Oh yea- I have a baby

I realized something today- I have a baby. Lately I have mentioned how well life works with 2 kids- we're in a good routine, everyone is happy and life is good. Sure life is easy when my only ambitions are making sure the three of us are fed, clean, napped and have had sufficient toy/play time. But, when I get cocky and try to actually do something for me or someone else and it's a mess (important side note: I don't clean my bathrooms, vacuum, sweep, mop, grocery shop, etc:). Examples:

---I was in charge of teaching 2 crafts at Super Saturday. Sounds easy enough until you thrown in that I live 20 minutes away from the church, Super Saturday is about 6 hours long and Joe doesn't want to be shuttling a nursing baby back and forth to me every 2 hours (can't blame him) so I end up with Ellie on my hip as I try to teach women how to sew aprons and make bracelets (which you need TWO hands for).
---My Mom has had complications from her brain surgery and subsequent stroke and we want family to be there with her in the hospital 24/7 but again, I have a nursing baby and all I can do is wish I were there and send lots of prayers her way (good news- she might be out of the ICU today which is HUGE cuz she's been there for almost 2 weeks now- yeah Mom!).
---For those of us who couldn't do our Super Saturday crafts we had a little get together today to finish our projects which was a huge joke for me because- oh yea, I have a baby who is a constant fixture in my arms (thanks Carter for being a trooper though!).

I don't mean to complain, I love my little chunk and I know I used to have alone time and hobbies I could pursue and that time will come again- I just forgot that when you have a baby you really are semi useless to the world for a number of months (years?). I also know that when these days are gone I will grieve for the time when my children were content being held, danced around the room and having raspberries blown on their tummies. So stay little Elise (and Carter)- and if I ever say something silly like- "I'll teach that class" just remind me that....I have a baby.


Here's Carter sharing his blankie with his sister:)

Smiling

These socks just make me happy. Who thought this up- they are adorable! Carter is in the "hey look at me" phase where he wants me to watch all his cool tricks and Elise is SO ticklish under her left armpit. Those are the other things that have made me smile today. What are you smiling about?

The Glad Game...

Here is my new motto for the day--"How can life be bad when it is so darn good?" Thank you so much for your comments and phone calls. I am so blessed to have good friends and family and I don't utilize that support enough. It's amazing how much better life looks after an evening with friends (even with the kiddos), good night sleep (Ellie must have known I was about to snap) and my sweetie back in town. Here's why life is going to be okay:

Joe is so good to talk things through with me, he reminded me that a highly effective form of torture is sleep deprivation- somehow that makes me feel better (instead of feeling crazy:). I wouldn't last 24 hours being tortured this way before I'd crack and blab everything. Good thing I know nothing.

To be fair to Ellie, she was sleeping 8-11 hours at stretch until about a week ago and last night she slept 12 hours only waking up once. It's because she sleeps so well that a sudden bout of sleeplessness throws me so much.

There is no defense to be spoken for our computer or the gas shortage or my running- they both suck (sorry). But I am going to take Rachel up on the offer for running help!

I KNOW I am supposed to have this organ calling. I may butcher the songs every week but I get to truly enjoy the sacrament in a way I haven't for almost 3 1/2 years- without children. And Heavenly Father knows I need that . But I still feel like I owe a public apology every week.

Carter played with friends last night and he is over playing with a friend right now and he is so happy about it. And when he's happy, I'm happy. It's hard to know what is best for your kids and as parents we just have to do what we feel is right. Even if it's different then what everyone else is doing or if we seem to overprotective.

I am so grateful that this weekend is Conference weekend. I know we have a wise Heavenly Father who knows that my batteries are getting low and I need a spiritual recharge. And thank you Bonnie for your comment, it really got me thinking. Today I've probably cried four times but it's because I'm grateful for what I do have. Maybe sometimes you have to get real low and humble before you see just how bright that light is at the end of the tunnel and you can see how immensely you are blessed.