When Your "Baby" Starts to Walk

Everyone says, "Enjoy your little one, they grow up too fast." I heard it, but I didn't understand it. It's one of those things that you can't hear and understand, you must experience it in order to understand it. I had to experience my baby girl growing up "too fast" in order to understand what all those other people meant when they said it. My baby girl used to fall asleep in my arms, she used to cuddle up to me all the time and I loved every second of it. She's too squirmy now and only cuddles me for a few moments here and there when she's hurt or tried. I miss newborn Reyna, but I don't miss her waking up every few hours in the middle of the night because she's hungry. I love 11 month old Reyna because she takes naps like a champ, she sleeps through the night (which means I do too), she can communicate with me better and best of all smiles when I go in her room in the morning or she sees me walk around the corner. Although I miss Reyna as a baby sometimes, I also love who she is growing up to be.

It's truly gone by too fast, she has learned and grown so much in this first year of her life. It's so much fun to watch her learn and grow up, and even better when she starts to respond to things that I'm teaching her. She used to be this cute little squishy-faced newborn baby that was completely helpless without me, but now she is an independent, crazy little girl with a mind of her own. I fall more in love with her every day but she's not my "baby" anymore. I used to call her Reyna baby or just baby, but I can't do that anymore, not since she started to WALK. She's not really a baby anymore and even though it makes me teary-eyed I'm ok with that, I'm excited for my toddler and to continue to watch her grow. I love that cute little blonde munchkin. Yes she is growing up too fast but I'm soaking in the moments that I can.

Day 1- The Story of My Life

The Story of My Life--In (about) 250 Words

I was born and raised in Bountiful, Utah. I came into the world on August 22nd, 1987. I loved playing soccer, pretending I was a pioneer crossing the plains (by using my little red wagon full of blankets, water and cheerios) and spent lots of time reading.

By the time I got into high school I was very involved in soccer and loved my acting classes. I’d always had trouble keeping friends but had some great ones in high school who had a good influence on my life. I learned about death in 2006 when a good friend of mine died suddenly from a stroke, I also learned a lot about the Plan of Salvation that God has given us; those 2 things (God & the Gospel) gave me the strength to get through that unexpected tragedy.

When I turned 21 I served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to Leeds, England where I learned so much and changed for the better. In my life I had fallen in love and gotten my heart broken a few times; but then a 5’8” ginger swept me off my feet and into his adventurous way of life. We got married on February 18th, 2012 and have had many adventures since then.

One of those adventures includes being a mom to my little angel of a daughter, Reyna, who was born on September 9th, 2013. She is now 9 ½ months old and keeps me on my toes, she is trying to walk, she loves to eat, is a big-time thumb sucker, likes to dance and is very giggly.

Overall I can’t complain. I’m 26 and I have a pretty good life. It hasn’t always been easy, but I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much if it was easy. I appreciate the challenges that come and the ways in which they make me stronger.

27 is just around the corner!

Why Running is the WORST

That's right I said it. Running is the worst. I HATE RUNNING. It makes my whole body scream at me, it makes me nauseous and want to throw up, it makes me breathe too hard, it makes my lungs scream in protest, it makes me cough afterwards, it makes me feel horribly out of shape, it makes me want to collapse on the side of the road and lay their for hours and hours and hours and hours and hours, it makes me thirsty, it makes me sore, it makes me wish I never had to breathe again and most of all it makes me want to NEVER run again. And yet, I find myself doing it again and again. I came home from a run the other night and asked my husband where all the endorphines were that were supposed to make me feel better after running? Wasn't exercise supposed to make me feel good? Instead of making me feel like hacking up a lung and wanting to just collapse on the floor and give up the ghost. He told me to wait an hour... after an hour... I was still tired from running.

I used to go running with a good friend of mine a few years ago, we'd run on treadmills and I'd say we ran about the same pace/distance; but EVERY TIME we got off those treadmills and stretched she would talk about how good she felt after running and how good running made her feel etc. etc. etc.. I on the other hand, sat there in silence wondering how she felt so good when I felt like crap. Stretching was my favorite part of running. Haha.

Oh well. Maybe one day it will make me feel good... MAYBE. Of course that would mean I would have to keep running. And I suppose I will. The Teton Dam Marathon is this summer and the guys that Kevin works with at the Fire Station want to run the 1/2 marathon. NEVER IN MY LIFE have I wanted to run a marathon, let a lone a half marathon; but Kevin says it's something I should do at least once just to say I have. Well I don't want to say: I ran a half marathon, but it's getting me to run. It's a goal to work towards and that's the only reason I get up and run, the only reason I have a teeny tiny bit of desire to run, and that feels good. It feels good to have a goal. Even though I hate it, and it makes me feel like crap. I will do it. Normally the only thing that gets me to run is a nice green soccer field, and a round soccer ball to chase around (now that's a good time running.) Or on occasion when I'm really angry, it's a nice way to blow off steam because it makes me too tired to be angry. Eh. Here's to doing things I don't want to do just because it's good for me and I like to be able to walk up stairs or jog to the car without breathing heavily. I like it when my cardiovascular system is a champion. Here's to the strength and determination to do things I don't have hardly any desire to do.

"Exercise is not a cure-all; it will not eliminate stress or solve all of our problems. However, exercise will assist us in facing challenges with greater confidence and stamina. Because exercise so effectively releases tension built up in the body by stress, physical activity is something that should not be pushed aside in day-to-day life. Each of us has a right and a responsibility to take care of the body that the Lord has given us. When it comes to managing stress, maintaining health, and improving quality of life, exercise is well worth the effort." -Larry A. Tucker "Move More, Stress Less"

Reyna Paige at 6 Months Old

Well baby girl is 6 months old and I can't believe that time is going by so fast! I just know she'll be a year old before I blink! I can't believe how many of my friends already have toddlers or are on their second kid!And March is already passing by too quickly, Kevin is almost done with this semester of school. It's hard to imagine what my life was like before Reyna came. Our adventures haven't stopped, we just take Reyna everywhere we go! (Except snowboarding, that was the only exception.) She has been fishing, hiking, hunting, off-roading in our new jeep... babies don't stop you from having fun they just add an extra element of fun! Anyway here's what baby girl is up to these days:

1- Has started crawling, does this sort of worm thing but she's getting there!
2- Likes boxes and pretty much anything but her toys
3- Likes to play with other babies
4- Likes to drink apple juice
5- Likes to eat food, just not green beans, she hates those
6- Loves to be snuggled to sleep during naptime
7- Smiles at just about everyone, but still has no teeth
8- Wants to stand up and tries to pull herself up already
9- Likes to pull my hair and grab my face
10- Weighs 15lbs 10oz and is 27 inches long. Growing like a weed.

Well I just love my baby girl, even when I only get five hours of sleep some nights, and it drives me crazy. I do love that little girl though and I am grateful to be her mom and her friend. Who wouldn't like getting to play with a baby?

A New Year And No Resolutions

A new year generally means setting goals or resolutions. I am sick of setting these goals and resolutions though... aren't you? I mean every year since I can remember I sit down at the beginning of January and write some goals for the new year so that I can reach said goals; but then the following January I sit down and look at the goals I made last year and I am perpetually disappointed. I seem to be back in the same position I was in before.

I rarely meet the goals that I set unless it was a goal like "get married this year" (that was in 2012 when I was obviously getting married in February) or "go on a mission" which I already knew I was going to do or this past year "have a baby" when I wrote that I knew Kevin and I had been trying to have a baby so that goal was easy to meet. It's the goals like "read my scriptures every day even if it's only a verse" or "attend the temple every week" or "exercise for 30-60 minutes 4-5 times a week" or "eat healthier" blah blah blah... you all know the kinds of goals I'm talking about. The ones we all set but can never quite achieve. The ones that when we miss a day of reading our scriptures or eat a fat piece of chocolate cake (for the third time that week) that make us frustrated and think that we are never going to meet our goals.

Well this year I say heck to goals! Send em all down the toilet with the goldfish you couldn't manage to keep alive for more than a week either. Right? I mean what is the point in setting stupid goals so I am putting a kibosh on the whole thing this year and possibly all of the rest of the years of my life. I don't want to make stupid goals that will just frustrate me, and anyway life is not about meeting those kinds of goals but a progression to perfection. It's not about making a yearly goal, but an eternal goal to become the best version of myself.

Thus I am setting no goals for myself this year, and no resolutions. I am just going to "keep on swimming" and keep on trying to do what I have been trying to do my entire life. Be a better person. I am always going to try and be more spiritual, try to be in better shape, try and eat healthier, and overall improve my life; but I don't need some stupid "new year's resolutions" to do that. I just need my own determination, the support of my husband, and the love of my Heavenly Father. So here's to the new year and here's to trying to always be a better person, not just at the beginning of the year, but every day of every week of every month of every year! For the rest of my life. :) Thus I propose to quit being perpetually disappointed by missed goals and instead be perpetually perfecting and progressing myself.

"...we must learn to take satisfaction in performing at the limits of our ability (for that is where real power is gained) and let God worry about the rest." -Stephen E. Robinson Believing Christ