Soccer Season is Back!

Yesterday was a perfect, sunny day for the first Real Salt Lake soccer game of the year. Perhaps a little windy (which little J did not like), but nonetheless a great day.

I'm still getting used to the fact that it takes 100 times more planning and energy to do just about anything when you're toting a little kid around, and despite the fact that I had about everything you could possibly think of in the diaper bag it was quite the challenge to keep baby John happy.

Lately he's been really reactive to noises and every time there was a big play and people started to cheer he would freak out. So I spent a good part of the game walking around the stadium with him in the baby bjorn, but considering how much I really watch the games I was perfectly content to just be out enjoying the sunshine.

(Don't ask me what kind of face I'm making, just look at the kid!)

We were lucky to have Will and Helen come with us, my cuz Michelle was home with their 3 day old baby boy and I'm thinking we may be having more gno's with the babies while the boys go to the games because I don't think it will be worth it to buy a ticket for me when I will be spending 95% of the game outside the stadium. Thank goodness yesterday's exhibition match was free!

How do you like those shades, huh? You can just see the look on his face saying "what in the world are these crazy people doing to me!".

Other than that, about a week ago it seemed like the little dude was acting more fussy and temperamental than usual, but I just attributed it to the fact that he rarely gets regular naps on Sundays (our church time is right in the middle of both his morning and afternoon naps and it really throws him off). Then Monday he woke up so stuffy and I realized he had his first cold (not a fun milestone). He basically cried for 3 or 4 days straight and WOULD NOT sleep! By Friday I was utterly exhausted and on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but luckily he finally decided to sleep. I swear he slept 7 or 8 hours during the day, most of the night, and then Saturday morning he woke up happy and smiling again. I seriously don't know how you moms out there handle having sick kids, I mean this was just a little cold and I barely survived!
I'm quickly discovering a pattern to motherhood--just when you're starting to feel like you've got things figured out, something changes and once again you have no clue what you're doing. I know it's all about learning to enjoy the process, but for someone like me who loves predictibility and routine it can be quite the challenge. But somehow the smiles and coos and snuggles make the cries and sleeplessness and constant doubts that I'm not "doing it right" worth it.