Rhylen's story

I am appalled! I have completely forgotten that I have a blog that I have been neglecting for over a year! Time to dust off the ol' keyboard and get to typing!

2012 was a year I spent out of my comfort zone. I was pregnant with my second child. I had awful morning sickness. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and placed on a very strict diet. I was hot and very swollen for most of my pregnancy. Bleh... But it was all worth it when on August 30th we welcomed another daughter, Rhylen.

There was always a big question mark as to how my second labor was going to play out. My first labor experience ended in an emergency c-section. So I assumed I would have to under go another c-section with this pregnancy because "once a c-section, always a c-section". My OB told me that I was a perfect candidate for a VBAC. I honestly was scared. I was unsure if I was strong enough to push a baby out. I was perfectly fine with having another c-section. There was no work involved on my part and I wouldn't have to go through labor. But the 6 week recovery time with my very rambunctious 3 year old was enough to make me have a trial VBAC, meaning I could request a c-section any time.

I was scheduled to be induced at 10 pm on the 29th. It was a very slow induction due to my previous c-section. My OB didn't want to start contraction too soon or I would risk a ruptured uterus. With the help of my friendly epidural push, I was able to sleep through the majority of my labor. It was great. 9 o'clock the following morning, my nurse woke me up and told me I was 10 centimeters dilated and did I want to try pushing. 45 minutes later, I was holding my baby girl! I did it! The pride and satisfaction I felt was all-encompassing. I remember Bob just kissing me and telling me "great job". One of the best days of my life!

After bringing Rhylen home I remember thinking, "Okay, how am I going to do this?" We had decided it was best for me to stay home with the girls. Its been hard adjusting to SAHM life. The monotony and thanklessness of being a mom can be overwhelming at times. But when I see these two sets of beautiful blue eyes, I know I am exactly where I am supposed to be.  

Rhylen, like Oaklee, has acid reflux which means lactose-based milk makes her erupt like Mount St. Helen's. She was immediately put on soy milk and reflux medication. But she also had colic for the first few months. Those were some long months... Once her colic calmed down, we moved Rhylen into Oaklee's room. I was worried how Oaklee would react to not being the center of attention. All my fears were for not. Oaklee was so excited to have Rhylen share her room and hasn't even tried to climb into the crib *phew*

7 months has gone by so fast. No more colic. No more reflux. Just a happy, chunky baby. Oaklee loves being my helper and Rhylen loves watching her big sister. Today, I sat back an watched my two loves "play" together. I can't imagine life before being a mommy of 2 daughters.

Scripture "Ah-Ha" #1

This year I've made it a goal to not only read my Book of Mormon but to study it so that I can better understand the lessons God wants us to apply in our lives. I've found an awesome study guide to help me accomplish this!

Today, I was reading in 1Nephi 2, when Lehi is commanded to leave Jerusalem and all his possession behind. His sons Laman and Lemuel do not like this idea and they begin to disrespect their father by talking back and complaining. Nephi never complains. I've read this story a hundred times and always understood that Laman and Lemuel whiners and Nephi doesn't question, he just does what he's asked.

Today that line of reasoning was shifted. I was reading in 1Nephi 2:16 and realized that Nephi did have doubts about what his father was doing. But what makes Nephi so great is the way he reacts to his doubts.

1Nephi 2:16 reads, "And it came to pass that I, Nephi...having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father;"

Nephi was unsure enough about the situation that he prayed. He didn't just pray, he "cried" which I've learned means that he prayed mightily! He was upset by the contention in his family so he prayed to know if his fathers words were true. Heavenly Father calmed his heart and Nephi was able to recognize the truth.

Its such a wonderful example to me that one of the great scripture prophets had doubts about what he was being asked to do, so he prayed for knowledge. God wants us to understand the things we are being taught and asked to do. I've learned that I need to be like Nephi and pray when in doubt; ask for a knowledge of things I do not understand. Not like Laman and Lemuel that don't understand and don't want to ever understand, its easier just to criticize and be upset.

I love getting these "ah-ha" moments! It makes the scriptures a little more personal for me.

This is going to be a great year for learning!

DIY: Laundry detergent

About a month ago I was running dangerously low on laundry detergent. The laundry we usually buy is all natural and super expensive. I needed a quick solution until I could order more. I remember seeing THIS blog post. Seemed simple enough so on my bi-weekly trip to Winco I bought the ingredients.

To make a batch you need:

1 cup - Borax ($5)

1 cup - Super Washing Soda ($6)

1 bar - Fels Naptha, finely shredded ($1!!!!)

Pour the Borax and washing soda in a container of your choice. Then shred a bar of Fels Naptha. Add the shavings to your container and shake so it's well blended.You pour 1 Tablespoon in a large load of laundry. That's it!

I figured I'd just keep it as an emergency supply, but I've used it for every load of laundry for about a month. I LOVE it! It works great. Gets all my stains out. It smells so lemony when its washing but it's scent-free when it dries.

My most favorite thing about this detergent, it's SO cheap. I spent $12 on the ingredients. This stuff will last me for months! I will not be ordering my super expensive laundry detergent. I'm completely sold on this mixture!

Feeling the gust of nostalgia -

Last night Davis county experienced the infamous east winds. Here in Clearfield, things were pretty blustery. However, we didn't lose Christmas lights or garbage cans. In my hometown of Centerville things were a little different. The east winds cause havoc in Centerville. The news this morning said Parrish Lane was experiencing winds of 100 mph! The damage done to houses and landscaping is awful. Growing up in Centerville I remember these kinds of winds. I recall a particular winter night when the winds were at their worst and it cause our pilot light in the furnace to blow out. We couldn't relight it and my parents were afraid of the carbon monoxide that might not escape the house because of the winds. The furnace was turned off. My brothers and I got our sleeping bags and we all slept in my parent's room that night. It was a long, cold night.

Hearing about the damage done by the winds last night in Centerville has made me so grateful for the recent decision Bob and I made to cut down our elm tree. This elm tree was 50 feet tall and mostly dead. I've hated this tree since day 1 of living in our house. Lately we would wake up to huge limbs littering our backyard. On the first snowfall of this season, a huge limb fell out of the tree and hit our a/c unit. That was the final straw! I was afraid the tree was going to cause more damage if we didn't remove it. So that's exactly what we did. The day that tree was removed was a very good day. Now that this wind storm has past, I'm even more happy that the tree is gone. I could have easily been telling a different story; a story about the damage my stupid tree caused.

Notice all the branches that have fallen down. This is from a weak snow storm that only gave us 2" which was all melted by the afternoon!

YEA!!! My backyard looks so much bigger now! And no more worry about what's going to happen in the next storm!

Night of the Running Dead!

Bob and I participated in Night of the Running Dead 5k this year. It was so much fun! When you register for the race, you choose whether to run as a human or a zombie. Humans get a 2 minute head-start then the zombies are unleashed and chase after them. Bob and I both registered as zombies. Here is our transformation:

Our regular work out ensembles, I LOVE this shirt for 1 reason: it has a media pocket! No more fussing around with my iPod, just stick it in the pocket and go!









TA DA! With lots of corn syrup, latex, and make-up, we lovingly became undead. We decided to destroy some old shirts to complete our costumes so late last night we were busy ripping and dirtying up! Good times!

After applying our make-up, I carefully selected my play list. I firmly believe a runner is only as good as their play list. My list included artists such as Green Day, Incubus, Panic! At the Disco, and Cartel to name but a few. Bob runs exclusively to 311, which is why he is an awesome runner!

The race, as one would expect, was mostly zombies. It was great to see how other people interpreted the idea of zombie. We saw people that had very little make-up on, to people that cover their whole bodies. My favorite was a lady that wore a hospital gown and bursting out of her stomach was a zombie baby. Very creative and disturbing at the same time!

Those of you that "love" running are crazy. I hate it. Period. It is painful. I find no enjoyment in it, but I do love crossing that finish line and feeling the sense of accomplishment. That's enough to keep me training for the next 5k.

Ahhh, we finished! My goal was to not come in last, and I'm happy to report that I achieved that goal! The course was a little hard to navigate. Consequently, I ended up running only 2 miles while Bob kept going and ran 4 miles! We were a little bugged, but happy with our respective times. We immediately went home and wiped off the zombie and enjoyed a nice dinner. Now to start training for the Turkey Trot!

Make-up magnet board!

I suffer from TBS, tiny bathroom syndrome. I could easily take up what little storage space we have with all my accessories. Since I believe sharing is caring, I'm proving to my husband that I care for him deeply by not hogging all the space. But where should I put my make-up? For the last 8 years, my make-up has been crammed into a tiny make-up bag that ends up usually behind the sink faucet. AT LAST I have found a storage solution for my make-up! I recently saw THIS post on Pinterest (a whole other world, if you haven't checked out Pinterest, go...now.) and decided to make one for myself!
At last my make-up can roam free and be organized! This will hang on my wall in my bathroom. Easily accessible during my hectic mornings trying to get ready for work! No more dumping out the contents of my bag into the sink!
Want one? Here's what you need:
*12x12 sheet of metal (larger or smaller depending on your make-up collection)
*12x12 frame (larger or smaller depending on the size of metal you choose
*12x12 piece of scrapbook paper
*hot glue gun
*magnets
*Container for miscellaneous items like mascara and eye liner. I got my magnet box from Ikea. The blog I got the idea from used old medication bottles and spray painted them black.
I simply glued a sheet of 12x12 paper to the metal, removed the glass from the frame and inserted the metal. The I glued the magnets to the back of my make-up with my hot glue gun. I even glued magnets to the back of my brush bag. VOILA! I spent around $15 for this project.
I am aesthetically pleased!

I finally did it!

I finally bit the bullet and got Lasik. Lasik in one word, intense! It's quite the experience. It is painless as they say, but it is very uncomfortable and nerve-racking! Luckily the procedure is pretty quick. I was in and out in 90 minutes, 20 minutes of that was the actual surgery.

Here's the break down -

Day of surgery:

After verifying numbers, they gave me a Valium (YEA!) and put in the first of 3 numbing drops. They don't want you to feel a thing! After the Valium and eye drops kicked in I went straight under the laser! I got more numbing drops. They doctor first created the cornea flap, so the laser could get to my retina easily. This was uncomfortable because they prop you eye open and suction! Didn't feel very good. My vision went dark during this as well. Next they put you under the actual laser. This step requires you to stare at a blinking light and NOT MOVE A MUSCLE. The laser was a quick series of blue lines and a smell of burning hair. The doctor promised me they weren't burning anything. I got more eye drops and hopped off the table. A quick check of my vision and they sent me packing!

After the surgery:

I had to wear silly eye protectors, keep my eyes closed for 4 hours (thank goodness for my Valium-induced nap!) and deal with eye drops every 20 minutes. I was a little bored after surgery because for 24 hours you can't read, watch tv, or do anything on the computer. I have to deal with eye drops every 4 hours for the next week and artificial tears every hours for at least a month. I have to wear the silly eye protectors at night for the next week. No make-up, exercising, or rubbing for a week.

I have 20/20 vision! I haven't had vision like this since before high school. My vision is a little blurry and everything has a halo around it, but I'm told this will go away after a few days. My eyes have red bruising around where they cornea was cut which will last for 3 weeks. I'm so glad I did this. If you have ever wanted to do this, quit hesitating and DO IT! My doctor and her staff were amazing. They were so nice and, most importantly, they explained every single thing that was going to happen so I didn't have any question. I loved them! I would love to give you a referral!

I can't believe I can see without squinting or using contacts! Best money I've ever spent!