Baby Swimming

My uncle Glen showed me this video and I had the biggest anxiety attack watching it for the first time. It's almost heartbreaking. But then I started watching related videos and the more I saw it, the more amazing I thought it was. I would have done this with Oaklen this summer had I known before. Straton's parents have a pool that were always in during the summer.

The idea behind Infant Swimming Resource was born in 1966 when its founder, Harvey Barnett, Ph.D, was just 18 years old. As an active lifeguard, Barnett witnessed the tragic aftermath when a neighbor's child drowned. At that moment, he vowed to do everything possible to ensure not one more child drowns.

I put a man in jail once.

Tis true. It's been almost 2 years since that wretched night. I'm really surprised I haven't already shared this story on here. I think the trauma got to me and I was too scared to really talk about it then. But it's time to tell my grand story. Gather round....

Almost 2 years ago, my sister's family and my mom decided to make a surprise visit to Utah. My sister spent most of the time with her in laws around SLC, so I got to spend lots of time with my mom. One night my mom and I decided we wanted to hit up IHOP for a late dinner. We were seated towards the back next to the restrooms. Keep in mind that it's cold, snowy winter weather. About half way through our meal, I noticed someone (with a huge puffy jacket pulled up over there mouth, and a beanie on), walk past us towards the restrooms.

Thinking how creepy that person was, because I had no idea if it was a man, woman, or teenager, and I couldn't see their face. As soon as they walked past me, I never thought anything of them again.

We finished our dinner and right before we left, I decided to use the restroom. Let me draw you a mental picture real quick. There are two stalls in the ladies room. One handicap stall, and a regular stall. They sit in an L shape. I walk to the bigger, handicap stall but realize it's locked. Not hearing anyone when I came into the restroom, I was a little curious and peeked to see if I could see her feet. Nothing but a glove and some papers. hmmm....ok. Went into the next stall. Well just as I'm doin my thang, the creepy, jacket and beanie wearing MAN starts sliding on the floor, out from under his stall, and under mine! As soon as he makes eye contact with me, he immediately starts sliding back through his stall. (I'm getting incredibly shaky and nervous just typing this, FYI)

I've always thought to myself that if I were in a self-defense type of situation, I would do this move or do that move to get away or injure the other person. I was in shear shock. I could barely move. I quickly ran out of the restroom and back to our table. I was in such shock, that for a moment I second guessed if it was actually a man. I thought maybe it was a younger boy or something...??? I told my mom I wanted to leave right away. When she asked me why, I told her someone had tried to peak/come into my stall. When she asked me who, I had nothing to say. And then he walked out of the restroom, passes us, and heads towards the door. As if nothing ever happened. After telling my mom that was him who just walked by, she turned on her super mom mode and ran after the creep. He denied he ever did it, and had no idea he was in the ladies room. He walked away! Just strolled on down main street!

We got in our car to head home and I called the police. It was amazing to see the cops show up in less than 2 minutes. Dogs and all. It wasn't until I got home that I cracked like an egg. It was completely terrifying.

A little while later I was subpoenaed to his hearing. That was also completely horrifying, being in the same room with him as he's shackled up with a bunch of other crazy inmates. Some of the little details were left out, so I made sure to let the judge know. I'm really glad I went (with Straton of course) and let my voice be heard. Two officers on that case who were there when they arrested him, talked to me outside the court room and thanked me for actually showing up. Apparently most of the victims don't show up. The officers were really comforting and really stuck up for me.

He was put away in jail for a little while. And you know what's even more disgusting? He was a registered sex offender at the age of 11. 11 years old!! Sad world....

So there's my story. I learned a lot from that incident. I still have a hard time being in a public restroom by myself. I actually came close to tears when I went into an empty, 2 stall restroom and found one of the stalls locked.

Although it was a scary experience, I'm actually really thankful it happened to me. Who knows what would have happened had it been a little girl!

Two Years

September 27th, 2008:

September 27th, 2009:

September 27th, 2010:

do yourself a favor...

and read this book!!!!

For our anniversary, Straton and I each picked out a book at Borders. Yeah, we're 80 year olds who buy each other books instead of roses, or lingerie for our 2nd anniversary.
I wanted every single book I saw, so when I had to make up my mind, I went for this one. I've never heard or seen it before, but the bright red cover attacked me. I thought for sure it was going to be some dorky sci-fi type of book, but once I read the back, I figured I would give it a shot.

I read it in 2 nights, my friends. Staying up until 4 in the morning because I could not put it down. It's amazing. If I tell you what it's about, you'll act as you did when someone told you to read a book about vampires and werewolfs, so I'll just sum it all up and tell you it's about reincarnation. Take my word.

This is her website if you want some more info without me scaring you out of reading it. Please let me know when you read it! I need someone to discuss this with!

Frustrated Mother

This post is blunt and very open, FYI

Let me take you back to when Oaklen was about 3-4 months old. On this particular day, Straton and I were in SLC with his parents and his aunt and uncle. We had all met up at Rodizio Grill for some delicious dinner before we parted ways. Like clock work, as I got my food and sat down to eat, Oaklen started to get fussy and needed to be fed. I decided to hurry and eat what I could before I left to feed him. As I was eating and Oaklen was being passed around so I could finish, he had reached his limit and was plain angry. I packed up my things and headed out to leave so I could feed him privately.

-Here's my little problem. I still to this day do not have a nursing cover. I really should have gotten one a long time ago, so I could slip it on and feed him in public, and not have to leave to find somewhere private. Like any nursing mother should be able to do. But when your in a public place, seated at a table in the middle of the room in an actual chair, it's pointless. You may have a nursing cover to hide the front, but my back would be slightly exposed, and I just don't like that. And foolish me who doesn't have a nursing cover, is left to use the baby blanket method.-

So off I went to find a mothers room. Looked and looked. Couldn't find one. Asked employees. The whole mall didn't have one. Hello?! Aren't we in UTAH?! There's more birth announcements printed daily than any other state in the US! They should be on top of the game by now.

Nothing. I had to feed my child in a restroom stall, people!! I've never been more humiliated and grossed out. Oaklen was fussy and crying while in the stall, so some woman actually asked me, more than once, if I was ok or needed any help.

There have also been multiple times when I'm feeding Oaklen in public (completely covered) and people, especially men, will either a) give me nasty, mean looks, or b) stare at me like I'm the next performing circus act. I may or may not mentally give them the finger.

I think that with every restroom built in a big public area, there needs to be a small, private area specifically made for nursing mothers. It's no wonder there are women rallying out there to show that nursing in public is not a bad thing. Where else are we going to go?! I was at the fair last year where they actually had a "Mommy Cafe" trailer so anyone breastfeeding could go in and feed there child. I remember thinking how creepy, weird and gross that was. Now I feel like opening my own freakin Mommy Cafe and waving my fist in those whiner's faces. I'm so sick of the nasty looks I get from people.
If you don't want to see my hooters, give me a private area where I don't have to whip them out in public!

WHO'S WITH ME?!

First Hours

I was finally able to get lots of videos we've had stored on Straton's phone onto our computer and found this sweet video. This was about 2-3 hours after he was born.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Alright.....I want another one!

Just Wanted to Say -

Owl Love You Forever

I've been on this "turn your trash into treasure" kick lately, and Oaklen's room was first on my list. As I was getting all his new treasures into his room, I realized I really wanted to paint some owls above his door for his owl themed nursery.
Me. Who has a hard time even coloring in the lines, wanted to paint. And for some reason, it had to be done RIGHT THEN. So I grabbed the leftover supplies from previous arts and crafts adventures from his room and went to work.

First I searched online for a picture of owls to use as inspiration. I found these lovelies on google:

Then I traced them and cut them out:
**All these pictures are going to be bad quality because I took them in the dark while Oaklen slept.

 

I then pinned them where I wanted them to be, and traced around them with a pencil. Once I took them down I outlined the inside with pencil, too.

I painted the vanilla parts first, then the brown:

I can't draw a circle to save my life, so I used these props (for the eyes) to do it for me. A pin for the little eyes, the bottom of a marker for the big eyes:

Then I outlined them both with a black sharpie which is the hardest part of the entire project. I also cannot draw a straight line to save my life.

I'm still debating about what to do for the chest feathers. Straton wants colors, I want zig zag lines. We'll see what happens. As for now, I'm pretty happy with it.

Rob Who??

{ Rob image via google}

This & That

I'm so happy that we finally get to fill all the empty picture frames in our house with these....

Sam and his wife Nikki from Your Vantage Photography took these beautiful pictures of our family, and we are so happy with them! Oaklen was such a sport the entire time and had a smile in almost every picture.

Straton is going to be so happy now that we can fill the empty picture frame on our living room shelf. It's been empty for the entire 2 years we've been married now.

Thank you Sam and Nikki!

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Can you believe I have a half year old?! I'm not gonna lie to all of you, I'm SO baby hungry. And not even just baby hungry, but I've been jealous of all the pregnant women I see. I'm belly hungry...?? If I even tried to bring up talk about having another baby soon, Straton just might faint over dead. 

Besides the newborn stage, because that will always be my favorite baby time, I think this is my favorite age so far. Oaklen is becoming so much of a little person and talking and playing! It's so fun. 

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I've finished the Mocking Jay in the Hunger Games series a little while ago, and I wasn't super happy with it. I liked everything but the ending. The author is so thorough and detailed in her books, but when it came to the ending, it was like she had a limited amount of pages left so she crammed everything in. I wouldn't want the book to end any other way though. If that makes sense...?? 

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I've recently been called into the nursery of our ward, and as I'm really excited about it, I'm also really nervous because of Oaklen. He's still young enough that I need to watch/hold/feed him and so he can't always be with me or just with Straton. It's going to be a learning process with that situation. But I've been having a lot of fun with the kids and am excited to do little lessons with them! Lessons as in, distract them with food and something really interesting to listen to for the 2 minutes that you have their attention. It should be fun. 

**Do any of you have experience in the nursery? Any tips/hints you can give me?

Vote for Oaklen!

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Blackberry Delights

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Entry #4:

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