Sanity... Welcome Back Old Friend

Why didn't anyone tell me that having a baby was entering into a world of endless stages?! First it's the newborn "sleep deprivation stage"... then comes "stand up and hold me or else I'll scream"... followed by "I'm starving always"... and now we are in "look at me, pick me up, watch my every move or else I'm going to go ballistic!" This has been the most challenging of all. MY HOUSE IS TRASHED... well it was.. until I discovered this baby: (Not the actual baby... the toy.) It's a little piece of heaven on earth my friends. (Jay is too.)In case you can't tell... he can walk around, and around, and around, and around... you get the point. It's great. It has a cool little piano that changes what it plays as you flip through the book in front of it. It has a tray and about ten other toys to choose from. Then when he can actually walk and stand, the seat comes off. Genius! Love love love this.

Anyhow, other than that Jay is teething and learning to crawl. Pretty cute. Love love love him too.

Sleepyhead

Jay now sleeps with his bum in the air. It's so cute. Just thought I'd share.

You Live, You Learn, You Get Hives

I should just title this post "More Lessons Learned." Today was jam packed with "I'll-Never-Do-That-Again" moments. It's late so I'll stick to just the two most interesting ones:

#1) I learned that when you send your husband to Winco to pick up these: 

(Diced Green Chiles)

There's a very good chance he might come home with these: 

(Diced Jalapenos!)

Which wouldn't have been so catastrophic had I looked at the can and realized that's what it was. Ironically though, Jay got hungry at the precise moment when the chiles were supposed to be mixed into the casserole. So, not wanting to waste any time, I asked Joey to open the can of chiles and pour them in along with a few other things. Needless to say I didn't notice until after the meal was completely cooked and ready to be consumed... Also needless to say it brought me to tears! My mouth was on FIRE!  

#2) I learned that my son has a SEVERE milk allergy. I didn't even know this was possible but here's what happened: We realized about a month or two ago that Jay was allergic to formula... we're talking hives and trouble breathing. I figured it might be milk. Then he had a pretty bad reaction to mashed potatoes... which contain milk and butter. I figure it's probably milk. Then just this morning Joey was eating cereal and Jay bumped his bowl. It spilled milk all over his arm. He broke out in horrible hives anywhere the milk had touched! Bizarre huh? I'm really hoping he grows out of this cuz it's scary! He still has little bumps all over his arm and he's had two doses of Benedryl already. 

Valentine's and Little Mozart

Valentine's Day was so much fun this year! When Joey and I got married I made sure that he knew just how important this typically disappointing, over-commercialized holiday was to me. I have NEVER liked Valentine's Day. I thought it was stupid... mostly because as a single person it was just another reminder that I was still single! So when I got married I was determined to make this day as exciting and disgustingly sappy as I could to compensate for all the years of disenchantment... Deep down we all want a fairy tale.

This year Joey assured me that he had it all taken care of. I was instructed to leave the house with Jay for a few hours while he took care of dinner! When I returned home, I opened the door to find roses and Sparkling Cider on our coffee table in the living room! Oh and the smell of something baking in the oven... He had a little help from Papa Murphy!

It was so cute. We sat at our coffee table eating heart-shaped pizza, sipping sparkling cider and watching "Pure Luck". (It's up there with "Gone With the Wind" as far as romances go! Can't you tell by the movie poster?)

In other news, Jay has started to compose...

He's quite good actually.

The creative process really takes a toll on the boy though!

Are You Annoyed Yet?

$14.97
... that's all I'm gonna say.

Confession

I'm pathetic.

I have suspected this for quite some time but today it became an inescapable reality. I saw my husband at 9 a.m. yesterday morning. He then proceeded to travel to McCall and has been gone ever since. It is now 1 a.m. Sunday morning... an absence of barely 16 hours and I'm going crazy. Honestly, Joe and I have gotten to spend a lot of time together over the past month or two and it has been sooo much fun. He leaves for one day and I'm a waste of flesh. The truly pathetic part of all of this is that he will be home in one hour! I can't stand myself sometimes.

Anyhow the wonderful news is that I realized today what a great guy I married. (Don't worry I knew that before I married him... I just felt especially grateful for him in his absence.)
Okay before you read on, you should know that this could get mushy. That's right.. good and mushy. But I will try and hurry. Not because I don't want to gross you out but because if he arrives home and sees me writing this he will NEVER let me post it.
I was thinking today about what a shame it is that in today's society, gushing about your husband is unpopular and usually met with rolling eyes from those who think you are being idealistic and naive. Well I'm sick of that mentality. Why is it that the whole world wants to know about him when you are dating but when you are married no one cares?! I just don't get it. So here's my attempt to change the world:

I shall call this list
REASONS WHY I LOVE MY HUSBAND
by Stacy Brady

#1) (in no particular order) He's unfathomably good with children. Especially Jay. When Jay was first born he would lay down on a blanket with him and tell him all about the life he was going to have and everything they were going to do together. He's a super cute uncle too. He's not worried about looking silly at all. This is one of my favorite pictures. He traded ties with Zach right before church to make him feel like a big kid. He also teaches a primary class that just adores him.

#2) He's the biggest goofball you will ever meet... and only those closest to him know it. I wish I could elaborate but he would KILL me. Let's just say there is NEVER a dull moment at our house.

#3) He encourages me to do what I love (even at his expense sometimes).
For instance, he agrees to pose for silly or embarrassing pictures because he loves me.
(M&M Factory... read the sign above his head... he loves me.) (Who hasn't seen "Big"?!)
#4) He gets excited about the cutest things and makes me appreciate the small things in life.
(This year at Christmas it was a red rider bee bee gun... oh and a speedo but I won't post pictures of that one.)
#5) He tries to kiss me in public even though he knows I hate it. I get so embarrassed but at least I know he loves me right?
#6) He is ridiculously good looking in a pair of swim trunks... especially while driving a boat.
(Here he is the day after we broke up... ...we got back together the next day!)

#6) Family is SOOOOO important to him and he would do anything for them.
In fact, the first time I realized I might be warming up to the kid was when he was helping his cousin change her bike chain at a ward activity. That doesn't sound significant but if you knew our history... well let's just say it was significant.

Oh and he'd be mad if I didn't add that my exact thought in the moment was "That's hot."

#7) He honors his priesthood and loves the gospel. This is really #1.
(This picture has nothing to do with that... I just like it. We're on our honeymoon.)
#8) He is my perfect balance in so many ways. I'm such a stress case and he loosens me up. For that reason I love this picture.
#9) We're buds. Really. We laugh all the time. We never get any sleep.

(There are so many more reasons but he's gonna be home any minute! Yeah!)

So there you go world! I'm not ashamed. I love my husband. I know it. He knows it. And now you do too.

Lessons Learned

So it's been a while. Well a lot has happened in the past month and I guess I should probably fill in a few blanks. It's been crazy at times, boring at other times... heartbreaking.... deathdefying... okay not really deathdefying. Unless you consider what might have happened between me and a customer service rep at the Red Lion Inn deathdefying. It could have been ugly.

Anyhow it's impossible to relate all that has happened in one post (we took a bunch of trips). So I think I'll just tell you what I have learned in the past month mingled with few pictures and stories. (Don't worry I'll start with the Red Lion Inn... I know you're on the edge of your seats here)

LESSONS LEARNED

#1) I learned that if you decide to stay at a hotel in the middle of January based solely upon the fact that it has a pool... because you haven't been swimming in over a year and it's all you've been hoping for and dreaming about for quite some time... make sure that the pool is an indoor pool! (And make sure you check that out before you buy the whole family swimsuits, get all geared up and make your way to the pool area.) Then if you decide that the only way to make up for such disappointment (not to mention embarrassment) is to cuddle up under some warm blankets and watch the dvd you just rented, make sure that your hotel room has a dvd player! And above all else, never order room service as a desperate attempt to save your vacation. This never helps. But do leave a nasty review to get back at the customer service lady who hung up on you... cuz she'll probably never see it and that'll show her!

#2) If on that same vacation you decide that a trip to an overpriced aquarium would be a fun idea, make sure that the roads do not look like this: ...or else it might take you an hour to get there. Actually even though it was over-priced... with half off for family night... it was still fun to get out. Jay was oblivious to the road conditions and he let me test out Joey's new camera on him the whole way there.I think maybe he was hungry!

The aquarium was a good way to test out our new carrier backpack for Jay though. (Thanks Monica for finding the good deal. As soon as yours actually gets to you.. you'll like it too.)

All in all it wasn't too bad. We got to pet stingrays... 

stare into a glowing sphere... 

and we found Nemo... a few times actually. 

And even though Jay didn't look too excited about anything, he at least thought a few things were pretty weird. 

#3) I learned that when you do finally get to go swimming in a hotel (a different hotel) and you get really excited to take pictures of your baby's first ever swimming experience... don't get too excited because inevitably steam from the hot tub will fog up your camera lens and you won't be able to see a darn thing. 
It was super cute though.

#4) I learned that there is no point in packing bedding for Jay.

#5) On a different note: I learned that the windows of heaven truly are opened when you pay your tithing. (We learned this in the form of an unexplainable refund check from an old insurance company dated Dec. 8, 2008) 

And finally...

#6) I learned that Children's Tylenol works wonders on a teething baby in more ways than one.

The past month has been great. We have grown together as a little family... especially on those eight hour road trips stuffed in Joey's little truck. (Babe, if you're reading this... I meant to say manly truck!)