Day 5 of 30 Things

Day 5: What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?

1: My little munchkin. 

2: The love of my life

3: Good Music

4: The fact that we will be moving in a couple of weeks. Yay for more space!

(This is the view from my parents new house, we are renting their old one. The lucky ducks!)

5: And a little secret that I might not keep that's pretty life changing for my little family ... Any guesses?

I hope the suspense is killing you ;-)

(If you missed day 4 of 30: List Ten things you would tell your 16-year-old self if you could, click HERE.)

Day 4 of 30 Things

List 10 things you would tell your 16 year old-self if you could.

1. Pay better attention in Seminary. You're really going to regret that you don't know that much when you meet your future husband someday, because you will want to be on his scriptural knowledge level, and wont be.

 2. You've done well at avoiding unneccessary drama in your life, keep it up!

 3. Write down everything you learn in your art classes. You may not feel like you're very good 

      right now, but someday you will want to pick-up art again in your 20's and not remember any of   the tecniques.

4. Have more school spirit. You may think High School is lame and just want to graduate and move on to college, but trust me, you will be missing out on some great memories.

5. Eat healthier! You may be a stick now, but you're going to get hips and some chub from having at baby when you are 23, and and you won't be in the habit of making good food choices.

6. Friends and boys will come and go. And even though you won't get too broken up about breaking up with them (or visa versa) give yourself some credit. You don't need to let them, or your "friends" make fun of you or make you feel bad about living up to your standards. You should feel proud! I'm cheering for you! And believe me when I say, someday your prince will come, and he will love you and respect you and take care of you. Not like these silly 16 year old boys now.

7. Don't be so hard on your parents. Especially when they need your help. The trials and hardships your family has gone through in the past 2 years are unique and you have to be there for each other. Things will never be entirely back to normal. But I promise, everything turns out O.K.

8. Be a little more adventurous, don't be such a scaredy-cat.

9. Have a better attitude about the hard things. In a few years, you will realize that they were little, easy things and you will laugh at yourself for ever having been worried about them.

10. Speak up a little more. You have a lot of ideas and opinions and you don't need to be afraid of people making fun of them. You will get feisty in college when someone makes fun or questions your opinions. If you had this attitude about standing up for them during high school, classes would have been a lot more fun and interesting.

Sorry this one is kind of dumb. I really didn't have that much I would say to my 16 year old self, because I believe that everything I've ever done, has made me who I am today. I guess If I could talk to my teenage self, I would just give her words of encouragement, because that's all I really needed back then.

Day 3 of 30 Things

Day 3: Describe your relationship with your parents.

I think I have a really amazing relationship with my parents. It's by no means perfect, but I like it for that reason. I think our relationship has changed a lot over the years too. It's developed from just a "parent-child" relationship, to more of a "parent-young adult-friendship" relationship.

I'm the oldest child, so I think my relationship with my parents is very different than that of my siblings and my parents. I didn't have an older sibling to look up to or copy-cat growing up, so I did that with my parents. While other kids were listening to N'sync and Backstreet boys as kids because their big brothers and sisters were, I was listening to Jimmy Buffet, James Taylor and Bob Marley because my parents did. I became interested in what they were interested in. Books, radio programs, movies, etc.

I also like that I was always learning from them. When other kids would run home and show their parents their art project from school, which would go up on the fridge for a few weeks and then mysteriously end up in the trash, my dad would show me how I could improve on it, and let me continue working on it. 

Both my parents always encouraged me to do what I want with my life. I was free to make mistakes, as long as I understood the consequences of them, good or bad. 

Both of my parents worked while I was growing up, but they always made time for us when they could, whether it was weekend drives up to the cabin, or fun vacations and camping trips. My parents owning their own business allowed for them to attend all of my sporting/dance events, which was always important to me. 

My relationship with my parents has been wonderful. I really appreciate everything they do for me, and I hope to have as good as a relationship with my children.

The List: Fears

Day 2 of the "30 Things" List

Describe 3 Legitimate fears you have and explain how they became your fears.

1: Car Accidents. 

    I am terribly afraid of car accidents. I didn't used to be. It wasn't until a couple of years ago. Specifically, when I became pregnant. I suddenly worried every time I got in the car about what would happen to me. To the baby. To Bryant. What would I do without either of them? It scared me to death. I think part of it was anxiety caused by changing pregnancy hormones, but I was to the point of obsessing about car accidents. I remember on Christmas that year, we were driving from Salt Lake to Payson and we hit a pretty heavy fog. I had a panic attack. I made Bryant turn off the radio, slow down to practically crawling speed, and I clutched onto the door and my seat with my eyes closed the entire way. I was holding back tears. 

     Now, it's not nearly as bad, but I still worry. I'm the safest driver you will ever, ever meet. I still don't like when Bryant rides his motorcycle. Which is weird because I feel better about him driving it with me than him driving alone. 

 (My car after a guy tried to pull a u-turn into me)

2: Earthquakes

    My 5th grade teacher hated children, and she did her very best to scar us for life. She repeatedly showed movies on natural disasters, mostly earthquakes. I'd be in tears during her class (she made me cry my first day of school by telling me my math skills were lacking and that I was probably too stupid to be in the 5th grade.)

3: Something bad happening to Savannah.

     You can't even begin to imagine my anxiety when we first brought her home. The first night, I was paranoid about leaving her in her bassinet. I woke up repeatedly panicking that she wasn't breathing. I finally laid her in bed with me and placed my hand on her chest to feel her breathing the whole night. She ended up co-sleeping with us for 6 months.

*Some other, minor fears of mine*

-Spiders and earwhigs

-Roller coasters

-Getting my ears pierced

-Getting my blood drawn

-Answering questions in class

-Germs

The List

Ok, so I found a link to this blog earlier today on Pinterest. It had the caption "30 Questions to Ask Your Spouse." I love stuff like this because when Bryant and I go out, we usually have Savy and we spend most of our time out chasing her/stopping her from begging strangers for food/sticking straws up her nose etc... And when we don't have Savy with us, all we seem to talk about it Savy. 

I like learning new things about Bryant. For instance, I didn't know he was a closet Star Wars nerd until almost a year after our marriage. (I knew we were soul mates!)

But the blogger this pin was linked to actually used the list as topic starters on her blog. Answer one question a day. I like that idea too! So I'll be doing it here as well!

So let's dive in, shall we?

Question 1: List 20 Random Facts About Yourself (Ok, it's not a question, but whatever...)

1) I played the steel drums in Jr. High briefly. To audition, you had to play a piece on the piano to prove you could read music. I played Peter Piper... (You know, that song that you only need to play with one finger? And you learn it when you're 4?)

2) I went white water rafting when I was pregnant with Savannah. I don't recommend this...

3) My favorite food is "Mormon" enchiladas. They are stacked like pancakes.

4) I secretly really, really like Star Trek (Don't judge...)

5) Red grapes make my throat burn, which is really super weird considering that green grapes don't do anything to me. And I hate raisins.

6) At preschool graduation, we drew pictures of what we wanted to be when we grew up. I drew a police officer because that's what my grandpa was.

7) My least favorite chore around the house is folding clothes. I am just fine washing them, but most of the time, they end up in a pile next to the bed. I'd rather scrub the toilet than fold a shirt.

8) Most of the music I listen to, my parents introduced to me.

9) In the same day, I saw an 80 year old woman wearing the same glasses that I have, and another 80  year old woman wearing the same shirt that I was wearing. This gives you a good idea of my fashion sense. 

10) The class I failed my freshman year of college was also my favorite class. Biology. I hated the professor, loved the information. I failed because I was hospitalized with pneumonia during finals week.

11) The summer I was 12, I volunteered at the local library because I needed something to do and because I liked books. I also liked telling people I had a job, even though I didn't get paid for it.

12) I went through a weird phase in gradeschool where I would get hooked on a subject, learn everything I could about it, then write a "report" for my teacher. Which was not necessary, required, nor part of the curriculum. Some topics included were: Beethoven, Astronomy, Greek and Roman Myths, and the Titanic.

13) I've been to 3 Jimmy Buffett concerts in Las Vegas. I'm usually one of the youngest people there... by 20 years. 

14) My mood is greatly influenced by my surroundings. If I start to feel down and depressed, one need only take me out into the sunshine. Being outside, even if it's just sitting on the porch, really does wonders for me. I'm like a house plant I guess...

15) I was a dancer most of my life. I quit after I had pneumonia. Quitting is one of my biggest regrets in life.

16) I can't stand the feel of smooth concrete on my bare feet. Outside on the sidewalk= just fine. Inside on an unfinished basement=heebee jeebees.

17) I never got bad motion sickness/car sickness until I got pregnant. 18 months later and I still can't be in the car more than an hour before I'm ridiculously sick. Any car trip longer than 4 hours, I'm sick for the next 2 days...

18) I dream almost every single night. And I usually remember my dreams in great detail.

19) I used to be incredibly self conscious of my big feet and long toes. I was made fun of to no end growing up and was constantly trying to hide them. Now? I have absolutely no issue with them. I wear flip-flops with pride! What? You can't pick things up with your feet like a monkey? Well I can!

20) I don't have tonsils. Well, I probably do, but doctors can never see them. Every time I go in for a check-up they ask "So when did you have your tonsils taken out? It's not in your medical history." They always look confused and shocked when I tell them I never had them taken out! You never know, I didn't have wisdom teeth either until about a year and a half ago, and I had to get those taken out last December...

Wow, that was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be! Well, anyways, that's all for tonight!

P.S. You can now follow me on Twitter! @_BrookeTrout_

17, almost 18 months

My baby girl is almost a year and a half! I felt the need to do another update post so I remember all of her little milestones (they don't feel little to me though, she seems to be growing so much!)

These last couple of months have been so fun! Savannah is constantly wanting to learn new things. Her favorite thing right now is counting. She counts everything! She only knows a few numbers, and doesn't really get them in order, but she loves to line things up and make you count them for her while she points at them. Like this morning in the bath, she was lining up all the soap, shampoo, and toys on the bath ledge and pointed to each one as I would count "One, two, three, four..." etc. When we counted all of them, she would yell "More!" and we would do it again. She counts everything. Books, toys, fingers, toes and magnets.

 (She can't get enough of the swings!)

Speaking of magnets, she's obsessed with them! Bryant's parents gave her a magnetic chalkboard/whiteboard that came with magnetic letters and numbers. It's hanging in her room and when she's not coloring with chalk all over it (and my walls) she will grab the magnets and move them from the board to the fridge and back again. She especially likes to hand them to me one at a time and say "is it?" and I'll tell her "That's an 'A' it makes the 'Ahhh' sound." and she will repeat "Ayyy!" and she will do that with every letter and number. She likes to figure out what else magnets will stick to besides the fridge. I have found them on the washer and dryer, the metal bar on her crib, on the metal legs of my desk, and I've watched her try to stick them to the cabinets and even her own tummy!

 (Too cool for school)

She likes to go for walks, especially the ones where she gets to walk and not just be in her stroller. She likes to pick up sticks and rocks and put them in her pockets (or down her shirt or in her diaper if she doesn't have pockets...) And she likes to point at everything and yell "Issa wock!" ("It's a rock!"). Especially sidewalks, asphalt, and brick walls. We come home every day with 3 or 4 rocks to add to her collection (AKA, outside in the garden.)

 (pig-tails!)

She's learning so many animal sounds. And she not only knows the sounds, but she knows the animals too. If you show her a picture with a bunch of animals and ask her where the horse, or the wolf, or the kitty is, she can point them out and make the sound that goes with it. Her favorite sound is a monkey, and she walks around acting like one and saying "ooh ooh ah ah!" all day!

 (Eating at Noodles and Co.)

She's learning more and more words everyday. She's a good copy-cat and can repeat almost any word you ask her to say (she won't always remember it or what it means 10 minutes later). She's also learning to put words together. She can say "uh-oh mama!" and "mo peese" (more please) or "baba mama" (baba is our word for bottle) or "Ace, sit!". My favorite word she's learned is "Yay!" and she says it for everything. If I ask her if she wants a treat she yells "yay yay yay!" or if I ask her if she wants to watch a few minutes of Elmo, she responds "Eh-mo! Yay! Yay! Yay! Eh-mo! 

 (She likes to brush her teeth. She will brush them for a good 10 minutes before I make her stop!)

She likes to jump and "gallop" everywhere. Anytime she gets excited she jumps, and if she's running somewhere, she does this little skipping thing where she shruggs her shoulders and gallops away. It cracks me up every time!

She LOVES books. The first thing she says in the morning is "Mama, baba!" so I will change her diaper, and go get her a bottle, and then she points at the windowsill where all her books are and say "Mama, boo!" (mama, book!") So I'll pull one off and she yells "Boo! yay, yay, yay!" We spend a good solid hour a day pulling all of her books of the shelf, sitting in the rocking chair and looking at all the pictures (and usually counting everything in them). By the end of the day, all of her books are on the floor. I can trust her with paper books now, as opposed to just board books, because she is careful with them and wont rip or eat them now. 

(reading books in her chair) 

She's also learned how go down the stairs all by herself! She's been able to go up them since she first started crawling, but she was always way too scared to go down them. (We've never needed to get a baby gate). My mom finally sat down and showed her how to go down, and after a lot of encouragement, she finally got the nerves to do it herself. She still wont go down alone. If she wants to go downstairs, she will come get me and point at them. I'll walk a few steps down and then she will follow me. No complaints here though! I wont have to worry about her sneaking down them without me knowing for a while I hope!

(Going down the stairs like a big kid!)

She is so smart when it comes to using the iPad and our phones. She knows how to turn them on, unlock them, swipe the screen and open her favorite games. She's got a few educational games on there, but she also really likes angry birds and fruit ninja. She also knows how to turn on netflix and watch Sesame Street, Barney or Shaun the Sheep. 

She's such a girly-girl these days. She loves to have her nails painted, and really love shoes! She will constantly yell "Shoe!" and pull out all her shoes and hand them to me to put on her feet. Bryant's boss gave her a whole bag of shoes and she went crazy! She pulled them all out and had me help her try every single one on! She was so proud of them and was showing them off!

She also went to her first week at nursery! HALLELUJAH! I've been looking foreword to that moment for the last 6 months! I dropped her off and the nursery teacher said "you may want to come get her after 5 or 10 minutes to get her used to it". Pffsssh! As soon as I dropped her off, I knew she would be fine for the whole 2 hours. She walked to the middle of the room, did a slow turn with a huge grin on her face, then looked at me and yelled "Bye!" and was off playing. It was like she had just walked into wonderland! I did come check on her after the first hour. They had closed the door and I looked though the little eye hole into the room and she was standing over a boy with a big lego in her hand. I knew just what she was thinking, but I was too late to stop her. She smacked the boy in the head with the lego! He looked up at her confused, then went back to playing. Savannah looked confused at the lego in her hand, then tossed it aside and continued to play with the boy. Oh well, no harm, no foul right? The nursery teacher said she was surprised at how well she did her first time at nursery. I told her I knew she would be fine because we walk past it every Sunday and Savannah knew that there were other kids, snacks and lots of new toys in there. She would cry every time we passed it and I wouldn't let her go in. And can I just say, church is so much nicer when you aren't sitting in the hallway with a wild toddler for the entire 3 hours?

 (My little nature lover at Zion's National Park)

Wow, she's really learned so much in the last few months! She's growing up so stinkin' fast!