Introducing Sydney Holland McArthur

Jared and Melissa have a baby girl! She is so cute and wonderful. I am so happy for them! They're home from the hospital and doing wonderfully.

That's why they call them business socks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGOohBytKTU

No, I'm not trying to say anything... lol- but this is HILARIOUS

Confession

Confession- I WATCHED a Denise Austin workout video today while nursing Madeline. My thought process went like this:
"I need to work out...it's not going to happen... I got this video from the library..I might as well do something with it... we don't have cable yet... it couldn't hurt to just WATCH it.... I'll breathe along with the work out... that'll do something right??"

Oh how the mighty have fallen...

My new occupation

Yes, this is a pic of my gorgeous baby. I know, I know, enough already about being a mom and my beautiful baby, but seriously, just one more thing... since this is what consumes my thoughts and actions every day now. I am still amazingly overwhelmed by my new occupation. I never in a million years thought it would be so demanding and challanging, and I only have a two month old! Yesterday, I was proud of myself for going to two of the three meetings at church, and while I was feeding Madeline in the mother's lounge there was this beautiful, put-together young mom who had four girls (not all in the mother's lounge with her-lol) and I was talking to her. I asked her if she was done having kids, since "four does seem to be the new six" (thank you Rachel Short) and she said "no, I think we're going to have eight kids" I was floored! What! Eight! Wow- I can't even imagine that... maybe it gets easier, but the feedings, diaper rash, naps, buying inexpensive clothes, toys and baby gear, and keeping my house tidy (notice I didn't say "clean"), and taking care of my husband (lol- or the other way around), etc. is pushing my can-do limits at this point. The thought of having eight kids makes me want to just go to sleep for a really long time!! That is awesome that she was so calm and put-together and wants to have eight kids. Hopefully, I can feel calm and put-together at some point too, until then... I'm just going to focus on my weekly goals of : 1. getting dressed everyday, 2. Making dinner, and that's about it. LOL.

Cutest Nursery Ever

Not quite done, but getting there. Yes, the PINK dresser is an accomplishment- I painted it when I was 9 months prego... ok, ok, Adam helped a tiny bit... but not really... ;)

Madeline Joyce is born!

Yes this is old news by now, but I'm trying to be better at blogging. (I sound like I would after a General Conference session where I make all these new goals like keeping my journal updated, being a better wife, being honest with myself, etc.) But to the rest of my friends out there who I haven't talked to yet, I HAD A BABY! And of course she is the most beautiful, amazing, perfect baby in the whole world!! (And yes I still think that even though in the past month she has kept me up with her screaming several times until 3 a.m.--that just means I'm prepared for NEXT General Conference session to NOT feel guilty about my lack of patience.)

The birth was actually surprisingly uneventful. I went into the hospital on Sunday Aug. 12 (Jared's birthday) because Adam and I were sick of waiting for this baby to come (her due date was Aug. 8). I was so embarassed because I knew the nurses were just going to send me home because I wasn't in "movie labor" you know, the kind of labor you always see in the movies, with the sudden gush of broken water, and the yell to the husband that "Honey, it's time!!" At which point the husband puts his pants on backwards and drives like a maniac to the hospital usually taking a couple of wrong turns on the way. Although, I wasn't having "movie labor" I had been having contractions on and off for the last 15 hours, and we just decided, "hey- what the heck, let's give it a whirl and try to talk the Dr. into inducing me".

So we went in and for some miraculous reason, I dialated from a 3 to a 4 in that hour hooked up to the monitors on the bed, while Adam returned a bunch of phone calls.

The Dr. came in and said they would keep me. "Hallelujah! I just wanted this baby out!"

After an hour or so I got an epidural, and let the fun begin... We watched the first "TMNT" and the end of "Grease" and "Austin Powers", we were hooked to TNT, since we don't have cable at home. We took a nap and at 5 a.m. Monday morning I started pushing and an hour later our beautiful Madeline Joyce was born! Adam had made a "Labor PLaylist" on the ipod for the event, and so the pushing was serenaded by Queen, John Denver, and Mark Knopfler.

I can't begin to describe the joy of giving birth to a baby. An actual person that Adam and I created. I could hardly speak afterwards I was filled to the brim with emotion. I just cried when they put her in my arms. It was a different emotion than I have ever felt. Somehow, in that one moment it made all my 9 months of suffering worth it. I would have done it again right then. All for another Madeline Joyce.

Beautiful Nail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsWrY77o77o

Adam got me a pedicure and massage for our anniversary- what a guy... ;) I got him a croquet set which he LOVES.