Just a few pictures of my little love!

Opposites Attract????

Good morning, all!!!! Finn and I have a busy day ahead of us; we are going camping with Luke, and my family from Wednesday to Saturday and we have lots left to prepare! I cannot wait to take Finn camping in the same spot where I spent most of my summer vacations as a child. But, that is not the point of this post. Luke and I have had this discussion plenty of times and last night, as we talked quietly as we slowly slipped into unconsciousness, I came to fully understand how opposite Luke and I really are...and how much I absolutely love it.

Luke is a realist; his motto is: "Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst." I am an idealist; my head is in the clouds, and I don't like to live in reality, unless absolutely necessary.

Luke loves rap, 80's music, techno (gag), country, and everything in between. I only like hard rock music, (although, to be honest, Luke has opened my eyes to a few songs NOT in that genre.)

Luke loves Star Trek, Star Wars, WW II flicks, and the History channel. I love action movies, Harry Potter, romance and musicals.

Luke has the world's most intense personality. His temper is the most intense one I have ever seen, (it's amusing though; he has never lost it with me. He loses it at work daily, however.) I don't have a temper, (it's takes A LOT to make me mad, and Luke teases me when I do. Apparently, it's impossible to take me seriously when I'm mad because I still look nice and happy.)

Luke is 5'11''. I am 6'3''. The entire world feels the need to point that out, so I thought I must as well.

It takes Luke 3 minutes to fall asleep. I could be the most exhausted I have ever been, and it will still take me at least an hour to fall asleep. (I hate him for that one!)

When Luke is excited, nothing in his voice or expression changes. When I'm excited, people in Argentina can hear the excitement in my voice.

I could go on, but the point is Luke and I have three things IN common: 1. We are both LDS. 2. We both love our son. 3. We both are obsessed with the other. And because the last three years have been the best in my life, I would have to come to the conclusion that there is something to this "opposites appract" thing. :)

Today...

Today, I feel really grateful. Just content. That's all I pretty much wanted to say today. I will be posting again tomorrow after Finn's 9 month well check. I estimate he will be 30 inches and 21 lbs, but we will see if I am correct. He has certainly stretched out, and is a very tall, but thin dude! Gosh dang, it's amazing the amount of love you can feel for your child. Overwhelming, but wholly satisfying at the same time.

On another, perhaps a little personal note, Luke and I are preparing to get ready for Finn's little brother/sister. We want 4 children, 2 years apart, if all goes according to plan, (I understand it might not work exactly how we want it to, but I am a planner nonetheless.) I have to lose all the baby weight from Finn first and then some more before I get pregnant again; I gained WAY too much with Finn and will be sure to do things a little differently when I am carrying #2. I should clarify, that NO, I am NOT pregnant right now. But, we are getting ready! I think about how crazy difficult it's going to be with Finn having to share me, but I think he will be an amazing big brother. Anyhow, he is fussing and saying "mama" so I must go. Happy Tuesday, everyone! :)

Some theories...

Good morning to you, all! There are some things filling up my noggin that I need out of my head so I am putting thosw thoughts here. You know, in my head, I am able to convey deep, intelligent thoughts about difficult subjects. Getting them out of my head and onto to "paper' is a different story. It's always been an issue with me, but has now only been compounded by something called "mommy brain." It's so true when they say you become forgettful and a little...stupid? Maybe the wrong word, but it conveys what I am trying to say. Ok, so now that I just went on and on about inane, pointless junk, let's get to the real point of this blog.

I have decided to stop reading news articles that will make me feel depressed, disgusted, or feel the presence of Satan, (I'm being completely serious. You all know what I am talking about!) The articles I would mainly read about, (some NOT by choice), were about horrible evil people committing horrible, evil acts on the Innocent, (aka children.) It made me not want to take Finn out of my sight, (I'm talking when he is older, of course), and made me wonder if Luke and I should bring more children into a world where there are so many that want to harm them. Then, (and those who know me really well, know this is coming), my positive side came screaming out, like she inevitably always does. Think of the good things in this world: children miraculously becoming cancer free, people volunteering to help feed, clothe and teach children who otherwise wouldn't have that option. The list went on and on. (I'm still not going to read those depressing articles. I wish there was an option on my computer to erase them every time I got online. Maybe I can patent that? Surely there are more people who would love to read a little more good news, and not so much death, destruction and perverse acts! Let me know if you are one of those people!)

On to the next topic: being a mother, (I promise it's a not a self righteous, gloating paragraph.) Everyone knows I LOVE being Finn's mama. That's not what I am talking about in this part of my blog. I am talking about the competition I didn't know existed between mothers until I became one myself. Yes, we all know it is a magnificent feat, giving birth. Hurts more than anything you will ever experience, (not to scare soon-to-be mamas or any ladies thinking about becoming mamas one day), and it permanently changes your physique, (again, I'm not trying to scare you.) However, I don't think women who go through childbirth deserve some award, (ever heard of a push gift? Um...really???) It should be reward enough to hold that little baby that you and the person you love the most made together. Anyhow, (see, I told you I have problems conveying things coherently), back to "mom competitions." As soon as I brought Finn home, I began to see fellow parents, (not always just the mamas), competing to see whose baby rolled first, smiled first, crawled first, stood up first, cured cancer first... My whole thought process was: Can't we just be happy when our own child does these things? Can't we be almost equally as happy when our friends' kiddos do the same? I saw friendships break up because of it; I saw people greatly exaggerate their babies accomplishments just so their kid could be the "first" one to do it, (my kid started walking at 2 months!) I don't know. Maybe this whole paragraph is gloriously judging and I should shut my trap. I just want everyone to be happy when everyone triumphs and be there for each other when someone falls. I know. I'm full of cheese! :)

Next topic: our house. I worship this house; truly, I kiss its' walls when I have a "moment" for it. But, much is still to be done. When Luke and I became Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, and I became the one in charge of our finances, (Luke has a good reason for having me fill this position in our marriage), I became VERY organized; almost, OCD-like. I make to do lists, what we need lists, grocery lists; I have all our bills put into my phone calendar, (though I have them all memorized.) Therefore, I am going to be making a list here of the things needed for our home, big and small. Feel free to stop reading, or read on to see what Luke and I still need for our home that will house our children as they grow! I love you all! :)

1. TV, (our's are ancient!)

2. Couch and loveseat, (we have some we got for free and would like some matching ones soon!)

3. A new garage door, ( the former owner backed his truck into it while it was still down. Genius!)

4. A landscaped backyard, (we have a massive, unfinished backyard!)

5. A closet organizer to come and organize Luke and my walk in closet.

6. More accessories for the walls.

7. A new TV stand.

8. A bigger dinner table, (my dad is building us one of his famous ones!)

I think that about does it for now!!! :)

It's been a LONG time...

Hello world! It's been awhile since I updated this thing-a-ma-jig so here we go! Just really quick because Finn moves a mile a minute and I have to keep an eye on him 24/7. Yes, Finn is 9 months old, and super mobile! He started crawling at about 6 months, but was doing the army crawl thing. At about 7 months, he started propping up on his knees and hands and now he is crawling so quickly that I can't sit down. I love it, though!
He started pulling himself into a standing position at about 7 1/2 months and now he is walking, (assisted by me, Luke or the couch, of course.) I think he will be walking in the next month or so now. He is always happy, and laughs so much. He is just a relaxed, content and loving little man. He is tall, lanky and has a super strong personality. Just now, he used my legs to stand up and is now trying to type along with his mama. He hasn't been sick or needed to go to the doctor, besides one little trip to the ER, (he was choking on something so badly, he was turning blue but "mama instinct" kicked in and I knocked it out of his throat. I took him to the hospital, just to be safe and since he was flirting with the nurses and the female MD, the consensus was he was fine, and he was.) Anyhow, I am putting up a list at the end of this blog of all of his "baby accomplishments" so that I can have it written down somewhere.
Real quickly, I don't know who actually reads this, but I was having a moment for all the other mamas and papas that have babies at or around Finn's age. So here's a shout out to:

Ruben and Shawntay: Proud parents of Eden!!! :)

Joe Peter and Chelsey: Proud parents of Oliver!!! :)

Jake and Kimberly: Proud parents of Isabelle!!! :)

Alan and Cassie: Proud parents of Noah and Elexis!!!! :)

Josh and Susan: Proud parents of Ginny!!! :)

Jeff and Marie: Proud parents of Lottie!!! :)

Lots of babies for Finn to chill with, (although some are a ways away from us...oh well. LOL)

Finn's Accomplishments:

Lifted head: 3 weeks

Smiled: I swear at birth, but truly at 1 month

Rolled: 2 months

Sitting at: 4 months

Army crawling: 4 months

Crawling: 6 months

Standing: 7 1/2 months

Have an amazing weekend, everyone! I love you all! :)

Good Mornin' To Ya...

Well, Good Morning world! Well, Finn and I have been up since 7am but the wonderful boy fell back asleep from 8am until 10am so I was able to get a couple more hours. He's so good to me. Now, he is sitting all warm in my lap, hiccuping and playing with his favorite toy-my cell phone. Oh, heavenly.

What was the point of this post? Just a little update about the Mitchells before it's back to being insanely busy, (which I love!) Finn is healthy, happy bouncing 20lb, 28 1/2inches baby. I saw the post with my prediction and I was really close. I DO hold him all day and all night so I guess I would be the one to judge his size correctly. Tomorrow, he is getting a new car seat- one that I will get in a neutral color since we will be having more and these car seats are spendy! :)

Finn is a crawler! A tentative one, but one nonetheless. He also can sit up on his own, and loves to copy whatever Luke and I do; it is hilarious and so much fun! He laughs ALL the time, and cannot help but smile; I mean, literally CANNOT help it. He smiles through his tears if someone does or says something funny. I love that he is a happy, relaxed baby but I have been told multiple times that if the first one is a happy baby, #2 will be...a hellraiser. We will see if that urban legend holds true, (and when I say "we will see", I don't mean soon. I mean, when Luke and I decided to TTC #2. Just to clarify, I am NOT pregnant.)

In house news, we have officially been approved and will be signing loan documents, the title papers, getting our keys and closing the sale probably by the end of next week! 3 weeks before our official closing deadline! WOOT! We have already started packing and have so much to do that we can't start doing until the keys are in our hands, so we are getting a little impatient and want to get this show on the road!!! Speaking of impatient, Finn is talking, spitting on my arm and showing signs we would like out of my lap and on the floor for some tummy time/crawling practice. So, off we go! Have a great day, everyone! :)

Update on "The Man"

Hey all! Just a quick update on Finn. He will be 6 months on the 10 of April, and is getting SO huge. We won't know what he weighs or how tall he is until his 6 month well check in a couple weeks, but my estimation and guess is: 19.6lbs, and 29inches. We will see if I am right! Here are some facts about the man: 1. He has such a personality, and is becoming quite the flirt. 2.He smiles pretty much 24/7, EXCEPT when he is really tired. Then, he becomes a big monster! 3. He is still eating all the time, and is still sleeping with me, although we have graduated from the couch to the bed with Luke. 4. He wakes up only once a night now , and just to eat and have his diaper changed. 5. He is terrified of super loud noises; I have to hold him when I vacuum and he keeps a death grip on my arm and shoulder. I am trying to break him of that, though. Breaks my heart to see that terrified look on his face. 6. He grunts, flexes his arms and shakes when he wants my attention. I know I shouldn't encourage it, but it's hilarious. 7. He talks, (or should I say 'blabs"), and laughs ALL the time. I have a feeling he is going to be a happy, bouncy, "all over the place" toddler. :) 8. He sighs and moans while he sleeps. It's become a lullaby to me. HA. 9. He loves to be held, and I have to catch him in the right mood in order for him to be happy to be on the floor for tummy time. 10. He rolls all over the place and does what I call "the worm" in order to get around. 11. He is doing a push up style stance and puts his knees under his tummy. No crawling forward yet! 12. He is a huge daddy's boy. He will love on me all day, and as soon as Luke comes home from work, I no longer exist. It's adorable, if not a little saddening for me. :) In other areas, Luke and I found a large, new and completely fabulous house and we are now in escrow. We are just waiting for the loan to go through and then the keys will be in our hands! I am so tense and nervous and ready for it to be ours. Have a good night all! :)