something is better than nothing

If I've learned one thing this year, it is that something is better than nothing.

For years it has bothered me if I can't do something 100% (or at least close to it). For example, when I clean, I always feel the need to do a really thorough job, when I run or exercise it needs to be at least 4 miles or an hour in length, when I design or write something it needs to be exact and uniform, when I blog the photos and content need to be edited and scripted well, when I read the scriptures it needs to be for a significant amount of time, etc.

Having a baby has loosened me up a bit. I have had to make adjustments. It's the law of becoming a mother I suppose. I just don't have the same amount of time I used to have.

I tend to be perfectionistic yet indecisive by nature so I'm learning a huge lesson. I'm not saying I'm going to start doing things halfway, but I have realized that sometimes it is better to do what I can rather than not do anything at all. So I didn't have time to run 4 miles, but I was able to do the 2.7 mile loop with Win in his jogger stroller. I couldn't declutter the entire house in one day, but I did manage to clean out one of Win's drawers. I didn't make that labor intensive dish from Sunset magazine, but I did get spaghetti on the table. Case in point: Something is better than nothing.

Along those same lines, I found this quote on Pinterest that helps keep things in perspective for me. It says, "You can do anything, but you can't do everything."

The list in my mind makes me want to do everything...at the same time. I want to sew a skirt, make a wreath, hang some pictures, bake banana bread, take a photography class, juice some pomegranates, read more books, finish a personal history project. You name it and I probably want to do it.

This is not a bad thing. Wanting to do and learn things is healthy. Being motivated keeps life interesting. I run into problems because I want to do many things at once so my projects are left unfinished. A few illustrations: I have a box of two year old pinecones sitting in my mom's shed waiting to be made into a wreath, fabric in my closet for skirt I wanted to make over a year ago, three wall hangings for Win's room that should have been hung before he was born and a slew of thank you cards that should have been written a year ago from my baby showers. The thank you cards are a big regret. I'm admittedly bad at sending them. Once again, I can trace this to my perfectionistic tendencies and lack of narrowing down projects. Something would have been better than nothing and if I would have focused on that one thing I could have completed an important task.

I know some characteristic traits are impossible to change, whether they be learned or inherent, but I can continuously learn and grow. I can't help but think of these scriptures:

Isaiah 28:10 "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little."

and

Mosiah 4:27 "And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order."

So for 2012, I will always try to do my best, but something is going to be better than nothing (for the little things) and I really can do anything, but I can't do everything...at one time.

A big thank you to this little guy for teaching me some important lessons in 2011.

jolly

Win's first Christmas tree is a little "Charlie Brown" table topper. We didn't want to get a full size tree this year because1) We didn't want Win to get into the breakable ornaments 2) We didn't want the tree to fall over on him if he decided to use it as a climbing device and 3) We frankly don't have a lot of room for a tree. The table topper suits our family just great this year.

breaking (it) dawn...I mean down

The other day I was ripping on Twilight to Kent. At the time I felt justified in doing so because it IS a cheesy love story and the characters ARE sort of pathetic. (I didn't go gaga over Edward like everyone else and I thought Bella was kind of boring.) Truth be told, it took me two years to finish the first book. I couldn't get into it. I read the first 100 pages like one always should before discarding a book, then put it down and didn't pick it up for another two years. Peer pressure made me feel like I needed to give it another chance. Am I happy I did? I guess. At least I understand Twilight references and who's who, but I didn't catch the craze. Just tell me the end already.

Here's the thing I realized though, although I don't love Twilight and I am constantly amazed at how into it people get, I am in no position to judge. Have I written a novel? No. A highly successful one at that? Not even close. Do people want my stories so they can make movies out if them? Nope. I don't even have stories to give even if they asked. Suffice it to say, I am impressed with Stephanie Meyer. Twilight fans are cuckoo for this vampire saga just like I was crazy about Harry Potter and the Hunger Games. (By the way, have you seen the trailer for the Hunger Games movie? Kent showed it to me the other day and it left me emotional. Check it out for yourself.)

In conclusion, I want to say that Twilight is all right. I've come to grips with the fact that it is a teenage love story that exploded onto the adult scene. It took control over women's hearts (maybe men's too) young and old. So, who cares if I didn't love Twilight. Mrs. Meyer did something original and I have to commend her for taking the vampire-loving world by storm.

I just have to ask, is the baby a vampire?

davy

Our boy is Davy Crockett for Halloween. The inspiration? A coon hat we found on sale at Gymboree. The rest just sort of came to us after looking at Davy Crockett pictures online. My mom sewed the fringe onto the onesie and I made his pouch which happens to be the perfect size for his pacifier. He also has a "bear skin" belt on with a claw - so tough. The shoes were given to me at shower and they made perfect moccasinesque footwear.

Kent and I joined in on the frontier theme, but Win was the star.

He's not feeling well tonight, but we got to show him off at the Trunk or Treat on Saturday.

Happy Halloween!

7 months

He's actually 8 months now so he has changed since I first began this post a few weeks ago, but month 7 was a big one.

Here are his 7 month stats:

Weight: 17 lbs. 1 oz.
Height: 26 3/4 inches
He cried when he got his 4 shots, but he calmed down and took a little snooze on the way home. Win is a trooper.



Highlights:

Win is mobile, and I mean mobile. He is crawling on all fours now and rarely reverts to the army crawl.




He pulls himself up on everything: dresser drawers, coffee tables, chairs, chests, laundry baskets, his crib railing, etc.



Food has become his new best friend although I think he still loves the food mommy provides. He has tried all sorts of baby food including bananas (mashed and in the jar), peas, squash, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, pears, peaches (mashed), avocado (mashed), prunes and I think that’s it as far as fruits and vegetables go. He has also had a few bites of watermelon and some orange as well. He also eats rice cereal, Mum-mum rice crackers and Cheerios.



He loves it all. He also really enjoys drinking water out of his sippy cup. He can’t quite manage it by himself, but he really tries.



He just seems smarter these days as well. Win has always sort of understood things, but he is a smart boy. He laughs at things I do now like pretending to eat his food and saying “mmm…” and he is starting to understand what his toys do. He is also starting to drop things and seeing where they land. As they say, he is “testing the law of gravity”. Especially at meal time.

Win learned how to sleep through the night which was a miracle. We let him “cry it out” which was rough, but it felt like right timing. At 7 months old he didn't need me to feed him every 3 hours. He had two crying periods that lasted about an hour each. One from 11:30 pm – 12:30 am (maybe a little less, maybe 50 minutes) and another one from 3:40 am – 4:30 am. Those are estimates, but you get the idea. The next night we didn’t hear a peep until the early morning. I think he found his pacifier and fell back to sleep until 7:30 am. From that point on he slept through the night religiously until we went on a trip to Utah where he decided to cut his first tooth!

That's right. Win gained his first tooth on his lower left gum. He was so fussy at night while we were away. I blamed it on traveling, but I felt his gum one morning and lo and behold, there was a bit of a tooth popping through. Poor little guy. I feel bad we didn't put any teething gel on it or anything. We just didn't really know why he was acting so uncomfortable.

I wish I would have written more down from month 7. I'm just amazed at his accomplishments and how grown up he is getting. More to come in month 8.

my thoughts on marathoning

Back when I was pregnant with Win, or soon after I had him, I thought it would be a good idea to do a marathon. It would give me something to work for and help me regain my waistline. I had completed a marathon before and actually enjoyed it so I thought training would be kind of fun.

In real life it has been hard. After completing my Saturday long runs, I constantly ask myself (and Kent) why I'm doing this. Last time I ran a marathon, I had some vengeance brewing in my soul. I was going through a break up and had recently almost died (not literally) on mile 15 in the Great Wall Marathon so I had something to prove to myself.

This time, I have my reasons, but they aren't as clearly defined. Yes, I want to be back at my pre-pregnancy weight and shape, but is it worth these (see below) and some other aches and pains?

(My second toenail(s) turns purple and falls off when I run a lot.
Weird and sort of gross.)

Deep inside I am excited. I even looked up how fast I have to do the marathon in order to qualify for Boston. If you're curious, it is 3 hrs 35 min for women ages 18-34. That's fast and my training speed isn't even close to that, but I might as well shoot for something. My running schedule has been sort of on and off, but I have done what I can do with a baby in tow. I have also had a really supportive husband who doesn't understand my love of running yet gets that I like it and will help me accomplish my goal.

Once again, I am excited for the race coming up in a couple of weeks and gradually gearing up mentally. Like the experts say, much of the race turns into a mental battle and I am slowly but surely finding my fire and reasons for competing. Just to "lose weight" isn't going to carry me through 26.2 miles.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. And, I also think I don't need to do this again after baby #2. Maybe a half marathon or sprint triathlon would suffice? We shall see.

up and up

Some one is 7 months old today and is acting like a big boy...

He seems too young to be pulling himself up on things, but I caught this kid in action last night. He isn't the most stable on his feet, but I'm sure he'll get the hang of it before we know it. Time to get serious about baby proofing.