Milestone Monday- Spring Break!!!

It is sad to say that Spring Break came and went without any major adventures, no travel, no moving, and not anything specifically exciting to report about. But, we did have a lot of mother/son bonding time. While I got in my workouts, Emerson got to go to the park. While I got errands done, Emerson got to run around the stores and even acquired a few new toys for himself. While I cleaned the house, Emerson napped.

Even though it ended on a bad note with Emerson's stomach bug, the majority of our 2-week break was calm and productive.

Spring Break Ridin'

I can walk up and down the stairs now!

Tumbleweed Park Tractor! (I went up the stairs and down the slide over and over again...)

Renaissance Fair Fun with our friend T! Watching the Tortuga Brothers!

Trader Joe's means I get to push my own shopping cart!

My first time on a trampoline!

Riding the horse

Playing Peek-a-boo

Going down the slide by myself

This isn't a slide, but I made it one...

I was trying to get him to do his "pig face" while sitting in the pig!

Starting to see the benefits of having kids... Emerson really wanted to help me wash the cushions!

My 100th Post!

Unfortunately this post is not bringing your humorous stories of my hardships as a mother, or news of the latest milestones Emerson has met.  Our poor little man is the sickest I've seen him, which is just terrible for parents to have to watch. He has endured 5 ear infections, alternating ears, has overcome innumerable head colds, survived a bout with a croup-like cough, and has even thrown up on 2 separate occasions. But this time, a full-blown stomach bug has hit, and he has been the saddest little boy over the past 24 hours.

It all started yesterday morning when I took him to Stroller Strides and he kept refusing his banana and oatmeal. This was an immediate red flag, as he NEVER turns down food. After accepting his water, he started to whimper, and then we noticed he was wet and covered in half-digested fruit from his dinner the night before. Poor man vomited a big one. Good things you can hose off a BOB.

Then he seemed ok for the morning until he chugged his water once again, after which he threw up on me and the bathroom floor. We were successful with some applesauce after that and when I limited his water intake. He took a nap after his snack and seemed to be a little lethargic, but not too bad. Then we played with his new ball in the back yard, he had some more applesauce, and we ran some errands successfully. Then he fell asleep for a second nap and it was all over.

After he woke up for dinner, he refused food, refused to drink the Pedialyte I had purchased, (serves me right, having never allowed him to drink juice, he just wanted water but needed the nutrients), and laid in Child's Pose on the couch moaning and whimpering, watching Disney Jr. He doesn't sit still for 2 minutes, much less 2 hours. He doesn't cuddle, much less refuse to be apart from me for even a second. It was so sad, yet so sweet to get some much needed down time to relax with my growing boy.

Then we pushed him over the edge by trying to meet up with his dad for a quick trip to a shoe store. Upon getting him in his PJs and in the car, he made it about 4 miles and threw up all the oatmeal I had managed to get him to snack on plus the electrolytes from his forced sips of Pedialyte. So we washed out the car seat and placed it next to the washed-out BOB and called it an evening after his 3rd bath of the day.

Luckily he slept well and I slept horribly with the hopes of waking to a vibrant (albeit hungry) little boy. Instead we woke to a 100 degree fever and more refusals of food and drink. But I managed to parcel out little liquid and eventually a little food over the course of the morning. After more naps, moans, and many hours of PBS Kids, I still sat under the whimpering 17-month old as he drooled all over the couch and me.

There is a light at the end of this tunnel, after getting a much needed mom break of a massage and hair cut, and getting a lot of help from grammy, his high 102 degree fever finally broke and we got a little piece of our rambunctious son back.  He enjoyed the remainder of a banana, more applesauce, a handful of crackers, water and Pedialyte MIXED, and even begged for a bite of his dad's chicken sausage. He is definitely not 100%, but I put him down with much higher hopes for a better tomorrow. At least we didn't have to deal with pulling him from daycare and taking a day off to be with him since we are on break!

So now I realize how lucky we are for such a healthy baby boy, and how I have finally been inducted into to true circle of parenting that includes being vomited on, cleaning vomit out of 4 outfits, a car seat, a stroller, and a bathroom, and washing my hands with antibacterial soap about 100 times praying this doesn't transfer to the rest of us on my last weekend of Spring Break.

Winding down on the couch (this pose lasted nearly all day)

17-month Milestone Monday

Spring Break Hammock Time in the backyard!

It has been a long time since I documented all the changes Emerson has gone through and I realized that I am blogging so that he can look back at his "baby blog" and learn all about the early years of his life (or maybe it will just be me reading and reminiscing after his high school graduation).

As a 17-month old, Emerson has been steadily walking for 3 months, is practically running in his bull-legged toddler way, and he climbs on everything.

Over the past month, he started to learn how to dance (he bobs up and down and shakes his head), has climbed up the playground and gone down the slide by himself (the BIG slide, included), enjoys swinging and giggles the entire time, likes to push things around the room, store, park, and is trying his hardest to "tumble" after watching his older cousin somersault.

Emerson still eats more than his mom and dad! His average meal consists of some chicken, cheese, yogurt, fruit, and veggies when we can. He LOVES bread (even though we don't have it around the house much), has recently become a fan of grilled cheese sandwiches, still loves blueberries and bananas, and will pretty much each anything he can "dip" into some form of sauce, mainly ketchup or ranch, which are his favorites.  Since he has all but 2 of his baby teeth (except for the 2-year molars), he is getting better and better at biting and chewing.

"Dipper" in ketchup- which he then bathed in!

Hair and head covered in ketchup!

Emerson is also getting better and better at communicating. He signs "more" and "please" and "thank you" regularly. He blows kisses. He says "yea!" to almost any question you ask him (guessing he can tell the tone of your voice means you are asking a question). But he has a bunch of words he uses regularly. He says "ma" and "da" for mom and dad, socks and shoes, truck, ball, airplane ("aaahh poon"), and makes a number of animal noises.  He can tell you what an elephant says complete with the trunk motion (his arm). But when you ask him what a pig says, he just blinks his eyes really hard. Who knows?!

While Emerson is constantly changing, I am still working on changing! The 2 months of workouts and the 1 month of dieting (I'll be real, eating what people SHOULD eat and not just what I WANT to eat), I am getting stronger and stronger, and hopefully soon will be able to proudly sport a bikini again after almost 2 years of avoiding it. As it reached 90 today in Phoenix, I better get a move on! Good thing it is Spring Break and I have spent the majority of the time off working out and organizing our house. Luckily I have found some time for fun (a pedicure, a massage, a hair cut) and for Emerson to hang out with friends.

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Spring Break 2015!

Emerson's St. Patrick's Day Shirt

St. Patrick's Day Selfie

We had a Target date but he didn't like the hat

Play date with Levon! Levon was so affectionate and was hugging Emerson all day!

Levon hug!

My St. Patrick's Day Green Vokda Diet Tonic! Cheers to health!

What about "baby weight"?!

Getting active hiking San Tan

There are so many, many posts and articles out there that give advice on how to "lose the baby weight". I was confident, having been so active during my pregnancy, gaining on the low end of the weight spectrum, that this baby weight would be a small hurdle to overcome. I knew that breast feeding was a key in weight loss, so having made the commitment to breastfeed for Emerson's first year, I figured I would barely need to work out and that weight would just fall off. Then, there was maternity leave. What else did I have to do but go to the gym (after getting cleared to, of course). And last, we had already committed to healthier eating the year prior, so going back to that meal plan would feel natural, even after 9 months of hunger pangs or ice cream and smoothie cravings.

Here is where my blog post gets real, real fast. I promised you all that I wouldn't hold back the truth so that I could be of assistance to all of you who may need to know that you have an ally out here. The truth is, none of what I believed to be true about post-pregnancy weight-loss was accurate, just like nothing I thought about having a newborn was accurate, and nothing about balancing work and being a mom was accurate, and nothing about... well, you get the idea.

So, instead of writing you a long post that explains how I miraculously, with little effort, got back into my size 8 jeans 6 weeks after Emerson was born, I will instead give you the only advice I can.

How to Maintain or Even Increase That Baby Weight After Birth

1. Take a minimum maternity leave (6 weeks) and then throw yourself back into work full force, leaving you a very short amount of "free time" to work out.

2. Breastfeed exclusively for 6 months, leaving you with the daily tough decision of "Should I work out now?" or "Do I need to pump or feed now, or in the next hour or so?"

3. Give in to every craving just as you did when you were pregnant. You are actually HUNGRIER now that there is room in your abdomen for it.

4. Sleep, like, 5-6 hours a night, interrupted frequently.

5. Take up that drinking habit again. Beer. Especially beer.

6. Go to numerous baby showers, weddings, and birthday parties where there is plentiful cake.

7. Endure an Arizona summer where outdoor recreation and therefore, any beneficial and healthy movement, is impossible. This summer will last 5-6 months.

8. Assure your child cries, poops, or spits up every time you drop him off at the gym daycare, so that they will call you and interrupt your workout within the first 20 minutes and make you take him home.

9. Have a husband who is very active, 2-3 nights a week, but in a sport or activity that you aren't involved in and that starts after your little one's bedtime. This assures that you are definitely stuck at home with the baby at least 2 nights a week without other options. (Love you, dear).

10. On that note, have a husband that really likes Mexican food and pizza, oh, and beer, and consistently requests for these items for meals.

11. Get into the habit of eating out a minimum of 4 nights a week! I know! There is NO time to cook with that little one hanging off your leg, begging for milk or snacks, and then needing to be changed, bathed, put to bed...

12. WORK A FULL TIME JOB THAT REQUIRES AFTER HOURS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

13. While all this crazy change is happening in your life, decide it is a good time to move. Then spend all your free time for 2-3 months looking at houses, then spend all your free time packing, then spend all your free time unpacking, and then spend all your free time browsing for or buying things for new house, and then spend all your free time arranging things and decorating said new house.

14. Hit your breaking point for weight gain. That's right, after baby WEIGHT GAIN. Not loss. No, that didn't happen. You are now a full 15 pounds HEAVIER than when you GAVE BIRTH. What the heck has happened to you? Are you that lazy and out of shape? When is the last time you picked up a weight that wasn't in the form of a child?

All that being said, in January (so stereotypical, I know), we recommitted to our health, and for those of you going through the same year that my last year was, know that it has gotten much more feasible to find time for working out recently. Emerson's gaining independence daily, and I have found new outlets for activity and new ways to make sure I schedule exercise and meal planning into my daily routine.  It is NOT easy and takes sacrifice, but my health and happiness will be worth a few months of making hard choices between socializing and steaming vegetables.

Colorado Trip #3!

Emerson is certainly one lucky little boy. He has been to Colorado 4 times, during 3 different seasons! We made it out last winter for his first trip, then again this past summer for the 2nd, and then, for FALL! I am lucky to have a 2-week fall break, and out of the past 10 years, I believe we have gone to Colorado for about 7 of those breaks. The forth trip was for the holidays this past December, but I am saving pictures and stories about that for the post-Christmas post.

Our October trip was filled with fun visits with friends and family. Mom and dad got a night out to go see O.A.R. at Red Rocks. Then Emerson got plentiful play dates from Denver, to Dillon, to Colorado Springs. We got to wear sweaters and scarfs and were reminded how cold the fall rain feels.

Emerson got to experience some of Kyle's childhood when we hiked around the hills out back of granddad's house- where Kyle and his family built their tree house and spent summers. Then he got to experience some of his mom's past when he visited Colorado College again, this time for Homecoming and a hockey game!

So grateful for friends and family willing to accommodate us during our many visits. I always feel refreshed after a trip to the mountains, so you are all helping this mommy maintain her sanity.

O.A.R. at Red Rocks (round 2!)

Waiting in line to get in

For a chilly October concert, the crowd was fired up!

The required Red Rocks selfie!

Our friend Carrie, who lives in Denver, met us at the show!

Glad to have a parents' night out!

Emerson and his mom on a hike among the fall colors. 2 years ago this was our wedding!

Our friend Sarah from Wyoming came to visit, too!

And we got to meet our friend Isla who was here from Minnesota!

Another hike with mom! Having so much fun!

This time friends came along!

Not too shabby!

Mom, all this hiking is exhausting!

Lake Dillon

The ski gang in the off season goes hiking! 11 years going strong, or so... Jenna, Sarah and Jill

And the next generation ski gang! Emerson, Clara, Arthur, and Isla! More soon to come!

Emerson's sweater from Peru and his new Toms

GO CC TIGERS!!! (we won, by the way)

Emerson trying to figure out what all the noise is about

Emerson is not so sure about the CC Tiger mascot.

Watching the Zambonis after the game

CC Kids from the class of 2004 (mostly)!

DGs and their Babies- Jill with Isla, Lauri with Jaxson and Presley, and Ashley with Grant

College reunion part deux- with mama Nads, Jill and Lauri at the CC Homecoming dance

Emerson at Worner Center keeping warm

Taking Emerson for a scenic drive up Cheyenne Canyon in Colorado Springs. Too bad he slept through it!

At least I got to hike up to the top!

Finding amazing scenery along our drive- this natural stone bridge with the fall colors was wonderful!

Mom and Emerson coordinated with the fall leaves.

On to Denver for my early birthday celebration with Tia and Tio Jensen!

And the sun set on our fall Colorado trip, 2014!

Don't let this photo fool you, it was taken at night! See the stars in the sky?

Where have these last 2 months gone?

I have some explaining to do.

I wish I could say that the last 2 months of not writing or publishing were filled with life-changing travels, or that I have been taking a break to write and publish my soon-to-be best-selling novel. Well, I won't say that these 2 months have been dull or boring. They have been the opposite--filled with adventures of a different kind.

Emerson is now 15-months-old, heading quickly to 16 months. He is walking, nearly running at times, climbing, making "conversation", drumming, feeding himself (with his new molars helping with the eating process), and all sorts of other new talents each day. In these past months, he has endured some major changes in his short life. Most of these changes came from just growing up. No more mom feedings, no more baby room at daycare, and then his mom and dad throw in the biggest change- a big move to a new house!

The main reason why I've been M.I.A. in the blogging world is because we moved. November 13th, we closed on our new house. My last post was published Nov. 7. I believe there is a correlation there. After we closed, we had 1 week to pack up and get ready for the big move. November 21, we moved. Because we are not selling our old house, but renting it out, we were really not under any deadlines, so the move wasn't exactly swift. Over the following weeks, we moved our stuff a little by little. We still had to maintain our "normal" lives, like me finishing a semester, Emerson's activities, and Kyle working full time and a bit further away after the move. So, the hope of being fully moved in by the holidays came and went. We were fortunate enough to put up a tree, but did little other decorating inside. The outside of the house had to keep with the Jones', as our neighborhood is in competition with the Griswalds when it comes to holiday decor. Luckily, we were scheduled to be in the Colorado mountains for the holidays themselves, so it was ok.

Then, I SWORE I would write during my break. But it was instead spent furniture shopping, organizing boxes, trying to figure out what we still needed, interviewing contractors for some updating of the new house, starting a new workout regime, and just enjoying my time off with Emerson. I never wrote.

Then, we started second semester. I found myself coming up with ideas for new posts. I found myself scheduling writing time into my busy weeks. But each time I picked up my computer, I found something else more pressing to do.

So, this week, I felt it. I felt the void that not writing had left in my heart. From nowhere, the emotions came pouring out. I mourned the loss of my art. I use writing as a form of release for all the stresses that being a full-time teacher and mom bring into my life. While trying to plan for some new adventures in our future- remodeling and getting a National Board Certification- I realized that I was thinking of the future in sacrifice of the present. The present is the moments that I capture when I blog about being Emerson's mom. This blog IS his baby book. It is what I can pass down to him in the future when he asks me about what it was like when he was a baby. He can read what I wrote about our times and see how much we have always loved him.

All that being said, I am back. And this time, I am not going to let the other distractions in life keep me from taking this time for me, to do what I love to do, and to reflect on the present before these memories start to fade with the new memories yet to be created. I may not write as often as I would like, but all those back-logged blog ideas will come to fruition, and I can continue to share my experiences with the other moms, friends, and family out there who have been reading this all along.

Thank you for understanding and for your continued support.

I leave you with some adorable recent pictures of the little rascal.

Arizona fall happens in January! This is the new backyard!!!

The new place! See, there ARE Christmas lights on the outside!

Taking a walk

Happy and drooling! This is what happens when you get molars!