120/365

Really, Salt Lake? I know the weather is extremely unpredictable in Utah but tomorrow is May. The sun should be shining, the birds chirping, and the flowers blooming. Well, so much for that because we woke up to 6 inches of snow this morning. I think the entire northern state is ready for Spring to make its appearance. I'd like to be wearing my flippity flops and summer dresses and run in my new jogger without worrying about the weather being too cold... but on the positive note, I know it'll be melted by morning and it sure does look beautiful, doesn't it?

Eric comes home today and we're so excited, we missed him tons. My in-laws invited Leila and I to spend some time with them while Eric was gone, I must say it was nice to have the company because we all had fun playing with Leila. 

Eileen had Leila play in the hamper, I mentioned that she couldn't pull herself up yet so she should be fine but we still kept a close eye on her. Well I spoke too soon because I turned my head for 2 seconds and when I looked back up this is what I saw:

Not even kidding, seriously 2 minutes after I said she can't pull herself up yet she did! I'm sure she was thinking I'll show you mom! She's been attempting to pull herself up lately but hasn't quite figured out how to use those muscles...until now. Of course, I had to be looking the other way. I freaked out and almost went to grab her because I didn't want her to topple over (especially onto the tile), but just got close and let her bask in her accomplishment. I called Eileen to look over and we were both so proud of her. 

We moved her onto the carpet to see if she would show Mike what she just learned but I think she forgot how she did it. She eventually remembered and I made sure to guard the basket but she still managed to topple over and BAM, right into my salad. Hey at least it broke her fall.  

I can't look at this picture without laughing. My salad went everywhere and the fork went flying. Leila belted out screaming, tears streaming down her face. I scooped her up and when we saw what was on her face the three of us busted out laughing. I felt so bad but it was just too funny. The first thing Mike said was, "Do you want me to get a photo of that?" ha ha, I was thinking the same thing. Sorry Leila. Please don't think I'm a horrible mother when you read this. 

Leila has 4 new things to show daddy today:

1. she mastered doing to motorboat

2. she has TWO teeth poking through those gums

3. can do "so big"

4. can pull herself up

119/365

I was eating a teething biscuit so don't mind my messy face people.

SOOOOO BIG!!!
As of yesterday, Leila has learned to throw her hands up in the air, high above her head. With the help of Grandma and Grandpa Fuessel, Leila has mastered these skills (we kept doing it all night long - we couldn't get over how adorable she is). Now every time we throw our hands up in the air and say "so big" she does the same. She gets a kick out of it every time.

The Royal Wedding

Everyone's been talking about the Royal Wedding and it's on every news station and talk show in the country. Some people are pretty over hearing about it but I love that there's actually something happy and good in the news. Today is the big day and the whole world is watching. I don't think there is a single person on the planet that doesn't know Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting married.

Princess Kate's dress is beautiful, simple, and elegant. Some critics say they wished she would have chosen something a little more bold and fashionable but I think she wanted to stay classy and timeless. I love her dress and it suits her perfectly.

Cheers to the new couple!!

118/365

What do you do when a friend craves mango sticky rice?

Take her to Bangkok Grill. Yum.

crappy photo's taken with my iphone

117/365

Cause Eric's leaving on a jet plane
Don't know when he'll be back again
(actually I do know when he'll be back).

116/365

Scored this awesome jogger on KSL. It was listed for $40 obo but I got it for $15! I've never been one to haggle a price and planned on paying the full amount (I need to grow some balls but I did end up working my magic on this baby). The woman I purchased it from had no idea how to collapse the jogger and had to get her husband to show me. It's a bit of a pain because you have to take all 3 wheels off (like a bike) and my hands got a little greasy. I had to practice a couple times to make sure I had it down. The woman didn't realize what a pain it was either and felt bad so together we decided $15 was a good deal, she just wanted to get rid of it. Sweet meat.

Leila and I tested it out and it's as light as a feather and is such a smooth ride. After going for a jog with a friend I realized that I love my jogger more than hers (sorry Laura) and decided it's probably worth more than I paid.
Bonus: it collapses so small that our other stroller fits in the trunk and them some.

115/365

This is one of our favorite times of the day...when daddy comes home from work!

Doesn't it look like he's been jumping around splashing in the puddles all day? Nope, he was just out in the rain for less than 5 min and got soaked. 

Since about Friday, Leila has started getting on her knees and occasionally rocking back and forth. She won't do it for very long but she's definitely in the crawling position.

114/365

Easter was fabulous this year, especially because it was Leila's very first Easter. We colored eggs (didn't have crayons so I improvised with a birthday candle) and we went to my in-laws for a yummy traditional Easter dinner. 

Here's our Easter in photos.

Grandpa (great grandpa for Leila) gave Leila the cutest Easter gift... a soft, cuddly bear. It was so unexpected and so sweet. 

And I can't get over her little leg rolls...hope she doesn't grow out of them anytime soon.

I look forward to seeing Eileen's festive tables too, she has a centerpiece for every occasion.

Leila holding her little Easter basket from mommy and daddy...full of eggs and candy she can't eat. No worries, we'll be sure to eat them for her.

Mike and Eileen have the most beautiful backyard. Mike does a wonderful job maintaining it every week and it made the perfect spot for Easter photos. I adore my little family of three.

I sure did miss my family today. I miss them all the time but even more during the holidays.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

P.S. Leila is getting a tooth!! I can see it and feel it poking through. I hardly noticed it because she hasn't been too fussy! Thank goodness, she's such a trooper. I love that girl like crazy.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!
I appreciate Easter as a time to remember the sacrifice and resurrection of my Savior. I'm grateful for the knowledge that all things are possible with Jesus Christ.

I love the simplicity of this video and President Monson's testimony.

113/365

I've never really met a celebrity before (with the exception of seeing them from afar at the Sundance Film Festival and at concerts)...until now. Eileen, my mother-in-law, invited me to her Women's Stake Conference and guess who was the guest speaker?? None other than Marie Osmond! How on earth did they get Marie Osmond?? Turns out the 1st Counselor in the Stake Relief Society Presidency is one of her best friends and apparently Marie owes her big time...so she was cashing in on the favor. It was a huge favor too because Marie flew in this morning and caught a flight back to Vegas so she could perform tonight. Talk about a busy woman.

I didn't realize what an amazing, spiritual, and hilarious woman Marie is. She joked that if we were born after 1985 we are too young to remember her...it's true, I wasn't around for her show and don't think I know any of her songs but I HAVE seen her on Oprah...and I love Oprah (and the countdown begins, only twenty something shows left)!

Marie Osmond is a woman of all traits. She has her hands in everything: has her own show in Las Vegas, owns a craft, fabric, and doll line, and has 8 kids. With all that on her plate she still manages to find time to work at the Las Vegas temple every Wednesday...and sit still. She said we all need to find time to sit still everyday and listen to the spirit. I'm kicking myself in the butt for not coming prepared with anything to take notes because I learned so much.

Eileen and I tried to remember all the things she talked about. These are some of the things we remember and that resonated with us:

-When you think you can't stand it anymore, kneel.

-Her mother used to call the Devil Scratch, she said the Devil is like a rash, if you scratch it he won't go away. 

-When Marie was on Dancing With The Stars she went through so much pain. She passed out, was in the middle of a divorce, and her father had passed away. She seriously considered quitting because that combined with actually being on the show was just too much to handle. When she read one of the hundreds of emails from fans, she couldn't quit. This email in particular was from a young 23 year old girl wanting to quit and not take her finals at BYU. The girl didn't quit because she was inspired by Marie and thought if Marie can do it, so can she. 

-Being the only girl with 9 brothers, she was very close to her mother. When she passed away that was the hardest thing Marie had experienced...until her father passed away, she said that was almost harder because she was a daddy's girl. But when her son committed suicide her heart was broken. She went back to work because she didn't know what else to do and was heavily criticized for it. After her Vegas show they do a Meet and Greet with fans, a lady came through the line and put her arms around Marie. She said she too had a son that had passed away. Marie asked if it got easier and the lady said, "no". Marie said that meant more to her than all the sympathy cards because it was honest.

-She talked about trials and how we all have to go through them. I guess her mother called them Abraham trials - like being willing offering his son as a sacrifice, and how could we be with the people of such great faith in the Lord's kingdom if we don't go through these trials.

I really enjoyed meeting Marie and hearing her testimony about faith, hope, and charity (the theme of the conference). This woman is so incredibly funny and had all of us laughing. That's how she copes with stress, is to laugh it off. We left the conference uplifted. She has had so many trials in her life, I will think of her when I feel that I can't get through it. Eileen and I had so much fun and now we want to drive to Vegas to see her and Donny perform...we hear they put on one heck of a show!

112/365

For the past 9 years BYU's Museum of Art has worked on procuring a collection of Carl Bloch's work. Though I didn't know his name, I recognized Bloch's artwork. He is a well known artist for his depictions of Jesus Christ and it took many years in the making because these pieces are the originals from Denmark, where Bloch is from. The Church has always loved his paintings and use them in chapels, magazines, and temples. Tonight we went to see these paintings in real life...amazing!

Technology is such a cool thing. For a small fee we were able to rent iPads that had commentary on each of the five large altarpieces. It also had 360 degree photos of the churches these pieces of artwork belong to and explanations behind different parts of each painting. It gave me so much more insight to his work and helped me gain a greater appreciation for them.

My camera always gets me into trouble! I'm aware that museums don't usually allow cameras...but I didn't see a sign and no one mentioned anything about no photography. So of course I busted out my camera to capture the moment. I made sure the flash was off because I hear the flash can damage the paintings. Is that true? Anyway, I was able to snap a couple shots before the guard came running up to me to say photography was not allowed. Look at her scoping me out below. Oops!

If someone told me that the best chocolate in the world came from Orem, Utah I'd say they were crazy! Well it does. We've been eyeing this little restaurant for some time. The owner is from Utah but has lived in New York and San Francisco for many years. 

He created Communal with the idea of slow and social dining...where people actually have time to sit down and enjoy their food. This place is not only about great service, but hospitality as well. Our server, Edgar, was hospitable and passionate about his job. Probably because the employees are like a family. The restaurant closes in between each meal and before it opens again for business the employees eat a big meal together, that's why they consider themselves a family because they are a close knit group. What a rad place to work.

Edgar shared a plethora of knowledge with us about the restaurant and its purpose of sustainability. They try to use everything as local and organic as possible. Therefore, the menu changes quite often. If you ever go, they recommend you share one meat/entrée, one or two sides, and one or two appetizers because everything is a la cart. We left well after the restaurant closed just talking with our server.

Now back to the chocolate. They bring you two little pieces of chocolate with your check. I joked with Eric that I bet even the chocolate is local. Sure enough it says its from Orem, UT right on the wrapper. The chocolate is delicious and has a bitter, sweet taste. It left a rich aftertaste in my palette. The server asked what we thought about the chocolate and I told him I loved it. He then continued with the story.

The chocolate is called Amano and the maker used to be an engineer. He decided he wanted to make chocolates instead. He travels to all parts of the world to get the best cocoa beans and hand picks them himself to assure he gets the best flavor. He's won many American and international awards. He competes with the finest chocolateirs in the world and in 2009 he won GOLD from the London Academy of Chocolate. Impressive! Who knew? Well, now you know the worlds finest chocolate comes from right here in Orem.    

111/365

LOOK AT MY BABY STANDING!
Since this girl has discovered standing, that's all she wants to do. Each day she becomes a little more brave by standing a little longer each time.

110/365

I helped Laura spend her money at Ikea...I'm really good at that. The only thing I picked up was a 17 piece tupperware set for $3.99... are you outta your mind? Now I can organize my tupperware cupboard and chuck my old miss matched ones. 

It was my turn to make dinner for the gang this week, I wanted to try something new so I went to The Pioneer Women and made the best enchilada's (my mom's are still delish but these are pretty amazing). 

We made a few mistakes but since Laura and I made them together we could both take the blame. They were a hit and a keeper for sure. Eric played daddy to Leila and Violet while we made a run to the grocery store. He was so cute with the girls, I couldn't get over it (where was Guthrie you ask, oh he was on his way). 

I don't know what was with us tonight but everything we made came out a little too runny. The sauce for the enchilada's wasn't thick enough and the filling for the key lime pie didn't set, fortunately the flavor wasn't affected. Here is my not so glamorous shot of the pie:

Eric's favorite dessert is key lime pie. I've never attempted to make it because key lime pie seems all too intimidating to me and I end up resorting to the easy desserts (brownies, cake, banana bread, etc.), but this recipe is so easy and better than any store bought pie. The Pioneer Woman is making me look like a good cook. She takes a picture of every step so it really is Cynthia fool proof.

109/365

Love it when someone drops off treats at my door. Don't you just want to lick these off the screen?
I have the best neighbors. Thanks Emily for the funfetti cupcakes...they are t-t-t-t-t-tasty, tasty (Fergalicious).

108/365

In honor of tax day, McDonald's was offering a deal we couldn't pass up: buy one Big Mac or Quarter Pounder and get the second for a penny! We rarely eat fast food, let alone McDonald's, but we felt like being naughty and indulging in a greasy burger. There's something different about eating your burger inside the restaurant versus grabbing it to go, it tasted better.

107/365

VS.

Parent's Choice formula is Wal-Mart's generic version of Enfamil. It's a TON cheaper than Enfamil and all the ingredients are exactly the same - the comparison to both formula's are on the back of the container. Leila is particular to Enfamil and didn't notice a difference when we gave her the other brand. We were stoked because Parent's Choice is about 1/3 the price! 

A few days later we noticed Leila's bowels were out of whack, I soon realized it was the formula. Turns out Enfamil, Similac, and Nestle Good Start all use a certain powder where Parent's Choice uses oil. It's the same ingredient just in different form. That's why its so much cheaper. Most babies are not sensitive to this slight difference, for those that are it can cause constipation. It was worth a shot, but back to Enfamil we go.

106/365

Stumbled upon some awesome finds while thrifting.
What makes thrifting so fun is it forces you to be creative. I've learned that you need to look at a piece not for what it is, but for what it can be.

Side note: I learned something about my little girl while enjoying the sunny weather this afternoon...she has my skin. That girl can tan! She was showing a little bit of leg between the spot that her pants ended and socks began. In the short amount of time she was in the sun, that little patch of skin turned brown (not red). This makes me oh so happy.

105/365

Leila was due for her 9 month appointment - I love her checkups because it's a time for me to ask the Dr. any question under the moon. Dr. Zollo is great, he is caring and blunt. He tells me how it is.

Stats:
Height: 28 inches long - 75th percentile Weight: 17.6 oz - 25th percentile Head: 44.8cm - 75th percentile

The doc asked me if...
-she can clap: Almost, she'll put her hands together and clap when she gets excited.
-she can pick things up with her pointer finger and thumb: sometimes, she's getting there
-she can crawl: nope
-she can say dadda and mamma? yes
-does she know what they mean? not sure. He said i'll know when she does
-she can stand and lean up against objects? yes, very well

Overall Leila is doing well. There were a few things I wanted to discuss with him: the main one being swaddling. I told him we're still swaddling Leila and wanted to get his opinion. To stop or not to stop...that is the question. His answer was this: swaddling is great because it helps babies sleep longer but can create light sleepers because the movement of their arms can wake them up. He said I'll probably have to fight the battle eventually and recommended I rid her of the habit now.

He chatted with me for a good 30 min about parenting and how to ease her out of being swaddled. I wanted him to tell me exactly what to do, how long to let her cry (because I hate letting her cry), when to go in, etc. He didn't give me the formula I was looking for but said I just need to do whats best for us and for Leila.

He also said it doesn't matter what I do, as long as I'm consistent. If I go in randomly then I'm teaching persistence, "if I cry, mom will come". Leila won't know WHEN I'm going to come in her room, but she knows I WILL. Persistence is not a good thing to teach her, but I think I already have taught her to be persistent. Dr. Zollo said to give it 3 days to a week. Ha, yeah, he doesn't know my daughter.

When I asked him if he recommended any good parenting books he said I don't need one and he's already taught me what I need to know to get thru the next 20 years. The bottom line is:
SAY WHAT YOU MEAN AND BE CONSISTENT!

I think I've created a monster! It's not Leila's fault that she can't sleep any other way and I feel bad making her suffer because of it. We'll gradually ease into it...or just swaddle her the rest of her life. Who knows. Knowing Leila, it'll take her a solid  month before she's cured of being swaddled. I've read online about parents who swaddle their kids until 12 months of age and the child has grown out of it on their own. I'm hoping Leila grows out of it. Eric and I haven't decided what we'll do but we need to come up with a game plan and stick to it.

I do know one thing, I'm not swaddling my next child.

104/365

Summer time means camping and outdoor cooking...dutch oven style. This class taught me that just because you're camping doesn't mean you can't eat a gourmet meal. I thoroughly enjoyed this class, mostly because of how entertaining Chef Todd is. I don't know why but he kind of reminds me of the character that plays Michael Scott's best friend, Todd Packer, in The Office...just a smidgen. He's not inappropriate like the character but has a sense of humor. The girls may not agree.

We had some delicious food and walked away with the recipes. The menu consisted of: creamed corn, barbecued beef ribs, paella valenciana, lyonnaise potatoes, and apricot snacking cake. Everything was delish but the star of the night was the creamed corn...and of course dessert. I ate myself under the table but still made room to finish that huge portion of cake I served myself.

Dutch oven cooking is kinda like grilling, a man's specialty (well, I say that because I'd prob need Eric's help with at the coals, etc). It's all about understanding the temperature of a dutch oven and knowing how to use it...there's somewhat of a science behind knowing how many coals to put on top of it.

I'd love to go to culinary school but I'd most likely do it just for fun. Eric and I have actually talked about how fun it'd be to open up a restaurant and live above it. Who knows, one day. My neighbor went to culinary school at UVU. I just found out that Chef Todd was her instructor and she has tons of his recipes...including the butternut squash soup! I'm stoked. Blue Lemon offers cooking classes year round...I'll be back for sure.

103/365

I'm in the market for a jogger. Laura and I are going to start jogging together to get our butts in gear for a half marathon. She already registered for the Bryce Canyon half marathon...I have yet to do so. It's on July 16th (just over one year after our babes were born). I haven't even started preparing for it yet...to be honest I have no idea how to prepare other than to just get out there and start running I guess. I've never been a runner, but I think it'd be fun to start running and to have something to look forward to. After all, running is the best way to get my exercise while having my little one in tow.

We were supposed to go for a jog today (well, I was going to see how my stroller could keep up with Laura's jogger). We were dressed in our workout gear and everything, but then I heard Gap was having a sale. We made a detour and got some cute stuff for a screaming deal. The sale was an additional 40% off and all tops were buy one get one free. Gap has the best sales. I only shop sales.

Now, it's time to scrub KSL for a jogger.

Oh, and Leila loves Martha...Laura's dog. Martha is already used to having Violet around and is so good with babies. Martha is gentle and kept licking Leila. She was all about it and welcomed the love. Seeing her interact so well with Martha makes me want a dog.