Guy walks into a salon...

My salon. And this guy was peeved. He was cranky from the get-go. Middle-aged. Collared shirt and tie. All business. Complete with iPhone ("I have to take this."). So I was cutting his hair and all of a sudden he goes "Ah!" More like a sigh of realization than an exclamation. So I asked him if I had done something wrong. He says, "No. I just realized that the song that's on the radio right now is on my RockBand country disc at home!" Man in chair proceeds to let out a "Der...Der...Der" to the tune of the song (his best bass guitar impression, I think). This was, by far, the highlight of my entire week.

Struggles...

Ok, I'm struggling! I work precisely two days a week. These are 8-hour days, with a half hour drive each way. That leaves me five full days (with the exception of 3 hours for church on Sunday) in which I should be able to get things done. Olivia is almost 10 months old. And yet, I haven't done anything crafty/fun/creative for myself (except for Tyler's graduation announcements a few months ago) since the day she was born. I shouldn't compare myself to others, I know. But everywhere I look my friends are enjoying their various hobbies, while it seems I am doomed to a life of sleepless nights, nap-filled days and barely keeping my head above water. So, either I am just an extremely unproductive soul, or everyone else has some sort of secret! Share away! :) This is how a day off typically goes:

7am Up with the sun...and the baby

7:30 Breakfast, make bed, dishes

8: Shower, get ready

9: Snack

9:30 Naptime

11: Lunch

11:30 Run errands

1: Snack, play, watch Elmo

2: Naptime

3:30 Start dinner

4: Finish up chores

5:30 Dinner, dishes

6: Playtime

6:45 Bathtime, storytime

7:15 Bedtime

And, if I don't fall into bed in an exhausted heap by 8pm, then I am sitting like a log in front of the computer or reading...waiting for the night shift to begin. :) So are you all like me? Where do I compromise to get some 'me' time back? Please and thank you for your swift responses. :)

Update

Things are pretty routine with us these days! There is nothing new and exciting, but here are a few of the highlights of our lives right now:

• Olivia is crawling everywhere. I have got to figure out a way to keep this child contained! Ideas?

• Ryan and I went to Tyler's first college band concert last night and it was incredible, save the 20 minute Russian Dance number by the woodwind ensemble. LOL. Tyler isn't a horn major, but he made it into the band and is second chair French Horn. We had a lot of fun being out without the baby.

• Ryan and I are both getting into the groove of our new jobs. I'm working only Mondays and Saturdays, so I have the rest of the week to do whatever else I get time to do, since I have a twenty-pound shoulder bag (Olivia, although my actual purse may weigh that much at times)that I have to carry around with me everywhere.

• I am in love with our video baby monitor. It wasn't of much use when Olivia was younger and sleeping right next to me, but now that she's in her own room (and standing in her bed) it's so fun to watch her crawl around her bed and pull herself up (oh, and Ryan's personal favorite, "stinkbug" position. LOL). It was a gift (pricey) but I think it would be totally worth it. Now, if only it had a record button!

A Few Forgotten Photos...

I haven't been taking as many pictures the past couple of months, but I did forget about a few that I had on my memory card. I have tried and tried to get the top ones to upload without being sideways, but I give up. Just turn your heads.

What a dollie! The tiny rocking chair is my mom's and was given to her by her grandmother. She loved that it was just her size. And oh, those faces she makes. I love this girl. Even when she's up at night it isn't so bad anymore. Maybe my body is finally adjusting, or maybe I am just learning how to chill out a little? Just maybe? :)

9 Months and Crawling!

Olivia is nine months today! She's more fun than ever and getting around the house really well! And yes, we are bribing her to crawl for the camera with a creamy :)

Chompers

Olivia got her first tooth last Thursday. While we were camping. Lovely. Woke up screaming like you wouldn't believe. I think the other bottom one must be on its way, because she is extremely fussy. AND...I've been mixing the soy formula with regular formula the last few weeks to see if her tummy could handle it. Well, it gave her bad gas, so I went back to straight soy. And she doesn't like it anymore! She got a little taste of the good stuff and won't go back. What a smartie! So I guess we'll go back to the mixing and hopefully her little stomach will get better with time!

Tyler moved down to BYU today. It's kind of sad thinking he's not at home anymore! All grown up. One day my parents will be empty nesters. One day when we all stop coming back. :)

8 Month ABCs

Olivia is officially 8 months old! Most other moms would be saying how fast the time has gone. But it's different for me. It feels like much longer than that, mostly because I just can't remember what life was like before she came to us. Such a beautiful girl, and we are so blessed to have her.

A: Still on her daily antibiotic for her ureter condition. At least she loves the taste of her medicine!

B: Bedtime is getting a little easier each day. Some days are a step backward, but she is mostly making progress in figuring out that we sleep at night!

C: Isn't crawling quite yet, but will be soon, from the looks of things!

D: Daddy's girl. There is a special smile that is for daddy only.

E: Full of energy!

F: Eating all sorts of foods! I haven't tried making my own baby food yet. Usually we have fruit for breakfast, veggies for lunch, and a mix for dinner.

G: Olivia loves being closer to all of her grandma's and grandpa's!

H: Such a happy girl! Smiling and melting stranger's hearts at grocery stores everywhere. :)

I: Not sure how many inches our little smiley is now, but should get that measurement again in a few weeks.

J: There is a jungle mobile that hangs over Olivia's changing table. It spins and plays classical music. It has saved my life because I turn it on and she doesn't try to squirm out of her diaper while I'm changing her!

K: Olivia now has TWO kitties to play with and she has a special noise she saves just for them!

L: I love our baby monitor. It has a camera that lights up for night vision purposes, but also doubles as a night light. Pricey little thing, but it has given me so much peace of mind since moving Olivia to her own room (thanks uncle Bri).

M: Mr. Mom is Ryan's title a few days a week right now...and I'm pretty sure Olivia couldn't be happier about that.

N: Naps are getting shorter thanks to the sleeping better at night. A little sad about that, but I guess I'd rather have her sleep at night.

O: Incredibly obsessed with Elmo. Elmo's song on YouTube has saved the day more than once.

P: Loves to suck on pickles. Probably all that vinegar isn't great for her tummy, but once in awhile when I'm working in the kitchen, it helps to keep her happy!

Q: Haven't weighed in lately, but pretty sure this little girl is up to about 18 pounds now. Growing too quickly!

R: One of Olivia's new tricks is to reach out, grab both my hands and pull herself up to standing. Great. She'll be walking. Soon. :)

S: Went in Olivia's room the other day after naptime to find her sitting up in bed. She's really figuring out how to move, and her latest and greatest is sitting up from a laying down position!

T: No teeth yet...but I think we're getting really close! The drool is EVERYWHERE!

U: Found a pediatric urologist up at Primary's...hoping to get her in sometime before Christmas for some follow up.

W: Gearing up for Olivia's first snowy winter. At least she's not a newborn...but I think I'll still be obsessed with bundling her up.

X: Our new neighbor Xander is a cute, curly-haired, new friend.

I am skipping 'y' and 'z' for obvious purposes. We must not use those letters much in our house, because my mind is completely blank!