Finally... Balance!

I never realized what a struggle it would be to keep the house clean, cook dinner, exercise, read scriptures, run errands, visit with friends/family/neighbors, work, teach primary, do any projects or creative things I like to do, relax, etc... all while taking care of the baby and making sure we're home in time for naps (he doesn't sleep well when we're out). But lately I have really been feeling like a finally have balance in my life since the baby came!

This is how I finally arrived in this glorious place:
1. Sometimes you just need to let go of things... like accepting the fact that my house will not always be clean. Which I now feel is ok, because I really don't want to look back and realize that I missed all the precious moments with Mason as a baby because I was too busy mopping the floor.
2. It's time to re-strategize. The old way of doing things just isn't going to work anymore, so I needed to come up with a new plan. I recently heard someone say "never leave a room empty-handed". This has revolutionized my busy life! By picking up at least one item every time I leave the room, the house stays tidy enough that I can enjoy playing with the baby until I get the time to really clean things up.
3. Organize and plan ahead! I looooove to organize and I have no doubt that this is what helps me keep my sanity!!! As fas as plannig, I like to "schedule" my day, making "appointments" for exercise, reading, when to start dinner, etc. You'd be surprised how well this works.
4. Weekly homework. In order to accomplish all the little projects and fun things I "keep meaning to do", I have started a list (which is always growing) and each week I work on one project. This has not only helped me feel productive, it's also fun!
5. Patience. 'Nuf said :)

I loved mommy-hood before, but now I love it even more!

And on that note, here's an update on our little giant:

• He's starting to use the pincer grasp (this just all-the-sudden happened one day)
• His weight gain is slowing down. This last month he only gained 1 lb instead of 2.
• He now has 2 teeth (and I have to admit that they're cuter than I thought they'd be)
• He puts EVERYTHING in his mouth and yet, for some reason, will NOT put food in his mouth... go figure.
• There is still no sign of stranger anxiety, he'll go to anyone!
• Mommy and Daddy can make him laugh harder than anyone else can (we are pretty funny)
• He can almost pull himself up.
• AND... he's crawling. This just started and it's pretty slow-going but he's definately on his way! Check out the video below to see a super cute little clip (it's about 2 minutes long):

And here are some cute pictures, enjoy!

First time on the swings



First trip to the park



But Mom I HATE carrots!
(No, I'm not this crazy, we gave it to him
b/c he was teething and this made him feel better)
(And normally he loves this)



Off to church we go!



Easter outfit :)



Before he could figure out how to crawl,
he would just push up on his toes
and then yell because it wasn't working..
pretty cute (he still does this)



Trained assassin!


And... if you're in the mood to smile, check out this little video: