Comic relief

This video cracks me up every time I watch it. Erik is so expressive with his face! His face is starting to change recently, he is a chunky monkey! He has hilarious expressions and his smile now encompasses squinty eyes, crinkled nose and arched eyebrows! It makes me chuckle just thinking about it. He is laughing more and is sitting better all the time. His rolling is still not good, but we will get there. Supposedly I will get a call within the next 3 weeks to schedule his evaluation- I was speechless. 3 weeks! If he was disabled I would be so mad that he would be put months behind farther and now he may be caught up (which isnt such a bad thing) but what an inefficient system!

As much frustration as I had last week, I must tell you how funny Erik is and how happy he keeps me. Lindsay came home which was a relief. Although he came home with a stomach virus and I was taking care of both Erik and him for almost a week and he couldn't help out cause we didn't want to pass it around the house. Linds is now back in working order after seeing the doc and has contracted a head cold, the old saying is true when it rains it pours. But after my hardest day last week I decided I needed to pull myself out of the rut and gain perspective....things could be much worse. So I decided to pick a good attitude and take whatever came our way in stride. Luckily I made that choice before Linds arrived home otherwise I think I may have locked myself in the bathroom and had a sob party. I cooked homemade chicken noodle soup for the first time ever for my sick love (by the way it turned out spectacular, I even added a dash of curry powder-delish! I never seem to be able to follow a recipe exactly, it makes me feel too much like a perfectionist which is totally not my style). On friday we found out the sealing and blessing will not be held this month which devestated me for about 1o minutes..........then I remembered my decision to take everything in stride. I decided to feel relief and roll with it. We don't have a date yet but things look like they will be pushed back until octoberish.

Little man kept me in giggles since Linds has been home. The bond those two have is incredible I wish I could capture it on camera. Erik and Lindsay both light up like a piece of themselves has made it's way back to its spot when they are together. Erik returned to himself as soon as he saw Lindsay, no more fusses or crying and good naps! I know some of it is him feeding off my anxiety and I really need to stop isolating and get out so he sees more people than just me when Linds is gone. Also next time Lindsay leaves for any length of time we are going to video tape him reading a book and talking to Erik or something so that Erik can see him. It's hard because right now he doesn't understand and there is no way to explain, he just knows that Daddy is gone and then at some point he is home, poor guy!

Retail Therapy

So you know how I have had a rough going lately? Well today I decided to take hold of that and do some retail therapy. It was perfect! I had a $10 bill I was willing to spend and I went with the intention of going to the thrift stores to see if I could find any good toys or activities for the little man.



First stop was McDonald's. I know that is not thrift shopping but i was treating myself. I bought a few things off the dollar menu to satisfy my junk food craving. Then we headed to the first shop. No luck there...mostly just clothes for adults or older kids. Next stop we hit the jackpot. Usually this thrift store I find to be a bit pricey so when I went to the toy section I was a) suprised to see so many toys b)ecstatic that they were cheap! So with just under $7 this was my bounty for the day......


Can you believe it? They had another little people playset too but I didn't have enough cash. So now I just need to get some little people to help and I am good to go.


In case you can't see there is..

A fire truck that holds the large legos
A bag of the large legos
Alphabet magnets
Little people Jungle playset
a bib
An activity board and some miscellaneous small toys



I will admit, that felt wonderful!

Grinning and Bearing it

This was me today and yes that is spit up on my shoulder. This week and this afternoon especially was one of those weeks/days. I am trying to stay positive but secretly I have wanted to lock myself in a padded cell at least once a day. It doesn't help that Linds is gone right now and have also wished we live in the same town as our parents about 100 hundred times these past few days. Let's be honest this is how I would look if you came across me right now.....

I am not angry but beat. Let's go thru a quick run through of some of todays events, shall we?

-Got up early with Erik, nothing unusual

-Had a couple of girls from the ward dropped off because they needed to be watched, still going good

-After lunch we go to drop the girls off at somebody else's house. I was going to just drop them off and take Erik back home to nap but the homeowner's love Erik and offered to have him nap there and I could just hang out.

-Sure I say (stupid) why not, I miss adult conversations this week and a change of scenery is always nice (I tend to isolate when Lindsay is gone)

-Erik sleeps for maybe 20 minutes and starts screaming for the millionth time this week

-Has anyone seen a closet I lock myself into?

-Get a call from a center I had contacted earlier to try to get Erik evaluated for his motor skills under doctors referral, the lady treats me like I am stupid, like I don't know anything about his adoption logistics*

-Anyone have a mallot to knock some sense into this woman?

-The pair of capris I have on have started wearing a hole in the knees...no!

-Go home put him down again, sleeps 45 minutes and wakes up screaming

-try everything to calm him....takes me forever

-He won't go back down

-Is there a padded cell anywhere?

-feed him bottle and then some cereal,

-screams intermittenly during feeding

-watch part of a baby einstein video before the whining begins again

-time for bedtime (early tonight)

Me.....................utterly wiped out. I miss my little smiley man, the one who giggles and laughs at me. The one who will cuddle me or watch in awe as I read to him and sing. He is now arching his back when he gets into a screaming fit and it breaks my heart.

Hhhmmphf, tomorrow is a new day. I can only hope for the best. For now I am going to relish these quiet moments and read more than a paragraph from my book. Wish me luck!

*You may wonder what his adoption has to do with this evaluation. Since his last name is different than ours until finalization they ask my relation. I tell them and she thought we were involved with DSHS, I say no it's a private agency adoption and the nonsense continued from there. Basically she still doesnt believe me and treated me like I was stupid. Also she asked what his ethnicity is, what does that have to do with anything? Like I said Grinning with teethed clenched and bearing it

nonsense

All right sorry no pics today.

It seems I have not been as camera happy as of late. I need to get on that. I have however been in a total scrapbook mania and completed lots of projects that have been sitting and waiting for me. Usually with scrapping I go through phases where I am totally into it for a while and then I don't do it for months. But ever since I went to AZ in May I have been all about it. I don't think any of my kicks have lasted this long but I love it. Since my trip I have completed our wedding album, a backpacking album, Erik's adoption story book, An album about Lindsay and I and our courtship, and am about finished with an album about myself. I have also completed just random pages for a general family scrapbook. I told my mom last year that I would create scrapbooks with all of her family pictures if she would send me her photos and her scrap supplies that she had collected. It's a big thing, especially now that we take way more pictures with Erik here, but I love it. It's such an outlet for me. Plus with Lindsay having been gone more it gives me something to do while he is away at night.

Since falling into the grooveof motherhood I have also been able to find time for books and have been reading like I can't get enough, well that actually is true. I love love love reading and it was hard for me to read when Erik was a newborn but now I have found time here and there. I think it's interesting how when I am more busy I am actually more productive and have better time management than when I have less boundaries placed on me. Interesting!

Erik had his 6 month appointment this last week and he is doing well. He is 17 pounds 7 ounces (average), 27 1/4 inches (66th percentile), and has an average head size although his head is pretty flat on the back. I am hoping that will round out a bit as he grows, but we will see. He is a bit behind on gross motor skills, so I am up for any suggestions on how to help him learn to sit up on his own and roll from his back to front. Those are the two major ones. Also any tips or suggestions for age appropriate toys and activities I can do with him. I am in a creative rut as to how to entertain him lately. And I don't have an exersaucer or walker or anything. So good ol mom and baby activities would be great!

I will take some pics soon so you can see us! Also finalization stuff is coming along well and we are still on track to have the little man sealed and blessed at the end of the month! We can't wait!!!

Second Weigh In

After the first month of trying to lose weight, it was time for the official weigh in. My dieting started out well but got thrown off when I went to Scout Camp with some of the young men from church. I got back on track last week but came up a little short of my first month goal.

My overall goal for losing weight is 30 pounds in three months. I started out at 228 with a goal of 10 pounds for July. I ended up at 220 pounds, so I have just a little catching up next month. Last month, I just changed my dieting habits, so with some additional working out, I should be able to keep up a steady reduction of fat.