Chocolate Obsession

So last night I dreamed that I was stuffing my face full of chocolate. Literally shoving candy bar after candy bar down my throat. When I woke up, I asked myself what this dream could possibly mean. And then it hit me: THAT I AM TOTALLY DEPRIVED OF THE MOST WONDERFUL FOOD IN EXISTENCE. I thought for sure that once Sam came into the world, all of my diabetic woes would be gone and I could go back to indulging in my favorite things (namely chocolate). Boy was I wrong. My sweet, adorable, cuddly, genius baby is colic. COLIC. You might think that the whole no sleep, fussy baby thing would be the worst part of it. But no. It's the fact that eating chocolate makes him fussy that's hard. Because as much as I love chocolate, I do love my baby more, and seeing him in agony with a belly ache that I caused is just too much to bear. So alas, chocolate and I have once again gone our separate ways.

For now.

In the meantime, I figured if I can't eat it, I might as well blog about it. For your salivating pleasure, here are yours truly's top 11 favorite chocolatey delights (I tried to limit it to 10, but it was impossible):

11. Hot Fudge. Especially the stuff at Sugar and Spice in the Cougar Eat at BYU. Guaranteed to make almost anything taste better. Even Bacon.

10. Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Bears. I admit, when my friend first brought me some of these back in my sophomore (maybe junior?) year of college, I was a bit skeptical. Since then I have repented by buying chocolate covered cinnamon bears almost every time I step into the BYU Bookstore. These things kept me sane many a night on the first floor of the Harold B. Lee Library.

9. Toffee & Almond Hershey's Nuggets. These little bite sized treasures pack a punch. Maybe I love them so much because I'm usually eating them in the third hour of church when I'm starving and tired. Or maybe just because they're amazing.

8. Anything from Sees Candy. It's just that good. 

7. Dove Candy Bars. I remember the first time my grandpa brought me one of these. I had never had a chocolate candy bar that was so creamy in my life. It was definitely an awakening.

6. Symphony Candy Bars. Especially the ones with toffee and almonds, you know, with the blue wrapper. 

5. My Dad's Christmas fudge. I know everyone says their fudge recipe is the best, but this one really is. It's just rich enough to be satisfying, but not so rich that you can't eat a whole pan in one sitting. Love it.

4. Thin Mint Cookies. Do I really need to say more? I'm sure glad no girl scouts come to my house because now that I'm the adult in charge of ordering the cookies, I'm not sure I could hold back. (For added pleasure, try Thin Mints chocolate ice cream by Dreyers. Amazing.)

3. Any chocolate cake/cupcake. I am definitely guilty of loving the cake more than the icing. I just love chocolate cake. Like really love it. I love how it's just sweet enough but not too sweet to make you sick. Yep, chocolate cake with chocolate icing and rocky road ice cream. Pure heaven that I consumed every birthday growing up for as far back as I can remember.

2. Baskin Robbins' Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream. This stuff is amazing. Except it burns when it comes out your nose. But that's a story for another day...

1. The number one most amazing chocolate ever is Cadbury Mini Eggs. I'm not sure whether these are number one in my mind because they're seasonal and therefore the anticipation of them makes them even yummier, or if it's because they really are the best. Either way, they're delicious and I highly recommend buying several bags around Easter time and hoarding them for a rainy day.

So, there you have it. My top 11. If I've left any out, please feel free to add them in my comments. And if by chance any of these descriptions have made you hungry for chocolate, have some for me. Tell yourself your doing it for an old friend in need. That way you don't have to feel guilty.

My Active Little One

This kid is so active! This is what happens whenever I put him in his bouncer:

I'm pretty sure this is what he was doing the whole time in my belly, too. Hopefully those legs slow down a little by the time he's walking... !

My Boys

Can I just say I love this boy?

 (This was his first day smiling for real. He always smiles right before he goes to sleep, but it's just a reflex. This day he definitely was happy!)

Hopefully I get more pictures of him awake soon :) When he's asleep he's just so stinkin' cute that I have to take a picture at practically every nap time.


I also love this boy. It was his birthday last Friday. We had BLTs (per his request):

And who could forget this boy? Even though he takes a backseat now, I still love him, too.

I know the giant box looks exciting. Unfortunately, what was inside the giant box didn't really do what it was supposed to. It was a pillow top for our bed because Blaze struggles with the hard mattress--boring, I know, but Blaze loves a practical gift. Like I said, though, it didn't help. At all. So we are returning it. Blaze got a deer tag this year so he's going to take the money and get some hunting gear instead. I'm glad he's excited about that. I felt so bad that my big surprise was a total flop. Luckily I have a very patient and loving husband. I had to convince him to return the thing even though we both knew it did diddlysquat because he so did not want to hurt my feelings. What a guy. I am so glad he was born and that he married me. I'm pretty sure I'm the luckiest girl in the world. Happy birthday hot stuff!

6 Weeks and Other Happenings

You know you're a mommy when your car beeps for you to put on your seatbelt and you shush it.

I can't believe today marks 6 weeks of mommyhood. Luckily, unlike Stanley my unfortunate fish, the baby is still alive. So I'd say we're doing alright. The last few weeks have been a little rough, but we're finally figuring things out. It turns out that Sam is one hungry little guy, and a little colicky, so we finally started supplementing his food intake with special formula for colicky babies. I'm also limiting my dairy intake, which is not quite as hard as my diabetic diet, but close. I never realized how many foods had dairy in them. But it's worth it. It was so sad to see my little guy miserable everyday. Now he sits for an hour or longer just happy, kicking and cooing. We are both enjoying the peace. Here are some more recent pictures from the last couple of weeks:

First bath time in the big boy bath!

Love the converse socks my mom found...

Up close!

Getting ready for my first outing without the baby. He looks so sad to see me go....

Making funny faces in the Boppy. Does he look like Harold from Person of Interest to anyone else?

I just took this one on Monday to commemorate how much chunkier he's getting. He doesn't look so much like a newborn now.

Is it just my baby or do all babies look extremely uncomfortable in pictures? He's so squirmy it's hard to get a shot where his head is where it should be. But awkwardness and all, sometimes I look at this little guy and think there's no way my heart could handle it if he was any cuter. Especially when he has a milk mustache. I would be lying if I said I had never cried looking at that sweet little milk mustache. 

But anywho, in other news, it was my birthday last week, and a wonderful birthday it was. Here's what I woke up to find on the big day:

In case you're wondering, the big black thing is an awesome jewelry box:

Blaze was even nice enough to help me sort all of my jewelry into it. AND, it had a surprise inside:

So excited to have a chick flick around the house for those nights that I just want to feel girly. The funny thing about my birthday is that I've been telling people for the last year that I'm 27, when in fact I just turned 27 on my birthday. It made swallowing the added year a little easier. All in all, it was an amazing birthday from an amazing husband. Thanks love!

A Milestone

After much anticipation, Baby Samuel is finally here! Last Tuesday at midnight, Blaze and I headed for the hospital to begin the induction.

 Heading Out!

 39 Weeks

At midnight they started me on antibiotics because I had tested positive for GBS. Don't ask me how, but Blaze and I managed to catch a little shut eye after that for a few hours. Then at 7:00 the next morning they started me on the pitocin. All the while I was having pretty regular contractions, but the pitocin definitely stepped it up a notch! I was so glad when the anesthesiologist came in at 8:30! I have to admit that the epidural scared me almost more than the labor, but it was not nearly as bad as I expected--and the results were well worth it! After that all we had to do was wait. 

Around 2:00 pm the pushing fun began. Unfortunately, Sam was face up, so his little heart didn't react well to the stress of labor. To make it easier on him, we pushed in increments: 30 minutes pushing, 30 minute break. We did that twice, until the doctor came and said we didn't have a choice, we needed him out now. 45 minutes later, after a couple of tries with the suction (no luck thanks to all his hair!) and some hard work on all of our parts, there he was! At the last minute he turned and did come face down. Blaze was, and still is, a total angel. He helped me through the whole thing. Although it was a rough go and I am still recovering (I think they need an epidural for after the delivery!), it was all so worth it.

Born at 5:10 pm on April 25, 2012. 7 lbs. 6 oz. and 20 in. long

Proud parents right after delivery 

 Our little bundle of joy. I think he's smiling :)

His first outfit! Getting ready to go home. 

Our little family 

With Grandma just a couple hours after delivery 

The proud daddy!

Samuel with his great grandparents and great great grandmother 

The last week has been one of the longest, most wonderful, most emotional weeks of my life. I don't think I've ever experienced so many emotions all in one day. The weirdest of all is that in some ways I miss being pregnant. Not that I would go back for anything, but it's almost like the day after Christmas. After months and months of anticipation--listening to the heartbeat, seeing the ultrasounds, wondering if you're ready, looking over and over again at precious little baby clothes--it's over.  He's here and he's perfect and I love him and I wouldn't trade that for anything, but a milestone is over. My first pregnancy. And now a new milestone has begun, an even greater milestone--the raising up of a righteous generation. But, for now, while he's still so innocent, I refuse to get overwhelmed by that milestone. I am content being completely and utterly in love with my little boy every time I walk in and he's sound asleep with his legs pulled up in the fetal position, or one leg is sticking straight out, or he's sucking in his bottom lip, or doing any of those other insanely adorable things that babies do. For now, I don't have to discipline, I don't have to worry about who his friends are or how he's spending his time. For now, he's all mine, and I just get to love him. 

Top 5 Reminders That You Live in the Country

So, I am here in California for the long haul. 37 weeks. My doctor down here just moved my due date up a week, which means only 2 more weeks until I finally get to hold my little Sam! Things are going really well. I am finally adjusting to the gestational diabetes--though I have to admit I have indulged in a few mini Cadbury eggs. (How does one resist those at Easter? I have decided it's impossible.) I have had to have a few extra tests thanks to the diabetes (non-stress tests twice a week, extra blood tests, and extra ultrasounds), but so far everything looks and sounds great. As busy as it is to be at the doctor twice a week, it's nice to have that reassurance so often that everything is progressing normally. My next ultrasound is Thursday. I meet with a high risk specialist and hopefully they'll tell me the size of the baby. I guess that's the main concern with gestational diabetes, and especially because I'm measuring a few weeks behind, so I'll be interested to hear what they have to say.

But enough baby talk.

Since I've been in sunny California, I've realized there's a few things that have become an everyday part of my life in Lund, things that don't happen down here simply because Lund is in the country and Mission Viejo is, well, not. When I'm in Lund, I forget sometimes how removed we are. But every once in awhile, something will strike me as extraordinarily unique to country living, and I am reminded how really different my daily experiences are because of where I live. Being down here has only emphasized some of those differences. As such, I've been thinking a lot about some of prominent things that remind me I live in the country. Here are my top 5:

1. I open my window at work to see a horse (or two) staring at me.

This has happened. More than once, as a matter of fact. But I absolutely love it. I can't think of any other place I've worked where in the slow time of the day, when I'm just about to nod off, the sound of a horse neighing right outside my window gives me renewed energy, energy that can only come from the pure delight of experiencing something so random.

2. Tumbleweeds rolling across the road in front of my car are an everyday nuisance.

(I so wish I could claim this guy as a Lundite, but I can't. I just found him on a Google search...)

I always thought of tumbleweeds as something you only see in old westerns, or An American Tail: Fievel Goes West. (Anybody remember that movie? I think that's where I first learned what a tumbleweed was.) But I'm realizing now that tumbleweeds are not just for atmospheric effect as the Sheriff and the outlaw walk ten paces from each other. They are, in fact, a regular part of country life. Something you see every day. (Though I admit it still makes me feel like I'm in an old John Wayne whenever they cross my path.)

3. Cows mooing. Constantly.


Constantly may be a bit of an overstatement, but if you listen carefully you really can hear them quite often. The craziest is when they're moving cows from one pasture to another. It starts early in the morning, and even though it starts all the way across town, an entire herd mooing can create quite a racket. Maybe racket is the wrong word. It's not obnoxious or deafening, just a steady white noise. I've come to really enjoy it, actually. It's peaceful to me. Though that wasn't always the case. The first time I heard it I had no idea what was going on. I thought we were in for some real trouble, like maybe that 1000 cows had somehow escaped and were ready to descend on our little single-wide any minute. I was relieved when Blaze said it was normal and that our house would in fact survive the ordeal.

4. The only store in town tells you.

See. It says right in the name: Whipple's Country Store. Whipple's is great. It actually used to be Carter's Country Store, and was owned by Blaze's family. Now it is owned by Dixie Whipple, who is in her late 80's and yet still manages to make THE best homemade cream puffs, brownies, and hamburgers around. If you ever come to Lund, make it a point to come on Thursday. That's when she makes the cream puffs. It may be a small store, but they carry the essentials and have gotten me through some tough spots, like when I realize a little too late that I don't have cottage cheese for the lasagna I've already started, or chicken bouillon for the soup I've already begun. It's also good when you just need a root beer fix.

5. Last but not least, I am reminded I live in the country when I look out the window and see a spectacular sunset that stretches for miles and miles.


I love to sit on the grass on a summer evening and look out past the town to the open land and the mountains, where there's not even a cloud in the sky to block my view. Nothing beats that. It's those moments that make me so grateful to be where I am, doing what I'm doing. And as different as things sometimes are, as much as I sometimes miss the beach and the shopping and the action of my hometown, I love it. It's part of who I am now, and always will be. Just like California will always be a part of me.

They say the grass is always greener on the other side, but I say it's pretty green on both sides.

Valentines Day

So, funny story: the FedEx guy at work (Jeff) is a bit of a character. He keeps us laughing daily, and last week was no exception. The Friday before Valentines day he comes in and asks if this is Blaze and my first Valentines as a married couple. I said no, it's our second, to which he replied, "Oh. I guess we'll see if the lousy sucker even remembers you then, huh?!" It was so funny I almost died. Blaze said we're never FedExing anything again.

Luckily, the not-so-lousy sucker did remember me--even if things didn't turn out exactly how we planned. At least a month before the big day, I begged Blaze to take me to Ely for dinner for Valentines. He's not a huge fan of eating out, and would usually prefer to make me dinner instead of going somewhere, but because he loves me he finally gave in. Not that him making dinner is a bad option. In fact, he's a fabulous cook when he puts his mind to it. But eating out is like a mini vacation, which I could use every now and then. Unfortunately, come Valentines day it was a blizzard outside. No snow the whole winter and the one night we want to go out on the town it dumps on us. I couldn't believe it. But, Blaze found a way to make it fun anyway. We went to Whipple's and got burgers and tater tots (my favorite), opened a bottle of Martinellis, and then made apple sauce together. All in all it was a quiet and cozy evening and I loved it. Here are some pictures of our activities:

Here's Blaze getting the apples ready to boil (and enjoying a few bites along the way).

Here's me stirring the boiling apples and looking quite pregnant at almost 29 weeks.

Yay for Whipple's and Martinellis!

Me lovin' my Whipple Whopper.

And a family shot to end the night.

And just for fun, here a couple more recent pictures of Watson for your viewing pleasure:

He's been a little clingy lately...

Closeup of that cute little face. Gets me every time.

Watson and Blaze read scriptures together every morning. I love it.