Design Dilemma (and bonus Wyatt story)

I hate my duvet cover. It is hideous. I saw it in the package and thought it was cute, and then took it out of the bag and it looked nothing like I thought. And I hated it from that moment. But I was too lazy to take it back and try to find something that I did like, so on my bed it stayed. For 5 years. And that's how I sum up most of my home decor choices. I don't have that internal chip that makes me care of these types of things. I like things to look nice, but I don't have any taste. Usually I just complain about things for a long time, and then Jake picks up something he thinks will work, which I don't necessarily like, but it gets the job done, so in our home it stays. Sometimes I am the one who picks stuff out, and then I still don't like it, but in our home it stays. Its laziness combined with not really caring enough to make a change. Since I bought the ugly duvet cover 5 years ago, I have been searching (half-heartedly, maybe even quarter-heartedly) for it's replacement. I found one that I thought I liked online. After asking everyone who came within a mile of me and my computer what they thought of the potential replacement, I finally ordered it. Here is what I thought I was getting:

This is the swatch from online:

It looks like a gray and white combo, yes? In my head, I was even getting all crazy and thinking about accent pillows, and wall art (wall art?? What the? I am not a wall art type of person). I don't know what came over me. Too much time hanging out on YoungHouseLove.com, I guess. Made me think I was a decorator. Okay. Except then it arrived, and it really looks like this:

Now I realize it is hard to tell the difference between the online picture and the crappy pictures I took, so you will have to trust me on this. The bottom picture has the white pillow for contrast, so you can see how dark the actual colors are. The colors are NOT the same as they look online (even Jake immediately noticed). Not gray and white. The real colors are brown and gray. The background is like a blue-ish gray (like the middle and bottom pictures I took), and the flowers are a brown-ish gray (like the top picture I took). The flowers aren't the problem, its the background. Its just so much darker than I thought it would be. Hmm. I don't HATE it. I don't even dislike it. But I don't love it. And I have really been making a concerted effort lately not to buy things that I don't love. And Jake feels the same way. He doesn't dislike it, but he doesn't really love it either. But he cares about these things even less than I do. So he isn't much help.

The pillow shams are on back order, and I didn't put the duvet inside in case I decide to send it back, so I know its hard to get the full effect, but I need some opinions. What do you think? Does it look too much like camo? If I do keep it, what colors would go with it for pillows and stuff?

And now that you have read through all the boring stuff, here is your bonus story:

Yesterday Wyatt woke up kind of crying in his room. Usually he just wakes up and comes upstairs and demands pancakes. So after a few minutes, I went down to get him. I found him lying on the floor, in tears.

"Wy, what's wrong?"

"Where my birthday???"

"What?"

"Where my birthday?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I want my happy birthday!"

I thought maybe he was talking about a toy or something that he got for his birthday, or reminded him of birthdays? I didn't have a clue. But he was seriously distressed. I convinced him to come up and eat breakfast, but he kept crying and saying, "Where my birthday cake? Where my presents? I want my birthday!"

He was completely heartbroken that he woke up and it wasn't his birthday. He must have been dreaming about his birthday, and then had to wake up to reality. I almost put some candles on his toast to try and make him feel better. But then I thought if someone tried to pass off toast as my birthday cake, that would probably make me cry even harder.

It must be hard being a little kid, and having no real concept of time. Every once in a while, these awesome days come along, like Christmas, Easter, birthdays, but then they are over so fast, with no satisfactory explanation for their disappearance. How do you explain how long a year is to a three year old?

The good thing about three year olds is that they get over stuff pretty quickly. A few minutes talking about Thomas the Train and Lightning McQueen, and the birthday tears were gone.

The Bean Turns One

Micah is one! Hip hip hooray! My little baby boy is one! His birthday was July 13. The year has gone by so fast. I feel like I was just pregnant with him. Maybe because I am pregnant again. Hmm.

Anyway, the last year has been wonderful, horrible, fun, exasperating, sleep-deprived, joyful, depressing, and so incredibly great. Being Micah's mom has really shaken me to the core. After being a mom to Wyatt for two years, I felt foolishly confident that I was a pretty decent parent, and that I could handle another baby, easy. And then Micah burst onto the scene. From his colicky first months, to his never-ending vomit, Micah has tested me and pushed me and forced me to grow. Parenting Wyatt was easy. Anyone could do it. But parenting Micah has not been easy for me. It has been the hardest thing I have ever done. AND I AM SO THANKFUL FOR IT. Micah has (to paraphrase a stupid cliche) made me a better mom, a better woman, and a better person. Although he makes me lose it regularly, he has made me more patient. And even though sometimes it has been hard to do so, he has made me more loving. He has made me earn my stripes, and now I can't imagine living a minute without him. He has strengthened my testimony and my faith. I understand my Heavenly Father's love for me more than ever. Thank you Micah, for coming here to me, and letting me be your mom.

Having said all that, the last month or so has really been great. Micah is having FAR fewer meltdowns, has been less clingy, more affectionate, less demanding, and all around just easier to deal with. He is still army-crawling everywhere (I think it will be a few more months before he is walking), but can get where he wants to go, and I think that has made him a much happier person. He has been quite jolly lately. We finally started him on reflux medicine, so the barfing has been reduced by 90 percent. He plays by himself now once in awhile, and he will play with Wyatt when Wyatt allows it. He is still the sweatiest kid on the block. When I am in long sleeves and pants, he is in his diaper. Sweating. He loves to eat. I'm pretty sure he is eating more than Wyatt these days. He is super giggly and ticklish, and I can't resist tickling him at every possible opportunity. He will cuddle with me occasionally now. My absolute favorite thing he does is the minute we walk into his room for bed or nap, he immediately clunks his head on my shoulder and snuggles into my neck. He likes to clap his hands, and dance. He gets cuter by the minute, and funnier too. He makes hilarious faces, and is a ham for the camera. Wyatt always says, "he's a cute baby, mom." He says mama, dada, and dog.

Micah is my dramatic diva (divo??), and maybe that's why I love him so much. As upset and hysterical as he can get, he will reach the same extremes in his happiness, silliness, and joy. He has brought so much spice and life into our home. He is fun and crazy. He is perfect in every way.

Stats at his one year appointment:

Height: 30.5 in; 70%

Weight: 21 lbs, 15 oz; 39%

Head: 19.25 in; 97.5% (I know. Its huge. He gets it from his dad.)

Birthday morning. Something else I love about Micah: he has AWESOME hair.

Trying to get the ENTIRE cupcake in his mouth in the first bite.

Delicious.

Wyatt "helping" Micah open his presents.

Micah gives up.

Micah decides to just go for what he really wants: to eat this toy.

These are just some of my favorite Micah pictures from the last few months:

Happy birthday beautiful baby boy!

PTM: Part Dos

The fun in Utah continued for a second week. We headed up to Bear Lake for a Smith family reunion (Jake's mom's family). The weather was beautiful, the lake was warm, and it was nice that Jake finally took a few days off work to RELAX. We had a great time with all the aunts, uncles, cousins, babies...lots of family, lots of fun!

Wyatt didn't want to get in the water at first, until he realized it was like a huge bathtub. He spent the next four hours in the following position:

Micah just hated the water. Period. Here he is trying to keep any part of his body from coming in contact with water:

Wyatt catching some rays with mom. Don't worry, we're both slathered in block.

Jake takes a turn trying to convince Micah to enjoy the water. Still not gonna happen.

One of the days we were up there, we went to the Minnetonka Caves. They were super cool. And super cool.

Its hard to take a picture in a cave. Flash only goes so far. Here's our best effort. The kids' faces are awesome.

Our happy family:

After Bear Lake, we headed to our foggy home by the sea.

The drive sucked.

Pilgrimage to Mecca. Part One.

After Wyatt's birthday, we headed up to Utah to see some family and get caught up on our Vitamin D requirements. On the drive up, we broke up the drive and stayed overnight in Squaw Valley at Lake Tahoe. It was absolutely beautiful there. We are planning a longer trip soon.

We then stayed with my sister Heather and her family for a week. My parents were there the same time, so it was nice to all be together. The first night, we went to Provo Canyon for a picnic. Micah HATED the grass, and insisted Grandpa hold him the entire time. The other kids are practicing their hill rolling. This is an action shot. No, really:

I couldn't believe Wyatt was being so brave and climbing up this rock wall by himself! In his flips!
At the top. I guess he really wanted to be like his big kid cousins, Hinckley and Halle.

Later that week, we went to American Fork Canyon for a hot dogs (or hock dogs, as Wyatt calls them) and marshmallows cooked in the campfire. I had to get all paparazzi for this picture. If Wyatt sees me with a camera, he either refuses to look at me or he starts scowling and glaring. I don't get it. He is such a happy, smiley kid, but you would never know it by looking at pictures. Anyway, I like that he is smiling here.

And the ever adorable Micah. Haven't posted too many pictures of him lately. Here he is hanging out in the backpack. He really likes it in there.

Other things we did that I didn't get pictures of...we went swimming at the Lehi Legacy Center. The boys were not fans of the pool. We spent a day at Temple Square and the Conference Center. We also got to see some friends and family while there. It was so nice to spend time with several old roommates, my cousin Kathryn, and Jake's brother Tyson and his wife Taylor. It really made me miss living in Utah!

Wyatt Turns Three!

Wyatt's third birthday was June 20. He has grown so much in the last year. He is all legs now! I'm not feeling super verbose, so my thoughts are kind of disjointed. But here are a few of the things that Wyatt has been up to in the last year:

He loves to sing! At any given moment, he can usually be heard singing, both real and made up songs. He has also been singing songs he hears on the radio, and particularly loves the Black Eyed Peas song, "I Gotta Feeling."

He still loves cars and trains and airplanes and helicopters (holla-hoppers) and motorcycles and boats.

He loves to play with his friends and to boss around Micah and Lucy. He had a hard time adjusting to the birth of his baby brother, but in the last few months, Wyatt has been asking to play with Micah and even climbs in Micah's crib now to hang out (I have mixed feelings about this).

Life is one big game of pretend, mostly animals, but also monsters and ghosts.

Wyatt loves nursery, and when I ask him what he learned about, he always tells me "trains!" So I prompt him, "did you learn about Jesus/families/prayer?" to which he says "and trains!"

Wyatt loves to go to the beach and make tracks and roads in the sand for his trains and cars. He will go on the tidepools for about 30 seconds and then start in on the construction work.

Wyatt is still my sweet little happy head, always asking for snuggles and hugs. Wyatt makes parenting easy, and I am so thankful to have him in our family!

We love you Wyatt!!!

Rare Sunny Day

Back in early June, the temperature hit 70 degrees, and the sun was shining, so we walked down to the beach.

Grandparents Visit - May

My parents came to visit over Memorial Day weekend. We spent the weekend eating seafood, went to the beach and the tide-pools, and hung out in the city. We took the kids to the Maritime Museum, which has some old boats that you can tour. Its a lot cooler than it sounds. Wyatt loved it, and so did I. We had beautiful weather, lots of sunshine. After two months of foggy, cloudy, cold weather, its hard to remember that it can be sunny here!

Enjoying clam chowder, sourdough bread, calamari, and crab something or other. Grandpa is drawing happy spiders, Grandma is making "What About Bob" type food-enjoyment noises. "Mmmm. MMMMMM. Are these clams hand-shucked?":

And later, enjoying Ghirardelli ice cream. Wyatt opening wide:

On the boats at the Maritime Museum:

Fisherman's Wharf:

On the way to the tidepools, my dad posing by one of the tsunami signs that he finds really funny: