stuck.

 

this month i've spent a lot of time thinking about this guy:

(source) 

shackleton. ever heard of him? well, one time his boat got stuck in the snow and ice of antarctica.

(wikipedia.)

it started with the snowpocalypse and the week of snuggling inside, safe against the snow. 

then the weeks of cold weather, so that husband couldn't ride the motorcycle and we were stuck while he was at work all day. it was so cold that ellie and i would spend our mornings huddled together under lots of blankets for warmth (and eating cookies to keep up our strength). 

then the flat tire, so we really couldn't go anywhere. last night i went out of the house for the literally the first time since saturday.

i was raiding the grocery store shelves like i'd never see the outside world again. 

it's hard to have motivation when i'm stuck at home so long. it would be a little easier if i could pack the baby in the stroller and walk to . . . anywhere, but the only place i can safely go is around the neighborhood over and over.

we're looking forward to the warmer weather that is surely coming (right?!) and the early southern spring, but first we'll have to make it through a few more weeks of the chill.

in the meantime, here are some pictures my lovely sister-in-law, ashlyn, took at the temple. 

mostly i love the last one, because i have almost no pictures of just ellie and mommy. 

sorry, everyone. that photo proves that my baby is the most beautiful baby on the planet.

baby's babies.

ellie loves her baby dolls. i never would have guessed that she would care about them so much at this age. she takes them all over the house, pats them on the back, rocks them, kisses them, and makes us kiss them, too. if you ask her where her babies are, she will go find them. 

it's pretty much the sweetest thing i've ever seen. 

so, without further ado, wayyyyy too many pictures of ellie and her babies:

i think she's a pretty good little mommy (most of the time).

new week.

last week was "one of those" weeks.
long, draining*, etc.
including yesterday.

this week is brand new
and we're going to clean up the mess from last week
and make this week really count!
i hope.


*speaking of draining, ellie has had a terribly runny nose the past few days. you can tell she's stuffy and she's breathing through her mouth in these pictures, poor thing:

she's trying to put on her shoes over her jammies. that's right, she's trying to put them ON. i've caught her doing it at least a half dozen times. so far she hasn't gotten them on by herself (possibly the fault of the jammies), but she apparently knows how it's done.
what am i going to do with this brilliant child? she's outsmarting me left and right. 

the grandparents came.

leftover pictures 
from when my parents came/our south carolina trip:

 reading stories and checking out the tooele county emergency preparedness calendar with grampa.

hugging on polar bear during the car ride. 

 sunset out the back window.

 

eating fries at the hotel. 

watching yo gabba gabba during a milkshake-induced craze. 

junk food hangover.

both the grams and grampses at the temple. 

 eyes > stomach. tostadas!

worn out. 

dear dishwasher,

please, please don't die.

i lived without you in my life for three long years - dark, terrible years. thinking about those days makes me feel a little sick to my stomach. it's as if my hands were covered in cold bacon grease, wet melted cheese and soggy pieces of lettuce . . .

i can't let you go now that i have that soapy hour (or two) of my life back every day. you have to have mercy on me! there's a baby now and i need you more than ever!

i'm begging you. please stop getting clogged and filling with water. i promise not to put baby food jar lids through the wash anymore. i've pulled them from your belly for the last time. please, please, please stop melting some of your parts and filling the kitchen with stinky smoke.

i can't take it. i really can't go on without you.

not when i have messes like this to clean up:

that's right, she's learning to feed herself.

so hang in there!




sincerely,

a truly desperate housewife

the bean.

as i zipped ellie into her 12 month size jammies that seemed to engulf her little body only a couple of weeks ago, i realized that it has been a while since i updated about her and her skills. i know, you're all thanking me for skipping over the minute-by-minute replays but i have a few things to write down before she totally masters something else and these things become ordinary.

first of all, she loves to wave. more than once she has shot her little hand in the air before her eyes have even adjusted to the light in the morning, waving as hard as she can . . . like it's her only responsibility in this world and she can't help but do it. she waves at me when she sits on my lap. she waves at daddy when he's across the room. she waves at people in the store and now it takes me even more time than ever to buy groceries. she's such a little socialite.

she has also been pointing. she'll point at me when i come in the room and smile so big. yesterday, when her uncle was leaving, she pointed at him and waved when we told her to say goodbye. she points at the pictures and words in her books. really, she finds anything remotely interesting point-worthy. she points at her high chair tray when it is empty and she wants more. she knows daddy and mommy and judge, and points when asked.

which leads me to this: the verge of speech. i'm pretty sure she says a couple of words, but they come out a little differently each time she says them. she also uses these words for everything.
so far she says:

da (dad)
ud (judge)
ma (mom/more/pick me up/i'm hungry!!)
dat or adat (that/what's that?/who's that?)
hut?! (what?!)

that last one is my favorite. you have to say it like i would say it: fast and shrill, in total shock or surprise. like, we just found out that they canceled the olympics. WHAT?! except i guess i say it too often. it comes out for everyday things like running out of eggs or there isn't a new episode of the office this week or a bill came in the mail. husband is always getting on my case about saying WHAT?! when things aren't really a big deal, so it makes sense that she would start saying it like that as one of her first sounds.

she also says "nienienienieNIE!" when she's very upset, which leads husband to call her nienie. which makes me laugh, because he's always going on about how silly it is to get caught up in blogs of random people. he has no idea who the other nienie is.

okay, that's enough for now.

here are some unflattering pictures of her, eating marshmallow creme out of the jar with me . . . uh, all by herself.

and now you know why it looks like she's trying to block the camera in all the pictures.
she's really just waving.

forever.

some of you may be shocked. some elated. so overjoyed. some not sure what to think. 

some of you can't even imagine it. 

i know, it's an interesting turn of events. 

but it happened.

really, it did.

our little fowler family was sealed 

in the columbia, south carolina lds temple

for time and eternity 

on january 8th, 2011. 

i can't make this stuff up, folks. 

tag - i'm it.

i was tagged by the marvelous saimi (another beagle lover - how could you not love beagles?).

of course, i didn't notice because i was busy spending rare time with my parents and having my mind boggled by the snow. 

but i'm ready to play and here's the game. i tell about me, then tag some people i want to hear more about.  

before we begin, here's a quick video of ellie playing peek-a-boo with grammie and me: 

ready, steady, go!

1. if you have pets, do you see them as merely animals, or are they members of your family? 

oh, judge. our baby beagle. he sleeps in our bed if he's good, in the laundry room if he's bad (or stinky).  husband calls him "our son." he's ellie's best buddy and definitely a member of our family.  pretty sure he's a big part of why we got married. even when he's driving me totally crazy i can't imagine life without him.

2. if you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?

man, dream come true? i would someday like my dream house with enough money to do whatever i'd like inside. it wouldn't be extravagant, but it would definitely be fun and efficient.

3. what is the one thing most hated by you?
 
i hate all my self-doubt. 

i also get ticked by really bad grammar and spelling, but i'm a lot more relaxed and forgiving than i used to be about it.

4. what would you do with a billion dollars?

billion?! i would do nothing! i mean, i wouldn't do anything unless i wanted to do it. no dishes, no laundry, no toilets. i would have my dream house and try my best to make other dreams come true, too.

5. what helps to pull you out of a bad mood?

a lot of times i just need a nap or a snack. if we all followed the rules of preschool i think we'd be a lot happier. 

also, one look at ellie and it's not very easy to be in a bad mood. 

6. which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?

i can't say one is better than the other. this past year i think i really learned the importance of loving someone. you can't explain parental love in any words - i think maybe it makes me a better person who is more easily loved by others now. i don't think you can truly have love without giving it.

                                           
7. what is your bedtime routine?

wish i could say i had a routine. i work as hard as i can to get ellie to bed. if she cooperates, i usually finish up the housework and try to read a little in bed. usually, when i turn out the light and i'm about to close my eyes, ellie wakes up and wants to play.

8. if you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your partner?

 

i met the husband through friends. i had heard all sorts of stories about him and thought he was really intimidating. i quickly found out that he wasn't like the other guys i knew. he was smart, funny and much sweeter than he let on. he's my best friend. 

he told me when i started dating him, "now that you know what a real man is like, you'll never go back." it sounds like a pretty lame joke but it's truer than you think.

                                                  

9. if you could watch a creative person in the act of the creative process, who would it be?

well, i recently became addicted to project runway. it really inspires me to create. 

i'd love to go take every class at an art and design school and learn it all - letterpress, interior design, fashion. you know, just be a permanent free student and take classes on everything there is to know.

10. what kinds of books do you read?

i'll read just about anything. i do love the classics. i get some fun books in here and there, but i'd like to hit all the big ones in my lifetime. i figure that there's a reason they're taught and studied, right?

11. how would you see yourself in ten years time?

i'm kinda hoping i'm past the diaper-changing time of my life by then. other than that, i just want to be having fun as a wife and a mom. 

12. what’s your fear?

i'm a little claustrophobic. 

13. would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to visit outer space? 
 

nope. pretty sure that being surrounded by empty space is something that freaks me out. i'd do it, maybe, but i wouldn't give up anything for it. 
 
14. would you rather be single and rich or married, but poor?

well, i'm already married and poor. i wouldn't give it up for any money. 

(but i wouldn't complain about more money, though.)

15. what’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

usually i get an unhappy baby out of her crib and bring her in to cuddle with me. when we wake up the second time, i'm being poked in the eyes and nose while ellie chatters away. then we head out to eat breakfast and let our buddy judge out to do his business. 

16. if you could change one thing about your spouse/partner what would it be?

asking this question is asking for trouble. ;)

17. if you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?

i like my name quite a bit. it's different, but not too different. 

bradie. (although i have been called everything from britney to brandi to brindalyn.)

18. would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?

it really depends on the person. i'm pretty forgiving, but if it is somebody who isn't worth keeping in my life, i'd just that person loose.

19. if you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?

um, candy? if we're not getting too specific, i'll say pizza. then i can change up the toppings every once in a while. 

now, everyone run before i tag you, too.

i'll tag . . . 

mrs. fromage, who i just started following and i think she's so cute. 

one of my oldest friends, kate. i always want to hear what she has to say.

one of my roommates for a short time, whitney, because i really didn't get to know her as well as i should have (plus i love her style). 

also, the adorable mrs. kira bundy, if she can find the time between being a mom and being awesome. i stalk her blog and she never fails to make me laugh/cry/both. 

tag some other people!

snowpocalypse 2011.

(they've even gone so far as to call it "hothlanta." if you get the joke, you're as nerdy as we are.)

one of the main reasons i haven't caught up on the blog lately is this: 

a giant snow/ice storm that has been holding us hostage since sunday night. 

we had our second snow storm in two weeks and it's big. one of our neighbors said that he has lived here 33 years and he hasn't seen anything like this. we woke up to tons of snow monday morning and this morning there was a sheet of ice covering everything. 

my parents are visiting (more on that later) and they were supposed to leave yesterday morning. instead, they're going to wait until later this morning to see if maybe they can make their way to the airport. 

monday we just listened to the news and tried to figure out what was going to happen next, especially at the airport. we heard reports that even walmart closed for the night and everyone hunkered down. the power stayed on so we baked and cooked and stuffed ourselves silly. 

my dad and husband spent yesterday morning trying to scrape out the trouble spot in our neighborhood where four cars had piled up overnight. although the government told everyone not to drive for any reason - they'd come to you in the event of an emergency - all the neighbors were trying to get out. they'd stop in front of our house when they saw the pile up and try to figure out what to do next. most turned around and went home. 

after just a few minutes some neighbors joined in to make a path snaking through the cars and people were able to get in and out easily. our men ventured to the grocery store to pick up diapers and lady items, but unfortunately they couldn't get any eggs. the grocery store had been completely pillaged. they said there was plenty of skim milk and wheat bread, though. i guess those who made it to the store weren't feeling too health-conscious.

pretty sure mother nature decided she wanted my parents to extend their visit. we're hoping they can get out today, but won't mind if they have to stay and play with the baby just one more night. 

they just love getting up and putting her in bed with them at three in the morning.

p.s. - she still really hates the snow.