Hey Lover Boy

Today is the day of love, and I had a hot lunch date at Tucanos with the two most handsome guys I know.

I was even given a rose on the date (I guess that means Robie wants to keep me for at least another week).

I was content with my single pink rose, but when I got home this was at the front door:

and these were inside with a romantic note from my lover boy:

Thanks babe!  Poor Robie worked all day and then went straight to school for his night class and to take a test. It's a good thing I have this little dude to smother with kisses all day.

Happy Day of love to all.

Rolling Over

Is this normal?  When Jaxon was 3 weeks old, I put him on his stomach for tummy time.  My phone rang, so I went into my bedroom to answer it.  I was gone for literally 4 seconds.  When I came back, he was on his back.  I couldn't really believe he had rolled over, but sure enough he did it again later that day.  Now he rolls over all the time from his stomach to his back.  I thought this was completely normal, but evidently babies usually don't roll over until about 14 weeks old (that's what people keep telling me at least).  Here is proof.

4 Weeks:


6 Weeks:


I guess he hates tummy time so much, he just had to find a way to roll.  I just hope he does not start walking super early.  The longer I can put off chasing him around the house-the better.

Sunny

It's been so nice this weekend, so I decided to take Jaxon, Cooper, and Gizmo for a nice walk.  

Spring...please come soon.

My name is Chelsea, and I am a Stay At Home Mom.

My maternity leave is over.  I won't be going back to work.  I am so happy to have the opportunity to stay at home with Jaxon, but I am really REALLY sad to have to leave my job.  I absolutely love my job.  I am the event coordinator at OrangeSoda.com.  I get to plan trade shows, workshops, company parties, and other fun events.  It is challenging, exciting, fun, and so rewarding.  I also get to travel on the company's dime.  How awesome is that?!  Before me, there was no one in my position.  Because I was the first event coordinator, I had the freedom to make it whatever I wanted.  Every filing system and every spreadsheet was created by me.  But alas, all of these duties are a thing of the past.

If I could have it my way, I would be Chelsea- working woman in the day, stay at home mom in the afternoon.  I went into my work office last week and pleaded my case to work part time.  I think I could do an awesome job at working partly from home and I could go into the office once or twice a week if needed.  However, this was not an option.  I cried and cried wishing I could have the best of both worlds.  I had to make a decision.  It was black and white.  Be a full time working mom OR a full time stay at home mom.  I knew what I was going to choose since the day I got pregnant, but it was the hardest thing in the world to actually say the words out loud.  I am leaving my position...the position I spent a whole year working to get...to be a stay at home mom.

I don't know why this has been so hard for me to handle.  It's like I need a 12 step program on "How to Leave Work and Stay Home".  What's wrong with me?  I think it is because up until having Jaxon, who I am as a person has been defined by what I do.  I spent 4 years of college studying for a degree for the purpose of landing a great job.  When I got hired as a nobody in my company, I spent every day plotting on how I would make it into the marketing department.  When I finally got the chance to prove myself, I didn't want to let anyone down.  I worked hard every day to go above and beyond what was expected until I was finally offered my position.  It wasn't about the money (because let's be honest- i wasn't getting paid a lot).  It was about being at a company I loved and in a position I loved even more and being happy when I drove to work everyday.  When you spend 8 hours a day/ 40 hours a week doing one thing, it kind of becomes a part of who you are.  Now that I am not working, I feel like I don't know who I am.  I know I am a mom to a beautiful baby boy, but what else?  I am terrified of losing myself and losing who I am as a person.  To be a good mom, I think it is important to find time for yourself and not lose your talents.  I want to be a good example and show my kids I can do more than just make a mean lasagna and get tough stains out of laundry, but now I don't know how.  How can I balance being a rock star mom while not losing who I am as an individual?

I heard something the other day that sounds like it is probably a quote on a bathroom mirror somewhere.

"Who I am is not what I do.  

I am not defined by my job."

I need to remember this is true.  I need to remember that I am not my job.  If I died tomorrow, what will people say about me.  I hope they don't say stuff like, "She was the best at organizing her desk and always color coded her folders according to months."  No.  I want to be remembered as a great wife, mother, daughter, and friend. 

I am honestly happy to have the chance to be at home with Jaxon.  I know many mothers don't have the chance to stay at home, and I am so glad I do have that opportunity.  Just today I was thinking about the miracle of life and how crazy it is that this little person entered into this world.  Having a baby has taught me so much- mostly to be selfless.  Today there was a moment where on my left I had Jaxon screaming at the top of his lungs, and on my right I was covered in poo- but I didn't even care.  I was so concerned about him and how he felt and getting him into the bathtub- I didn't even care about myself.  Having a baby has made me realize how selfish I used to be.  My thoughts used to be about when I was going to buy my next cute pair of jeans or what movie I was going to see over the weekend.  Now everything revolves around Jaxon.  Every noise he makes causes me to drop everything, and every meal I eat only comes after feeding him first.  I now realize what it means to give yourself to something or someone fully, because that is all I do.  So, I need to remember- leaving my job is not the end of the world.  It's just a chapter in my life closing for a bit while a new chapter begins.  And you know what...I like this new chapter...a lot.  I hope in the middle of this new adventure I can still find a way to do things for myself every once in a while.  I know as much as I loved my job, nothing in this world will ever be more rewarding than being a mom.  Nothing.

Super Bowl 2011 in review

I am glad the Packers won!  Yay!  However, I am a little disappointed the game did not go into overtime.  I was really looking forward to getting a free pizza from Papa John's.  Oh well.

Christina Aguilera messed up the words in the National Anthem.  She has probably sung the words a million times before, but I guess she just got nervous and sung it wrong. Super embarrassing. She commented saying, "I got so caught up in the moment of the song that I lost my place. I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through."

Fergie.  Sang.  Horribly.  I'm just going to leave it at that.

I thought the commercials were weak this year.  There were too many serious or boring ads, and not nearly enough funny or clever ads.  The best ones were the Doritos and Pepsi Max ads- and those were created by regular people in a contest.  What does that say about the ad agencies out there who had a whole team of people working on one ad and failed to create buzz?  It says they failed at their jobs.  Here are my top 5 ads in no particular order.

This first one was made by a couple of UVU and BYU students (prob from the Advertising Department). Nice work.

This second one was also made by a guy in Utah and ended up winning the Doritos competition.

Quarantined

 Poor Robie is sick and has been wearing this mask around all day.

If you ask Robie, the worst part about being sick is not the cough, sore throat, raspy voice, or stuffy nose.  No.  The worst part about being sick is that he has to stay away from this little guy.

1 Month Old

I can't believe my little baby is already 1 month old!  Why couldn't time go by this fast when I was pregnant?!  I found these cute stickers on Etsy.com that you can put on onesies every month to compare how big your baby is growing.

I didn't think 1 month would make that big of a difference, but looking at the comparison- I was wrong.  Jaxon has grown SO much in the past month. 

-He still sleeps a lot during the day (not so much during the night)
-He is starting to smile more in response to my smile
-He knows his mom's voice and loves to be held
-He eats like crazy, but I don't know where it all goes because he is still so skinny
-He LOVES his "kicking time" when he gets to be free, coo, and kick like crazy

-He also likes tummy time and does a good job of lifting his head, but it only lasts about 2 minutes.  Then he just screams.

-He loves to hang out in his swing and listen to music

We love you Jaxon!

Touchdown!

The Super Bowl is almost here!  I hope Green Bay wins- even though I really don't care for either team, but I like the color green.  Of course there is football and food, but everyone knows the best part about the Super Bowl is watching the commercials!  Yay!  I posted some of the top commercials from past years on my www.soupontherocks.blogspot.com blog.  I don't know why, but this one cracks me up every time:



What is your favorite Super Bowl commercial?

Also, if the Super Bowl goes into over time this year (which has never happened before), then Papa Johns Pizza is giving away a free large pizza to everyone who has an account with them online.  So, go sign up right now...just in case.

First Photo Shoot

When Jaxon was about a week in a half, my mom and I did a little at home photo shoot.  Here are some of the pics.  I think they turned out pretty good considering we are not professionals.

This last one is my favorite- obviously since I changed it to my main blog pic.  I love this little guy SO much!

I ordered his birth announcement through Tiny Prints, and I would highly recommend them.  They are super awesome at communicating everything about what is going on with your order.  Mostly they rock, because I am a huge procrastinator and they shipped everything by the next day!  I was impressed.  Plus, they have a lot of coupon codes online, so you can be sure to always get a nice discount.  Anyways, here is the final product. 

Front:

Back:

Bachelor Brad

I know, it's horrible.  I watch The Bachelor (still).  It's filled with so much gossip and ridiculousness, it's embarrassing but even Robie is into it (but he would never admit it).  I'm not crazy about Bachelor Brad.  He is kind of...how do you say it...dull.  I feel like he fell of a tractor trailer or got sacked in high school football too many times, and it has now caused him to speak slow and monotone.  And does he use the word "absolutely" too much?  Absolutely.  I'm also not crazy about the cross tat:

but you kind of forget about it when he turns around and you get slapped in the face with this:

Nice work parents!  This season seems interesting.  It feels like in every episode the same handful of girls get interviewed and highlighted.  Some of the women I didn't even existed until they didn't receive a rose and were sent home.

Who I love:

Emily
I think she might be made of plastic, because there is NO WAY anyone looks that good after having a kid.  Please tell me your secret!  If Brad does not pick her, she is for sure going to be the next Bachelorette.  She is super sweet and looks amazing head to toe, and you can tell the other girls secretly hate her because they want to be just like her but they can't say anything bad about her because she is too nice.  I told Robie last night that I think I'm starting to fall in love with Emily, and if Brad doesn't marry her I will.  He seemed okay with that. 

Chantal
I think Chantal is really pretty.  I like her a lot, because I see a lot of my personality in her.  She seems the most normal to me.  She has a confident side and doesn't let others walk all over her, but she is still human and has insecurities about her future and finding love.  Completely normal.  I love how she called Michelle out in front of everyone.  I wish I could give her a high five for that...and then we could go shopping together.


Who I like:

Britt
I don't know a lot about Britt except what I learned on her bio- she has a potty trained rabbit named Norbert and if she could be anyone for a day she would be Martha Stewart (awkward).  I like her, because on the last episode she seemed real and sincerely wanting to be there for the right reasons.  She seems like a nice girl, and her favorite holiday is Halloween (like me), so I kind of have to like her.

Shawntel
If Shawntel could be anyone for a day she would be a pathologist, so naturally I knew we could be friends in real life.  I went to BYU with the intentions to become a pathologist, and people thought I was crazy/weird/creepy for that decision.  It's nice to see someone else who shares that same interest, and that's why I like Shawntel.  She seems like a nice person, and she is from Chico, Cali- where my friend Betsy lives.  (Shout out!)

Who I Dis-like...a lot:

 Ashley H
She seems like the friend in high school who gets drunk and sleeps with your boyfriend, and then tries to apologize the next day like it was no big deal.  I'm not saying she is slutty, because I don't think she is trashy or anything.  I just think she is super insecure about herself and needs that physical validation to know she is loved, and when she doesn't have it she gets drunk and finds with your boyfriend.  But, that's just what I think.  If Brad doesn't pick her, he may have an emotional meltdown on his hands.

Michelle
aka: P-S-Y-C-H-O
What's up with this name?  Michelle was also the crazy from Jake's season.  Michelle in this season is giving Salt Lake City a bad rep.  She is pretty (with makeup), but it's too bad her beauty is ruined as soon as she opens her mouth.  And what's up with the black eye?!  How does that even happen?  She probably gave it to herself to get attention.  I hate how she pulls out the mom card when she wants Brad to see her sensitive side, but the word on the street is she really she doesn't even live with her daughter and hardly ever sees her in real life.  I mostly just hate her attitude.  She thinks she is the best thing since cake, and she is way too aggressive in a bad way.  Plus, she gives these looks like she might kill someone.  Maybe she has already.  Okay, I'll stop rambling.  I think the point is clear.  I don't like Michelle.

Final 4 prediction

• Shawntel
• Chantal
• Britt
• Emily

As much as Michelle looks like she is dominating the competition, I really don't see her making it to final 4.  I think she will self destruct and Brad will see her possessive psycho ways.  Another person that I could see going far is Ashley S.  She kind of reminds me of Tenley- I don't know why.  I guess only time will tell...

Next Week's Episode: How sad is it that the producers send Emily on a date to a race track?!  They obviously know her past, and they already made her fly in a plane.  Whoever thought that was a good idea should be fired.  Poor Emily.

Why I blog

You might have already heard of a recent article titled, "Why I can't stop reading Mormon housewife blogs", but If you have not, it is an interesting read (especially if you like to blog).  Check it out.

Random thoughts on the article:
I found it funny that there are non-LDS people out there stalking LDS housewife blogs and finding them interesting.  I am sure there are many housewife blogs out there that are just as wonderful and crafty/fun from non-LDS women, but something about mormon housewives captivate readers in a way other blogs don't I guess?  Are mormon housewives really that different than other housewives? 

I love to blog, because it's like keeping a journal and it's way cheaper than scrapbooking.  Sometimes, I feel like the lives of my friends and family are perfect when I read their blogs.  Fun vacations, perfect families, crafty projects, amazing cooking dishes, always happy marriages...everything just seems picture perfect.  But then I started thinking about my own blog.  Do I portray myself like that? 

I find myself blogging the most when I am happy and have something fun, new, or exciting to share.  When I feel depressed, angry, or frustrated with life, I write in a private me-only blog that I set up.  I never share those feeling with anyone.  Recap: when I am happy- I write in my Robie-and-Chelsea family blog, and when I am wanting to vent about stuff- I write in my private blog.  Does this mean I am portraying a false reality of what my life is like?  If someone out there thinks I fall into the category of a "picture perfect happy mormon housewife blog", then I just wanted to share that my life is in no way perfect.  Don't get me wrong, I am so happy with my life and I have so much to be grateful for, but perfect?  No.  For example, I have spent most of today wanting to pull my hair and teeth out with a screaming baby who will not be happy no matter what I do.  In the rare 30 minutes of time I have to myself while he sleeps, I have taken a quick shower (which has not happened in 2 days) and written this blog post.  Not trying to be Negative Nancy here, and I assure you I LOVE being a mom and being with Jaxon.  Just sayin'.  Today was a rough day and definitely not perfect. 

Blogging is like therapy to me.  It's a way to journal the things in my life I want to remember.  From now on, I want to do a better job of being real.  Life is not always skittles and rainbows and sometimes life can be like drinking sour milk (puke), but I when I look back on my life (via my blog), I want to remember not only the fun times but the struggles and challenges that make me stronger.  So, I am going to do a better job in 2011 of being real and just saying it how it is- the good, the bad, and the ugly (but hopefully mostly good). 

I also promise that my blog will not turn into a blog about Jaxon.  Being a mom, it's so hard to take time for yourself since you are constantly focused on your baby.  A lot of times I see friend's blogs go from all about them to all about their baby, and I never hear about how they are doing.  I am sure I am going to have a lot of future posts about Jaxon since he is my life now, but I want to make sure I am still posting about Robie and me and other things that make me happy too.  Well, I feel like I am blubbering off on random tangents now, so I will stop.

What are your thoughts about the article?  Why do you blog?

The Nursery

I wanted to post pictures of Jaxon's nursery a l-o-n-g time ago, but I was waiting for his crib to arrive.  We ordered his crib through a wholesale place we are members of in October, and it kept getting put on back order.  It arrived the week after Jaxon was born, and my mom and I finally finished decorating his room.  Here is the final product:

Before:

During:

After:

*messy closet

I still need to get some cute curtains, but I LOVE the way everything turned out!  I would definitely recommend Janey Mac for anyone looking for cute vinyl stickers for decorating.  There are so many adorable themes and styles to choose from, and the stickers are super easy to apply (plus they are easy to remove if you move).  The owl above the door is from WordCandy Vinyl which also has some cute stuff to choose from.  Tweet dreams!