Welcome 2014!!!

Hello there world! Have you been wondering where I have been for the past 6 or so months? Well so have I.

I got overwhelmed and anxious about life, about work and receded into myself becoming a person I didn't even recognize. I barely had the energy to make time to do all the things I loved. I was moody and mean to people around me and worst of all I basically just gave up on myself. What made this all happen you may be asking? It wasn't one big traumatic thing that sent me sinking into this dark hole. In fact it all started because I was feeling better than I had ever felt in my life.

Being a mom brought so much joy to my life and seeming my daughter day to day was the most amazing feeling in the world. Looking back I think I was in a bit of euphoria. In my case that, surprisingly, caused me to not see things clearly. I thought I was so happy I would just stop taking my medication.

A bit of back story on myself; I have suffered from depression for most of my life and have taken medication for probably a good 5 years. I took it all through my pregnancy with no problems. I know there are many different opinions on what exactly depression is and I will agree there are many different kinds of depression. I, in fact, have a chemical imbalance in my brain that causes my emotions to be completely out of whack. It causes me to feel anxious, to get angry at the littlest things. I don't have patience for things that occur in everyday life. If I don't take my medication I can feel a real difference within a couple of days, and people around me can tell a difference as well. With all this proven to me I still get frustrated that I have to take a pill to feel normal and that I probably will have to take medication for the rest of my life to be a productive person in the world.

Back to my story, I went to refill my prescription one day and it was the time where I had to make another doctor appointment. I thought this was as good a time as any to try and not take my medication since I was feeling so great. I continued to feel pretty amazing and I absolutely loved being a mom, however work started getting to be a bit overwhelming. I blamed work for all of my unhappiness. No schedule I worked made me happy, no amount of work (or no work) would make me feel less stressed. Things that I could handle in past were so overwhelming that I was in a panic everyday when I had to go to work. I got to the point where I had crying fits at work and even talked to my boss about seriously stepping down from my management position. I thought that the job was just too demanding and it was the cause of all my emotional turmoil.

It all came crashing down on Christmas day. I was scheduled to work both Christmas day and Christmas eve, which I wasn't happy about but had worked it out so I was still able to see all my family and do all of our celebrating. As I drove to work I started crying and I couldn't stop myself. I got to work and did my best to get myself together, I bought myself something to eat quickly and I hid in the office until, I thought I had composed myself. I attempted to go find my manager to let her know she was able to leave but as soon as I saw her I started balling uncontrollably again. She immediately told me to leave because I obviously wasn't able to work. I was hesitant because I knew if I left it would mean her Christmas would be ruined and she would have to stay. She finally said what she had been wanting to say to me for a while, she said I needed to talk to a doctor.

Reading this you might think I can easily talk about my depression but I never had told her about it. I never wanted this to get in the way of my career. It's funny cause they give you these personality type assessment tests when you get into management and it asks questions on a scale from 1-5 asking if you ever get sad or anxious and I always think about to that when I think about my job. I fear that if my depression as a known thing about me it would hold me back. Yes, I realize that is a crazy thing to think but that test always peaks up in my brain.

So I went home Christmas day and I vowed that I would make a doctor appointment to get my medication again and I would start taking the time to fix me! I decided I wouldn't step down. I decided I have to lose all the weight I gained in my depression. I decided that just because I have depression doesn't mean I am going to let it hold me back anymore.

I had my doctor appointment on January 2nd and I am officially back on track with my life and I am feeling good about it. My doctor also helped my understand and cope with the fact that I have to take a pill everyday to feel better. She said that it's like a diabetic. They have to take insulin everyday to keep their body chemicals in check, I just have to do it in pill form. Honestly that truly has made me look at things 100x differently and I am ready to take on this life and all it has to give to me!

This is something I saw on Facebook the other day. It is "What if we treated  physical diseases like we treat mental illness"

Seaside Oregon

Hi guys, how's it going? Me? Well, I'm doing pretty damn GREAT!!! Why might you ask, because I am in the home stretch of my much anticipated vacation. OK, fine call it what it is, a weekend getaway, during the week. I don't have much vacation time since I was out of work for so long on bed rest and maternity leave so I can't afford to take the entire week off but we are making the most of my birthday week and I'm just too excited about it!!

We are headed to Seaside, OR on Tuesday! Growing up I actually never went, or even heard of Seaside. We spend our ocean side vacations either at Ocean Shores or Westport. I loved those places growing up and really developed a deep rooted love for the ocean or any water front location really. But as I got older and ventured out on vacations with my friends I discovered Seaside, OR and it was love at first sight.

I have always dreamed of spending the day on a California beach and Washington is nothing in comparison. The Washington beaches are full of rocks and they are freezing cold. I would never dream of actually going into the water.

The first time I went to Seaside was on a girls road trip and we literally just drove through the town, seeing the beach only briefly. I was amazed at how smooth the sand was, knew I wanted to come back!

Can't resist at least putting my feet in!

I came back a couple of times here and there, never staying the night in the actual town of Seaside. My favorite trip to Seaside was with my friend Tara. It was also just a day trip into town but it was one like no other. We explored the town, ate a lot of yummy food and then ended our trip by full on body surfing in the ocean, something I never thought I would do and something I hope to do again! I hope we can make this trip just as memorable.

The last time I came was just about a year ago. Mat took me to Portland for my birthday and he agreed to take the long way home and swing through Seaside, even though he had never been.

 

 We were only there for a couple of hours but we enjoyed the beach, took in the sights and had a drink. I think he was in love as soon as we got there also. While we were leaving he asked me why we hadn't come before. At that moment I knew that this would be our family vacation destination from now on!

Mat's first time to Seaside

 

It's such a perfect location! It has fun activities for the whole family that range in prices. You could spend $20 a day or $200 a day and still have just as much fun!

We booked our hotel a little late for the summer season so everything that is really nice on the beach was all sold out so we booked the Best Western (not ideal), but is right on the beach and will do just fine for our little family.

I can't wait to see Sloane's reaction to the ocean for the first time. I can't wait to enjoy all the little shops with my family. I can't wait to relax in a place so far from my reality.

This vacation will be our first "just us three" vacation and I know it is just going to be perfect!!

 

 

Me... 6 months prego... on the beach at Seaside

 

My brief adventure into vlogging

Hey guys, sorry I haven't blogged in a while, I had a busy weekend followed by a buy week at work and it all just kinda left me tired and lazy. I'm back now and you can look forward to a Mommy Monday blog post! Here is a little video explaining my exploration into vlogging, inspired by Vlogger Fair! You can read about my experience at Vlogger Fair here and you can read about what my obsession with YouTube and vlogs here

 

Vlog as defined on Urban Dictionary:

A video log. A journalistic video documentation on the web of a person's life, thoughts, opinions, and interests. A vlog can be topical and timeless, instructional and entertaining. The main thread is trying to communicate on a personal level with your audience.

 

 

The video is kinda long, you could probably stop watching at the 5 minute mark!

Let me know if you think I should try out vlogging more cause I'm just not sure about it.

Mommy Monday: Sloane's first trip to the zoo

Sorry this blog is a day late. We had so much fun in the sun yesterday at the zoo that I just had no energy to blog about it when we got home. My co-worker asked to switch shifts so I had the day off and it looked like the day with the best weather this week so I had to take advantage!

Sloane and I visited the grandparents in the morning until Mat got off work. It's so nice to have them around and they so love having her over at their place. I have to admit I was a bit worried about having her over at their place because of *personal reasons but so far it seems to be going OK, they watch her a couple of times a month when we need someone.

Once Mat got home from work I gathered a lunch for us and we headed our way to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Sloane had already had two naps for the day but she still fell asleep on the car
ride to the zoo so we ended up having to bring in her car seat instead of just putting her in the stroller.

 

This is something I won't be at future visits. Sloane had to pull herself forward in the seat to be able to see anything and she didn't like that.

We arrived at the zoo and went straight for the elephants because we read that it was time to feed them. It cost $5 per person to feed so we opted out of that since Sloane was probably too young and might get too freaked out. We then decided we wanted to eat our lunch first thing so we headed to find a place to sit and eat.

 

We found a concession stand with tables which was perfect cause we needed something to drink. It was nice cause they had high chairs for us to use so Sloane was happy she was able to sit at the table with us. After eating, putting on a sun hat and sun screen and getting Sloane's diaper change it was time to take on the zoo.

First stop was the penguins! Sloane was able to stand right up to the glass and see under the water as the penguins swam by. She was especially interested in the waves the enclosure created. There was also a fountain of water that Sloane was a little frightened of at first but then decided it was pretty fun after figuring it out.


The rest of the zoo was a blast. We tried out best to get Sloane to see all the animals but there were some she just couldn't see or wasn't interested in looking at. Her favorite two animals she saw I think were the fruit bats (gross) and the kangaroo.

She also enjoyed seeing all the animal sculptures and other toys she could play with. It was also nice that she can stand up while holding onto things cause I think that made she enjoy the zoo that much more.

 

Unfortunately we didn't get a membership this trip cause Mat wasn't sure if we would be back but I think it would be nice to have a membership cause Sloane and I could go just anytime we wanted to get outside.

*this part I has been changed to protect privacy. 

Mommy Monday: Alphabet Wall Help Wanted

So, I'm just a bit too excited to plan Sloane's first birthday. I think I have been thinking about it since the day she was born. So far I know that I want it to be alphabet themed. Why may you ask? I love singing her the alphabet, her favorite toy is a monkey who teaches her the alphabet (and shapes/colors/numbers too) and finally is have a great plan to redecorate her room and to do so I'm going to need every one's help!

I saw on pintrest the idea for an alphabet wall that is made up of the letters of the alphabet designed by family and friends. How will this work? I will be asking everyone I know if they would like to contribute to the wall, those who would like to will sign up for a specific letter and then design it in any fashion they desire. I have seen so many different ways to design these letter, big or small, a painted wooden letter or painted on paper and framed, I also like the Letter O that is made out of a round object like a life preserver or a clock! Finally once they have designed the letter they bring to to Sloane's first birthday party and we reveal all the letters together!

 

The fun part is that even people who can't make it to Sloane's party can join in the fun! Just design the letter and the mail it to us. Everyone who participates will get a picture of Sloane in front of the finished wall. 

 

I'm super excited about this idea and I really hope I get enough people to have participate that all the numbers will be original!

Along with the alphabet wall I have a few other birthday plans already. I have recruited my dear friend Kristin to design and make the cake and Mat will be compiling a video of Sloane's first year!

 

The next thing I am trying to decide on is the location of her party. Our apartment is just too small to house any size of party and it's in the winter so an out door party is pretty much out of the question. I like the idea of having it at either the children's museum or something like that. I'd prefer to stay away from things that are too crazy like Chuckie Cheese till she is a bit older. Do you guys have any good ideas on where to host a birthday party, indoors? 

Oh and finally I know for a fact that I will be having the party around lunch time, hopefully Sloane won't get too tired or cranky at that time. 

So yeah, I know I'm about 4 months early for planning this thing but I'm just too excited!!!

 

Beauty Wise Wednesday: Beauty tips from an other generation

I had so much fun interviewing my mom for mothers day I thought I'd interview her and my grandma (my mom's mom) on a little lighter subject, Beauty!!! It's interesting to see what the older generation says about make up and how their view on make up has changed as they have gotten older.

What is your must have beauty product?
Mom: Mascara/eyeliner every day of my life I have put it on, it's a habit
Gramz: Lotion Cera Ve renewing lotion "I'm obsesses with it", Mouse and my Bobbi Brown lip stick: doesn't have lead in it.

How old were you when you first started wearing make up?
Mom: 13 years old, without mom knowing
Gramz: Lip stick when I was 16, never wore make up till I got to be in my 40s. Mascara in my 20's.

Who taught you to wear make up?
Mom: girlfriends; kinda learned together from magazines.
Gramz: No one, mom my passed away when I was young. I learned from ads and that type of thing.

Does make up make you feel better about yourself? why?
Mom: if I am wearing make up I fell better to face the world. "my best face forward" I have more confidence. If I ran to the store and saw someone I know without make up I would be mad
Gramz: It does because I think I look better, it is part for other people but mostly it makes me feel more put together.

What is one beauty tip you would give a person new to make up?
Mom: don't over do it. make sure all your foundation is all blended in. IE: no jaw bone line "one of the grossest things I've ever seen"
Gramz: Start washing your face at an early age. I didn't wash my face till I was older and don't forget sunscreen!

What beauty product do you find unnecessary?
Mom: eye lash curler b/c I've never had to use one in my life.
Gramz: False eye lashes (side note my grams says she only needs to use an eye lash curler on one eye cause they other is perfectly curled already. She's too cute!)

If you could do your make up like any celebrity who would you choose?
Mom: "That's a toughy" I would say Eva Longoria I just thinks she's gorgeous

Gramz: Jennifer Lawrence She looks so well put together.

How has your make up routine changed from when you were younger?
Mom: from wearing blue eye shadow to NEVER wearing blue eye shadow. It all has dwindled down, became more natural. I cringe when I see blue eye shadow now
Gramz: I am actually using make up now and using a brush to put on foundation.

How would you like your grand daughter (Sloane) to look at make up?
Mom: I wish she would never look at make up but if she does, keep it simple. mascara! Gotta have mascara!
Gramz: Sparingly. I would hope she would take care of her skin first or for most. good cleanser and moisturizer. not to look at it like it is going to change her, just enhance what she has.

Any last beauty thoughts you would like to share?

Mom: Make sure you wash your face and put on moisturizer at night!!
Gramz: can't over emphasize the use of sun screen or sun block... no one should be without it anymore!!!


Overall I can see why I am so natural with my make up style, my main influences growing up just aren't that into make up. It's also nice to see what they find important since they have had the time to learn what's important. I will for sure be teaching my daughter a good skin care as soon as possible.

So what are your answers to these questions? Leave your answers below or leave me a link to your blog, I'd love to know what you have to say.

And with that I am off to do a face mask and put on moisturizer!

 

May is for Mom's: An interview with my mom.

It is time again for the May is for Mom's blog link up over at Not You Average Crazy! If you don't know, this is a mommy blogger link up. The first three Sundays in May we answer a few questions about mom's. This week is an interview with my mom. If you know my mom you know she is a bit emotional so her answers are a little held back but just so you know she called me after the interview crying because of all the memories the interview brought up.

 

An Interview With My Mother

1. How did you feel the moment you found out you were pregnant with me?

Mom: *Laugh* "oh my gosh", kind of, then "oh yeah!" She couldn't get pregnant for a while so once she did she was excited and shocked. "Elated"

 

2. Was I a wonderful surprise or carefully planned?

Mom: wonderful surprise

3. What was the most challenging time in my childhood? Why?

Mom: when I was going through the divorce and I was trying to get custody of you and your brother. You weren't a challenge ever.

 

4. Did you worry more about me as a child or now that I am an adult?

Mom: I would say I worried more as a child just because you were a child but now you are an adult and you are just great.

5. What is one thing that you thought was deeply important when I was a baby that you now realize did not matter at all?

Mom: tough question... I don't have answer for that... After rewording the question she said that she worried about teaching me how to spell but now in this day in age she doesn't see as too much as a problem for me even though I still don't spell well.

~As a reverse to that question she never thought to instill religion in me and not thinking it would be needed and now that I am grown and I don't believe in God she wishes she would have been able to instill a belief in God in me.

 

 

 

Just for a quick update from my blog yesterday, We did the 5k today. It was so much fun and we got just completely covered in paint!!! I was absolutely bursting with pride for my dear friend Kristin over at Cupcakes and Cosmos for doing the 5K! This is her first and we didn't so any training. I know it was a struggle for her but she made it through just fine. I can't wait to see how much she can improve for the next 5k we do!! I know we want to do the Fremont Oktoberfest 5k but I think I might want to find one before then just to keep myself and her motivated.

 

 

 

Mommy Monday: "May is for Mom's: An interview with myself"

As I grow into this blogging world I have found some pretty great bloggers to follow. One of which is Amy B. over at Not Your Average Crazy. She has started this really fun "May is for Mom's" blog link up. It is the first three Sunday's in May. She has three different interviews, one for each week. This week is "An Interview with Myself". Below I have answered the questions, which I found very fun. I can't wait for the next weeks where I interview grandma and then with Sloane herself.

1. Before you ever even had children, how did you feel about being a mother?

       I always knew I wanted to be a mom. I never really had a direction for my life. Never really had anything I was really passionate about that gave me direction to a career in my life. I always knew I wanted to be a mom. I was constantly imagining me being a mom and how I would do things. I could envision a baby wrapped in my arms. It's funny cause you would think that my want to be a mom would drive me towards a career in child care, but I have always had an idea of how I wanted to care for my child and I knew that seeing all the different ways people raise their children I think I would get annoyed that they weren't raising the child the way I would. Does that sound selfish?

2. Since becoming a mother, what is something that has happened that you never thought would?
     I knew that I would be a mother one day. I'm actually older than I thought I would be when I was younger. It's amazing that when you get to the age you always thought you would have kids you kind of realize that you still have so much time and there is no rush. Having Sloane at 27 wasn't planned, we probably wouldn't of had planned to have a baby till we were thirty or so, but I'm so happy it happened when it didn't.

3. Is being a mother less difficult, more difficult or exactly how difficult you imagined?
     I knew it was a difficult to be a parent so it wasn't exactly a surprise. The surprising thing to me was how well I dealt with the sleeplessness and the "I don't know what to do" and the "what does this mean?" It all seemed to come pretty naturally. Now don't get me wrong I did my fair share of Googling baby facts in the wee hours of the night, but eventually I came to realize what I found were from parents far more neurotic than me. I know how to raise my child and I don't need all the crazy advice you can find on the internet.

4. What is your fondest memory of being a mother (so far)?

     I really love just seeing all the different things that bring a smile to the face of my daughter. My favorite is to see just how happy she is when she is with me and Mat at the same time. I come home from work and I sit down on the floor with Sloane and Mat and I can just feel how happy she is that we are both there at the same time.

5. If your children only learn one life lesson from you, what do you hope it is?
    This is a hard one... There are so many lessons I want to pass on to Sloane. Growing up as a girl is so difficult and you can get so beat down by what you think you need to be or need to do. So I just the one thing I would want to pass on to Sloane is for her to not worry what others think about her. For her to know that she I an amazing girl who can do whatever she wants and the after you are out of school the world is so big and to not let things that happen when your younger be the end all of your happiness. (I think that might be more that one thing)

(Thanks to Ludwig Photography and Travis Lawton Photography for the pictures)

Things to do before I'm 30: UPDATE

Well it is just three short months until my birthday. I'll be turning 29, giving me just one year to complete my goals on my list of things to do before I turn 30... I have written one update post about two and a half years ago HERE. The original list was written in 2008, you can read it HERE.

So now I want to update this list and see what I really want to work towards in my last year of being 20-something.

*Party like a rock star: Well I defiantly haven't done this but this doesn't really seem like much of a priority anymore. I have had some pretty fun nights out and I'd say the closest I've come to partying like a rock start would be at Tony's 30th birthday where we had a party bus and a reserved area at Last Supper Club and bottle service.

*Full day at a spa: Still haven't done this and I would LOVE to make this a priority this last year. DO any of you guys have any tips on where to go?

*Lose 50lbs: This has happened a couple times but then I have gained it back... I still want have is as a priority this year. I will do it! maybe the spa day will be my reward!

*Have a kid: well I've accomplished this! I wasn't exactly a planned thing to accomplish when I did but I couldn't be happier with my life and being a mommy. Sloane is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me!

*Spoil my mom: This is another thing I really would love to be able to do! I think my goal would be to send my mom and dad to Vegas with a couple hundred dollars of spending money. They deserve a fun vacation and it just isn't really possible for them.

*Meet my dad: This is something that is always in the back of my mind. I have actually become friends with him on facebook which is the most contact I can ever remember me having with him in my life. I haven't actually talked to him over facebook and I'm not so sure how I wanna go about starting that but maybe by 30 I'll have made some progress.

*Better my credit: this is actually a work in progress. The main issue is y student loans and those probably won't be paid off by the time I'm 30.

*Week long vacation out of the country: This is something I don't see happening before I am 30 now that I have a child, but I'm OK with that. I would love to travel out of the country but when Sloane is older and she will be able to enjoy the travel as well.

*Have a savings: Well this isn't such a possibility right now because I am trying to improve my credit I have little money to save. I do need to make a saving account for Sloane a priority however!

*Climb a rock wall: This is a great goal to work towards in the next year. It can go hand in hand with losing 50+ lbs.

*Be at least a second assistant: This is accomplished... I'd like to update this to at least be in RLD and near becoming an Assistant manager.

*Wear a pair of designer shoes with a little black dress: Let's tie this all together and this will be the 30th birthday party outfit, after I lose 50+ lbs. I will also attend a spa and climb a rock wall on my 30th birthday too!

*Volunteer regularly: Well I volunteer as much as I can right now between working and being a mommy. I volunteer through Safeway and do nearly all the volunteer opportunities they have to offer. When Sloane is older I will make this a priority because I want her to understand how important volunteering is.

Chicken and Spaetzles

I made this recipe a while ago and it was funny to me that no one knew what a spaetzles was. I have heard that word all my life as this recipe was a staple in my house hold.

As defined by my grandma: "spaetzle.... they are a German pasta-like dumpling but more moist and tender than an Italian pasta"

Chicken and Spaetzles soup:

Ingredients:

Soup:
* 1 whole chicken
* Water
* 1 large can of chicken broth
* Carrots cut into small pieces
* Celery cut into small pieces
* Onion or mushrooms if desired (I didn't add these)
* salt and pepper to taste

Spraetzle's
* 2 cups all purpose flour
* water
* 1 egg
* 2 Tbsp of seasoning salt

Start by placing the whole chicken into a deep pot  and will with water till covered. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 1-2 hours depending on the size of the chicken. You will know it is done when the chicken is falling off the bone.

Once done separate the meat from the bones. Strain and save half the broth made for the soup. You can save the other have to use for something else.

Add all the chicken meat back into the broth. Add in the can of store bought chicken broth and the cut up veggies. Add in the salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil and let cook for another half hour or until the veggies are cooked.

Put the flour into a bowl ( I used a large glass measuring cup so that it would be easy to pour the batter) To the flour add the seasoning salt and mix. Then mix the egg and add water 1/2 a cup at a time until you get a good thick batter.

Make sure the soup is at a small boil then simply pour in the batter maybe a 1/4 cup at a time moving sporadically around the soup. The spaetzles will first sink to the bottom but as they cook they will float to the surface. Once they are all floating they are done and the soup is ready to be enjoyed!

This while recipe is just by family memory and there is no real need to measure any of the ingredients.

I hope you guys try out this recipe and really enjoy it! It's been a favorite of mine all my life!

Mommy Monday: Sloane's First Easter

Yesterday was Easter and Sloane third holiday that we celebrate with my extended family. The first was Thanksgiving when she was only a couple weeks old.

We celebrated Thanksgiving at my parents house and Sloane did simply fabulous, Besides peeing and pooing in front of everyone during a diaper change, she pretty much slept the entire time.

Second holiday we celebrated with my family was Christmas. She was a almost two months old and I'm pretty sure she was completely overwhelmed by all the people that she basically cried the entire time. This was the time when I basically reverted to the boob to sooth her so we didn't get much socializing with my family for that holiday.

Easter, however, Sloane was nearly 4 months and 3 weeks and she was a perfect angel. She did so good socializing with everyone. I actually think she completely loved all the attention she was getting because Mat and I will leave her to play by herself sometimes while we do dishes or what not. She looked absolutely stunning in her Easter dress we got from Mat's aunt.

Also later in the day after she awoke from her nap after everyone went home I spent sometime playing with her on the floor and she was a crawling machine! I'm excited that I was able to capture it on video.

It is so awesome to see Sloane grow and develop everyday and the milestones like these really remind me just how much she is growing.

Mommy Monday: Other mommy blogs

Hey guys, I'm back from an off week. I'm not sure what happened last week but I just didn't realize which day was which. I did post some short blogs to make up for those I missed but I'm back on track and ready to blog again!

I wanted to introduce you to a couple of blogs that I found a few years ago that I enjoy following. Now I am not hip on the Top 10 Mommy blogs nor am I in the cool circle of mommy bloggers. I randomly found these blogs and I enjoy seeing their adventures of becoming mommies and I like seeing their decorating ideas and stuff too.

First blog I found probably 4 years ago is The Glamorous Life of a Housewife. This mommy blogger, Whitney, blogs about her doctor husband "Husby" and her two adorable son's Levi and Ezra.  Now I don't relate to a lot of what she blogs about but I respect her closeness to her family. I love how she makes everything special, you should see what she did for her two sons for Valentine's Day. Now I can't afford to go all out like she does but my family knows I love to go above and beyond to make things special. I hope that I can do that for Sloane as she grows up.

Second blog I want to mention is Tales of the Trees. This mommy blogger is named Megan and she blogs about her husband Luke and their son Eli. This is a blog I relate to a little bit more. They have some struggles and she is a bit awkward. The way she rights is with such humor that I frequently find myself laughing out loud to her blog posts.

It's funny because my lifestyle is a far cry from theirs. Mat and I aren't married, we BOTH work 40 hours a week in retail and we live a simple life in a little apartment in Bothell, Wa. We don't attend church or really have religious beliefs in our home but I still we have a strong family bond that makes me able to relate to their blogs.

I kinda hope that my blog will reach people that maybe aren't those typical mommy blogger family but still want to read about family and love.

My YouTube Obsession and Vlogs

People usually think that Youtube is just a bunch of random videos and nothing you really would get too attached to. I've learned that YouTube is a little community where people share their lives and interests on daily videos. I have come to find that it is better than TV. Only one "commercial" at the begining of the video and you don't have to wait a whole week for the next episode because most of these people vlog daily.

This past year I have gotten closer to a friend, Ashely, who has introduced me to vlogs on YouTube. I had watched videos on YouTube in the past and had a few channels I followed but never regularly watched. One day when Ashley and I were getting ice cream at Menchies she mentioned that she noticed that I followed Karen Alloy on twitter. She was the first real person I followed and became a subscriber of on YouTube. That led to her suggesting a few other vlogs for me to follow.

Shaytards: This is a man, Shay Carl, and his family (Collette, Sontard, Princesstard, Babytard and Rocktard) who have been vlogging their daily lives for nearly 4 years now. They started in Idaho but have since moved to California and made vlogging into a real buisness. Thay have even co-started at production company named Maker Studios. This family is so fun to watch because they are genuin. They have an amazing family dynamic and they just raise your spirits.



CTFxC: This is a vlog about a newly married couple and how they go about thier daily lives. They have been vlogging for over 4 years now. These two people are so fun to watch, their relationship is so adorable. Charles became the base player in a band called We the Kings the past year and the vlogs have taken you on tour with him in Europe as well as on tour with Warped Tour in the US.






 It's Judy's Life: This is a vlog I just recently started following. It is a couple who lives in the Seattle area and have had a baby girl right around Sloane's age. They are so fun to watch because they both have great personalities. Judy has a beauty channel and her husband has a food/cooking channel. It is also fun to watch a vlog with a baby around Sloane's age to see how their child compares to mine.

A fun part of YouTube and the vloggers is that it is a community. All these vloggers I mentioned also link you to many other vloggers or channels that are fun to watch. The Shaytards and CTFxC have family members that have vlogs and other special interest channels. The possiblity of what I can watch videos of is endless, giving me hours of entertainment while I nurse and pump.

So what kind of YouTube videos do you watch? I am always looking for new vlogs and tutorials or what not to subscribe to.

Sloane's birth story Part 2

This is the second half of my birth story. If you want to read the first half click HERE.

The nurse arrived to take me to my room and we slowly followed her back, stopping once to let a contraction pass. Once we arrived to the room it seemed like everything was flying by. We were asked a bunch of questions, my vital signs were checked and I was hooked up to monitors for my baby's heart rate. While checking in, lunch arrived and the tray looked so good with an amazing looking lemon bar calling my name. I had only eaten a pack of peanut butter crackers so far that day. I so badly wanted to eat it but the nurse strongly suggested I didn't because it was likely I could get nauseous during labor. I sadly agreed not to eat. Once we were checked in I decided I wanted to labor in the tub.

The nurse filled it up and I quickly climbed in and turned on the jets. This tub is the only thing that got me through my labor is believe. The warm water and the jets really helped to relax me. During this time I was also receiving texts from family and friends letting me know they were on their way, I wasn't really able to concentrate on texting back however but Mat was letting me know what they were saying. Linnea was the first to arrive followed by my Grams and then my parents and Kristin were soon after. They all gathered around me in the tub as my contractions were rapidly getting stronger. I remember getting annoyed that they all kept offering their seats to each other and quickly I made a rule that there would be no talking while I was going through a contraction. While in labor I remember yelling "I don't like this" and "I'm so stupid, why didn't I want drugs?" It was hard for me to remember why I was going for an all natural birth while in pain. I wish I could discribe the pain I was in but it was really just a lot of discomfort. They say you forget how much pain it was and I will agree with that. I know it was a lot of pain but I can't really remember what kind of pain it was and so, in a way, I have forgotten how bad it was.  It was nice because Mat was being so supportive and not letting me give into the pain. I thought for sure once I started saying I should have taken drugs that my nurse would have offered them to me, and I would have given in, but she was didn't really make it seem like drugs were an option which was good. I feel like having my birth plan really helped with the way my nurse treated the experance. The headline was; "I'm just dramatic, I'm sure I'm fine." I also stated to not offer me drugs, that if I wanted them I would ask for them. I hear from friends that my nurse was a bit rude, luckily I don't really remember that. I was brought cranberry juice to drink and it was very tasty but quickly the contractions became so strong that I started puking from the pain and I couldn't even keep down ice chips. I was happy that I hadn't eaten that lemon bar earlier. My Dr arrived and started talking to me about my options. She suggested that we could break my water to get the process moving a bit quicker. I was a bit nervous about that so I decided to wait it out a bit longer. By the time my dilation was checked I think I had been in labor for 4 hours. I was at 7-8cm and it seemed like things were progressing pretty well on their own. I climbed back into the tub to make it through the rest of my labor.
I decided I wanted my water broken a little while later so I got the nurse and let her know. They got me back out of the tub and checked me again, I was 9 and 3/4cm so the Dr broke my water and a few minutes later I was pushing. My mom and grams where holding my right leg while Mat was holding my left. Pushing was the hardest part of labor by far, so exhausting having to push so hard. I pushed for 30 minutes total. The last two pushes were the worst, I felt like I was literally ripping in half, I sat up, screamed and nearly jumped off the bed but my Dr grabbed my attention and very firmly told me that I had to push and that it was almost over. With the last push I felt the most amazing relief I've ever felt. There was suddenly no pain just pure relief. When they broke my water they had noticed that Sloane had pooped while still inside me so they had extra nurses in the room in case she was born with issues. As soon as Sloane was out she cried and we knew she was all right! Sloane Lori-Lee Evans was born November 7th, 2012. She was 8lbs 8oz and 21in long. My labor totaled 6 hours (not including the time I spent at home feeling light contractions.) They quickly placed her on my chest for skin to skin while they worked to get out the after birth. Sloane promptly pooped on me, she is quite a poop machine still.

The first few moments after Sloane was born is a bit of a blur after going through so much pain. There is video of me holding her to my chest talking to the Dr about when she should get her ear pierced. (for the record I vote for her getting them when she is around 10 yrs old, as a right of passage.) After getting me all stitched up it was time to start breast feeding. Sloane took to it quite well, and once I was comfortable at what I was doing I let all the rest of my family and friends gather back in my room. It was amazing how many people came for Sloane's birth. I'm so grateful that she has so many people that love her. I was especially excited that Mat's aunt from California was able to make it up here for the birth.

I'm so proud of myself for making it through an all natural child birth. I hasn't known that is what I wanted until I was pregnant. It just felt right to, I don't know, earn my child. Like people say the best things in life you have to work for. Now onto the best adventure of my life. I can't wait to see who our beautiful daughter will grow up to be.

Sloane's Birth Story Part 1

I had been waiting to go into labor for what seemed like months. I was put on bed rest at 28 weeks for being at risk for going into pre-term labor. It seemed ever since then I had been waiting for our little one to arrive. I wanted her to make her appearance before Halloween because it would have been so much fun to celebrate with her. Well November 6th, 2012 arrived, her due date, and she still was no where to be seen. I felt like I might have been having contractions, I hadn't really felt any during my pregnancy thus far, but being a first time mom I really had no idea what labor felt like. I went to my regularly scheduled Dr appointment at noon. Told my Dr that I thought I had been feeling contractions, hoping that she would just send me to the hospital that day. She checked me and saw that I was dilated to 4cm (I had been dilated this much for about a week or so already). She hooked me up to monitors and saw I was having contractions but they weren't very strong or very regular so she sent me on my way. I was determined to go into labor after trying a bunch of old wives tales already. Mat and I headed straight to our favorite Thai restaurant, Chantanee. We ordered or regular; Heavenly Beef, with the full 5 stars (spicy foods are said to bring on labor). Sadly no real improvement in my contractions so we headed to Bellevue Square Mall to walk around. I think we walked every inch of the mall and I thought my contractions were getting a bit stronger but still no real pain. I wanted to be able to just go back to the Dr's office but it didn't seem like the time so we headed back to our house to rest. I was on edge cause I knew something was happening but it just didn't seem like enough to call the Dr about. Much to my dismay any pain I had been feeling faded as we relaxed at home. Seems it was all just from the exhaustion of walking so much, so we headed to bed. Around 4am I woke up feeling more pressure than before but still no pain. I decided to get up and move to the living room to let Mat sleep and see if it was possible to time the contractions. The first few hours they weren't really regular but as time passed the pressure seemed to come anywhere between every 2 to 4 minutes. I was pretty excited once Mat finally woke up but still pretty sceptical because I wasn't in pain and everyone who had talked to me had said "You will know you are in labor. it will hurt!" but after a full hour of contractions coming every 3 or so minutes I called the Dr's office and they instructed me to come into their office to be monitored.

We arrived at the office around 10:30am November 7th, 2012. Upon seeing me my Dr said "You don't look like your in enough pain to be in labor" I'm pretty sure she had made up her mind then that I wasn't going to the hospital that day. She checked my cervix once again and I was still at 4cm. I was once again hooked up to monitors. While we sat there my contractions were becoming more and more painful to where I had to stop what I was doing till they passed. My Dr still wasn't convinced and was talking about sending me home. I told her the problem with that was I wouldn't be sure when real labor had started if what I was going through wasn't it cause I already felt a good amount of pain and pressure. She said she would check my cervix one more time to see if I had gotten any closer to the 5cm I needed to be sent over to the hospital. As she was checking me she said that I still hadn't gotten all the way to 5cm but if I really felt like I needed to go to the hospital she would "fib" for me when she called the hospital to tell them I was heading over. Her final words as I left to head to the hospital were "make sure to look like your in pain so I don't look bad for sending you over." I was relieved to be finally heading to the hospital. Mat and I slowly walked through the underground tunnel that attached my Dr's office with the hospital. We did have to stop a couple of times to let contractions pass. We arrived at the hospital and they called up a nurse for me. As we waited I was texting all of my friends and family, and calling my mom. This was it, I was finally being admitted to the hospital.

Day 1 of 12 Days of Christmas

So I've decided to do this 12 Days of Christmas Challenge thing that is going around on the blogs these days. Now granted everyone is already done with their 12 days and are onto like day 14 so I'm a little behind but I thought it would still be fun to do it.

DAY 1: Holiday traditions

We are still a young family with no children but we still have our own traditions. First of all it is all kicked off with shopping at midnight on black Friday. We love doing this together. We then sleep all during the day.


Also we also have to decorate the tree together. I have to admit I put up the tree this year while mat was still sleeping and when he woke up he was pretty upset that I had started without him. We put on the ornaments together.


I also have my own tradition where I buy Christmas tins from the Helping Hands thrift store by my house and then do TONS of baking to fill them all and then give it all away to co-workers, friends, and family.