a day for moms is a day for me

A few years ago, before I became a proud owner of my baby nugget boy, a woman told me that she dreaded Mother's Day each year. She said, "Just you wait. It's a day all about 'ideal' mothers and you'll feel completely inadequate and guilty all day because you'll never measure up."

Well shoot. We're all inadequate when it comes to this wonderful, crazy, difficult, exciting job of being a mother. I don't have the slightest clue what I'm doing, but if there's a day that recognizes me for trying my best then I will eat it up and soak in all the extra loving from husband and children and anyone else who wants to praise me, feed me, and shower me in gifts. Because being a mom is the best hard thing I've ever done and completely worth the feelings of inadequacy.

  

 Jeff made my first official Mother's Day pretty great. He made the most delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs with spinach and enough cheese to make my dad proud plus some jaw-dropping french toast. He gifted me this gem of a book and the ring pictured below on my awkward looking hand. It was weirdly difficult to get a good picture of it.

We also got to visit Jeff's mom and my beloved momma. We owe the world to them. Mom, you're an amazing, selfless woman. I'm lucky to have you. I remember asking my dad when I was little why we don't celebrate a kid's day. He said it's because every day is kid's day, so moms need their own special day. I couldn't agree more.

Oh and we got to skype little brother Collin from across the world in the Philippines. That kid. We're lucky to have him too.

A Picture

A few words about this picture:

• Mom, you were right. Professional photos of my boy are SO worth it.
• Wish I had one like this with him and his dad.
• Those eyes of his. Big and curious.
• Babies are best naked (and happiest!).
• Want to put this pic in every room of my house.
• Could kiss that cute mug all day long.

***Photos taken by this lovely lady: Kimberly Aldrich She does a great package that gives you newborn, 3, 6, 9, and 12-month shots.

Mind Blown

And then one day he was like, "Okay mom, I'll go ahead and sleep (mostly) through the night and while I'm at it I'm just going to drop this fussy, colicky, cry-all-the-time attitude I've been carrying around since birth. From now on I'll be a happy, (mostly) content baby. I'll even giggle when you make stupid noises and put my own foot in my mouth.

And on that day I was like:





                                 


The heavens parted and my mind was blown right up into the clouds where I sang praises and hallelujahs with the angels. This motherhood thing just got legit.

The Child is Blessed

These boys. I can only imagine the trouble they'll cause all together.

Sunday was a day I have thought a lot about leading up to having Calvin for some reason. It was a fun, special, and somewhat frantic day. We had almost all of our closest friends and family members in attendance for his blessing.

 Jeff gave the most beautiful blessing and Calvin only cried through part of it :) My mom bought his little outfit and it fit him perfectly, although I undressed him before taking any pictures, so we had to put it back on him. He of course loved that, which is why he looks so happy.

 

And Saturday we took a little family outing to City Creek. What I learned during those four hours is that shopping with a baby is completely exhausting, but also really cute.

The 3rd Annual Conference Cook-off

 April usually brings showers, flowers, Easter, and those occasional sunny days that fill me full of hope for an end to winter. April also means one of my favorite family traditions - The Annual Conference Cook-off.

Conference itself is always a good time. We like to throw in some friendly competition and good food to make it even better. The only rules are that no one can know what you're making and you must name your creation. This year's theme was sandwiches and we had some masterpieces.

 The four contenders:

• The Man Pleaser
• The Monte Cristo
• The Big Boy Bagel Sandwich
• The Chuck Norris

The judges always arrive hungry. For good and for bad we were missing Collin, our most critical judge. Last year he recommended a "comments" section on the judging card :)

My sandwich was the Man Pleaser and it must have done the trick because I emerged victoriously.

From me to you: Roasted corn and asparagus salad

 This recipe came about for two reasons. 1) We have a TON of frozen corn in our freezer from last fall when we picked it from the farm. So. Much. Work. 2) Jeff and I had an in-house "chopped challenge" date during the early weeks of Calvin's life when every doctor and person we came in contact with frightened us to the core with stories of infants contracting RSV.

We got creative on those cold, cooped up winter nights and Jeff tasked me with making a dish using asparagus. Much to our delight my creation turned out to be delicious and I make it almost once a week now.  Look out frozen corn, I know how to handle you now.

Enjoy my precise measurements. What can I say, this isn't a cooking blog and I made this recipe up.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus

1 smallish to medium bag of frozen corn

2 tablespoons olive oil

Ample sprinkles of Parmesan cheese

3-4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled (Optional, but not really. Bacon makes everything better.) 

Salt and pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to to 400 degrees. Chop off the hard ends of the asparagus and discard. Chop the rest of the asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Place asparagus in a pot with a few inches of water and boil for about 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil on baking sheet and spread frozen corn on the sheet. Add asparagus and bacon pieces to baking sheet. Mix all ingredients into olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle cheese on top.

Roast for about 20 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Serves 2 people.

Enjoy!

This boy

I mean really, just look at him.
Two months old and I can't get enough. Baby boy is growing and changing by the minute. I love watching him discover his surroundings, realize those toes belong to him, and smile as he stares back at me.

Calvin has a strong personality emerging that's full of stubbornness, silliness, and a love for cuddles. We still stare at him in amazement some times, marveling that we made that tiny cute man.

Easters

 The whole little fam gets cozy in our little car on the way to a Tucker Easter feast.

Our Easter weekend was pretty great. I'm usually not one for pastels, but the Easter holiday has always been at the top of my love list, putting me in the pastel, bunny-loving mood for one weekend a year. First and for most Easter is great because we get to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Following that are a few more items that make the day pretty special, such as the candy (Easter candy is by far the VERY best), eating my traditional one deviled egg of the year, attending the Bateman hunt for eggs, new dresses and ties, and Moses, Moses Moses! I have detailed memories of watching The Ten Commandments each year while eating peeps, plenty of chocolate, and those little tiny pieces of gum that come in a little tiny egg carton. Those were always a favorite of mine. And really the fact that we would usually sit through most of that 1956 film should be celebrated on its own. I love it and all its cheesiness, but it is long!

 I've decided that we will have an annual Easter family photo all dressed up. Baby boy was looking perfectly squeezable in his new outfit from Grandma Shelley.

 The boys. I love when that man wears his pink tie.

 Morgan offered a good photo bomb of Jeff's Simba moment and I made Calvin squint into the sunshine way too many times Saturday afternoon.

Below momma and Calvin chill on the hillside. 

 Some post egg hunt silliness from Grandpa.

 Nothing like an Easter egg hunt on a dry, windy hill full of cacti for toddlers.

 The view was worth it for about an hour before the little man had enough. Plus what type of mom doesn't bring a sun hat for her brand new baby? A newbie like me, that's who.

Don't worry, we found an Easter basket to do the trick. It almost worked.

Oh hello March, we are still alive

 I keep waiting for an "event" to write about, but really it's the every day things that make up much of life and those simple little things are pretty great when you stop and think about it. Here's what our March has looked like so far.

 Calvin turned 1 month old and over night the hair on the top of his head was gone, making him look like an old man in his cardigan.

Luckily a couple weeks later he is smiling and experiencing rapid hair growth.

 

The baby boy has really perfected his bowl movements and can make it fly when he wants to. I promptly threw those curtains away.

 We had a sister/grandchild sleep over at my parent's while Jeff and Kyle took the scouts camping. Calvin had a memorable 4-hour breakdown of solid crying, but otherwise it was a great night...at least the view was pretty :)

 

Calvin and the Bob got together and our lives have forever been changed. We wander around this town like we own it. Sometimes we walk, sometimes we run. We usually bring Hobbes (I don't know why because it's not easy manning a stroller and a giant dog), but either way stroller time has taken our days to a whole new level.

And then there's these twinners. From their long eyelashes to their bear-paw feet. I love that my baby boy came out looking like a mini version of my husband.

Other things not pictured:

• A chopped challenge date that was epic. We actually created some good dishes that we have repeated already!
• Brunch at Communal...oh my yum. There were chocolate buttermilk pancakes and biscuits and gravy, plus inspiration to learn to cut my own glass...long story.
• Picking out paint samples for our master bedroom. I'm finally going to decorate it for real...like hang things on the wall.

March, you've been good.

calvin tucker's first three weeks of life

 

Whoever said having a baby in the dead of winter is a good idea was right and wrong at the same time. Wrong, because Utah  in the dead of this winter is my worst nightmare, especially when forced to be cooped up inside. I have been a hot mess, and not the sexy kind. More like the kind that wakes up in the middle of the night completely drenched in cold sweat. Then I sit and marvel at the hormones coursing through my body because giving birth is a real trip and I wonder as I nurse my baby boy in the middle of the night if I taste salty to him...someone should have warned me. Poor Jeff doesn't know if he will come home to a happy, glowing new mother or an emotional wreck that can't hug him without tearing up. That's enough disclosure on the ugliness of the past three weeks.

Because having a sweet baby boy in the dead of winter is also an amazing thing. I have every excuse in the world to simply sit inside all day and canoodle him. I get to spend each day staring into his big eyes and watch him stare back at me with all the wonder and awe of a new little creature discovering this world for the first time. He has the longest eyelashes and cutest little eyebrows and feet. They're miniature replicas Jeff's feet and I love it.

 

So yeah, I don't want to do it again and it hasn't been easy, but I wouldn't trade these last three frigid weeks inside with my new little babe for anything.