I like...

I've been getting very annoyed at things lately. I partially blame the election; it brings out the crazy in people. I've had to severely limit my Facebook and Pinterest time, because getting on them just makes me upset. I have thought about doing a rant-y blog post (I'm great at being rant-y), but figured that would probably just put me in a worse mood. I decided to instead take the high road and write a happy blog post. So instead of anger, you get a slightly incoherent jumble of things that I like.

I like tall girls that wear high heels, and short girls that wear flats. Not letting your height determine your shoe options is serious kudos in my book.

I like butternut squash. I'm obsessed. I think butternut squash should replace the whole pumpkin obsession everyone seems to have. (I am doing a butternut squash post on the food blog later. I know, I've been a little MIA, I'm trying to fix that).

I like my height. It always seems that tall people want to be short, and short people want to be tall, not me. I am happy at my 5 feet 2 inches. Yeah, I may need a foot stool to reach the top shelf, but I can still comfortably ride Puff at Lagoon.

I like eating with forks. Spoons are for soup, cereal, and ice cream, and sometimes I even attempt to eat those things with a fork.

I like hanging out with geeks. The more I interact with people, the more I realize how geeky I have become. Gaming tournament = Being with really nice, fun people. Story time at the library = Me questioning wanting to interact with people ever again.

I like spiders. I pick them up, let them crawl on me, and give them names. I don't pick up poisonous ones, so I'm not super crazy. I think spiders are awesome. They have such an elegance about them. They help kill all the stupid mosquitoes too; how could you not like that?

I like eating breakfast for dinner. French toast is probably one of my favorite dinners ever. Maybe I should make butternut squash french toast, that could be magnificent.

I like slobbery baby kisses, 6 am wake up calls, peanut butter hand prints, nap time tantrums, and crayon scribbles in my books. I like Juliet. But really, who doesn't?

Perceptions vs. Reality

Many of my readers should know that I cook, a lot. I like healthy and natural foods, which can be kind of expensive, so I make everything I can by scratch. I absolutely love doing it, and it helps us to eat better, while still sticking to a budget. At times, when people find out about all the different things I make, they are in awe. They put me on a pedestal and ask me how I accomplish so much (especially when it isn't summer and I have school). The way they talk makes me seem like an amazing, organized, and well put together person. When one of them pictures me in their mind, I feel like it would look a bit like this:

Sleek tied up hair. Clean, pretty clothes. Perfect batch of  (healthy) brownies.  Make up done and smiling. (Yes, Nicholle, that is your house).

Occasionally (very occasionally), that is what my life is like. I have everything together, and I seem utterly amazing. While it is nice to be thought of as this perfect entity, I'm here to tell you, that usually isn't the case. Yes, I do cook a lot, and I do make some things that are pretty difficult. I also consider myself to be a very good cook, and if those things make me amazing, then I guess I fit one of those earlier mentioned adjectives. I am not, however, very organized, well put together, or oft times, even sane. I cook like a tornado. Things are everywhere, utensils flying, sauces splashing, flour all over myself, and the baby. On big cooking days (days where I make a bunch of in advance things, such as bread, tortillas, pop tarts, bbq sauce, etc.), I often just stay in my pajamas, unless I need to go somewhere. Juliet likes to try to "help" me, which gets me frantic and makes things more difficult. More often than not, things look a bit like this:

Disheveled hair. Ruined brownies. No make up. Floury pajamas. Crazy baby and an "I'm going insane" face.

Usually, my food does turn out right (more often than I would like to admit though, it doesn't). Other than that, the picture above is bundles more accurate than the first one. I love all the cooking I do, but it is hard, and I do go crazy at times.

So, next time you hear me talking about the amazing things I have made, think of this picture of me going insane, and you will remember I'm not some sort of alien. If you don't care about this kind of thing, and just want to see pictures Juliet, scroll down. I did a cute picture post right before this one.

Juliet is Cute

I haven't updated for awhile, and just thought I would post a few pictures of my cutie, enjoy.

Ode to a Princess

My beautiful Juliet turned one year old last Sunday, April 22nd. I have been wanting to do a birthday post for her for the past week and a half, but I couldn't decide how I wanted to do it. Did I want to talk about how awesome she is; did I want to just post pictures? Then finally, it came to me. There are two ways in which I feel I express my feelings the best. The two ways are cooking, and poetry. Since I can't send everyone a fortune cookie with a saying about and picture of Juliet inside (well, I guess I COULD, but it would be a lot of work), I decided on the latter. There are cute pictures of her after the poem, so, if you aren't the sentimental type, you can  scroll down to look at her adorable-nes. Here is my ode my princess.

One year doesn't really seem like much,
It's such a short span of time,
Just one sand in the hourglass,
Since you came to earth as mine.

Less than five percent of my life,
Has been spent taking care of you,
But you have changed who I am,
And I want to say, thank you.

I know that you cannot read,
And when you can, you might not care,
About some silly poem your mom wrote,
Before you even had much hair.

But, I want you to know I love you,
That you teach me more each day,
That I believe you are an angel,
That God has sent my way.

You have so much personality,
You are sweet, and you are smart,
You can tell when someone else is down,
Because you have such a big heart.

You are loud, and you are messy,
Your antics can drive me up a wall,
But you wouldn't be who you are,
If you didn't do them all.

One year really isn't very long,
But it's enough for me to know,
That I have a huge responsibility,
In helping you to grow.

You may not actually be royalty,
But you are a princess in my mind,
You have mounds of potential,
You are clever, beautiful, and kind.

I don't know what I did to deserve
Such an amazing girl to love,
Being your mother is such a gift,
You're my angel from above.

Now for you viewing pleasure, A picture from every month of Juliet's life. (Nicholle-I couldn't find a November, so I stole one from your blog.)

Sometimes I wonder.

Many different things pass through my mind, and sometimes the things really get me thinking. I decided to compile a list of my wonderings as of late.

• Sometimes I wonder if people realize that the appropriateness of their statements depends on their audience.Things that could be perfectly fine in some situations, aren't really appropriate in other situations. Example: The myriad of people that tell me "We have to wait until we are done with school to have kids." That would be fine if you were talking to someone else, but to me, that translates into: "You and your husband aren't finished with school, and therefore should not have had your baby." I know they most likely don't mean that, but it's hard to not feel like they do.
  
• Sometimes I wonder if anyone paid attention in health class. I overhear people talking about their new "healthy" diet plans, and want slap people in the face. Eating only vegetables, or eating protein bars instead of meals are not healthy alternatives. I have overheard those and many other crazy ideas. Some of the conversations I have overheard happened on Weber State's campus; that is just sad.
  
• Sometimes I wonder why people think it is okay to post things online that they would never do/say in person. I don't mean things that are better translated to text; I post things of that caliber. Sometimes I am much better able to express my feelings through writing. That doesn't mean that it isn't something I wouldn't be perfectly comfortable talking about in person. Example: the bra color for breast cancer posts on Facebook a year or so ago. I honestly do not believe that most of the people who did these posts would be willing to discuss their bra color, in person, to everyone on their contact list.
  
• Sometimes I wonder if blogging is even worth it. Specifically the food blog. I had a poll that 6 people voted on...6 people, and one of them was me. Does anyone even make the recipes? Well, besides my sisters? If they are the only ones, I could just give them recipes. All the good food blog have awesome pictures. I forget to take pictures a lot of the time. Even when I do take pictures, I don't have a fancy camera like everyone else...blah. I'll probably keep it up, I just wonder why at times.
  
• Sometimes I wonder if I'm just blinded by mother love, or if Juliet is really the prettiest baby ever.(I thought I would end on a happy note) Considering I can't walk out the door without hearing "Her eyes are gorgeous!" or "She is so beautiful!", I'm going to say that it is at the very least a combination of the two. My friend Savanna was in town this past weekend (which was awesome!) and she even mentioned that the baby gets compliments everywhere we go. Maybe people compliment all babies...I don't know. Either way, I think she is pretty awesome.

My Food Philosphy

Juliet had her 9 month appointment day. She is still quite small, less than 3rd percentile in weight. Because of this, the pediatrician told me to add butter to her food. Instead of going on a long rant about why I think that is a bad idea (which I originally planned and had typed out), I'm instead going to talk about why I feed my baby the way I do.

Juliet is small, but she is in no way underfed, she eats a lot of food (Three meals a day, consisting of two or three good sized bowls of food, plus 4-5 breast feedings, and occasional cheerio snacks). She eats all kinds of foods, fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, meat. There are, however, a lot of foods that I won't let her have (butter being one of them). I have taken several nutrition classes in college (a post is coming later about my new choice of major), one of them being prenatal and infant nutrition (conveniently taken when I was pregnant).  I have learned about foods we should feed babies, and foods we should not. I fairly strictly adhere to the principles I have learned. At times, I even feel like a bad mother because of my rules. People offer things to Juliet, and I respectfully decline, only to have them give me appalled faces and choruses of "Why not!?". I have a more in depth knowledge of nutrition than most people have, and that definitely contributes, but there are deeper reasons for my food Nazi ways. 

I have a history of eating disorders, and that will affect my children, specifically my girls. Not because I am a bad example (I work hard everyday to make sure I'm not a bad example), but because it is a disease that tends to run in families. Simply having me as mother, puts my children at a greater risk. I want to do everything in my power to prevent my children from developing eating disorders, and I believe the first step is building good nutrition stepping stones. From a young age I want my children to enjoy eating nutritious foods. I want them to learn to enjoy things without added salt, sugar, and butter. I want them to gain the knowledge they need to be healthy. I believe that I can start building that knowledge now, when my child is only 9 months old.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against cookies or crackers. I eat them, and Juliet will eat them...when she gets older. I want to teach her to like other kinds of foods, before I introduce her to more unhealthful options. I want her learn that eating healthy can be just as fun and enjoyable as eating cake and candy, so that when the time comes, she may very well pick an apple instead. I want her to not feel guilty about what she eats, not constantly worrying about calories and nit picking over her pants size. If I want that to happen, I have to teach her. I have to teach her to like nutritious foods. I have to teach her that eating right makes you feel good. That if you enjoy eating nutritious foods throughout the day, you don't feel guilty when you eat a brownie at the end of the night. I have to teach her, and I believe that I need to start now.

Juliet will have butter(and cake, candy, etc.), when the time comes. As for now, she is going to learn to enjoy other foods, as her first stepping stone towards good nutrition.

Disclaimer: This is what is right for me, and my family. You may choose differently for yours. I am not trying to make anyone feel guilty or tell them they are wrong. I just wanted to share why I feed my baby the way I do.

UPDATE: In case some of you are worried that Juliet isn't getting enough fat, fear not, I'm giving her fat, just in much healthier forms than butter, such as avocados and olives.

I think we should celebrate.

In case you didn't know, Today is *deep breath* Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday (Observed), better known as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It is my absolute favorite holiday, and yes, I am serious. It seems like a strange holiday to be a favorite, I know. Really, not much happens, but kids get the day off school, and adults gets the day off of work...or as I found out today, some of them do. People have different opinions on whether today should be one that is taken off. Some say children should be school to learn about the great man that this holiday celebrates, others, like myself, take a completely different stand. Instead of trying to explain it to individuals, I thought I would explain it here, to everyone at the same time.

I believe children should learn about equality in school. I believe that they should learn what Martin Luther King Jr. did to push equality forward. I think they should be taught about his speech. I believe they should be taught about what happened after the speech. I think that children should learn about how far we have come, and far we still have to go. I do NOT think this learning needs to happen ON Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Children learn about Independence day, and they learn about Thanksgiving. These are both major events that happened in our country's history. They are important to learn, but does this mean children should be in school on those days to learn about them? I don't think so. We take those days off to celebrate. We celebrate their significance and how they have helped to form our great country. We light fireworks; we eat turkey. We spend time with our families. Why? Because they are worth celebrating. They are worth taking the time off to make them special, to help our children know that these days mean a lot. Why should Martin Luther King Jr. Day be any different? Shouldn't we take the time to make the day special and different?

Most people just take Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a Monday off. A day to stay in pajamas and watch TV. If that is how we are going to look at the day, of course children should be in school. You aren't making it special, you aren't showing them how important the day is. I think we should celebrate. We should spend time with family and friends. We should talk about how far our country has come. We should talk about what we can do to keep moving forward. We should eat multi-colored foods, we should watch movies that show equality. We should strive to make this a day our kids remember. A day they enjoy and want to know why we have it.

You have your opinions, and I have mine. As for me, I will be celebrating! In fact I've already made cookies:

P.S. I think other holidays are unappreciated too, but this being my favorite, I thought I would stand up for it.

Mirror Baby

Juliet likes to sit in the sink and chat with the baby in the mirror while I get ready. Of course, she got distracted by other things when I tried to record it...but it's still cute, or at least I think so.

I hope she has my eyes.

It's midnight and my mind is buzzing; it's time for a blog post!

When people imagine their children, they often picture how they will look and what sort of personality they will have. Most people expect their children to possess traits similar to their own. Good qualities are wished for and bad ones are wished against. I've been thinking about the traits I possess recently. Maybe it's because the new year gets us thinking about what we want to improve. Maybe it is simply because I have been quite reflective lately. Who knows. There are many traits I have that I would love my children to develop, and there are a good amount of traits I hope they aren't cursed with. Want to know what some of these things are? Read on!

Qualities I have that I would be glad to see my children possess:

• Cooking skills- In the age of processed food, cooking is going to become more and more rare, and I find that sad.
• Aspects of my OCD- Being organized is a good thing. 
• A decent grasp on grammar concepts- I refuse to 'chatspeak', 'textspeak', or any other concept of the sort. Real words are happy things.
• Conversation skills- I can talk to people when needs be. Sometimes I have to push myself to do, such as over the phone, but I can be an interesting conversationalist, at least in my opinion.
• A desire to to good- I just want to help people. I don't always do everything I should to help, but I would like to make a difference.
• Honesty- I don't like to lie to people. Honestly is really the best policy. 
• Rule following- I don't put my hands up on roller coasters. I don't drive higher than the speed limit. Call me crazy, but I honestly believe we have rules for a reason.

Qualities I have that I hope I don't pass on to my children:

• Aspects of my OCD- Yes, this is on both lists. Organized is good, but I can take things too far. 
• Yo-Yo self esteem- Sometimes I love myself, and sometimes I completely hate myself. I realize most people probably do this, but I'm seriously all over the place.
• Intermittent shyness- I go through stages where I'm much more shy than I should be. I'm not naturally a shy person, but sometimes I make myself be shy...it's hard to explain.
• Phobias- I would like to think of myself as fearless, but I'm definitely not. I have panic-attack inducing fears, not fun. 
• Bluntness-This goes hand in hand with the honesty on the other list, I'm sometimes a bit more frank than is desirable. At times it's good, at times it is very, very bad.
• Cynicism- I tend to think everything is bad and evil. I should try to see more happy things in the world.

There are probably more qualities I didn't state, for both lists, but you get the point. I want my children to be like me...but not too much like me.

 And, I do hope the next one has my eyes.

P.S. Juliet's first Christmas went well, but everyone blogs about Christmas.