Dearest, Favorite Darlings...

My friend Miranda passed along the Liebster award to me. In German, Liebster means darling, favorite, or dearest. So it's kind of a sweet way to connect. It reminds me of those interminably long tell-me-about-yourself emails we all passed around as kids, but I think it's fun, so here goes! Here are the instructions:

Post 11 random things about myself.


Answer the 11 questions my nominator set for me.


Create 11 questions for my nominees.


Nominate 11 other bloggers with fewer than 200 followers (no tag-backs).


Go to each of their blogs to tell them about their nominations.

My 11 Random Facts

• I love scarves. Like a lot. I have an entire drawer of them and I don’t think I’ve ever gone through all of them in a single season. It’s an easy Christmas gift!
• My feet obnoxiously grew during my pregnancy, which is I guess kind of normal. I am not happy, Bob. Not happy.
• I take great pride in my driving skills. I never had much confidence in my driving until coming to Cedar and especially since working at Sunrise. Doing the Black Ridge three times weekly in the winter has got to give me points!
• I have lived on two Continents.
• I’ve never had braces. I’m quite proud of my teeth.
• I love Yoga, although I am very inflexible.
• I love to run more than almost any pastime/sport. I’m still not cleared for running by my doctor and I miss it so much I’ve had several dreams about it.
• I love fashion but I have neither the money or the will to allocate much money to it so I mostly admire it in others.
• I am a bit of a food snob. Just a bit, though!
• I love dogs. They are my spirit guide! But ya wanna know a secret? I also love cats. Not the bratty ones. The really dumb, funny ones that belong in cartoons and youtube videos.
• I would rather clean dirty dishes than put away clean ones.

My answers to Miranda’s 11 questions

What’s your favorite book and why?

• Jane Eyre. It is a beautiful tale that crosses genres! It’s a love story full of mystery, crime, a hint of humor, and morality. It has been my constant friend since I was 9 years old.

 Who is your favorite sibling, and how did he/she get to be so awesome?

• My brother, Chad. We were close as kids and fought horribly throughout our youth but we became very close over the last 7 years. We can talk about anything and respect the other person’s opinions. We learn so much from each other and, most importantly, we have total trust! In the course of our lives as siblings, Chad has never lied to me. Not once. I can count on him to always be honest with me and I value that so much! We are learning to lean on each other and be there for each other in a way we never figured out as kids. He’s pretty great!

 What is your fantasy travel destination?

• I want to travel all over Italy. That’s one country we didn’t really go when we lived there and I am just dying to go visit the home of my Italian ancestors and eat lots of delicious food!

 What is your alternate life path?

• I would be working in an NGO or in international relations in DC to help women and children who are suffering in other countries.

 Is there intelligent life on other planets and will we ever meet them?

• Yes. No.

 What broke up you and your first best friend?

• I moved away.

 Who is your longest lasting pal? Why?

• Cara. We can go weeks without talking and pick up the phone and it’s like nothing has changed and no time has passed. We have become like sisters and we are always there for each other, no matter what. And because when we pranked a bunch of boys in college and I got hog tied with zip ties, she came running in after me!

 In what ways do you hope to be just like your mother, and in what ways do you not?

• Someday I would like to approach cooking like she does. She get’s an idea of how it should taste and just starts throwing stuff in. It shouldn’t work, but it always tastes great! I love her unending variety of hobbies and interests. She reminds me I don’t have to just do one thing my whole life. I can do whatever I want with my time. My mom has found a wonderful man that makes her completely happy and helps her be herself in all the best ways. Unfortunately it took her several tries. I hope to be different from her by getting it right with Josh. I chose very carefully in part because I watched her struggle for so long.

 College class you never got to take?

• Humanities with Jim Harrison, ballet, ASL, cooking, drugs and behavior, Directing I, Horsemanship I (I took it, I just want to take it again with Josh!), self-defense, and various English and History classes. Good thing Josh is technically employed by the University so I can take whatever I want now!

 Hobby you can’t afford?

• Travel, Kayaking, Horseback Riding, Photography.

 What is the deal?!

• BOGO.

My Questions

• Boxers or briefs?
• If you could hang out with anyone, alive or dead, for an afternoon, who would it be?
• What are the last 5 shows/movies in your Netflix queue or equivalent watching device or site?
• What is the most treasured piece of jewelry you own? (If one of them is your wedding ring, add the next best one as well!)
• What is your fondest memory as a child, in elementary, junior, high school, and college?
• What is the greatest piece of advice your parents have ever given you?
• Favorite treat?
• Crunchy or creamy, mayo or miracle, Colgate or Crest, sweet or dill, East Coast or West Coast, cats or dogs?
• Something you learned recently?
• What is your biggest pet peeve?
• How will you survive the zombie apocalypse? What makes you likely to survive?

My Peeps

Cara

Chelsea

Ali

Carlee

Ashley

Amanda

Lara

Anne-Marie

Alyssa

Chandler

Lindsey

Enjoy! Tag me back so I can see all your answers!

A New Year. A New Word!

Inspired by Miranda and Lara, I have decided that rather than making a long list of things I want to do or change in the next year that I will inevitably forget about by the time my birthday rolls around, I will have a word to guide me this year. Whilst pondering this concept, I thought over the last year and asked myself what my word would have been last year and it was pretty easy to come up with.

Increase!

2012 was a very busy one for the Stavros family! Here’s the breakdown:

January: We bought our home!

February: We became big kids when Josh became an official full-time employee of the Shakespeare Festival and got full benefits. We also adopted our wonderful dog Rosie

March: Found out I was pregnant

April: I was promoted to Supervisor at Sunrise

May: Chad returned from his mission and Haela graduated from High School

June/July: We began the never-ending project of home improvement

August: Cara and Steve welcomed Ella into their family

September: Kellie and Troy brought little Ephraim into the world

October: We started a family tradition of participating in the Butch Cassidy fun run, Josh ran another successful Shakespeare Competition, in which my girls participated again, and we prepared for our world to be completely turned upside down.

November: Our beautiful daughter, Jane, was born!

December: Jane got a cousin when Nora was born in Brazil to Jake and Ashley!

SO yeah. It was a big one. Every month brought an increase to our lives. An increase of responsibility, anticipation, family, joy…it was a really good year for us!

However, we are really looking forward to a slightly calmer year! We don’t want to stop growing, but we want to enjoy the wonderful changes that came to us last year. Josh thought of comparing it to a plant:

Last year we increased by planting a lot of seeds (and watched them sprout rather quickly!), but this year they need lots of attention and…

Cultivation!

So in 2013 we look forward to tending all of these increases and cultivating their beauty in our lives. Specifically, I want to cultivate my testimony of the Savior, actually plant a garden, cultivate my relationship with my daughter, husband, and the rest of my family, and get out of debt! (The debt one only sort of works with my word, but I’m DETERMINED to pay off at least one student loan by the end of next year!) I’d also like to NOT cultivate my hips as I work off my love weight (that’s what I’ve decided to call baby weight. My body weight was increased with love. Now that my Little Love is outside of me, it’s time to give all that weight back to her!).

In conclusion, here’s to 2013, and my year of cultivating the many wonderful blessings 2012 brought to our little family!

What's your word for 2013?

Brrrr!

On the one hand...

it's zero degrees outside. 

ZERO.

On the other...

Cara's coming today!

Just think: 

Our husbands have given us four whole days to do absolutely positively whatever we want. 

All that's really required of us is that we feed our babies 

(and Josh. I need to keep feeding Josh). 

I think we can handle that!

Sweet Baby Jane

Dear Jane,

Welcome to the world! You are six weeks old now and just as cute as can be! Here is the story of your birth, Sweetheart.

You were born Monday, November 19, 2012 at 4:51pm, weighing in at 7 lbs 2 oz and 19.25 inches long. I woke up at around 7:30am with mild contractions 3-5 minutes apart. As I wasn't in any pain, just feeling a little crampy, I got up and started my day! I made some bread, went to the chiropractor, finished packing my hospital bag, and took a shower. Nana came over at about 11:00 to help me get ready, and aunt Ashley came to take a pregnancy picture with me since she was still carrying baby Nora. Good thing we got it then!

Daddy came home at noon for lunch and I had my heart set on Thai food, but when a strong contraction brought me to the floor, he thought we should go to the hospital just in case. When we got there I was dilated to a 3+ and my hopes of Green Curry and Pad Thai were crushed! I was admitted at about 1:00pm and Dr. Gatherum came to break my water and start Pitocin. At this point I was getting really uncomfortable and very frustrated that the nurse kept asking me questions and poking me. Luckily Phyllis and I are both pretty sarcastic people. We got along great!

After about an hour of that I was finally able to relax and focus on the waves of productive pain that I knew would eventually bring me you. They gave me something to help me relax even more. I settled in and used meditation, visualization, deep breathing, and hypnobirthing techniques to manage the pain and make contractions efficient. At 3:00pm the nurse checked me again and I was already dilated to a 6 and totally in my rhythm.

~Going in to labor we had all kinds of plans for how your Dad was going to help me through the pain (music, massage, coaching, etc.) but once I got focused I didn't want anyone touching or talking to me, so he just hung out with Nana and let me be. I was so grateful for his gentle support.~

Auntie Cara called Dad at around 3:30pm asking how I was doing. Cara has always been my greatest cheerleader so of course I wanted to talk to her! I thought I totally played it cool on the phone but apparently I was so relaxed that I sounded high as a kite! Still, it was so great to hear her sweet, encouraging voice.

Suddenly I was yanked out of my happy place at about 4:00pm with an urge to push that was so strong and unexpected that I yelped after hours of almost total silence! Dad leapt to my side and I asked him to quickly get the nurse. Doctor Gatherum arrived a few minutes later and I was dilated to 9 3/4 and fully effaced. It was time to push! And kiddo, were you ready or what! About 45 minutes later I gave what I knew would be my last push (after about 20 maddening minutes of hearing about how much hair you had) and held you in my arms for the first time.

At that moment I felt pure joy, relief, and love. You know how sometimes in the movies it looks like the world is blurry and swirling around two people? (Of course you don't. You're an infant. But you will!) That's what it felt like. There were many people in the room that had hands in my vision, taking care of you, but I never saw most of their faces. All I saw was you. You didn't cry at first. You just looked up at me with the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. You only cried when they started to take you away from me, and then they were satisfied that the gunk was coming out of your hearty little lungs and gave you back to me. You were so positively beautiful. I held you for as long as I possibly could, and only gave you up when I absolutely had to. I watched Dad give you your first bath and the nurse get your foot and fingerprints, and gratefully heard everyone say how perfectly healthy you were. I will never forget the rush of love I felt for you and your father that night as we all rested peacefully.

Nana, Grampa and Aunt Hilary were there right after you were born and Papa Neves came a few hours later and everyone was in total awe of your sweet, tender spirit. We were blessed with a constant stream of family and friends the next day and throughout the ensuing weeks. Nana stayed with us on and off for a week or two to help us get the hang of this whole parenting thing, and was such a blessing! Thanksgiving was wonderful and you are still quite the belle of the ball wherever we go and although no one needs to tell me how wonderful you are, I just hope it doesn't go to your head!

You are growing like a weed and you have changed so much in the last few weeks. You have been smiling at us since you were about 3 weeks old and you bequeathed that impish little grin on Dad first; he can get you to smile and coo almost anytime! You love to be held and, as I totally knew you would, you fight sleep at bedtime just like Mama! You are also VERY demanding when hungry and had to be given formula as a supplement before my milk came in because you just weren't satisfied with colostrum, ya greedy little thing! But most of the time you are an absolute delight! You love to snuggle and will go to just about anyone, although no one can soothe you as fast as I can, and you make the cutest little squeaks and gurgles when you sleep. You are a total productivity killer, by the way! I don't get anything done most days because I would rather watch, cuddle, and listen to you than anything else in the world!
You are my most precious gift and I thank Heavenly Father every single day for trusting me with your life.
With so much love,
Mom