Plato's Closet

Like most student-wives, I kissed a few luxuries goodbye when Matt began medical school. Clothes (except when absolutely necessary--and I mean absolutely.), shoes, quality hair and makeup products, home decor, coloring my hair, crafts, pricey entertainment, vacationing to Hawaii with Matt... All these became luxuries of the past/never have been.

In a day when frugality is in and less is more, I haven't missed these items too much. Sometimes I think of all I have compared to others throughout the world, and I wonder, "Who am I to want this necklace, when some people don't even have food to eat?". (I think that, but most of the time it doesn't stop me from buying! :))

(Moving on from that tangent.)

Lately I've wanted some clothes--just a few casual summer clothes since most of my wardrobe is business attire. Following a friend's suggestion, Plato's Closet came to the rescue. It's a consignment store that buys and sells brand name clothes.

My find:

$35 = five shirts and one necklace

Pretty good, right?

Now, could someone please tell me how to handle a crazy nine month old while shopping?

Shaping Up

We're trying to be a bit healthier around here.

So we're eating lots of this Whey Protein. It's to die for in smoothies.

I'm following this training plan for a 20K race in two weeks.

Matt's getting ripped following the P90X exercise program.

I'm out eating Matt these days. For sure. But only because I want this little one to grow big and strong, since she's still getting most of her nutrition from muah. (Yes, she got nine month pictures yesterday. I'll post them later.) At least that's what I told myself ten minutes ago when I ate one of these.
So maybe, I'm just working on shaping up. ;)

In other news, a friend told me about this great dating blog. Love it! It's got great ideas for spicing up date night.

Matt and I have implemented this idea the past couple months:

1. Number scraps of paper 1-30.
2. At the end of each month you and your spouse each draw a number. Don't tell!
3. The number represents the date in the upcoming month where each person does something special for the other person.

I look forward to it all month! Every day I wonder, "What should I do for Matt on his day?" But more importantly, I also wonder, "When's my day?" "What's Matt going to do on my day?" Even though we try to keep these special days low key, it's super fun to look forward to. It's like having a birthday every month. Seriously, who could complain about that?

Month Nine

Skylie,
I wish I could capture all the cute things you do, but usually the funniest moments aren't caught on tape. I wish they were. But you're too unpredictable. The following stories won't do justice, but hopefully you can imagine what a bundle of love you were at this age.

Story #1
On May 9, Dad and I sat in bed watching a T.V. show on the computer while you played on the floor. Your hair was completely disheveled and sticking up all over the place. Out of no where, you pulled yourself up on the side of the bed and gave us the cheesiest grin and giggle as if to say, "Look at me!" You seemed so proud of yourself. Dad and I laughed for a long time about was how cute you looked--crazy hair and all.

Story #2
A week ago I was reading through a baby book about the specific milestones you should be reaching. I learned that between nine and 12 months, a typical baby will learn to say "ma-ma" and "da-da" and actually know what he or she is saying. Figuring I should practice with you, I held you in my arms and the training began.

I said, "Skylie, I'm your ma-ma. Ma-ma. Say 'ma-ma'...."
You responded in a clear and distinct voice, "Dad."

Your dad was in the room and loved that! (But I'm still the one you go searching for and get upset when you can't find me.)

Story #3:
Since you're an early bird and usually wake around 6 a.m., I sometimes have to shower while you're awake. Once, I tried letting you play in the bathroom while I showered so I could peek out and help you if you got upset. You loved that and made it a game of peek-a-boo. I'm not sure if it was my greatest idea, because now you try that game all the time. You end up drenched and are determined to climb in the tub. It's crazy. But it sure is cute.

At nine months:

I love taking you outside. Often before your afternoon nap, we'll play outside our apartment and you'll explore. You're getting into mischief these days and love sneaking into the bathroom. If we ever leave the door open by accident, you dart in there as quick as possible.
Laundry is a chore you love helping with--combing through the folded clothes and redoing the job as you see best.
You usually end up keeping me company while I carry laundry up and down the stairs to the laundry room. How thoughtful of you! Good thing you're a lightweight.
A few times each week we visit the park and let you swing.
I finally dared to put pig tails in your hair. You sit in your Bumbo on the counter in my bathroom and stare at yourself in the mirror while I style your locks. (That's the only chance I have of getting you to hold still!)
The bed head you have the next day is hilarious!
You don't stay still for too long. I think you've been quick learning how to move around, but your ability to concentrate is an entirely different story! That's expected, right? You are a baby after all. You're a busy little girl, and I can't get enough of you!

XOXO,
Mom

Milestones you've reached:
Standing while holding onto something and then walking around
Jabbering
Understanding object permanence
Eating with fingers
Waving goodbye
Picking things up with pincer grasp
Crawling well, with belly (and knees) off the ground
Stands alone for up to 20 seconds
Playing Peek-A-Boo
Sleeping 11 hours at night
Eating lots of table food
Napping like a champ now that we've reajusted your schedule a bit

Bean Recipe #2: Louisiana Red Bean and Rice

I found another bean recipe from Amy, so I tried it out.

Although I still like Robyn's black beans and rice a bit better, this authentic southern recipe did not disappoint.

Authentic Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients
1 pound dry kidney beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 stalks celery, chopped
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
4 cups water
2 cups long grain white rice

Directions

1. Rinse beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight.
2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Rinse beans, and transfer to a large pot with 6 cups water. Stir cooked vegetables into beans. Season with bay leaves, cayenne pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
4. Stir sausage into beans, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a saucepan, bring water and rice to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve beans over steamed white rice.

Kansas City Trip + Mother's Day

My first real Mother's Day was great.

My parents' were spending the weekend in Kansas City to attend my brother-in-law's graduation from graduate school (Hurray!), so Matt and I headed down on Saturday morning and spent Saturday and Sunday with my sister's family, Alec's dad, and my parents.

We played at a park, toured Alec's school, and ate a lot of great food.

Here's a few pictures from the trip. Thanks, Mom and Dad!
I am lucky to be the mama of this little one (with her crazy hair and all).
And I'm doubly-lucky to be married to this great guy.
Skylie tasted avocado for the first time. She's a fan.
I love that Ethan snuggled with me. Skylie liked to visit me whenever I had him on my lap.
Sky tried the slide for the first time. She was indifferent, so Matt and I became the parents at the park looking goofy going down the slide.
I love this picture of Skylie snuggling with her dad. Ethan treated Skylie so well.
Grandpa Zane with Ethan and Skylie
Grandma and Grandpa Zane with Ethan LaBau and Skylie Pitcher
I know I'm biased, but I think she's beautiful. Look at those eyes!

Apparently Skylie thinks she's cute, too. I guess that's what we get for letting her flirt with herself in the mirror while I get ready.

I know Matt wouldn't want me to document this, but it's too funny not to remember.

Laying in bed on Saturday night:

Me: "I'm excited!"

Him: "For what?"

Me: "Tomorrow. It'll be my first Mother's Day."

Him: Big gasp.

Come to find out, he hadn't forgotten about Mother's Day. He'd just forgotten to get some pieces of paper at my sister's home for something he planned on making me. Lucky for him, he found some extras at the motel! It was pretty funny.

Dumpster Diving and My New Obsession

About a month ago, I tossed some garbage into the dumpster at our apartment complex. Nestled on top of bags of filth, banana peels, soiled diapers, and everything else imaginable were a bunch of those family home storage number 10 cans--with food in them and seals intact. Trusting that those Mormon cans could have only come from our LDS neighbors/friends, I said to myself, "Those cans will be mine!"

I might be low enough to dumpster dive, but not in broad daylight. (It's not like I'd want to be seen. How embarrassing, right!?)

So later when Matt got home, I told him of my find and he dutifully agreed to retrieve the cans when it got dark.

Fast forward to 8:00 that night. (In the interim time we'd learned which friends had trashed the goods.)

Matt goes to get the cans and runs into said friend that had dumped the food. (SERIOUSLY, we'd waited until dark for a REASON!) My feeble attempts to mask our lowness were totally wasted! (Good thing those friends are rock-star amazing, or I really would be embarrassed.) Anyway, said friend helps Matt bring in dumpstered food, and we end up with a lot of dried beans, pasta, and rice.

So my latest obsession is cooking with beans. They're cheap; they're easy; they're healthy. Sweet!

Lucky for me, I've got some good recipes from friends.

Here's one of my favorites from Robyn that I've made a few times lately. I think Matt's secretly getting sick of it, but he won't say so.

Brazilian Rice and Beans
1 med. Sized onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb turkey polska kielbasa sausage, cut to 1 in. pieces
3 cans black beans—do not drain them 3 bay leaves (buy this in the spice section, very cheap)

On medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add polska and cook for 2 minutes. Add black beans and bay leaves, stir. Increase heat to soft boil. Reduce heat and allow to boil softly for 15 minutes, stir every 5 minutes or so. You can serve right away, but I like to make this in the morning, and let it sit on the stove until dinner time to soak up all of the flavor. If you do this, you just turn the stove off after you have boiled them for 15 minutes. Warm up before serving. Serve with rice and top with vinaigrette if desired

Vinaigrette:
1 large tomato, diced
¼ cup diced onion
2 tbs. Olive oil
¼ cup Vinegar (white or red wine)

Combine above ingredients and stir. Gives the beans a great zing!

Cinco de Mayo

The Saturday before Cinco de Mayo Matt and I got together with a few friends at a nearby park to celebrate.

This is what transpired.

Matt and Jacob wrestling

Those are moments that make a wife proud, right?

Round two of the celebrations came last Friday at a friend's home.

Attempting to bust the pinata

Skylie wasn't very helpful in that arena. Watch out Pinata of 2011! Skylie will be after you!

Afterward, Matt and Skylie paved the way with a new fashion trend. So cute!

Motherhood Quote #1

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow,

For babies grow up, I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.

~Author Unknown

Motherhood Quote #2

"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?"

Neal A. Maxwell, “The Women of God,” Ensign, May 1978, 10

Motherhood Quote #3

"What can you do, as a young mother, to reduce the pressure and enjoy your family more?

"First, recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments.

"Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: 'The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. … I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less' (Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).

"Second, don’t overschedule yourselves or your children...

"Third...Pick one or two things that you would like to learn or do that will enrich your life, and make time for them... And don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the time-wasting, mind-numbing things like television soap operas or surfing the Internet.

"Fourth, pray, study, and teach the gospel. Pray deeply about your children and about your role as a mother."

M. Russell Ballard, “Daughters of God,” Ensign, May 2008, 108–10

Motherhood Quote #4

"In our society, we give motherhood plenty of lip service. We pat moms on the head, bring them flowers on Mother's Day, and honor them before crowds. But at the end of the day, we don't extend them the same respect we would a professor, a dentist, an accountant or a judge. Women who choose full-time mothering are often put in a box by their friends and former colleagues—a container labeled 'just a mom.'

"I believe the choice to become a mother is the choice to become one of the greatest spiritual teachers there is. To create an environment that's stimulating and nurturing, to pass on a sense of responsibility to another human being, to raise a child who understands that he or she is created from good and is capable of anything—I know for sure that few callings are more honorable. To play down mothering as small is to crack the very foundation on which greatness stands.

"The world can only value mothering to the extent that women everywhere stand and declare that it must be so. In our hands, we hold the power to transform the perception of motherhood. Whether we decide to work full-time while raising children, stay home with our kids, or bear no children at all, we need to understand that any put-down of the decision to mother is a threat to women's choices everywhere. We should no longer allow a mother to be defined as 'just a mom.' It is on her back that great nations are built."

"What I Know For Sure," O, The Oprah Magazine, 66

Weighing in...

At almost 8 1/2 months (on May 5) Skylie weighed 15 lbs., 1 oz. fully clothed at a doctor's appointment.

Motherhood Quote #5

In honor of this upcoming Sunday, Mother's Day:

"You are doing God’s work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master’s garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and sometimes weep over their responsibility as mothers, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” 12 And it will make your children whole as well."

Jeffrey R. Holland, “‘Because She Is a Mother’,” Ensign, May 1997, 35

Girls' Night

Almost three years ago Matt and I moved to Des Moines. We had no idea what Iowa would hold for us. We didn't know about the crazy Iowa ice-storms or what medical school would really be like. And we had no idea we'd meet so many kind and genuine friends.

Each May brings me sadness as I watch friends complete their time here and trickle away. As one of the last times we'll have together, Jordan planned a Girls' Night at Red Robin last Thursday. It was so good to have some girl time sans kids (Thanks, Matt for watching Skylie!).

I consider myself fortunate to call each of these ladies "friend".

Cassie Larsen, me, Leilani Beeston, and Megan Murdock I love this picture because all four of us are staying here for a while!

Kristelle Larsen, Jordan Hansen, Aupreille Ellis, and Margaret Jolley Knowing that Kristelle, Jordan, and Aupreille are all leaving makes me want to cry.

Kristelle, I couldn't have asked for a better neighbor, babysitter, or friend. Thank you for sharing your struggles with me and for your honesty. You've sacrificed much time and energy for others. That's a trait you've mastered that I can only hope to emulate someday.

Jordan, I love your witty sense of humor, your fashion sense, and your fun-loving personality. Thank you for visiting me after I had Skylie. The days at home with a newborn are sometimes a little lonely. Thank you for coming over (the baby stuff is appreciated, too)! I've felt like you've really reached out to befriend others lately, and that is something I love and admire in you.

Aupreille, No neighbor can replace you. I will miss having a friend only seconds away. You were my lifesaver after Skylie was born--bringing in dinner FOR A WEEK, making sure I had items I needed, and answering all my questions. You are always thinking of others. Always. I will miss all our game nights (sorry for all of our inapproapriate comments) and the Sunday get-togethers. I could go on and on...

Leilani, Jordan, Megan, Erin, Cassie, Aupreille, and Margaret

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same."
~ Author unknown