Its All About Your Point of View

As I was washing bottles this morning I was thinking to myself, "Self, I really hate washing bottles and my pump. They are the bane of my existence. They smell bad, are annoying to clean, and the slimy breast milk film is just plain gross." 


"Well," my other more positive self said trying to show my other self reason, "Aren't you grateful that you get to wash these bottles? I mean, you're not washing out syringes for the NG tube anymore and you're little boy is eating lots and lots so you know he's healthy and growing. Besides, you are in your own home, washing your bottles and pump and you still have a baby that needs them."


"Alright," my grouchy -and might I add SICK- self said,"I get the picture. I need to be grateful thanks a lot annoying happy person that's trying to take over. Now go back to the closet under the stairs you are supposed to be locked up in." But as I continued scrubbing the dishes that annoyingly happy voice piped up again. 


"Aren't you so glad that you have these dishes to wash? It means your tummy was full, and you didn't prepare this meal, you're husband did. How nice of him was it to do that especially when you don't feel well. Not only that, but he's going to run and get you some orange juice AND Kleenex with LOTION in it!"




Where on earth did this happy trying to make a positive spin on thing come from? She's kind of annoying! Sometimes, especially when a person is not feeling good they need to feel grouchy, however this annoying happy sing song voice keeps popping in to spread sunshine and cheer. 

On a side note: Breathing is seriously underrated.

That is all.

Twitter Me This

Hello Friends, Followers and those who have stumbled across me-

I rarely ask for help via my blog because really who reads it? But at this point I really really want to win! So if you'll please please please help me out follow me on Twitter @auntieem1984  and retweet retweet retweet anything and everything about #Twitterbahn! from @ParksMotors.


Please?!

Thank you

So It Finally Happened, I'm Old

Every once in a while my wonderful husband reminds me just why I fell in love with him in the first place. (Awww!)

Friday afternoon I got a text from Mr.Chase that said something to the effect of "Pack a bag for us and a bag for the kids. The kids are going to you're sisters and we're leaving as soon as I get home"

You could have knocked me over with a feather. Not only had he planned something for just the two of us but he had made arrangements for the kids as well? A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

So Mr. Chase got home told me I needed to wear something nice to dinner and that where we were going was a secret.

At one point he had me convinced we were heading to Flaming Gorge to go boating with his family. I was suspicious but excited I had tried once earlier in the summer to wakeboard and have been anxious to give it a go again. When we got to the turning point up the canyon - this way to Wyoming - this way to Park City, Chase headed right instead of left. Park City here we come!

He had it all planned dinner at the very swanky Silver restaurant -where one of his great friends from High School is a chef- a night stay in a lovely room with a KING SIZE BED and AIR CONDITIONING! Then the next day, the Alpine Slide, wandering through historic down town Park City and the shopping at the Outlets!

Walking into Silver my nerves were raw with excitement, I had never been to such a hip - which I realize is unhip to use - happening place before, Ryan Reynolds & Katie Holmes have been seen dinning here- the decor was very modern, alligator skin silver chairs, chains dripping down the wall in a waterfall of metallic shimmers. Mr. Chase was able to catch up with his friend while I dashed to the restroom, two full drinks on the ride up prevented me from sticking around to listen to their witty banter.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the sink, it was awesome!

I returned to the table as the boys were wrapping up their conversation and Tate went back to the kitchen, moments later an appetizer arrived from Tate. Meatballs ( see photo ) I thought they tasted like giant versions of spaghettio meatballs but fancier.  As soon as we had inhaled those ( did I mention we were starving?) Our waitress brought out Hummus (that was the creamiest smoothest most edible Hummus I have ever had the joy of consuming) with grilled pita bread. Awesome. Then our entree arrived. Mr. Chase ordered the Berkshire pork chop, that had spatezle and a mustardo sauce. I had ordered Kobe beef-it came with polenta sticks and roasted asparagus.  One bite of my steak and my world was turned upside down. I requested that it be cooked to medium, but it was a more rare than any meat I have ever had before in my life, and well seeing as it was Chase's friend that was in charge and you really shouldn't over cook Kobe beef, I suffered through it and honestly it was the BEST steak I have ever experienced. It was the most flavorful steak I have ever had the joy of eating.  Of course I shared with my dearly beloved (albeit begrudgingly) he thought it was incredible and he LOVED the blue cheese sauce that accompanied it, I thought it was the ripest blue cheese I had ever smelled but Chase really enjoyed it.

His pork chop was equally earth shattering.  I had to exercise all my will power to NOT chew on the bone when he was done. It was moist and full of insane deliciousness. The spatezle was full of apple wood smoked bacon that gave the whole thing a smokey essence.

Then there was dessert. Words cannot accurately portray the love I have for the dessert Mr.Chase. He was sweet enough to let me order the Cheesecake Souffle even though he has no desire to consume cheesecake. HOWEVER, he dived right into the pillowy Souffle  and ate just as much as I did!

Now I know I am a horrible blogger for not taking a photo of our room, but I was a little busy once I got there and a photo opt was NOT something I had in mind.  Meaning- I had to pump and that bed was calling my name, "Auntie Em, Auntie Em, you get to sleep through the night for the first time in 9 months! Auntie Em"  It was so big that Mr. Chase and I could spread out as much as we wanted and NOT EVEN TOUCH! And the fact that the room had glorious Air Conditioning! It was Heaven!  I did wake up once in the night to pump -grumble grumble-.

The next morning we got up slowly, and had breakfast at the hotel then headed off into the wild brisk (52 degrees) blue yonder. Up to Park City Mountain Resort to play on the ALPINE SLIDE let me tell you, if you ever have the chance to slide down a mountain on a sled, TAKE IT!

I will admit to being more than a little nervous about taking the ski lift up the mountain, I am not known for being very fond of heights *shivers* but once my feet were firmly on the ground again, I was good.

After our adventure we headed into downtown Park City to browse and window shop.  Every store we walked into I shoved my hands down deep in my pockets because I could hear my mother's voice loud and clear, "This is a hands in pockets store, we don't touch ANYTHING." I'm 27 years old and I'm still afraid to go into "Those" type of stores. As soon as I walked out of the first store we went into I called my mom to tell her how I felt and she laughed and laughed.

<---- The Egyptian Theater Very Popular during Sundance Film Festival.

We hit up the outlet stores and our kids made out like bandits. Mr. Chase 2.0 got a bunch of cute outfits and onesies, while Daisy got an adorable school uniformesque skirt and shirt. I got a cute t-shirt and a new pair of jeans, a whole size smaller than normal, and even they are little loose!  Mr. Chase got a couple of new t-shirts/polos. All in all it was a great break from our norm and a wonderful treat! It was the first time that we had been out overnight somewhere without our children and it was amazing! We figured out we actually like each other one on one!

My birthday was actually yesterday and we went to dinner (without the kids) and saw an AWFUL movie...WARNING: DO NOT SEE APOLO 18!  But all in all it was a pretty awesome way to celebrate turning 27, MUCH better than being taken to Subway. Mr. Chase promised to bigger and better for next year, not sure how he's going to top this but I'm looking forward to it!

The Fair!

I know I have said it before, I'll say it again. I LOVE THE FAIR!!! I LOVED THIS CHICKEN!!!

It was great fun to get to go walk through the exhibits and get to see all the random things that the fair brings out.

The kids LOVED it. I carried Mr. Chase 2.0 around in a carrier and Miss Daisy kept close. We went with Aunt Pie and cousin "Torrah" - as Miss Daisy calls her. We played games and got free balloons and paper fans.

Mr. Chase kept up his end of the bargain, and took me to the Fair to get my favorite thing FUNNEL CAKE!

How I Feel

If you couldn't tell I'm having a bad day. A VERY bad day, and to be quite honest the picture above is EXACTLY how I feel today. I want to say a lot of very not nice things but I am refraining, however in my restraint I am afraid if a baseball bat becomes available... I'm just gonna keep my mouth shut and pray that I can continue to be nice. Cross your fingers for me.

Crowd Tap

I have been using this for about two days now and I'm LOVING it!!! Kind of addicting and fun believe it or not.

Click above and see what I mean. Its free easy and you can earn money for yourself and a charity of your choice! Awesome huh?

Something Sour

So yesterday while I was holding Mr. Chase 2.0 I kept catching an incredibly sour smell. So he got a bath, two infact and that sour smell was still lurking about. Mr. Chase 2.0 was fine though so we went about our day.

Well this morning he was fussy and I picked him up and he was ON FIRE!!! Took his temp 101.5 took it about 30 minutes later, 102. 2. Lovely. So I gave him tylenol and put a call into the Family Doc. {He's on Speed-dial} "Let's get him in."

Two hours later, the doctors office welcomed us and asked if it would be okay if a Med Student looked at Mr. Chase 2.0... I said of course happy to help would-be-doctors become real doctors. So he asked me about 50 questions was very thurough listened to his lungs looked in his mouth and in his ears. Mr. Med Student said that he looked good his ears looked great and suggested that it was probably just a virus but he would have our Doctor look too. So our Doctor comes in says hello checks out Mr. Chase 2.0's ears and goes WOW. That's definately infected.

So here we are on a NEW round of yet another antibiotic. Poor Mr. Chase 2.0 is sick of not feeling quite up to snuff.

Come With Me....

I have cupcakes.

I have been on a baking binge lately. Miss Daisy is not upset by this at all.

Cupcakes are my current obsession.

Although Cinnamon Twists/Rolls and bread have been in my oven as of late as well. We've been getting a lot of rain. I bake when it rains.

Miss Daisy likes to "stir eggs" so she helps me in my baking pursuits.

{notice the dishes in the drainer- I am really wanting a dishwasher I've gone 4+ years without one now and I really have the "i wants" for one}

She helped so much today.

She turned the oven up to broil whilst I was feeding Mr. Chase 2.0 and the pulled pork rolls were in the oven.

I smelt something burning.

Luckily it was only the roll on the bottom rack that was overcooked... go figure huh?

i LOVE my online friends

Although we have may never met in real life, you ladies are a HUGE part of my support system.

I have not met any of you but I feel like we're really friends. I have cried with you in times of trial, laughed with you at happy things and worried with you when stressed out. You are all amazing and I hope that one day we can all meet up for big party. :)

I {heart} My Grandmother

When the summer before I turned 21 I ran away from home (sort of) and moved in with my Grandmother. She and I have always had a special relationship. I adore her, she is a woman that I hope to emulate, strong, hard headed a slightly crazy. It also helps that I am her FAVORITE grandchild (and that's saying something because there are 40+ of us) Okay, Okay, I may NOT be her FAVORITE but she makes me feel that way, that's how awesome she is she makes us ALL feel like we are her FAVORITE.

Well I have been missing my Granny something fierce lately - don't worry she is not GONE {insert gloomy music} - she just lives 12 hours away and with gas being $4 a gallon and having two children under the age of three (one of which that up until TODAY was seeing a doctor on a bi-weekly basis ) a 12 car ride is not a very feasible idea - as much as I have entertained that idea as of late.

So... I did the next best thing. I made Pork Chops! They were (while I lived there) and are a staple in her house, they are her favorite thing to eat. They have to have bones, so you can chew on them, and applesauce should accompany them. As I sat there after everyone else had finished my last supper worthy meal I reveled in the bliss that was chewing on the bones. I even called my Dear Old Granny to tell her I was thinking about her.

She laughed and said, "Oh yeah, Pork Chops make you think of me... Great!"

I <3 My Granny!!!

Tender Moments

There are times that I wonder if I'm EVER going to be able to handle TWO children.

And then I see this.

"Hey brother, do you wanna play? Rawr!!"

Hummm....

I've been having seriously strange dreams lately.

I mean strange.

Maybe I should stop eating brownies in the middle of the night?

Proof

So my father has been giving me a hard time. Telling me that Mr. Chase 2.0's smile is like this cartoon. He didn't really believe that Mr. Chase 2.0 had actually done this, I was making it up. Well here's proof!

At 16 weeks and 6 days Mr. Chase 2.0 finally decided to do this.

I Looked Out The Window

This was the view from my front porch yesterday.

A double rainbow.

And if you look VERY closely you can see deer frolicking in the field.

Miss Daisy ran outside in my ruby crocs and her diaper proclaiming

"Look, its MY rainbow!"

It looked like it landed in the field.

Grumble Grumble

I feel like this today.

I'm in a bad mood.

I hate video games.

I think men are stupid.

I'm Grouchy.

And being a milk cow, pretty much sucks!

(pun intended)

The Coolest Name

Is there anything better than being called

Dad or Mom?

Less and Less of me

I couldn't believe it.

I think this is a magic mirror.

However.

When I weighed myself at the doctors office...

I cried.

I have lost 45 lbs!!!

I have bounced up and down for the last 3 years.

But yesterday i was at my SKINNIEST ever in my adult life!!!

Just thought I would share the news.

Look who got into the make up!

Twinkie

This has been my second year Hostessing @ the Miss Cache Valley Pageant for the BEAUTIFUL Jackie Stuart.

Hostessing aka being a Twinkie consists of telling your contestant she needs to smile, make sure her hair looks right and all the other funny beauty pageant things you can think of:spraying backside with hair spray so swimsuit does not ride up, duct taping breasts together to make them look bigger, making your contestant laugh when she's so nervous her hands are shaking etc.

Essentially I was the comic relief.

Jackie did splendid. She was second runner up which means she won $1500 in scholarship monies to go towards her education at USU. She's awesome.

Well Balanced Diet

Well its been two months since giving birth. Time to start a diet right? I am still 35lbs less than I was when I first got pregnant but ideally I would like to loose about 15 more.

I will NOT be taking a page out of Miss Daisy's diet book.

Well balanced diet = a cookie in each hand!

Welcome Spring!

Spring in Logan, Utah.

Gotta love it, right?

Woo HOO!!!

{Miss Daisy and Mr. Chase 2.0: moments ago}

She LOVES being a big sister

He LOVES having a full tummy and being held

{Mr. Chase & Auntie Em- last night}

She LOVES her new iPhone- thank you Mr. Chase

He LOVES ... Our wonderful children.

PS I LOVE our kids too... just wanted to announce the iPhone ;)

Truer Words Have Never Been Spoken...

And we couldn't be happier.

Memorable Moments

Mr. Chase and I were talking last night and the topic of what our most memorable moments with the other was.

Mr. Chase told me that his top two memories were one of our first "real" dates - and I say "real" because most of our early dates consisted of watching a movie in my front room in the middle of the night because he worked until nine. I thought it was pretty funny that something as simple as ice skating at the local park would leave such an impression on him.

As I laid in bed last night I remembered our date. Putting on skates together, holding hands as we both tried to not fall, and Mr. Chase asking a random skater to take our photo together. I really think that was the date where I realized that Mr. Chase really liked me.

He also said that the birth of Mr. Chase 2.0 made his list or memorable moments. I thought that was a given. It was only 20 days ago but as I think about all that happend that night I'm sure it won't be an event that either of us will soon forget. I know that seems funny of course you remember the birth of your children but Mr. Chase 2.0's birth was insane! Not so much the actual birth but the him being out and the events that took place shortly there after.

I of course agreed that the birth of our son was probably one of our most memorable moments together but what I remember the most was after Mr. Chase 2.0 got here and I was actually able to hold him in the NICU up in Logan, I had baby on my chest with daddy behind me holding my hand. It was a very emotional moment.

I thought it was funny and it surprised me as we talked that neither one of us mentioned our wedding/marriage. Its not that it wasn't special or memorable, because it was but maybe because it too is so new and maybe not as traumatic and life changing as birth or maybe the moment where you realize that perhaps this is the person you want to spend the rest of your life with.

PS - these two photos are taken almost exactly one year apart from one another.

if only we would have known then what we know now.

Pushed

Today I am a little stressed.

Mr. Chase 2.0's surgery has been pushed back till Monday due to scheduling conflicts. Our wonderful Doctor was unable to get the team together that he wanted for Thursday and Monday is the earliest they can all convene. So we get to wait an extra few days, which I am trying to be positive about. He'll have the opportunity to get bigger and stronger.

I am nervous about the impending surgery. I know it will go well, but poor little Mr. Chase 2.0's due date wasn't even until the 26th and he'll be having major surgery on the 24th.

Yikes.

Crash Course

Mothering 101 is a class that I got a passing Grade in nearly 3 years ago, my little girl has survived my mothering for the last nearly 3 years (her birthday is February 10).

Now I'm enrolled in Mothering 202 and can I just say WOW, talk about a crash course. My dear little boy Mr. Chase 2.0 has been through a lot and in the words of the scarecrow, "Its going to get darker before it gets lighter."

We have spent 10 days in the NICU at Primary Childrens Medical Center down in Salt Lake City, and it looks like we will have the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time down here. Mr. Chase 2.0 gets to have surgery on Thursday and then there is the recovery time and a few other things that have to be factored in.

The Stars

Sometimes the constants in our lives are all we have

the stars and the wonders they inspire

seem to be my only constant right now.

Heals MY Soul

As I was slowly making my way out of the NICU last night I had this feeling of calm and peace wash over me. It actually took me a minute to realize that I was hearing a familiar hymn.

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The girls choir that was practicing/performing in the lobby of the hospital will probably never know how much I appreciate the moment of calm that they provided me.