Sunday, January 31, 2010

Holden's Big Day

Can't believe Holden turns one tomorrow. Everything that comes to mind is a total cliche:
  • I can't believe how fast it's gone by.
  • They grow up so fast.
  • Yada Yada Yoda.
But it's all true, except the Yoda part. Maybe later I'll put into words what the experience of being a mother is to me...but I do not have the vocabulary or literary gift to do my thoughts (or my ever expanding heart) justice.

For now, lets just enjoy some 'mom film' of my little guy form the past few weeks. (You may not find these that interesting, but I am less than adequate at scrapbooking, so this has to serve more than one function.

BALLS OF FUN


Holden at the Children's Museum.. He's thinking inside the Box here.



MAKING THE BAND


Cousin Tatum begins his drum lessons so he can one day join a garage band and date girls that love him 'for the music.'




Here he discovers Mommy's snare (drum, that is). Kick that funky baseline DJ.



Apparently everyone needs a floor Tom. (You knew I was in a garage band right? Yeah, we weren't very good...but we were awesome, mostly in our own minds.)



Walking on SUNshine Salutations


Holden pushing a chair at Mama Suites (sorry the film is so dark and grainy...and there's a clicking noise. But when the magic happens, sometime you just have to shoot.)



Apparently our dirty clothes hamper is fun too...


Clean clothes should make you smile, but apparently NOT in this case.



The steps cometh... well done my little yogi


Excited for you Birthday Party Tomorrow. I love you, Good night.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

FAT TUESDAY FEBRUARY - You Can Help!

With ditching the pump fast on the horizon, I am hoping the last of this weight will come off. My pediatrician said some women hold on to the last of the 'baby weight' until they're done nursing...so I am hoping that is the case for me, and it won't be too much of a challenge with exercise and a change in diet (notice how I didn't say "going on a diet.")

I'd like to loose about 10 lbs...ok, I'd like to loose 30 lbs, have a 24 inch waist and moonlight as a fitness model, but I'm trying to be realistic...10 pounds seems reasonable right?

This did not seem real accessible during the great lactation period of '09 because my production seemed inexorably connected to the amount of water I was drinking/loosing; and how many cupcakes I was eating (ok, just what I was eating overall... but cupcakes really seemed to put the mammary glands into overdrive! And in other news...when was the last time you read a non-medical blog that use the word mammary?!?!)

Mmmmmmm, 25 Main...




Losing 10 lbs puts me a few pounds over my marriage weight. I was 143 on our wedding day.

And I know that sounds like a lot for someone who is barely over 5'5", but to me it was a comfortable Banana Republic size six... So that's what we're working towards - not to mention my SIL is getting married on the beach in Hawaii in about 6 weeks and I don't want anyone yelling "HARPOON IT" because of my back fat.

So here is what I propose blogosphere -- are you out there? Anyone listening???

Rules for the February Experiment
  • Every Tues I am posting my weight as stated on the Mangum family scale in our horribly outdated tan-tile bathroom (get it? Fat Tues? I am so clever.)
  • Every day, whether I write a 'real' blog or not, I am going to document what I ate for the day (thus one of the reasons I have been blogging more consistently lately. I'm trying to get in the habit for Feb.) Publicly 'journaling' my eats will hopefully serve two purposes #1-keep me from eating crap because I'll be too embarrassed to tell you what a heifer I am and #2 - help me understand what is actually going into this body of mine
  • Weekdays I will post if I worked out or not...I'm giving myself the weekends off, but I think a reasonable goal is 30 minutes of exercise 3 - 4 times a week.
  • I am going to practice satya.. or as one says in yoga 'truthfulness'. Meaning I really am going to tell you when I'm a slacker....and I will be embarassed about it, and you can be embarrassed for me.
What a ridiculous and horrible experiment. But it just may work.

We are also trying to adopt Michael Pollan's guidelines from "In Defense of Food;" I'm reading Mark Bittman's "Food Matters" and it feels like the perfect time to really dive in.

Goodbye High Fructose Corn Syrup, Processed Food and Food-like products... hello new me (coming in approximately 4 weeks).

Just so you know, I plan on eating cupcakes at Holden's birthday party (Monday)... and chocolate cookies at Danny's (the entire weekend, but it's actually the 5th).

We're getting off to a great start!



The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Michael Pollan
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorEconomy

Friday, January 29, 2010

Burnin' The Breastpump -or- The Medela can Suck It!




Holden's 1st b-day almost upon us. I should've made a paper chain to count down because with the transition to HDM turning one, I am also burning the Medela (ok, not so drastic, but definitely putting it away for a while.) My "production" is already on the wane, so I don't see it being that big of a deal....but I am biting my nails a lot lately which tells me I have some anxiety about the situation.

I will miss the insurance that comes with added immunity and antibodies for Holden. The price is definitely cheaper than Winder Dairy Whole milk, and it has been a blessing to more than just Holden.

(More details on this later -- see end of post.)

If he was still actually nursing, I don't think I'd be as excited about weaning at a year; but maybe I'll experience that with a different child.

Mixed emotions...definitely:

Things I will not miss about pumping:
  • pumping in the car
  • pumping on airplanes (in the middle seat...)
  • pumping in public restrooms
  • pumping in hotels
  • pumping in the movie theater (oh yes, it's happened more than once)
  • living my life in 2 or 3 0r 4-5 hour increments
  • feeling like a dairy cow
  • washing, sterilizing, assembling, cleaning, storing, etc
  • The sound...oh the awful sound.
  • Nursing bras
  • The time...(4 - 8 times a day, 15- 20 minutes each time for 12 months means over 50,000 minutes of my life which I think roughly equates to OVER A MONTH!!!).
Which explains why I will not miss:
  • Holden's face when he wants to be held and I'm 'hooked up' (in the least cool sense of the word)
Danny may miss me being topless. He said that's how he imagined marriage... his wife just walking around with her shirt off all the time.

What is it with men and thinking that when women are alone we just walk around 1/2 naked or in our skivvies?

I've shared with many of you how hard it was for me that Holden and I never really 'got' the nursing thing, but I don't think it was from lack of trying:
  • Lactation Consultants
  • Trips to Lactation Station
  • La Leche League phone consultations and a meeting
  • Spoon feeding, cup feeding
  • Hours on Kellymom.com
  • Nipple shields
Pretty much everything short of a wet nurse...

The History
I started pumping at the hospital, and basically have been doing so ever since. Needless to say, the first few months I honestly thought I wasn't going to make it... pumping eight times in a 24-hr period AND trying to nurse made me feel like my entire life revolved around breastmilk.

At four months, Holden completely refused to latch...but I kept going. I had made the decision to nurse Holden for at least a year, and this was the closest I could get to it. It wasn't like I didn;t have enough milk (oh there was plenty to go around!)

In the earlier months I would sometimes lay in bed (when I should've been sleeping) or sitting at the pump and ask God why it was so hard for me -- childbirth (Labor & Delivery), nursing... why didn't 'motherhood' come easily for me?

Why didn't Holden want to nurse?
Why was it such a struggle?
Why, why why?

But I kept pumping...because I thought it was best for Holden. (And I thought it would make me thinner, but the last 5-10 lbs of baby weight really just hung around.)

Turns out, it wasn't just about Holden.

The story kind of chokes me up, and I don't want to sound all self serving, but I think it's best if I let my sister tell you about it. If you want the Reader's Digest version:


Her daughter (just 6 weeks older than Holden) got really sick and was in desperate need of liquid gold. I had ample. In fact, at one time was consistently producing 50-plus ounces a day. It seemed to help.


So I stopped being upset about being tied to the pump for the past year. I started thinking that in the craziness of life with the Medela, that there are some real miracles that have come because of it ...if Holden was latching I would've NEVER felt the need to pump so much.
I would've never had the storage and would've never been able to help little Faye.

Everything is perfect.
(When will I finally learn this lesson?)



Oh! I almost forgot...If you have extra milk or know of anyone who has excess, let the Mother's Milk Club of Utah know. There's info on it here.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Sex Sells (or at least got people to my blog)

Remember my sexual resolutions? Mominatrix sponsors The month of Love (oh, you thought that was February? Hmmm, standby).. well, ok then...The month of Lust is coming to a close.

I will be honest, some of the challenges got a little racy for this Mormon Gal from the S-L-C. So I have not yet completed all of them (but we continue to creatively plug away.)

Danny has been very interested in my progress. As anyone who's been following along knows, not all of the challenges require a partner (get your mind out of the gutter).

I mean like getting refitted for a bra from Victoria Secret (as if I need the internet's permission to spend money.) But it was so nice to invest in some "lingerie" that was not of the 'nursing' variety (catch my drift?). A bra without FLAPs just seems, I don't know... sexier? Um, yeah.

Man, I am blushing at the computer writing this because I know there are people reading this blog that I see at church.

Moving on!

Another delightful task included making a sexy 'playlist'... Danny and I Got the Led Out and then some. 'It was legit.' (I used this phrase entirely to much in my early 20s... I know, embarrassing for me, right?)

The Mominatrix kind of has a potty mouth sometimes, so read at your own risk...but it has been an interesting "resolution" and one that I will carry well into the New Year and beyond (especially once I stop the milk-production and get the old hormones back.)

Additionally, this will make post #2 about "Joining the Sexual Resolution" in the month of January qualifying me for the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes -- or at least being entered into the Mominatrix's giveaway.

VIVA LA WHATEVER!!!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The State of Our Union

So Obama gave his state of the Union tonight.
Well done Prez, well done.

It got me to thinking:
Remember this photo at 25 weeks preggers?


Something must've worn off on Little Bits in utero, because after hearing all the news (on NPR of course) about the upcoming State of the Union address, this little guy has added a new 'mix' to his logarithmically increasing vocabulary.
Besides "Mama," "Dada," "OM" and "yeah" (we're trying to encourage "yes" instead), he now says
'OBAMA.'

Ahhh, the brainwashing has begun. *Talk amongst yourselves.




*Or on my comments.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Breath & Bliss


This was my 'intention' at yoga class tonight--breath and bliss. It was a beginner class (Jami L. I love you, girl!), but it felt so appropriate to be there. I think there is something to be gained at any level of 'practice' in yoga because you can always come back to the breath...or revisit the basics of a posture and settle into the bliss of pushing yourself further ...even if your ego is saying "I can do this pose. I've done it a million times." (Though, having only practiced Asana for the last three years, there really isn't ANY pose I've done a million times.) But you get my point.

PS. I had to calm down my ego a few times tonight; get it in check and remind myself that practice is not about what anyone else is doing on their mat. A little yogi went to market and needed a serious dose of Pratyahara. (My guru calls it 'staying on your mat.' Basically, not looking around at everyone else to see where you fit it... and what's going down et cetera. i.e. Withdrawing one's senses.)

For the better part of the past year, my yoga practice has been Holden. Sure I've been teaching a little on the side, but my primary focus for finding/having Union ("Yoga") has come in the quiet and blessed moments of stumbling through motherhood.

  • Finding balance -
  • Wanting perfection from the beginning -
  • Trying to force something that isn't there -
  • Letting go -
  • Finding joy in being stretched -

Whether good or bad, all of these can be applied to the yoga of life, the yoga of motherhood, or just the yoga of rolling out your mat and showing up to practice. And that's what I love about yoga, especially when I'm standing on my head upside down (literally and figuratively.)


******
In other news, Holden's "Down Dog" is coming along beautifully (he just started doing it one day on his journey to conquer standing & walking). Holden and I have also been "OM-ing" as part of our sleep/nap time ritual. He's great at it. It's also been helpful in calming him down if he's upset about something too. I think there's something so simple and beautiful about the fact that one of the first sounds a baby can make is that of the universe... Kind of fitting, isn't it?

Namaste Yogis.

And please forgive the typos. It's past my bed time and I'm going to sleep now.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Has Hell Frozen Over?

No, that's just a delightful picture of 'my boys' in Upstate Utah.

But apparently the apocalypse will shortly be upon us, because Danny updated his blog for the 3rd time in two years.

Validate him...Leave him comments. It's his birthday on February 5th. All he wants is your approval (or not).

Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Randoms are Back

Grand Old Party
Holden turns 1 on February 1st. We are having an 'Elephant' themed party in honor of his favorite Hindu God - Ganesh.Holden Eating his favorite Ganesh Toy

Ganesh (a more easily recognized photo... also Holden is not eating his face.)

I sent out a few invitations to family and a couple of friends. Our friends (who happen to live in our basement and listen to Glen Beck) asked if we were having a Republican themed party. Guess the jokes on me, but I don't even know if there is an Indiana God that's a donkey... and if so, Holden definitely does not own any toys of said variety.

Plastic Guns
I remember a quote by Andy Warhol where he talked about how if you really love something, you want to be it. "...I love plastic. I want to be plastic," he said. Last week one of our dinner guests said "I love guns." (Awkward silence for humanity.)

Kim K
I hate that I like Kim Kardashian. I think it's because she's all curvy and dark...and because I secretly wished that my curves looked more like her curves instead of Grimace. It was reported that Reggie Bush (her beau) said he would propose if the Saints won the Superbowl. I do love Peyton Manning, as he was starting his career with the Colts when I was living in Indiana, but I'll have to go with the Saints this year. (If this sports-speak doesn't make sense to you, ask your husband...if you're my sister Cicely, ask my husband...because hers will be of no help. Also, Danny just looked over my shoulder and informed the engagement thing has no more merit.)

"I was running"
So I ran a 5 k this weekend in St George. At the starting line, I looked at Danny and said, "I kind of wish I would've trained."

I am having problems walking today. I am out of shape (obviously), but I plodded the whole 3.2 miles. FYI: Plodding is like jogging, but you can get passed by people speedwalking... or just walking, period... so I'm not really comfortable calling it running. Though if you filmed me, and watched it on fast forward, it might resemble something like running. I was just celebrating because I'm finally at a point where I don't have to ace bandage my stomach and chest to do aerobic activity.

Pump It, Pump It... Pum, Pump It Up!
The countdown is on. Seven more days and I ditch the Medela. If Holden was still 'latching,' I'd let him lead the weaning process. But he completely quit that at four moths...so I am looking forward to not being a Jersey Cow anymore. Hail Bessie the KJQ milkbeast.

In the Interest of Full Disclosure
Danny said it was actually Parowan, not Scipio. Just so we're straight on that...

Friday, January 22, 2010

An Open Letter to the Minor I Told Off in Scipio


Dear Misguided Youth of America (well, not all the youth... just you, that kid that asked me to buy you cigarettes at the "Eagle's Landing" gas station on our way to St. George last night.)

You approached me as I was picking out a water bottle (since the H2O I packed had spilled all over the car. I know I know..."30 minutes on a treadmill, forever in a landfill.")

"Uh Ma'am?" You began. "Can you do me a favor? I left my ID back home, could you buy me some cigarettes?"

Oh wayward youth: you asked the wrong person to help you break the law.

"Absolutely not." I shook my head, and your eyes widened with confusion. "It's a terrible habit and it can kill you and..."

But you interjected "It's only killing me... it's only affecting me." Though I didn't let you finish...

"It's not only killing you, it puts toxins in the air and the second hand smoke affects me and my baby."

Your eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of your head...incredulous, your mouth dropped open wide and you starred at me as if I was crazy; then looked at your friends for some sort of validation regarding my sanity (or lack there of.) But I continued:

"It's a disgusting and terrible habit. It drains resources from our already depleted health care system, it's a burden on health care and it can give you cancer AND it can kill you. It's a selfish habit and you need to stop."

(Like most of America, I've apparently got Health Care on the mind.)

You mumbled something to your friends about 'picking the wrong person to ask' and probably added some derogatory comment about me... wasn't quite sure, didn't really care...

I paid for my water and let the ladies at the counter know you were a minor and trying to have someone buy you cigarettes illegally.

And I felt high and mighty, like I had stopped some sort of scandal...but then karma (and my conscience) caught up to me ...and I'd wished instead that I had told you that you were too young, with too much ahead of you to be wasting your time with something as ridiculous and habit forming as 'smokes.' That there are little kids -- your cousins, or maybe nieces and nephews that look up to you... and that your example (or lack there of) could make the difference in more lives than you know.

I wish, instead, that I would've reinforced that your whole life is ahead of you... and if you're asking your buddy (brother?) if you can get a PopTart for 89 cents (and he says, 'we really can't be spending a lot of money'), that smoking is probably not the most prudent financial decision at this juncture in your life. Maybe I wish I would've said that...

Or maybe I wish I just would've said, "No, I'm sorry. I care about you too much."

And left it at that.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

The Bookshelf

I think you can tell a lot about a person from the books they read. Maybe even more so from the books they collect.

To me, a book collection is like a directory to the soul. Similar in status to one's CD collection or vintage vinyl spread. And how you house your collection says something too.

I love books.

I love to pile them all over the place.
I love to stack them according to genre and place them in conspicuous places as to tell everyone that enters my home 'hey, this is what I value.'

Like when I was single (and incidentally listening to a lot of indie riot grrl), I wanted to make sure my copy of the Feminine Mystique was in a spot that couldn't be missed: usually flanked by Hillary Rodham's 'It Takes a Village' and my 'Human Sexuality' textbook from my Freshman year at UVU (then UVSC)just to keep people guessing (and apparently to keep me single well into my late twenties.)

When Danny and I were first married, we showcased our eclectic collection most appropriately for our other downtown mormon-hipster DINK friends: CS Lewis, Harry Potter, JD Salinger, Marx, Jane Austen, a hodgepodge of Talmage & FARMS, as well as a plethora of Andy Warhol Pop Art books, my music anthologies (Kurt Cobain's Journal, The History of Rock and Roll, etc) and a few of Danny's sports books as to look like I wasn't the ONLY one contributing to the collection.

Which is what makes our bookcase at the entrance of our house that much more interesting these days. Tucked away on the inconspicuous shelves of our sun room are our copies of the Bhagavad Gita (yes, we have more than one), all things published by anyone with the last name Clinton or Obama, the Feminine Mystique is around here somewhere (probably next to well worn, and no longer needed, copies of "He's Just Not That Into You" and "The Rules")... Yoga books, philosophical and spiritual texts, the Twilight Saga and HP, Management and team building books, Dan Brown Novels, and satire from Michael Moore and Stephen Colbert...my chick-lit and other oddities are smooshed into the back bedroom's dresser shelves; but they're not in our front room.

No, these days you won't find the sacred texts of Eastern Religions, or even our reprinted copy of the Book of Mormon - First Edition on display in the front room and entrance to our home. Instead you'll see my Grandmother's two shelf bookcase that now houses three of Maurice Sendak's contributions ("Where the Wild Things Are," "In the Night Kitchen" & "Outside, Over There") a collection of Baby Einstein Picture books (thankfully I never did invest in the videos), some Junie B., a a trifecta of Eric Carle (You know, 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?"), "Gallop" and hodgepodge of peekabo picture books and flap-tastic options.

The bottom shelf now houses my parenting books:
But if you came to my house, looking for my guilty pleasure reads like Sophie Kinsella, or either copies of Bridget Jonses Diaries, you'd be sorely disappointed. Not as disappointed as my husband is with the sudden disappearance of the Kama Sutra(?) ... I kid... (Danny, it's in the kitchen cupboard where you left it.)... Ok, now I really kid.

But my point is, our priorities have shifted. Just like my taste in music is more Simon & Garfunkle these days than Sleater-Kinney, our bookshelf has received a deserving makeover as well. Like I said, a book collection can be a directory to the soul -- and I think that direction is exactly where I want to be.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Holy Crap!!! (Part 2)

So I am feeling a little pride in my cells (I know, I will repent later)... you know, the kind when you get a little giddy and feel like you have a secret to share because there is so much excitement in your body and it feels like your cells are dancing?

My old boss at SkyWest used to say that drinking fresh squeezed orange juice from Market Street made her cells dance.

Anyway, remember how I just told you about my (so-called) crazy EC experience? Did you even notice that a FAMOUS person posted in my blog comments?!?!?

Laurie Boucke... seriously LAURIE BOUCKE?!?!

That may not mean much to you, but she's pretty much a famous celebrity in Infant Potty Training circles. Call her the Potty Whisperer. (Danny said it's funny who I'm considering 'famous' these days in the new circles I run in.)

I knwo you don't know whether to take me seriously or not, because just a few years ago I was writing for travel magazines about swanky resorts in Oregon with 800 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and martini bars, but I can't help but be honored to have her comment on my blog.

Feels really....validating, you know?


Oh, and in case you didn't know -

-I voted for Obama
-We own a Subaru and up until a few month's ago had two of them
-I also have been known to use crystal deodorant from time to time (I have to play mind games and tell myself that it 'works' or else my armpits will not get the message and -as Junie B. Jones would say = 'smell like stink.' Just wanted to clear that up; my mom said I offended a bunch of people.


I love you people. Thanks for spending some time here with me, my busy brain and my antics.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Holy Crap -or- Eliminate This!

Today the house is super quiet. We've already vacuumed, swept, straightened, pumped and eaten -- twice. And now Holden's back asleep for another nap so I will use this time to address you (although, I should probably be thinking about something healthy and organic to make for dinner.) Too bad what sounds good is 'french fries from Crown Burgers.'

OK, so today I hosted an EC meeting. That's right, for those of you new to the blog, EC is short for Elimination Communication. Read all about it:
Here or Here.



So like Le Leche League and other Mommy-Support-Groups round the world, EC has their own variety. Meetings are held once a month at different locales through out the valley; and I volunteered my home for January because 10am is right smack in the middle of Holden's nap time...and since he's finally on some semblance of a routine, I figured it would be much easier to host a few mom's and kids than to juggle and stress about sleep.

So obviously I was a little nervous to be hosting a 'Diaper Free Baby' meeting. You kind of picture in your head what that means... a snapshot?
  • Imagine 15 little babies running around in split crotch pants (or just FREE?!?!?) signaling 'potty' and then just using my hard wood floor to 'do their thing'
  • Since we only have 2 bathrooms and one's off the master, there were not enough "potty's" to go around
  • I asked Danny if he wanted me to call the carpet cleaners immediately or just wait until the stench had really sunk in...
  • Cloth Diapers strewn about my living room -- some clean, some not so much
  • Crawlers and Toddlers wrestling over the Baby Bjorn potty and seeing who could throw the insert the farthest: my wall and my lamp lost that contest.
  • Mother's in COMPLETE denial about how CRAZY their children were/are!
  • They were the worst kind of hippies - liberal ones. I think most of them voted for Obama, and they drove Subarus -- or worse, hybrids.
  • The scent was so pungent (whether from the babies or their unshaven armpits adorned only with crystal deodorant I did not know...) but my eyes started to water.
  • Since the babies were all diaper free, the adults finally just joined in and we all took off our pants too...
Yes, I'm obviously joking.

The meeting was actually the mellowest play date I've ever been privy to. The two mom's (plus moi) and the five kids played great together. In fact, not one child cried in the entire two hour period!!! And they all had on training pants/underwear or diapers. I mean the babes obviously; I didn't actually check to see what type of undergarments the other mommies were wearing.

We talked about the joys of EC - how we're so grateful it's stress free, and what a great parenting philosophy it is (being in tune with your baby and listening to your child's signals). None of us are hard-core ECers, so we've each adapted it for our lifestyle.

We talked about the trials of breastfeeding, how we've incorporated co-sleeping on some level and discussed our L&D's (labor and deliveries).

We compared baby carriers...discussed our favorite slings, et cetera (and how overrated we think Baby Bjorn varieties can be.)

The kids shared organic snacks and Holden kept giving Lucy (the darling 9 month old) hugs...she is the same size as his cousin Faye, so he's been practicing 'giving loves'. Maybe he was flirting?

After about two hours of visiting and playing, the party broke up and mom's departed with tired but quite happy kids en tote. The house was still in tact -- a few crumbs here and there, and some toys to put back; but nothing out of the ordinary.

Holden was stoked -- not only because of the fun playtime-- but because we got to vacuum twice today...and that makes him even happier than waking up with clean pants after a nap.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Holiday Pictures - FINALLY POSTED!

Well, I finally got our Christmas and New Years pictures posted to FB. But, of course, in true Suite-Mangum style, I will give you a little snapshot of what the album entails.

The highlights:

Our little Reign-Dear on Christmas Eve... It was indeed a Christmas Miracle he kept the antlers on long enough to catch this picture. Sure he doesn't look too thrilled, but being adorable is hard work (at least that's what I remember from the golden years.)




I think Holden looks old(er?) in this picture... maybe it's how he's wearing his shirt is (all cool-guy sleeves rolled up, etc), or something. But for some reason or another, I really like this picture. For starters - when did my hair that long?!?! (We just chopped it two years ago!) And my cheeks are all sucked in so it takes away from my Christmas (and post-preggers) belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly (is self-deprecation still 'IN' for 2010, or is it passe?)...Either way, praise for you soft lighting, kabuki brushes and bronzing powder.



I already blogged about this once... but my wrapping creations felt like they were getting more creative, and better looking with each passing December day. I felt like Christmas Eve under our tree looked like an artistic mess.




Christmas Day at Holden's Great Grandma's (G.G. as we've deemed her, for 'Grandma Great!') He's sporting his new digs he picked out at the Children's Place outlet in Saint George and a knitted cap his Daddy wore in his youth. I mentioned on fb that I think he looks like an extra from Leatherheads --if George Clooney(sp) and Rene Zelwegger(sp) were babies. I liked that movie; Danny slept through it. That has nothing to do with Christmas.




Just settled down for a long winter's nap?
Before we even made it to GG's, we took a detour on the Holiday Express and stopped off at Danny's parents (more presents?!?!? Goodness gracious!) Holden was exhausted but managed to work in a little nap on his Aunt's Bed (thanks Anne!). It's times like these I am so thankful I have *good sleeper... it seems like all the kid needs is a car seat or a mattress (any mattress mind-you) and he can snuggle in. (A lovie and an adult to cuddle with does wonders as well.)



Christmas Morning with the Cousins.
Mama Suite and Grandpa TOM (The Old Man - my old man, that is) gave the Suite grandkids PJs Christmas Eve afternoon. We went over to my parent's after we had opened our presents at home.



New Year's Eve was spent up at the Mangum get-away in Eden.
The place has plenty of room for Holden; and Danny's parents had brought ALL THREE DOGS! Which is a total treat for Holden because he, like his father and most of the Mangum side of the family -- extended and all --are all dog lovers. Me? I love animals, and am happy to give money to the Sierra Club, etc to help protect God's Creation... but I wouldn't really say I'm a dog lover. Yeah, I wouldn't say that at all. But if you're going to have dogs around, at least these ones don't attack my child when he tries to 'pet' them and instead rips out their hair or tries to take off a dog ear (we're still in the teaching mode.) So the dogs were there, and Holden was in heaven. Danny was in heaven because of the Big Screen TV the size of Texas in the basement.
It was also Holden's maiden sledding voyage. The preparation looked like a scene from 'The Christmas Story." Thankfully the kid EC's so I could potty him before the 30 layers were on. All that for about 8 minutes in the snow.

Happy New Year All.


*Good sleeper is really a relative term, isn't it? But I really feel like what we have 'works'... so to each his own, eh? And a shout-out to 'The No-Cry Sleep Solution" for the blessing it's been for us.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Sunday, January 3, 2010

I'm Doin' It..and doin' it, and doin' it well (maybe?)

So how to begin this post? How about...
I'm joining the Mominatrix Sex Revolution!?!?!

Yeah, I'm not actually sure if you want to keep reading this entry (especially if you're say, like my Father-in-Law or something?)

Here's the deal, my friend "Marie" (we'll call her that for sake of the story, and because well, that's actually her name)... but she's been a BFF of mine since like 6th grade, and she's the author of Make and Takes (which is like one of the most frequented Mommy Blogs on the planet -- remember I got to guest blog there once?!?!) Well, she turned me on to this website: Mominatrix.


And I started thinking, I always said I wasn't going to turn into one of those Moms who let life get in the way of ... well, you know.

For the most part I had considered myself somewhat of a sexually-charged individual... but there was really no way to absolutely tell until marriage.

Losing your virginity to your spouse is like being a kid and getting the greatest present in the world on Christmas (or your wedding day)... and all you want to do is play -- day and night (thank goodness for Honeymoons, and Saturdays... and bless me, every other day of the week as a newlywed.)

But eventually life happens... and then you get cable, and life shifts to uneaten brownie batter on the couch and gaining way more than the Freshman 15.

Can you say Fattie?

And then you're preggers, and have a baby and find yourself muffin topping in every piece of clothing you own.

There's more, right?

Then there's the nursing bit (or pumping in my case). Believe me, nothing kills libido like being hooked up to a machine for an hour every day being 'milked' like a dairy cow.

Oh, sweetheart...you find my oversized chest attractive? Awesome, let me just unhook myself from these plastic nipple shields and we can get busy. (Have I crossed a line? I've probably crossed a line, eh?)

So thank you Mominatrix... I will give this a go.

Like I mentioned, Holden will be one in less than a month. It's time to do my best Gene Autry and get back on proverbial saddle again.