Sadness...

Today I received a call from my nephew. My dear, sweet nephew Mike and his wife Amanda. She lost her baby today at 9 weeks pregnant. What a sweet family to have such heartache.

It brought back memories of going to the emergency room at 13 weeks, hemorrhaging badly - thinking I was miscarrying. Such anxiety, fear, sadness, loneliness, and heartache... but for me things turned out well. Michael and Amanda were so excited.

For now, we will hope for peace for both parents and wish them the best when they try again. They are good parents. And Gracie will one day be the best big sister ever.

Love Being a Mom

I little under a year ago, I went to the doctor to have in vitro done. At that time, I was a working professional at the peak of my career. The last year has been full of financial surprises...not for the better, illnesses for both Mom and baby, and the happiest little Nonkey in the world. Now, I have changed careers due to the economy and things are much different in my world. I wouldn't go back where I was for the world.

Some say that being a mom is full of the mundane chores - piles of laundry, dinner to cook, bottles to sanitize, more laundry (before Aiden, I never had to pre-treat any piece of clothing), put baby to bed, and start my second job about 9pm at night from home while the baby sleeps. This picture is a typical afternoon - baby, dog, laundry, (and the smell of chili in the crockpot).


Today I became a superhero for a company - I saved the company. No, really. Saved it. It felt great to flex my professional muscles again. Then I came home and Aiden was asleep in his cousin's arms. As I took him, he woke up long enough to make eye contact with me, grin, and fall back asleep.

Being a mom is better than being a superhero. Anyday.

Take your Nonkey to work day...

My little office Nonkey.


I love that I can bring my son to work with me. Most of the time, Aiden stays with Aunt Kari and the Smedley kids. But when Mom gets lonely or we have Baby errands in Salt Lake City, Mr. A comes along for the day. I work alone in an office and my sweet son is a welcome companion.

So for now, I can fulfill two of my favorite job descriptions simultaneously- Mom and Boss. All while holding my little man who is currently grunting, squirming, and working on some business of his own.

Lucky Mom.

Conference and scrapbooks

These pics have nothing to do with the post, but I loved them! My son loved the leaves and the river. This is up Monte Cristo. Isn't his coat DARLING?!

The Smedley Girls at the base of Ogden Canyon at the waterfall.


I love General Conference. I refer to it as "get out of jail free week." It means I don't have to get ready for early church and I have a perfectly valid excuse to spend two days in pajamas and not put on makeup. But this time, conference was a little different.

My niece, Amanda, Shiree, and I scrapbooked all day on Saturday. My sister Teresa and Laura came during the afternoon session. Amanda is a scrapbooking maniac. I love her ideas and especially loved spending time with her, my nephew, Michael, and her DARLING, darling toddler, Gracie. Amanda has the cutest personality and I loved spending the day with my family. Michael was the cutest doting husband cutting up fruit and making cookies for the ladies - and taking Gracie when she was a little too interested in playing with sleeping baby Aiden.

Sunday's conference sessions were so powerful. Every session is a boost to the spirituality and by Sunday afternoon, my resolve was strong once again to be as strong as possible and raise my son in the gospel. Elder Holland's talk was one of the most powerful ones I can ever remember listening to during conference. It filled my home with such a powerful spirit.

In the Leafy Treetops....

Ah, fall. How I adore thee. And, better yet, I love fall on Monte Cristo with my son and family.

Shiree, Jessica, Breanna, Kelle, and Aiden joined me for a trip to go leaf peeking in the Ogden Valley. We stopped for lunch in the Eden park and stopped for pictures on Monte Cristo.

Enjoy!

Aiden the Tree Frog

The Halloween Costume


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Matching Toes


The brown package on the doorstep came yesterday. Call me old-fashioned, but a hand-delivered package is still gets me giddy even if I know what is inside. Technology still can't compare to the thrill of opening that simple cardboard box for the treasures!

Aiden's Halloween costume came! It is huge for him, but for those who know the inside joke of this costume, it is worth it. Aiden is going to be a tree frog for Halloween. When he was born, he had unusually long and 'grabby' toes. I joked that his father must have been a gecko or a tree frog. (Once again, for those of you who don't know, I had Aiden by in vitro and, therefore, don't know the father...). The toes are hillarious. So, I have posted a couple of pictures so you can compare the toes of a tree frog to those of Aiden when he was two weeks old.

The Beginning of Fall - The best season of them all

One of "Nana Charlee's" famous Oakley shots.


Today unofficially begins the best season of the year - fall, or as I like to refer to it... sweater season. I remember as a child, my mother always used to gear up for fall and gave the almanac advice, "Late September always brings the coldest, wettest storm. Until then, it is summer. After that storm, it will never get that summery again. It is time for fall..."

My mother was born on October 17th and would remind us every year that she was so lucky to be born in the fall. Now, she is buried in a cemetary that has a huge tree nearby that loses its leaves in the fall and blankets her grave with gold and crimson leaves. What a glorious ending!

My seasons of fall have always left a little to be desired... a "something" that couldn't be completed every year, but I could never pinpoint what it was. This year, I know! Halloween with my own child (he will be a tree frog - inside joke for the family, but a cute costume), pumpkin patches, walks in the cruchy leaves with my son, the fall family portrait that somehow makes it into the Christmas letter... The "something" that was missing was my son!

Only 2 months until my favorite holiday - Thanksgiving. I love to be surrounded by the people I love for the sole purpose of saying thank you and being grateful for what we have. And I have so much to be grateful for this year.

Fall tends to tug at the memories. I miss my mother so much this time of year. I have great memories of fall - watching Sherlock Holmes movies in her waterbed with the window open. I miss canning grapejuice and pickles. I miss zuccini bread. I miss driving the Wasatch Back with her and my grandparents just to look at the trees. I miss Gardner Village in the fall with my mother (a tradition we still keep...), I miss the old wood fireplace in our Layton house and the smell of the first fire of the fall.

Bring on Fall!! I will unpack my sweaters and enjoy every moment!!