Book Review: "Baby Proof" by Emily Giffin

"First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes . . . a baby carriage? Isn’t that what all women want?
Not so for Claudia Parr. And just as she gives up on finding a man who feels the same way, she meets warm, wonderful Ben. Things seem too good to be true when they fall in love and agree to buck tradition with a satisfying, child-free marriage. Then the unexpected occurs: one of them has a change of heart. One of them wants children after all.
This is the witty, heartfelt story about what happens to the perfect couple when they suddenly want different things. It’s about feeling that your life is set and then realizing that nothing is as you thought it was---and that there is no possible compromise. It’s about deciding what is most important in life, and taking chances to get it. But most of all, it’s about the things we will do---and won’t do---for love." (conveniently provided by Google Book Search)

This is one of those rare books that made me feel very close to the main character. Every rambling thought, every decision she made, even her family members, reminded me of myself and my life. I think I have fallen in love with this author. I especially felt close to the big dilemma about deciding whether to have kids or not, so it was a serious page turner for me.

It's a great story, about life and how it can change your plans and ultimately change your heart. Its about compromise and sacrifice- which is exactly what marriage is all about. Its romantic, utterly truthful, sometimes sad, a little spicy, and just a great read overall. I highly recommend it for any girl wanting to indulge on some serious girl talk.

Little girls bring such delight with hearts so warm and smiles so bright! -- Author Unknown

So last weekend Josh and I had the pleasure of seeing his sister Sara and 3 kids, Taylor (5), Bella (3) and JJ (2). We don't see them very much anymore since they moved to Texas almost 2 years ago. I was very excited to see them, but also nervous because I hoped they would like me, let alone remember me. We started out by going down to his aunt's house in Lehi, the house of the backyard we got married at, and had lunch with everyone. It was fun to see how much they had grown!

Below is JJ, the 2 year old stud muffin. He is just learning how to talk, he's very adventurous and a bit of a dare devil. He will do this big jump and then land flat on his butt on the hard ground, and just laughs. Crazy kids... but isn't he adorable? I'm loving the mo-hawk.

And this is my niece Taylor, the oldest of the bunch. She loves to be the center of attention, she's a little crazy but she is so sweet and I can't believe she is already 5! It's hard to believe that Josh and I started dating when she was just 6 months old.

And this is Isabella, or Bella for short, enjoying her root beer float. She is such a sweetheart, the kind that when she talks it just makes your heart melt. She's got these little freckles on her nose and it's just the cutest thing. She is a spitting image of her mom and wants to be just like her sister Taylor.

And this is the whole Smith family, minus Jason who had to stay in Texas to work. Sara and Josh got mistaken for twins in high school. It's crazy how much they look alike!

His Aunt Susan snapped this pic of us, and I must say it's probably my favorite picture yet! We look happy, and we really are. That's what being around family does to you I guess :)

So Sara thought it would be a great idea for Josh and I to take the 2 girls for the day and have them sleepover for the night. Upon hearing this suggestion, I got wildly nervous about taking care of 2 little girls for an entire 24 hours. What would we do? Will they like it at my house? Will they scream and cry for their mom?? I hadn't babysat in a long time, I haven't even babysat my niece Addyson let alone 2 little girls. I didn't know what to expect, but Josh said they are just kids, and I shouldn't be so nervous about impressing them. And he was right... again.

We planned on taking them to see Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D and then spend the rest of the night hanging out at the house. They had all their clothes packed, and 2 bags full of entertainment to keep them busy- coloring books, polly pockets, snacks and more. I took a deep breath... we could do this!

So we get home and I forgot that my dogs would be providing most of the entertainment. Taylor wanted to hold Nelly like a little baby literally the entire time! I had to explain that Nelly is a dog, not a baby, and that she wanted to run and play with Sam. She would set her down for maybe a couple minutes, and then decided that Nelly wanted to be held again. Josh and I just laughed to ourselves, and surprisingly Nelly didn't put up much of a fight. It was hard to get them going to see the movie because they didn't want to leave the pups! Silly girls...

"See how I'm holding her now? She loves me so much."

It quickly became a photography session with the doggies. Bella got her turn, taking pictures of Taylor and I. She would go, "1...2...3... CHEEESE!"

Then of course Taylor had to get her turn too. We took at least 50 pictures of the same pose. LOL. I just had to laugh, I was really having so much fun with these two.

I taught Bella how to take a picture of yourself with one hand, see above photo. She tried to do the same, but I forgot how little their arms are, so this is how they turned out....

We finally went to see the movie, which they loved. When we got home I made up some Mac & Cheese, practicing my mothering skills, "Two more bites and you can have ice cream for dessert!" We made a bed for them out of our couch cushions and lots of blankets. We colored and played, and lectured when they quarreled. We stayed with them until they got sleepy and silently snuck away to get some rest, knowing that the morning would be a whole nother adventure!

I realized during our time together that they weren't the ones making me nervous, it was my own self, doubting that I would be good enough to be a mother someday. Doubting that Josh and I could handle such a thing. But these girls taught me that taking good care of them doesn't require years of pratice, parenting skills, or knowledge. It came easily because I love them. Love took care of everything. It made me want to play with them, to teach them new things, to cuddle while watching movies, to kiss them goodnight, to wake up to sleepy eyes and invite them to snuggle in bed with us, to go out of our way to get Hannah Montana cereal, to make sure their hair is done and teeth are brushed in the morning, to sing along to Kids Bop in the car, to give them hugs and kisses when we dropped them off.

This experience taught me that while Josh and I aren't quite ready for a baby, it made me feel secure in knowing that someday we will be great parents. Just seeing Josh in our backyard with Bella, blowing dead dandelions, or seeing him hold Taylor in the movie theater when she got scared of the villain, lets me know that he will be an amazing father. I never could quite envision it before, but now it's clear to me that one day it will happen and one day we will be ready for it.

Little girls dance their way into your heart, whirling on the tips of angel wings, scattering gold dust & kisses in our paths.
-- Author Unknown

Rut no more!

So after my last post I realized my in-laws coming into town would be the perfect motivation to start on my re-decorating project! I always get nervous before family visits and it's my natural instinct to want to impress, so I got started right away with a little (ok... A LOT) of help from my handy husband. I got excited and forgot to take "before" pictures, but I figure the after ones are the only ones that matter, right? So take a look and let me know how you think it turned out!

New blue/green curtains (favorite color) and new coat of "Soft Suede" paint.

(If you are noticing those small bright white marks on the ceiling, that is the result of Josh trying to touch up with bright white ceiling paint that we later realized didn't quite match the existing paint. . . it's a small detail so I'm sure we will get around to painting the whole ceiling another time. I'm done painting for QUITE a while!)

My sister-in-law, Sara, gave me the framed letters of our last name for Christmas. It originally was done in a font I wasn't a big fan of, so I tracked down a vinyl lettering pro and got some new ones more to my liking and picked out ribbon to match. Those are new (and also FABULOUS) blue silk pillows to match the curtains thanks to Target, $19.99 each.

Isn't this adorable?? This is my favorite detail of the room. I got to pick out the lettering myself!

I re-vamped the entry way with stuff I already had and hung up my old framed art pieces I got at Shopko for $8 each. And of course the doggies are comfortable in their new environment, how could they not be?

In our Home Depot adventure we decided it would be cheap and easy to make these box shelves. The wood was $3 each (Home Depot cuts them for you) and with a $1 can of black spray paint you got yourself some functional & fine lookin wall decor.

On to the kitchen. . . we re-painted the grass green wall to a more toned grayish green called "Moss" that matched the rug we already had and continued it on to the adjacent wall. We also finally got around to centering the chandelier which tremendously enhances the lighting.

I had this great idea to make some shelves to showcase my fine china that I got as a wedding present. They have been sitting in my cabinets the entire time and have never been used. Both pieces of wood added up to $3 and I spray painted them white. It helps break up that huge wall and gives you something to look at.

So. . . how do you think I did for making this happen in less than 2 weeks?? I'm happy to say that when my mother-in-law came by she said she loved our place and the simple design, and mentioned that she needed to make her house decorated more like mine. What a compliment! Just hearing that made it all worthwhile. Not to mention that I am SO happy now when I come home and look around, I'm very pleased and comfortable.

The only trouble with re-decorating is that once you reach your goals, there is always something else you want to do! I can't help but look around and think of other things I can do to fill in the blanks. Josh says it's a "work in progress" and I need to cool my jets. While that's true, I've already decided on my next project. . . creating a magnet board (like Nicki's) and painting it to match my kitchen. Oh yes. . . it's gonna happen- and soon!