It's been a while

I realize I haven't blogged in a while and a lot has happened.  Douglas and I have both started school.  It's kind of a mad house around here.
Douglas just finished his first set of tests and he did so fabulous!   He got 90% on all of his tests.  That's freaking awesome!  Yup that's my amazing husband.  He did all that even while watching Eloise three days a week in the afternoon!\
I had my nails final and it was a little nerve racking, but I did really well.  Now that my nail program is over I will be starting hair theory.  I'll be learning the techniques of cutting and coloring for the next eight weeks and then I'll be on the floor for actually doing it.  I'm really excited.

Now what everyone really cares about....ELOISE. ;0)
She is doing so fabulous.  She is 5 months now and getting bigger everyday!
She weighs 19lbs 8 oz and is 25 inches long.
She is very chatty and loves to scream and squeal and tell you exactly how she feels.
She absolutely LOVES to try new foods and I'm glad she's not picky.
We just love her so much and can't wait to see what happens next.

I'll post soon a bunch of pictures!

Life is working.....knock on wood.

So it is a new week.  Yay for that.
Pretty sure I did absolutely nothing today.....wow that's really crappy.
But, I think that it is still okay.
         Today we found out that Douglas was ACCEPTED in the BYU BUSINESS PROGRAM.
That means school will be able to be over faster. 
                      It also means that starting in January, I will have no husband because he will have 15 credit hours.  Crazy. 
Plus, I'll be in school too, so we probably won't see each other, but I will sacrifice anything right now so that my husband can be done with school sooner. 
       Even though it sounds crazy and kinda insane, I'm really grateful that I will be in school and Douglas will be in school because we will be able to provide for our family easier and sooner.

                 Sacrifice is a part of life and right now it's working out.  
Sweet!

By Request :0)

Pictures of my beautiful two month old baby.  Requested by a Grandma who doesn't live so close.



My Happiness

So the other night I was having a really hard time.  As usual Douglas just said something not even meaning to be rude or careless or anything and I started to cry because of the emotions that I had bottled up. 

See there's this thing that no one tells you about after you have a baby.  Not only have you spent a crap load of money on maternity clothes and baby supplies, but after that baby comes out, none of your clothes or shoes fit that fit before so you have to buy a whole bunch of new stuff then.  Really, no matter how much exercise you do, your stuff never fits the same.  No one tells you that.

   Anyway, that was my moment.  I haven't really felt much like myself since Eloise was born.  Your identity isn't really you anymore, it's you and your baby.  You are no longer Elise and Douglas, your Elise and Douglas and baby.  No one really wants to see you, they want to see your baby.  Your body still isn't yours because Eloise needs it to eat and really it doesn't look like it did before I was pregnant so sometimes I stand in the mirror and wonder how my head got on this other lady's body. 
   I have tried really hard to be positive and learn how to work with the changes that have happened and let's be honest, I've had a hard time......but I have a really great thing.....my happiness.
   As I was crying and feeling bad, my husband was so perfect.  He looked at me and said "you're right, you don't look like you did when I married you.  You're right, I was attracted to you the way you looked when we were dating.  That doesn't mean that I'm not attracted to the woman you've become now.  Just cause you look a little different doesn't mean that you're not who I love.  We change and we change together." 
   Now, I know what all of you women are thinking, 'Elise he lied to you :0)' or 'you are SO niave'.  You know what, I don't think so.  Douglas is right.  I still love him and he may not change very much until he's an old man and he may change appearance a whole lot, but he is my happiness.  Not his body, but his personality.  The fact that he wrestles me, tickles me, laughs with me, hugs me when i cry, calls me crazy (cause I am).  He is my happiness when he holds my daughter and tells her that he loves her.  Tells her about how silly her mommy is and how much fun we're going to have as a family.  He is my happiness because he reminds me that I'm his happiness no matter if I look the way I did before or how I look now with a little more in places I wish there wasn't.
  I know it may seem crazy, but isn't it nice to know that I can be someone's happiness no matter how I look and someone can be mine no matter how they look.  I think we all need to be reminded that we are all someone's happiness and you may not even know it.
              Someone loves you just the way you are.

Love,
Elise

Halloween

So it was a little difficult this year to decide what to do about Halloween.  I really didn't want to find a costume for my small baby because A. she can't trick or treat & B. I didn't want the candy cause I'm trying to be skinny again
But,
   in the end we decided to dress her up and Aunt Kimberly gave us the idea.
                 Grandma Hardman (aka Liz) and I executed the plan.

Costume is a 4T turtle neck that we added snaps to the bottom to close it like a onesie and cut off the extra long sleeves to make her leggings.
Cricut iron on flocking cut on the paper dolls cricut cartridge.  24x12 size at the biggest it would cut.
Tule tu tu and a rocking hair thing made by Aunt Aly.
End result.............

Eloise was a baby skeleton. 
        And I think she looked stinkin cute, but I have a biased opinion!
We had fun though.  We went and saw all the Grandparents in Riverton and Draper, was cooed over in Cabelas and by the end of the night had peed through every layer including the costume and so it wasn't clean for the Grandparents down here.  *Sigh*  Life with a baby :0)

First Halloween down, at least 11 more to go.

Elise

Beauty School Drop Out....

So I've finally decided and committed to what I'm going to do with my life.
I'm headed to cosmetology school!
I'm actually really excited.  I'll be able to cut hair, do make-up, do nails, eyelash extensions, and permanent cosmetics!   It always seemed like something that I would want to learn, but never really seemed like a good idea.  However, the more and more I thought about what I would want to be able to do if I ever needed to work, it seemed to interest me the most.  So yay!
I hope I don't become a beauty school drop out like Frenchie from Grease and I definitely hope I don't ever color mine or anyone else's hair pink! (unless they want me too)
Anyway, if you know anyone who needs these services, look me up in the future :0)

Elise

Learning a lot about life

So being a mom for the last 5 weeks has sure taught me a lot. 
Sleep is something you definitely need and when you don't get it....you can be mean:0)
Babies really do have different kinds of cries.  You hear that from moms you come in contact with and think that they are crazy, but it's true, they do.
It's really frustrating when the baby poops all over three outfits in less than 3 hours. 
Laundry is now a NEVER ENDING chore....yuck!
Sometimes you really just want to be alone.
BUT,
when my Eloise smiles and laughs in her sleep
               when she stretches and snuggles me
when she looks around the room with her beautiful blue eyes
                              when I see her grow,
All that stuff at the top of the page, is so worth it.

I love being her mom!