Things Kids Say

Jordan on constipation: My poo poo was being naughty.  He was holding onto my stomach and not letting go.

Premie Baby Club

For reasons unknown to the medical professionals who have assisted me during my second and third pregnancy, I am officially part of a very important club known as the "Premie Baby Club."  Being part of this club means I had my third child early, after having my second child early also.  And because of that, I came home after giving birth without a baby, I pump every three hours, make multiple visits to the NICU whenever I can, and am once again with dry hands and a hopeful heart.

The sounds of the NICU are so familiar to me.  The beeps and alarms that go off, the constant humming of the monitoring, the little shriveled up cries from the babies lying all around, and the shuffle and hustle of the nurses that take care of these little angels.  The sting of the dryness that has become my hands have become numb as I am eager to wash my hands, the first thing I always do before signing in and going to see my baby girl.  But the trips have become increasingly painful as the wait to bring her home becomes more drawn out each time.

At first, the emotional and hormonal whirlwind of just giving birth had me sometimes crying about the fact that I didn't have my baby girl with me.  Thoughts and confusion about why me, or what had I done to, repeated themselves over and over again in my mind as I reviewed all the events leading up to my hospitalization and then labor before the medication had sunk in (magnesium and steroids).  Why was I stuck with such a cruddy cervix?  Could I even have another child knowing they might be stuck in the NICU again?  Perhaps this is how most people think when hardships are upon them, wondering why me, but I've learned it's not helpful.  It's really damaging and useless to think about such things.  Instead, turning to the silver lining, being grateful for all that you have, a baby girl albeit it in the NICU, but healthy and coming home eventually, family and friends pouring out support and love, a hospital nearby, technology for my to be hands free during pumping, and the financial means to pay for this very expensive but necessary hospital stay.  I am indeed grateful.  It's just so easy to forget when in the midst of something difficult.  But this too shall pass.

Life Changing

When you put Destitin or any diaper cream on your kids bum, you will notice how disgustingly thick that stuff is - you can use a wipe to try to remove it before you wash your hands, but it's pretty powerful stuff.

My new life changing epiphany of a hack?

POPSICLE STICKS.  I have a bunch leftover from making airplanes for Jordan's birthday (planes theme) so now, they sit in my diaper basket and when I need to lather up my son's bum, I just use that stick - give it a whirl in the Destitin cream and wooosh.  Wipe it all over his bum WITH the popsicle stick and my hands stay clean.

Best solution ever.

I'm a freaking genius.

Life As I Know It

I've noticed a lot of internal changes lately.  Mostly, my life has become more "mom" centered, which for me is a lot less "me" and a lot more "kids".  I still enjoy my alone time, I still try to do my nails at home and I take good care of my skin with a strict skin care regiment and face masks about once a week... but I just don't care about things the way I used to.

I used to be really into celebrity gossip.  If I look at an US Magazine these days, I don't even recognize half the faces on the cover.

I used to work out 4-5 times a week.  Now, I'm lucky if I get to the gym once during the week or do an at home workout once.  Truth be told, it means I don't care anymore.  There's no excuse, I make time for other things... I just don't make time to work out anymore.  So sad.

I used to shower everyday.  Now, if I'm not sticky or sweaty and it's been a day... no shower means more time for everything else I do want to do.  HAHA.

I used to be really into heels.  If I have to wear heels for more than one hour (usually for Church on Sundays), my feet start to long for some flats.  Give me some Sperrys, some flip-flops or even ballet flats (which I don't actually find particularly comfortable but aren't high so I'll take it!).  This coming from someone who used to wear heels with everything including jeans.  Yikes!

I used to hate cooking.  Now, I rather enjoy it when I get to come up with meals that I know my kids will enjoy and I won't detest too much.  Jordan loves penne pasta, it's his favorite - doesn't matter what you put on it, shoot he will even eat it plain.  Bubba loves fruit, any type of fruit you give him, he'll take it!

I used to hate having a disorganized home.  Now, I've learned to live with it... for a longer period of time than I would have before.  But it's still fun to go through and organize stuff every now and then.  HAHAHA.

I used to love working.  Now, I'm kind of over it.  I mean, I still put my all into it when I'm doing it, but I definitely don't look forward to it the same way I used to.  I'm sort of looking forward to the day when I get to be a full time mom and utilize nap time or quiet time to clean the house, cook a meal, do a craft, or read a book.

The other day, as I drove home from a fireworks show our uncle put on that didn't end until around 11 ish (while Andy was working), I thought.. man, this is so late... my kids are exhausted and though I'm not, I just want to get them into bed asap!  Oddly, I realized this is the same "prime" going out time of my 20's past.  Weird.  I am officially old.. not by age, but by what I am doing and prefer doing.  Like going home and putting my kids to bed, slapping on a face mask and reading or watching TV.  Hehe.  SOOOoooo much more relaxing.

But I guess that's part of growing up.  You can't always stay the same and you have to understand that change is inevitable.  It's not good or bad, it's just different.

Move 'Em On Out!

Our house has been driving me crazy lately.  The dishes are a never ending cycle that continue to perpetuate into a pile of disgusting need to wash even though we eat at my mother-in-laws at least two to three times a week.  It's completely baffling to me.  The crumbs that have manifested itself on the floor everywhere, poke me and actually hurt me sometimes.  We try to vacuum once a week but apparently that's enough when you're not able to put your foot down and the kids go running with their food towards the carpeted living room.  The toys are categorically placed into different bins, supposedly making it easier to clean up at night, but none of this matters when friends come over and the game always seems to be "let's take out EVERY SINGLE TOY he has and then see what we want to play with."  My kids love this game, it's not one they're allowed to play often.  The only thing I've been able to get under control is laundry, and right when I think I've got it down by doing only one load a day - from start to finish - the boys' room stares back at me taunting me, telling me to dare to fit more junk into those trunks.  What I really need is to invest in some transparent bins and store up all our winter clothes, making room for the summer ones - and I really need to find out if #3 is a girl or boy because then I can either put away some of these boys clothes until the next son comes along or what I'd really like to do is take my chances and trash 'em with the thought that I'll only have daughters here on out.  The reality is, we've got a room with a pretty good closet, jam packed with clothes from newborn to 3T and it's starting to get insane.  We also have an entire closet of Church dress shirts in itty bitty toddler sizes that are wrinkly and finally got hung up by Andy (I left them in a pile, telling myself I'd iron them one day... that day has not come yet nor will it ever...)  Can someone start inventing some iron-free toddler dress clothes already?!

I try to keep our bedroom toy free.  And I try to keep my desk clutter free.  I learned from my college roommate that a desk without much on it - really feels clean and good.  Instead, my desk is overflowing with bills I'm behind on (I missed my CPA renewal AGAIN .. dang it), photos I printed and am not sure if I should trash or keep, and ticket stubs for Jet Blue because my reward account is still under my maiden name (yet another task to do.. ugh).

So since we moved into our new home, I had been sharing my office space with the boys as their playroom.  The intention is to clean up the playroom every night before bed.  Of course, the reality is this doesn't always happen and most days, mom and dad are cleaning it up so mom can be sane.  I don't even care if it gets messed up right away the next day.  The bigger problem I noticed was that my desk was always gross.  My kids decided they wanted to work at my desk, color at my desk, and basically take over my desk.  And then I never really actually work at my desk.  I take conference calls from our bedroom so the boys can't break in while I'm on the call and the sitter can keep them occupied.  I rarely work in the designated office desk because it's easier to have the comp out in the living room while they play if I have to send an email and really, I try not to work unless I have to when they're around.  So what's the point right?

Except my sanity!  So... after having a really messy dining room cluttered with stuff we'd just throw when we got home and a really messy playroom, I made an executive decision to move their playroom to the dining room.  Let the mess be contained and let me have some sanity in my workspace.  I still need to get some type of shelf for a bunch of files that now sit neatly on the sides of the wall, I need to put up some frames (a year later and counting) and I need to pay my overdue bills... but it feels good to look around and not see any toys (okay.. there's a stuffed animal and a helicopter).  So I basically moved 'em on out.

Jordan asked me, "who's room is this gonna be now?"  I said.. mommy's work room and maybe baby?  And he asked, "but baby isn't gonna share with Bubba and me?"  So cute.  If we can fit em, I'm sure they will all share a room... especially since I often have an inkling that it's another boy.  Only time will tell!

Utah Things

I feel pretty at home at Utah.  We have a lovely home, my kids, husband, and husband's extended family is mostly here, and I've learned the roads and freeways (sorta) enough to get by and am slowly learning the areas (North Salt Lake = Davis County, Lehi, American Fork, Draper, South Jordan are all out towards Provo but not quite yet.... Brickyard, Midvale, Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, etc.).  But I still find it absolutely fascinating when very what I'd like to call "Utah-esque" things happen.  I've compiled a few that come to mind.

1. When I'm asked... "to stay or go?  - in California, NOBODY says that.  I believe the correct phrase is "for here or to go?" but everybody in Utah loves the word "STAY" and I can't help but smirk everytime I hear it.

2. Fry Sauce - dude, I hate to break it to you Utah but it's basically mayo and ketchup, add some relish and it's called THOUSAND ISLAND and you seem to want to put it on everything.  Hahahaha.  I personally prefer ketchup over fry sauce, but I am simply fascinated by how ubiquitous it is around here.  They even have it pre-packaged with bold "FRY SAUCE" letters all over.  The state is pretty dang proud of it.

3. No hard alcohol is sold in any grocery stores.  When Andy told me the alcohol laws had changed recently, I assumed he meant hard A and beer.  I've seen beer everywhere in grocery stores so I didn't think much of the missing Grey Goose bottles with the stringent black protective locks on 'em.  And then I started wondering what people did in this "liquor stores" that are not like your average California small ghetto liquor stores - no, these are LARGE and in CHARGE and usually have an entire parking lot to accompany it.  And then I realized... no hard alcohol is sold in grocery stores.  I think the same for wine, but I'm not sure cuz I haven't needed it yet (you know, for cooking cuz I've been sober since 2009 baby!) but now that I think about it, I haven't seen two buck chucks the few times I've been to the Trader Joe's so maybe not...?

4. Momo mommy bloggers - did you know they sorta all started in Utah?  And a lot of them show up on local KSL morning show All Things Utah or something like that - I've only seen it a couple of times but Asians in Arcadia is to Momo Mommy bloggers in Salt Lake (and greater Salt Lake which I've learned is NOT Salt Lake).  They're everywhere!  It has become fun to start following some of them on Instagram and realize they go to the same places I go to - but without traffic, everything seems much closer and the chances of actually running into them are much greater than any bloggers in LA.  They are a range of bloggers too - food bloggers, how to save money, crafty ones, how to raise kids (cuz Momos have a lot of 'em so advice is much appreciated) and then a bunch of fashion and lifestyle bloggers.  Okay, side rant - bloggers just crack me up period cuz they post photos of what they eat (okay, I do that too but it's still funny to me cuz they're not Asian and it's more hip than a way of life their parents taught em from childbirth - yes my dad still takes photos of all our food before we eat it just cuz...), where they go, what they wear, hahahaha.  My question is, who takes these photos for them when they're not obvious selfies?  Do they have remote controls for their phones?  Hehehe.  I laugh but I still follow.  The commentary is mostly silent.

5. Everyone has family from here - no, seriously - everyone.  Or at least everyone we seem to meet, mostly because we meet a lot of Momos and since Salt Lake is the Momo capital - everyone we meet seems to have family here - somewhere somehow.  I've met quite a bit of non-Momos from the neighborhood, most of them don't have family from here but if they're Momo, they usually have some family connection here.  We're part of that statistic but it's still just fascinating to me!

As you can see, little things fascinate me.

Jordan Our Lil Singer

Jordan loves singing.  His favorite song from our vacation was Best Day of My Life of American Author, he can sing the entire chorus, and hums along with it and got so excited everytime it was playing, followed up by confusion about why we can't play it again (we tried to explain it's on the radio.. he's not quite getting it yet).  My favorite part is his "life ah-ife-ife" part.  It's so funny.  Of course, he also roars along with Katy Perry's song.  And his favorite kid songs are Nothing Can Stop Me Now from the Planes soundtrack and Let It Go from the Frozen soundtrack.  Recently, he started saying "all my friends...." and I immediately thought oh no, is he singing the first line from Sleeping With a Friend - Neon Trees?  I haven't listened to the lyrics close enough but I assume it's talking about sleeping with a friend.  Can't be good right?  Hahahaha.  This morning, while lying in bed with Bubba and me, he said - clap your hands and say yeah! And then proceeded to clap his hands and say yeah.  Yes, that Indie band title is quite unique and appealing to children.  He kept trying to get Bubba to clap his hands and say yeah, but Bubba could only muster a tiny yelp of a "yeah."  Then at breakfast, Jordan kept telling me "we're safe and sound!" and then humming the chorus to the Capital Cities song that we love oh so dearly.  What a riot.