It's Inevitable, I guess....

Talia had her 1 year well baby check yesterday, and I can no longer deny that she is one year old. The checkup went really well....she weighs 19 lbs, 10 oz, and is 29 inches long.
She's dropped to 29th percentile in weight, instead of the 35th, which is normal when kids become more active. she's 50th percentile in height, and 70th percentile in head circumference (my kids get big heads from their FATHER). She did the best she's ever done at the doctor...let him examine her without crying or fighting, showed him all her new skills (and her development is right on track, too!) and was her normal sweet, happy self. She only cried for a minute with her shots, and when they poked her thumb for the iron test, she was eating a Dum-Dum, so she barely even noticed. After the sucker....
She had it everywhere, but she seemed to enjoy it. She was a little cranky yesterday when her doses of Motrin or Tylenol wore off, but was great once redosed. She slept good last night, and woke her normal happy, sweet self this morning. And best of all, the shots didn't make her leg swell up this time. Yay!!!

Today is a "me" day...My hair stylist is back from maternity leave, so I'm getting my hair done finally...Now, it may not seem like a big deal to most people, waiting 7 weeks, but my hair is completely gray. I have to get it colored every 5 weeks, and that's pushing my limits, because my hair grows really fast. Right now I have a huge white stripe running down my head. The only saving grace has been that my actual haircut has grown out well. My hair (besides being gray) is curly and thick, and there's just so much of it. Janelle (my stylist) has to do a lot of "texturizing" (taking the extra weight out) with both a razor and texturizing shears so that my hair doesn't grow out and look like a triangle on my head. Usually by 5 weeks, I'm almost ready to buzz all my hair off....and even though Janelle told me if I really couldn't wait, she's make special arrangements to come back early for 1 day to do my hair...I really didn't want to interrupt her maternity leave if I could stand my hair long enough. For once, my hair cooperated. Today, however, I intend to bask in the bliss of having my hair look pretty again.

Haunted Houses in April?

So, while I was off scrapbooking this weekend, Cole took the boys to a haunted house down in Salt Lake. For a full account (and the story's pretty funny) Check out his blog... but all three of my boys had a really good time, and Cole seemed rejuvenated. This cute pic of Talia in the first new birthday outfit she's been able to wear...it was finally warm enough today. It's getting harder to get pics of her staying still...the minute she sees me pointing the camera at her, she's trying to get to me as fast as possible.

Therapeutic Scrapping....

So, I scrapbooked all day on both Friday and Saturday, and these pages are what I got done...plus 2 more pages that are all done except for the journaling. The boys meet their sister for the first time....
Visitors in the hospital....
Coming home...

1st tub bath...
More baths (Talia really hated them for awhile)
Her blessing day....

So, all together I got 16 pages fully done, and 18 if you don't count the missing journaling on the one not pictured here. I used my Cricut alot....I got a new cartridge at Michael's sale this week...it's called "Cuttin' Up", and I love it. It's a really fun font. It was really good to make some progress on Talia's baby album...and a little sad to know that I'm a year behind still...but oh well.

My Hell week....

This week has not been fun for me. I worked Monday night, got 3 hours of sleep on Tuesday, and went back to work Tuesday night. I got 3 hours of sleep Wednesday morning, but since I was up anyway, I wanted to make a treat for Mindy and her family, because her grandma had died, and they'd been doing all the funeral stuff. I decided to make chocolate chip cookies, because I figured I could bake most of the cookies, and have just a little of the dough. Well, in my sleep deprived state, I made cookie dough and put it in the fridge to cool. I did get a nap Wednesday, 1 hour and 15 minutes until Talia woke me. Then, I laid there for 15 minutes trying to drag myself out of bed, and listening to Talia play in her crib, until her sounds became more demanding of my presence. I got dressed and ready, and went to Staff meeting. I hate staff meeting Wednesdays. It's just one more day I have to get a babysitter, and go into work. Staff meeting from 3:30 til 5, then I went and bought Talia a big girl carseat...one that faces forward. I had saved 2 from when Alec was a baby...one is in Cole's car, and the other one was missing a vital piece...and I hated it anyway. I really like the new carseat. When I got home, we had dinner, and then I baked the cookies. They didn't turn out...more like they melted all over the pan. Cole laughed at me, of course...then, when he looked at the dough, he asked me if I had put enough flour in. As I thought back (more clearheaded in the evening than I was in the morning), I realized that I had, in fact, shorted the recipe 3/4 a cup of flour. That explained it...I should never try to cook when I'm exhausted. We went to bed later, and I slept like a rock...and today got up to start all over. I'm back at work tonight. I really didn't want to be here, I was hoping to be called off...but my hopes were dashed when they took one of the other therapists off the schedule. So, I'm cranky and irritated...and I know I'm complaining and sound really, really whiny. I am a very blessed woman...I have 3 beautiful children, a wonderful husband, a career that (usually) I like and enjoy, a beautiful home, a wonderful ward, supportive friends, and I am 3 lbs away from my first goal weight! Now that I've vented, however, I feel a bit better. And after tonight, I get to have 2 days of scrapbooking..../me time. So I won't complain anymore.

I feel...

Like I should post, but I haven't felt like I have anything really to say. It's been an uneventful week since Talia's birthday. She's getting really good at taking 2-3 steps, then lunging for our arms. It won't be long, I'm sure, until she's toddling all around the house.
Kyle is busy getting ready for mini society...We're kind of excited about what products he'll be selling, but more will come on that later.
Alec is forever asking to go outside and jump on the tramp...I keep praying for nice weather, so I don't have to tell him no and see the disappointment in his big green eyes....
Cole is busy working on shrunken heads. Check out my link to his blog, An UnOrthOdOx Halloween
I have a busy week and weekend planned...working Mon and Tues, staff meeting on Wed, working on Thurs, and scrapbooking on both Friday and Saturday. Friday I'm going with friends from work, and Saturday with my wonderful family...I should have some pretty good pages to post.

I've also been playing around with designing bracelets...I made a really cute one for Talia on Sunday morning while I watched conference...red beads and silver hearts...I'm getting better at it.

I feel very out of the loop right now, however...so if you have any news, let me know :)!!!

Happy First Birthday Talia!!!

So, 1 year ago today, at 7:17 am, I gave birth to my sweet daughter. I woke up about 7 this morning, and went over the experience in my head...like I do every birthday for all my kids. What I remember most about Talia's birth was that I had been up all night, hadn't been able to sleep because I was too excited, and my parents and sister were teasing me that because it was April Fools, it was going to be another boy, not the girl I had prepared for. But the teasing didn't phaze me, because I KNEW she was my daughter. The birth went well, and so easy...my epidural did stop working when I went from a 7 to complete, but they gave me a dose directly in the line of the meds, and I delivered pain free...and then was able to get up and walk less than an hour later. Perfect. My daughter was delivered, 6 lbs, 11 oz, 20 inches, with tons of dark hair. After it all, I sent Cole home to sleep...and I was exhausted, but I didn't want to send her to the nursery so I could sleep, so I kept her, in my arms, and watched General Conference to stay awake. And of course, later on, the visitors started coming, and that kept me awake...I just couldn't let her out of my sight. Until that night, when I sent her back to the nursery, and slept so soundly that I didn't even wake up when they came in to check on me.

So, these pics are from her birthday party, which we had on Sunday night ( I have to work tonight. I requested it off, but didn't get it, and couldn't find anyone to trade me).

Princesses on her cake....
She did really good with the presents...
She loved this "scooter" Cole and I got her...
And all three of my kids loved the kitchen Nana and Papa gave her....this learning kitchen, by the way, is really, really cool...I highly recommend it.
Albertson's does a free "baby's first cake", so that's why I ordered from them...once Talia figured out what it was, she did really well...and of course got it everywhere!!

So, today is bittersweet...on her party day, I could rationalize that she's really not 1 yet...but no more. She's almost entirely off her bottle (just the nightime one, and we'll faze that out this week)...she's trying to walk on occasion, and she's finally cutting the last of her teeth...So we're both a little cranky today. Later, after we shower, I'll post her real "1st birthday" picture.

Tag: Beauty Secrets

Shampoo: John Freida Radiant Red....my stylist never ceases to be amazed that a "store brand" shampoo keeps my color looking so good!
Conditioner: The same...but for deep conditioning (2-3 times per week), I use Loreal Nature's Therapy Mega Moisture.

Body Wash: Amazing Grace by Philosophy, or Moonlight Path by Bath and Body Works

Face Wash: Purity Made Simple by Philosophy...

Handsoap: In the kitchen Midnight Pomegranate, in the Bathrooms Moonlight Path

Deodorant: Degree for Women clear...the only clear deodorant I have ever found that keeps up with both my sweaty and stinky girl genes....

Foundation: I'm a Bare Escentuals devotee, so my foundation is Bare Minerals in "Fair"
Eye shadow: Bare Minerals, my fav shades (I use at least one of them every day for a base on my eyelids) are Cultured Pearl and Bikini
Eye liner: I ususally use Bare Minerals shadows as liners...right now my 2 favs are Nice Rock (a sparkly brown) and Soul Sister (an amethyst)
Mascara: Sephora Lash Plumper in black. It was a sample I got when I ordered, and I love it!
Lipstick: I'm not a lipstick girl.
Lipgloss: Buxom Lips by Bare Escentuals....or Clinique Superbalm is pretty good too.
Blush: Bare Escentuals (again) complexion boosters...Clear Radiance or Pure Radiance..or NARS in Orgasm....
Tampons: OB...no applicator, easy to transport.
Pads: Eww...only when I've just given birth.

Lotion: Eucerin Daily Replenishing lotion...I need a lotion that gives lots of moisture in a light formulation, or my skin breaks out.

Gel: no gel, but I do use Curl Rocks products on my hair when I do it curly, and a straightening balm on my hair when I straighten it. And an anti-frizz serum by Garnier.
Hairspray: Aussie Mega Volume or Sprunch Spray (depending on curly or straight hair)
Body Spray/Perfume: Very Sexy by Victoria's Secret (the red bottle)


**** All of the makeup products mentioned are available at the new Sephora store in JC Penney's in Riverdale...I went in last week for something else, and found myself in heaven...I didn't know that our JC Penney's was getting a Sephora so soon, and now I keep trying to find excuses to go to Riverdale!!!