On my Soapbox

Usually I don't get on my high horse about things, but recently there have been a few things that I need to get off my chest. Some of you have already heard me vent about this. Sorry.

The Gender Issue
I was first introduced to this when we found out that Brooke was going to be a girl. I had several people ask me, "Is Blake okay with that?" It honestly caught me so off guard, at first, I didn't understand what they meant. I guess they thought that since Blake is a super outdoorsman that he would automatically want a boy to share his hobbies with. But what an insulting comment! Obviously they don't know Blake very well if they think he would care or be dissapointed that we were having a girl. Come on people!

Now, I'm facing this same issue again. We don't know what we are having yet, but I have had so many people (mostly random people) ask me if since we already have a girl, were we hoping a for a boy? Again, why would you assume that? Couldn't I equally be hoping for another girl? I think our society is obsessed with families having one of each--as if you are not a complete family without it. Oh brother! I'm not sure if people realize, but we (Blake and I) have no control over the gender of our children. In fact, I can honestly say that I don't care what we have. I believe spirits are sent to our home that will best complete our family and our mission in this life. We will get the spirit that is meant to come to our family and who I am to question what Heavenly Father has in store for us? When people ask if we are hoping for a boy, I feel like replying, "What I'm hoping for is that it's healthy. I'm hoping I have a smooth pregnancy and delivery with no complications. That is the only thing I am hoping for." I have several friends/family members who have children of the same gender and I will see people (strangers to me) post of their FB wall things like: "Just keep trying! Eventually you'll get your girl/boy" I think, how rude! As my sister pointed out many years ago (before this was even an issue for me), she said, "When you get pregnant, you need to want a baby...not a boy or a girl."

And just another side note: I also several friends/family members who struggle with getting pregnant period. What a silly thing to worry about whether we will have a boy or a girl when so many people in this world struggle.

Boobie Bracelets
So I'm sure many of you have seen the "I Love Boobies" bracelets people wear in support of breast cancer awareness. Sad to say that I am not a huge fan of those. Mostly because I never see adults wearing them; I see my students wearing them. I think it's completely inappropriate for a 12-13 year old to wear a bracelet like that. I can promise that they are not wearing it in support of breast cancer. And who are these parents who let their kids wear these?! Especially when I see boys wearing them. Come on! Couldn't the people that come up with these catch phrases have come up with something a little classier? No, I doubt it. A bracelet that said "Support Breast Cancer" wouldn't get near as much money.

Okay, I'm done.

Coming to an End

The mornings are chilly and the nights are getting darker earlier and definitely chillier too. I think fall is on its way. Which is fine by me! Most of my maternity clothes are winter-wear so I am having an awful time trying to figure out what to wear to work. What did I wear with Brooke? Who knows. All I know is that already I am sick of my clothes and feel like I wear the same things over and over again. Oh well--such is life.

School is busy, crazy and I have no patience. Sorry kids. By the end of the day I am exhausted and my feet are aching. Usually this time of year I am wearing flip-flops and other cute ballet-style shoes to work. This week I had to give in and start wearing my Danskos. Again, I know, life could be worse. I could be puking during class, which I'm not and so grateful for, so I shouldn't complain about shoes. Also am so, so grateful for my two student aides that have been assigned to me this year. They are really helping me with all the paperwork so I can actually get home on time and not have to bring work home with me.

Also have no patience with Brooke. Well, it seems I have patience and then all of a sudden I have no patience and I'm going to explode. Yesterday Brooke decided to "help" clean the floor by dumping her apple juice all over it. Then she had a poopy accident in her underwear and didn't tell me about. Then she was a terror at scouts. I called Blake told him he needed to come home before I lost it. Blake was really good and took Brooke for the night--even went grocery shopping for me. I don't know what I would do without him to help me. Moms who do this on their own all or most of the time amaze me.

We have been enjoying our harvest this year. We have corn and tomatoes coming on like crazy and it's bee fun to eat from our garden. The other night we had elk steaks (that Blake shot last year), corn on the cob, homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes, and mashed potatoes (given to us from my in-laws garden). It was cool to think everything we were eating we had grown ourselves. I feel like Brooke should start calling me "Ma" and Blake "Pappy" because we've become so pioneer-ish :)
Also Blake continues to dazzle me with how handy he is. We've had a perfect spot in our yard for a sandbox but never got around to building it. Blake was watching Brooke a couple of days last week and I came home one afternoon and found he's built it all in one day! Brooke loves it. Finally she has something fun to do in our backyard. Sadly, since it took us all summer to get it built there are no sandtoys to be found. But she's pretty content with random objects I've found around the house to use instead.
And finally, Brooke came up from watching 101 Dalmations the other day saying "I'm hungry mother, I'm hungry" It took me a while to figure out that it is a quote from the movie, and that she wasn't actually hungry.

Update Part Two

Who knew after less than a week since my last post, that I'd need another update already? But a lot has happened, so here we go:

Blake: after much prayer, faith, and fasting Blake is feeling like his shoulder is getting better and might not need another surgery after all. Also, his bike is now for sale.

Brooke: Most of you have seen/commented on this picture that I posted on Facebook of Brooke's first big injury. Sorry to not explain what happened, but it is kind of a long story.

Friday I went to pick up Brooke from H.'s house at the regular time. H. tells me that Brooke has been complaining about her arm hurting since earlier that afternoon, but since H. couldn't see anything wrong with it, she thought Brooke was just doing for sympathy. Okay, I have loved everything about H. and have never questioned her until she said that. It really bothered me because 1) Brooke does not complain about something being hurt for sympathy. She's a tough girl and although she loves to talk about and show off her "owies" she does not actually complain unless something is really bothering her. 2) It bugged me that I didn't at least get a phone call at work. I probably would have told H. to go ahead and give a pain reliever to see if that helped. So what if it ended up being nothing? A dose of Tylenol never hurt anyone. Instead, poor Brooke was in pain all afternoon! Anyway, I get Brooke home and do all my tricks for her fake owies. I put lotion and bandaides on them. I gave her a dose of Tylenol and put on a movie. Still she was saying her arm hurt. When Blake got home we took her into the Urgent Care Clinic and the doctor confirmed that something was definitely the matter with Brooke's arm. We did xrays, which were really sad because they have to position Brooke's arm for them and it really hurt her. Plus, I couldn't be in the room because I'm pregnant, and got to listen to her cries and Blake and a nurse held her down. The xrays didn't show a break, but the Dr. told us that with little kids it can take longer for fractures to show up on xrays. So, he wrapped her arm in a splint as if it were broken. Okay, when I think of "splint" I think of a piece of wood and torn sheet as a sling. But apparently things have changed a lot since the 1800s and now they use this foamy material that they get wet, wrap the arm and as it dries it hardens like a cast. Then they wrap that in an ace bandage. We were sent home with instructions to keep it on for a week and then take it off. If she still acting like her arm is bothering her we will re-xray it and by this time the fracture should show up and they'll put a hard cast on. So now, it's just wait and see. OH, and I did call H. and told her what happened and she felt really bad. Good.

But for now, Brooke is loving taking baths in the sink! She also sleeps with one of Blake's socks on her arm so she doesn't get tempted to unwrap her bandage. On Saturday I met two of my favorite friends in Park City for some shopping. Sarah, Sandy, and I have known each other for a long time. We were bridesmaids at each other's weddings, we have seen each other through some really hard times and some fun times like missions and babies. Now, we are all pregnant at the same time and due within a few months of each other: December, February, and March. Sarah lives in Alaska now and so when she was down for a quick weekend trip we couldn't pass up the opportunity for all of us to get together. Brooke and Monroe

I don't make it to Park City very often, but when I do, I make it count! I LOVE the Carter's outlet and was able to pick up some awesome fall outfits for Brooke.

I am in love with the dress I got for B. If it came in my size I would have bought one for me too!
I was also able to pick up some shirts for later this year :)Usually I wouldn't post pics of what I bought, but I wanted to compare how much I bought for Brooke and how much I bought for myself (which was hardly anything: a new tank, work pants, two shirts and a big sister book for Brooke) and I spent almost the exact same amount on each of us! Crazy! I wish adult clothes were priced like kids. But now, at least, my shopping bug is out!

PS: Just got a call from the xray people to give me the official status of Brooke's arm--they said a lot of mumbo jumbo that I didn't understand but the jist is that it looks like there is a possible break in her wrist so we are definitely going back in at the end of the week for more xrays. :(

Life: Updated

Blake: He has been spending the last few weeks recovering from his biking trip to Jackson Hole. He and some buddies spent a long weekend mountain biking. Blake just got a new downhill mountain bike and was anxious to try it out. He really is quite good:

But then Blake crashed resulting in lots of uncomfortable road rash and a concussion. He's been sore and taking it easy and is trying to decide if his shoulder he just had surgery on last March needs it again. Sigh.

And just to brag a little bit, Blake was feeling guilty that Brooke and I were stuck at home while he was out having fun (this was pre-bike wreck) so be brought us back some souveneirs. A jacket for Brooke and some big, comfy sweats for me (He remembered how I took over his police academy sweats when I was pregnant with Brooke).

Courtney: I am 16 weeks pregnant and getting bigger everyday. I am also surprised at how same/different this pregnancy has been compared to Brooke. I went to the doctor yesterday and the heartrate was 170, last month was 180 so I am thinking another girl is on the way. Although I really have no other intuition than that. I thought for sure Brooke was going to be a boy, so now I don't trust my judgement :) I am also measuring a week ahead. I am hoping that means the baby will come early--either that or it will come late and be 9lbs! Also the dr. gave me the go ahead to get my next ultrasound in 2 weeks. I am super tempted, but might resist until I am closer to 20 weeks just to wait for a better view. We'll see how long my curiosity holds out!

I also never did buy baby carrots like I said I would. Instead, I bought a bag cheetos, which are roughly the same size, color, and shape of baby carrots so I count that as a step in the right direction. I keep on meaning to have Blake take a picture of me, but I forget so all you get is this crummy one I took on Saturday before we left for the lake. Please excuse my disgusting bathroom mirror. Cleaning has not been high on my priority list these days. I also started school this week. Oh my gosh! The first day about killed me! I got home and was completely exhausted. All I wanted to do was soak my aching feet in cold water and go to bed. But some little munchin wouldn't let me.

Brooke: Is all potty trained! YAY! We still have the occassional accident, but she is even able to stay dry all night and during naptime. She is also getting so smart and creative. I love seeing some of her talents come out. She is really musicially inclined. She can sing songs after only a couple of repitions, she can hum (more or less) "Ode To Joy" from Beethoven (it's from a Little Einstein's dvd) and she loves to pretend to play the piano while she sings made-up songs. She is also a project girl. Give her a job to do, whether it's cleaning or picking apricots and she is a happy camper. She also talks about herself in the third person when she is in trouble. Last night she came up to me and said, "Mom, Brooke is making a mess"

Since When Do I Like Mustard?

If you would have asked me that a few months ago my answer would have been, "since never". Mustard and I have never had a good relationship. So imagine my surprise when I am fixing my usual lunch and a thought creeps into my head: "You know what would be really good: mustard" That simple thought turned into a monster that wouldn't go away and suddenly I found myself in the condiment aisle at the grocery store looking at the options for mustard in front of me. And for the first time EVER in my life, mustard found its way into my shopping cart. The funny part is that I still don't like it very much. I put it on my sandwich and think "Hmm..this really doesn't taste very good." But I keept eating anyway... it's become an addiction I can't stop. Everytime I think of a sandwich or dipping sauce my mustard craving hits and I am unable to resist. Apparently, the baby really likes mustard.

Since we are on the topic of food, I thought I would also share some of my cooking successes lately. If you know me, you know that I am no chef. In fact my sister will happily tell you about the time I called her to ask how to melt cheese on a tortilla. Making something completely from scratch or involved ingredients that I wasn't familiar with automatically went into the "too hard" category in my mind. So maybe it's my new affinity for mustard that is making me more adventurous in the kitchen, but I have been stretching my culinary skills with some pretty tastey results. I love the "our best bites" website and that is where I get most of my ideas. Recently I've made Mississippi Mud Brownies. Serioulsy, the BEST brownies ever! I've made them twice and the second time I skipped the marshmellows and just did the frosting on top and they were still just as yummy! I will never go back to box brownies. The other night I made coconut breaded chicken tenders with mango salsa on the side for dinner. Both were great, I got to stand in the produce aisle and try to guess what the heck a mango looked like. And although the salsa was good, I still am looking for the perfect mango salsa recipe. I am in love with the salsa from Rumbi Grill and will not be happy until I can make something that mirrors that. And finally I have made the spinach tortillini bake. This one really tested my cooking skills as I stood in front of the frying pan thinking "ummm... is this sauce going to thicken up?" It did eventually but not before I had a panic attack.

I guess it probably goes without saying that I have already gained 15 pounds. I am sure that has nothing to do with the large cheese pizza I got last night and ate almost the entire thing by myself. But today, I swear, I've turned over a new leaf. I am resolved to go buy a bag of baby carrots and snack on those instead. In reality I'm sure I'll do that twice before I never look at them again and they get moldy in the fridge. But at least I'm trying, right?

Now if someone can only tell me how I can stop crying when Mulan climbs to the top of the pole to retrieve the arrow while "I'll Make A Man Out of You" plays in the background I will be a happy camper.

And on another baby-related note: Brooke is so funny when we talk about the baby. She remembers going to the doctor with me to listen to the hearbeat and always wants to pull up my shirt to pat my tummy and tell me how cute it is. When I ask her where the baby is she says "it's hiding".

Soakin' Up Summer

It's hard to believe that summer is almost over (well, my summer anyway). This is my last week of freedom before meetings start. Schools starts for us on August 24. Actually, I am not dreading it. We have some exciting things to look forward to this year and I'm ready to get on with it!

But just because I'm not dreading the start of another school year doesn't mean that we haven't been playing hard and trying to soak up as much summer as possible. I thought I'd start this post with someone we don't see too often on the ol' blog: Blake.

Brooke and I are a little less extreme. Hanging out on the beach with cousins is more our style. DD's kids came to play for a long weekend. Funny how this whole time I have seriously underestimated how fun just hanging out on the beach can be! Brooke loved digging and splashing. I need to do this more often.

The last week in July is the fair. This was the first year I decided to take Brooke to a few activities for kids. One of them was The Little Red Barn. It was the cutest thing ever! Brooke got to pretend to be a farmer: picking produce, planting seeds, collecting corn kernals to feed to the animals (pretend), collecting eggs, and practicing milking a cow (also pretend, but the utters really did squirt milk!) Then she took what she collected to the "farmer's market" where she got a coupon for a treat from the store. Out of all the treats (including chocolate milk, which I was sure would be the winner) what Brooke wanted most was an apple. We also got to see real animals. Brooke was convinced the chickens really wanted a bite of her plastic carrot.

Another attraction that I did not fully take advantage of this summer was the splash park. Brooke was a little timid at first but as soon as she got a cup that she could fill up and dump out she was in heaven. We've been twice and I think next summer it might become part of our weekly routine.

And although Brooke isn't quite up to water skiing yet, she was brave enough to ride the tube!

–I love Brooke's arms stretched out to hold onto the handles.And finally, yesterday was a daddy-daughter day. Brooke did chores with Blake in the morning like wash their bikes. Then they went on a four-wheeler ride while I was able to go grocery shopping and do things around the house alone! Then in the afternoon I went to (finally) see the new Harry Potter movie while Blake took Brooke swimming. It was heavenly for everyone, I think.

I'm not sure how we're going to top these past few weeks, but this being our last week of summer, we're sure going to try!

Changin' It Up

Now that there is another baby on the way, I have to adjust to the fact that Brooke herself is not a baby anymore and is growing up.

When Brooke was born, I used an extra tall/wide bookcase Blake had made as a makeshift dresser/chaning table. It was wide enough for changing table pad to go on top and the shelves were great for storing diapers and tiny clothes. But now Brooke's clothes are getting big and overflowing the baskets. It was time for h er to get a dresser, plus I plan on doing the same thing for the new baby and would need it. I went looking at garage sales one morning and found this white dresser in great condition for $20. So glad I didn't buy one from KMart for $50! I just spray painting the handles pink and Ta-Da--a dresser for my growing girl!

That change got me thinking about other changes too. Brooke spends most of her time playing in the downstairs family room and not so much in her room yet. Plus I always like to rotate toys around so here we go again:moved the kitchen to downstairs to join her playhouse. Moved the little table to her room where it holds a few toys and and all of B's books are finally organized too.

Now this makes me want to totally rearrange my whole house! Blake said to me the other day when we moved some furniture into what will be the baby's room, "We're not painting this room." I just smiled mischeviously and didn't say a word. I know he is still having nightmares from all the painting we did not even a year ago when we bought our house (to be reminded click here and here), but I already have a million nursery ideas running through my head. Chances are it will involve some paint!