Chapter 18: Nightowl/School

It's only roughly 6:30pm, but I just woke up from my sunday nap.  This will result in my being up way too late tonight and having another internet binge- I didn't go to sleep until well after 3 last night/this morning because it's been so long since I could watch stupid youtube videos without having to wait 20 minutes for it to load!

Similar to my feelings on mornings, I love the sleepy silence that rings throughout my house at night. Providing, of course, the adorable little terror goes to sleep at a reasonable hour. Our apartment is maybe 200 yards from the freeway which was a little worrisome when we moved in, but with the windows closed it really is just a low hum and I'm afraid I've gotten used to it.  Not to mention the train tracks that are about 50 yards from our window.  Also, not bad, but terribly loud depending on how deep of a sleep you were in before it sounded like it derailed next to your window at 2 in the morning. :]

I am unusually excited to be up late tonight and the following 3 nights for a reason I have never dreamt would be anything but a joke; Studying for a math test.

I have what is called a "placement test" this coming Thursday that will determine which Math course I can be enrolled in.  Seeing as I am on a pretty tight time limit to receive my AA so that I can move on to the 4 year college I want to attend this Fall, I HAVE to place in at least the lowest level math (and pass) that will be accepted for my AA. Otherwise I could be looking at summer school and frankly, I think that sounds like a worse idea than __(insert worst idea you can think of here.)__.

In order for me to place high enough and do well on this test, I have to study like a mad woman because I have not actually applied myself in a math class of any kind since my sophomore year...of high school. I'm so scared I'm going to blow it but I have an incredible team of highly trained specialists and coaches who will push me to bring the math using side of my brain out of hibernation. **Note: The highly trained specialists are my hunky husband and my baby, the coach is online math refreshers and Dr. Pepper. <-- REAL doctor, your argument is invalid.

I'm not gonna lie, I have totally had this scene from Billy Madison running through my head for the past few weeks as I gathered info, prepared paperwork and applied for scholarships for my (hopeful) acceptance to Eastern Washington University.

Ah, the classics.

Chapter 17: Morning

I have never been a morning person, at least not since the summers during the elementary school days. I fought them increasingly with every passing grade (probably because I had to wake up earlier and earlier every year) and once early morning seminary came into play, I had pretty much created a barrier between me and the world before 9AM with my sullen grouchy face. It's possible I was growling at anyone who came within 4 feet of me, which is why they would steer clear. My poor dad drove me to seminary my freshman year of high school and, oddly enough, he isn't a morning person either! Ah, the battles of slamming doors and "I'm leaving in 30 seconds with or without you!!"...My poor dad.

Mornings are my few moments of a quiet house. I try to get up early enough that I can shower and take my time getting ready for the day and dink around on the computer for a little while before N is off to work and M is terrorizing every room that I swear was spotless when I went to bed the previous night. Now that school is starting up for me soon, I'll be taking full advantage of a quiet sleeping house so that I can focus and get what I can done before the day really takes off. Not to say that I am a "morning person" now, I still will not speak a word until I've at least showered and fully woken up, but I cling to those few moments everyday when I can focus on myself. It's important for me, who has always been perfectly content entertaining myself with my own hobbies, to get that time now that my nearly two year old is so busy. I love interacting with and watching this beautiful child as she learns and explores. Keeping up with her has me ready for nap time, too!

I hear little feet racing down the hall- morning meditation is over :]

Chapter 16: INTERNET!!

Ohh how incredible it feels to be able to use my computer from the comfort of my own bed

I should explain.

We have been living in our current apartment for nearly 5 months and TODAY we have finally gotten our long awaited internet, (Much mahalo and aloha to our tax return for that one!) so instead of trying to check my email and play on Pinterest on my "itty bitty" smartphone screen, I am in a slouchy/sitting position in my PJs and cozy bed. I may actually frequently blog now, but don't take my word for it.

My sweet girl who will be 2 in just over a month is sprawled out next to me snoring softly. My love will home from work soon and will surely be so impressed with my flawless internet hooking up...minus the part where I forgot an essential cable the first time around...and called the IT hotline more than once...Whatever, we have internet I think he'll get over it. :]

I, as not so many of you may know, have not yet finished my college years. I had the opportunity to finish before I would have turned 21. I blew it. I've been dealing with shame and guilt because of it for nearly 4 years not to mention anxiety at the thought of going back for another try. Spring Quarter starts April 7th and I am on my way to my AA by June then onto a BA in Visual Communication Design (graphic design) starting in Fall of this year. I am beyond excited and now realize that the road to this second chance is what will make it so much sweeter as I walk across that stage with a diploma in my hand. So determined to make everyday of these next few years back in student mode count.

Little M is tall and sassy. Trying to potty train currently and it's exhausting. She loves the Jim Carrey version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (she calls him the "GrUnch"), dancing, babies and really any furry animal. We've been working on some sign language with her since she was only a few months old and it is FASCINATING to see her pick up so many signs so quickly. It's darling seeing her little fat fingers doing the signs, too. She is hilarious, naughty, polite and such a bed hog. Ergh, scoot over, kid.

My love is working through the crappy job phase in order to build up his experience for his dream job, but he handles it so well. He claims he is able to remain so calm and collected through customer after customer screaming and cursing at him because of his mission. Another blessing that has come from serving the Lord; patience with His children. I love this man. He is so generous and so sweet on his little girl. He loves me through my awkwardness and supports my weird little hobbies and obsessions.

We are happy, healthy and sitting next to each other surfing the inter webs. What can I say? We're romantics.

Chapter 15: Early New Year's Resolution

I will get the hang of this blogging thing.

For now, I will make my posts short and to the point because I have a hard time writing everything on my mind at once and I will forget to come back and finish it if I do bits at a time.

SO...

Update on Baby Mollie:

Claps. Crawling like a mad woman. Stands at the couch, chairs and bookshelves. Cries when she wants to sit down because she gets stuck in the standing position. 3 teeth on bottom. 4 teeth on top. Eats baby food, baby cereal "puffs" and anything smaller than her palm off of the floor. Recently discovered the outlets (YIKES!), wires from electronics and little springs on the legs of her crib. Waves "bye-bye". Blows raspberries which is cute but not so much when she has a mouthful of oatmeal. Learning to give kisses! An absolute joy to have in our lives and a hysterical little entertainer!

Update on Rodney:

Nearing the end of Fall Semester at BYU-Hawaii. (One more semester!!) Majoring in Information Technology. Works for the University as a Web Master. Plays touch rugby on the evenings. Fantastic Daddy. Plays with Baby Mollie and makes her giggle and snort. Amazing Husband. Washes the dishes because Mama hates dishes more than anything in the world. Strong Priesthood holder. Initiates FHE on a weekly basis and attends the temple. We love our Daddy and are so proud of him for being SO close to finishing school!

Update on Ariel:

Enjoying being Mama. Daydreams about having a house and land to make into a forever home. Missing her own Mama and chatty little siblings. Still working part time. Ecstatic for Christmas. Loves playing with her Baby Girl and laughing with her Hunky Husband!

Chapter 14: Another Much Needed Update

Well! Mollie Mae is turning 5 months old next week (!!!) and she is SO big! Ok, not SO big, but when we went to her Drs appointment on Monday the nurse at the front desk handed me the form to fill out (based on child's age, to basically assess if parents know what they're doing) and I get about halfway through it when the question "Does your child know how to cross the street?" came up.....Um....excuse me, I think you handed me the wrong form?? Haha! Turns out instead of the 4 MONTH form it was the 4 YEAR form. So apparently she looks MUCH more advanced than she is :) (Atleast I haven't seen her crossing any streets lately...?) Had to get a couple shots this time around :( I had a sneaking suspicion that she knew it was coming and maybe she recognized the Drs office from the last visit. She was clingy and NOT having the female doctor (with the much too low cut top for a FAMILY Drs office) checking her! She is, however, very healthy and above the 95th percentile in height AND weight! Must have tall parents! ;) She is a whopping 17.6 pounds and about 27 inches tall! Happy, healthy girl that is learning so many new things!

THINGS I (Mollie) HAVE DISCOVERED RECENTLY: ~Thumb; Sucking ~Toes; Touching AND Eating ~Ears; Pulling ~My and Mama's Hair; Pulling ~If I Throw My Toys On The Ground; Mama & Daddy Will Get Them For Me ~SINGING Ohh, this girl loves to sing. Doesn't matter what genre, song, or even if it's a bad attempt at an impromptu song by Mama; she will SING. Absolutely my most favorite thing! Her face is hilarious when she sings, too. Such conviction and passion being put out from her little face! (Note to self: Post video)

I am happy being Mama, working roughly 10-18 hours depending on the week, and watching our little girl grow TOO fast! Rodney is in the homestretch for his schooling (Hallelujah)! Just 2 more semesters and he is done done done! Better believe we are done done DONE with this school in Hawaii nonsense, too! Before I get attacked with the accusations of not enjoying paradise, let me just say this. {ahem} Hawaii is paradise when you're on A VACATION here, not trying to survive on a crap pay, with crap hours, in a crap apartment with cockroaches in every cupboard drawer and, yes, on the ceiling above your bed in the middle of the night.....ok, I'm done. :) So excited and SO ready to move on to another chapter of our eternal adventures together as a family! MoRodRiel :)

Chapter 13: Thank You & Updates

So sorry I haven't gotten to this until now!  Finally feel like we've gotten into somewhat of a routine with our baby girl, who is now 11 weeks old by the way!  This is the thank you blog to everyone who has given us gifts, money and love for our sweet Baby Mollie!  Unfortunately all of the pictures I took of everything we received were lost when our computer crashed! :( However, I am sending out thank you's to all of you this week who sent us gifts (if you dont receive one after a couple weeks PLEASE let me know so I can send you one! We got a lot of things so I don't want to forget anyone!)

 

I want to sincerely thank you all for your generosity towards our little family! It is no secret that Hawaii is an expensive place to live, even without having to buy diapers constantly for a baby!  So many darling outfits, soft cuddly blankets, very much needed essentials, and love sent to us! We appreciate every little sweet compliment about our little Baby Mollie and look forward to being able to pass her around to all of our family and friends who love her even from such a great distance.  She doesn't realize it yet, but someday she will see just how much love this world holds for her.

We are obviously still new at the whole "parent" thing, but I can say without a doubt that learning together with my sweet husband and taking every experience a day at a time has been the greatest adventure we've had so far in our relationship.  I can also assure you that we are very much parents, because we squealed with joy when she dirtied her diaper when she hadn't had the expected number of poopy diapers(according to the amount the doctor told us she should)! To prove it, I still have the voicemail saved on my phone of my sweet husband calling me at work to say (in the giddiest voice I've ever heard) "Babe! Baby Mollie pooped! I love you!" :) You'd really have to hear it to get the full effect...maybe someday I'll put the audio on here...We'll see if Rodney will let me hahaha!

Mollie is growing healthy and strong, with the greatest smile and cutest giggle when her neck gets tickled. She sleeps well, eats well and enjoys going outside to take in the beauty of Hawaii.  She may only be just under 3 months old, but this girl is very alert.  She has been alert since the moment she was born (the doctors and nurses even found it amazing that a brand new baby was so awake and aware of everything around her) and she makes for a very expressive conversation companion! I'll try and capture as many of her expressions as I can to post on here, because they are really quite hilarious at times.  A lot of the entertainment I find in her face has to be from the fact that she has eyebrows and my siblings never had eyebrows as noticeable at such a young age. We've been glared at, given the 'what-is-wrong-with-you?' look, smiled at, laughed at and, my favorite, an almost unexplainable look of trust and genuine love for her Mommy and Daddy.

Sweet Baby Mollie is starting to concentrate on getting her fists to her mouth, on her toys, REACHING for those toys, and even getting a pretty decent grasp on them at times!  It is utterly fascinating watching her focus all of her attention and strength on reaching for that little piece of plastic with a poorly shaped koala bear (?) and punching at it until she wears herself out.  

I always wonder how things look to her.  I know we see the same things, but how does she put my voice together with my face and know that I am mommy? What does she feel when she sees familiar things? So amazing to witness someone so tiny physically and mentally grow right before our eyes!

We are beyond thrilled with being this little angel's parents and look forward to every milestone and every single second we get to spend raising her in a Gospel, love and laughter filled home. Can't wait to share our stories!

P.S. If any readers of this blog aren't friends with either Rodney or I on Facebook to keep up with the pictures we've posted of her, I'll be sure to post the pictures on this blog as well. :)

Chapter 12: "Husband Bashing"

Don't get it.

I can honestly say that not once in my entire life have I ever heard my Mum or Dad speak ill of each other to their friends. Occasionally I'd hear a small complaint about something small that the other does that annoys them (dirty clothes in the bathroom, etc) but not ONCE were they ever cruel or did they exaggerate some small annoyance to their friends. I have too many times heard women rant and rave about things their husbands do/don't do as if they think that I want in on that conversation..? Or just because I am married that I'd like to b**ch and moan about EVERY little imperfection in my husband.

NEWSFLASH: I DON'T.

Because I wasn't exposed to that kind of treatment between my own mother and father, I don't really know how to react to it when people share it with me. Even couples arguing in public makes me uncomfortable and I still remember my parents making an effort to argue in the privacy of their room away from us kids.

I'm not saying that Rodney and I don't argue, because we have and will continue to do so on occasion for quite some time, I'm sure. That's a part of marriage and really any relationship. However, for people to make spectacles of themselves when they are arguing just doesn't make sense to me.

I feel the same about people who drag anyone and everyone into their personal affairs by telling them every argument they have with their spouse and complain to their friends to try and get someone to back them up. So much of marriage is sacred, and in MY marriage, I keep our trials sacred, too. It's none of anyone else's business what we argue about and frankly, if someone comes to me "bashing" their spouse for a mistake or a flaw they have, I feel bad for them. Not because the mistake their husband/wife made was SO ANNOYING, but because they feel the need to come to someone else and speak with such distaste about their one and only...

I also wonder if their husband/wife knows how many people they go to talking that way about them. I know that MY feelings would be hurt if I heard through some random person that my own husband was telling them about something we had argued about, so why wouldn't someone else feel somewhat betrayed by that?

I may be too sensitive on the issue, but then again, my husband and I do not flaunt things of our personal life to anyone who will listen and that's just the way we are. Some marriages are different from ours in varying ways, but RESPECT should be a part of EVERY marriage.

Love your husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend.

You don't need to share every annoyance with everyone you know. It makes you look unkind and immature.

Treat them with respect and if something they have said or done REALLY makes you feel as horrible as you make it sound, work it out in KINDNESS between the two of you. I'm sure you'd both appreciate that more than if you share your disgust with the world.

Just needed to get that out there. This isn't about any one person in particular so I hope no one takes offense to it! <3