So I'm a little behind on posting and since I'm trying to keep up and use this as my journal, I will bore you with the details of Mother's day :) that is, if you end up reading past this.
The Friday evening of that weekend, Clay told me to make sure and have the house clean. Well, if that isn't enough of a hint that we would have someone over. ;) He got one of his work buddies to come over and stay here while Kort was asleep and we could go to dinner. The last time we went out without Kort was last summer back in good ol' Austin, MN. It was so weird to be without Kort. We went to an Italian restaurant, which really wasn't all that great. Oh well. It was nice to get out and just be the two of us.
The rest of the weekend wasn't really all that spectacular. Clay had to work Saturday, like most of the weeks, and so Sunday he took care of Kort like most of the time also. I did, however, get to enjoy a nap without Kort pulling at my hair, and Clay made dinner.
Clay had kept it a secret on what he was making me for the day. I had an idea when he bought play-doh, but it was the best mother's day gift :)
He also let me get a new Scentsy burner!
We were in need of some good smells in our home.
I was just looking through my old posts from last year and realized that I didn't even have one for mother's day. But I suppose I already wrote about that in my last post or so.
I've been thinking lately about how my life has changed by becoming a mother. I get so caught up reminiscing about the past, of the things I would do while being single. There's times that I miss High School, the sports part of it, and being part of a team and competing. Then there's college. I had my moments that I slipped, wasn't as close to my Father in Heaven as I hoped to be, but I had other moments that lifted me up so much that I wish I wouldn't have to come back to reality. Being an EFY counselor was one of those moments. Moving to Rexburg and attending BYU-Idaho was another.
However, it was getting to the point where I was lonely, thinking something was missing from my life, which in turn, missionary work kept popping in my head. Was I supposed to serve a mission? I decided to go to the missionary training class in church, study Preach My Gospel, and meet with my Bishop to find what I all needed to do to prepare if this was to be my next step in life.
I met with him. He told me to continue preparing to serve and go on our ward temple trip the following week and that I would get my answer soon enough. The temple trip was on a Thursday. The next day, Friday afternoon, I received a text from a friend asking if I wanted to go on a blind date that night. Eh. I was sick of blind dates and hated them. I guess I just needed to put myself out there though, and try to meet new people. To make a story short, I met my future husband that night. I'm so thankful for that decision I made.
Flash forward 3 and half years later, we welcomed our first child into the world. I expected to be flooded with this overwhelming love for this newborn. However, hormones got the best of me for quite some time. With the lack of sleep, Kort's bad sleeping habits, and short naps, it was hard for me to look forward and be positive and optimistic.
I don't know when it happened, but I can say without a doubt in my mind, that I love this little boy with every ounce of my body, and then some. I love his smiles, his laughs, his craziness, random facial expressions, and much, much more. I am starting to understand the importance of being a mother, that this little being is dependent upon me. I am the key to his survival.
No matter the ups and downs, there's no reason to get mad at him. He is perfect. He knows no better than to explore and destroy the house, to throw his food on the floor, to want to stay up and play with daddy when he should be asleep.
So now I look back in my past differently. Although I may miss playing sports, working, and socializing, I wouldn't change things for the world. I am so grateful that I get to stay home and raise our child, to watch him grow up. I have definitely become more of a homebody. I still love being in large crowds, but I fear running into people I know. Like you know how awesome it is being at the Cassia County Fair? Yeah, I miss that, but the other part of me fears ever going back just so I don't have to run into old schoolmates, ya know. Kind of pathetic. I considered myself to be outgoing in high school, but I think I'm just the opposite now. Looks like Clay and I have switched roles. But I got my little buddy to hang out with :)
Anyway, along with the hardships and trials, being a mother is a step in life that I wanted to take, and I'm so glad that I have been blessed with that chance.
This video is by Kenneth Cope (one of my favorite LDS singers). I hope you enjoy it like I do.
Last weekend, Kort had a fever of about 102 for a couple of days. We couldn't take him to urgent care, as it was 2 hours away for the closest one that our insurance took. So I tried to schedule an appt. with a Pediatrician this week. Come to find out, the office said since we were new patients, we had to fax over Kort's medical records from Minnesota before we could even get an appointment scheduled. Then, one of the doctors would have to review it beforehand and then they would get back to us to get a time for him to come in. Well, I called MN to have them fax it over, but due to HIPPA stuff, I needed to sign a release form. Ok, I can do that. However, I didn't have ink in the printer so I couldn't print it and then sign it, so I tried getting a hold of Clay to have him use the office fax machine. To make a long story short, I finally got a hold of Clay to get that all worked out, he sent the records to the OK doctor's office. Now about 4 days later, they still haven't gotten back to me. Grr, I was absolutely fed up with them.
In the end, Kort hasn't been to the doctor's office. His fever went away on Monday, but he was still being needy and fussy all day long. Even though he wasn't feeling well, he was still taking 30 minute cat naps. We went for a walk that afternoon to hopefully get him feeling better or happy while being outside. Tuesday, he was feeling the same. I thought he had been teething, hence the fever. He would crawl up on my lap and fall asleep for an hour or so. The last time that happened was when he ended up with a double ear infection. That's why I was wanting to get him in to the doctor. That morning, while he was falling asleep on me, I noticed a brown speck on the back of his neck. I thought it was some dirt or piece of food or whatever and brushed it off. Later that afternoon, I saw it again. Maybe I didn't get it off or it was a new mole I hadn't seen. Tried getting it off, but no such luck. I looked closer at it and it had LEGS! I was completely freaking out! I studied it for a minute and rushed to the bathroom to get the tweezers. Oh.my.gosh! It was a tick. I quickly pricked it out, making sure I got it all out. I put it in a place where Kort wouldn't get to it. I wanted to hurry and look online to make sure that's what it was. Oh my heck, our network was down. Annoying! After putting Kort to sleep for the night, Clay got home and we fixed the internet and I looked up to find out it was most likely a tick, just like I thought. We took Kort out of his bed and hurried and changed his sheets and put him back to bed. I didn't find anymore on him or on me. The only place I can think he got it was behind our complex when we walked through the brush/weeds/grass to get to the golf cart path. We had actually done that the day before. We hadn't been outside Tuesday. So that means that he probably had that thing on him for a whole day. Talk about scaring a mom out! That was another reason why I wanted to get him into the doctor. CDC says that a fever could show up a couple weeks after having a tick, so I'll have to keep a close eye on him.
About the middle of the week Kort had gone back to himself. Friday and Saturday he went back to taking his hour and a half naps!!! I don't know if it's because he was getting sick before so he went to his 30 minute, but whatever, I'm just happy for each long nap. Has anyone else had a freak out like this with their kid? Finding a tick or something like that on their child?!!? Absolutely disgusting. It just gives me the heebie jeebies. This is what Kort was like for most of the time he was down with the fever.
He ended up falling asleep like this a few minutes later. So unlike him. I loved his snuggles,
but I'm glad he's back to his wild self :)
We haven't been up to much here in OK. We did venture out this Easter weekend to OKC and went to the Temple. We figured we probably wouldn't be able to go in together for a while until we get to know people here to watch Kort, so we took turns going in and watching Kort.
It's a beautiful Temple, but one of the "mini temples" built during President Hinckley's time.
It was nice to be there. We headed to lunch and the mall afterwards. Can I just say how much I miss having a mall nearby. Like down the road nearby. Or the Mall of America just down the interstate? There's basically just Old Navy in town, which luckily I love, but I think I'm going to have most of my wardrobe consist of ON by the end of the summer.
I had google mapped how long it would take to get to the temple, which was 1 hour 20 minutes. I didn't realize the route it was taking us on that, and so when we put the address in the GPS, we took the main interstate and had to go through the turnpike toll roads. Exact change required. We had ZERO change. So, we stopped at the coin drop, trying to figure out what to do. Well, we drove through, buzzer sounded, and we just kept going. Same thing with the other toll to get off the turnpike. LAME. Especially considering the total was like $1.60 or something. We'll see if we get a ticket. My neighbor said they rarely do that, and if so, it's not much. Guess we'll see.
Easter Sunday . . . once again, we were bums when it came to celebrating a holiday. I think I was more disappointed in myself for not really taking the time before Easter, to prepare myself for the true meaning. I am so thankful for the Atonement in my life. I know Jesus Christ died for all of us, for all our sins. He suffered in Gethsemane and on the cross. But I know that he rose from the tomb. He LIVES! And because of that, I know that I can live again, and with Him! It's the most amazing miracle!
We got Kort a little easter basket, with bubbles, coloring book, bath toys, toothbrush and toothpaste, and some sweets. A few of Clay's coworkers got together and we all had easter dinner together. It was nice to have dinner with others, and get to know them. So all in all, it was a great Sunday.
And now to update with the previous Chocolate post . . . I failed. HA. Well, not too bad. I pretty much caved during my birthday weekend. Go figure. But I think sweets, in general, are my weakness.
And about Kort's napping . . . yeah, that didn't last long. 2 weeks. Maybe a growth spurt. Although he's never slept like that during any other growth spurt. I still loved every minute of it. He is jabbering non stop, learning more signing like "more" and "all done". We love that little guy to pieces!
This little guy is a whoppin' 15 months old today! I can't believe how much he's grown up since he turned one. Actually, I swear he's grown and changed so much just since we moved. I was accepting the fact that he took 30 minute naps. Last weekend, our full weekend moved in, his naps were just horrible, if he even got some, too. We thought it was just because Clay was home and he wanted to play with him.
Monday comes, and that morning nap turned into a hour nap. Afternoon nap stayed 30 minutes. Tuesday, hour morning nap, hour afternoon nap. Say What?!! Where did this come from? Wednesday, hour each nap. Thursday, the same. Friday, hour morning, hour and a half afternoon. Saturday (today), hour+ morning, 1.5+ afternoon. Where is this coming from?! Even during his other growth spurts, he never slept like this. Can someone please explain this to me? I know the doc said he would eventually get longer afternoon naps, but not this quick or this easy, of what I thought. But hey, I am NOT complaining. A lot of these naps, he's taking almost 30 minutes just to go to sleep, on top of his hour nap, so I get LOTS of extra self time. He talks to himself before falling asleep, and wakes up jibber jabbering. Oh, and his nighttime sleep? He's probably falling asleep around 7:30 and waking up right before 8:00 a.m. This is a huge change as well. I am loving every minute of it. I'm not used to this. I've heard of other babies doing so well and sleeping till 8 or 9 in the mornings, which is normal for them, etc., but this hasn't been normal for Kort.
One thing Clay and I have thought might be the cause for this, is having him sleep back on his crib mattress, and not that lame, thin, pack and play "mattress" that he has for the last 4 months. He has room to sleep and not be in weird positions. We made our own "crib" with a security gate. It's pretty awesome.
Anyway, I'm loving spending time with the babes. Granted, there's not much to do around here when Clay's got the car, but we do get outside and walk around
the parking lot or pool.
On a side note, we just sold our baby today :( Clay's Nissan Maxima, that we have had since getting married (he had it before), but it's been our first car together. Kind of a bitter sweet moment. Nice to get some money to build our emergency fund back up, but sad for the memories it's got with it, now given to a 16 year old girl who Clay's bummed that she's going to put zebra seat covers on. It already has Oklahoma license plates. Weird.
On another note, General Conference (of what we were awake for) was so fulfilling today! Can't wait for Sunday's session.
After researching forever to find a decent place in Enid, we decided to go with Tuscana Apartments. They were the only place to have washer and dryer in the units, and after doing coin operated for 4 months, I HAD to have them in our own apartment.
This is our building. It feels so weird to be in an apartment complex. It's been 4 years since we've lived in one, our very first place together being married, and we only lived there for 3 months. I don't have any complaints, yet. Kort and I have already met a lady and her 2 1/2 year old son. He let Kort drive his power wheels truck which Kort loved! We have the golf course behind our building, which we've walked a couple times. Hopefully I'll get outside early enough soon to take a jog on it.
This is our "resort style pool", which is really kind of lame. It's great for Kort though, as its deepest is 4 feet I think. We'll probably spend lots of time here in the summer, if the water ever warms up.
Overall, we're adapting to Enid. I was afraid of tornadoes, but the owner said in all the 40 years he's been here, he's seen 1 and been in 1. Guess we'll see how that goes this year. Walmart is right down the road and everything is pretty close. I love that we're on the outskirts of town so we don't have to worry about noise and all that. It's pretty nice. Well, I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me soon :)
Move # 23499238 to the windy state of OK! We're headed off to another wind project that Clay will work on - with 140 turbines (it will produce up to 235 mw). We'll actually live in a place for more than 4 months! Woo hoo! I don't know if I'm more excited to get out of this hotel or to move to a new place. I'm pretty excited though.
The city we'll live in is Enid, about 90 miles north of Oklahoma City. I've done a lot of research as to what there is in the city and I think it will be good enough for me :) Sadly though, there is no Target :( It has about 50,000 people. Lots of splash parks for the summer time. A Ross Store. Hobby Lobby (that could get me in trouble). I think the main grocery store people go to is the Walmart Supercenter, which is fine by me. Overall, there will be enough resources for what I need.
I think the biggest concern for me is that we'll be in tornado alley. Especially with what's been happening just east of the state with all the F4 tornadoes, it kind of makes me nervous as to what might happen while we're there. I think that will be one of the first questions I have when we move there and talk to our landlord - safety drills, etc. Ha ha
So, if any of you have ever had the desire to visit OK . . . here's your chance at it to come visit me :)
Going on 7 years of a wonderful marriage, we have grown with 2 handsome boys, moved more than a handful of times, changed jobs, but are finally about to settle down where the wind blows!
