Once upon a time there was a husband and wife with three sons. They loved their sons but they longed and longed for a baby girl. To their great pleasure 24 years ago on January 24th the year 1990 that dream came true and they welcomed their baby girl into their family. Overwhelmed with joy they couldn't wait to share this exciting news with loving friends and family! They had a picture taken as soon as possible and sent it right away.
Imagine their friends and families shock and possible cringing when this is what they saw...
(audible gasp)
This story goes to show that a parents love knows no bounds. Also miraculously for the poor child things worked out!
Thanks mom and dad for all your loving sacrifice these past 24 years, and thinking I was the most beautiful baby girl you had ever seen! You truly have been an incredible influence in shaping who I am today!
One of the deciding factors of my decision to marry Jason came my freshman year in college. I had received the swine flu after visiting Mexico and was so sick I could barely stand. I didn't even want to drive home because the thought of getting in a car made me think I would die. My parents were away on vacation and I was stuck. That entire time Jason never left my side. He got me to every doctors appointment, cooked every meal, filled my prescriptions and everything else you can think of. I knew then that if he treated me this good, then he will be an incredible father someday. Remarkably that was an understatement.
As soon as Liam came into this world Jas and him formed an incredible bond. Jason took every opportunity to be close to him and was even jealous in my opinion about the time I got to spend feeding him each day. (he might not admit this but I believe its true.) If there was ever an opportunity for a bottle he was so excited to take it. As much as he takes pride in supporting us and going to work I can't deny the frustration when he has to leave us each day.
As Liam has gotten older I have noticed the parenting responsibility even out especially when Jason is home. He takes the lead and I became more of a helper. Basically he gets home from work wants to know the details of what the baby ate that day, when he last was changed and then I turn into the assistant. Sometimes I help out on a diaper, or getting food for the baby but he really does most everything. Even at night he is usually the first one out of the bed when the baby cries or if anything is wrong. When we travel he entertains Liam, walks him up and down the isles of the plane and feeds him. Its a little embarrassing for me, Im sure people wonder if I am the laziest mother around...haha but the truth is he's just super dad and I am trying to keep up.
Bedtimes are my favorite. After prayers it's Daddy and Liam time. They sing primary songs and rock to sleep. I couldn't be more grateful for these two in my life and grateful I married Mr. Mom. Your amazing Jas, thanks for you example!
Last Thursday we packed our bags and ditched the cold weather for some nice California sunshine! The first day was wonderful! We headed to the beach in the morning and just walked along the sand and soaked in some warm rays! The middle of January in Utah really helps you appreciate the warm sunshine. The ocean was beautiful and we even got to see a pod of dolphins pass by and a seal! That afternoon we went to the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. We met our good friends the Murphy's there with their cute little girl Remi. Wow what an amazing aquarium. Liam loved getting to touch the sting rays and playing in the tide pools. We even got to feed some beautiful birds until one landed on my head and then I was ready to be done. ha It really was a beautiful aquarium and we really enjoyed it.
Help me
Later that night we could tell Liam wasn't feeling very well. He kept waking up in the middle of the night and was coughing pretty bad. This put a small damper on the rest of the trip for him because he didn't sleep well but surprisingly in the day time he was pretty happy.
The first day of Disney was interesting to watch Liam's reactions. He has been watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse the past few weeks and absolutely loves the characters. I was hoping he might love the characters in person too but they were a little overwhelming. He liked to wave from a distance but once you got to close he was trying to get as far away as possible. Maybe when he's a little older he will be more excited.
This picture captures Liam's emotions the first day perfectly!
As far as the rides go for the first day he was just in a daze. He didn't smile but he wasn't scared. He just sorta stared like, "what is going on?" But by the second day he was much more excited and especially loved dancing to the music and singing along. He even liked Pirates of the Caribbean and was singing, "Yo HO Yo Ho." His favorite was definitely It's a Small World and he danced, sang, and clapped the entire time! It was a blast to see him get so excited.
Beautiful California Adventure
Liam was brave enough to high five Donald
I took this picture the day after Liam's accident
and they had added these yellow Caution signs.
On Monday night Jason planned a dinner with a potential client for work. He left for the dinner and the rest of us (my parents, aunt, Liam, and I) were going to eat in downtown Disney. We were walking around stores waiting for our table to be ready. My mom was looking at shoes in the Sanuk store and I was browsing. Liam was amazed at this rock fountain they had that some water trickled down to the floor. My dad called to let me know our table was ready and as i answer i hear a loud thud and then sharp crying. I turn around and Liam had slipped and hit his head on the rock wall, my mom grabbed him and immediately put her hand over his head where blood was starting to gush. I immediately felt light headed. I do not do well when my babies in pain then add blood to the mix and I'm basically a wreck. I started to panic and grabbed him from my mom. she kept her hand over his cut and the store manager called the Disney nurse. I lost it starting to cry and panicking that Jason wasn't there. The nurse arrived and did her best to assess and clean the cut. I couldn't stand the site of this giant gaping wound on my son's head. I couldn't even answer her questions and was so grateful my mom and aunt were there. All this time Liam was screaming and flailing in my arms. It was heart breaking. We knew we had to get to the hospital for stitches but the car seat was in Jason's car. My aunt got a hold of him and he had just met the client at a restaurant. He was so kind and came with Jason to meet us and take us to the hospital. The poor man must have been exhausted he had just flown in from Egypt that day. I was so embarrassed that this was his first introduction to us and my husband but he was so so kind and I couldn't have been more grateful. By this time Liam had calmed down a little and was actually surprisingly happy.
In the Waiting Room
We arrived at the hospital and it was the most run down hospital I have ever been too. The paint was peeling off the walls, the floor was cracked and the first person to approach me as I walked in was a druggie asking us for money to get to the bus. I was starting to panic again. Jason had to leave to take the man back to his car and my parents showed up in time to wait with me. Jason got back and after a couple hours of waiting we finally got to see the Dr. He determined that Liam needed stitches and he also had an ear infection (which explains why he was not sleeping at night) and then the real drama started. Poor Liam was already exhausted emotionally and physically and we had already restrained him a lot to try and prevent him from touching his wound. He is a very strong boy and this is no easy task. It took Jason, two nurses and the Dr. to strap him onto a board and he still got his arm out a few times. I had to stand back I was so upset and was just grateful his Daddy was there to help. I didn't see what came next just heard his terrified sobs and screams. He eventually just passed out from exhaustion and it was probably a good thing so the Dr. could do the best he could on his stitches. He had to get numerous shots in his forehead and then seven stitches. I'm grateful it wasn't any more and the Dr. seemed to do a very good job.
Completely Exhausted
The next morning we were up early getting Liam's prescription to treat his ear infection and head wound. Our little guy is such a champ and was actually pretty peppy! He went into Disneyland and loved the rides and a show. He took a good nap and finished out the day strong. I'm so proud of him and grateful it wasn't worse, although I would never wish to experience it again. He is a pretty active boy so I'm sure it's just the beginning...
Even with all that happened it was still a wonderful trip. Liam hopefully will continue to get over his ear infection and his head will heal quickly. Never know what to expect in this crazy life!
Here is Liam dancing the night away with no pants, no shoes, and a giant bandage covering his stitches! His antibiotic caused him to have a very messy blow out and I hadn't managed to get his clean pants on yet! He's such a champ after all he had been through!
So I have almost been into my sugar detox 5 days but I have made some changes to the plan. A few days ago I was getting dizzy and had really low energy. I talked to a friend that is educated in this area about the detox and she wasn't very thrilled. She believes that you can curb your sugar cravings in just a few days by just eating balanced meals. She also highly discouraged only getting one serving of fruit a day and said that fruit will only help keep bad cravings away. She also warned that by completely getting rid of all sugars especially good ones you could have the opposite effect of a detox and completely binge when your done.
With her advice and still with a goal in mind I reframed the detox a little. I am allowing fruit, and I am also allowing whole grains. I feel so much better and my cravings have still receded. They are still there but if I keep eating good things and balance my meals I feel a lot better. Still trying to avoid any process sugars but they are literally everywhere! It's so difficult but haven't given up yet!
We took a trip up to Logan this weekend to check on the house and pack a few more things. It is always emotionally overwhelming to go and visit. It is hard to know you will be leaving a home full of so many wonderful memories such as bringing Liam home, and all of his first's there. Our neighbors have been absolutely incredible while we have been away too. Our walks were shoveled, and they have taken turns checking on the house and pipes. I am overwhelmed by their kindness and my heart still aches even though we have been gone a while. One more trip up there to pack up a moving van and that will be it. On to new things and new places. I am trying to just be grateful for the time we had there!
Anyway back to the Detox here are two recipes that have helped curb my sweet tooth.
Chia Seed Pudding
1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Coconut Milk
3 Tbls Chia Seeds
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
(and some honey if you want to sweeten it up)
Mix ingredients and let gel for a minute. Mix again and let set up in fridge for at least 1 hour. Add some berries on top and enjoy.
Sugar Free Orange Julius
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Almond Milk
1 Peeled med-large Orange
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla
6-7 Ice Cubes
(also you can add some honey for sweetness or agave)
Blend until nice and smooth.
I hate the word spoiled. Probably because I am the youngest and only girl in my family so i had it thrown in my face all the time and it never felt very good. But can I just say I have been so spoiled these last few weeks with family time and have loved every second of it. Jason got a very generous amount of time off work and it was a blast! Having him around makes life so much better! Liam would whole heartedly agree. It makes me tear of thinking about how excited he got every morning when Daddy was there to play! He would literally scream out in delight!
Sadly tomorrow it comes to an end but I am just so grateful for all the time spent together. Luckily it's a short work week and so we can slowly ease into it. Also things with our Logan home seem to moving along nicely. The buyers have completed their inspection and now will do an appraisal and finally close. It's bittersweet but I think we are ready to finally get the rest of our belongings from the house and move on to new things. I say that now but know I will be a mess when we have our final goodbye.
I am truly grateful for all our many blessings, and am excited for the new year.
