stop diving. But, it's funny and what's the rush, right?

I dressed Layla like summer today. It looked like summer outside- until this afternoon. I hate that. Pick a season and stick to it! At least it's warming up and I can run outside again.

I am glad every day when I get to hang out with her. She's fun and she teaches me so much about loving people. So don't get me wrong, I am very thankful that I can stay home. Mitch works so hard so that I can. I just need to exercise my brain a little.