One Stellar Day

Today is Mother's Day, I bet you knew that. But did you also know that today marks the day of my birth?
It's true and for my first Mother's Day as a mother it's pretty awesome that I also get to turn 20-something.

To mark this occasion Anna and I flew to San Diego to spend it with Ben
In addition to it being Mother's Day and my birthday, it's also the two year anniversary of the last time Ben and I were together in San Diego - for our Honeymoon.

As you can see, this trip is not lacking in its significance.

So, back to the topic at hand, today.

It has been wonderful, we woke up to our alarm clock - a chattery baby, we then got ready and went down to the lobby for some free breakfast - I had waffles, which are definitely a favorite. (Waffles Forever is a t-shirt slogan I'm working on popularizing)
Then we went to the local ward, they have their own set of missionaries - as does the other ward in the building. They handed out chocolates for the mothers.
After Church we returned to the hotel to change and because we have no kitchenette we went out to find some lunch - let me tell you about LUNCH.

It was FABULOUS - this was the highlight of the day for sure.
Ben had read about a diner here that had imported Fried Clams from the East Coast, so he wanted to try them out and I'm always up for diners, with their gritty waitresses and homestyle yet greasy food, you can't go wrong. So at the Studio Diner (it's next door to the only movie studio in San Diego, they filmed Renegade and Veronica Mars) we had a very friendly waitress who couldn't stop smiling at Anna every time she came to our table. I had a delicious Caesar Salad and a cup of fruit (the most delicious melons I've ever had at a restaurant, pineapple and Blueberries on top), Ben got his fried clams with french fries - that's Ben for you.
So then, our very friendly waitress came over and offered us a FREE Mother's Day peach cobbler! with ice cream! I was quite pleased at that. Then Ben told her it was my birthday and she brought out a FREE birthday hot fudge sundae! It was AWESOME!
This waitress made my day. I made sure she got a good tip, and this restaurant will always be recommended by us both.

After lunch we drove to the San Diego Temple and walked around, we met a nice older missionary couple from Logan who took a picture for us. It was pretty gray and windy so we didn't stay long.

When we got home we did a video chat with Ben's family - not so much a chat but an Anna session.

Then naps.

awesome.

They are still napping while I've been typing this, Anna woke me up because she noticed the pacifier had fallen out of her mouth and she wanted it back. When I reached in to find it, I must have brushed my hand against her face because she immediately wrapped both of her hands/arms around mine and tried to suck on my knuckles. That's the closest we get to kisses, but I'll take 'em.

We still have dinner ahead of us, which I'm sure will put the final touches on a great day.

Happy Mother's Day to All

I stole this from Diana's blog

It's funny cause it's true, and it rhymes.

These are for the Man we Miss

We miss you Daddy!

Halfway Syndrome

I am so frustrated. Ben has been gone to California all week on business and I've been home with the babe. When I heard he was going to be gone all month I immediately started a mental list of all the projects I could complete during that time to keep me busy. Eventually I wrote some of that list down and got to work on it.

Now I'm at an irritating half-way point in everything.

The laundry is folded but not put away

The carpet in the front room is vacuumed and shampooed but the hallway and bedroom remain, meanwhile the carpet cleaner is sitting in the entryway.

The dress that needs to be adjusted for Anna is unpicked but needs to be resewn

The items I bought at the store are still sitting in the shopping bags on the table

The kitchen is clean but not tidy

The lesson for Sunday has been read through but not really planned out

The quilt is pieced but not quilted

The garbages are full and acknowledged, but not yet emptied.

etc. etc.

I guess next week will be spent finishing a few things.

A Chilean Restaurant in Edgemont

I just ate at a new restaurant in the Day's mini-mall called Pantrucas - it's a Chilean restaurant and it is delicious.

I ordered a) the Ave Palta sandwich - pulled white chicken with tomatoes and mounds of avocado on a soft white (or wheat) homemade roll. It was good and very filling.
but that's not all
b) a beef Empanada - flavored ground beef with onions, olives, hard boiled egg in a fried tart shell. There were supposed to be raisins but I didn't see any - no matter, it was also tasty.
but that's not all
c) the crowning dish of the meal was a natural fruit juice for 2.99 - They have many flavors, I got Mango, but here's the kicker, it was like a liter of natural mango juice, a liter of delectable, sweet, healthy mango juice for only 2.99.

Above all we don't want this restaurant to fail. The owner/server was super nice and explained every dish to us before we ordered. Situated in the former Lon's Cookin' Shack, this man, his wife and a son were very enthusiastic about me having lunch there. Two times, he showed us an article that ran in the Daily Herald about his restaurant, looking online, there is also a video about it which explains many of the dishes. So I recommend this place to everyone, don't be afraid of ethnic food - it's what makes America great.

all grown up

Anna is much more mature now than those latest pictures, we have uploaded more that are better reflections of her age and wisdom, not to mention the skills she has acquired.Those skinny little legs can hold her entire bodyweight -



And also, sometimes we wear matching socks
She really enjoyed the Tulips at Thanksgiving point also.

I realize that the written section of this post doesn't really make sense, but I'm pretty certain that the important content outweighs my faults.

Sometimes

Sometimes, you get a cute new shirt and your baby spits up all over it in the morning of the first day you wear it. But you wear it anyway.

Sometimes, when you don't change the baby's clothes before midday and she has been spitting up, and it's all over her, she smells like toast.

Sometimes, when you don't want to go home or take the car seat out of the car because it's windy, you just drive through random neighborhoods because it's fun to see something different and you can still feel productive because you are out of the house.

Sometimes, if you don't want to work out, you can change the sheets, and it's like the same.

Sometimes, you can write a blog post and stick a random picture in of an up-spitting, toast-smelling, baby just because it's cute.

We've Got a Thumbsucker

Anna is 8 weeks now. We went to the doctor yesterday and found she is 9 lbs 1 ounce and 22 inches long. She also got her shots, but she hasn't been extra fussy at all, she actually has slept an incredible amount of time and we haven't given her any additional Tylenol since we got home.

As for her Thumbsucking, it's pretty established.
sorry it's so grainy

Smorgasbord

I've had a few different thoughts lately, I will now attempt to weave them together here, let's hope for minimal seaming.

I was talking to a friend last night who returned from a trip abroad where she was visiting her brother and family. She was deeply impressed with the spirit and attitude she found there, she described it as idyllic, filled with content and gracious people. Despite being half a world away from their family and a familiar way of life, this family focused on the important things, family, the gospel and their standards. They gave willingly to my friend of their time, food, shelter and spirit. While I was listening to this I was impressed with the total selflessness of these people and how they were rewarded for it.
During this last Conference weekend I was also impressed with President Monson. I was initially puzzled with how he had time to have a professional career along with his Church service (he was a mission president and called into the 12 while in his 30's) yet he is very successful in the eyes of the world. Now I don't claim to know his biography, but from what I heard at conference, he has always been devoted to the 'one', meaning the individual, always sacrificing his own time and energy to help individual members of the Church. I would bet that it is his selfless service that he has been blessed for, both materially and in terms of an increase in
spiritual things.
Another thing my friend said about her family was their impressive ability to do what they know is right regardless of what others think about them.

This is where the post takes a weird turn.

Yesterday Ben and I went to the mall for no particular reason and Ben, speaking of the emo mall rats all around, said, "I can't tell who are boys and who are girls." I agreed and said, "That's what the God of Emo wants." Boys wearing girls pants with feminine hair and girls with masculine looking clothes, androgyny is the fashion of our time. We had several questions, like who is the God of Emo? and where did all this come from? In answer to the question of how the clothes fit the depressed attitude, I decided that the overall feeling is, "you don't know me!" Anyway, if you have any insights, please post comments, and if you look at the above link, just know that it's funny but a bit shocking.

6 weeks and still kicking

Anna is 6 weeks today, she's getting more smiley and squirmy. Last night she slept like 7 hours, pretty impressive
She rolled over twice during this photo-shoot, but I don't think it was intentional, she still doesn't really recognize that her hands are her own.
Aunt Lori wasn't as impressed that she could hold her head up within weeks, "She's got a small head!" - Aunt Lori had big-headed babies.

She Doesn't Get It.

I have the urge to put pictures of every outfit on the blog, I'll try to refrain, but this is a cute shirt.

The Final Hoops

I handed in the final draft of my senior thesis today, my last college paper.

now what?

One Month and "Mobile"

Today is our Anna's one month birthday. They grow up so fast...
she was so excited about it that she messed her pants.
oh wait...

In other news, or, more of the same,
during tummy time today, she turned over. That's right, she's a genius, and super strong.
it was probably a fluke and we haven't been able to replicate it yet, but it happened.

In contrast to these breakthroughs, sleeping through the night has taken a dramatic hit.
we are all saddened for this loss.

Our "Going Out" Outfit

Anna was wearing her cutest onesie, the one with lambies, but we were going to the mall and I didn't want her legs to get cold so I put on her 'babylegs' - legwarmers basically.
I thought it was pretty funny.

Also, here's a taste of her with the lambies


Postscript: I'm sorry if this is an endless stream of Anna. Right now all I can think about is Anna and the paper I have due next week. and nobody knows what my paper is about, including me, so I can't discuss that.

Setting up for a hard fall

A baby's dependence on the pacifier is like America's dependence on oil.

Sometimes it cures the hiccups, and gets her to sleep, but at what price?

It may work for now but you are in for a real hard fall down the road.

Blessing Day

We blessed Anna on Friday (we couldn't do it during ward conference and we wanted the Francisco's to be there) The dress and bonnet set is courtesy Aunt Jan, the blanket is actually made in Bethlehem, compliments a second-mother of mine. Anna also had on a cute little silver bracelet made by my cousin.


Pictured are Bishop Bilson, Grumpa Bus, Ben G., Anna, Christopher, Uncle Jethro and Uncle Ben F.
We didn't get a picture of the dress to my satisfaction so we might just have to dress her up again for a photo shoot.

accidents do happen

I accidentally bought non-fat yogurt again yesterday.

That's the worst.

Comic Strip fun times

My cousin linked this site on her blog, it's really funny

And for other depressingly hilarious and slightly disturbing comics, here is my favorite but everything on the site is a gem.

Journal Entry 3-8-08

I'm so glad that Ben is home for the weekend. Anna and I are getting along well enough but we run out of things to (not) talk about.

So you know when you are babysitting and the baby gets fussy and you think
"Oh, she just misses her mom, if the mom were here she would know just what to do to calm this baby down" Well guess what - The baby still fusses and I still don't know what to do and I'm the mom.
That's why I'm grateful for Grumma's. Mine and hers. Grummas have already figured it out and now get to impart their hard earned knowledge as a sort of do-over for our benefit. Because you know they had to be nearly as clueless with their first child.

Are You Ready To RUMBLE!?

In this corner, at 2 weeks old and now weighing 7 pounds 1 ounce and reaching a length of 20.5 inches is Anna Lynne Gaines!!!

and here are some bonus pictures from this past week

So much baby

Here is a thoroughly baby post, I wouldn't expect much else from me for quite a while.

Journal Entry 2-28-08

Well, Anna has been alive for 1 whole week now - here are some things to note about this precious child.

• Everyone says she's beautiful - she looks extremely cute especially for a newborn. She never got that conehead look or very splotchy skin.
• She is very well behaved. We could leave her in her crib by herself and if she didn't have anything to complain about, and if we didn't like holding her so much, she would be fine. she never wants/needs her pacifier. Grumma Sue thinks she is the most well behaved and content baby she has ever seen.
  
• People are already picking out traits and claiming if she will look more like me or Ben. Her dark hair is, of course, Ben. She has very dark eyes, almost black, I think they will go brown eventually, another for Ben. Her nose has been declared almost unanimously mine - it turns up at the end. Her lips and mouth I have always thought - since I first saw her - are Ben's, same shape.
• She is a fast learner, she learned how to nurse very quickly, she is working on long sleeping periods. She has also learned to tolerate her bath.

Overall she has us wrapped around her little fingers and we don't care to be unwound.

Never fear, She is Here!

At 12:32 a.m. on February 21st Anna Lynne Gaines was born into this world
6 lbs. 7 oz. and 18.5 inches, she's a little guy but super healthy and ultimately perfect.
Here are some pics.
I'd also like to give a shout out to all the wonderful nurses who so diligently tended to us. Beetle, for being my own personal CNA in the hospital, my mom for staying up all night after working all day and to myben for being such a selfless helper to me, this has been a great experience to see love all around.

A Baby

I've been in the hospital all day. Having a baby. But she's still not here.

I dare you

It was the ultimate in cheesy, but I dare you to listen to "Lady in Red" again and tell me it doesn't take you back to the glory and memory of teenage crushes and stake dances.

Perspective

I was just looking through all the pictures I took through this pregnancy - I can't believe I thought I looked pregnant in these. I Can't Wait to look like this again and be able to wear all those clothes that have been gathering dust.

Not a Baby post

I finally finished the shirt-quilt I was working on for Ben.

He kept getting inexplicable holes in the left elbow of his work shirts so I saved them up until I got a sewing machine and made a little quilt.
The gray and the back (a blue shirting) are the only fabrics I bought, and instead of tying it, I sewed on buttons from the shirts. For the binding I used the button strips on the front of the shirt, but they don't look great.
anyway, it was a fun project, one thing to note is that it wrinkles easily - who'da thought?

Still NO Baby

Just to keep you all updated, and so you don't need to ask, we still have 'nobaby.

I'll probably be induced around the 27th-28th (happy birthday grumpa bus)
So ask me then if I'm a mom.

38 weeks

This is for all of you who couldn't wait to see what I look like with a salad bowl under my shirt.
Just kidding, that's just Anna.

Please Leave me Alone

This post is not meant to offend - it's just personal reflection.

Why I Don't Do Pyramid Schemes
1- I don't know people
2- I am against coercion
3- I'm not self-motivated - deal with it.
4- I'm horrible at Sales (see #2)
5- With the truth of #1, I don't want to alienate any people that are still willing to associate with me.
6- I hate throwing any kind of party. (may be the cause of #1)

The only Pyramid I'm comfortable moving up is Maslow's

Gruen Gruen Gruen sind alle meine kleider

I just got back from a quick trip to Albertson's, I bought potatoes and a few canned goods, then a $1 impulse item. When I got to the checkout I saw they were selling reusable "'green" shopping bags for $1. This is the trend now, and I really want to be on it. I could have very feasibly put back my impulse item and bought my first reusable bag - but I didn't. Now I have to air my guilt for you all in this blog.

In Dublin they are now charging .33 cents for plastic shopping bag use.It just makes more economic sense for them to buy the reusable. I figure, it's the least I can do, plus it will make me ahead of the trend. plus, who likes to store all those used plastic bags? So I'm going to try to buy one bag each time I go to the store until I have sufficient. Then the trick is remembering to take them with me when I go anywhere.

I also think i'm going to start recycling my cardboards more diligently - we have the receptacle, why aren't we using it?

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

So at 37 weeks, Anna and I are considered "full term" and could go to the hospital any day now.
It's growing increasingly discouraging to hear "any day now."

Some are more anxious than others, here's the scene in Anna's crib


(Ben set this up, they have been patiently waiting for weeks)
Unfortunately that game is progressing slowly with their limited vocabularies -

What's a Productive Life?

At the Institute I'm taking Gospel and the Productive Life. We've been talking about goal setting and are next going to tackle finances. This class has allowed me to evaluate how I do things, and why I do them like that.
example:
I've never been much for procrastination, and even less so now. If I know there is something I need to do, in school or around the house, rather than fight with it in my head, I get it done and out of the way so I can go on with my life basically guilt free.
This works with most things (one notable exception would be Visiting Teaching- very guilt laden).

Now I'm starting to notice something about Priorities.
I always seem to be bracing myself for having no time/money for the future. I live with this drive to do everything on my list in case at some future time, I won't have time to do it. (This existed long before Anna's impending arrival). Unfortunately this led me to have to limit myself.
Given all the class syllabi of a full college load, I would, with this fear, try to complete an entire course as soon as possible, because I wouldn't have time to do it later. I tempered this irrationality by doing homework for only one week of only one class - that way I know when I can stop, otherwise I would just keep doing homework and wear myself right out. This also leaves me with enough time at the end of the semester to finish up on papers and study for finals, especially because profs fall behind and if I keep a week ahead, eventually I will catch a free week.

anyway, I don't know if this rant is interesting or applicable, but it turns out that eventually prioritized items get accomplished and you should have some leisure time on your hands.
But what if I don't have time/can't afford to do the very lowest priorities on my list in the future? (this more easily applies to finances)

a little think I like to call Grammar

Automatic Reaction

I realized the other day that despite the fact that my car has an automatic transmission, I still drive like it is a manual.
I accelerate until, instinctively, I take my foot off the gas - to give it a chance to shift. However, I think this has been detrimental to my car - now unable to believe me when I want to accelerate- usually the car has already shifted just before I decide to take my foot off the gas again.
I have problems.

Toni Gaines, one in a million

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 20 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

This is of my first and last name together, I feel...endangered.

The Last Days?

I've been feeling very guilty for the past few days. I have all this time now that I'm not working or going to school all day and feel bad that I'm not spending every minute cleaning the house or completing one of my multiplying projects.

My paper is now 16.5 pages (it started at 13 so don't be too impressed) and I'm sure if I could find research to back up any of what I'm saying it would be nearly long enough with all the footnotes. But that's just not something I want to do all day. Especially if it includes taking trips to the HBLL.

I started a quilt, my first actual piecing quilt, and it looks pretty good but I know that if I sit down to work on it, I will a) spend the rest of the day and night on it until exhaustion forces me to stop and b) get very sore in back, legs and bum as I'm not quite as agile and resilient as I once claimed to be and c) if (a) comes true then that means I will also watch TV for all those hours which will inevitable lead to a brain-dead Toni, and I won't be able to finish my paper.

As far as getting ready for the baby, I feel like I should be doing things to set up and prepare myself but I have no idea what. Soon I will have outfits and things to organize but for now, I just hang out with the crib in an almost full room. (how will we fit the dresser?)

So all day I try not to spend all my time on one thing, that's the only way I know how to balance my activities.

Eternal Worth

Yesterday mymom invited me to attend her Stake Women's Conference, they had Virginia H. Pearce coming to speak to them (the H is for Hinckley). It was all quite exciting.
Before the meeting she same around to the early birds and shook hands with us, even asked about my baby, I was flattered.

Her talk, though, was quite impressive, it wasn't new or groundbreaking, but she seriously re-emphasized the fact that we are individually of infinite worth to God, and that our worth is all the same. God loves Gordon B. Hinckley and Osama bin Laden equally because they are both His sons.

I've been trying to type up all my old college notes to reduce the amount of storage boxes. I was recently going through my notes from my very first institute class in 2003 up at the U. In it was written the following:

"There are two kinds of people in the world, Lamans and Nephis. Laman's say 'God plays favorites' Nephi's say 'God must love everyone because he loves me'"

I wish I could be a Nephi, it is a refreshing perspective on things.


p.s.
In another book of institute notes I found this
"Humility is knowing there is a God and that it is not me."
that made me laugh.

What I Did Yesterday

Yesterday, I was a woman possessed. I went to the fabric store early in the morning to get some straight pins, but while I was there I remembered my secret wish to make Anna a dress out of some material I had, so I went to the patterns and bought my first ever.

I went home and spent the rest of the day - seriously - I stopped only to eat some lunch, forgetting all day to take my pills or even drink any water all day, and I made these two dresses. The green one I think of as the Sound Of Music play clothes made from curtains, but it was just a practice, the red one is really the one I was excited to make.



The best part, is that I made them from old skirts, which I had made from pillow cases. Just passing on the tradition.

Our Boston Baby

These are the onesies that Ben got while he was in Boston in October.




They are so CUTE!

Birth Class - A Toni Perspective

We went to our first birth class tonight at the hospital.

I had some hurty contractions.

But I didn't cry.

Also, they didn't show any movies to scare us, which was nice.

I have >6 weeks to write a 25 page paper.

Happy Friggin New Year

This is how I feel about celebrating New Year's

Sacrifice and Obligation

In church today I took the time to list all the scripture/publishings that we are told to study daily.

Book of Mormon 30-60 mins/day
Bible
D&C
Pearl of Great Price
Preach My Gospel
Current Ensign
most recent Conference talks
Sunday School Lesson

Not only do "they" say we should read each of these individually but as a family as well.

WHAT?!

Add to this additional admonitions to do genealogy, temple work, service, VT and HT and fulfill callings.

It's almost enough to make you give up eh?


When I showed my list to Ben, he wrote the following
"In order to be saved you need to do this every day, for at least 31 hours."
and I wrote "and go to the temple and understand it"
he continued, "and baptize 14 friends/week"