Baby Benchpressing

Who needs P90X when you got a baby. Since Dex hates (and I mean hates) tummy time, I found something he loves instead. I'll hold him above me like he's superman. He loves it. I also take this opportunity to do a few bench presses with him. Just doing it the last 2 days, my arms are feeling it. If I keep it up I'll slowly work back up to the toned arms and muscles I kind of had after P90X.

I know it's blurry but it shows the hate he has for it.  

Well the doctor never called back about my latest blood test. They only call when it's something to be concerned about. So I guess 3rd times the charm and I'm normal again. I'm really never quite normal, but you know.

This past weekend we went on a trip to Duchesne. To everyone not familiar with this town its pronounced something like dew-shane. It goes on the Utah twisted town pronounciation list. Like Hurricane, Hooper, Tooele. There's probably more.

The reason for the trip was one of Kyle's mission companions got married and was having a reception. Duchesne is a smaller town and a bit of a drive. Usually we wouldn't drive that far for a wedding reception where we wouldn't know anyone else, but we thought we'd make a day trip out of it and see that part of Utah.

It was such a pretty drive. We drove up through Ogden Canyon (I think that's what it was), through Heber and then out a very long highway. There were so many different types of landscapes. Mountains with huge pines. Valleys with lots of farms. Desert with juniper trees. The rivers were all so full and overflowing. We only made one stop. It was at Strawberry Resevoir. Here we walked around their visitor center and read about what they do to the fishes there. They capture fish and do a hatchery. The fish kept trying to break free, but were very well caged in. 

Peak of the jump

Will he make it?

Nope...still in there

  It was fun and beautiful outside. I did get a little sunburn and a mosquito bite.

On our little hike

We made it to Duchesne a little early. So out of the 4 available restaurants we chose Pizzaria. It was interesting. The reception was nice. It was in their backyard which was incredible. Large, green, tons of fruit trees. Kyle ended up kind of knowing one other person, but that was it. Someone else from the mission. However I love red velvet cookies now.


We took a different way home and swung through Provo. We wanted to stop off and say hi to Trevor and Danielle. It was a bit late, and we stayed a little longer than planned, but we always enjoy stopping over and talking with them.


I had my first experience of having to listen to sacrament in the mother's lounge. Also...he's not crying as much. Hooray!! Naptimes are going well, which means my house and I are not as crazy.  Like I actually vacuumed, cleaned the bathroom, did the laundry within the same week.

Father's Day Weekend

I got spoiled for a while.  Dexter started sleeping 5-7 hours at night.  It was so lovely.  The last few days though he reverted back to the 3 hours.  So sad.
Well on Friday morning Dexter had his 2 month appt.
Just so it's written down (because this is the family journal and I'll lose the papers eventually) his stats from his appts. have been thus far:

1 week checkup
WT: 7 lbs. 3.5 oz.  -  22%
HT: 20.75 in  -  74%
Head: 14.375  -  53%

2 Week Checkup
WT: 8 lbs. 0 oz.  -  30%
HT: 21.5 in  -  81%
Head: 14.5  -  46%

2 Month Checkup
WT: 11 lbs. 10 oz.  -  50%
HT: 22.5 in  -  30% (he wasn't happy and would not stretch out, so I think he's actually taller than this)
Head: 16 in  -  64%

The doctor said he has eczema.  Poor little guy and his sensitive skin.  Other than that though Dak is happy and healthy.  He also got his first set of vaccines.  He handled it well because he was super tired when he got them.  And for the rest of the day he stayed tired and cuddly.

Friday night we tried out another new restaurant.  Not a mexican one, but a New York Style pizza one.  That is one thing I loved on our NY trip, and miss.  The pizza.  Well this place was called NYPD Pizzeria.  We ordered a BLT pizza (it even had mayonaise on it) and a Meaty Manhattan.  They were pretty close to a NY pie, delicious, and we will definitely go back.  It's more on the costlier side for pizza though, so it won't be often.  I just need to learn how to make amazing pizzas.

Saturday Kyle got the first installment of his Father's day gift.  Not really, but this purchase just happened to be on the same weekend.  My current vacuum, Jeeves, is dying.  He has led a long and good life.  He served my grandparents, my roomates, and our family well.  He was a tank of a vacuum, but got the job done.  However, the motor is slowly dying and the cord is deteriorating.

What Jeeves looks like.  A 1960/70 Electorlux model.  AKA a tank.

So we got a new one.  He shall be named Dyson cause he is a Dyson.  Kyle's family has one and it works great.  We tested it out and liked it.  There's two thing I'll miss.  Jeeves was a lot lighter because of the canister, and how the cord reeled itself up.  I will miss those features.

So we purchased the vacuum.  Side note: Later on Monday we found out it went on sale on Sunday.  We bought it one day too soon.  Thankfully, Sears has a price match for 2 weeks so we got a refund.  Yay for saving money.

Wow, didn't know I could write so much on a vacuum.  Continuing on.

Not too much to report on the rest of the day.  Chores, taking care of Dak, and so forth.

Sunday though was Father's Day!  Kyle had to go to church early for his meetings, and I wasn't getting up to give him his gifts then.  So when he got back, Dak and I surprised him with a few things.

Mini Rootbeer cans and Carcassone expansion

Church went well.  Dexter actually awoke during sacrament, but I kept him calm and then helped him fall back asleep.  He kept doing his little cat naps and grumbly wakeups throughout, but he was good overall.

In their Sunday best

Also I saw such a cute scene.  Kyle was playing with him and Dexter was just all smiles.  It was so heartwarming seeing the two.  So I grabbed the camera to try and capture it.

Kyle playing with Dex

Big smiles and gurgles

So I realize a lot gets mentioned about Dexter.  Well he is my whole life so he'll get mentioned lots now and in the future.  Nothing too exciting really happens to me now.  But a bit about me. 
My days are slowly getting a little more productive.  However, I still just chill in my basement most the time.  I do take a daily walk with Dak (and usually with Kyle) to get out of it and see daylight.  Eventually I need to get out of the house more and actually be social with people.  I do better with planning then being spontaneous though, and I still feel a little awkward taking Dexter out unless I have to.  He's getting more happy and able to do stuff day by day.  So hopefully soon I'll branch out.

I've been having anxiety a bit lately, but am keeping it pretty well controlled.  I can get rid of the pain and feelings within 20 or so minutes now.  The main trigger isn't for a reason I've talked about before (like moving and Dex), although if I think and worry about them they do cause it.  But the most recent reason is that I just keep having to get blood work done cause my liver enzymes aren't showing up normal.  Since I don't know anymore than this my brain tends to overanalyze.  It's probably nothing real big, when I think about it my anxiety does flare up.  But my one phrase of "Come What May" and remember that I have to put my faith in the Lord works so well at calming me down.


Kyle is looking forward to starting school in the fall, and not working.  Although he'll have a huge load of classes to make up for the working. 

One last thing.  It finally got warm/hot today.  I wish I had A/C.

Houdini's Last Act

So our little Houdini has found a new challenge.  I broke down and bought some swaddlers because almost all the times I would wrap him, he would break through.  I found him like this one day too:

Even though arms aren't completely out, they're free so he's happy

So far I enjoy the swaddlers.  Much easier to pick him up and calm him in the middle of the night because it's all velcroed up.  He has broken through a few times, but it definitely takes him a lot of work to do it.
I taped him once trying to escape, it is a little long and not much anything towards the end just FYI.

This weekend we were adventurous and went out to dinner with the little guy.  We've been wanting to find a good Mexican restaurant.  Well we've passed by a few places called Rancheritos up here, so we decided to try it.  I had carne asada tacos and Kyle chose the California burrito.  We compared it best to Roberto's, except the inside looked a lot less questionable than the ones I've been to in Vegas.  Overall though pretty good.  It'll help me get some carne asada fixes.

Afterwards we watched...I Am Number 4.  Kyle's been dying for some reason to see it.  I thought it was good, there were a few times I turned away cause I don't like gross things.  We were a little surprised with how much of a cheesy romance was put in.  Usually action has as little as possible.  This one it was the main storyline it seemed.

Anyways, that ends Friday.  Saturday's chores was filled with taking care of a cranky Dexter, sorting through our clothes, and picking up the house.  As mentioned a few things ago, I need a wardrobe update.  While sorting through I had Kyle take pictures of me wearing most of my shirts.  It'll help me choose which ones actually do look okay still, and help decide what to do.  I also noticed the problem I have when buying shirts. I mainly have one style.  Take a look and tell me if you can recognize it...

Most my shirts

To me it was obvious...I love solid color shirts.  This is most of the shirts in my closet, there were just a few in the wash but they too were 95% solid colors.  The only difference between these is neckline, length, and if it has a pocket or not.  So to help save some money, I'm going to try and fix up some of these shirts to hide stains and small holes, fit better, and make them not plain t-shirts.  I found some ideas...

Love the stripes and buttons

Change up the neckline

Like stripes and ric rac

Easy change to a shirt...buttons

Bow and elasticated

Flowers could cover up stains

Adds a little texture

So in my free time (like the 5 minutes) I'll try to fix some up.  It might take many months, but I'll get there.
Anways, later Saturday evening on our walk Kyle and I stopped off at the park.  Here we did something I haven't done forever.  Played catch.  Dexter was actually awake and was quiet.  It was fun just tossing the ball around.  My throwing definitely needs improvement.

This Sunday I didn't get an anxiety attack...woohoo!  He was silent and sleeping during sacrament, but then awoke to gas right after the closing prayer ended. I missed Sunday school and felt a little bad, but then again they didn't have to hear a screaming baby.  While in the hallway I even ran into a random old friend from Vegas, Shaylor White.  He moved up here a while back, and is in the ward that meets in the building right after us. Sometimes it's funny how small the world is.

Well now for the newest change to the week.  My time!  So Kyle has been having Thursday nights as his night to play games and such.  I've even allowed him to continue it and I'll watch Dex all by myself those nights.  I then figured I need a night to do something for a couple hours where I don't have to worry about Dex.  I love him, but you just need a break sometimes.  So this past Tuesday I managed to get 1 hour.  What did I do...my other favorite wannabe hobby (sewing is the other one).  Woodworking/furniture making.  I've had a small table in my front room that I had picked up from DI for only 4 bucks, and I've had it for like 10 months.  The only problem is it is painted bright green, and has a bad job of black glazing on it.  So for the 1 hour I sanded it down.  There's still a hour or two of sanding (it was heavily painted) left, but it was actually relaxing for me.  I was supposed to have 2 hours, but Dexter was really, really crabby and Kyle looked so exasperated, so I stopped to help him out.

So that's it.  Here's some pictures too:

Tolerating me as I give him a bath

He was happy and playing on the floor

Come What May

What a weekend.  For me at least.  The week was pretty normal.  Also for the weekend.  Didn't really do anything.  I did catch Dexter smiling a very few times...

Happy in the morning

I even got a different time on video.

<

These times are still kind of rare...or at least fleeting.  Then it turns to this pretty quickly.

Trying to figure out the reason for this face...gas, poop, hungry, or just colicky

Yeah we deal with that face and sound a bit.  It's still cute, but definitely keeps one of us always occupied unless he's asleep.  Luckily, Kyle is a great husband and dad who watches him so I can do some stuff in the evening.

All pooped out

Sunday morning I woke up anxious.  This is not new.  I am a worry wort (probably noticeable in previous blog posts or in person).  A really big one too.  I know this and try to improve not being one, but it takes time.  In grade school I would get really sick feeling when I would procrastinate and then have a large project.  By college I fixed this in trying to do assignments (at least large ones) before the day the were due.  Other points of my paranoia worry wort was living with roommates.  Caryn, Wendy, and Katy especially had to put up with this one a lot.  We lived in a neighborhood that was a little below my comfort level.  Well our community was fine, but step out that gate at night and nope, and the people who wandered at night.  There are definitely many stories of me being my worry wort self while living with the roommates.  A funny one is a roommate who decided to clean our downstairs kitchen at 4 in the morning.  Kyle also came to learn of my anxiouness all this when he married me.
Well during pregnancy and now even after, the anxiety feeling has escalated.  I get it easier and they aren't just anxious feelings, I get full blown anxiety attacks.  Those times when I thought the baby was turning, turns out was just me having an anxiety attack.  I've also had a few since the baby was born.  Like when my mom left.
Well....Sunday morning I had one.
This feeling came on from the thought of taking Dexter to all 3 meetings of church.  Since I now know what they are this didn't have me hyperventilating like the previous ones did.  However, I still had pain and other issues that were hard to deal with.  So I just had to tell myself that I knew I already achieved sacrament, and that if things went horribly wrong I could just leave.
After church though the feeling didn't leave.  I even started to feel worse.  Some morning sickness moments returned.  My annoying multi thinking brain had conjured up everything else that has been on my mind.  Moving was one.  Taking care of Dexter is always a stress, and then a few other things here and there.
Even by Monday it hadn't fully gone away.  This is when I had the thought of Joseph B. Wirthlin's quote of "come what may and love it" popped into my head.  I wrote this down, along with all the things my brain was thinking about and all the reasons I shouldn't be worried about them.  Then I repeated this awesome phrase...
COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT.  It calmed me down a ton.

This will be my new motto because I really don't like being the anxious, worry wort, paranoid person who has anxiety attacks.  Maybe I should make something with this phrase on it.
So if you kept reading this...good job.
One last thing.  We told the landlord we'd be out by August.  AHHH!!!  Hopefully a place we like opens up in July.  Otherwise, we might be homeless.  Our landlord is definitely sad we're leaving he tried everything to keep us renting from him.  But since we like being close to the FrontRunner and want to stay in our ward he couldn't get us anything.  Still looking at the townhouses.  Just praying timing matches up...but I won't worry about it.

Blessed Day

So this weekend was filled with one long outing.  We decided to be crazy people and drive with Dexter all the way to Vegas to spend Memorial Day Weekend with family and friends, and also to bless him in church down there.
It started off early Friday morning.  Woke up, got ready, and headed out the door.  Took a lot longer than planned.  In Provo, we switched into my sister's car and also picked her up.  Much roomier for 4 people.

My guys in their sunglasses

It wasn't too bad of a drive.  As you can tell I sat in the back with Dak.  He was a good sleeper, and ate right from his seat too sometimes.  Just whenever we noticed our ears popping he would get fussy, but I helped him pop his ears too.
Arriving in Vegas we were able to stop off at Grandma Hansen's house so she could meet her new Great-Grandson (number 43 or something close to that)

Great Grandma Thompson meeting Dexter

We also stopped off at the Rigg's house so Dex could meet his future StarCraft playmate.
Finally we got to my parents house where we stay, and we were all pooped.  Some more figuratively than literally.
The next morning (Saturday) we got to relax a little. Also, the McQueens (Kyle's relatives) stopped by.

The McQueen family.  Joseph, Suzie, Dak, Dale, Leah

In the afternoon we headed over to the Hansen's so they could visit him and so we could all be together for the first time.  This would be Jake and Grandma Hansen's first meeting as well.  The boy's started what they always do.  Played video games...but with all 4 of them.  Us girls just chilled and talked.  Later, a few friends stopped by.  Katy and Wendy, with both of their Chris'.  It was fun to see and talk with them.  We do miss our friends in Vegas.

Old roommates and friends. Chris, Katy, Me, Chris, Wendy, Dex, Kyle

After talking and eating for quite a while, we ended our day.  Had to get up early for the main reason we went down.  Dexter William Hansen's blessing!

Looking sharp in his blessing outfit

We had chosen to do it in Vegas for the main reason that to get all the immediate members of Kyle's family it'd have to be there.  Just hard to schedule with them taking care of Grandma.  Also, it'd be easier to have our one family go down then have a bunch come up.

Aunt Melynn enjoying time with him

Grandma Gayle & Grandpa Robert

So on Sunday morning we all got ready and headed to church for our first time.  On the car ride over he fell asleep, and that's how he stayed throughout the whole meeting.  Kyle blessed him.  In the circle were our fathers, Kyle's brothers, and my grandpa.  It was a beautiful blessing, and I almost cried.  I really enjoyed going to church again and taking the sacrament.

Our little family

4 generations on Kyle's dad's side

After sacrament we headed to my family's house.  There my grandparents and aunts had lunch and talked with us.

4 generations with my dad's side of the family

4 generations on my mom's side of the family

Eventually they had to go home.  We took this opportunity to all take a wonderful nap.  Upon waking up, we got ourselves looking good and headed to the Hansens again.

Being adored

Here we hung out for a little while and then took some family pictures.  We had asked someone from the Hansen's ward and who Kyle and I knew from Institute to take them.  Grandma Hansen wasn't too happy to take them, but she put up with all of us.  There were many interesting comments and pictures taken.  I'm pretty sure there's quite a few with me not looking good at all.  Jumping and making a decent face can't be comprehended by my brain.  Another one where I know I looked awkward while we were supposed to sing a song while being shot.  Other than that, there should be some good shots of the family and our little one too.

Photo of the photoshoot

Another photo of the photoshoot

Some board games were then played, and the time to leave soon came as well.
The next morning we hurried to the Hansen's house again, saying goodbye to my family.  Here the boys wanted to play video games all together one more time.  So while they did that, I went shopping.  This time I had some success.  I had gone shopping earlier in the week and had come back frustrated because clothes just weren't fitting right.  This time I skipped looking at pants because that was the main frustrater.  Instead I found some cute shirts and a cute long flowy dress.  The only sad part was buying them...hardly any of them were on sale or clearance.  I need to do more thrift and second hand store shopping so my pocketbook won't take a hit with the new wardrobe I want.

Back to the trip.  After the shopping and playing video games, we started the journey back home to Utah.
Again, Dex did pretty good.  There was one really slow part because of a bad accident.  Otherwise it was a good trip back.

The trip did throw the baby off the slight routine that we had.  So the week has been a little rough recovering the sleep I lost on the trip, and helping him to get back to regularness.

On the way back the slow traffic

But it was a good 1st long trip as a family.

We survived