crying it out

We are back to square one...letting baby Isaac cry it out.

I slept in the guest room at the end of the house last night to avoid breaking my heart. When will he learn how to soothe himself? It's so hard hearing his little wimpers.

Put him to bed by 7pm, but woke up several times knowing that he needed me. I finally rescued him at 5:30am. Sobbing baby. Poor baby. Just wants his mama.

They are itty bitty for such a short time, why can't I just hold him and help him? I know that this is for his own good, to help teach him how to sleep...then, why is it so hard on me?

He is now 5 months old, and almost 20 lbs. He is not lacking in the nutrition and needs to be sleeping longer stretches. My chunky monkey.

Maxi Pad

I was at my sister's house helping her job hunt when I heard the dreaded sound from Isaac....the one that only babies can make and get away with in public. Yes, the juicy, wet, long, toot sound!

At this point, I unbutton his onesie as soon as I can to avoid any leakage onto his back. I am not a fan of changing his outfits more than one time a day, and we all know how far that yellow liquid can spread (and how fast). I thought I was in the clear with this dirty diaper b/c I avoided a "blowout."

I reached over to my diaper bag to find it EMPTY of diapers! I had put in 5 diapers just two days ago before church, so how could this be! I keep a fresh stack in my car, but it was at the shop getting a DVD player installed (can't leave home without one of those when you have kiddos!). So... I needed to be resourceful, and I needed to do it quickly.

What could I use? My sister is single and obviously would not keep any diapers around. There were no stores within walking distance. I didn't have an extra swimming diaper in my bag, or underwear, or duck tape, or cotton balls. Then the idea came to me: a maxi pad!

My sister fetched one for me from her bathroom and off I went in my quest of cleanliness. I wiped his bottom clean, spread that maxi pad ON TOP of the yellow madness, pulled the wings tightly around the edges of the messy diaper, and called it good.

The result? A smelly, yet clean baby bottom. The maxi pad was not absorbent enough for a good nap (he woke up with pee across his belly), but it definitely did the job until I could get back into my car to get a clean diaper back on him.

May this be the ONLY time that my son ever wears a feminine product of any type.

Thank you Ms. Maxi:)

Tongue Crib

I never sucked my thumb. I didn't suck on my fingers. I have always been aware to never chew my nails, to floss and brush daily, etc. And what do I get from all of this dental care?

My grill. A new diet. A roof ring. Backwards tongue retainer. Lisp creator.


Call it what you want. I have a new "tongue crib."

This is a picture of a tongue crib, looking at the roof of the mouth. "For our patients that thrust their tongue in a forward position, this appliance quickly redirects the tongue to a more normal swallowing position.The appliance is glued in place and will usually stop the habit in the first couple of months. However, we will need to keep the appliance in place until the permanent front teeth overlap each other." For me, the ortho said ONE FULL YEAR!!!
For the last 15 years, after getting my braces off, I have had a tongue thrust. The result? My teeth have slowly been pushing forward. Every time I swallow or when I am sleeping, my tongue is in the "resting" position. I have been well aware of my teeth protruding, and although they are straight, I do not like the way that they look. It is a cosmetic issue, but one that I wanted to fix.

I headed out to the ortho where he told me of this tongue crib that could help it out. No problem, I thought to myself. It was put in three days ago. When he first put it in , I thought I was going to gag nonstop. It feels like your tongue has been cut into two. You can't bring it forward unless your entire mouth is open wide.

I have not eaten in three days, my speech sounds like Austin Powers with a stronger lisp, I can't pronounce ANY decent Spanish words with a rolled R, and I wake up with the worse breath in the morning b/c of this retainer.

I am going to have to go in this week and get the removal kind. I feel very insecure when talking to strangers (they look at me like I am abnormal with a speech impediment), my appetite has decreased b/c it hurts to crunch on those back molars, (not to mention that I can't move my tongue to push the food around, thus the food gets stuck in the metal brackets), and more than anything....I can't communicate the way I need to!

I will always have empathy for those people who have speech, eating, or self esteem problems, b/c now I have them too.

Hip Hip Hoo-ray

Austin woke up screaming this morning at 5am. I was nursing the babe, and so I just thought, "another bad dream." I got Jared up so he could attend to his needs. Austin kept on crying, but I didn't think too much of it. I wanted to take advantage of going to the gym ALONE for once, and so I put on my running shoes and headed out the door by 5:45am.

Not 5 min into my workout, the front desk gal came by to tell me I had a phone call. I was so surprised that I literally FELL OFF of the hiking treadmill. Talk about embarrassing. I did catch my fall, but not without blushing. Jared was very nervous b/c Austin couldn't calm down and was screaming in pain with his hip.

Off we went to the Urgent Care. They were not able to do x-rays like I had hoped, and so they sent us off to the ER. Poor Austin couldn't sit, stand, lay down, etc. He would scream whenever Jared lifted him in and out of a chair. His demeanor was totally normal, which I am grateful for. He was asking for food, talking about the Dr, and wanting to be held. But, what was wrong with his hip? Or was it his leg? Was it an infection of the joint?

I wasn't quite prepared to be gone the entire day...isn't it always how it goes? I was still in my workout clothing, I hadn't brought any food for my kids, and I didn't even have a water bottle for the AZ heat.

I was very impressed with the Pediatric Unit. Red, Yellow, Blue and Green painted walls everywhere, a snack/refreshment fridge with pudding and Jell-O (which you know my boys loved), and even Jared and I had one of those pre-made gross sandwiches. After 4 hours or so, your tummy starts to rumble with hunger! They had a movie playing for the patients to watch, big comfy chairs, and Austin even got a little red pillow on his bed as a souvenir.

After taking blood tests and x-rays, the Dr found NOTHING wrong with our little "Double A." It's a relief b/c I was getting nervous that he might have some sort of cancer or dangerous infection in his joint. The Dr thinks it may have been a sprain??? Not quite sure. That was a lot of screaming and energy spent on crying for just a sprain! The biggest thing that he said was, "the difference between adults and children; when something hurts us, we just keep on using it. For children, they will stop when there is pain." Ironically, we weren't doing any physical activities the day before to cause the pain.

I am so grateful. Hip Hip Hoo-ray. Austin is in good spirits, his hip is healing just fine, and he is excited about his new bubble gum antiobiotic medicine. Wesley broke his leg at age 2, and Austin sprained his hip at age 3. What is in store for Isaac?

My mom got hitched

After a LOOOONG 12 hour non stop drive from Phoenix to SLC, I was exhausted! My dad rode along for some company and really helped out on those pit stops when I was nursing the babe and the older boys would go potty. The bathroom breaks were a welcome stop, and an upgrade from the normal "pee on the side of the road really quick before a car comes by and sees you!" (That included me as well!) The main stops were: Flagstaff, Kanab, Panguitch, and Provo. Thank goodness for DVD players, snacks, music, and navigation systems.

The day before the wedding, my mom was busy packing up her entire house so that she could move the day after the wedding TO ARGENTINA. Yep, she is now gone and I feel a vacancy knowing that she is so far away. My dad also lives in a foreign country, Mexico. What the heck! I did what I could to help her out with her packing/sorting/throwing out, setting up a bit at the reception hall, and reminding her that she needed to eat. I had forgotten how stressful weddings are. Not to mention moving the very next day!

I will always remember my mom looking like a princess on her wedding day, Friday May 21st, 2009 at 1pm. So petite, a flowing gown and a tiara made her look dazzling. I was happy to do her hair for her that morning. I found myself asking her if she was nervous and stressed out. I then told her about my own wedding day and the things that made me anxious. I chuckled at how I was the daughter giving the mother the "wedding" advice! It was fun to curl her hair up and drive her to the temple.

A touching ceremony. My mom is no longer alone~ After 30 years of being an independent and self-sufficient woman, my mom now has a man to be with and to love her. I am so grateful for that. My Tia Estela was in tears as she left the sealing room, "I no longer have to worry about her. She is taken care of. " Amen! It was a lot of fun dressing her up like a movie star in that "brides room" with last minute details before making her big appearance outside. I tried asking her about my own wedding day and how she felt primping me up. But, we both can't remember much to that day almost 7 years ago. I remember feeling very stressed out, tired, nervous and beautiful all at the same time.

My mom went all out with the reception. A full on dinner buffet, complete with Argentine empanadas. She hired a DJ, there were chairs covered in fabric, hot pink flower arrangements on every table, and lots of guests! I had a great time with my cousins who had come in from out of town as we danced the night away. My boys were recovering from a late night with papa (midnight!), and so they were sorta in a funk the entire time. I chatted with old neighbors and friends and also took a few snapshots of my sister, brother, and the guests. The night went by so quickly and before I knew it, I was helping get my mom dressed to drive off into the night! Good luck mom with your new marriage, new country, new life and new dreams.

Jared and I spent some time on our old stomping grounds of BYU and SUU during this trip. One of my favorite parts was visiting our old basement apartment where Wesley was born. I remember it being so dark, so crammed, and so depressing. It was exactly the same! Not only that, but there was a newleywed coulpe in there as well with a newborn...just like us! The dad said, "I hope that you have moved up in the world after living here." Yes, just a litttle. But, you never forget where you first got started and how simple that life was. I do miss those little bits of memories; a working TV/VCR on top of an old bathroom stand , using the internet/refrigerator in the same corner, washing all my dishes by hand, the noises the house made when people walked above you, and of course the nasty carpet where Wrangler slept. Wesley got a kick out of hearing all about his birth. Austin kept asking where he was born, AZ isn't as exciting as BYU!

We also saw our first "home" in Cedar City, UT. Southgate apartments. Where it all began! Our furniture consisted of the middle section of a sectional (the corner piece) that we found in someone's basement, our shower curtain from Wal Mart and two mismatching barstools. I am so glad that we both were able to experience a bit of college life as a married couple. It's nice to know that Jared can remember certain things from those special years, and I with him.

We stayed in Vegas on our way home as a stop over. What a sin city! Just leaving and entering the city limits you can feel the thick slime and muck that hangs over that place. It is one thing to be there with friends or your spouse. It was a whole new experience with my sweet boys in tote. We walked the strip to get some dinner and I was preparing myself to punch out any man who offered a nasty card to my little Wesley. So many naked women everywhere! I was embarressed for Wesley to see all of those billboards, cards and magazines. We did our best to cover his eyes and to explain how sad Father in Heaven must be with their choices. Not much more was said and he didn't ask too many questions. The boys enjoyed some pool time with dad.


I am back home. Back to being without Jared. Back to a scary house at nighttime. My house is a disaster, but my kids have been well behaved with the activities of the day; a movie, swimming and they ate their dinner really well (green beans and all!). Those simple pleasures make me a happier mama.

I am now "Slurping" this blog. Two years in the making. It's been a real ride for me to look at these last two years at all of our moves, babies, friends, hardships and vacations. More than anything, keeping a blog keeps me honest with myself. I want to remember these times as a young mother for the crazy times that they bring, as well as those moments of pure joy.

Go home?

I think sometimes when I am having extra crazy days, I seem to subconsciously add to the pile of madness.

We drove Jared to the airport today, but only after I did 3 loads of laundry and checked out some water park info. This of course made us late, which didn't allow me to get my kids adequate breakfast shoved down their bellies for our morning adventures.

We dropped Jared off (I miss him already), and I wanted to venture off to the waterpark in Tempe, AZ since we were down there anyway (nothing is closer to where we live. Since I am down there twice a week to take Jared, we might do it). It's a good thing that there isn't a ticketing officer at the airport DEPARTURE curb b/c I tend to sit there and nurse Isaac every time we drop Jared off. I guess the arrival curb is where all those ticketing people go b/c anyone "departing" must be in a hurry to get inside and catch their flight. Not me! Sometimes I will be there 20 min at that curb nursing, while of course my kids are climbing all over the seats.

I couldn't find the info to go Big Surf waterpark, so I settled for the Tempe Beach Park. It is a fun park with water features. The temp was 100 degrees, but the water was so cold that my boys stood around with their arms up to their chests most of the time hugging themselves. I think they had a fun time. I wished that I had a friend to talk to, vs. being alone. I stayed in the shade with Isaac and he finally fell asleep, until some rotten teenager splashed all over us! It went downhill from there. Isaac screamed for so long, that we eventually just left the park...he continued to scream until I got him in his carseat.

I thought he was okay, until he started screaming as we drove away. There I am, telling Austin to shove that binkie in his mouth, but Isaac keeps spitting it out. So, Austin is frustrated and eventually just starts to cry himself. All the while Wesley is laughing in the backseat. Ugh!

You would think I would go back home, right? Call it a day? No! Let the madness continue!

Since I was in Tempe, I still wanted to check out this water park. So, I track down the address and with my screaming baby, we head on over. I get all the kids unloaded; sandals on, towels, water bottles, stroller, etc. But, Isaac will NOT stop crying. Option? Nursing is the only thing.

Load back up the kids and give Isaac a quick snack. He finally calms down enough to walk up to the park and take a little tour.

I wasn't up for staying for the day at the park and boy were my kids upset! First of all, I needed Isaac to be in his carseat/stroller combo. We didn't bring it b/c there was no room in the car with Jared's luggage. Second of all, my boys hadn't eaten anything for lunch and I knew that they wouldn't last long. Thirdly, I am not supe sure if we will buy a season pass and I didn't want to waste the money.

Load back up and head back to Surprise. Isaac is finally asleep. Go home? No! Go to Wal Mart! We are in the car and I don't want to have to load all the cargo back up later on.

We head out to Wally world where I find that Austin's t-shirt got left behind at the park. NO! I wrap a towel around him (the no shirt, no service thing worried me a bit) and we head in. I grabbed some milk, goggles, pears and swimming diapers. Isaac did great. Austin cried to get out of the cart. Wesley hung on the side and "skateboarded" through the store with me.

Go home? No! We went to the Ultra Star theatre to pick up some summer movie passes.

Go home? Yes! But, not without stopping to pick up Wrangler, who had been at my neighbor's while we were in Utah. I then invited three of those sweet kids to come and play at our house. Why not? Let the madness continue! And yes, Isaac is still screaming. He decided to not take ANY naps all day long. He is a sweaty, sunlotioned mess.

So, amidst the 5 loads of unfolded laundry, mounds of dishes, dirty floors, piles of mail and unmade beds, we had a fun playdate with 5 kiddos running and dancing around. I have yet to catch up from our trip. My favorite part was when I was standing, nursing, and making quesadillas all at the same time, while telling the kids to finish eating their dinner.

I am still trying to get my "summer" schedule put in place. It's going to include lots of days like today where I am low on patience, high in sweat and crazy with my kids!

My tank

Here are the latest stats for my chunk:

At two months:
Weight: 13.44 lbs (80 %)
Length: 23 in (44 %)


At four months:
Weight: 16.19 lbs (76%)
Length: 25 in (72%)
Head: 25 in (75%)

He really gives my bicep a work out these days when I carry him around. He loves to stand up. He loves to grunt and smile. No big laughter yet, but I am sure it is coming. He sleeps about 6 hours straight at night, if I am lucky and say my prayers. He loves to "snack" and often I feel like he is taking advantage of me, but I love him just the same and I don't mind. He also is rolling from his tummy to his back. He can't roll back over, and so he just lays and cries and slobbers all over the sheet until I roll him back over. I need to get him out of his 1-2 size diapers this week! He has had way too many blow outs, but I have been trying to use them all up. We also can't tell if he has hazel, gray or brown eyes. They seem to change depending on what he is wearing.