Catch up Post

Now that I've found my camera cord (USB cords are everywhere but where I think they are when looking), here are some pictures reflecting the last month or so.

First, my sister Lara celebrated her 21st birthday. We went to eat at Grazie's which is an Italian restaurant in town that I feel is kind of a hidden treasure. Her roommate and friend brought her a homemade cake that was super chocolaty and delicious. I'm constantly impressed when others can bake.

Josie was entertaining but also kind of a scene stealer. Hopefully auntie Lara doesn't hold it against her.

These two goons (dad and hubby) always have fun together.

At one point Josie lost hair tie and this is what she was left with. Somehow she still managed to be cute and sweet!

My meal. It was AMAZING and huge so we brought this much home and had an entire meal for two the next night. Thanks for dinner TWO nights in a row Mom and Dad!

Blowing out the candles before she goes out on the town...

Birthdays are so fun. :)

This little peanut has been more smiley and fun this month than ever. Just constantly. We're fans of this crazy little girl.

We put her in the laundry basket but she just about knocked it over. She did not get it, or maybe she did? I guess she did figure out how to get out super quick.

And she likes strawberries! Success!

Ok enough for now... picture dump is done. Three more days of work for me and then I'm done!

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Midweek Confessions

I have been a terrible blog commenter lately and don't even really feel that bad about it. Partly because some of the blogs I read are ..bigger and cooler.. blogs than this little old blog so they don't usually respond and let's be honest. That is so discouraging!

I have sworn off coffee and pop but have had both this week. #Caffeinefail

My sister compared me to a spoiled bratty teenage girl because I use hashtags. I told her that all my cool (blogger) friends do it so it makes me cool too. #coolonlytomyself

I'm (sadly) relieved that Josie's hair has visibly grown because I was worried she'd look like a little boy with her new haircut (if I didn't put bows or ribbons in it). I think it just brings me back to the days when I legitimately looked like a boy (thanks mom) with the haircut AND clothing choices at times.

I found a tick on Buckley this morning (just crawling on him not attached yet THANK YOU GOD) and freaked out. I then proceeded to put on my big girl pants and remove it from him with Josie in one arm and her stuff in the other. Once removed, I had a mini freak out again because it got off of the clump of hair (sorry, Buck but its a small price to pay to not end up with lime decease) and got directly on me. I just imagine it disappearing from sight by crawling up and into my shirt. I really really really really hate ticks.

Happy Wednesday!









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Day Dreams of the Moment

The anticipation that comes with the last two weeks before I'm done working is keeping my mind active, to say the least. I spend a large chunk of my day thinking about what we will do with our time together, mother and daughter, while the sun is shining, rain is poring, snow is falling. There are so many different times of year that will create obstacles, perfect afternoons, challenging circumstances, moments we'll always remember.

Mostly, I find myself dreaming about the next couple of months. With beautiful summer weather, the possibilities seem endless. We will have so many things to fill our time! I picture us swimming, splashing in water when it is too hot to do anything else, learning how to play at the park, chasing my little baby toddler around while she figures out how to walk with confidence, run, recover from falling, and so much more. I see us having delicious cold treats and moments with us just enjoying the weather. Parks will be explored, pools will be visited. Won't it be wonderful? I know there will be moments when she is overwhelmed or too exhausted. I know we'll have off days, but these dreams are keeping me going these last two weeks of work.

Then my mind settles for a brief moment on the more distant future of those dreaded winter months locked in the house, just her and me. That is overwhelming to me. I cannot imagine what I will do to keep her entertained, stimulated, learning. I know that we will get a routine and that she won't know anything different. I only let my mind sit on that scary image for small pockets of time. There is no need to get freaked out! So many things change and happen. Who knows what I will find for us or what she will like to do.

I want to bake bread. I want to read to her consistently. I want to listen to music and keep her little body dancing. I want to go on bike rides and walks and get to know the nearby park like the back of our hands. It's going to be a great summer.




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Big steps

Our girl took her first real walking steps today (written on Monday  night). I picked her up from Grandma's since Mike wasn't going to be done with work before me, and she was holding on to the railing by the stairs. I knelt down and did the typical "come here, Josie!" that you do when you want her to walk and she turned and teetered towards me with the biggest grin and laugh coming from those sweet little lips! We were all so excited and she could feel it and knew she was doing something big. She made it the whole 5 feet or so without falling and even had the dog walk by her without throwing her off balance. 


I'm so glad that auntie Elizabeth was there to witness that scene. She walked a couple of steps towards Daddy at home but she was tired and wasn't up to it as much. I love that she can tell what we want her to do and just gets the biggest kick out of it.


Seriously, I've said it before and I'll keep on saying it. This age is so fun.

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Living the Dream

I have some wonderful big news to share with you all. Starting on May 4th, I will be staying at home with Josie full time! I have three weeks left at work and can hardly even wait to start this new phase in life. She's at such a fun age - it seems like perfect timing. God's plan and timing is always perfect.


Big news number two! I will be starting a piano studio as well. So far, I have collected 3-4 students (which is wonderful and a true blessing) and would like to get at least 6-12 more by the end of summer. It will be in my home and will be on Tuesdays,Wednesdays, and Thursdays in the afternoons. It works so great because grandma will still get plenty of Josie time while I am giving lessons, and I will have a lot more time with Josie and our future children while still having something I'm so passionate (yes it's true - this is where my heart is even though I say I don't really know) about to keep my mind working hard.


Sometimes I get a little scared that I will be lonely or driven crazy by the routine or "sameness" feeling day in and day out, but just like any job there will be good days and bad and I am just being realistic by expressing these fears. The excitement more than wins out in the end. Of course there will be days when Josie is sick or crabby or fill-in-the-blank but then I remember that there will also be those days when I get to witness the big things and enjoy sweet moments I wouldn't get if I was working.


We're hoping that me being at home will take some pressure off of Mike since he has to help me so much when I am working full time. This will give him more time to focus on his business and do the quality work he is capable of (and has been doing). Yes, he'll be the breadwinner and there is always pressure and stress in that role, but God is good and we have faith. We are so thankful that this is something we can afford to do and are not taking that for granted. 


So you readers that are local - let me know if you are interested in lessons (adults or children!) or if you know someone that is.

Seriously though. Praise the Lord!


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Finally... Easter revisited

Easter.

I forgot to take a picture of the Easter dress. And she wasn't feeling the sitting still.

My grandparents got to come out and the loved it. To get them up the stairs, Mike and my dad had to do a chairlift type thing using the wheelchair and it worked well. The only thing was the my grandma was terrified of going down. She was a champ and powered through, but she had a tight grip on those handles.

It was windy and chilly so us ladies spent most of our time inside. The men, on the other hand, put the boat in, waded out in their waders (?), and worked on getting rid of the weeds from the beachy area. They must have thought it was 80 degrees instead of 40...

We went to church in town (a good 45 minute drive) and then came back out to enjoy the rest of the day at the lake. We actually ate the Easter meal on Saturday so we just grilled burgers on Easter and ate the rest of the leftovers from the day before.

Here's the desert I made. So rich but so delicious! Cookie on the bottom, mini Cadbury egg inside, butter cream frosting, and peanut m&m's. I just ate the last one today. I probably won't make them again, but they were good!

Auntie Lara provided the Easter gifts, since I didn't do the basket thing this year. We'll definitely do it next year and years after that, but I didn't think she'd understand what was going on. She enjoyed the gifts without the basket either way. She got a ballerina barbie (her very first barbie I should add) and bubbles. I feel like there was more but we left them at the lake so there would be fun toys out there and I didn't get a good look... sorry auntie!

Randomly, we looked outside and saw a lone turkey running (seriously, like sprinting for it's life) across the yard. By the time we got the camera out, it was almost in the woodsy part of the yard, but I really did get proof! See??

It just looked so silly running and then later flying all by itself. A great Easter if I do say so myself! 

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Nine Months

Ok you got me. She turned 9 months old almost two weeks ago... better late than never!

There was no cooperation on the picture front. I got a lot of flipping, crying, and squirming and no good toothy grins. She makes the rules.

This month, Josie has shown us that she is silly and loves to laugh. She loves when we say "I'm gonna get you" and wants us to chase her all over the place. Grammy and Papa have figured this out too and she is thrilled any time any of us do it.

She had another ear infection and was diagnosed with Roseola. She made it through, but it was hard on us! At least she is a generally happy baby so it only brings her mood down a couple of notches.

She's started waking up at least two times every night, much to our dismay, and absolutely needs the pacifier to sleep soundly. I'm not sure what our plan is for ridding her of that at this point, but she has a couple of months left before I have to start some time of weaning process.

Jo still loves to eat almost everything, but there are a few things she hasn't been as excited about. She didn't love strawberries (shocking, I know) and no longer likes avocado (can't blame her there). She loves a ton of foods though and the list goes on an on. A few examples: any type of fish (tilapia, salmon, etc), pineapple, pickles, string cheese, cheddar cheese, bread, and carrots. She got a little burnt out on the cheerios and bananas so we're taking a break for a while. I don't want her to not like these easy simple foods so we'll give her a chance to like it again later.

She usually eats all three meals a day, two small snacks, and bottles before sleeping. I have no idea how much milk she is drinking but it's definitely less than it was before. She's growing a ton and definitely not lacking in that respect so we're not worried.

She is in the 75% for both height and weight. Staying right on track!

She loves loves loves chasing Buckley around, but he hates it. He is so afraid of getting in trouble! He looks at us like please no, please help. I can't say it enough how glad I am that he acts like this. It is so much better than the alternatives.

She's not quite walking, so that prediction wasn't right, but she is getting so close. I do think she is satisfied with crawling so although she has the ability to walk, she won't necessarily push it immediately. I am done trying to figure this girl out. :)

She had her first experience with grass since it's been such a nice spring. She immediately crawled on to my lap (which she never ever does) and cried when I put her back. I get that it is prickly, but I bet it's only a matter of time before she gets over that and wants to be outside all of the time.

Overall she's a happy baby that loves adventure and new things. She doesn't really seem to be afraid of other people and loves seeing Grandma when we go to daycare. She's still figuring out how to wave and isn't interested in clapping. But dancing? Oh this girl likes to dance! It makes my heart so happy - she is a joy!

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Parent fail

Today I had to swipe my finger through Jo's mouth to get the dog food out while holding back the urge to be sick myself. She was so pleased with herself for successfully getting it, and did not seem in the least discouraged from it by it's taste.

I think she and Buckley need some time apart to find out who is the person and who is the dog. Clearly, thing are a bit muddy in this area.




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Stylish chica

Grab a tissue, another monumental moment has happened with this growing-too-fast baby girl. She got her first haircut today!

Is there anything cuter than a baby bob? She looks so young yet so grown up. We are very happy! I brought her my friend who cuts my hair as well and she did an amazing job. Josie didn't cry at all (even though we are battling those evil teeth) and Heather (hair stylist extraordinaire) was patient and spot on. She didn't miss a single spot even with Josie moving all around! I couldn't get pictures of the process since she was sitting in my lap reading me her favorite book, but trust me. She did great. :) Mom on the other hand, kind of a hot mess right about now.

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Josie is teething again (I really wish there was a way to be sure it is teething and not a new ear infection or cold) so she's sick and miserable with a fever that goes as high as 102.8... I hate it and just want my baby girl to feel better. She's such a good sport when we can get the temp down from that scary high number but man let me tell you. When it is high like that? She's ticked off. Nothing makes her happy and she screams/whines constantly. I can't be mad though, I would be worse than that! Nobody would want to be around me. :)

I had a bunch of pictures started on a post and then turned off my computer causing said post to disappear. So maybe sometime soon I'll dig those up and post them (if you're lucky).

This weekend, hubby got a bunch of little things done on our huge to do list and I didn't. Yep, I held us back big time and he blew me out of the water. I would blame it on the need to have a lazy weekend, but I feel as though I am like that more often than not and he is always working working working... as usual I am calling out for motivation to come find me.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow I have the day off! Maybe I can be super productive then. Or maybe not since I'll be hanging with a sick little girl. Prayers please. :)



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Sunny day

Loving this day out in the sun getting work done! Let's be clear. The men are doing most of the work...

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Good morning from Miss Jo

Somebody won't dance on command when the camera is out. She's already an entertainer...


Good morning world!



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Keeping You Happy

I figure I should post something at some point... just to keep you (10) readers happy. :)


I love that she loves books. Maybe someday she'll even like to read them! (I'd make the pictures bigger, but the quality is lacking a bit so we'll leave them little)

And on a side note, my aunt came to town and had a good trip down memory lane. This is hubby's '69 Studebaker; he was glad to give her the opportunity to remember her youth.

We had a good but uneventful weekend. The chilly weather threw a kink in my lack of plans, but it turned out okay for us! I just started the laundry about an hour ago so it might not get done til next weekend. Why do I do this to myself??






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Midweek Confessions

Confessions...

After reading E's confessions, one in particular was like "ding ding!" to me. Our yard is out of control. Neighborhood embarrassment? Yes, us. That is correct. We have a new patio that Mike did last fall, but we don't have nice matching furniture so instead we just have random chairs out there with big dirt holes and bobcat tracks. The flowers from last year are all scraggly and in place and since there isn't snow to cover them up, they are showing their true ugly self loud and proud.

When Mike is gone, I feel guilty doing anything but hanging out with Josie one on one with no TV or computer. She has other plans, however, and usually ignores me or crawls away from me when I try to join in the play. So then I just sit there watching and feeling ridiculous.

I got a mani/pedi this weekend and couldn't even enjoy it because there were older women there complaining about anything and everything. I tried to block it out but instead just got angry with them for wasting my wonderful afternoon opportunity. At least my nails look nice and shiny...

Another one when Mike is gone: I don't eat real meals. He made pancakes on Saturday for us and made extra for "his girls when he's gone" (sweet, right?). So that's what we ate. Pancakes and yogurt. I was perfectly happy and Josie doesn't know the difference. Hopefully I remember how to cook once he's back for a dinner time meal.

I may or may not be an Amazon.com addict.

I like Coldplay. I've tried to fight it, just like I did with Train, but I can't... their Britishness just wins me over every.single.time.

We're having a potluck at work today so I have already declared this day an official "cheat" day. Who wants to lose weight anyways??





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Weekend Update

This weekend was so good! 

1. We spent a ton of time outside.

2. Hubby got the garage all cleaned up and ready for some serious use now that we can do outdoor things again.

3. I ran those 3.5 miles... yikes!

4. Josie battled her runny nose but still kept her smiles and giggles.

5. I went to a concert that my sister was in. She's in a barbershop quartet. I know what you are thinking, is your sister 50 years old? Nope, just 20, but she loves it! I can see why too, she's the cutest one and she got a solo (kind of two since they repeated the song later) after only being in the group for a couple of weeks. She's like a celebrity. It's true.

6. Before the concert, we braved the crazy crowds and went to Rhombus Guys, a local pizza place that my cousin's fiance` owns. We always like to go there to support them, but it helps a bunch that the food and atmosphere are both amazing! Let's just keep in mind that it was St Patty's day and the restaurant was part of the pub crawl or whatever it is. We could hardly hear each other and the place was packed, but we had an "in" since future-mother-in-law was with and had reservations. It's nice to have connections. :)

7. We went to church and met a few more people (we hardly know anybody yet unfortunately).

8. My sister and us girls went shopping at Old Navy and scored some great deals. Think yellow flip flops, polka dot bikini baby style, and a summer dress for mama. I also ordered another one online after trying on a size too big in the store. I can't wait to wear all of these dresses! It's one of my favorite parts of summer. By far. And with this year already looking to be super hot, it will help to not be wearing heavy jeans. I'm not really the biggest fan of shorts...

9. We sat out on our new patio that hubby put in last fall and just...enjoyed... it. It's going to be awesome to not have the sun in our eyes and feel the breeze on our faces. Love it!

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3.5

Today I ran 3.5 miles. This is big. I haven't been doing a great job training during the week because you can't pay me enough to spend quality time on that dreadmill and I don't always have time to go outside. Then you throw in the Josie factor and you end up with irregular workouts consisting of turning around because of too much sun and a crying baby way before the halfway mark. The life of a mother.


I did 6 min run 2 min walk for 6 sets. It was interesting this time because I was able to repeatedly get to that "could just go forever" feeling without burning out early on.

I probably should run again tomorrow but I'm scheduled to get a pedicure and have both clothes and grocery shopping to do. Priorities.

My legs hurt, but it was worth it.




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Cloth Diapers Revisited

I just made a purchase for something that kind of seems like a waste of money. We bought a bunch of cloth diapers through Ebay before we had Josie and I never tried any other kind. Because of this, I always wondered if I had really gotten the best deal and, much to my dismay, realized that although they were cheap, they were not the best quality (will I ever learn?). So reluctantly, because I know that each time I buy more I am lowering the grand total amount of savings compared to using disposables, I decided to start slowly replenishing our stock with better quality (and way more expensive) diapers. We're definitely going to have more kids someday so eventually it will still pay of way more than not.

Today I purchased two Flip diapers with two liners. They, as of today, don't sell the diapers with an insert included, but so nicely took off $3(the insert costs $5) so now each diaper costs $2 more. Oh if only I had purchased them before when I had decided to do this... I could have saved a lot of mullah.

This is what they look like:



Cute, and easier for me. Why? Because instead of having to wash a million diapers, I can just wash a million inserts. Less laundry to wash and dry (since you really don't need to dry them anyways since it is kind of hard on them and they usually just sit in the dryer all night long while we sleeping/wrestling a sleepy baby) and less to PACK which is the main thing. Going places, even out and about in town, has been frustrating because I know I should pack at least two diapers, but the bulk that they take up is just annoying. Now I can just pack one and pack 2 inserts (or even 3! daring, I know) and then still have room for her many other necessary items like toys and pacifiers. Yes, more than one is often needed.

I also went online and purchased 9 more inserts from cottonbabies.com that only cost about $3.80 an insert instead of $4.95.

I have a friend that has purchased Flip diapers, which is where I heard of them, but have any of you ran across them and liked/disliked them? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Overall I am still so happy that we went with cloth. My husband even agrees which says a lot since he was not on board when I first brought it up. The truth of the matter is the cost savings is big, and I love that we are not throwing out a million diapers a week. No judging if you do, but this works for us.

I don't mind washing them and they are just so cute on her little bum. I can't wait until she's wearing dresses again (soon, so very soon!) because then I can even match them to the outfit. Oh the little things I live for...



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the Itch

I have the itch. All day long I sit in my office with my window behind me tempting me to just run out there and breathe in the fresh air with my arms up high turning in a circle. Too much? Okay but seriously, it's been slow at work which just makes me even more itchy. I just want to jump up and down all crazy like.

I did something drastic. I mixed up my "diet" by removing desserts from my day with the exception of 90 calorie Fiber One Fudge Bars and am trying to limit my calorie intake while eating a lot more fruits and veggies. I also am only drinking my cup and a half of coffee in the morning and then water for the rest of the day. THIS IS BIG. This means I am not drinking Diet Coke, don't you see?? I'm talking life changing. It also means I'm not drinking alcohol, but who really cares about that anyways? It wasn't like I was a huger partyer by any means. That wine cooler or glass of wine will not be greatly missed.

I started on Monday and have done a phenomenal job thus far if I do say so myself. I'm using MyFitnessPal (msdeyle - look for me and friend me) and it's easy without being time consuming. Why did I wait to tell you? Because I wanted to make sure that I can do it. It turns out I can, and it hasn't been hard at all. The hardest part is getting enough calories when I burn a bunch working out. It's crazy to me that now that I cut out dessert, I have a hard time getting enough calories without feeling like I'm being excessive. Stupid small habit (which is really all it is) from before that is such an easy fix as long as I can find the will power to keep it up.

So maybe my lifestyle will fall into a rhythm of healthy eating and exercise without it being a battle every single day. Maybe I will be able to enjoy meals again without feeling guilty. Mostly, I will be able to enjoy being healthy with my family - something that has been holding me back a lot lately. Nobody likes a bum, and that has been me up until lately.

Tomorrow is Friday and then it's the weekend. It's supposed to be beautiful (right? someone confirm this please) and I plan on enjoying it. What are your plans this weekend?



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Best prebed activity=walk to the park

This freakish weather is giving us all reason to smile.

Is there anything cuter than this happy baby ready for a walk to her (now) favorite park?

She is still happy, I swear...it's just that nothing is as fun as that park. She is already missing it...

Family photo fake smile style.  

Look for more of these minus the awkward. Someday we'll perfect the family photo. Practice makes perfect?

New Pianist in the house

Introducing the next (female) Mozart.

She's hard core.