HELP PLEASE!

If you live in the East Valley and have an OB that you LOVE, please leave his/her name or info here. My OB who delivered Jaxon retired, and I was not really impressed with the other guy I transferred to in the same office.
I am not pregnant, on the contrary, I need to start seeing an OB to figure out exactly why I am NOT getting pregnant, and would love someone:
1. close to my house,
2. delivers at Banner Gateway (the one on Higley and the Freeway)
3. a women.

BUT!!! If you absolutely love your OB, I will forgo some of that wishlist for someone I really get a good feeling from....especially since we are entering a new and sensitive phase here...

Motherhood: The adventures continue...

This is how we found Jaxon when we went in to check on him last night!

I just got a double MOTY (Mother of the Year)

...and not in a good way. After that last positive and uplifting motherhood post, this one is bringing my soaring spirits right DOWN. Sometimes, without even knowing he is doing it, Jaxon really puts me in my place. Examples 1 AND 2...
1. We don't say "Stupid" at our house....except... sometimes I forget and say it while talking on the phone. I slipped twice in one day last week and Jaxon proceeded to start calling everything and everyone stupid. That in itself made me feel bad enough, becuase it was obviously my example that set him off. Well, I kept explaining that I was sorry, and how I forgot and we DON'T SAY STUPID. When Dave got home, Jaxon called something stupid, and Dave really gave it to him...Jaxon then said,
"Well, Mom says stupid, and if she says stupid, then I can say stupid, because THAT'S FAIR! I get to say stupid when Mommy says stupid, and she said stupid A LOT OF TIMES TODAY!" (please note that he used the actual word stupid as many times as possible just to get his point across...) Seriously...why does he hear nothing I want him to, and everything I don't want him to?

..............................................ENTER EXAMPLE #2...100 times worse in my opinion.......................

2. I have talked about the format of my exercise class before. Every 3 months we get a video with new moves and music to memorize and we have a two week "party" at the gym where we play only that and have prizes and dress up etc... Well, in our new release that I have been working on memorizing, the song I Kissed A Girl by Katie Perry is on there. I really hate that song. Mostly because it is so dang catchy and I wish it had different words because I love the actual tune, and even hating the song, if I hear the slightest snippet, it's stuck in my head ALL DAY and I find myself singing it...ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGG!!!

I thought I had been very careful about never listening to that song while going over my music in the car and not practicing that song with Jaxon around. Obviously I have failed miserably. Tonight right after family prayer, Jaxon says to Dave,

"Mom kisses girls at the gym." Just so matter of factly and out of the blue.

Dave said, "Uh....what?"

Jaxon: "MOM KISSES GIRLS AT THE GYM!!!!"

(ME intervening because I knew exactly where this was coming from and trying to avoid it...)

"Jaxon, I only Kiss you and Daddy, and you are both boys!"

Jaxon: "Well how come your gym song says you like to kiss girls and then you go practice with girls at the gym then???" (With a serious attitude as if he was certainly going to prove me wrong...)

So, I told a big whopper of a lie to try to rectify this horrifying situation...

Me: "Jaxon- A boy sings that song. Boys can kiss girls if they are in love and married so that is what he is talking about."

Jaxon: "okay..." (As if he knew there was something he was missing in that arguement but couldn't quite figure out what it was...)

Somedays are just better...or worse...than others.

Forgive me a minute...

...while I wax sentimental, and perhaps a bit religious. Even though I am a "Stay at home mom"...for the last several months I been essentially working 3 part time jobs...building 2 businesses and teaching at the gym...I love all of it, but it is so time consuming. I have been suffering mass amounts of guilt about the amount of time and attention Jaxon has been getting (not getting) from me. "Guilt" is not exactly the right word though...just an extremely urgent and pressing feeling that it is absolutely imperative that our time together become much more often and meaningful. As in, I really REALLY feel like I have been prompted over and over again by the spirit, that it is VERY necessary for me to re-prioritize RIGHT NOW!

We are together ALL DAY, but it wasn't, for the most part, quality time. For the last week I have made a conscious effort to put Jaxon first and really prioritize. Everyday we spent at least an hour, together on the ground playing dinosaurs, motorcycles, blocks, whatever his heart desires. (FOR THE RECORD- I am in NO WAY trying to say what a good mom I am...on the contrary, I am admitting how bad I feel that I had been doing for quite some time...)

So, I have had a very real and tangible change take over my feelings, emotions, and body. Everything has finally (for the first time in several months) seemed like it is just right...and as a side note, everything I need to do is still getting done. I don't have that forboding feeling hanging over me anymore, it is such a genuine weight off my shoulders, and I think much more clearly. I promise I am not trying to sound preachy, just trying to express what a markedly different feel there is inside my body.

For Jaxon's part, he has never been more responsive, less aggressive, more loving, respectful, responsible, and such a good listener...ever. I know that we will have our ups and downs, but I am so happy about my newfound "place in the home." Who knew a little change could bring about such massive results? Oh yes, Heavenly Father...hence all the counsel on the role of mothers. Amen. :o)

Arizona Museum of Natural History

That's where Jax and I went today with some fun friends. We took a little detour on the way though...we went to downtown Mesa Via Downtown phoenix...woops...little miscomunication as to where exactly this museum was. Jaxon may have been more frustrated but he had his good buddy Brailyn and lots of snacks to keep him company. I think the museum was pretty cool...but dinosaur bones are a little over Jaxon's head...as in...he doesn't really get how that large skeletal thing is in any way or ever was a dinosaur...thus...he had little interest. He loved looked at the real-looking models, and some of the other interactive exhibits though. All in all, a fun time out of the house, without having to endure the heat!

Jaxon, Brailyn and Parker


I don't know why I love this picture so much...but I do. Maybe the way he's back lit and looks so big...


Jaxon's best dinosaur face...

Yup- never a smile for the camera... at least he's consistant!

I came, I saw, I pledged my heart out!

Good news- I did not botch the pledge and it went really well this morning!
Bad news- Senator McCain was not there yet. boo...

I actually had a dream last night where I met him after the pledge and we started talking and he let me do a photoshoot of his family. The white house photographer(apparently he was president in my dream) came too and gave me all sorts of great pointers. It was awesome.

I really enjoyed hearing him speak. He didn't mince any words or try to tread lightly on any touchy subjects like abortion and the healthcare plan. It was refreshing. It also got me really pumped to be more involved. He said people really need to be writing letters and getting involved in town hall meetings, that it really does make a difference!

I think I've got it...

I am very humbled and honored to be here. I love our Country and the freedoms that have been earned by the sacrifices of people like Senator McCain.

What do you think? Short, from the heart, and non-controversial...

Swim Lessons

Every mother has to do at least one summer post about swim lessons right? Jaxon has been taking lessons again this year from Mrs. Malia. She and her hubby are good friends of ours, and their daughter and Jaxon were born 5 days apart. They are seriously kindred spirits, because their vocabularies make for a lot of hysterical conversations and even more hilarious and creative excuses, reasoning, etc.
After the first 2 lessons I thought Jaxon was doomed to be a nonswimmer for life. He was hysterical. Fast forward 2 months, and he is FEARLESS!!! He loves to jump off the edge, especially the diving board, and is highly offended if you are standing to close to the edge when he jumps. Unfortunately with his -2% body fat (Remember the inability to stay warm at Yellowstone?) he still has to get out and lay on the burning cement (110 degrees today...) to get warm.
I adore this little character!
(Thank you Mrs. Malia!!!)

Just floatin'...

Yup... "CANNON BALL!!!"

Diving!?!?



The next 2 pictures...darling to a mother's loving eye...disasterous for a photographer.

These are the 2 looks I get when I ask Jaxon to smile...just depends on his mood!

Trying to get warm... (notice all those ribs...I promise, I FEED HIM!)

Jaxon and Brailyn- best buds!

"Membership has its privileges!"

WOW! I'm excited! Next week I get to attend a breakfast with Senator McCain put on by the Arizona Federation of Republic Women...but wait! There's more! I get to lead the pledge! Such a small thing...why am I nervous? Oh yes, because although I said it every morning for 5.5 years of teaching, and 6 years of elementary school, I am worried about botching one of the 31 words. If that weren't enough, I talked to the president of the Arizona NFRW, and she said, "Oh by the way, the person who leads the pledge usually says a few words about it first."

uh...what?

Did she happen to mention what those "few words"were?

No.

Soliciting patriotic, pledge-loving help!!!

Florida!

Florida was mostly work, but we did find time in the late afternoons to swim in the hotel swimming pool with Grandma and Grandpa. Jaxon all of a sudden became totally comfortable in the water, and was swimming quite long distances to us! HURRAY!

Also, on the last day we had the whole afternoon free and done with work, so we went on airboat swamp tour in the Everglades. It was pretty awesome to see! Here are a few pictures from our adventures...

Jaxon and Grandpa enjoying the airboat...or at least Jaxon is! (The man said, "Turn your hats backwards or the wind will help me turn them into confetti when it blows them into these giant fans!")

The gorgeous Everglades

The guy had just turned on the fans...Jaxon was a little nervous. Also he gave us all some toilet paper and said "The tissue is for your EARS, not your REARS!" The fans get pretty loud!

Jax, Grandma and Grandpa waiting for the Airboat ride

Where our adventure began..



This sucker is REAL! I twas just hoping along the sidewalk with a few of it's buddies...that's my dad's giant hand holding! IT WAS HUGE!!!


Jax getting a ride in the airport

We're Baaaaaaaaaack!

Thank goodness!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Dave's family... I just hate being without Dave for that long. And I LOVE Jaxon, I just don't love his behavior after 2 weeks with no naps and poor sleeping. I am going to upload a bunch of pictures, with minimal recap of the last 14 days. I'm just too busy. I want to have it recorded for posterities sake, but in actuality, just getting a few pictures up will have to do for now!

First up- Yellowstone- You may notice that Jaxon is wearing a bright orange "worker vest" in several of the shots. Please feel free to laugh...it was my sisters genius idea and I LOVED IT! It was the only way I could keep track of Jaxon in all the trees and running with his cousins. By the end of the week, all parents of toddlers were wishing for something just like it!

Jaxon played hard, paid no attention to me or my rules, slept poorly, and ate worse. He loved every minute with his cousins, but couldn't handle the cold nights. On the last night (worst of my life if you remember from a previous post) after waking up about every 45 minutes totally hysterical (like, I've never seen him like this. "Totally incoherent, screaming gibberish at the top of his lungs, flailing around, banging his head" hysterical) at 1:30am I had had it. He woke up again and screamed for 15 minutes straight. Everyone in camp was awake, and I started crying too...I just didn't know what to do. Finally we got in the car, drove for about 45 minutes to calm him down, and ended up parked in a parking lot at 2:30 where we left the car running for heat, and Jaxon fell asleep on my lap in the front seat. He slept fitfully (and me worse) until 5:30 when the sun started coming up. Good times.

We did do and see lots of fun things...a buck elk with HUGE antlers walked right through our camp with 4 female elk the first morning. They then crossed the street and laid down for a 2 hour rest about 30 feet from our camp. We got in a traffic jam when 2 buffalo decided to stop traffic and frolic in the road, we saw Old Faithful (not so faithful anymore...) and lots of hot springs, mud pots etc. We loved sitting around the campfire and being with family.

Jaxon and his cousins "playing on the train" a daily event


This is how Jaxon went to bed every night. We even added gloves, but he just couldn't get warm.


Gorgeous waterfall in the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone."

Jaxon and Grandpa going fishing. Fishing lasted for 3 casts, then it turned into Jax and all his cousins stripped down and playing in the freezing water.

Jaxon and cousin Emily...I think he's in love.

Here's the WHOLE FAMILY...minus Dave (boo hoo) taken with my timer and a tripod
Our little family pictures...not so family picture-esque without the Mr....

The 4 filthy muskateers!! Andrew, Logan, Jaxon, and Noah

Yellowstone: Survived

We are back at base camp at my parents condo in Provo before Jax and I fly out to Miami tomorrow. What does that mean? A week of camping in Yellowstone in complete! Here is a few lists I made about camping...

list of important things I learned in Yellowstone...
1. I can (and will) do almost anything to spend a week with Dave's wonderful family...even if Dave is not there.
2. Dave's family is kind, loving, generous, helpful, hilarious, busy, active, sympathetic, and did I mention, Kind and Loving?
3. I still don't like camping.
4. Well, let me amend that last statement- I do not like sleeping in a tent when it is freezing (literally..as in, below 32 degrees) and I don't like being in a wet, muddy camp.

List of things I actually liked about camping....
1. Not caring a whit if Jaxon was filthy...in fact...it helped him fit right in!
2. One shower a week
3. No make-up- never looking in a mirror
4. Wearing cruddy/comfortable clothes everyday
5. Sitting around a campfire in the dark
6. Living in close contact with great friends/sisters
7. Exploring
8. Wildlife so close (I can say this because we never saw a bear near camp!)
9. Watching Jaxon have the time of his life with 4 other boy cousins right arund his age.
10. Not actually running a brush or comb through my hair for 3 days. Just unbraiding, smoothing the top layer down, and re-braiding.

List of things I DID NOT like about camping...
1. Being cold while sleeping. Really, nothing I did could really make me feel totally warm...and believe me, I tried!
2. Jaxon being cold while sleeping. This was our camping demise...more to come...
3. A LOT of rain making camp wet, muddy, and cold for the second half of the trip.
4. Being stuck in a tent in the middle of the day, during 2 hours of crazy heavy rain, hail, thunder and lightning (even though it was with 5 of Jaxon's girl cousins, all 5 of which I'm pretty sure he had crushes on, and their wonderful parents)
5. Jaxon being cold at while sleeping..did I mention this...yeah, it lead to the worst night of my life on history...no joke...more to come...

I'm being kicked off the condo computer...so more to come on the worst night of my life!

Parting words on camping, and in particular--this trip, I would do it again in a heartbeat!