Chrystal Springs Reservoir

Today was the greatest day.

It started with a run along Chrystal Springs Reservoir, a breathtaking trail only a few miles from our house. Ryan pushed Trenton in the stroller while I ran ahead of them. I'm extremely excited to say that I ran 50 minutes (almost 5 miles) without stopping—a new record for me. I never ever imagined that I could run 5 miles straight. And I still felt great walking the last 3 miles with Ryan and Trenton. It was exhilarating! I've been ridiculously pumped about it all day.


Check out that waterfall. The picture doesn't do it justice. The whole trail was lined with moss-covered trees. With the hills and trees on one side and the water on the other, we couldn't have loved it more. (Mostly I'm trying to convince my nature lover of a sister to come out here, as well as my powerhouse-of-a-runner sister, Sally, and my her-life-is-more-exciting-than-mine sister, Rachel. Get out here, girls!)



Baby T was an absolute trooper, since we were gone for 3 hours. (And I got the break from Baby that I've been needing! Thanks, honey!)


May I please stay in California forever?

Happy Birthday, Ryan!

Dear Ryan,

Early spring marks four years of knowing each other. We've had a lot of fun, haven't we? You make me laugh, you support me without question, you always like my food, you get Trenton all hyper before bedtime, you change his diaper when you get home from work, you're not half-bad looking(!)... You are a good man. We're not perfect, but it sure works. I love you. Enjoy your birthday.

Erica Layne


And for the rest of you who...well, aren't us and wouldn't know what each of these pictures is from, here are a couple words to describe each one, starting at the top left.

• Notre Dame
• BYU graduation
• Our winter wedding
• Pebble Beach
• The first date Ryan tried to kiss me on
• Cute Daddy
• The proposal
  
• Looking good in Canada
  

Play Play Play

Last Saturday for Valentine's, our friends Amber & Peter watched Trenton while Ryan and I went out to lunch. It was the third time that we've driven in the car without Baby T in the back seat, and it still feels weird! When I don't have Trenton, I walk around the whole time thinking, "These people don't even know I have a baby!" It's hard to reconcile the new mommy me with the old "carefree" me—the girl who used to walk into a store with just a purse. (No diaper bag, no baby.)

Anyway, it was a much-needed breath of fresh air to be out and have a couple of hours to focus on just each other. Thanks, Amber & Peter!


Then this weekend we got a chance to tend their adorable little girl, Chloe. Trenton is finally big enough to be aware of Chloe, so it was hilarious to see them interacting. Here are a few action shots:


Yes, I let them watch Saturday morning cartoons...They lasted about 5 minutes before they realized there were much better things to do, like roll, walk, or look for cords. (Chloe shows me what baby proofing I need to do before Trent becomes mobile!)




Thanks for coming to play, Chloe! Come again soon!

Next up, we have Trenton's first experience with a sippy cup. He might not get much out, but I was surprised at how well he holds it. Go T!


And of course, I saved the best for last...An image you just may never forget.

I love those buns!

Loves and Hugs

One of the main things I say to Trenton is, "Can I give you cuddles and kisses and hugs and loves all day long??" In honor of Valentine's, we're sending some loves and hugs your way. :)

Well, Trenton is a happy, healthy, six-month-old, who according to the doctor is the size of a 10-month old. No wonder that infant carrier is so heavy! No one believes me when I tell them that he has his whiney days, because generally he is such a happy little guy (especially outside of our boring apartment!). He is becoming a more and more proficient roller, and he is constantly grinning up at us from his tummy.

I love, love, love those rosy cheeks.

This is how he felt about his first bite of rice cereal. No thank you!

But luckily, it grew on him. Doesn't he look so grown up in his chair?!
It's so much fun eating dinner at the table with him now.

He hasn't quite mastered sitting up, but he's getting close!

In other good news, Ryan still worked till midnight a few nights this week, but on Thursday he got home at 5!!! He was also able to take Tuesday morning off and join me for Trenton's doctor's appointment. It has been wonderful to see more of Ryan this week, and I'm looking forward to sharing Valentine's with him. (He has Saturday day off!!) I love you, babe!

Also, for the last 5 weeks I've been going to the gym 5 days a week before Trenton and Ryan wake up. It feels incredibly good to be back! I'm a gym girl, through and through. I wish I had started back sooner after having Trenton, but I doubt that I could have hacked it with all those middle-of-the-night feedings. Thank you for sleeping longer, Baby T!!

Happy Valentine's, everyone! Love ya!

Times have changed!

I haven't blogged lately because I just haven't had the heart for it. January was a bit of a lonely month, with Ryan clocking 80 hours a week at EY. So whenever I sit down to blog, the only thing I can get to come out is "Poor me, my husband is absentee." But in reality I know how incredibly blessed I am, so I skip blogging altogether. But today I'm feeling great because Ryan had the day off (Sunday!), so blogging is BACK!

Today's post is for all my friends/sister/cousins who don't have children yet. Before you have a baby, you realize on an intellectual level that things will change once you do. Sure, you know that date nights with your hubby will be harder to come by and that sleeping will suddenly become much more precious. In fact, when you're pregnant, young moms love to tell you to appreciate those kinds of things before the baby comes along.

But in my case, no matter how much I tried to prepare for that change, I could never have anticipated the slew of changes that would come. So to all of you whose clothing isn't yet covered in drool, here are a few things to enjoy before you have kids:

• Curling your hair in silence. The other day I found myself singing the ABCs as loudly as my lungs would allow while curling my hair, trying futiley to keep Trenton's attention from a distance.
• Talking to your friends without holding a baby that is suddenly launching spit-up all over the floor. (What a conversation-stopper!)
  
• Being alone. Ever.
  
• Pushing a cart in the grocery store. Just a cart. Next thing you know you'll be holding a baby in one arm and navigating the grocery cart/infant carrier with the other arm, because the little guy decided he had HAD IT with his boring baby toys.
  
• Hearing a lesson—any lesson—in church and not feeling like an utter distraction while you juggle the baby and enter & exit the room three times.
  

I could go on, but I think those will suffice. The truth is, as I lay this afternoon on our bed, with Trenton sitting up wobbly beside me, batting his hands in an effort to get the buttons on my shirt or capture of small square of sunlight on my skirt, I thought about how all those changes have made my life what it is. And how I wouldn't trade them for anything. Yes, sometimes it's hard, but those very things (singing the ABCs at the top of my lungs) are what makes it so special, knowing that this little person couldn't exist without my love and care.

I love my little man.

(Notice Trenton's Cardinals outfit. Thanks to the AZ bunch for sending it! Trenton was a great fan today!)

And as caveat—yes, I do know it only gets harder and crazier with more kids. (Bring it!)