Time, and lack thereof.

I am seriously struggling with making time to blog. Before returning to work, I wondered when I would get anything done, since I was busy enough just being home with Hadley. Now that I've returned to work, I'm still wondering how and when I'll be able to get anything done. The bed goes unmade, laundry is now put off until Levi and I are down to our last hole-ridden pair of underwear, and all the little things I used to enjoy with Hadley, like having my cheese and crackers and playing with her while we watch Law & Order, are permanently on the back burner. This is truly hard for me to deal with. I am very grateful for my job, but it's difficult to come home after working a long day and only have a couple of hours with Hadley before she's asleep for the night. On top of that, I'm too tired to do anything other than veg-out on the couch and climb into bed around 11:00pm. I hate doing anything that takes me away from Hadley when I'm not working, like going to the dentist or any other mandatory appointments. I feel like I want to spend every second with her when I'm not working, and it's hard to share that time with my other responsibilities. I'm hoping these feelings work themselves out and that I don't always feel anxious when I don't get to be with Hadley. I just miss her so much when I'm not with her.

How can I stay away from this Cabbage Patch Doll-face?

Another source of my crabbiness is the fact that it seems like summer in Boise will never come. I remember when it used to be hot in Utah and Idaho by the end of May. Like, really hot. Now both states have cold rainstorms and cloudy days well into June. I hear this is just a cycle the earth is going through, and I really hope so, because being this pasty pale in June is just unacceptable. I can't wait to take Hadley while wearing shorts and feeling the sun beat down on us. Maybe I need to move to Arizona or somewhere like that.

Enough of the crankiness...I want to celebrate the fun that I got to have this last week. Laurie and three of her girls came up this weekend and we had such a blast. Rachel, Kate, and Sydney were so excited to meet Hadley and all took turns carrying her around (when they could pry her out of Laurie's arms!) I think Kate and Syd thought she would be a little more....active? They kept asking me when she would start talking or when she'd be able to sit up. They just wanted another best friend/cousin and are probably bummed they'll have to wait a little while before she can keep up with them!

Hadley also had her two month immunizations last week. She did very well, and was only feverish for a couple of days. She is growing so fast! After her doc appointment I got to go to the new mom's class at St. Luke's again. Luckily, I've mostly had Thursday mornings off and have been able to go quite frequently. I love talking with all the other new moms and comparing notes. Today, one of the moms opened up to me about her sadness about returning to work the following week. I just told her my coping skills and let her know that one of the best things about being a working mom is running home to see your baby at the end of your shift. It's pure joy every time! I hope I can stay in touch with some of these women after our babies are too big and we're too experienced to call ourselves "new moms."

Hadley after getting her shots. Such as sad face!
Besides the new moms group, St. Lukes has provided us with such great resources over the years. Levi and I have both had surgeries there and we've loved all the classes they've provided regarding child birth and child care. Plus, they've always been so accommodating when it comes time to make payment arrangements. It's so neat to know that St. Luke's started out as a quaint little hospital and has blossomed into a huge feature in Boise, literally spreading out across the city as more and more offices and annexes open. Plus, they have amazing landscaping. Walking around the hospital grounds in the spring is like walking around a botanical garden. I heard a rumor that someone left a large chunk of their inheritance to St. Luke's to go towards the gorgeous flowers and trees, but I'm not sure if that's true.

The old, original part of St. Luke's. Sorry about the sunshine glare. Despite looking like a warm sunny day, I assure you it was very chilly.

The main St. Luke's hospital. I wish I had a picture with all the flowers and bushes!

Well I'm off to continue to have a great day off. I already got an amazing hike in and now my blog is updated so I can go clean our bedroom and do some laundry!

May 25, 2011

Hadley is two months old!
What a happy little two month old she is. She is growing so fast, it makes my heart hurt!
Hadley had her two month check up, where she weighed in at 10 pounds 3 oz. I still can't believe some babies are born that big. She seems huge! After passing her check-up with flying colors, she had to get her shots. The poor little girl didn't know what to expect and she did her loudest cry, which ended as soon as I picked her back up. For the rest of the day she was feeling crabby and a little fever-ish, but nothing we couldn't handle.
Aunt Laurie and Rachel, Kate, and Sydney came up here this weekend and we had such a great time with them. Hadley was very excited by her cousins and is probably a lot more bored without them here. They all fought over holding her, but Laurie was the one pitching the biggest fit, so I think she got to hold Hadley the most :)

Here are some two month factoids about Hadley:

• Hadley still sleeps in her swing every night. She hates being on her back, but unfortunately she can't sleep in her swing forever so we'll have to get her used to sleeping in her crib soon.
• She eats loudly and enjoys her food like all the women in this family. When I call home to check on her I can hear her if she's eating, saying "Ummm, nummm. Nummmm."
• She has an elusive smile. We call it the "Loch Ness Smile" or the "Sasquatch Smile" since we it comes and goes quickly and we only have blurry pictures of it.
• She likes to focus on people's eyes and can stare at anyone for long periods of time. She looks like she's concentrating really hard and then she'll break out in a half-smile. Super cute stuff.
• She loves hanging out with Grandma Katie. Grandma Katie spends a good chunk of her day cuddling and talking to Hadley.
• She is nearly sleeping through the night. We always have a 3:00am feeding and then she's out until 6:30 or 7:00am. This has made life much more enjoyable!

Here's some pictures of this last week. Happy two months, Hadders!

Big Girl!

Hadley has an amazing doctor, who is also Eliza and Wilson's doctor.

The nurse giving Hadley her rotovirus immunization. No tears yet...

Here come the tears! Poor baby!

Beautiful Rachel.

Kate and Hadley getting to know each other. Kate was so excited to hold her.

Sydney and her newest cousin.

Aunt Laurie is going to eat Baby Hadley!

It's always a sad day when the Jacobsons leave :(

May 17, 2011

I survived my first week back to work! Hadley has a sweet babysitting setup, with Grandma Katie watching her on days that both Levi and I work, averaging around 18-24 hours a week. It is so comforting to know that they're having fun at home while I'm at work, and I don't have to worry about her. I miss her to death and I still call home at least a couple of times a day, but overall I think we're going to be just fine :)
Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Curt came to Boise this last weekend and Hadley spent lots of time being cuddled by everyone. We are so excited to go down to Utah in July for Hadley's blessing. I can't wait for her to meet all of the Allen family at the family reunion that weekend. It's going to be great! I'm also hoping to get her first visit to Hogle Zoo in that weekend too. I know she won't remember it, but there is something magical about that place. Zoo Boise is a nice zoo for being smack dab in the middle of the city (you can literally see the giraffes' heads poking above the fences when you ride your bike down the Greenbelt), but it's nothing in comparison to the beautiful Hogle Zoo.
This upcoming weekend Laurie and her girls are coming up for a visit and I cannot wait for Hadley to meet her cousins! She knows Eliza and Wilson very well, and will know Eliza even more this summer, as we plan on using Eliza as our babysitter when we want to get out of the house for an hour or two. Let's hope for warm weather during Laurie's visit so Hadley can get some sunshine!

Aunt Bonnie and Hadley at the Saturday Market.
Hadley has started cooing a little bit, but still refuses to smile at me. She looks so serious and always looks like she's contemplating something very heavy, with her eyebrows knit together and her downturned mouth remaining closed. It's so cute, but I can't wait for the first time she looks at Levi and me and smiles.

Very serious business.
We set up her little play mat and so far she has loved it. It's brightly colored and has hanging toys and she loves laying there and looking back and forth between the toys. She usually has the aforementioned serious look on her face while she does this, studying each toy very intently.
Hadley's two month check up is in a couple of days, which means it's time for her immunization. Poor little girl, I sure wish she didn't have to go through that but it's so important for her to be healthy. After the immunization, if she's feeling up for it, we'll have our New Moms group. I love meeting with this group and have learned a lot from the other mothers. The babies in the group range from six weeks to nine months and it's fun to see how different they look at different ages. I have to say that Hadley is by far the cutest baby in the group! The classes have been on everything from babies' sight (they love bold black and white prints) to baby massage (did you know you can rub and upside down "U" on your child's belly to help them poop?) Some of the babies are quite fussy, and I always realize how lucky I am that Hadley is so content. She just sits with me during the class, holding my finger and eventually falling asleep. I love that little girl!!

Hadley on her playmat.

Life is good.

I went back to work last Monday and so far it hasn't been too bad. I only cried a little bit on my drive into work that first day. I miss Hadley to death but it is such a treat when I get to see her after work. If I work a mid or a closing shift, I wake up and get ready early so I have as much time to spend with Hadders before I go to work. I also have my "brag book" of Hadley's photos that I look through a hundred times a day. It also helps Hadley is getting the best care possible. My mom is such an amazing babysitter and I am so lucky to have her. Love you Mom!
Returning to work has been a little costly because I've had to buy a bunch of work clothes (guess my plan to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes didn't work out so great), plus gas being nearly $4.00 a gallon doesn't help when I have to drive there and back every day. All of those costs aren't very fun, but something that is fun is shopping for books again. (I have become VERY good at not buying stuff I don't need, but books will always be a big temptation for me.) I was quite proud of myself that I didn't buy anything for the first couple of days, but I had a $50 B&N gift card burning a hole in my pocket and I knew I was done for when I saw these beauties:

They are new B&N leatherbound classics. I have every one of those books in a crappy paperback format, but I couldn't resist the gorgeousness of these editions. I only had to pay a little bit out-of-pocket, so I think it was a great deal. I'm hoping that Hadley will be interested in them one day. I hope they release a Sherlock Holmes edition someday. Levi loves all of the Sherlock stories, so for Christmas I bought him a children's collection of Sherlock tales that he can read to Hadley. I can't guarantee that she'll be interested in books when she's older, but I'll do everything in my power to try!

The best part of this week was when my Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Curt came up for a visit. I haven't seen them since my baby shower last February and I was dying to see them. Bonnie was anxious to meet Hadley and they've become best little friends this weekend. Today we all went to the Saturday morning market and got to watch Eliza perform with her Irish dance group. I'm always amazed at what that little girl can make her feet do! We are so proud of you, Eliza!

Bonnie and Hadley. Love Bonnie's shirt!

Bonnie & Curt

Eliza and her dance group. It was awesome!

Three of my most favorite women!

There is nothing better than Boise on a warm day!

Today Levi and I also got to go on a little hike with Hadley. We went up Camel's Back and got to take in some beautiful views of the city, as well as all the gorgeous wild flowers in bloom right now. On one side of us is a view of the city and trees of Boise and the other side is totally rugged and gorgeous, with flowers and brush going all the way up the foothills. I love how urban life and nature can be so intertwined in Boise. It's really quite incredible.

I can't wait until next weekend when Laurie and the kids come up for a visit. We've missed her so much and it will be great to see them again!

Justin surprised my mom....

...and she was a little bit excited! Laurie and Justin are taking my mom to New York this year so she can check her number one thing off her bucket list: Going to see the Yankees play at Yankee Stadium!
**At my mom's request, I'm taking down the video :( I loved it, but she's embarrassed by it, so I'll be the nice daughter and remove it.

May 8, 2011

Today is my first Mother's Day and what a great day it has been. Little Hadley was the best Mother's Day present I could have ever asked for!

Today is also the last day I have off before I return to work tomorrow. Going back to work full-time is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life and I wouldn't do it if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

I will miss spending my mornings with Hadley, watching a little bit of t.v. in our pajamas, then giving her a bath before getting ready for the day. I'll miss seeing her in her little swing while I do my hair and makeup. I'll miss taking her with me in my car while I run errands. I'll now have to plan my errand trips well in advance, so I don't lose any time away from her. I'll miss hearing her little noises; her voice has changed so much in the last two weeks and it breaks my heart to think how much more will change while I'm at work. I'll miss looking into her eyes for hours each day. I think I've spent more time in the last seven weeks staring in her eyes than I have sleeping. I'll even miss changing her diapers! I love seeing her kick her tiny legs in the air while I try to fasten the diaper. It's always a race to get her diaper on before she pees again...I've been peed on more than once in these past few weeks!

Here are the things that I want Hadley to know before I return to work:
Hadley, you have been an absolute joy to me. These past seven weeks have flown by, yet I can hardly remember a time that you weren't in our lives. You are the perfect addition to our little family and you have filled this house with a warmth and joy that I didn't know existed. I have to work to help provide for all of us. Daddy and I work so hard so we can live in this wonderful house, have a safe car, and be able to take you to the doctor if you ever get sick. There is nothing that I want more than to stay home with you every day, but that may not happen for a while. In the meantime, Grandma Katie and Aunt Heather are going to help take care of you for a few days a week and they are the BEST. You will never go hungry, you'll never go five minutes without a hug or a kiss, and you'll never wonder if you're loved. All the family you have in your life worship you and you will never feel pain as long as we can help it. You will also get to spend a lot of time with Daddy on the weekends while I'm at work. Maybe he will take you hiking in the mountains or will keep you with him while he works on the yard. You will have so much fun with him, he loves you so much.
Little Hadley, please know that I'll think of you often while I'm away and it's your tiny face that will motivate me to do the best job possible and race home at the end of each work day. I will sneak many peeks of your pictures and will call home many times to hear your tiny voice. I love you so, so much and want you to know just how wonderful you have made my life. Now be nice to Grandma and Aunt Heather and know that Daddy and I will probably get a bunch speeding tickets racing home to see you.

Love,
Your Mommy

This must mean I am a mom!

I just sneezed and peed my pants. I LOVE MOTHERHOOD!!

A (very, very funny) Prayer For My Daughter

Courtesy of Tina Fey, from her new book, Bossypants.

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half and stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, for childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – and adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers and the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, for I will not have that shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a mental note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

I saved!

I'll admit it: I have partaken of the coupon (pronounced COO-pon in this household) Kool Aid. While I may never be as good (is good the right word to describe those freaks?) as the people on Extreme Couponing, I've decided that I am fully capable of devoting a little bit of time to saving some money. And I did!
Using the internet, the Sunday coupon inserts, and shopping savvy, I was able to take home a decent haul today and save a little bit of money. For anyone interested, here's how my shopping trip went:
Trip to Walgreens:
Bought 2 Noxzema razor packs-Regularly $4.99 each, on sale for $3.99. I had 2 $2.00 off coupons, plus Walgreens had a deal where I got $3 per razor pack to use on a future purchase. So after my $2 off coupon, I paid $3.98 for two packages of razors (nice ones too!) and got $6 to spend on my next Walgreens purchase.
I then took the $6 in credit and bought Garnier hair mousse (normally $3.99, on sale for $2.99 and I had a $1 off coupon which made the mousse only $1.99) and two six packs of full size candy bars (normally $4.99 each, on sale for 2 for $6.00, plus I had a $1 off coupon making twelve candy bars only $5.00.) So using my $6 in credit from the razors, I only owed $.99 before tax for all the items.
The regular retail price of everything I bought at Walgreens would have been $23.95 and I only paid $4.97 (total savings of 80%!) Not bad, if I do say so myself!

Next up was Albertsons. Albertsons is doing a deal where you can buy five boxes of select General Mills cereal and they'll only be $1.88 each. They also had 3 double coupons in Sunday's paper that match any manufacturer's coupon, up to $1.00. I used those doublers on two boxes of cereal and a box of baby wipes (I had a $1.00 manufacturer's coupon for those) plus I also had a $1.00 coupon for cat treats that were on sale for $1.39. So, all together at Albertson I got 5 boxes of cereal, 1 bag of cat treats and 1 box of baby wipes. Retail cost was $27.83 and I paid $7.79 (72% savings!)

Third up was Target. I bought two boxes of Huggies diapers (normally $19.97 each) and used two $3 diaper coupons, making each box $16.97 and was also given a $5 Target giftcard to use on a future purchase. I used the $5 on Hadley's formula, making it only $8.99 instead of $13.99. Total savings at Target: $11. Woo hoo!

I'm pretty stoked about my shopping trips. I feel like the more I do this, the more comfortable I'll become with it. With Hadley, everything is starting to cost more and any way I can save money is A-Ok with me! Let me know if any of you out there have any coupon tips...I can use any and all help out there!

PS Rite Aid is selling Cover Girl makeup for 40% off this week, a much better deal than the Buy 1 Get 1 50% off that most other retailers are doing :)

Awesome.

The Huffington Post always has huge "Extra-Extra-Read-All-About-It!" headlines, but this is my favorite so far (I took a screenshot and saved it on my computer.)

A very cool one-word headline. An awesome ending to an awesome day.

May 1, 2011

What a fun weekend we had with Hadley!
Friday was the Royal Wedding and Levi was up early with Hadley and narrated it for her. It's funny to think that her knowledge of the royal family will always include William and Catherine, she won't know what it was like watching those two princes grow up. Queen Elizabeth has been around so long and for so many different generations it will be weird to see someone else in the role, although she looked awful healthy at the wedding and I don't think she has any plans to give up the throne any time soon!

On Saturday we went to the farmer's market and got some yummy kettle corn and mini-donuts. Hadley slept peacefully in her stroller for most of the time and allowed Levi and me a chance to take our time wandering around downtown.
On Sunday the weather was great and we took advantage by taking Hadley on a hike in the Boise foothills. Boise has tons of great trails for hiking and biking and it is just one more reason I think Boise is the best place to live. Levi can't wait to get Hadley going on a little bike and will hopefully have her racing up the trails in no time. Hadley's cousin Wilson is amazing on a mountain bike and can keep up with adults as he shoots up the hills. Go Wilson!

Hadley loves going for rides and can fall asleep almost instantly, as long as the car is moving.

Sunday night was interesting as we were sitting together as a family it was announced by President Obama that Osama bin Laden was dead. What an incredible thing to hear. We can only hope that his death will help bring an end to the wars and our brave troops can start coming home. I don't want these wars to still be going on when Hadley goes to school. I'd like her to know a time of peace, like I did when I was growing up. We can only hope!
Well I'm off to give Hadley a (prunce juice-spiked) bottle. She's had tummy issues and our nurse recommended we try the juice to get things moving, as it were. I'll update soon!