Miracle Diet

Lately I have realized that the "baby weight" excuse can only last for so long. And, with Lex approaching 5 months old, I can see that I probably should take some responsibility. So, in an attempt to shave a few pounds, I decided to give up sweets - namely chocolate.

Looking back, I can see that this probably was not the wisest of moves... It could have been the fact that my resolve didn't even last 24 hours...

So, I decided that it was actually much easier to lose weight by cutting my hair, than by cutting chocolate out of my diet. It has been about a week since the fateful day, and I am still having frequent spells of marked sadness. In college I learned about phantom limb syndrome that happens after an amputation; well, I think I have phantom hair syndrome. It is quite disturbing to run my hands through my hair, and abruptly realize there is nothing there! Since cutting my hair, I freeze at night sleeping, scald my back in the shower every day, and I am barley recognized by my own daughter. Soon, I will officially change my name to Sampson...

Up and Out

Lex had her 4 month check-up last week. She is growing like a weed. She has gained 3 inched in height (25 inches) and 3 lbs (13.6 lbs), since her visit 2 months ago. The pediatrician said she is above average height wise, but still slightly below average in weight. I'm not sure how many more visits I can sit through, where a doctor tells me that she is underweight... I'm thinking a measurement needs to be added of the checks - I have no doubt the truth would come out!

From her young age, she already recognizes that she is not a fan of doctors. The minute she made eye contact with the doctor, she burst into tears. That was also precisely the time David was midway through his "she is such a happy baby - she seldom cries" speech. The timing was actually quite perfect. Once she started crying, she didn't stop till she was safely home in her crib. David was more of a wreck than she was - I thought it would be helpful to have him there while she was getting more shots... wont make that mistake again...

We'll take her back at 6 months for more shots and measurements. She is about ready to start on solid foods, and we'll probably get that going close to the beginning of May.

Meet Bob

Growing up, when a stray cat would show up on our doorstep, my parents would discourage us from naming the animal so that we would not get too attached - cause "you can't keep it!". Over the weekend, I made the fatal error of naming our dinner, and I admit that I feel just terrible for what happened to poor Bob!

We have gotten stuck in our chicken cooking ways, so we decided to try something new. When I first told David the recipe involved putting a pop can up the chickens... you know where... he was a bit mystified. His first questions was, "isn't that dangerous?". The danger seemed to dissipate for him when I explained you open the pop can - that after all, is easier than trying to gather all the chicken pieces after it has exploded with the can - much more time and cost effective.

We first tried to cook Bob on the grill, but that never heated up enough, so we finished him off in the oven. Bob turned out very tasty, and David even got to practice his carving skills when it came time to slice and dice.

On The Move

Lex has officially mastered rolling over. She started out going from her back to stomach - but now she has mastered rolling in both directions. It is amazing how quickly she learns things after doing it once... she is growing up TOO fast!

She has always loved to be moving, and I am finding she has no boundaries. On Saturday night I bundled her up and put her to bed - every night I lay her down facing the same direction in the crib - horizontally with feet pointing towards the door. You can imagine my astonishment when I went in to check on her at 7AM, and found she had rotated counter clockwise, and was now laying vertically... I decided that David must have moved her sometime in the night, without my knowing.
However, when I went to get her up at 8 and I found her once again laying horizontally, but with her head - instead of her feet - towards the door, I knew this was a test of my sanity. I could not convince myself she was able to move all on her own, so I settled on the sad truth that my husband and daughter were conspiring to make me feel like I was losing my mind. Course, I guess I should let them in on the secret that it actually takes a whole lot less to convince me I'm losing it!

Happy Easter

Yesterday proved to be a very nice Easter here in LA. We had the chance of attending church with Grandma and Grandpa, and also having Easter dinner at their house. Alexis loved the whole day - from waking up to a basket full of candy... (tho, when it came down to it, she decided she liked Dad's basket better - forget the chocolate... bring on the beer bread!)to being adored at church... and finishing off with an apple pie flavored milk shake.

Home Safe

David has officially survived finals week, and Lex and I are safely home. We flew in late Thursday night and David had his last 2 finals Friday, so by Friday night we all slip into a vegetable state and enjoyed the weekend.

Our flight home was uneventful aside from the 2 hour delay - apparently a flight attendant didn't show up earlier in the day, and I had to pay for it that night. Lexi was a trooper and slept all through the flight, only to be wide awake at midnight when we arrived in LA.

David said that all of his - 12 - finals went well. He has been a studying machine for the past two weeks. It is nice for him to have a chance to rest and relax, without the 'threat' of needing to study hanging over his head.

All in all, it is good to be home. And, now that finals are over, David wont have to call Utah every night and ask Dad to turn down the TV, so he can study...

I Miss David - 8

David has officially finished 5 of his 12 finals, and I am shocked to report that he is still quite coherent when we talk... usually by this time he walks around muttering things I have no idea what they mean. Today, I think I miss David's outgoing personality. He is one of those people that has a gift at making others feel important. He is genuinely concerned about others, and uses excellent find out questions to see how they are doing. From day one, in the MTC, I was very impressed by his ability conversing with people.
This is one trait that I can say without a doubt that only he possess in our household - I am not good with 'social'. In fact, I think that he is good enough for both of us, so I may just let him keep doing the social work, and I'll find something else to practice.

I Miss David - 7

I miss David for his amazing work ethic. Today marks the first day of finals - he is kicking off the week with 3 exams today - slowly whittling away at the 12 total he will take before the madness ends. I am constantly impressed by David's ability to focus and study amidst distractions. He has a gift of being able to study effectively, but also a gift of being disciplined enough to work hard. I really appreciate what a hard worker David is... he knows what he wants and he does EVERYTHING in his power to make it happen.

Dessert Please!

First is was fries, and now Lexi has moved on to dessert. I think it's safe to say there may be a new picture of her in front of some food platter everyday. I guess that's what one would expect since all of our time is spent around the alter where we worship the food....

Going in for the Kill

Grandma was powerless to resist... she couldn't have escaped if she tried (and to be honest, I don't think she was putting up much of a fight!).

Would You Like Fries With That?

Being at Grandma and Grandpa's house has opened Lexi's eyes to the world of FOOD. Of all the lessons they could teach, the message coming through loud and clear is: food is everything. Since being here she has had to decline her first sip of Pepsi, tasting jelly belly's, and most recently homeaid french fries. Each day I can see her resolve weakening and I think that the temptation may be more than she can handle. For now she'll have to be content with chocolate milk... guess that means mom will have to do her part and keep eating M&Ms.

I Miss David - 6

Today I miss David because we wont be able to go for our Sunday afternoon walk together. Visiting Utah has definitely helped me to appreciate our Cali weather. There is nothing that can top a nice walk in 70 degree weather. We love having a day when school does not have to be the first thought and concern. Sunday is our family favorite day - even more so than Saturday - because all we have to worry about is being together... well, that and getting Lex to church on time, which is a feat!

I Miss David - 5

As the weekend - Lex's daddy days - has arrived, I miss David's sincere thoughtfulness. David is the kind of person that puts other's needs above his own. When he gets home after a long day at school, his first thoughts are always about what he can do to help out at home. He is much better than I am at putting other people first... yet another lesson I need to learn from my husband.

Photo Op

I was downloading pictures off of Mom's camera, and came across some cute Lexi moments... thought I would share, since there is a shocking lack of pictures of the dear girl.

I Miss David - 4

Today I miss David because he misses me. Yesterday over the phone David told me that he misses having me home. Now, in my rose colored, glass half full outlook I expected the reasons for him missing me were things such as, he liked having someone to come home to, or he liked knowing his family was close. However, in his oh so charming-tell it like it is-way, David said he missed having me at home to clean the apartment and pickup after him... be still my heart...

There is nothing like brutal honesty to not only make the glass half empty, but lucky it's still in one piece and capable of holding liquid at all. I love my husband, he makes me giggle.

But Y?

Yesterday Lex, Mom and I had the chance to go to Provo and visit David and Kristen, and Cyndi and Kim. It was a bit odd to be back on campus, carrying around a child; good thing it was the Y tho, cause that really just made me blend in. We walked around campus for a bit, and I had the chance to point out significant places for David and I... "this is where mom thought Dad was someone else, and called him by the wrong name", or "Look! This is the exact spot Dad was waiting with flowers... for someone else". Such fond memories to relive - it's no wonder I am still having college nightmares.

We'z Got Us Some Cultured

I promised more details about the opera, but didn't have much time on the computer yesterday, so now I am playing catchup.
Wednesday was a big day for Lexi, as she was able to attend her first funeral. She seemed just fine with the experience, course who would complain if you were the center of attention and people made a point of telling you how beautiful and perfect you are? She was intrigued with the bagpipers, and didn't even flinch when the honor guard shot their rounds - could have had something to do with Papa's fingers in her ears. Even tho, I don't think she was too traumatized by the experience, if she grows up being afraid of graveyards, it will just be one more thing she'll add to the - ever growing - list: All the ways my mother has ruined my life.

After the funeral, Mom and I had the chance to attend the opera Cinderella in Salt Lake. I don't know what was more entertaining, the opera or listening to the young women's conversations. It has been a long time since I have heard the word "like" used so many times in so many ways... It was like totally bizarre, like seriously.
The opera was really good, instead of having a wicked stepmother, it was the stepfather; ans there were lots of twists that made it quite entertaining. Because it was in Italian, there were superscripts. I think that the superscripts are meant to help, but they just made me feel like I was watching an old Godzilla movie... someone would be singing for five minutes straight and all I got as translation was "look! the Prince is coming" or "Cinderella!". I am in no way fluent in Italian, but I can't help but think something got lost in the translation.
By the end, both mom and I were ready for it to be over. To conclude, Cinderella has a solo song which could probably be in the running for the world's longest song with (according the the superscripts) the fewest words. I was watching the prince listen to her sing her song, and even he looked a little bored. I could only imagine the thoughts running through his mind, "She sure didn't talk this much when we were dating..."
All in all, it was a very good experience. However, I think that next time I'll let Lexi go to the Opera and I'll stay home with Papa to have pizza and watch the Jazz game.

I Miss David - 3

I had the opportunity to attend the opera last night with mom and her Laurel group (more to come on that adventure), and it made me realize that today I miss David's love of all things girly. Don't misunderstand me - David loves his 'guy stuff', but he can also appreciate a good chick flick. For my birthday last year he bought us tickets to see Wicked at the Pantages, and he is always talking about other cultural events that he would like to attend.
I feel very lucky that he can appreciate the arts... even if sometimes it is thought of as girly.

Toe Jam

As Lex continues to discover her toes, she has realized a couple of things: they are always there, and they are also edible. When she gets fussy, I am finding that one of the quickest ways to calm her down is to strip her and let her play with/chew on her toes. For some reason she prefers nudity to modesty... David and I may have our hands full in the future.

I Miss David - 2

Today, I think that I miss David's desire to help everyone he meets. Mom and I were watching a show last might called 'What Would You Do?'. The basic premise is, people are put in awkward situations to see how they respond. For instance, an actor sits on a park bench throwing trash all over - would you stop and say something, pick up the trash yourself, or simply look the other way and move on? Last night's show was quite interesting with situations involving what a person would do if at a restaurant the waiter/waitress was hitting on your significant other, or in a park you came across a man being abusive to a woman, etc.
If I were to be brutally honest with myself, I think that in most of the situations, I would probably not say or do anything. However, I know without a doubt that David would not even think twice before trying to help, no matter what was happening. I love that he has the desire to be of service and help. Although this trait ends up costing us a few bucks here and there, I have a feeling it will all even out in the long run...

I Miss David - 1

Having only been gone for a little over 24 hours, it's not hard to admit that I miss David. As I was out for a short walk around the neighborhood with Lex this morning, I realize that I miss David today for his amazing thirst for knowledge.
David has the ability to always teach me new things. His thirst for knowledge and desire to completely understand things astounds me. Not a day goes by that he doesn't share with me insights and lessons he has learned - whether through school, or his own personal studying.
It's a good thing that we are married, or he probably would have left long ago and found someone more his intellectual equal.

Escaping Reality

As finals once again draw near, Lex and I have removed ourselves as distractions for David. He has a pretty packed finals week with TWELVE exams. We are both looking forward to the end of this quarter, as it has been the most demanding and difficult thus far. David would probably say that it has been harder for him than me, but I am sure that I can make a pretty strong case for the contrary - hey, if he gets to complain about pregnancy sympathy pains, I feel quite justified having finals sympathy pains.
So, I once again find myself in Utah. The flight was a bit more difficult for Lex than the first time, but on the upside, the airline didn't confuse me for a terrorist; you win some you lose some I guess. Lex and I will be here for about a week and a half. Our hope is that by us not being home, David will have plenty of time to study and not feel like he is neglecting us.
Well, there is probably more to say, but I must go.... it's snack time.

Tell Tale Sign

I think that it would be fairly safe to say that David and I had a 'whirl wind' relationship. We get quite a few raised eyebrows when people realize that we dated for 2 months and were engaged for 2 months before we were married - especially here in the land of the eternal playin' the field mentality. I'll admit that things progressed rather quickly - it was hard enough getting him free of Shenayne's clutches - I had to move fast before she had time to work another spell.

Even tho things moved rapidly, I had no trouble identifying David's tell... it's all in the hands.

I can usually tell when he is really uptight, nervous, excited, worried, etc. Because his hands get really clammy. Even the night that he proposed I knew something was up because he was super quiet (that is definitely a sign with the man that can converse about anything from floss to microscopic bacteria), and he wouldn't hold my hand. Throughout our time together knowing David's tell has come in handy - I know when he is really into something versus when he could care less.

The other night as we were sitting on the couch together I noticed that David's hands were getting a bit clammy. Had we been watching a movie or playing a game together I would have attributed that to his concentration, but since we were just sitting there I was a bit confused. And then, I discovered the cause... Brick breaker... the only game on his cell phone. It's nice to know that a video game can illicit the same response from David as proposing. Knowing this just makes all the great moments in our life together, somehow, mean so much more.

A Shoulder to Cry On

As David's days on campus get longer and longer, he is encouraging me to get involved with others so that I'm not too lonely. I have found that works during the day when Lex and I can go out to socialize, but the nights get pretty lonely. So, I think that this pillow is what I want for Mother's day... if I can't have the real thing, this looks like a pretty good substitute. Don't worry David - he's not even half the man you are... looks like closer to a quarter.

Hiding Her Talents

American Idol has become something of a weekly tradition in our house. We started the season by watching the auditions simply to laugh. However, we got fairly attached to our favorite contestants, and now have to see it through - we are practicing commitment and dedication since very few shows can hold our attention after one or two episodes.

I didn't realize how our Idol watching was affecting Lex until FHE this week. David and I started singing Oh My Father, and much to our astonishment Lex joined in. I can't really say that is sounded like a choir of angels; maybe closer to one of those trained dogs that sings along at the camp fire, but we enjoyed her participation. David kept the song going, probably longer than it should have, just because he was so entertained.

Needless to say, we may have the 2026 American Idol in our midst, but not without some serious help and coaching from Nana. Some kids want to be doctors, lawyers, even the President of the United States... my daughter aims really high though, she wants to be an idol.

Living in the Mall

There are many ways that living in sunny California could be compared to living inside a shopping mall. Things like: constantly being surrounded by fashion- those who are both over and (way) under dressed; being surrounded by concrete – everywhere you turn there are stores and restaurants; and, having everything crowded and way overpriced.
Yes, it is true I feel like I am living inside a mall – more specifically though I feel like I am living in the food court. I have never lived in a place quite like our little University Village. Where, depending on the time of day, and the corridor you walk down you can be 'dazzled' by culinary smells from all over the world. When I go out in he morning, not only am I confronted by the bacon and eggs I expect the smell, but there is also fried rice, bar-b-q meat, and curry. Or course, that's just naming the smells I can identify - there are countless others that I have no idea what to call (or desire to eat really).

I have decided that our complex needs to start requiring people – everyone but me that is – to display, outside the door, what they are cooking. Not only so I know what I smell, but also so I know whose apartment we’re having dinner with tonight.

Baby Hungry

David mentioned to me yesterday, as we were out for a Sunday morning walk, that enough time has passed for him to forget pregnancy and labor pains… and, he’s ready to have another baby.
You can imagine what a relief it was for me to hear that he has fully recovered. Unfortunately, I can’t say that I have forgotten all the details yet, so Lexi is going to have to wait a little longer before she has a brother or sister to torment. Sorry love - have a cookie, maybe that will take care of the hunger.

Feet First

Alexi is spending her days discovering the world around her; recently she has discovered her feet. She can’t quite get them into her mouth yet, but loves holding onto her toes and swaying from side to side.

We have found this new talent comes in very handy when we are changing her diaper and also when she has gas. No longer do we have to waste our energy holding up her legs; she is becoming so self-sufficient, pretty soon she won’t need us at all.