181/365

My mom sure knows how to pick 'em. She brought Leila three early birthday gifts when they were here last weekend and Leila can't get enough of them. Nothing on the planet makes her more excited than this piano, she can play with it all day long. 

And here's a video to show off her dancing moves.

180/365

Definitely needed this GNO!

Sleepless in Orem

We've been having some sleepless nights in the Fuessel home.

Leila's getting four new teeth, think she'll be rockin' six teeth by her 1st birthday. When her bottom two came in she was a champ but these four aren't coming in so softly. The past week has been a challenge for all three of us because Leila's lost interest in drinking milk, eating food, and sleeping - doing all three of these things is a chore. We've tried all the teething remedies and tylenol/oragel seem to work best but I don't want to make it a habit. I've tried this herbal thing and it didn't seem to help much. There's gotta be something better out there.

Leila's recently decided that one short nap is enough. Though she's tired and rubbing her eyes she refuses to sleep, so putting her down for bed has been a challenge too and I feel like we're going back to her infant days of trying to get her on a sleep schedule. Last night was probably one the roughest nights Eric and I have had as parents. We put her down at 8 but she only slept for 40 min, then woke up and didn't go back to sleep until 1am. We did every possible thing to soothe her; she'd fall asleep in my arms (rare) and when I put her back in her crib she wouldn't stay asleep.

We eventually brought her in bed with us and that surprisingly worked because she prefers sleeping in her crib. It was kinda fun to have a "slumber party" in our bed but tossed, turned and kicked all night. I don't want Leila sleeping in our bed to become routine but every now and then is fine by me.

She's napping right now and has been for the last 2 hours. I'm praying tonight will be better.

I welcome any suggestions.

178/365

We're ready to get our hike on in MOAB with our new deuter backpack! Yes, we'll be spending the 4th in beautiful Moab. Eric and I went when we were first married and saved delicate arch for last, well we never made the hike up there because we were too exhausted so it's first on our list this weekend.

weekend recap

It was festival overload this weekend...and I was lovin' it. My favorite thing about outdoor festivals is the delicious food.

First we atteneded the Salt Lake Farmer's Market. So many rad handmade things, fruits, veggies, etc.

Then we walked a couple blocks over to the Salt Lake City Art Festival. Leila was kinda over it by this point so we didn't stay too long.

Park Silly Days is probably my most favorite of all.

176/365

There are few sports that get us pumped, we're not ones to sit home and watch sports on T.V. but live soccer is awesome! Going a Real game is on our list of summer musts. When we saw the Groupon we snatched it right up and called the Gunnz to join us.

Rockin' our Mexican soccer jersey's adds to the excitement. One day we'll throw down for Real jerseys and you know I'm gonna get Beckerman's jersey because he's in my "celebrity 5".

We were on the edge of our seats for almost the entire game, it ended 3 to 1. Guess what celebrities we saw - if you can even call them celebrities - the crew from Extreme Home Makeover sponsored that nights game and did some fundraising because they are building a home for Jonah in Daybreak, he is an extreme soccer fan.   

175/365

Got fitted for some new kicks at Runners Corner. Eric outfitted them with all the TV's for their new location so they hooked him up with a 10% off coupon.

I didn't think I was worthy of getting fitted for running shoes because I'm not really a runner - but I am trying to become one. The girl that helped me was awesome and spent an hour with me, she assured me that it doesn't matter how much I run but I do need the right shoe. She gave me about 8 shoes to try and I ran around the outside of the store in every pair until I found the perfect fit. I know so much more about my shoe; how to tie them, what I'm looking for, and even how to run.

174/365

Oh Leila, the things your daddy does to you while he's getting you dressed for bed.

173/365

Graham crackers. Who knew that babies loved 'em? They're Leila's snack of choice and are the only thing that makes her happy after swim class.
I might need to find a new snack because Babycenter just sent me an email about the 10 best foods for babies and the 5 worst foods. Crackers are on the worst list.

summer solstice

Happy first day of summer! Forecast say's its gonna be a hot one!

Here's to BBQ's, s'smores, farmer's markets, park silly days, sunglasses, long runs, bike rides, h2o, shorts, skirts, brown skin, summer reads, shady trees, lemonade, sweat, fresh fruit, corn stands, sun screen, fireworks, camping, outdoor concerts, movies under the stars, festivals, outdoor vendors, warm breezes, sunsets, ice cream cones, and popsicles. Bring it on summer...we're ready! Sometimes I get a little carried away in the summer - and Eric thinks I'm crazy with all the things I want to do - so we'll see what we have time for...especially with LM but it'll be so much more fun with her.

Today is the longest day of the year and we celebrated by getting the best snow cone ever and taking a short walk up Provo Canyon. It didn't get pitch black outside until almost 10pm. The only sad news is after today, the days are going to get shorter.

172/365

My old professor, the Department Chair of the Behavioral Science department, came into the office today. I've run into him a couple times since I've graduated and he still remembers my name - makes me feel like an individual. We made small talk and he asked me what I've been up to post UVU. I know exactly what he was referring to, he wanted to know how I've utilized my degree since I've graduated. I told him I have yet to apply for a masters program. He encouraged me to do so and said it's never too late but if I wait too long they'll look at my application and wonder why so many years have passed. Of course the longer I wait the harder it gets.

I told him the thing that's holding me back the most is the dreaded GRE. If I didn't have to take the test I'd apply for grad school in a heartbeat. I took the GRE prep class at BYU but my pre and post test scores weren't the greatest so I was intimidated to take the real thing, thinking my scores wouldn't be good enough to get accepted. He recommended I read the book Mindset by Carol Dweck. He explained that people who have a fixed mindset think that their talents and intelligence are fixed and we spend our time documenting our talents instead of developing them. In a growth mindset we believe our basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. He said I need to look at the GRE as material that will help me grow and further my intelligence and not as a test or a score. He's right, the things I'll learn by studying for the GRE will help me grow. His statement really stuck with me, I shouldn't be so scared to take it.

I feel like I need something that will push me intellectually, challenge me, and get my brain working again. It's been a while.

I've been wanting to find a summer read and I think I just found it. Steven Clark inspired me to reach for my dreams again and to continue to challenge myself.

...

Nothing makes me happier than being a mother and I love that I get to spend my days with Leila. I never really thought about being a stay at home mom mostly because my mom wasn't. When I moved to Utah I realized that when women start having babies, they stop working too. What a luxury. I didn't really have an opinion about working or staying home until I became pregnant. Now that I'm a mom I see the importance of being at home to raise our kids; Eric and I agree that we want our children to be at home with a parent rather than in daycare. There are so many benefits to staying home with your child that I cannot begin to list them all, but the biggest benefit is probably the special bond Leila and I share. I think I can give Leila the time she deserves and we only have them for a short while. I'm lucky that I get to bring her to work with me, but we'll soon outgrow this place and being in the home is where I want to be...for now.

I think I would still like to get a masters degree so I have the opportunity to go back to work when and if I desire to do so. It seems that now a days having a bachelors degree is like having your high school diploma. I can't do much with my degree in social work and need to continue my education if I want to get a good job. I'd like to go back to work when the kids (thinking 3-4) are in school and that's why my ideal job is to be a  high school counselor - same schedule as the kids.

I'm going to set a goal to take it by ___ date...but who knows, it may never happen. After all, graduate school cost a pretty penny especially if I'm  going to put it to use right away. 

171/365

I bid adieu to my parents today but will see them, along with and Ana and Ashlee, in a short 3 weeks for Leila's 1st birthday. I can't believe all 4 of them are going to make the long drive for her celebration, they said they wouldn't miss it for the world. So the pressure's on and we've gotta make it a good one!

They needed to leave with a happy stomach so I introduced them to the best french toast on the planet:

Perk of having a seven peaks pass: free admission to the Orem Owlz. We mostly went to socialize and to enjoy the nice weather because I did not pay attention to the game and only looked at the field when the ball came right towards us. We went with the Urrutias and Sanfords...we are starting to do everything with these couples and I love it.

Erin was like the mother hen...at one point all the babies wanted to be around her.

170/365

Dad - You are one of the most supportive and sweetest people in my life. I love our talks, I've loved spending time with you throughout the years, and I love your advice. Because of you I know what a good man looks like and what a good father does, you love unconditionally. Due to your example, I found my other half. You will always be one of the most important men in my life. After calling you on the phone for so many years, I'm ecstatic that I get to share this wonderful Father's Day with you. It was such a special treat. I love you so much!
P.S. I know I'm your favorite daughter :)

To my baby's daddy - You are the best father for my little Leila. You are patient, sweet, loving, caring, fun, energetic, spontaneous, dedicated, spiritual, you are my best friend and all around perfect in my eyes. I'm so excited that we've started a family together. I've loved watching you grow into this new role of fatherhood, it suits you so well. I love how you take time to be with us over anything else. I think the 3 of us make a perfect team and I love you with all my heart - you are the most important man in my life. Happy 1st Father's Day my love! Leila and I are so lucky to have you.

And we hope you like the cheesy homemade gift we made you...you're our HERO and we couldn't resist.

baby contest

We got the Freedom magazine in the mail that lists all the festivities going on in Utah County this summer. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a big fan of celebrating holidays and am all about community events so you better believe I combed through that magazine and made a mental note of all the things going on in the valley.

Years back when I worked at UVU I was asked to help judge the baby contest as part of the freedom festival. I thought it was the cruelest thing ever. How can you judge a baby? And what on earth do you judge them on? All babies are cute and how horrible is it to say that your baby isn't cute enough? I couldn't do it. 

BUT...I stumbled upon the baby contest in the magazine and thought, hmm, I have a cute baby, maybe I'll enter her in the contest. Of course now that I have a baby it's ok. I wanted do it for fun but also it was more out of curiosity. How do they decide who is the cutest baby? 

Leila wasn't in her most charming mood because she refused to go down for her nap and just wanted to play in her crib so we almost bagged the contest completely...but decided to go anyway. Eric and I were one of the last to arrive and had no idea what to expect. 

Turns out they actually judge the babies on how they interact with the judges. The judges spend about 5 minutes with each kid and play games with them and see how they react to the judges, the toys, etc. Like I said, Leila wasn't her charming self so I'm sure she failed (I have no idea what they wrote about my daughter on their notepad but she did get a ribbon!). We didn't even attend the ceremony and I don't think we'll be entering Leila or any of our other kids in future baby contests. It was meh. 

Instead we walked through the hall of flags and checked out the newly renovated business building. It brought back memories of our days here. I have a great sense of affinity with UVU and just love this place. I miss learning in a classroom setting and hopefully one day I'll get my masters degree in school counseling.

169/365

Billy and Iris finally decided to make the move from California to Utah after years of wanting to move out here. They made it safe and sound after almost 24 hours of being on the road. Moving is never fun, especially from one state to another, so everyone, including Eric, helped get them settled in. It'll be nice to have my brother so close.

My parents will be in town through Monday and I couldn't be happier to see them. And for the first time in years I'll get to spend fathers day with my dad. Oh happy day!

s'mores

Sitting around a campfire roasting hot dogs and s'mores screams summer to me. There are so many things Eric and I want to do this summer and this was one of them. Thanks to the Urrutias and Sanfords I was able to cross roasting s'mores off my list...finally!

We had a blast just talking and laughing. Erin brought the pack n play and we put all three girls in there. Erin said they looked like a litter of puppies and they absolutely did. It was a little tight and sometimes they stepped on each other but I think they enjoyed themselves.

This is the 'we took too many pictures and I'm too lazy to upload them all' collage.

We've all become good friends and I love hanging out with these girls.

168/365

There's nothing better than starting off your day with an early morning run outside. I feel like I've already accomplished something and my day starts off right. Leila and I have started running in the mornings and she can last about 45 minutes in the jogger. Monday we did 3 miles, today we did 4.  My goal is to add a mile-ish each week and keep my time around 45 min - 1 hr.

I enjoy running without music because it's my time to think and reflect:
-I want to be the type of mother that always has time for her children
-I want to go to bed at a decent time every night and work out everyday (I'll never regret working out but will regret not working out).
-I want to have dinner on the table most nights and learn how to sew clothes for the babe.
-I want to strengthen my photography skills
-I want to have time to lift others up around me
-I want to be a better mother/wife/daughter/sister/aunt
-I want to wake up early and make good use of my time

167/365

Leila Mae - 2 weeks old

Leila can be so unpredictable at times. Sometimes she'll sleep through the night and other times she won't. She's been going through this phase where she doesn't go down right away for her bedtime, she'll just pull herself up and stand at the edge of her crib, crying at the top of her lungs waiting for us to come get her. We've gotta let her cry it out otherwise this will be an ongoing game.

Last night she woke up at 10:30 and 12:30.  I don't know what her deal was but something must have been bugging her because this isn't normal behavior. Right when I thought she was finally down for the night, she woke up again. Maybe it's the 4 new teeth I can see coming through beneath her gums, poor girl. Anyhow, I rocked her back to sleep like I did months and months ago. She hasn't fallen asleep in my arms in what seems like ages and it was so nice to cuddle up with my baby girl even if it was in the wee hours of the night.

How I miss those nights when she'd sleep on my chest - that's the way we slept at night when she was first born. I wanted to soak up every minute of her and I did. As much as I miss the newborn stage, I do like the fact that life these days isn't as much of a guessing game and can appreciate the fact that she can now sleep through the night (for the most part) and that she is a little more independent.

166/365

Oh how I love summer!

 We've been enjoying our Seven Peaks passes...so has everyone else and their moms.

It was PACKED today. We could hardly find a spot to layout our towels.

It seemed like every last bit of swimming pool real estate was occupied.

Laura and I still managed to layout and cool off.

It was only Wednesday. I wonder what Saturday's will look like.

But life is pretty great for us when this is the only thing I have to complain about.

On our way home we drove by a Hawaiian shave ice shack and couldn't resist. 

There are tons of these shacks in Utah and I didn't think snow cones were my thing.

I'm more of a warm ooey gooey brownie with ice cream kinda girl.

I was wrong. So wrong. It's especially delicious with vanilla ice cream. 

Mmm, divine. I'm ready for round two.

165/365

The Bishopric visited our home tonight and spent a good hour just talking and getting to know us. They are all pretty wonderful and I learned so much from them and from our new family ward in the short time we've been attending. I love this ward already and am so excited to be around people with more experience under their belt so I can learn from them. I'm thankful for the sacrifices these amazing men make by being in the Bishopric. They left leaving the spirit in our home. This makes me happy.

That's all.

164/365

Our new ride:

Yup, we hold the keys to this black beauty.

We've been wanting a 4Runner since I can remember. 

Now was the perfect timing and we got the perfect one.

We've searched high and low for this baby and I think she was meant to be ours.

163/365

The perks of living/managing a storage facility are taking joy rides in this baby:

11 months

To my Leila,

You are eleven months now. Almost a year. Only one more month before your 1st birthday. We've already started planning your party. I'm sure there will be lots of balloons, too many photographs, and lots of adults standing around watching you destroy a cake. This will be a monumental occasion. Your first year of life! You made it. We made it. And better yet we all fell very much in love.

I'm in awe that 11 months can hold so much change, challenges, developments and lessons. Not that I can pretend to know exactly what I'm doing most of the time but I feel a bond between the two of us and I hope I'm in tune enough to know your wants and needs.

The most significant highlight from this past month is that you started crawling! You took a little longer to do it but you needed to get it down just right. The second you realized how to coordinate those arms and legs you took off and haven't looked back. Your father and I love watching you and crack up every time the front door opens because you crawl frantically for the outside.

Since you've started to crawl and get into things I've had to use the word "no" countless times. You're definitely learning the word and every time your daddy or I say "no" you stop what you're doing and look at us. Sometimes you test your limits but you've caught on pretty quickly and now stay away from the computer cords under the desk.

You're a good little eater (most of the time) and love feeding yourself. You're favorite foods are quesadillas, string cheese, bread, graham crackers, banana coconut pancakes, and you still love baby food. I think your favorite food will be Mexican because you love anything with cheese and tortillas. We love watching you snatch up your food and shove it in your mouth. You absolutely love drinking through a straw! You get so excited when you see a straw and usually drink too much too fast. Water is your favorite beverage. However, since we've come back from California you've gone through this phase where you only like to drink 3-4 ounces of milk where you used to drink 6 ounces every 3 hours. Are you just growing out of drinking milk and relying more on eating normal foods?

Leila, I just want to thank you for making me a mom. I seriously can't imagine a better thing to do with my life. This time last year I was hugely pregnant and nervous with the anticipation of what was to come. I wish I could go back and tell that scared, pregnant lady that she'd be more in love than she ever thought possible and that she'd have the sweetest little girl in the world.

Lots of love and kisses,

Mom

162/365

I've worked from 8:30-5:00 for the past 3 Saturdays in a row and it's sucked! I can't wait to have my Saturday's back so I can enjoy the summer with my little fam and do activities outside - hiking, swimming, picnicking, camping, roasting s'mores, etc.

Eric went up to his parents to put his handy man skills to work by repainting the vent on the chimney. I wasn't there to capture the magic so Eileen thoughtfully took photos for me and played with Leila so I can get some work done.

Grandma and Grandpa have been so involved in Leila's little life, they love tending and nothing makes us (and them) more happy. In the past 10 days they've watched LM 4 nights so we can go to the temple, go to 2 concerts, and do adult stuff like shopping for a new car. They seriously have been so great and I don't know what we would do without them...probably not go anywhere alone.

Oh, and Leila, you've given your grandma a run for her money because you pooped in the tub for the very first time when she bathed you. Glad it happened to grandma because she knew just what to do. She must love you. You'll have to thank her when you're older.

We all know that living a safe distance away from the 'rents is ideal, but since we've had Leila and since they are pretty much the only ones that watch our princess, I'm tempted to move even just a block away from them (ok..not really but it'd be oh so convenient). We love them so much and are thankful for all they do for us and LM.

161/365

I'm in the need of summer shorts but don't feel like spending the money on a new pair.

I decided to refashion these old red pants I never wear.  

Ta da...a new pair of shorts in seconds. Think I'll get more use out of them now.