sad to see her go...

My mom was here this past week, from last Saturday until tonight. She came to help me out so I could get some school work done. She watched Ollie in the days and stayed up with him at night (all night, every night = bliss for me). She did the dishes and laundry too. It was truly amazing. She is wonderful. On top of all of that, she drove here from Utah by herself so she could help me. I feel so blessed to have her as my mom.

My brother and his girlfriend are also here visiting. It's fun having them here.

This morning I took my Bio midterm. W was sweet and made me an omlet before I left. I studied for roughly 60 hours for that test. I really felt like I lived at the library this past week. I think I did okay. I'm just glad it's over. Now I only have to do that one more time (for the final) and I can put this class behind me.

We had a fun little photo shoot this afternoon of the three of us. I will have to share pictures as soon as I get them back. I'm excited about them.

W and I went on a date tonight - our first date since Oliver's birth. My brother stayed with Oliver while we went out for Indian food (our favorite). It was nice to get out for a bit.

We're sitting in his nursery - W is rocking our sleeping baby and I'm sitting on the floor typing out these thoughts. We're listening to Elizabeth Mitchell's Little Bird cd and singing along every so often (we both pretty much have it memorized now). These are times I don't want to ever forget.

parenthood

Wow, my life has been a complete whirlwind these past six weeks. Here are a few things I've learned:

* Not all diapers are the same (don't ever buy the Babies R' Us brand).
* Nursing is so much harder than I thought it would be.
* A side effect of Fenugreek is hives. And they itch. A lot.
* Reglan is horrible, horrible stuff.
* I have no idea how stay-at-home moms get anything done (or any moms, for that matter). I start the day with a whole list of stuff to do and maybe get "make the bed" crossed off.
* I can only tell what day of the week it is by what tv show comes on that night.
* It is not uncommon to go through two diapers in ten minutes or less.
* Formula is expensive.
* Somehow baby boys can get their backs or stomachs wet but their diaper is pretty much dry. I just don't get it.
* I am in a time warp. I will feed Oliver and then pump and then he is crying and I wonder why. Then I realize that it has been two hours since I fed him last. If I didn't keep a log of feeding times, I would be lost. Time is so weird these days.
* There is no sense in really getting "dressed" because I will just get milk and likely throw up on my clothes, and I might as well be comfortable, right?
* Everything looks so much worse when you add lack of sleep to the mix.
* Post Pardum Depression sucks.
* The Biology mess turned out to be a blessing. I'm so glad I have school off this quarter. I really could not be in school right now, going to class at night. (What was I thinking?!? I am still trying to finish up course work from last quarter, plus the Biology class, and it's a challenge to say the least).
* Calming my son down after he has been crying is such a sweet feeling.
* Having him snuggle up to me and fall asleep is the best.
* The little noises he makes while he sleeps and eats melt my heart.
* Gripe Water is amazing!
* Nothing prepared me more for motherhood than my mission. I have drawn on my experience as a missionary for strength several times in the past six weeks.
* I was reading through one of my past journals and came across a quote I wrote in there from a General Conference address that said that to sacrifice means to make something sacred: Elder M. Russell Ballard has taught that “the word sacrifice means literally ‘to make sacred,’ or ‘to render sacred’ ” (“The Law of Sacrifice,” Ensign, Oct. 1998, 8; Liahona, Mar. 2002, 13). The words sacred and sacrifice come from the same root. One may not have the sacred without first sacrificing something for it. There can be no sacredness without personal sacrifice. Sacrifice sanctifies the sacred. (The full talk is here.) I think this is so applicable to motherhood, as it is to many aspects of our lives. It really hit home for me right now.
* It is not possible to take too many pictures.
* It is amazing how long it takes to get ourselves together and get out of the house.
* I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just taking it one day at a time and feeling grateful that I am at this place in my life.

Our computer crashed a couple of weeks after Oliver was born (of course), so that is why I haven't shared many pictures. It is killing me! But I'm taking plenty and hope to share some soon.

P.S. Speaking of parenthood, have you seen the new tv show Parenthood? It is our new favorite.