Why hello!

I am alive, we are unpacking and trying to get back to the normal life living in this freezing tundra. St. George and California was fantastic and I can't wait to blog about it! But I have to do laundry first, sorry ;)

Stay tuned!!

Go baby go.

My mom is so wise. When I go to her and explain how crummy baby is sleeping, waking up every hour, wanting to eat all the time, ect she is so wise in telling me that it means he's getting ready to do something.

The last several weeks he would wake up hourly, fight being swaddled, want to eat several times during the night and just be difficult.

The last few days he's only woken up a couple times in the night, stayed swaddled, and didn't need to eat more than once. AND since he started sleeping better he also rolls back to front and front to back both sides, blows bubbles like crazy, curls his tongue like a giraffe and sits up on his own!!! (Not for long though). :) so all those sleepless nights on both our part were adding up to something!

I added a few random Pictures just for fun but hopefully will add the videos soon.

Happy birthday to me

This weekend since my mom was here and we'll be traveling on my actual birthday we decided to have a birthday party! Mom made the most incredible orange dream sicle cake! I have to admit it was pretty fun to open my presents early too! I got an awesome diaper bag, fuzzy Sweatshirt, and a stainless steel skillet!

We made an awesome dinner and then went swimming! See post below :) so I'm not officially 25 yet but it was really nice to celebrate with my mom too!!

First attempt at swimming!

While mom was here this weekend we took the little mister swimming. It was a little cold and noisy for him, but I think summer this will be the best place ever!

He loves the bath but for him this was the worlds biggest tub!
Oh I forgot to mention it was 25 degrees and snowing :) maybe we didn't pick the best day! But it was fun!!

Mr. Eli 5 months young

Well little Mr., what a joy you have been to our family these last 5 very short months!

At your 4 month check you were in the 35% for height at 25 inches, 50% for weight at 15 pounds and of course 95% for head circumference!
You can grab your toes and even bring them to your mouth
You are very close to being able to roll on both sides but the arm is still in the way
You are constantly smiling and laughing
You are so so observant and notice new voices and faces
You are a mommas boy and home body!
I love how when you wake up from a nap I go in your room and you are just smiling and talking
You can fall asleep on your own now!! This is a huge thing! Occasionally you still want to be rocked to sleep but now you can drift off into dream land on your own. Thank you :)
You don't eat during the night but you still wake up a few times
You wear size 3 diapers and 3-6 month clothes
Your are such a blessing to our family and we love you so so much!

Finally.... OUR home.

It's amazing how our apartment was just that... An apartment. We didn't have any pictures of our family hanging up- bedsides in Eli's room. We finally bought some frames from IKEA and printed the pictures we took a few weeks ago. We have loved having them up reminding us we are a family! A happy eternal family. It just makes me smile to walk in the living rom and see everyone up there :) Now our little nest doesn't look so generic. It's ours!!

P.s. I realize the pictures are poor quality, it's taken on the iPad. But that's the only way I can get any pictures up right now, so take it or leave it ;)

Solid foods...attempt 1

Last night we tried Eli with some solid foods... Well just rice cereal. He was not impressed! I used breast milk to dilute it, so it wasn't the taste that he didn't mind, he just wasn't ready to try food. I guess he likes mommy better. Haha.

Nursing 101

I had a few thoughts recently as I have a few friends who are excepting babies. My mom was very open with me with nursing and it helped me feel 100x more comfortable, when it could have been a scary thing.

1. Lanolin. The end. Put it on every single time before you nurse and take a shower and it will prevent cracking and bleeding nipples. It still hurts when baby latches on for a couple weeks, but this stuff is amazing!
2. Patience. When baby is drinking colostrum it seems to take forever! I think I nursed for 40 minutes (20 on each side) while in the hospital and until my milk came in, but it felt like an eternity. Once your milk comes in you'll have enough for twins!
3. If you are planning on exclusively breast feeding just get a cheap breast pump. It will help relieve you when you are engorged. Showers help too with let down. I have an even flow pump and its great. I use it occasionally when I need to pump for a date or something.
4. Enjoy the snuggle time. Even if its 3 am, it's an incredible feeling to just watch your sweet one eat and see how perfectly they fit in your arms.
5. Keep a water bottle and box of granola bars or some snack where you nurse most often, while they are sucking the life out of you, you gotta replenish!
6. I found that boppy (the nursing pillows) were more convenient for laying baby on to nap but too big to help me nurse. I just prop up my elbow with a pillow.
7. I forgot to mention that very first you should take a breast feeding class. We took one through the hospital in my third trimester and another one in the hospital after I delivered. So many good tips! Use the lactation specialist too when you are in the hospital. I didn't need to, but they are there to help.
8. Get a bracelet or one of those clips for your bra to remind you which side you are on. It is so hard to remember in the night and you want to keep it equal between sides.
9. Nursing bras! I got the maternity seamless duo from jc penny's. they are great. So comfortable and come in small, medium, and large which is so nice during engorgement and when you are really full.
10. Get lots of nursing pads. My favorite were made by Lansinoh. After about 3 months my milk was more stable and I made my own with flannel and fleece which work great and save me money. Check them out on Pinterest.
11. Don't be afraid to ask for help. I had my mom to ask and she helped me realize when I had thrush (OUCH) or you can call the la leche league for free for advise, or they can come to your home to watch you and baby latch on.
12. I truly love nursing and want to do it as long as Eli does. Whether that be 9, 12, or 18 months its so rewarding.

Hope these few tips help!

Ooh dear.....

Well, good news first. I am still alive and we had a wonderful thanksgiving visiting family In Idaho. Bad news: the blogger gods have decided to not let me post any more pictures. It says I used up all my free space and either have to delete posts or pay for storage space.

And... Up until about 10 seconds ago I couldn't post on my iPad. I found the app and viola! Posting while rocking baby. Perfect!

Long story short, I will try to figure a way around the picture thing, but in the mean time I will try to at least post something.

Oh! Well it at least let me post an iPad picture. We just ordered a high chair for baby, since it is about time for him to start foods! He is just sitting hanging out, helping me cut fabric for my etsy orders :) I think he likes sitting up instead of being down on the floor. After his bath he was just too tired to eat, so maybe tomorrow night!

craft time!

So i'm sure everyone knows how much I love decorating for the holidays and Christmas!!  We are traveling up to Idaho for Thanksgiving so I am starting my decorating this week, that way when we get home we are ready for Christmas!

 

I have very few Christmas decorations, and very few dollars in my decorating budget ;)  Here are a few easy ideas I have plans to make.  Thanks to Pinterest of course

 

how easy and cute would these guys be on your balcony or porch?

 

A bowl of these would be so pretty all through winter, not just Christmas

using your 40% off coupon you can get wood or cardboard letters at Hobby Lobby or Joann's for only a few dollars!

Dollar Tree or Walmart snowflakes glued together and tied with ribbon. Easy!

(All these ideas are on my Christmas board on Pinterest)

And needless to say Christmas music has been going full speed for the last couple weeks!  I played it while I was pregnant with Eli, and he LOVES it now!  He will instantly light up and laugh when I sing the songs to him.  Sorry, I will NOT be posting a video of this, since it includes me singing (gag) but you can imagine his sweet smile and laugh! 

 

Plus, what is so wrong with Celebrating Christ's birth by singing Christmas tunes... all year?!  :)

My Etsy Shop is Growing...

I am in the process of expanding my little shop.  Its so fun :) It keeps me sane while staying at home all day with the munchkin!  And I have more chevron fabric coming!  (Thanks mom!)  I am excited to get busy sewing!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lifelizziestyle?ref=si_shop

 

Baby booties- Eli wears a pair almost everyday!

 

Looove them

 

Little man outfit!

 

Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful

This weekend we got LOTS of snow. About 8 inches in one day.  I loved it :)  Snow is just... beautiful.  Everything has a stillness about it. Cars on the road seem quieter, there is just less distraction.  I can look out the window at the incredible beauty, or walk through the untouched snow and listen to the icy crunch.  Or.. go to a BYU football game when the high for the day is 25 Degrees.  Smart.

 

 

 

I realize my hair is less than pretty here, but can you see the guy over my shoulder?  Yea its cold. Who cares what we looked like!

 

 

 

These are the benches we sat on, and snuggled out numb toes into.  Ha. 

Thank you Crystal for babysitting!  It was our first real outing without Baby.  We would have brought him, but it was not the smartest idea :)  It was kinda hard to leave him, but nice to have a grown up date.  But I'm good for a while now ;)

 

 

Scripture Power

Do you know that Primary song?  Scripture power?  Its a good one :) 

 

This weekend one of my bestest friends came down from BYU-Idaho to come play

 for the weekend. I LOVED having her down here.  It was a much needed visit :) 

We made scripture covers during the new nap times Eli took. 

The fabric cost 1.50 and it make two, which makes pretty darn cheap covers! 

 

I am a little obsessed with chevron so this tamed my obsession,

 and I like that the elastic is quiet and not a noisy zipper.

Weekend Fun

Friday was perfect.  Bryan didn't have to work because Thursday was the last day of the quarter so we got two Saturdays this weekend!  We slept in with baby snuggled inbetween us, then went to the park with my new jogging stroller!  I had been looking for one on KSL for a couple months now, but everytime I find a good one it gets sold or is too far away.  This weekend the guy who was selling it even delivered it because he was in town.  Awesome! 

 

 

 

Then we went out to the middle of nowhere and went shooting for a bit.  Eli liked it too :)

Last time we went shooting with Eli

 

This time :)

After shooting we stopped by Scheels just to check it out.  Its like a Sports Authority or Dick's Sporting goods but 10x bigger!  It was fun to look but we were totally ok leaving empty handed because things there are not exactly cheap!

We spent the evening playing board games, playing with Eli and making dinner.  It was just a perfect day :)

 

 

 

Family Pictures!

Our good friends had the idea of taking pictures of each others families since we both have new babes.  We went to a beautiful park near the Mt. Timpanogos LDS Temple.  Enjoy :)

P.S. I didn't edit them all yet, so beware

 

 

oh that drool!