{tmi}: oh, the pain

This post has been label "tmi" for a reason. So turn around if you don't want to know! It's not like anyone reads my blog lately anyway, so I don't really care!
My boobs are killing me! I officially ended weaning Paisley on Saturday after a 5 week weaning process of cutting out and switching one feeding a day to milk. Because I planned so diligently and took the process so slowly I believed it was a sure-fire way to prevent severe engorgement. I was so, so very wrong. So for the last 4 days I have been in excruciating pain. I feel like I have 2 giant (and for me they are giant!) swollen bruises on my chest. On top of it, I am one of the blessed few that also gets flu-like symptoms from suffering this severe engorgement. Awesome. Paisley has been taking the whole thing very well and doesn't seem to mind not nursing too much. She still likes to come up and run into my very sore chest and punch me and it hurts so very badly. The other thing that makes this extra hard is trying to explain to people that yes, I'm sick, but no...this is definitely not contagious. Why? Well it has to do with my boobs...that's why. I think I've been on a bit of a hormone trip as well...or it could just be the pain, but I'm super grumpy. I just needed to complain a bit. The bright side of all of this: I can take allergy medicine again!!! Yay! And I bought a Halloween craft magazine to keep me distracted so hopefully today I won't be quite as grumpy...we'll see.

{lists}: the mom club

Why I know I'm a mom:

1. I have referred to myself as a "starvin' marvin."
2. I have begun to look at everything in my house as dangerous, particularly small objects that can be swallowed and things that are 3 ft or shorter...
3. I no longer reserve only spring break as the time I whip out my boobs.
4. I am not allowed to go to Target anymore.
5. Ditto for "What Women Want Expos" and other such places with fabulous baby bows, tutus, skirts, diaper bags, carseat covers and such.
6. I obsessively read every label so I do not mistakenly give my child too much sugar, any milk, honey, etc.
7. I now worry far too much about the current state of the world and what is to come.
8. I look at small gaps and rough trails and think..."my stroller could fit through that...yeah? right? no?"
9. I never leave the house with less than a giant bag, extra blanket, extra food, water, and an assortment of outfits and strollers.
10. My right arm is now significantly stronger than my left, and I may be able to now punch someone and hurt them!
11. I look at other mothers and have a mutual understanding for what they may be going through.
12. Church is no longer a spiritual experience filled with note taking and such. Now it is wrestle, chase and put hand over child's mouth time. I don't know how people do this with more than one.
13. I always thought that when I had babies I would have to share my love with them and my husband, but instead my capacity to love has grown and will continue.
14. I love to cuddle and snuggle more than I ever thought I would. Paisley is outgrowing this and it makes me sad.
15. I never thought I would say it, but I do like nursing and I will miss it when we are done!
16. I feel like I am officially part of the club.

Funny Story:

So Jon and I were in the ER early last week because Paisley had a 102 degree temperature that would not go away. Of course we waited until midnight to take her in (any earlier just wouldn't have made it a trip to the ER). Anyway, 2:30 AM rolled around and Paisley was fussy from being poked and prodded and Jon was doing something to annoy me and I said, joking "I will fight you! And I will so win because you won't hit a girl!" He turned to me and said "You know, we've been married 5 years...I think at this point I would at least defend myself." "And what in 10 you fight back and at our 50 year we have a fight to the death?!?" We died laughing.

{nostalgia}: love story

On Friday, Jon and I will be married for 5 years, and I can't even believe it. Here is our story in pictures:

I was a lifeguard, working at Reinhart, tan and skinny as can be.

I also drove a scooter-which is particularly bizarre in Idaho.

Jon played guitar, and had a band. He's playing here with Curtis at Curtis' Wedding.

Jon cut weeds...which gave him some sweet are muscles. Oddly enough, he also drove a scooter in Idaho.
Jon and I met on May 17, 2004 in our Institute class. I like him right away. He had cool pants, I had cool shoes, and we both drove cool scooters...it was magic. The first time we hung out, outside of class was at a party where the above pic was taken. We had our first date on July 28th and our first kiss on August 7th...right before I was about to leave for school...
The first time Jon came to St. George to visit me we went to Sand Hollow. I had fallen for him, but run off to St George anyway, and he promised he would visit every 2 weeks.

He kept his promise and moved down in December of 2004. We went to California...and In-n-Out...
We got married March 12, 2005 in the Idaho Falls Temple. I wore chucks, and Jon's cool socks had orange and blue stripes-once again we are very fashionable...

Our reception was organized chaos...and quite the party.

We lived in "the stilts" and I am happy to say we are no longer there...

Thankfully during our time there our decorating got better and better but when we first moved we had a random assortment of armed chairs, a hideous loveseat (pictured above with the material covering it) and my grandparents old couch (they died, it was passed on to us and we still have and love it!)

Any excuse to go to California, and we go!

This was the first family pictures taken with Jon as part of the "Clark Family"

Vegas

You'll notice my hair color change a lot through the years...

Califonia

Rachel's Wedding, 2007

The Scion, also a souvenir from California!

Family Pictures, 2008

Mexico!

Pregnancy, 2009

Cinco De Mayo, 2009 and pregnant.

Washington County Fair-they wouldn't let me go on the rides because of "my condition." Just because I was 9 months pregnant!

Our Family, 2009

I love this man! I don't remember my life without him, but it seems like we were just married yesterday! Five years has gone by so fast, and I am so grateful to have him with me through all of them. I love to look at Paisley and think of her as a product of our love...she is and she's the best thing we have to show for all these years :)

{update}: big trouble for me

So, I have a baby crocidile. If you get your hand anywhere near her little mouth, she will snap at you and try and bite you. That actually isn't why I'm in big trouble, even though you would think that would be a bit of a problem (and it can be when she trys to bite everyone and everything...). My trouble is that my child fussed and fussed and fussed at me today. She was fed, changed, warm, everything. I was checking my e-mail and some other things bouncing her in her bouncy chair and she was fussing and fussing and fussing. I was even talking to her the entire time, confused as to why she was fussing. Finally, I picked her up and laid her facing me on my chest and asked her what was wrong. She proceded to look me straight in the eye, two inches from my face and tell me a story for a solid 3 minutes-estatic to have my undivided attention. And this was a story-no doubt about it. She had all the inflection and drama that a good story would have. After the story she was content to merely look at things around her and tell me about all of them, and was certainly not ok with being put down to explain all this. Once she had my attention, she wasn't about to give it up! And this is why I'm in trouble. I reproduced...and we got another me...

{update}: paisley, among other things

Paisley has discovered her voice. We have gone from a happy quiet baby that sleeps often, to a wide awake baby who whines and talks always. always. she must make noise. Unfortunately for Jon (the mother figure in our family) this is his absolute top pet peeve, and close to the top of my list as well. The gurgles and sighs and trills are cute and fun, it's the continual uh-uh-uh-uh whine that can bring us to a snapping point. We're thinking that she just likes to make noise and hear the sound of her own voice (Jon says she is so much like me already it's scary). She has decided that she wants to sit up, by herself and no longer enjoys the recline of the boucy chair, and the bumbo is too confining (did I forget to mention that she can't yet sit up by herself? She can't, but she wants to). So to sum it up, she is growing and progressing far too fast and healthy and wonderful as can be. We love her, growling continual whine and all. Work is hard. It's long. I logged around 55 hours last week and I'm glad to have a day off. I have to keep reminding myself that black friday is on friday and its all downhill from there. Jon is so done with school. I think we've both reached a breaking point and fortunately the end is in sight. I hope.

Halloween!

This was the first day of the cold weather and Paisley was more than happy to cuddle up with me in her sling and my hoodie. We love going to Shroomies and getting hot soup on cold days!

These were actually taken the week before Halloween. We spent Halloween laying on the couch-I've been really sick with a cold and unfortunately I had to work both Halloween and the day after first thing in the morning. And we only got 4 Trick or Treaters this year! I am SO MAD about trunk or treat! It is so lame! Jon even put our fog machine inside some pumpkins this year to scare trick or treaters and we hardly had any! I'm so sad about it...and that I was sick. ug.

Day #257

I need someone that hasn't seen me in awhile to tell me if I've dropped or not.  I'm feeling more pressure in my  lower abdomen like I'm stretching more-I hope that means I'm dropping.  That would be good.  If you could then tell me that my cervix is dilated to a 5 and I'm in labor and I can't feel it...that would be even better.  I broke down yesterday and finally signed up for WIC.  I've been putting it off because I want to believe that we don't need the help...but we do.  I guess 1 in 4 women in the U.S. currently use WIC-that eased the hit to my pride a little.  They are so funny because they REALLY want you to breast-feed, which I am planning on and they still drilled me.  Anyway, back to me dropping-anyone want to take a shot at it?