I made that!

Remember how I said I was on a big sewing craze not too long ago?... Well here is a little taste of what I've been working on. My sister took these stunning pictures and my sister-in-law modeled this cute pin-tuck shirt I made from scratch! I was so pleased with the final product although it turned out to be a bit too small for me so I'll have to make myself another one that fits better. My mom and sister have already put in requests for me to make them one too. I've also completed a darling maxi skirt and am currently working on a pencil skirt with an exposed zipper. Can't wait to see how it turns out!

To see the tutorial I use click here.

Also to see more great pictures by Hanna Caldwell visit her blog. She has become my personal go-to photographer for everything. I love her work and so does everyone that has their pictures done by her, check it out!

Motherhood

   After a particularly long and tiresome day I happened upon this talk from Elder Holland on motherhood. I was feeling like such a horrible mother because of how frustrated a had become with Addie and I think my Heavenly Father knew I needed a little buoying up.

   Before I knew I was pregnant with Addie I knew I wanted to be a mother someday but at the time felt too young, too ill prepared, and still had many more things I wanted to do before I had a baby. Now having what I have and knowing what I now know, I wouldn't change a thing. While motherhood is a huge responsibility, I cherish it and know I am not alone in it. Motherhood has changed my life in making me more than I am, better than I am, and better than I've ever been. I feel so overwhelmed and honored (and frankly a little terrified) that Heavenly Father places His trust in me to care for some of His precious children to help them someday return to live with Him again. There has been nothing thus far in my life that has brought me more joy and humility then being a mother. Each and every day with Addie is a blessing.

   If any of you mothers out there are experiencing one of those difficult days, read this talk! It is truly a great reminder of the sacred work we have been sent here to do and because it is God's work we will be strengthened, motivated, compensated, and blessed.

Birthday Celebrations

   Another busy week has flown by...who ever knew that life could be so busy being a stay-at-home mom! By the time everyone left last weekend and after being sick for about a week and having severe lack of sleep, my energy was completely spent along with my motivation.  It was my plan to get up Monday and spend all day cleaning my dirty apartment; however, I ended up going to my sister's house in West Jordan for the day because Collin was going up that way for work anyway. I've still not quite adjusted to my sister living 45 minutes away so it is always nice when I get the opportunity to see her. While I am excited to be heading off to graduate school next year, it will be sad when me and my sister live in different states and won't be able to see each other as often. I always have so much fun when we get together! Anyway, Collin and I got home late Monday night and we were up the majority of the rest of the night with Addie so I spent most of Tuesday sleeping when I could. When Wednesday morning rolled along I finally felt like I had enough energy to go work out again. Being sick really set me back in my goal to exercise more, but I could tell the my body needed the rest more. Later that morning some friends of ours invited us to go swimming. It was Addie's first time in the pool and she absolutely loved it!

   Here is a picture of Addie's first time swimming. Although pictures rarely capture her enthusiasm for the outdoors, she loved the water. We had her in the pool for a good 30 minutes before I finally took her out because she looked like she was about to fall asleep. The heat must have worn her out because once we got home she took a good long nap in which time I was able to sew myself a new shirt! I don't have any pictures of it yet but it turned out so cute and it was super easy (post and pictures to come later)!

   Thursday was the beginning of our birthday celebrations! Mine and Collin's birthdays are exactly a week apart so we just celebrate all week long. So far it has included dinner at Red Robins, homemade cheesecake, watching the entire Batman trilogy, new birthday clothes, grilled salmon, and homemade sushi!

   Through all the craziness I finally got around to cleaning my apartment Friday night. It had been several weeks since it was really cleaned and the filth was truly getting the better of me. The rest of the weekend felt much more relaxing being in a clean home... but then again who doesn't feel better in a clean home? Anyway that pretty much sums it up for now. I'll wrap it up with some more cute pictures of Addie, enjoy!

Busy Week

   That burst of motivation and energy I got last week seems to have gotten the better of me. I took off full speed and I think my body is telling me to slow down a little. I woke up with horrible allergies/cold last Wednesday morning but with my newly made goals and the Robertson family reunion that weekend I tried to push through. My family came into town Wednesday afternoon which was the start of the three day Robertson reunion at Hobble Creek Canyon. It has been several years since I've seen a lot of my extended family on my dad's side so it was fun visiting and catching up with many of them. However, by the time Saturday night rolled around I was so exhausted and have literally spent the last three days recuperating.

   Addie has also decided to completely change up her sleeping habits and for the last week has woke up four or more times a night! I don't know why all of a sudden she wakes up every 1-3 hours but after a week of this we have sadly resorted back to having her sleep in her swing at night so we can actually get some sleep. The first night we put her back in her swing she slept for 8 hours straight! I finally ended up waking her up to feed her because I was afraid I might burst. We are still working on catching up on sleep and getting myself over this cold so we haven't really even thought about reintroducing her to her crib again. I just pray that when we do feel ready to tackle that issue that Addie will have an easy transition back to sleeping in her crib. Besides being a little pill at night she continues to melt my heart each and every day. I woke up today planning on being productive but instead ended up snuggling with Addie for a good part of the day...and to be honest, I don't regret it at all. She is such a sweetheart, I love her so much!

 Our little monkey. She went through a phase where she would smile really big every time Collin would say, "poopie doopie!"... so silly.

 During tummy time Addie happened to spit-up then dunked her face in it...haha this just cracks me up.

Last Tuesday we decided to go on a hike as a family near Bridal Veil Fall up Provo Canyon. It was a beautiful day, refreshing, and a great workout pushing her stroller up hill! 

 My sister-in-law, Annelise, let me borrow this jungle play mat and Addie just loves it. She will play under it for a good hour each day.

 Snuggling with daddy...oh how I love them...and her cute farm animal pjs!

3 Months

She grows so fast...

3 Months old

2 Months

1 Month

3 days old

Perfection

I think I've finally perfected the art of stir-frying! Recently we've been eating a lot of stir-fry for dinner, it is quick, easy, cheap, and delicious! When scanning pinterest several weeks ago I found a recipe for a glaze that we love and only takes three ingredients; honey, soy sauce, and garlic. If you are going for a cheap meal, but want great taste this is it. The recipe is normally for honey garlic pork chops (which we'e also made and is delicious) but last night I decided to use it over chicken and stir-fry-- very tasty!

After dinner on Monday we had family home evening which by the end turned into staying up till one in the morning putting together and rockin' out to a compilation of our favorite 80's music. Staying up that late quickly turned into a horrible idea when Addie decided to wake up every two hours, for the third night in a row. That morning Collin and I both decided that it was time to get her on more of a bedtime routine and not let her sleep so much during the day.While it was difficult keeping her up for most of the day it definitely paid off when she slept for seven hours straight last night! It was greatly needed too because by the end of yesterday I was seriously beat and lacking sleep. I'm hoping this routine will help Addie get to the point where she'll start sleeping through the night.

New Found Motivation

    Somehow two months have slipped by since my last post and we now find ourselves with a three month old! It has been such a delight to watch her grow and develop her own little personality. Of all of Addilyn's recent developments my favorite by far is her laugh-- it warms my heart and is just so adorable! While she is normally a very happy and smiley baby she is also very particular. We still haven't had any luck with the pacifier (her fingers are still her preferred pacifier) and she recently decided she doesn't really like bottles either; however, we do finally have her sleeping in her crib! Things are starting to feel a little more routine. Unfortunately I left my camera cord at my sister's house so I don't have any picture updates of the last couple of months yet but they will be up soon.
    Apart from the joys of motherhood I've recently been rediscovering myself and my life goals. For the past several years I have been so caught up in the hustle and bustle that I feel I have neglected some of the most important things in life. I keep waiting for a time when things aren't so busy, but I'm done making excuses for myself. Life is never going to slow down, in fact it may just get even crazier. I've found over the years that life is too short and to fast to simply hang on and get pulled along; therefore, I've decided to grab hold of the reins and take control. Time and time again I find myself making goals to later see them fading away in the past unaccomplished. Well I'm starting fresh with a new found motivation to be the best self, wife, and mom I can be. Here are my immediate goals:


1.   Journal. It is something I've never been good at (as you can see from how often I blog) but is something we have been strongly counseled to do. Journaling provides a way to look back and remember events and thoughts that may be forgotten years down the road. For me I've decided to use this blog as my journal, a place to record baby milestones, family memories, my thoughts, inspiration, and progress reports. 

2.   Gospel centered home. While we have let the hustle and bustle consume our lives, spirituality in our home as been somewhat lacking. Sometimes, many times I have to sit back and realize what is more important. It is easy to get distracted but I have a firm testimony about the importance of a gospel centered home. My goal is to be more diligent in having Family Home Evening each week (ideas are welcome) and attending the temple at least once a month with Collin.

3.   Get organized. Since becoming a wife and a mother I've had a lot more motivation to get organized in life. I'd have to say that my mother is a master at this, something she tried to instill in me growing up but never really stuck when I left home. Maybe it will be one of those things that will just hit me one day but for now I really have to work at it. I could go into many different ways on how I need to get organized in my life but for now I want to focus on getting financially organized, which leads me to my next goal.

4.   Budget. Now that we are not making as much money was we were when we were both working, and now that we are saving up for graduate school, sticking to a budget is crucial. I've written out a strict budget for the month of July for the first time and am anxious to see if we can pull it off... I'll let you know how we did at the end of the month.

5.   Exercise. Of course what would my list of goals (or anyone else's list of goals) be without mentioning exercise. I grew up in a home of physically active parents and am currently studying public health so it is about time I get a little more dedicated with physical fitness. I'm not really one for making big weight loss goals or constantly watching the scale but I do like the way I feel when I workout. I feel healthier, happier, and have more energy throughout the day. I've started this goal today and so far it's a success, now I've just got to keep this motivation going!