April Update

This is how our April went!

Adam: finished the semester!!! Even with getting sick right before/during finals week and having a fever of 102 degrees, he managed to pull out a good finish. He ended with an A and an A- (and a W for the class he withdrew from awhile back). He is very excited to finally have more time to work on his Master's project and just his jobs. He will be working full-time during the summer for BYU Online and he is going to be teaching Digital Humanities 215 again in the fall! After going further in his program (especially taking a class on assessments), he is looking forward to applying his newfound knowledge to this class. He is also looking forward to the spring Ultimate season and has joined every intramural team our ward is participating in.

Ashley: I have been kept busy this month planning our two trips, recovering from the trips, taking care of things when Adam was sick, and being sick myself. All of these things made this month fly by and its hard to believe its already May! One of the biggest goals I have right now is getting healthier and losing weight. I didn't gain too much weight from being pregnant with Eli but dealing with postpartum depression did add some pounds. Also one of the medications I was taking made me hungry ALL the time which didn't help anything. So I'm tapering down that med, trying to exercise more, and eat a bit healthier. I feel like I'm surrounded by people telling me how the only way to lose weight and get healthy is [insert expensive weight loss program]. Being poor college students, I'm going to stick with good old basic exercise and eating healthier. This is actually fine by me because I wanted to get a routine that would be easy for me to maintain without requiring me to keep spending money in order to keep the weight off. So we'll see how this works out ;)

Eli: is 8 months old! I feel like this month he has developed in leaps and bounds. One of the biggest changes is he crawls! This means that we've been working on baby proofing which is an ongoing process. Mostly we see that he can now grab at certain things and we have to figure out how to change the access to said thing. There have also been times where it almost sounds like he says mama and dada. I don't know if he fully understands what they mean but he knows we like hearing them haha. He usually says dada when he's happy and mama when he's sad (although it usually sounds like mum mum or mem mem). Its hard not to melt when he crawls onto my lap with a sad face going "mem mem mem". He is also enjoying standing up and can balance pretty well while holding something like the couch or coffee table. He's been working on learning how to pull himself up but he hasn't quite gotten the hang of it. We gave him his first haircut which turned out better than we expected haha. He is loving solids a lot more and will now happily eat peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and bread. While we were in Texas, he also liked mexican rice haha. He definitely is keeping us on our toes now that he is a lot more mobile but every change is fun to watch :)

Special events this month!
We began the month in Seattle!

We went to Texas! Read about that here!

Trip to Texas

Last week we went to Texas! Both of Adam's sisters and all of his nieces and nephews are there so we've been meaning to go for awhile. Thanks to a nice tax return and finding super cheap plane tickets we decided to finally go!

Day 1: Monday started off a little crazy because we were supposed to leave in the morning but our flight got cancelled and rebooked. We were originally going to have a layover in Houston but with the crazy weather there, we instead had a layover in Denver and left in the afternoon. This turned out to be a silver lining because the now 5 hour layover allowed us to visit Adam's parents. So when we got to Denver, we headed over to their house in Broomfield.

It was nice to have that time with them and Eli enjoyed playing with their toys. Adam's aunt Joanne who lives with them and hadn't met Eli as well. It was instant love :) We ate an early dinner with them from a place called Infinitus Pie, a really yummy pizza place. We hung out for awhile before they drove us back to the airport. Eli enjoyed high-pitched squealing on this flight which was not fun but we made it and finished off the evening heading to Adam's sister Ruth's house in Fort Worth.

Day 2: We had a low-key morning with Ruth and her two youngest kids (ages 2 and 3). We surprised her middle son (3rd grade) at lunch and decided to take him out of school to spend time with us. We met up with Adam's other sister Sharon and her youngest boy who is only 6 months older than Eli and we all went to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Fort Worth is one of only two places in the country that print paper money. It was cool to see all that went into the process. There were some areas that the windows were covered because they were printing new money, which we later figured out that it was probably the new Harriet Tubman $20 bill. After this we went to a local Thai restaurant for lunch. I was pleasantly surprised at finding good Asian food in Texas haha. That evening we had a big hamburger and hot dog dinner with both families and had Family Home Evening together. It was so fun to be around all the kids and Eli loved all his cousins. It brought back memories of getting together with all of my cousins when I was little (except multiply the number of kids about 3 times haha). We gave the lesson and a couple of our nieces made yummy treats. A thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Day 3: Adam was still finishing up his last project for the semester in the morning. After that, we went into downtown Fort Worth to see the Water Gardens. The Water Gardens are different kinds of elaborate fountains and waterfalls in this big city square. I really liked the one you could walk down into so you were surrounded by waterfalls.

For lunch, we went to a yummy Mexican restaurant that had a beautiful outdoor sitting area. We went back to the house so the littles could nap and I ended up napping too while Adam finished his project. Once they all woke up, they played together until dinner. After a tasty family dinner, Sharon picked us up to take us over to her house, where we were staying for the rest of our trip. Eli went to bed as soon as we got there and the adults stayed up late talking which was nice :)

Day 4: On Thursday we went into Dallas for the first time. I always enjoy seeing new downtown areas with their new places and people. We went up the Reunion Tower which has an observation deck with a great view of the city.
After this we wanted to go explore Dallas more but then I started to not feel good. So we headed back to Justin where Sharon lives. On the way, we stopped at this cute French cafe called La Madeleine which had french language audio instruction playing in the bathroom. The food and pastries were delicious. Later, we went to our niece's gymnastics place to see a bit of her practice. She was so good! It was fun to see our nieces and nephews enjoy all their various passions. We took her out of practice a little early and went home to eat dinner and chill for the rest of the evening.

Day 5: Friday, we had plans to go to Mckinney to see a friend but I woke up feeling awful, so we mostly just hung out at the house. In the afternoon, we went to a park with the kids and in the evening, we all went out for dinner with Ruth and her family. We went to a BBQ place which was very Texan haha. It was fun to have all of the family together again and the kids loved playing with Eli.

Day 6: I was still feeling crummy so we called off our meet-up with a cousin of mine and I spent most of the morning resting and packing. Adam and Eli were able to go to our nephew's basketball game which was fun. Eli loved seeing his Auntie Ruth again and watching the boys play. Before we left for the airport, I did Sharon's girls' nails which turned out way cute.
It made me feel good how excited they were about it especially since I hadn't spent too much time with them since getting sick. We then went to the airport and took our first leg to Houston. Eli has done pretty good on the flights we've taken this far but this one he high-pitch squealed the whole time. Luckily it was a short flight but it did make me worried about our 3 hour flight to SLC which would end just before midnight. We were blessed however because he fell asleep during take-off and woke up when we landed with no complaints!

Overall, I loved this trip but it did leave me wanting more. There were so many things that I we didn't get to do because I was sick but we will definitely keep our eye out for cheap flights to Dallas/Fort Worth in the future ;)

March Update

Our exciting March!

Adam: mostly spent the month preparing for his presentation in Seattle. Between that, work, school, and family time, he stays pretty busy. I feel so blessed that Adam loves to spend time with Eli. Even if sometimes it is to procrastinate homework haha. They have such a great bond and it makes me so happy to see them playing together.

Ashley: My days mostly consist of taking care of Eli, doing daily housework, and working on small projects. My projects this month have consisted of loom knitting a blanket and going through tons of clothes (thank you baby and PPD weight). I try to get out as much as possible if the weather permits. Luckily this month has been gorgeous so there have been lots of walks and play groups at the park with people in our ward.

Eli: is 7 months old! He is so happy and loves to smile at everyone everywhere we go which makes him lots of friends. He is not full on crawling yet but he gets on his hands and knees and rocks a lot and he can slowly scoot and roll himself where he wants to go. We're thinking he might've started teething because he's moved on to the biting everything stage as opposed to sucking everything. He's been drooling like crazy since he was a couple months old so everyone asks if he's teething. No signs of a tooth sprouting yet though. He's a really good sleeper and usually either wakes up once or not at all. He's still not a huge fan of solids but he loves peas haha. He's such a sweet boy and although he is not much of a cuddler unless he's super tired, it's so cute when he runs his fingers through my hair  and touch my face when I feed him. It helps me know that even though I'm not breastfeeding him, we can still bond during feedings. He has also learned how to shake his head no but we're pretty sure he doesn't know what it means at all so it's cute :)

Events this month!

Easter was a bit dampened because Adam was sick so that meant church alone. But I was blessed to give the lesson in Relief Society (a time on Sunday in the LDS church when just women get together). I talked about the atonement and there was a wonderful spirit in the room. I love my calling! Later in the day, we went over to Stephanie's place to have dinner. We had yummy ham, scalloped potatoes, and green bean casserole. For dessert, I made golden oreo truffles in the shape of eggs. It was fun being able to hide Easter eggs for my nephew now that he is old enough to enjoy it :)

We also went to Seattle! See that post here

Trip to Seattle

We just got back from a very fun trip to Seattle! Adam was presenting on a panel at the Association for Asian Studies international conference and we decided to make it a family trip. So we all flew down on the 30th and came back today. We decided to get City Passes which I'm SO glad we did! We were able to do all the fun things we wanted to do for way cheaper! I highly recommend them :) So here is what we did!

Day 1: Wednesday started kinda rough with me forgetting Eli's birth certificate 10 minutes into our drive to the airport. That plus a really long line at security made us miss our flight. Luckily they just rebooked us on the next flight a couple hours later no extra charge! We were very grateful. Eli did great on the plane ride getting hiccups when going up and down, falling asleep for half of it, and making friends with everyone around us.
Once we landed, we got our rental car and headed to our hotel. We were a bit early for check in but luckily they had a room available for us. It was nice and big with a really awesome view. We took it easy that day and just ate at the Whole Foods around the block for dinner so Eli could take a solid nap.

Day 2: Thursday we walked down to the pier to go to the aquarium. Eli really liked all of the fish and the otters. There was a worker in a scuba suit feeding the fish in the big tank and Eli got super excited when he waved at him. He flapped his arms, laughed, and said "hi!" 

Then we walked along the pier for a bit and then went up through Pike Place Market. We ate lunch at a little Indian booth and had delicious lamb kebab wraps and samosas. After that, we walked back to our hotel room so that Eli could get a nap in and Adam could go to class remotely. The class didn't work out sadly but once Eli woke up we went back to the pier to go on a harbor cruise. We got to sit on top of this nice boat and have a guided tour of everything around the harbor. It was a gorgeous day and it was so fun to learn interesting facts that we wouldn't have otherwise known. Eli had lots of fun looking out on the boat. We even saw some sea lions hanging out on a buoy! After the cruise, we had dinner at Ivar's fish bar on the pier and then called it a day.

Day 3: On Friday, we began the day by going to the Woodland Park Zoo. Eli was really tired so he didn't enjoy too much of it and he fell asleep part way through. He did like to see the big cats like the jaguar and the ocelot. Mostly he enjoyed watching all of the older kids around him get excited haha. For lunch, we decided to go to Redmond to a British shop we had been to before called The British Pantry. We had yummy Lancashire pasties and some of our favorite candies. After that, we drove back to our hotel for a quick rest and nap for Eli then we walked to the Space Needle. Adam wasn't a huge fan of the elevator ride up because it was made of glass but once we got to the top, the view was great :) Once we got down, we took the monorail to the retail district so we could get some more formula at the Target there and then we walked the long way back. We did tons of walking while we were in Seattle which was exhausting but a fun way to see the city. However, there were TONS of smokers. Yes we came from Utah so any is a big difference but we counted 8 along 1 1/2 city blocks! I grew up around Portland so smokers and even the smell of pot isn't too new to me but I think having a baby makes me extra aware now. Anyways, we knew we had a big day the next day so we went back so Adam could practice more on his presentation.

Day 4: On Saturday, we started the morning with a walk to the Convention Center where the Asian Studies conference was being held so Adam could check in and get a feel of where the room was he was going to be presenting in. Once we got back to the hotel, my parents, sister Jessica, and her boyfriend Brad came! My parents were especially excited to see Eli and give him the toys they brought. We then walked to the Chihuly Garden and Glass over by the Space Needle. My mom had been looking forward to go to that for awhile since seeing a special about it on TV. The museum was AMAZING! The artist blows glass to make the most incredible sculptures.
After finishing that, Jessica and Brad went back to their car to feed the meter and my parents, Adam, and I took the monorail to the retail district. Then I wished Adam luck and he split off to go to the Convention Center for his presentation. Other than a video clip not working, it went really well! He was grateful for this experience to teach him what to expect at other international conferences. Anyways, the rest of us met up with Jessica and Brad at Pike Place and we went down to the pier to have dinner at The Crab Pot. Most of everyone had the crab cakes and I had a delicious salmon burger. Eli thoroughly enjoyed a piece of honeydew that Brad fed him haha.
It was very funny to watch him eat that melon so ferociously haha. We walked back up to Pike Place after that and looked at some of the booths. Adam met up with us and we all walked back to the hotel. Then we drove over to the Columbia Tower (the tallest building in Seattle) and went to the observation deck on top. The view was even better than the Space Needle (which looked very small from up there). We even could see the Seattle Sounders soccer game haha. We then went back to hang out at the hotel for a little bit, get dessert at Whole Foods, and then say goodbye.

Day 5: On Sunday we checked out of our hotel to go to a different cheaper one closer to the airport since we had a very early flight. We checked in and then dropped off the rental car and took a shuttle back to the hotel. The rest of the day was low key which was good because Eli was extremely tired and sick of being away from home.

Day 6: Early Monday morning we flew home!

I was so glad Eli and I got to join Adam for his conference so we could have a bit of a family vacation. It was also a great opportunity to see my family again! We are happy to be home and get back to normal although things will get crazy again in two weeks because then we're going to Texas!

February Update

Here is our February!

Adam: has been working hard at school and work. Independent Study decided to throw some extra stuff on him that he needed to complete asap for his master's project, so sadly he had to withdraw from one of his classes. Luckily he already fulfilled the graduation requirement this class would fill but the information would've been useful. But we figured that doing a good job on his project was the most important.

Ashley: is loving taking care of our little man! I have finished dating and labeling my digitized home videos which was a very fun project. I also purchased a woven wrap which I've been playing with a lot. It has been fun to look up tutorials on all the different carries I can do with it and Eli has enjoyed being worn a lot. I've been loving the nice weather so we have been going on lots of walks and trips to the park :)

Eli: is 6 months old!! He had his first cold the latter half of the month which wasn't too fun but with lots of love and care he is getting better. He also started solids which he is unsure about. He's not a big fan of purees but he likes fresh food so we might try baby led weaning. We've also started signing to him! He can't do any yet but we're pretty sure he understands "milk" because he gets really excited and opens his mouth when we do it haha. He can now sit up unassisted! He likes walks, going on the swing, tickles, and whenever Daddy is home :)

Fun events in February!
During Valentine's day weekend, Adam's parents came to visit! It was fun spending time with his family playing games, eating yummy food, and going to the Church History Museum. The main reason they came was so we could all go to the Provo City Center Temple! It was amazingly beautiful and I can't wait to go through it once its dedicated. Although that might be awhile since I'm sure it'll be super busy. We even heard that it was booked for marriages for the next year! Eli enjoyed looking around although he was very sleepy. He fell asleep after we left the Celestial room so I think he just wanted to be awake to see it ;) Also some old friends came to visit and got to meet Eli! Their son Rhett and him are already BFFs and we're already
planning for them to be BYU roommates like their dads :)

January Update

Here are the big things that happened last month:

Adam: started a new semester! He is taking 10 credits (3 classes), which is a lot of work. 9 credits is usually full-time for graduate students. He is taking a class on assessments, one on product development (lots of programming), and one on project management. He keeps busy with those as well as continuing his job for BYU Online. After talking with his advisor, it looks like he may aim to graduate in December of this year rather than August. This will allow him plenty of time to finish his master's project and do a good job on it.

Ashley: is enjoying being a stay-at-home mom! Our lives are a lot simpler with me being able to take charge of Eli and the house during the day. I know Adam is a lot less stressed which makes me feel better. I'm finding little projects to work on, like making cloth wipes and organizing and labeling all of the digitized home videos that my dad just sent me :) It's been so fun to see me and my sisters when we were little and compare them to how Eli acts. I am loving being able to watch Eli grow and develop daily!

Eli: will be 6 months old in a couple weeks! He is growing so fast! He is a very happy, smiley baby and loves peek-a-boo and sucking on everything. He rolls from back to tummy and tummy to back constantly which is how he gets around mostly haha. He tries to scoot as well but hasn't gotten close to crawling yet. We are working on him learning to sit up on his own which he can do for only about 10 seconds. He is such a joy to us :)

Major Events of January
The only big event this month was our sudden trip to Washington. Sadly, my maternal grandmother passed away on New Year's Eve. We traveled with my sister and her family for the funeral the first week of January. I was very grateful that we could be with my family at this time because this was such an upsetting loss. I was very close to her all my life and I was devastated that I couldn't say goodbye. We knew what was coming towards the end but she deteriorated very quickly in only about 4 months. So much of my family were able to make it to the funeral and many I hadn't seen in awhile. I know that my grandma loved watching our sort of family reunion. Also, my parents got to finally meet Eli! They enjoyed getting to know him and he charmed everyone :) I'll miss my grandma but I am so grateful to know that I will see her again.

My mom's side of the family minus a few

A Letter to Postpartum Depression

First off, you're a monster. You turned my life upside down right when it was supposed to be one of the happiest of times. Because of you, my husband had one of the hardest semesters ever and you put him behind on his thesis. You made him fear for my life. I wanted to appreciate the newborn stage of my son so badly but you robbed me of any joy I might have felt. Sometimes when I see other newborns, I try to remember when Eli was that little and I struggle through the haze. It's like you stole the memories of the first couple months of his life. I look at the few pictures I took then and can barely remember what it was like to hold him and interact with him. You sucked the life out of me during that time making my friends and family watch me turn into a shell of the person I was.

But in the end, I won. You fought hard but I fought harder. Because of you, I'm stronger than ever. When you tried to hurt my relationship with my husband, it didn't work. Instead my love grew exponentially as I watched him get extra special bonding time with our son. You thought you could ruin my relationship with my son, but I am bonded with him in spite of your efforts and I love him more than ever. I also got the opportunity to build strong friendships with so many people who served me in fighting you off. Because of this experience, I am now able to support others as they fight their own battle with you. Before you turned your evil head on me, I still struggled some with anxiety. But in order to build my strength for the battle, I learned more on how I can sustain my mental health so I can feel better than I ever have. I will never let you beat me. In the end, I can thank you for making me a Warrior Mom.

In your face,

Ashley