Catching Up

I would have blogged earlier… but something about being a mom with more than one kid makes life a bit busier haha. (Mom’s of more children, feel free to judge)

But now that the girls are close to being on the same sleeping schedule (SO grateful Evelyn isn’t up several times a night, just Claire!), I have a minimal amount of ‘spare’ time on my hands.

Time has been flying by. On Sunday, Claire will be 4 months old! I can hardly believe it. She is very active and chatty, and is always interested in what Evelyn is doing. It’s so fun to watch them interact together. Evelyn loves to make faces and funny sounds to make Claire laugh. It melts my heart to see them play together. Evelyn has grown up so much too. She is learning to be more independent, and I love to see her gain self-confidence. Yesterday at the park, she finally mastered a ‘big kid’ ladder. She must have climbed it 15 times, and every time she finished she clapped and cheered for herself. I don’t think we’ll have too many confidence issues! I can foresee some future FHE’s covering humility though… ha J

Donny has been doing so much. So much. The man is up early, and goes to bed early…the next morning. He’s been burning the candle at both ends since the semester started. As I'm writing this, he is at the library, studying some more. I have loved to see him grow and learn though. When we have time to talk (usually as we’re both falling asleep) and he tells me about what he’s been working on, and future projects and research he’s lining up, I am just amazed at the man I married. Wow was he a catch! He is so good at what he does, and he’s already thinking two steps ahead. He does so much for us, and is always up for a tickle fight with Evelyn, and giggles with Claire. I can’t wait for Christmas break, for him to finally have a chance to rest, and not read or study anything. And of course, see the new Star Wars movie. That’s a no brainer, duh. J

I have been doing well too. Now that I’m sleeping more, I’m feeling much more like my old self. Which is more than refreshing. No one really mentions how emotionally difficult it is to be a mom. Whether it’s your first, or your seventh, having babies takes it’s toll. I’m just so grateful for the amazing support I have received from my husband, family and friends. I love them all so much.

Finding time to do everything I want has been a struggle. I had a friend tell me once, “You can’t have a clean house, happy kids and sleep. You can only have two. Choose wisely.” Ha. And how right she is! This was something I did not want to wrap my head around. I didn’t factor in how hard postpartum life can be. Last year, Donny bought me an entry into the Phoenix Marathon for Christmas. (I know, I’m one of those weird people who ask for that sort of thing) A few weeks after, we found out we were expecting. So I put my race on hold. I figured, I would defer and run in 2016. Eight weeks after Claire was born, I was already logging miles. I was finally able to run again. A huge outlet for me was finally open again. I loved going in the early morning, getting my runner’s high and feeling my sore muscles. It’s my happy place. For sure. (Other happy places include: Movie & popcorn; Donny’s arms; beach & a novel, etc) But as I started to up my distance past 8 miles, I realized I couldn’t do it all. Evelyn wanted to wrestle and play on the playground, and I was too tired to do it. I was spent by 4pm each day, and my family needed me past 9pm. Something had to give, and it wasn’t my girls, that’s for certain. So I worked out a compromise. I decided to do the half marathon instead. Happy mom (with enough energy to play all day), happy girls, happy husband, happy life. Win. Win. Making sacrifices as a mom is hard. You have this mental motivation and picture that says you can fit every little thing into your life. But cramming too much can hurt the people that matter the most. But 20 years from now (when both of my knees have been replaced haha) I know I will be happy with my choice to put my family before anything else. Running around with Evelyn at the park is much more important than running across a finish line.

Have a good one! Until next time!

Daddy Daughter Dance Photo Booth! I love Evy's clenched fists! So excited! Ha :) 

Grammy brought a box to play and color in for General Conference! Such a lifesaver! 

Claire and Evy in the stroller

Grammy and Grandpa Jamie visiting

Happy girls, messy room!

Evelyn was being too quiet in her room, and I came in to find this! My little book worm! 

Making silly faces with the starfish at the aquarium