Taylor and Jill + 2

The dilemma of the "clean" clothes

2009-07-14T13:13:00.004-05:00

I know there are moms out there that have this problem.

Oh, Ella. My sweet little, independent Ella, changes her clothes at least 5 times a day.
Are they dirty? No.
Are they put back in the closet on hangers? Of course not.
They're all over the floor, on the bed, on the bookshelf, and anywhere else they're not supposed to be.

Because Taylor's birthday party is this weekend and I'd LIKE to have the house clean, I've started early (Hooray for no procrastinating like I usually do!). Yesterday was our bedroom and the living room. Today: Ella's room and the kitchen.

One down, one to go. I picked up all the "clean" clothes on the floor - I say "clean" because they've usually been walked all over by people and the dog - and threw them in the hamper. When I realized it would be an ADDITIONAL load, I was done. Finished. Terminé. Done.

Out came the power tools (and I mean Taylor's cordless drill/screwdriver).

I switched the closet doorknob for one that locks and put the lock on the inside. Ella can no longer get in her closet to change clothes 1000 times a day.

Oh, yes. I did. I locked her clothes/dress up/barbies all in the closet to wait permission to get into.

I'm a mean mom that is tired of washing her clean clothes over and over and over again.

This is why my house isn't clean.

2009-07-08T14:21:00.002-05:00

I'm spending way too much time reading these blogs. I'll post them to my list eventually.

The Meanest Mom

MomtrolFreak

Mommy Wants Vodka (even though I don't drink, I understand why women want a glass of wine or other adult beverage to unwind at the end of the day)

CakeWrecks

Cloth Diaper Whisperer

I just wish I could fold the laundry and read blogs. Oh, and Facebook.

Now we know what this mom does all day. So, now when my hubby gets home, I'll give him the run down (feeding Owen, making Ella food, laundry, facebook, and blogging. Duh.).

I love my husband...

2009-07-06T12:18:00.005-05:00

so I thought I'd share this. He sent this to me (unprovoked BTW) via e-mail this morning.

"You sure have impressed me how well you have supported me through my transition, the economy, and the two kid's development. I want you to know that i do notice all your effort and love that you instill in our happy home! You're truly wonderful!! Keep up the great work sweetheart. I love you."

He loves me. And that makes me really happy.

New Pictures

2009-07-06T11:53:00.004-05:00

We're purple.

2009-07-03T15:12:00.002-05:00

So I posted below that I really dislike thrush. I didn't want to pay for another doc appointment to do a 2 week treatment that may not work. So I did what most desperate moms would do to get rid of thrush between three of us: I got gentian violet.

Man, that stuff is SERIOUSLY purple. It's violet (hence, the name).

Owen's mouth is covered in the stuff, Ella's mouth, thumb, and part of her face (she fought me last night when I was trying to coat her mouth with the stuff and I missed), and my "pillows" (as Ella calls them) are purple too.

But I feel better already, so I know the stuff is working.

Yea Owen!

2009-06-30T09:09:00.001-05:00

He rolled over yesterday from back to front! He did it twice when I wasn't watching, but Taylor caught the second one.

I'm still not sleeping due to Ella being in pain. I don't know if it's too much to ask, but I'd really, really, really enjoy a house that is illness/pain free for more than a day.

I hate thrush.

2009-06-29T18:58:00.002-05:00

Thankfully, this has nothing to do with me or Owen.

And Ella brought it on herself.

Ella has thrush. She got it because she "borrowed" Owen's pacifiers while he as going through thrush.

Oh well.

The good news (can you sense the sarcasm?!) is that Owen is sleeping through the night. Does Ella? No. Because the thrush (and an awful cavity) wake her up every 30 minutes to an hour ALL night long.

I love my life. I love my children. I love being a mom. I just want some sleep.

Mmmmm...

2009-06-29T18:34:00.003-05:00

We're trying to eat healthier as we (well, Taylor really. He's got more motivation than I do.) try to get into shape.

Taylor has lost 35 lbs so far. He's smaller than he was in high school. He's gone from a size 36 (I think it was 38 at his largest) to a size 32. I think he could almost fit in a 30...

Anyway, back to what I was talking about. I made turkey zucchini lagasna tonight.

See this link. I am really excited because if its good, I'm going to make it more often. I made pesto turkey meatballs and those were AMAZING. We had them on pasta one night, a meatball sandwich the next night, and meatball pockets. So I am pretty excited regardless.

I changed up the recipe slightly by adding a can of diced tomatoes into the tomato sauce as well as 2 tablespoons of pesto in it also. I cut some of the fat and salt by just limiting the parmesan cheese to just the pesto sauce. I also added fresh basil and parsley (I love my garden!!).

I have control.

2009-06-24T17:45:00.003-05:00

To add to the story below, I very sternly talked to the lifeguard after the incident.

I think he should have seen flames shooting from my mouth and ears.

Now the kind of funny part.

I almost dropped the F-bomb. I was so mad (more like FURIOUS), it almost came out. I don't get mad like that very often and anyone who knows me, knows how mad I must have been to even consider saying it.

But I controlled it, and just yelled at him. (And then talked to his boss and said he needed to be fired if he couldn't uphold his responsibilities). It wouldn't have helped to use it with all the kids and parents around. No one wants to hear that.

I'm kind of proud of myself for not letting it fly...

If you go to the Springdale Aquatic Center,

2009-06-24T15:55:00.002-05:00

and you have young children that CAN'T swim, put a life jacket on them. Apparently, the lifeguards there are completely incompetent.

If they do their jobs correctly (which they didn't today) then someone else wouldn't have had to go in and save a three-year-old completely submerged and no longer fighting to get above the surface.

I will forever have those brown eyes burned into my memory (as they peered up from under the water with a look of 'someone, please save me. I need help.' ) .

I'm waiting to breakdown. Really. I've been so calm, but I am eternally grateful that I was able to give my friend more time with her son on this earth. I'm positive that he would have had 15 seconds left (or less) before he ran out of breath and gone unconscious.

He's fine by the way.

It's beautiful...

2009-06-18T14:56:00.003-05:00

Can you imagine a house constantly filled with beautiful songs, simple and sweet, that tell of Jesus Christ and his atonement?
I can, because my house rings with them all day long.
Before you think I'm being self-righteous, it's as far from it as possible.
It is just that Ella never, ever stops singing (as long as she's awake) primary songs, ALL DAY LONG.
She plays "primary/church" and I am required to play along. (Who can play church with just one person?)
She loves Sis. Bills (the primary chorister) and really pays attention. So much that she sings the songs she learns constantly. But I'm more impressed that she realizes the meaning in the songs. She truly is learning from them. She knows about Jesus and John the Baptist, the 5th article of Faith, along with many other principles of the Gospel. It's pretty amazing.

I just wish she could be a little more on key. Some notes just accentuate headaches from exhaustion.

Our Garden

2009-06-13T13:34:00.004-05:00

I can GARDEN! Hooray! It's such a relief to know I don't kill all plants. I swear. Apparently, I cannot keep anything alive in a pot, but I can keep things alive in a box.

My photos aren't uploading, so I'll post them later.

Cool opportunity

2009-06-13T09:40:00.006-05:00

I love to take pictures of my kiddos. I especially like the photojournalist/artsy type of photos.

So, some friends (who took the amazing preggie photos) are offering us parents a way to sharpen our photo taking skills.

See the link at Benfield Photography.

Also, because you came to my blog to click thru and you want to take advantage of this opportunity, then you can get $20 off! Hooray! Here's the info:

20 dollars off code:

SYK_JILL20
ends July 15

I'm going to post something happy

2009-06-10T17:53:00.003-05:00

Sorry I've been so down lately. It's been rough.

This should make your day. Ella's been wearing my nursing cover as her "super Ella" cape. So I made her one of her own today. Plus, her cousin Gorden has a "super G" one...

So cute.

Here's a cute pic of Ella and Owen on his blessing day.

Open ended letter to...

2009-06-10T15:26:00.002-05:00

all my friends/acquaintances or anyone else reading this who WANTS TO OR IS CURRENTLY WORKING on their M.D.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE listen to your patients. Nothing makes a patient more mad and dislike doctors more when you think you know their body better. Granted, you studied tons of books filled with diagnoses and symptoms of things I don't even want to know about. BUT, you don't live in my body 24/7. You don't know how it acts normally and when I tell you something isn't right because I feel something internally, don't tell me I'm healthy and there's nothing wrong because YOU can't see it. I know there's something off and the pain isn't just from an infection because it was there for WEEKS previous. You don't have to have all the symptoms for have an infection.

Don't tell women to stop breastfeeding just because you feel it's right. Guess what? Life's hard and so is breastfeeding. More women quit breastfeeding because their doctors say they need to unnecessarily. My kids are healthier because I tough it out. I'm a better woman for living through it. (And eventually skinner too). Nothing makes me more insanely mad than when you tell me it's right to stop, even though I know it's wrong.

When I call you for help, I expect help. What I don't expect is to be griped out for going to a walk in clinic (because I'm in pain from mastitis. Gee, wouldn't you?) instead of calling your office on a SATURDAY? Who calls the doc on a Saturday...who knows to?

When I finally find someone (an APN/Lactation Consultant) who will listen and visually see why I'm complaining, and they send you what they saw, it's supposed to help you. Don't tell me I'm wrong and you're right. Because I'll never go back to you again.

I'm done. Sorry this is now public knowledge. Just know that I really, really think doctors (I saw) are arrogant, annoying, and do not listen. Please be different. The rest of the world will really benefit from a doctor who listens. (Like, really listens. Not just hears.)

Advice?

2009-06-09T09:10:00.003-05:00

Keep with me, the question is at the bottom of my rant.

I get really annoyed when doctors/nurses don't listen to you.

I know my body. I know when things aren't right. (I think everyone has this option, we just don't listen sometimes).

I've had thrush for almost two months now. Apparently, I have the type of thrush that doesn't show all the physical symptoms. I've kept telling the medical professionals (two different docs, 4 nurses, and once APN - the only one who agreed with me, but couldn't treat me, only Owen) that I've got this.

So I'm taking matters into my own hands since they don't seem to think that there's a problem.

Anyone used Gentian Violet? I'm getting some today and I need some pointers to keep the mess in check. We're stopping this now. It's ridiculous.

Weaning progress...

2009-06-08T06:10:00.002-05:00

Just in case you're wondering, the weaning (from my right side) is going pretty well. I'm surprised I'm not in more pain.

I also am using cabbage leaves to help the engorgement. Apparently, cabbage leaves have a chemical/enzyme in them that decreases milk supply.

It stinks (ha, ha) to smell like cabbage leaves all day, but it's MUCH better than being in heaps of pain.

Rolling Over

2009-06-07T18:41:00.006-05:00

I actually caught this on camera (it was like the 5th time in 10 minutes).

Again.

2009-06-06T07:46:00.002-05:00

I have mastitis again.

So, I'm going to attempt weaning on that side and nurse exclusively on the left (which worked with the previous mastitis bout.)

Ugh. I went to a breast specialist and he said the only way to "cure" mastitis (because its a bacteria that stays in your milk ducts and flares up consistently after a single bout of mastitis) is to stop breastfeeding on that side. So here we go. I'm done with this and my left side is producing milk like a champ.

Then after no milk is being produced from that side, I'm going to attempt to re-lactate. We'll see how this works.

Amazing!

2009-05-29T22:14:00.002-05:00

I love my responsibility (calling) at church. Tonight is yet another reason why it is one of the best callings (for me).

I got to sit down and interview Sheri Dew. Yes, the CEO of Deseret Books and former counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency.

Just me and her.

For 15 minutes.

Awesome.

It was like talking to a friend, aunt, mother, and sister all wrapped up in one. She's an amazing woman who's had her fair share of joy and disappointment.

I am honored I got to spend sometime getting to understand and know a little about her.

Why did I say that?

2009-05-28T19:32:00.001-05:00

I am eating my words.

The woman who NEVER considered a minivan is CONSIDERING a minivan.

Commence laughing.

Go Hogs!

2009-05-23T19:13:00.004-05:00

He has officially attended his first Razorback Game (if you don't count spring football scrimmage).

Thanks Chase for the tickets!

Contest

2009-05-23T18:47:00.003-05:00

I entered* my mom's dog in a dress up contest (via photos).

If we win, it's $250. It would be nice, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

It's a photo of Ella and Tinker.

Tink looks miserable. It's more like,"get me the _____ out of here."

*This website makes me laugh hysterically. It's totally a guilty pleasure, but I enjoy laughing and knowing celebrities do dumb things just like the rest of us.

One day

2009-05-22T09:12:00.002-05:00

I will be well. This is how the sequence of events happened (just over a months time):

Awful women's infection
CAUSED
a secondary woman's infection
CAUSED
Thrush
CAUSED
cracked nipple
CAUSED
mastitis
While treating mastitis with a homeopathic remedy, I got
second degree burns (blisters and peeling skin) on an already painful breast.
The antibiotics I'm on for mastitis CAUSED:
An AWFUL itchy rash all over my body.
AND I still have thrush (I'm treating it too.)

One day...for now all I can do is laugh. I don't know how much worse it can get.

Anyone want to buy a SUV

2009-05-18T15:56:00.002-05:00

We're selling our 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited. Click here to see the specs and clean retail price. Let me know if you're interested. jill_tompkins at yahoo dot com. SERIOUS BUYERS ONLY.