Wednesday, January 16, 2013

9-10-11 Months

So-- hey!  Haven't done Lexsi's monthly update for the last quarter of the year... oops.   Let's just say I didn't keep up so that when I don't do it for any of my other kids they won't feel as bad.

Anyway...  Lex is so big now.  Over the past few months she:

-- Has turned into a master crawler.  She's so fast!
--  Is more punky than ever-- she knows she's not allowed to push buttons on the DVD player and X-Box, so she starts to crawl slowly toward them, and as soon as DJ or I say her name in a warning tone, she crawls as fast as her little legs can take her towards the untouchable, and pushes buttons as fast as she can.  When we come pick her up, she laughs her head off.  We've been holding her on time out on our laps when she does things she knows are wrong, which she doesn't love.  It's sooo hard not to laugh though, because before she gets off time out, she has to turn toward us and we talk to her about what she did wrong.  She usually throws her head back or looks anywhere EXCEPT our faces-- she knows she's busted.  She also will lean forward and give you hugs to try to get out of the talk.  The funniest time was when I let her go and turned her toward me, I held her face in my hands to make her look at me, and she YELLED at me!  For several seconds, she just yelled right in my face.  You have no idea how hard it was not to crack up.  I think I managed to do okay with keeping a straight face.  Good grief, that girl!!!
-- Is talking more.  Her two newest words are "Hi!" (which is absolutely adorable), and she said her first Spanish word, "Mas."  {"Mas" means "more," FYI.}  So, now we're in the crazy zone where we have to try to figure out what she says in English AND in Spanish, and what is still just babbling.  It's pretty much awesome.
-- Loves to sing!  Her favorite songs are "If you're happy and you know it, " {she loves to clap her hands!} and "The wheels on the bus."
-- Plays peek-a-boo.  She doesn't always get her hands over her eyes, but if they're on her face at all she thinks it's peek-a-boo.
-- Pulls herself to standing.  She isn't cruising furniture yet, which I think is because we don't have any low furniture... She and I spend 6 hours a day upstairs where there's literally nothing for her to pull herself up on so... we'll work on that :)
-- Is a total bookworm.  She'll dig through a whole bin of toys to get to a book on the bottom.  She reads for literally hours every day.  She flips through her books and "reads" them out loud.  It's absolutely adorable!

I'm dying that I'm less than a month away from my baby turning a year old.  Where has the time gone?!  I adore her, and I'm sooo grateful for all the light she brings to my life every day!!!


9 months old:


10 months old:



11 months old:




Monday, January 14, 2013

Babies

I've been a little off lately.

I've been struggling with the fact that I really want another baby.

It's different this time around.  I feel like the first time, people were super sympathetic because I was trying for so long and it was my first baby and I wanted to be a mom so bad.  This time, I already have a baby.  That should make it easier-- right?  I'm sure there are people who were trying to get pregnant when I was the first time and are still trying without success.  So it makes me feel selfish and a little guilty for feeling so down about not having another baby yet.  I'm well aware that my baby is not even a year old yet, but I've always wanted my kids to be between 18 months and 2 years apart, and that would mean getting pregnant between 2 months ago and 4 months from now.  And I'm not pregnant.  I went on birth control after having Lexsi, but only for about 2 months cause it TOTALLY messed with my body and I wasn't willing to deal with it.  If the "worst-case scenario" was that I had a baby a year after Lex-- I was down with that.  Well, hey, it's been 9 months and look at me... no more babies.  I'm sure that's part of the reason I bought a puppy.  I want more babies but apparently have zero control over when I get them, so... BOOM! Buy a puppy.  {For the record, I'm very happy with my decision to add Cosmo to our family.  I really have always wanted to get a dog, and Lex adores her.  So this wasn't a rash decision that I'll regret later.}

I had this idea in my head that once I had a baby, it would be easy to have more.  Like my body would recognize what to do.  And I guess a little part of me really thought that since I would already have one baby, it wouldn't be so hard if it took a long time to have another.

WRONG!

It's just as hard as ever.  Now I worry because I have another person in the picture as well.  I WANT Lex to have siblings.  I want them to be close in age.  She deserves to have the experience of being a big sister.  She needs that.  Heaven knows she's spoiled-- if I don't have more kids soon, we may all be in trouble!

I think my mindset is a little better than last time.  I hope so, anyway.  I won't allow myself to sink as low as I did last time.  My little girl deserves a mom who is more put together and in control than that.  But I am to the point that when I find out other people are pregnant that I feel jealous.  Not mad they're pregnant, never that-- I'm always happy for people who get to have babies!  But I'm jealous because I want them too.  And weirdly, I'm not jealous of people who have been married for a while and get pregnant with their first baby.  I'm jealous of the ones who are on their second or third baby, particularly when their kids are close together.  So... I'm jealous of the people who get what I want.  That's just human nature, right?

Gah.

Part of the problem with me lately is that even to myself, I sound like a spoiled brat.  I adore my husband and daughter.  I'm so so blessed.  And yet, I want more.

Today I heard a song by Katherine Nelson called "What's Mine is Yours."  The chorus goes like this:

"What's mine is yours; it's always been.
What slips through my hands has your fingerprints on it.
I'm letting go, remembering, 
Though heaven's doors seem shut, they're wide open.
What's mine is yours."

I know I'm supposed to have more babies. I KNOW it.  But sometimes I lose sight of the fact that they're not really mine.  They're my Heavenly Father's children, and they're on loan to me for this Earthly life.  When He sees fit, He'll send His precious babies to me, and what an incredible blessing that will be.  In the mean time, I need to be grateful for the time they have with Him, and be patient for the time when ALL of us are prepared for those sweet spirits to come to Earth.

Until then, I'll do my best to keep my chin up and be the best mom and wife I can be to the little family I'm blessed to call mine!

Monday, December 31, 2012

2012-- A Review in Facebook Statuses


The thing is, I often put things on Facebook that I don't put on my blog.  That seems silly, since I get my blog printed into a book and I don't do anything with Facebook.  So without further ado... my {looong post of} Facebook highlights from 2012!!!



Ashleigh Savage
January 8
All this time I thought I only had a couple stretch marks on my hips-- turns out I have a few on my huge belly as well, only I couldn't see them cause they're on the under-side. CURSES! Just when I thought I would have smooth-sailing with genes from my mom... ;)


Last night I had a dream that my baby was born and it was actually a boy. I cried and cried and cried-- not because I don't want a boy, but because I had no clothes for him. Good gravy.

Three years ago tonight, I met a very attractive man who decided to sing Johnny Cash in my living room. Who knew that 3 years later, I'd be about to have his baby??? I love you, husband!

Sister I dreamed last night that you had your baby and she was beautiful but when I asked if I could hold her, you gave me this look and said "Maybe you should just look at her while Savanna holds her." And you totally didn't trust me to even hold your baby. And then Jill felt bad for me, so she was like "Here, you can hold my baby!" So I stuck my tongue out at you and took Kaitlyn and me and Jill walked out of the room like a couple of 7 year-old girls. I woke up so mad at you, then realized it was a dream and I couldn't stop laughing.

As I was just texting Matt, I was walking down the stairs to my house and missed a step. Luckily I happened to miss the step right above the big triangle-ish step on the curve of the stairs, which is bigger so I had ample space to land, and only hurt my knee a little. Lesson learned.


Me, noticing the record light is on the cable box: "What's recording right now?"
DJ: "That one show you wanted to watch that you thought looked good..."
Me: "Oh! Azkaban?"
DJ: "...what?"
Me: "You know... Azkaban!"
DJ: "..... Alcatraz....?"
Me, laughing my head off: "Whoops. Been reading too much Harry Potter!"


Awesome Primary quotes of the day:
Sharing Time Instructor: "What is something mean someone has said to you?"
Kid #1: "Ummm... they said 'You have a spider on you.'"
Kid #2: "Someone told me they weren't grateful to celebrate my birthday."

Seriously? It's a good thing I wasn't the one teaching, cause I was laughing my head off!


"Justin Timberlake was just like Justin Bieber, only he lived a looong time ago." - Nikki

When I did my laundry yesterday and realized I had only had 1 pair of dirty jeans and 5 pairs of dirty sweats, I realized I *may* have a slight fashion problem...


Oh hey, 'due date,' so glad you're here! Too bad my baby's not... False advertisement.



Ashleigh Savage
February 18
The thing is... I keep expecting to feel movement in my womb-- and then I remember my daughter is actually laying next to me.


Totally lost 20 pounds since Wednesday morning. Best weight-loss method EVER. Now only 20 more to go :)


You know you're a mom when you catch yourself swaying back and forth as though soothing a baby while you're straightening your hair...


This morning when Alexsi woke up I pulled her out of her crib and into bed with DJ and me. As I lay there watching DJ snuggle with our baby, I realized that this is what life is all about, and man am I ever sooo happy and thankful for my blessings!!!


My 3-week-old daughter burps like a full-grown man. I'm not sure if this should make me proud or disgusted...


My little girl is finding her voice! I'm laying in bed while DJ has her out in the living room and is playing a children's songbook cd for her and she just keeps cooing. Sweetest thing ever!


DJ just YELLED soooo loudly about the game... and Lexsi, only about 8 feet from him, didn't even wake up. Perfect little girl for this family!!!


I did my first real workout in months this morning. I momentarily felt super self-conscious about doing the workout in front of Lexsi. Then I remembered she's only a month old and couldn't care less.


I just got an email reminding me that I have tickets to Wicked next week. NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!! GAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH I'm so excited!!!!


It's weird how much Zac sounds like Joshua when you hear him talking in the room above you...I nearly went upstairs to see if Josh had made a surprise visit. Then Zac laughed, and I realized it was most certainly not Josh. No one has a laugh quite like Josh's.


Life lesson: Just because the fire in the fire pit burned itself out 2 hours ago does NOT mean that if you put the pit in the back of your truck and drive home on the freeway that it won't work itself back up into a blaze. Just sayin.


The results are in, and my girl weighs a whopping 12.5 pounds. What a chub. (She's officially surpassed Savanna's birth-weight!!!)


Listening to my "Savages" playlist on Spotify, and for some reason, I can't get the vision of Charri with a pony tail on top of her head dancing around my living room! :)


My baby is laughing at everything I say this morning. It's super cute and awesome, but makes me wonder a little if she's mocking me...


"If he is old enough to ask the questions, he's old enough to receive true answers." -- Mr. March (by Louisa May Alcott in Little Women). I love this. I'm going to do my best to live by this with my kiddos.


Apparently flopping and drama are world-wide things... I keep really trying to like soccer, but... good grief.


DJ: I have to grow a beard at least once, you know.
Me: Okay, well you have to choose; you can kiss me or you can have a beard!
DJ: NO! That's not true!
Me: Yeah. I'm not your mom; I don't like facial hair.
DJ: Well no one in your family can even grow facial hair, so you don't know if you like it!



Ashleigh Savage
August 16
Then and Now... — with DJ Savage.

Photo: Then and Now...
413Like ·  · Promote · 

Lex and Kate are playing together all day today, and I'm pretty sure Lexsi thinks she's big like Kate now. Sorry, baby, you'll always be 8 months behind ;)


Dearest DJ... our daughter just took down 9.5 ounces of Gatorade without stopping. She's never had that much of ANYTHING to drink at once. Wonder who she patterns after...


Somehow, Ursula's singing is way creepier in Spanish.


Today at church Lex was playing with a little girl, and I noticed they had almost identical skin tone and hair color, but Lexsi's eyes were much darker. The funny thing is... the other girl is 1/4 Samoan.


It turns out Lex is a typical young girl-- it appears she looooves Justin Bieber's music.


I just called DJ to see if he could get me some candy on his way home from coaching the game tonight... and realized he was chaperoning the high school dance. HA! Not even a little jealous about that!!


I've been teaching Lex NOT to pull hair... she KNOWS she's not supposed to. And yet... Every time she eats, she gets a big grin on her face, looks straight at me and slowly raises an open hand to her head, then yanks her hair. She thinks she's soooo funny.


Lex has been saying "Dada" for a few weeks now, but today she's saying "Mama!" It's quite possibly the best sound I've ever heard :)


Seven dollars worth of peaches got me 5 quarts jarred, about a dozen to eat fresh, and around 30 containers of baby food (1/2 cup each) for Lex. Success.


One of my least favorite sounds: Lexsi sucking on tags. It's so gross.


I made oven-baked apple slices today for a delicious healthy snack. 7 hours in the oven, let them cool... and realized I forgot to bake them on wax paper. They're stuck to the pan **palm to forehead**


If I had a time machine, I'd go back in time to observe the Savage siblings' interactions when they were kids.


Well, dang. Now I have "Choo Choo Soul" stuck in my head. Thanks so much, Jill! ;)


Heaven help me... Lex just figured out how to un-zip things.


Just signed my life away... and moving in tomorrow!!!!


I *might* have hit an orange traffic barrel while entering the freeway yesterday, and it *may* have shattered my side view mirror. You know, cause, my car wasn't already ghetto enough, with one headlight and one taillight out.


Even when your baby keeps you up for hours in the night because she's sick and screaming her face off, and even when you bring her in bed with you in the morning and you try desperately to get some more sleep while she insists on poking you in the face, sticking her fingers in your mouth and trying to pull off your wedding ring, it's impossible to be upset when you open your eyes and see her big brown ones just inches away, staring at you so sweetly. That girl owns me!


"We have to read 'To Kill a Mockingjay' in English."-- Savanna Savage. I wonder when she'll realize this is an insanely good book involving poignant issues in American history, not a new book by Suzanne Collins.


Here's the thing: "Cielito Lindo" has ALWAYS been Lexsi's favorite song. As in, you sing it to her, and she immediately smiles and dances, no matter her mood. {Side note--- I sing the "Ay, ay, ay, ay" part and then insert whatever random English words I choose at the moment-- remember how I don't speak Spanish? HA!} Tonight, after hearing a throng of Latinos sing it while accompanied by a sweet Mariachi Band and one of the most beautiful tenor voices I've EVER heard in the Conference Center, it's one of my favorites too. {And it made me want to learn Spanish more than ever.} My daughter has excellent taste.


You know you're a mom when taking a shower without a child in the bathroom with you is almost as luxurious as going to the spa.


Alright that's it. I need to have twins. I've been looking at photography blogs and twins are the cutest. So, that's settled.


Life lesson of the day: Raspberry Crystal Light stains faces. And hands. And if dripped on pants, it bleeds through and stains legs as well.


Why does my baby insist on eating paper and cardboard? Gaaaaaaaaah!!!!


Speaking in church tomorrow... with an interpreter. Mark that one off of the list of things I never expected to do in my life!


One week til a ROAD TRIP with my all-time favorite road-trippers,NikkiDJ and of course, Lex!!! And 5 days with some of my favorite people in one of the happiest places on Earth--- Lovell!!! {Yeah, I'll take it over Disneyland any day!!!}


Going to the doctor for a 9-month check up and immunizations with a little girl who's teething and grumpy already. "Lord, beer me strength."




Sometimes, the language barrier I have with the people at church isn't such a bad thing. Like, when I happen to run into a member of the Sunday School presidency right after I just pulled a box of tampons of the shelf at Macey's, I don't mind so much that I don't know how to have a conversation with him.


If you haven't heard DJ sing his heart out while he has his noise-cancelling headphones on, you haven't lived. Particularly when he's listening to a Gospel song sung by a black man. Pure entertainment, my friends!!!


I kid you not... Lex just scored 2 on Bop-It. She smacked the "Bop-It" on time, then threw the game, which happened to "Twist-It" right on cue. My 9-month-old dominates!


Lex somersaulted down about 4 stairs today. Luckily, she wasn't hurt at all and didn't even cry, but now I'm stressing about keeping her safe. Unfortunately, the top of my stairs is a metal railing on one side and a metal handrail on the other, so I don't think I can even get a gate to fit... Yikes!!!


The good news? Lexsi is drinking real milk now, which is WAY cheaper than formula. The bad news? She threw up twice tonight on her bedroom carpet and it smells WAY worse than formula!!! Gag...


My house never gets as clean as when I know Mama Savage will be in it in a few days. Thanks for coming to visit this weekend-- my poor house deserves it!!!


Having learned Spanish in from a source other than BYU or the MTC, I've never prayed in Spanish until tonight. It took probably close to 5 minutes of me giggling before I could get myself to say it, and the prayer was like 15 seconds long. Good thing a have an incredibly patient husband who encourages me to do things even when I'm being difficult, and who also happens to have a minor in Spanish teaching ;)


I just discovered tiny lip prints on my bathroom mirror. Apparently Lex is so stinkin adorable, she couldn't even resist kissing her own cute face :)


Lex was exhausted but did NOT want to go down for a nap, and wouldn't take a bottle because she knew she'd fall asleep if she did. Being the good mother that I am, I put hot chocolate powder in with her milk. She sucked that bottle down and went right to sleep. Moral of the story: No matter how much of a fighter you are, no girl can resist the power of chocolate.


One more reason to love winter: When you make too many Oreo balls to fit in your freezer... put them on your back patio. Ta-daaaaa!


"We don't eat paper in this family!" is not a phrase I really ever considered I'd need to say. I can't even tell you how many times a day I say it now.


Spending the week in the hospital with a child with RSV wasn't exactly what I planned for our Christmas vacation... but I'm grateful DJ is off work so he can be here with us, I'm grateful my company is super understanding about the fact I've been missing work, I'm grateful for good insurance so I don't have to pay for any of this stay, I'm grateful I live where I do and have access to the medical help my baby needs, and I'm especially grateful for my baby girl and her sweet disposition even though she's so sick! Even with her oxygen tube in her nose and a probe on her foot, she'll still sing with me and clap her little hands :)