Woe

Coming home from a vacation. With no pictures because your phone which you brought just so you could use its camera since your point and shoot got stolen from the diaper bag and you didn't want to bring your DSLR died. Yes, that's a run on sentence. Sometimes that's all life seems to be is to keep running on and good things and bad things run into each other so that it becomes hard to tell whether it's a good day or a bad one. Like this morning, I take the car into to get the safety and emissions inspection for the annual registration and get the oil changed then go to the bank to deposit the left over money from the vacation (we only spent $25 of our cash, wha what?) and while I'm leaning into my small little Honda trying to unbuckle my child a lady proceeds to chew me out for letting my car door touch hers. I ignore her knowing if I say something it will be not very nice. Since her car is over the parking line and mine is parked perfectly in the middle of the two yellow lines and the door is leaning against her wheel since she has an SUV and I have a small little sedan, but nope, I kept my mouth shut and just sauntered into the store determined not to let her foul my mood. The bank doesn't have the DumDums for Eliza that I promised her for being good while running errands and thankfully she doesn't throw a fit but gratefully accepts the sticker instead. As soon as we get outside the wind blows it away and we are chasing after it because heaven knows we can't lose our brand new marketing-compensating for not having DumDums-sticker. I drive to Wal-Mart to pick up some more diapers because we are on our last one after a rough post travel diarrhea stint and proceed to lock my keys in the car. This has only happened to me twice in my WHOLE LIFE. Of course Eliza is yelling in my ear distracting me and I'm in Tyler's car so I have to lock it before I close the door. wham bam thank you ma'am. I run inside and get those blasted diapers and call the police to come help me out. It's lunch time and Eliza is trying to run around the parking lot and I try to distract her with the promise of chicken nuggets. We make it home before she falls asleep and we gobble down lunch and I decide that running 4 miles during her nap is not a good idea.

Who knew my life would be so up and down. Having kids is hard.

Now for the imaginary picture journey of our cruise:

Vacations are awesome. Beaches are relaxing and fun. We bury Eliza in the sand up to her waist and she looks so adorable in her little blue ruffle halter swim suit and hat and sunglasses. When I try to take a pic she either ignores me or does a very cheesy grin.

Tyler buries my feet and then proceeds to make my feet bumps look like boobs.

We see Minnie and Eliza goes wild.

We see Mickey and Eliza goes crazy.

We see Pluto and Eliza starts barking and pointing and yelling.

Do you see a theme here?

We play in the splash pool with our beach toys and make new friends with the other non-potty trained babies who aren't allowed in the big pools. Including a mom and her baby who live in Cabo and a couple who are Brazilian who live in Canada and Tyler and he exchange business cards...I talk potty-training.

We eat ourselves 10lbs heavier on the all you can eat chicken fingers, shrimp, and steak. (I'm still sticking to my no chocolate, cheese and anything good diet;()

We take a big group family pic of all 10 adults and 6 kids on the grande staircase.

Eliza sees Minnie and goes wild, etc.

What a Wonderful World.

can't believe it

My baby is growing!! She has transitioned into size 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers!! anyone else feel like these are the hardest times for mom because it is reality staring in your face--she won't stay little forever. We had an FHE a couple weeks ago and Aunt Jamie and Uncle Ralph's and Eliza met little Celia Rasmussen for the first time:

Don't they look similar? Eliza is a little more aware than her 10 day old cousin...

Last weekend my bffff and old roommate Grace came and visited Eliza for the first time also. We did lots of fun things, but somehow these are the only pictures I snapped. Probably because we were too busy making hair clips, eating yummy food and chatting.

I should have sucked my stomach in more! UGH. I can't wait until that little pooch is gone, which for you non-believers out there, it WILL BE. That is a work in progress and although it is a major concern, I know it won't happen overnight.

We've had a slew of visitors lately, maybe that's why I'm soo exhausted, or it's because I worked like crazy to get all my Christmas shopping done (DONE YESTERDAY BTW), or because Eliza started sleeping through the night (HALLELUIA!!!!!) and my body is in recovery mode from the last 2 1/2 months of deprivation. Anyway, my famous MoM with her first and only gbaby

(Wearing the Happy GrandMother's Day shirt I made her)

I couldn't resist snapping some pics of me too and boy do I look haggard. It could have been that that morning was the 5K for the Teemants and I had had a pretty busy week to say the least. Good news is that we raised over $15G's. yahoo.

Tyler trying to take Eliza to school...I just had to put this one in here!!!

Eliza trying to talk

well my baby is 2 months old now! at her 2 month check up she weighed 8lbs 14oz and was 21" long. She's still in the <5%, but she's gained 3 lbs since birth, which to me makes her seem like a chunk:) haha. Here is her adorable 2 month picture

I saw the cute idea to do her pictures like this here. It is WAAY easier than the way I was doing it before. *you know the whole iron on appliques...

We also captured her trying to tell us what wonderful parents we are and how she loves us so much. I've included the video for your viewing pleasure. She is getting better at sleeping at night, I can feed her and put her right back to bed. Experts say babies can start to sleep through the night once they're 10 lbs. Come on Eliza, GROW!!! I am adjusting to getting up two or three times, but I am excited for those uninterrupted stretches of 6+ hours.





Other stuff we've been up to (and so I don't bore you with just baby posts)
*painting Tim and Kristin's room and Ashlyn's room in preparing for baby Prusse #4
*returning to dance, teaching and training
*planning my new color schemes for our new apt (for whenever we move:))
*Grandbaby #2 on my side and it's a GIRL
*Orchestra at Temple Square concert
*Ryan Shupe and the RUbberbands concert
*Eliza's first trip to the movie theater to see Despicable Me ($1 theater of course)
*Many episodes of NCIS
*My bday celebration at Shoots, Park City and the Zermatt
*Carving pumpkins
*Volunteering for fivetofightcancer.com and supporting our friends the Teemants and his battle through cancer. (Register to run a 5k at that website. It's a fun run on Nov 13)
*starting to get more sleep at night!
*getting back into sewing and doing some baby projects for the cousins (pics and info to come)
*trying to blog again?

I love to see the temple

Remiss

I have been so bad at writing personal information on my blogs that my friends constantly ask for updates. For me, there isn't much going on in my life, at least I don't think...and then they so calmly remind me, I'm moving and I have another job and this and that...so I guess what I'm trying to say is I'M SORRY. I'm sorry that I am more interested in posting cute little vintage paper dolls and amazing chandeliers than talking about my boring life.

BUT, I realize, I do need to update. SO, here goes. We are moving. Saturday. As in 3 days from now. I have been working ever since we found out (last week) that we have to be out by the end of the month (or rather we volunteered to leave and that was our deadline--see my aunt and uncle are moving into our apt). On Saturday Ty and I went through all our memories from childhood til the present and cleaned up and got rid of what we no longer needed to hold on to. We organized and packed away all our summer clothing and camping gear.
This week, I've lined the hallway with all our decorations all neatly wrapped in bubble wrap and stored in containers. I've stored all our extra linens and towels and food storage and bathroom storage (you know my extra shampoo and conditioner and alcohol and hand sanitizer). I've packed my non-essential kitchen appliances (not the oven or anything:) my lean mean grilling machine and the large crockpot and ableskiever...don't worry, the Choco-Motion, Panini Maker, Kitchenaid, and wafflemaker are still out:) Along with my blender that we so often use to make delicious smoothies. I've made our menu off of all the food we had in our pantry and freezer so we would transport as little as possible and I've stored what we are transporting in handy dandy blue Walmart reusable grocery bags. LOVE THEM! I've got all the extra ziploc's stored along with my kitchen towels and sundae dishes. My dishes from my china cabinet are all snuggled tightly in newspaper in a big gray bin. I finally got all the drawers cleaned out in the bathroom so for tomorrow I have a lot of scrubbing to do:) I also have all the blankets (minus the ones on our beds) and pillows stacked in nice BIG black garbage bags--the space in the bins is too precious. Now you have heard plenty of my moving melee and I will continue on to my new job...

here it is... for those of you who don't know...and may have been wondering what I do to stay busy since I'm a college graduate and not yet mother...

I currently manage the inventory for two outpatient surgical centers in Colorado Springs, CO. How do I do this you ask? the internet and remote access to their server. I love technology. This is a part time job (like 15-20 hrs/week).

I am an administrative assistant for an entrepreneur based in Salt Lake and Seattle, WA. and by assistant I mean mostly research...on the internet...from my couch. (this is more like 5 hrs/week)

I substitute teach ballet classes. MY FAVORITE and unfortunately not frequent enough:( (but thankfully I average about 10hrs a month) This by the way is a guilty pleasure and obsession of mine--obviously. You know how they say, "those who can't do, teach". Ya, this is me all over. I wish it were me gripping the barre and dancing em pointe...but sadly, health is #1 priority right now!

I am a house helper for a wonderful family in Orem who have me do the cleaning, laundry, organization, and really, whatever the mom can't do at the moment stuff. (I've known the family for awhile and this is a GREAT arrangement, let me tell you. Get paid to do the easy stuff!!) (This is 15 hrs/week, more or less depending on my health/need)

I know that doesn't seem like enough for a recently college graduate used to carrying heavy school burdens and taxing dance rehearsals, plus work...so don't worry. I try to workout every morning and keep up the little sewing business I have going (that's what the FEATURED blog is all about).

It actually has been quite difficult these past 9 months finding out who the new Carissa is. I mean, I've defined myself as a student for so long and once I got married I thought I'd be mothering long by now...so I think I'm so scattered all over the place because I am still trying to find my place in the IN-BETWEEN world of the student and mommies. I know there are more of you out there...Come out Come out Wherever you are and SHOW YOURSELF. I need a friend:) haha. just kidding.

Needless to say, my lack of personal posting I think I can attribute mostly to this feeling of nothingness (at least by what I used to define my life) and it hit to close to home to be constantly writing about work and how chiseled my abs are getting, when I'd rather be posting pictures of a growing belly or a afternoon at the park (yes, even in the snow...) that I finally stopped posting about ME and wrote more about what I want in my future...and how much I love design and ballet:)

If you made it to the end of this post, Congratulations. It isn't often that I write this much, especially without pictures and I know most of you scroll through the writing and go straight to the pictures. I'm banking on this and that's why I didn't post any.... Because then I can still hide behind all my busyness and successful career stuff and no one will know what's really going on in my life.

LOVES!!


P.S. if you want to see some funny web pages Tyler and I built back in our Freshman year of college...check them out here and here