Out with the Old in with the New

It feels like our life is at a standstill until I think of the things we have been doing. Its been a long winter and I'm happy to be nearing spring. I'm looking forward to warmer weather, going on long walks with Eden, taking her to the park and other outdoor activities.. but mostly I'm excited to have the worlds biggest yard sale. My life feels cluttered!!!! I feel like I'm constantly cleaning and nothing is ever clean.  Anyone else experience that?

Before Eden's birthday, our goal was to finish our basement so that we could use that space for her party. Everything HAPPENED! I was so proud of my husband for pulling through and getting everything he could--done. We had been using the basement as storage since I moved in and he had 5 years of use before I moved in.. so we had a lot of STUFF!  Combining two households has been an adjustment and for whatever reason we hung on to a lot of it. Which meant two or more of EVERYTHING! Totally unnecessary. I'm ready to live like young starving college students that are freshly married and scraping by to have the necessities. I want to be a minimalist.  I really really do!

Those years of storage and accumulated stuff.. had to go somewhere, so during Eden's party.. it ended up in the garage. Urgh! So now we not only have a garage full of stuff but our basement is somehow full of it again too.  My goal for the rest of the winter is to go through everything piece by piece and either donate, throw-away, organize, or sale. End result.. more space and less to pick up! Awe a dream.

We are having carpet installed in the upcoming weeks and we need to clear out the 4 rooms so that this can happen.  We also need to finish the closets (hanging bars and building shelves). My goal for this is to have it all done and organized or gone before new baby southworth is born.  Wish-us-luck

Mike is what I call a dreamer (optimist). I on the other hand am more of a realist (pessimist). We create balance. ;) He has an idea and spends a lot of time talking himself into them, figuring out numbers, internet searches, comparison, and unfortunately rarely fruition. I haven't figured out if it's because I squash his dreams  or if it's because an other idea pushes the first one out before we reach an end. His head is constantly in motion. Either way, it happens OFTEN!!! It really drives me crazy because I eventually invest emotion into his ideas.

His latest idea is to move... again.  Last summer we spent a great amount of time finding a lot, meeting with a designer, and dreaming up our custom home. In the end, the realist trumped the dreamer and we backed out of the lot and decided to refinance and wait 5 years.  6mths later.. he's back in dream mode and wants to buy a new house.  This time I am on board and ready to move. Not because I don't love our house or yard or location, but because our current home only has two bedrooms on the main floor and I can't picture putting either baby in the big empty basement. I want us all to be nestled together on the same floor or at least have the littles off ground level.  STRANGER DANGER!

We have been looking at houses and lots and I'm feeling excited... Mike has recruited me into his dreams. I just hope to get rid of half the stuff we own and start my minimalist lifestyle. Less to clean and more time to play with my babies!

I'm ready to throw out the old and make room for the new!

How could these pictures not get me excited?

The master sitting area

Master bath

Spacious Master BR

Dang.. for whatever reason I couldn't upload the rest of the pics. But they are worth seeing so I will try again later.

A Blog for Baby number 2

I started a blog to document our arrival of our 2nd Child
Feel free to get the updates
http://newlittleyou.blogspot.com/

Southworth summer so far..

I don't blog anymore cause my life is full of mommy duty's.... laundry, dishes, dinner, diapers, feeding, pumping. baby books, baby cartoons and what ever else I can try to bring myself to do.  But I assure you, it's nothing to write about.
Mikes been busy having fun.. waters skiing, repeling, golfing, lots of lunches with clients and trying to "drum up his business"  He is currently on a mission to build us a house..  So if this works out we will have several months of preparing this house to sale. Designing our new house.. and then building. YIKES
Eden is growing like a weed.  She is showing more and more personality and is very stubborn and independent.. She has got a great since of humor and keeps me laughing daily! She is eating solids.. she prefers something she can pick up herself rather then what I can feed her.  She is crawling everywhere and can pull herself up onto almost anything.  She has started walking along furniture and holding herself up on the toys that have wheels and walking along with it.  She is jabbering my ear off and will imitate almost any sound Mike and I make.  She says da da, ma ma, and bah bah... She has found her tongue and loves to wiggle it around. She has been so much fun! She loves chewing on everything but mostly, dirty shoes, electric cords, and paper... it's amazing that she will be surrounded by colorful fun musical toys and zoom in on these "no no" items.  Thats our girl.

Jones Family Fun

We just got back from a great visit with my sister heather and her family.  She is renting a beautiful house in vermont country side.  It's located on a HUGE farm and her babe have so much land to run and play.  A little different then their life in New York city.

Her two kids had not met Eden and Eden was very excited to meet them. She had been looking at their pictures on my mirror for months leading up to it and I think she recognized their faces.  I almost didn't. They have gotten sooo big. It's crazy how fast time goes by. Desmond is now 8 and Zoe is 6 and they are both great kids.


Heather treated us like Royalty and went all out for our visit! She must have been planning and preparing for WEEKS! She had every delicious meal planned, desert included... and took us to some beautiful scenic spots.  We really enjoyed our time with her and I loved seeing the kids again.  I use to see them every other week and 2 years had gone by since I saw them this last time.


I miss my sister and I wish she would consider moving back to the good ol' state of Utah!

Eden

March Mayhem

What can I say.. March has been busy but a lot of fun.  We have a lot going on this month but the highlight was defiantly our 1st family vacation.  Mike planned it in the middle of the night and we boarded the plane 2 weeks later.  I love when his spontaneousness impulses take us to tropical destinations! :)

Hawaii 2012

She felt like such a big girl with her own seat

Our 8 days were amazing we missed a 12 day storm that ended shortly after we arrived and we were welcomed by sunshine and colorful surroundings.  I loved watching Eden take it all in.  Noticing things that she has never seen.  Green Trees, Green Grass, Blue water, The waves, The sand, The flowers and of course her cute legs and Toes.. She couldn't stop grabbing her toes... they were by far the most fascinating thing for her on this trip.  She loved shedding the layers and being totally natural and free! She loved the feel of grass on her feet and sand in her hands.. 
We were unable to do some of the things we would have done pre-baby but it didn't take away from a great experience.  Starting with sunrise.. thanks to Eden we were able to watch EVERY beautiful sunrise from our room and usually in daddy's arms and watch the sunset from the pool as I tried to rock her to sleep. We ate great, we saw some beautiful beaches, we met up with some friends that just so happened to be there around the same time for lunch and dinner.. and Mike played some golf.  We went to Mikes old church ward and he was able to visit with a few people he knew when he lived there.. (a wee bit awkward for me, but...) We drove to see the Hawaiian temple which was very beautiful, Drove to sea life park and introduced Eden to dolphins, sea lions, penguins.. and other sea life that she wasn't really interested in.  Went to Dole plantation and had a famous Dole whip. Finished off our vacation with a little city life in waikiki and walked around the shops and ate dinner at dukes on the water before heading off to the airport for a Redeye flight that we all tried to sleep through.

Mike and I enjoyed each others company too... but it's so much different with a baby..  It almost takes a special effort to remove our gaze from Eden and acknowledge each other.  For simple things like saying good morning.. or kissing goodnight.. or freeing our hand to hold in special moments..  As different as it is, it's not any less special.  Our love is there and we know it. It was a very beautiful vacation and one we will remember forever.

Blogging seems to be a thing of the past..

I don't understand how moms blog. I'm new to this and I'm finding out how hard it is to do anything/everything. How do working moms juggle? Holy cow! I need lessons. I figured it would be as easy as 123 I mean, Ive babysat before being a mom and it was so simple.. then I realized why. My job was to play with the baby. Period. Not clean house, laundry, dishes, shopping, cooking, and still have time for things I should be doing.. such as exercising... or even things I want to do, like be crafty and artsy and such as. I have a lot to learn but first and foremost I'm learning I come last.

So I'm spending my days with the most adorable little girl on the planet and trying to watch her every move. I don't want to miss a single coo. Her personality is magnetic. I watch her discovering the world around her and I am mesmerized by her curiosity. I know how much she eats, when she needs a diaper change, and when she hasn't pooped. I know when she's tired, what makes her happy, or when she is bored with me. I've got this girl down!! I know how much she has grown, what she still fits in to and what she has grown out of, I know when she does something new, when she wants to be in my arms and when she wants to be left alone. However, I don't know when the last time was that I took a shower or brushed my hair or even got dressed for the day. I take TONS of pictures of her and I make sure not even my hand is in the shot! I'm dreadful but happier then I've ever been.

I'm a first time mom and a first time wife and I'm easing into the changes to somehow discover BALANCE. I want to devote my time to miss Eden Grace and to my loving husband but I also don't want to get lost in their lives. Some may think this is selfish, but I think its crucial for my health and happiness. So if anyone has any words of advise on how to maintain that balance, I want to hear from you. Whether you maintain it with 1 child or 1o. I'm all ears... but sorry, my hands are full! ;)

Eden Grace has entered our lives and hearts

Mike and I couldn't be more proud to be parents to our sweet little girl Eden Grace. She entered our lives and our hearts in a very big way on October 19th at 3:15am. It was instant LOVE! She is a little angel who will bless our lives forever.

After a easy pregnancy, easy labor, she is now such a easy baby and we feel incredibly blessed. A sweet gentle spirit that adds calm and clarity to our home and purpose to our lives. We knew we always wanted children and now that she is here it's hard to understand how our lives had meaning before her. She truly is our greatest gift.

Mike and I just find ourselves staring at her for hours. Watching her ever move and listening to her every sweet sound. We laugh at her scrunchy faces, and melt when she shyly smiles (in her sleep). We even love the unsavory things.. a dirty diaper a little spit-up and the rare times she is fussy. We race to ease her every whim. It's the best job on earth and I'm holding on to every second tightly because we know how quickly time passes.

I would love to have this sweet, pure, innocent infant to hold in my arms forever, but I know that isn't what she is here to do. She is here to grow, prosper, learn, excel and someday find love and become a mother as well. This thought although lovely, saddens me. I love my little baby girl in my arms and laying on my chest and feeling her every breath and hearing her sweet grunts, moans, squeaks, girggles as she looks deeply into my eyes.

Mike is already a great dad and spends time with her on the floor during tummy time. Helping strengthen her neck, her focus, and waving bright noisy toys in front of her hoping for a grin or giggle. His guitar has been dusted off and has found a new home near our bed. He strums gently on it nightly as she watches him curiously with bright interested eyes that quickly turn in to heavy sleepy slits before dozing off peacefully for the first half of the night. :)

We find every opportunity to tell our little angel we love her and give her gentle kisses on her head and full little cheeks. Although she can't understand our words, I like to think she feels how deeply we love her and knows that will never change.

We may soon have to say goodbye to these little faces. :'(

We have decided to give up our calling as sunbeam teachers at church to prepare for our little girl to come. This has been a great experience... a little frustrating at times (if I can be honest) and sometimes the lessons seemed a little bit redundant, but overall the kids have really grown on us and we finally started feeling we had a good handle on the class. They just started participating and sharing their thoughts and ideas and interacting with each other. This last Sunday's lesson was about being an example and I had to take some pictures of these cute little faces.

Nursery update...

Mike and I completed the last minute touches on the painting in the nursery over the weekend. Mike even wants to try out the new crib arrangement. (what do you think?) :) He said more people could gather around to see her! He's already a proud daddy! :) Now the only things left to do is the nightmare rocking chair and cleaning the carpets. The room has come a long way since February. We are excited to have it almost complete and more importantly...we are ready for you baby Eden. :)

Our fist year!

It's hard to believe it's been a year since we had our "legal ceremony" in our back yard before taking off to Tahiti for our wedding ceremony! Its been wonderful and there isn't a day that I don't wake up and feel so grateful to have waited for Michael to enter my life and not a day goes by that I don't recognize that we are meant to be together. He is patient, loving, supportive, and makes me want to be better, but most important he keeps me laughing. We have so much fun together and I feel like he is my best friend. What more could I ask for. So to 1 amazing year and hopefully a million more to come! Happy Anniversary Love Love!

knock knock.. who's there..

Last month we had some unexpected visitors. First we had Langdon (Mikes brother) from California at our door with his son Lincoln. It was a fun surprise and shortly after his sister Kristen arrived! They both only stayed a short time but it got us all together and we were able to have a great time. Mike, his brothers and sister Kristen all went dirt biking one day and his sister Angie and my sister in-law Taylor came to spend the day with me. We took Lincoln to the park and out to lunch and went grocery shopping to have the family over for dinner later that night.

The last day Langdon was here we made a trip to the S.L.T and walked around and through the visitor center. I haven't been there since December to look at the lights and at that time we just walked around the grounds.

It's nice to be visited with family! We had a great time and it was great to see them and all get together.

It's so great having langdon here. He is so great about taking pictures!

Baby showers = FUN!!!

I had a second baby shower Sept 17 (Holly's birthday) Fortunately, that didn't keep her from coming. I was so happy to have her there to celebrate with me. My AWESOME visiting teacher Brooke organized the whole thing and did a great job. Cooking 4 different kinds of bread and great food. I seriously don't know how she does it with 4 boys. She invited many of the girls from my ward who I haven't taken the opportunity to get to know and it really meant a lot to see how many girls are willing to celebrate this exciting time and get to know me. I felt unworthy of their love but VERY grateful.

My cousins & aunt made it and I was pleasantly surprised to see them. It made me so grateful for family and inspires me to be more active in their lives. Another fun surprise was my friend Melody. I met her while I was in CT living and she is such an amazing girl. I had an instant connection to her. Unfortunately, she moved back to UT after a year of the east coast, and we have remained in touch for the last 12 years but haven't seen each other for 10! Seeing her really made me remember what a great person she is and why I still remain in touch. I was also happy to have Mikes mom take the day off to join in the fun, and also my sister in law Taylor who has become a great friend. Mike also joined in with all the girls and stayed the entire time. He's good like that! He is my best friend and not having him there to share the moment with wouldn't have felt right. Plus, he never misses an opportunity to partake in Brooks food! :) (I know the real reason) ha ha

This baby shower was great in so many ways. It made me grateful for the blessing this little girl is going to be to my life and a reminder of all the many more I have currently. I found a greater appreciation for the girls in my ward, for my family, my extended family, and for meaningful friendships... and perhaps a deeper acceptance of myself and my worthiness for love!

Baby Eden is already changing my perspective and I know she is going to open my eyes to more blessings and a deeper love for everyone around me.

Showered with Lots of Love!

Well, my first shower has come and gone and all the anticipation has left with it. I was looking forward to my first baby shower and seeing all my old school friends. I was a little nervous about being the center of attention and even worse being the only one at my party! :) It's been 15 years since I really spent time in cedar city with my high school friends and wasn't certain anyone even remembered me or cared. Much to my surprise, we all picked up where we left off. It was perfect and I wouldn't have changed a thing.
Arynne is one of my oldest friends and our friendship is special. She predicted my 1st baby girl before I even knew I was pregnant! After a very convincing phone call about my unknown baby on the way, and a dr visit. It was confirmed she has a special power. I only thought it to be a MUST for her to join forces with my mom in organizing the celebration.

They did such a great job, Arynne made her "first" diaper cake that looked like a seasoned professional and my mom & dad made the cutest little bootie nut/mint holders for the guests that must have taken HOURS!

Here are a few pictures from the event.