Birthday Weekend

Friday was my 24th birthday. I started out the day with a run while Justin took Caden and got my car cleaned. When he got back, we took Caden to the sitter's and saw Kung Fu Panda 2 in 3D. I loved it! Even more than the first one, and I love the first one. It was also my first modern 3D movie (I don't miss the old-school 90s 3D!), and I thought the animation was beautiful. It was nice to be in a theater again. The last movie we saw was Harry Potter in December. Yeah, that's not too long ago for parents, but we used to go every week to the dollar theater before Caden was born.

lemon raspberry, red velvet, s'more, chocolate raspberry, chocolate fudge, tuxedo

Anyway, afterward we bought six gourmet cupcakes at a cake shop by the theater. I wanted to go to Sprinkles Cupcakes in Scottsdale since we were originally planning on going rock climbing in Scottsdale; however, the place didn't open until 3 p.m., which didn't work for us or the sitter, so we are now doing it for Justin's birthday since it opens earlier on Saturdays. Maybe we'll try Sprinkles then. These cupcakes weren't bad. We took a taste out of each one before choosing one to eat. Their raspberry and fudge frostings were really good. The chocolate cupcakes were a little dry though.

We hung out at home so Caden could nap and then went swimming when he woke up. It was his first time in the pool and he loved it! I wasn't surprised since he loves bath time so much. He looked so cute in his swim outfit. The water was cold but he didn't complain. He splashed and splashed. We threw him up the air and bounced in the water. He didn't mind when water got on his face. We all had a lot of fun.

We were tired so we stayed home for dinner, watched part of Ever After, and went to bed shortly after Caden did. Earlier, Justin presented me with two other requested gifts: a love letter (overdue from Valentine's Day) and new markers. The love letter was my favorite. I also got a cute card from my friend Kaitlyn and lovely flowers from my friend Francine. It was a really good birthday.

Saturday evening we went out for my birthday dinner to Buca di Beppo, an Italian restaurant (with bizarre decor). The food was delicious! We've been trying to find a new Italian place, and although it's not our favorite, we will definitely go back. I told the waiter it was my birthday and he offered me a free dessert and being sung to. I told him no dessert, just the singing. So after the meal, he brought out a lit candle on a large silver candlestick so I could blow it out after the song. Very creative!

Once home we had more cupcakes and finished Ever After. Sunday we had the restaurant leftovers and the rest of the cupcakes. It was a really great birthday weekend. (More photos coming from Justin's phone.)

Celebeauties

Out of respect for something Ellen DeGeneres said on her show, I changed my post. I was going to rant and rave about how certain celebrities that are considered attractive are really not. Instead, let me just say that I think the following people's appearances are grossly over rated: Sarah Jessica Parker, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellwegger, and Cameron Diaz.

For the most part, I think a lot of people are over rated simply because they are famous. If you put any average woman in a high-fashion dress and had expert stylists do her hair and makeup, she would be just as gorgeous as any movie star. Likewise, take away all the glamour of a star, and she is just another average woman. However, I think the following people are absolutely beautiful, glamour or not.

Mariska Hargitay: What a brunette bombshell! She has the complete package--and not just of outer beauty. Her work on "Law & Order: SVU" has given her quite the compassionate heart for rape victims, causing her to create a program to help those women heal. She is a dedicated mother and is multilingual.

Tyra Banks: Although much of her appearance is fake, with weaves and heavy makeup, her natural beauty is just as stunning. And I love her campaigns for getting women to love who they are, such as "Rock Your Ugly."

Jamie Lee Curtis: She knows how to age gracefully. She doesn't try to look twenty years younger with ridiculous hair styles, makeup, fake body parts, or surgeries. And she doesn't need to. She looks fabulous just the way she is!

There are other actresses I think are beautiful, but these three women stand out to me. Who do you think is over rated? Who do you think is gorgeous?

Vanity

When it comes to running, I am extremely vain. I wonder how I look to other people. Does it look like I'm going fast or slow? Do I make it look easy or can they tell I'm huffing and puffing? Do I look determined or do I make weird faces? Can they smell my B.O? Can they tell I didn't shave my legs?

I prefer people not watch me run. I feel like my privacy is invaded. My running time is my me time. It was impossible to be alone while running in Provo, but I got spoiled here in Arizona. Very few people are up early here on campus, especially in the heat. The worst is sharing the track. If people drive, walk, or ride by, no big deal, though I'm still self-conscious. But when others are running or walking, I tense. In addition to my vanity, I get a little competitive with runners close to my pace. And then I wonder if they notice I've quickened my pace. And if they did notice, I wonder if they've quickened theirs too. Yeah, I'm crazy. Vanity makes you think and do silly things. What brings out your vanity?

You Can't Catch Me!

Caden is crawling! He figured it out the first Monday night in May. He only crawled for a few seconds before dragging himself again. Then the next day he did a funky crawl-with-one-leg-and-drag-the-other thing. Wednesday he didn't have much time to practice because we ran errands all day, but by Thursday he was pro! Now I spend half the day chasing him because I forget to close doors and check on him. I'm not used to him being so mobile! He is not so fast as he is sneaky. Then last week Thursday he started doing the gorilla walk, crawling on his feet instead of his knees. He's really fast at that. He looks like one of those spiders that walk on water. When he decides to take a break, it's really funny watching him sit. He sticks his bum way out and then plops down. If I call, "Come to Mama!" he crawls really excitedly to me.

Ever since he became mobile he has been a little troublemaker. He loves opening and closing drawers. He's only hurt his fingers once. The other, funny problem was if he was sitting and opened a drawer all the way, his fat thighs would get stuck underneath and he couldn't close the drawer without scraping them. He also likes to close his bedroom door and then cry because he can't get out. This is a problem because he likes to stay by the door and I can't open it without hitting him. His favorite thing to do was pull out all the movies from our bookshelf. The time had finally come for a new entertainment center. We got one at IKEA and bought doors for it. He was so mad he couldn't get the movies anymore. So he moved on to the other bookshelf and took down all the books. I didn't think he could reach them. Well, one day he fell and bumped his cheek. He has a nice little bruise, and the bookshelf is now empty in the laundry room. Now if only I could get him to leave the shoes alone! If it's not one thing it's another.

Caden can pull himself up to a standing position and loves to do it using anything, even boxes. He can stand on his own for a couple seconds, but grabs onto something because he doesn't trust himself. The other day he was pushing the laundry basket around--only a few inches before he fell. It was so cute! Once he figured out how to stand up in his crib, we lowered it. There is no middle setting, so the crib is really low and looks more like a prison now, but he is safe. He is just dying to walk! I help him walk around the house sometimes and he loves it and gets upset when I stop. If I try to sit him on his bum, he won't bend his legs so he can stay standing. This kid is really stubborn and has a little attitude: he shakes his head violently when he doesn't want something.

We also got a new bumper. Both bumpers are jungle themed and were bought at the thrift store for $2.49!

Caden is so dark now from the sun hitting his legs in his car seat. I have to remember to put socks on him so his little feet won't get burned. We run all our errands in the early morning before it gets too hot and poor Caden toasts in the back seat.

First time in shoes! You can see the bruise on his cheek.

Caden had his first strawberry a couple weeks ago and gobbled it up. He has one every now and then as a treat. I have to stop him from inhaling it, he loves it so much! He also eats puffed brown rice as a snack--melts in his mouth, super cheap, and no additives or preservatives, only rice. Caden's bottom right tooth is coming in, resulting in a very cranky, gnawing baby. Also, look how thick his hair has gotten!

I can't believe my baby will be nine months in a week! I know I always say that with every age, but it's true. He won't be a baby for much longer. Go here for more photos.

What's in Your Shopping Cart?

Whenever I go to the store, it amazes--and slightly disgusts--me what I see in people's shopping carts. No wonder Americans suffer from obesity and a cartload of other health issues! On a typical shopping day, not when I'm restocking shelves or grabbing something I need for a specific recipe, this is what is in my shopping cart:

• 100% whole wheat bread (Nature's Pride is my favorite)
• mild cheddar cheese
• nonfat milk (though Justin prefers 1%)
• instant brown rice
• white rice (long-grain and Asian)
• fresh fruits and vegetables, including salad and lots of onions (we put them in everything)
• frozen vegetables
• non-sugary whole grain cereals (such as Corn Chex)
• water bottles
• orange juice, with pulp
• pasta (not whole wheat)
• nuts, sometimes raw, sometimes roasted and salted
• Kashi granola bars
• spaghetti sauce

Other foods I frequently purchase: chicken, eggs, corn and flour tortillas, canned tuna or salmon, macaroni and cheese, Progresso soups in winter, Campbell condensed soups, chicken broth, canned beans, salsa, sour cream, yogurt, Mighty Mango Naked juice, ground beef, smoked sausage, tofu, canned pineapple, canned olives, mozzarella cheese, peanut butter, jelly, crushed garlic, soy sauce, tortilla chips, flour, sugar, popcorn, raisins and other dried fruit, potatoes (Idaho, red, or sweet), hummus, and plain old-fashioned oatmeal. As you can see, we don't buy much packaged/snack food. When we do get junk food, it's usually Double-Stuf Oreos or ice cream/popsicles. Sometimes Justin will buy himself soda. And every few months we'll bake cookies or brownies. What's in your shopping cart on a typical trip to the supermarket? What junk foods do you buy?

p.s. Just because we don't buy or make lots of junk food, doesn't mean we're really healthy either! We buy desserts at fast food places or restaurants a couple times a month. And this doesn't include all the goodies at ward activities, baby showers and other parties, friends' houses, holidays, etc.

Follow-up

So last night, we got Caden to bed, but he awoke shortly thereafter. We let him play for another hour, I rocked and sang him to sleep, and took him straight to bed with us. He slept great all night. Of course, I woke up frequently out of habit, but I did get rest. Then today he fell asleep on the way home from errands for both his naps and stayed asleep for an hour and a half each time. I'm thinking (and hoping) Zombie Night was a one-time thing and that whatever was the problem has passed. And if not, I bought teething gel (I'm sure it's not an ear infection). I guess I'll find out tonight!

On another note, I see that none of you have entered my current giveaway! Perhaps because you were unaware of it. The prize is a cute brooch/hair clip in the color of your choice, a $13 value. Go here to enter before it ends on Friday!

Night of the Living Zombie Mom

If anyone wants to be in a real-life zombie movie, stop by my house. I play the leading role, with cameo appearances by Justin. Caden plays the screaming victim. I have no idea what is up with him! We were doing great with sleep day and night. Then a couple weeks ago teething pained him, which made him wake frequently and cry, but he would easily fall back asleep. Now nothing will console him, and I don't know what is bothering him. Last night I was up for 2 hours. He went to bed really early and slept for nearly 3 1/2 hours before waking up, but after that it was a nightmare. I nursed him to sleep and he slept for an hour. Then I got him back to sleep again, but he woke up 20 minutes later. Then for the next 2 hours he wouldn't stay asleep. Every time I put him in his crib he cried. I took him to bed with us but he was wide awake. I let him fuss in his crib for a little. Then I took him potty to see if that would help. I finally got him asleep and tried laying down with him on the couch. He woke up crying miserably. Ok, that usually works. So I tried falling asleep sitting up with him in my arms. I couldn't, and he was wiggling in his sleep, so I tried lying down again. Nope. He freaked out again. I lost it and just started sobbing, which woke Justin up. He sent me to bed and took Caden, miraculously getting him to sleep and putting him in our bed without Caden waking up. Even after all that, Caden woke up at his usual 6:30. I nursed him back to sleep, but he only slept for another hour.

I am not a happy camper. Today, I tried getting him down for his morning nap. As usual, he fell asleep easily, but woke up after I put him down. I was not repeating last night, so I said, "Too bad!" and didn't try again until 1 p.m. when he was really cranky and tired. I am not playing anymore games with him! If he doesn't want to stay asleep even after I indulge him with nursing and rocking and singing, then I am done! He either doesn't get to nap until later or he can fall asleep on his own. I still haven't decided what to do about night time though. I'm thinking if he is as ridiculous as last night where nothing will please him, then the only thing left to do is let him cry it out. I hope it doesn't come down to that because that will drive me insane as well!