Cries & Cribs

Today is the day...I can once again experience the joy of uninterrupted sleep. Whenever I have a new baby I dread the day that I have to start letting her cry herself to sleep and ignore her middle-of-the-night awakenings. I thought it would get easier with each baby, but with Fiona I found myself coming up with excuses for putting off the unpleasant task. But I am proud to say that I finally did it! Not only have I gained more sleep, but I've gained an additional 8 square feet in my room where the bassinet used to be. (I know, I know, she should have been in a crib months ago, but I just couldn't let her go!)

Both mom and baby survived the ordeal

A Treadmill, Panties, and a Blog

Today is the day...I start a blog! I have noticed a trend lately. I spend a lot of time thinking about all of the things I want to accomplish (from painting a wall to taking the girls to the library), and very little time, if any, actually doing those things. In the back of my mind I often refer to a talk I once heard, and thanks to lds.org I was able to find that talk given by Thomas S. Monson in 2003. Here is what keeps shouting to me.

Sometimes we let our thoughts of tomorrow take up too much of today. Daydreaming of the past and longing for the future may provide comfort but will not take the place of living in the present. This is the day of our opportunity, and we must grasp it.

Professor Harold Hill, in Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, cautioned: “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you’ve collected a lot of empty yesterdays.”

There is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do that which is of greatest importance. Let us not procrastinate those things which matter most.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2003/04/in-search-of-treasure?lang=eng

Not to say that starting a blog is one of those things that matters most. But in my attempt to grasp all of my opportunities, and put an end to all of these blog-starting thoughts, I am now taking some actual action. Today is the day!

But this blog isn't the only action I've taken. Since I had Fiona I had been waiting for my 6 week check-up so that I could start working out again. Six weeks went by. And then 6 months (yes, 6 months.) I told Carlos that I wanted to find a good deal on a treadmill on Craigslist so I could exercise at home--the gym is just not feasible for me. Well last week Carlos found an awesome deal and bought me a treadmill. Yay! So we brought it home and I told him I would start on Monday. But being the loving husband that he is, he pushed me to start the very next morning, which I did. (Sometimes he is right about things.) It only took me 7 months, but I am now running every morning, minus Sunday. And it feels good! Not the exercise as much as the fact that I am doing what I want to be doing.

Another great feat that has taken place at our house this past week: Potty training! We have actually been working on potty training Ellia for who-knows-how-many months now. The only way she would go on the potty was if she was completely bare, which necessitated a wardrobe of long dresses to cover her naked behind. Of course this was only sanctioned in the privacy of our home (or Grandma's.) Realizing that preschool started in only a few short months, I decided enough is enough. I didn't care how many messes I had to mop up--this little girl was going to wear panties. (Okay, so I actually really DID care how many messes I would have to clean, but such is the life of a mom.) I guess Ellia had had enough too because, lucky for me, it only took one more accident in panties before the light bulb went on. Oh, happy day!

Here's to a new blog, and a new motto.