Summer Blog Challenge, Day 29-33 AND Why I've Been MIA

I'm WAY WAY WAY behind on this... To explain a little, Justin and I had a long discussion about if we were done having babies after Bubby is here. For the time being, at least until Bubby is 4 or older (Boogie would be about 6 or older) we have decided that we want to settle as a family of four and then re-evaluate. This will give us a chance to enjoy the two we have and focus on them while they're little, take them on a few vacations without toting a newborn around, and then if we feel like our family is incomplete we will go from there. So, since Bubby is very VERY much a boy I have completely de-stashed all of her clothing, at least... I've almost de-stashed all of her old clothing. It's been incredibly frustrating really. I thought it was a brilliant idea to try and sell them on local yard sale pages on facebook, but it's just been very stressful and annoying. People backing out at the last minute for various reasons, people getting mad because they "claimed" something before someone else (at least they THOUGHT so, however they were wrong!). So... I'm meeting a very nice momma today who is expecting in November as well, and another momma later this week for the newborn clothing, and one more next weekend and hopefully she'll take the last of my loot! All of these funds are going towards newborn cloth diapers for Bubby. Woo! It's been a LONG LONG weekend! Anyways... I'm just going to do one long post for the days I missed on the Summer Blog Challenge, so if you're still reading... bear with me!

Day 29: Write a "How to" Post...

Oh geez... lol... How about I share a how to post I wrote a while back on how to make homemade baby legs? It's very easy, even if you're a complete novice at sewing (which I am!). You can find it HERE.


Day 30: Post a photo of an outfit that either is your style or you wish was your style.

Oh Pinterest, how I love you! So this outfit minus the jewelry and add short sleeves to the shirt. 


Day 31: Talk about something eco friendly that you already do.

We cloth diaper! I love love love it, even though I'm having a hard time keeping up with regular laundry lately, let alone diaper laundry! I'm really excited to get newborn dipes for Bubby so that we have diapers he will actually fit in from day one! Boogie didn't fit into her stash of one size diapers until almost 10 weeks! That was a long 10 weeks of yucky sposies :(


Day 32:  Share a poem you've written or just one you like.

My favorite poetry is from the book of Psalms... nothing is more beautiful then poetry for Christ!

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹ You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand —
    when I awake, I am still with you.

¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
    Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Day 33: Travel & plans you have for the summer.

Nada. We MIGHT spend a day in Gatlinburg... but other than that we are staying put. In October, if the midwives say it's ok, we'll all be going to Raleigh for 3 days when Justin goes to take his certifying exam. So... that's our mini vaca for the year!

Changing for the Better

J and I are making many changes in our lives, both at home, in ourselves, and with our careers! You already know, if you read my blog, that we cloth diaper... well we are adding cloth wipes into the mix. I ordered some great wipes from gogreenpocketdiapers.com, yes I could have made my own, but when do I have the time? These wipes are lots of different colors, and each color is textured different. Some are just cotton stretchy fabric, some have ridges, some have bumps... but they will all do the job! One, maybe two, of these can handle a large bowel movement from Boogie (which is great considering she poops once every 5 or so days... and they are HUGE and nasty!) when typically I'd have to use several disposable wipes to get the job done! This is going to save us a ton of money! And it doesn't add much to my laundry considering I can just throw them in with our diapers!We are also going to try some 'green' household cleaners. I found some great "recipes" to try out that use baking soda, vinegar, water, and baby oil... I will let you know how that goes!

I've already mentioned that J and I are both on a path to a healthier lifestyle. I was cleared to start really exercising again at my 6 week checkup, so now I can start using the Wii Fit again! We are trying to buy more healthy, organic foods... and I have pretty much stopped drinking sodas. I will occasionally have a sprite or caffiene free pop, but it's very rare! I've also had to eliminate milk from my diet, it makes Boogie's belly hurt apparently. (That and broccoli actually). Cheese and other dairy products don't seem to bother her, just plain old milk. So I'm drinking soy milk and when I crave ice cream I've found some great soy and coconut options that are quite yummy! Last time I weighed myself I was down 24lbs, and I've pretty much stayed around that number for the past week or so... hopefully once I get to work out some more and when the weather stays pretty so I can walk the weight will start dropping off again!

Now for our careers. I can't go into much detail about J's decisions in this area, but I can tell you that he is starting the class for his dietary management certification! He's nervous, but excited, and I know he's going to do great! He loves what he is doing, and this is just the next step to making it a true career with great benefits! I am also making some changes to my plan... my original plan was to finish my A.A. and go on to get my Bacherlor's in Elementary Education and get my teacher's licensure... or if I went to UNCA to get my Bachelor's in Psychology w/Teaching Licesnsure. Well, since we have defintely decided to homeschool our children, I want to make sure that I will remain home throughout their childhood. (I speak in plural because obviously we plan on having more children after Boogie!) I will have to be gone for an entire semester to do student teaching if I continue on the path to becoming a teacher. So... here is my plan. I did some research on http://online.northcarolina.edu/. They offer a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology online, as well as a Master's Degree in Psychology online. My hope is to pursue those degrees and eventually, after my children are older, work with children with autism and other disorders. I might change my mind about the career I choose someday, but I don't think I'm going to sway on this change in heart for my degree. Having Boogie in my life has changed my perspective on a lot of things... I am BLESSED to be able to stay at home with her, and have a husband who is willing to support that dream and to support and want me to homeschool our children. I really look forward to that! (And the fact that I have a wonderful woman to look up to who also homeschools her children coughjanellecough... it makes it all that much better!).

I'm looking forward to all of these changes... and obviously with those changes will come MORE changes. Hopefully with a new job for J, possibly purchasing our first home, and eventually adding more children to the mix! Please pray for us as we start these new adventures... because they are defintely going to be adventures!