A Day In The Life Of Slade...

What an easy life. I guess we all have lived the 'good life' that a baby does haven't we- man, too bad we can't remember it to fully enjoy and appreciate it! Slade wakes up, cries, is fed, changed, dressed, eats breakfast, then Slade watches one Baby Einstein DVD. Now 2 hours later Slade naps again for several hours then wakes again wanting to nurse, be changed, and play. 3 hours later Slade is ready to nap again. Then Slade wakes up, nurses, and plays some more while mom makes dinner, then goes walking with dad and Moose....ah what a life...oh but wait, 3 hours later Slade is ready to sleep for 10 hours and so on! Change me, nurse me, burp me and I'm ready to go! What a life!!!

Oh yeah, Slade's cutting his 2nd tooth- what an almost nightly joy that is. Makes you REALLY appreciate what our parents went through with us. He really is our pride and joy though. Everywhere I go people tell me how cute he is, even big burly Home Depot guys - he really is, well, I'm his mom I suppose I'd feel that way no matter. Everywhere we go lately he likes to talk, sounds like 'bababababababa' over and over and over again. I love to hear it, so instead of plugging him up with a binky I just let him do it. The older folks get a kick out of it. He's also in the early stages of crawling I think, using his knees a lot more when I put him down for his rare tummy time (he'd rather bounce in his jumperoo or play with mom or dad). Thank goodness little boys have dads- I'd never think of the ways to entertain and get him to laugh as much as Mark does! Our brains truly are wired differently in wonderful ways! I'm so glad I could give my children such a wonderful, hardworking, though underapprecated father. :)

Life is going very well for us. I'm blessed with the love of an absolutely wonderful man and cutest baby as well as wonderful extended family. I'm still hoping that Utah grows on me someday. Mark loves the beauty of it, whereas I am hard pressed to enjoy the endless miles of deadly brown-ness. The people are different too, not quite as open or friendly as my friends in the South. I miss just being able to strike up a conversation with the southern gas station attendant with their adorable accents and original vernacular and actually care about how their day is going and vice versa. Maybe it's just "city" life...? Maybe I just need more sleep. Mark teases me that I talk too much and share too much (we are on very opposite ends of the embarrassment spectrum)- well admittedly maybe he has a point at times, all I have to say in return is that I appreciate people who do share (yes, I admit there is such a thing as too much sharing). It's just like service work in a way, when we generate interest in others and truly want to understand them and be there for them - we don't focus on ourselves as much and we are open to endless possibilities and opportunities. Isn't that the gospel in a nutshell? Well, if you're not that way already then parenthood certainly puts you in your place in that way - your life is truly intertwined with others eternally!

On a different note, we've started a Moms Club in our great ward (there are seriously like 10 babies born in the past 6 months or being born in the next 6 months in our ward- my little sister Katie's included!). We will walk/jog/bike together, go to library baby storytime, go swimming, have playgroups, go to the zoo, etc... I love the girls and their babies, relief society has enriched my life now like I've never let it before - also Slade seems to really enjoy the interaction as well (he likes the little girl babies the most!)- I really do have a great life!

When I first had Slade I wondered how I'd ever fill up my days, now I wonder how I ever got anything done working at a f/t job or how I will fit everything into a day (especially 'me' time)! I love being busy, having 'to dos', and just playing with Slade. Poor Mark often wonders aloud what a day in the life of me is like (that and how he'll get me to stop watching HGTV)!

Yep, more sleep it is- good night one and all!