The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and a Blankie

Moving twice in under two years is a pretty excellent way to help you want to live a possessionless life. About a year and a half ago I had a friend blog about diving into minimalism. I was busy unpacking our crap so of course I was intrigued. The only area I can really say I've ever struggled with wanting "stuff" all the time is clothes. When I was young I liked being cool, nowadays I'm on the mommy body changing roller coaster which makes keeping things that don't fit a battle of time. How long should I keep this? Will it still be popular when I fit it again? Did I really like it that much when it did fit? And last but not least is it worth lugging around for 2 years when I could easily replace it??

Along with that I got rid of allllll kinds of "things" and "stuff" I talked a little bit about it previously, but that was a rough year so I didn't have a lot of time or motivation to blog about it. Well recently I started reading Marie Kondo's book that's been so popular, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

 Not necessarily because I don't know how to tidy up, organize or purge, but in hopes of continuing to get more ideas and fine tuning my abilities. Also it's aways good, at least for me to keep my excitement up when it comes to cleaning. In the book, which I had already heard about, she talks about only keeping things that bring us joy. For the most part I found that advice kind of silly. In my mind my "things" either had value because of their daily/consistent use, I need them or they are sentimental (within reason). Then there's stuff like all my chubby mom clothes. They most certainly don't bring me joy but I refuse to buy new stuff just because I don't fit my regular stuff. That's not to say I don't have some clothes that I can wear but I don't want to have several full wardrobes for all my different weights $$$

Fast forward to about a week ago. I was Facebook surfing my friends' profiles when I found myself looking at a friend's super cute baby boy.

I looked closer and realized the blankie he was holding reminded me of one my brother used to have.

So I asked my friend where she got the blankie, assuming it had been hers or one of her siblings. It turned out that the blankie WAS actually my brother's/Davie's blankie and we had accidentally left it at her house on one of the many occasions she had watched my baby Davie (for free I might add). I wasn't upset or anything like that and she immediately offered to send it to me, which was super nice. I told her she should use the blankie for her little boy and then maybe send it back after he was done with it. The blankie is a little boyish and I just had Violet so I wasn't in any rush, but I did kind of want it back.

I've had a lot of time to think about that little blanket. What I left out, because I did not want her to feel bad, was that little blankie is what I brought Colin home in. 

I didn't buy anything when I had Colin. I basically had no money and I didn't want to have things that reminded me of him afterwards. So I took my brother's blanket to the hospital.

 I'm still not even sure how I ended up with it, I must have used it for my dolls and randomly kept it, which is surprising because my dolls were some of my first younger childhood toys to go.

After I placed Colin I actually carried the blanket around with me for a time. Not in a weird way, just around the house a little for the first week or so and I slept with it. For a while it actually still smelled like him and it was extra comforting.

After I had Davie I used the blankie again. Davie spit up a LOT. So it was tricky finding pictures with this blankie. We had a lot of laundry his first year. Note that he is naked in the picture below. He had drenched his clothes.

 It made me feel thrifty for reusing something and it was nice that it had been used by my brother and Colin (even though it was only a couple of days).

As I thought about these things I decided that the blanket did not bring me joy. Marie Kondo talks about that. As you go through your things you need to ask yourself if an item sparks joy in your heart. Even though I love my brother and Colin I realized that the blankie itself made me kind of sad and I also realized that I did not want it back.

 If anything it gave me 100% more joy knowing someone else that I love was using it. This is a long story about a silly blanket, but I was surprised to find myself (a fairly unattached and logical person when it comes to "things") getting so emotional over a blanket that I hadn't ever really used and was not something of any real value. My mom said she had bought it at a second hand store in Washington state before she had my brother Jordan. It wasn't homemade and it wasn't even a gift. Yet here I was trying to decide if I wanted it. I was glad I had the experience though, it helped me work through some of my feelings and emotions I didn't know I still had. It actually ended up being pretty cathartic. I realized that, as Marie Kondo says in her book, the blanket has served its purpose in my life and was now happy in its new home.

I don't know if I have gotten teary eyed about Colin in a long time but I did during this blankie dilemma. It's weird how we as humans can forget painful things so easily. My whole experience with Colin has given me empathy for others that I never would have gained in any other way. If it hadn't of been for Colin I would never understand some of the pain and sadness that goes into losing a child or infertility. While I realize that all three of those situations are different the loss felt is very similar and I'm glad I can understand others just a little better.

Once again I can say that I know God loves me and that he watches over me. From time to time we may all think that we have learned all we can from certain trials or that we no longer have healing to do. It's amazing how our Heavenly Father can present himself in our lives and help us when we are not even aware that we need it. 

My Mommy Moment

Occasionally some of you ladies will post articles about being a mom, having children and all those other details that go along with it on Facebook. Some articles I really like others... not so much. Today as I was going through some of Davie's things that are too small or can be put into storage (we are getting a bigger storage unit and meeting with a relator on MONDAY!) I was remembering my biggest "new mom" hurdle. 

For me nothing about having a baby is that "gross" a little uncomfortable? sure. Less appropriate to talk about in some situations then others? Yup. A squeamish topic around men? Yes sir. But in reality its just a body process that (like many) has it's share of fluids. I was never taught that birth had no "yucky" parts. I just slowly learned how it worked and I was fine with it. Did that mean when I had Davie that I wanted the doctor to hand him to me when he was still all "wet". NO! But in that moment I quickly realized, oh thats not as bad as I thought it would be. I should also add that Davie was not as slimy or sticky as some babies are when he was born. I also realized he didn't stink, not sure what I thought it would smell like but it wasn't anything "gross". 

Must protect the blessing outfit!

Flash forward to having that new baby. I was prepared for baby poop messes, long nights, lots of crying and maybe even an "I don't care about myself" phase. Well not much of that ever happened. Instead I got the baby that literally spit up ALL the time for ALMOST the first year of his life. And not like "oh he drooled, how cute!" Like drench a blanket in one go, use 4+ blankets a day, outfit changes, drool by the pint (without teething I might add), buy 10 more spit up blankets, always doing laundry, and SOOO many bibs all the time kind of spit up. 

That picture of Davie right there was after he spit up ALL over had a yucky diaper and then peed on us. Whew! Talk about your clean up marathon. He literally wore out his bibs, we still use them even though the velcro on them does almost nothing. Turns out theres only so many times you can wash velcro before it gives up the ghost (four washes a day sometimes). That was so tough for me! 

Here I was thinking "wow this mom stuff isn't so bad", Davie wasn't so bad, I really felt like I had time to get "washed up/ made up" for the day. My bigger deterrent was the thought of Davie spewing allll over my "nice" clothes. And without fail most days that I actually got ready he did. Including a black lace shirt, it was gross. 

All of that basket is HIS laundry.

So as I was picking out the very boy spit blankets and leaving out the yellow, green and ducky themed ones for the new little miss I got the tiniest bit of dread at the thought of having another baby. What if she spits up the way Davie did!?! I'll deal, because I have to, but darn that would really stink. That picture of all the spit up blankets above doesn't do itself justice because there really are an abnormal amount of them, they are just really flat from being folded in their box for so long.

He was a happy spitter-upper

For the most part every baby has their "downside" some don't sleep their first year, others have colic, while others seem to have a curious amount of diaper catastrophes. I guess what I am trying to get at here is this is my official "putting what I want out into the universe" blog post concerning this next baby- please be a decent sleeper at least until my classes are finished and please don't spit up on me for the whole first year of your life. That's all I ask... for now. 

My Silver Lining

Davie woke up with a fever today and I was not able to take him to daycare- STRESS! I didn't use my time on Monday very well I helped out one of my visiting teaching ladies and in all I just wasn't very focused. So I am hoping that tomorrow Davie will feel better and I will be able to really study. 

This is us this morning. We read books for probably 45 minutes and I would have kept going but I knew he needed to eat. It was pure heaven. I told David I felt bad because I enjoyed Davie soooo much today! He wanted to snuggle and cuddle which is something he seriously never EVER does even if he is sick. At the store he grabbed my hand and wanted me to hold his and later grabbed my hand and wanted me to put it around him while he was sitting in the baby cart seat. At a different store he actually was asleep as I carried him in and didn't wake up for several minutes. There's a first time for everything.

Davie Turns One

I wish I had written more of Davie's stats down for this one year post. Even though this post is being posted over 6 months late I know his grandparents are still dying to see these pictures because they are adorable :) 

At one Davie has no teeth. Just look at that gummy smile! Because of Davie's excessive spitting up his first year I easily made it to a year nursing him. 

It was one of the only forms of nutrition that I knew he would always take and it was everything he needed. I thought I would feel more inclined to stop after his birthday but I didn't. I was determined to make sure he could get as much food as he could. 

He can walk like a pro, he could have been walking around 9 months but every time we made him try he would fall to his bottom on purpose as a sign of rebellion. 

Look at him go!

The few days leading up to his birthday we pushed super hard to get him to put his 1 little finger up so maybe he would do it the day of his birthday when we got his pictures done. 

And of course he didn't really do it the whole photo session... ok he did it ONCE. But maybe he was going for the "only once" theme for his first birthday. 

You can see the mischief in his eyes in this picture "what? I'm just bending my pointer finger" He did this a million times during the session which of course got us excited every time that he might actually show us his whole pointer. 

Such a stinker. I know he likes to wind me up.

 Davie is still not attached to anyone (well except for Daddy) or anything. This is both good and bad. He got the ring stacker for Christmas and he plays with it pretty good. I love that I had the same toy when I was little.

  He has no favorite blanket or toy, the closest to attachment he gets is focusing on new toys for the first week after he gets them (that's not to say he gets new toys every week). 

He also LOVES to carry around David's reflex hammer and pound on anyone he can.

He is a true Warden and loves him some Diet A&W. 

Wrong side buddy.

I love these one! I was going to pick out my favorites and send them out to family as Valentines day cards, but it didn't happen.

He pondered the hearts for like two seconds...

Then all he wanted to do was drop them on the ground.

Here he is looking up after dropping the heart.

Whoops!

He's leaning over to see if he can reach it.

Davie is actually on our kitchen table in these two but the light from behind turned out so good.

Here is Davie in some of his BYU apparel he got for Christmas. I was so sad because the hat was so CUTE but it was already on the small side. It said 12 months but I think it should have said 6-12.

Baby Pucker

Another one of his ADORABLE all gum smiles.

And of course him being cute but also trying to take off the hat. It took me a good 10 minutes to distract him enough to leave the hat on just so we could take pictures.

The photographer brought this really cute plane with her and Davie was so excited by it.

And last but not least there were a couple of us together. I really wish David could have been in them too but he has had a busy school schedule all year. 

Actually letting me cuddle him a little.

Davie does great with picture poses like these because he loves being put up high.

That is Davie's one year photo shoot!

11 Months

This is the last post of it's kind. After this post Davie will be a one year old and no longer my little baby. Month eleven has been crazy! Davie has learned so much and he has literally come alive.

This month Davie started waiving good-bye, and hi. He started saying hi and hey but not just the sounds I'm pretty sure he know what they mean. Da- da is another one of his favorite things to say but it is not yet directed at David; occasionally he will say ma- ma but it's usually when he is tired or cranky (just what I want him to associate me with). The house is also full of squeals of delight and anger, he is not shy about telling you how he feels. 

I love this shot.

Davie is starting to strike out on his own in the walking department. He is still too scared to go for it entirely but he sure tries, it helps if mom or dad are on the other side with a yogurt bite as incentive.

 I have really had to try and count my blessings from time to time though because he can REALLY get frustrating. Naps and bedtime are pretty much a breeze now but getting him to hold still to dress him or change his diaper is soooo painful!

 Seriously he is constantly screeching at me arching his back and rolling over EVERY time I change his clothes, wipe his face, change his diaper, and anything else that requires holding still. I've had to pull myself aside and remind myself that it's no big deal and that most of the time I have no time crunch so it doesn't matter. 

 But seriously sometimes if he would literally just give me ONE minute it would be over instead he fights me and it takes 5+.

I'm also trying my best not to complain because I know that this situation will basically never go away, next will be him wanting to eat on his own, then picking out his clothes and the list goes on and on. 

He had several taste tests.

You can tell he is trying to crawl off the chair in this picture. For as cheerful as Davie is the one thing that still makes me really scratch my head is how he cries almost every morning when I lay him down to change his diaper. He still does that and I just don't get it. I can understand during the day since I change him at different times but EVERY morning? I guess I keep thinking that he will figure out the pattern, but also who doesn't want a fresh baby tooshie??

There are so many pictures of him shaking the lights it reminds me of the song Shake it by Metro Station.

YES! Mommy finally let me touch these!!!!

He is the blur, just look at him in the next few shots there is something blurry in every single one.

He is still about as cuddly as a kick boxer and just as gentle, which always pains me so I am constantly forcing him to let me hug him and love him.

Christmas lights are more fun if you shake them.

They're all mine!

Moving too fast for his own good, this picture makes me laugh, just in case you couldn't tell he was trying desperately to balance himself. 

 I figure he's still being nursed, I stay at home with him and his father lives in the same house, I'm pretty sure a little extra love won't hurt him. Also these pictures were near PAINFUL to take seriously all he wanted to do was turn around (as in the opposite direction of my camera). Like this 

HEY! Who's out there?!

 But it's ok becuase I feel like I at least got a couple of good shots...

and because I got to wrap him up TIGHT and then wrap the lights around him. He wasn't a fan but I liked watching him be annoyed with me, haha I'm so juvenile.

 Also the boy still has NO teeth, thus far he is taking after me :) sorry David.