September Has Come Again!

My favorite time of year is Autumn... and when September comes around it's time to start preparing for cooler weather, falling leaves, and fall decor! Woohoo! I love it! We started off September by taking Boogie  for a stroll around one of our favorite lakes, she loves to watch the ducks (and usually they have two swans... however they were missing in action this trip), running on the bridge, and throwing rocks into the water. She's getting so big and so independent, she is becoming a little girl before my eyes... my baby is a distant memory!

We had a hard time getting her to look at us for pictures... she just wanted to quack at the ducks!

Sometimes she still gives kisses... but they are few and far between these days! She's "too big" to give mommy and daddy kisses!

She was about to be naughty and go down the steps (to the left) by herself.

Throwing pebbles and rocks into the lake with daddy.

Looking for some more skipping rocks.

You can't tell... but it's getting harder to hold her on my hip. My belly is starting to get in the way!

My beautiful big girl... she gets prettier every day.

Boogie is such a joy, she drives me absolutely bonkers some days, but she truly is a precious blessing. Those big brown eyes melt me, and I imagine that when Bubby finally gets here he will have deep blue eyes like Boogie did and slowly they will be these same beautiful big brown eyes! It will be interesting to see how our family dynamics change with a little boy added to the mix. I can't wait to meet our little man!

In other news, school is becoming more overwhelming every day. I think I'm going to have to redo my schedule so that I can lessen the workload I've dealt myself. I've been playing catch up for over a week now and it's just not working. I can't possibly take care of Boogie, myself, our home, and accomplish the workload I've planned for myself. I had high hopes of being done with everything aside from my finals by the first week of October... but I may have to settle for the last week of October instead. That's still a large workload, but not nearly as much as I planned before. That is also less time to get a few things done I'd like to get done before Bubby is here. Ay yi yi!

Also, don't forget to head over and enter my giveaway for three BOGO free coupons for UNREAL candy! They seriously are SO good!

Feeling Out of Sorts

As the title says... I'm just feeling all out of sorts today. Boogie is inching closer and closer to two years old and the closer she gets to the terrible twos the naughtier and more mischievous she becomes. Today she is driving me INSANE. I'm at a complete loss as to what I am supposed to do with her. I refuse to be a parent who spanks her children... say what you want, but I think it's wrong. Time outs seem to work most of the time, but when she's in the mood she is in today, time outs just make her laugh. Which in turn just makes me even more frustrated then I already was!

Trying to get my endless amount of homework done today has been absolutely horrendous. I've resorted to watching movies ALL DAY. I never do that with her unless we're not feeling well. I hate doing that. I hate using the TV as a "babysitter" as many would call it. I know she doesn't understand why mommy is reading and taking notes and on the computer all the time, so I try to take breaks (like I am now... although she decided this time she didn't want to play with mommy... hence this blog post) and spend one on one time with her.

The words "stop" and "no" are completely pointless around here. They make no difference to her if she is told that. Sitting her in timeout and explaining with positive words why she shouldn't do something is pointless because she just giggles and laughs and says "mommy.... mommy.... mommy." She got in trouble for hitting me today, that was the only time she cried over getting in trouble. However, I was in tears because she really did HURT me and I think that upset her more than actually being put in timeout and being told why hitting is something we do not do.

So I've got all of these toddler things going on, endless amounts of schoolwork to be done... the house is an absolute disaster because frankly at the moment I don't have time. Thankfully J is wonderful and he understands and tries to help. And really, I'm just feeling sorry for myself. I'm missing my friends who just aren't around anymore, I'm missing my clean house that I kept up with all summer, I'm tired of being stuck inside with this crazy monster child of mine (I say that in love, I call her my monster all of the time), and I'm over being pregnant. Bubby's due date needs to just come on faster than it already has because then I'll be pretty much done with classes, we'll be closer to Christmas, and the faster we get done with Boogie's 2nd birthday then the closer we will be to being done with these terrible twos. I hope. I don't like rushing life, it goes by fast enough as it is... but I'm tired. And frustrated. And a little lonely. I miss my husband being home more. I miss cool weather without mosquitoes attacking, and I miss the ease of toting Boogie around in a wrap when I want to go out... which is still possible, but not as comfortable the larger Bubby gets.

And that's it really. I just needed to vent and escape homework for 10 minutes. On a more positive note, I checked my mailbox around lunchtime and my coupons for the UnReal Candy arrived! I headed to CVS to get the candy and they were on sale for 2 for $2, so I got all 5 flavors to try and review! I even have some leftover coupons, so we'll see if I decide to keep them or give them away ;-)

Whoa!

::SIGH!:: My brain is on major overload right now... my second biology class has started and holy homework. That class is definitely going to keep me on my toes. And... she does not open exams until 2 days prior to their due dates, so there's NO way I can get this class done before Bubby is here. UGH! I'm still going to work ahead, so maybe at least I can get all the quizzes and labs done before then and just do the exams as they open? I really wanted to get this stuff done and do my final exams in October... but she's not willing to budge on this. Fan-freaking-tastic.

Anyways! I had my prenatal appointment yesterday, including my glucose test. THAT was fun! Bubby is growing perfectly and his heart rate was 150bpm, the resident who was working under the midwife I saw yesterday had a hard time measuring him and finding him because he was moving so much! Ha! I've gained a total of 6lbs, so 3lbs up since my last appointment. I'm still at the VERY low range of weight gain, which they aren't concerned about. I imagine I'll start steadily gaining a pound every 2 weeks like I did with Boogie from now until Bubby arrives. Can you believe he'll be here in 13ish weeks?

Preparations for Bubby are still under way. We need to get on the ball with his decor, J is painting some wooden plane and train models to hang and display and I have two plaques with a train and an airplane I need to finish painting... then we need to hang those up. We need to decide on the car seat we want (I have two I like and that have great reviews and safety features), have it installed (in early November) and around that time I will start packing mine and Bubby's bags for the hospital. I also need to prepare Boogie's bags so that everything will be ready for Mawmaw to meet us at the hospital. I need to register at the hospital... I need to write up my birth plan... and we need to go on vacation. Ha!

That's about it as it goes for Bubby. Boogie is doing well, I think she's a little under the weather today because of how she's been acting. Hopefully she'll be better once she wakes up from her nap! Still waiting on my products to review in the mail, so keep an eye out for those... and that's it! Goodbye for now!

I'm Alive... Promise.

I may be a random blogger for the next few months. Summer Blog Challenge is cancelled for me, I may do Friday Five if I have time... and I will definitely post Bubby and Boogie updates on biweekly Sundays (for belly photos, pregnancy updates, and Boogie Monster happenings). I just finished my first week of classes for two of the three I am taking... that was going pretty well, but now I'm adding my third and final class to the mix. I should take a picture of my planner to show you how much I have to do each day to accomplish anything and to work ahead so that I can be done by November! Eek!

My American Literature class is actually an 8 week class, so it's already condensed for me, there's a lot of reading but the assignments are pretty straightforward and while they aren't easy, they're totally doable. The Biology class I started this week is Environmental Biology, which has already sparked my interest surprisingly. I'm not a big science fan, but this class is all about learning about our environment and how it's slowly being used up and polluted and ways we can change that. The assignments and labs are also straightforward, but this is a 16 week class that I'm condensing into about 10 so that I can be done before Bubby is born. For this class and the other Bio class I have to take the final exams on campus or at an approved location with a proctor, so I'm hoping to do that before Bubby is here! My last class is Principles of Biology, I haven't been able to see the class on Moodle yet, but the instructor did email me the syllabus so that I could plan ahead... looks like I'll be doing a lot of reading, studying, and labs, but I think I can handle it.

Boogie hasn't handled this very well this week, it's been a struggle to find time to get my assignments done while J is at work, but hopefully she'll get used to it for a few weeks. I feel bad that my time is being taken away from her just before her brother is born... which is just another reason to get done by November. I've tried to leave Saturdays as free as possible with only 1-2 assignments so that we can just enjoy our last little bit of time we have before Bubby arrives. Sundays and Mondays are packed with my chapter/module exams so that I can accomplish those on days J has off!  It's going to be a hard road, but I'm determined to be done. These are the last three classes I need to get my Associate in Arts for General Education. It's taken me three years to get this done... I've had to drop classes and go part time so that I could be a better mother and more "here" for Boogie. It will feel amazing to finally be done with this chapter of my life. I hope that once we are done having children, whether that's after Bubby or perhaps in a few years if we decide to have more kids, that I'll be able to go back to a 4-year college and get a Bachelor's and then a Master's in education or psychology. Right now, I'm perfectly content being a stay at home mom, but someday when our children are grown I want to work and help other children in some way or form... whether that be teaching, social work... something!

With all that said, I wanted to share a few quotes/pictures I was looking at on pinterest this morning... sometimes it's good to have a little inspiration to get through times like this, when life is overwhelming!

And this one... because I am the biggest procrastinator in the WORLD. I CANNOT do that this semester!

Zzzzz...

When I was pregnant with Boogie, I was tired all. the. time. Not only was I tired, but I was sick all. the time.   I never got that boost of energy you hear about in second trimester, and although I did "nest" at the end of second trimester and the beginning of third, it took a lot out of me getting her room ready and everything. This time around, as soon as I hit about 14 weeks and my nausea went away I found so much energy! I got the house clean EVERY day! Dinner was cooked when J got home... it was amazing. Now I'm 25 weeks and 2 days and two weeks away from third trimester, and I have no energy. None. Nadda. Zilch. And the timing is awful.

I've mentioned it before, but this is my last semester at the local community college and I'll finally be done with my Associate's Degree (just general education). I'm taking TWO Biology classes and a literature class, because that is ALL I lack to graduate! Luckily they are all online so I can stay ahead and get as much done before Bubby arrives... but now I'm dreading how hard it's going to be with Boogie being a toddler and getting into everything and this new exhaustion I'm feeling. Today was rough. I left the same time J did for work to go pick up my books from the bookstore at school, and after waiting in line for 45 minutes I was told that there was a lock on my account and I'd need to go speak to financial aid. Wonderful. Up until this point Boogie was being a very good girl. Waited in financial aid for 45 minutes with about 40 other people, who a vast majority of were waiting for the same reason I was, to be told that it was a simple misunderstanding and to go try again. Luckily the guy who tried checking me out before didn't make me wait in line again and held my books for me until I came back. So about 2 hours later with a grumpy, hungry and sleepy toddler I was finally on my way... to my other errands.

There are only a few things we have left to purchase for Bubby. Main thing being a car seat, which I found the one I wanted at Babies R Us and it's on sale... so hopefully getting that on Friday. Other than that we lack a baby bath tub (we didn't use one with Boogie, we actually showered with her... but I don't see that being remotely possibly this time around), baby mittens (love those things), medela milk storage bags, bibs, and his coming home outfit. So I wanted to price a few things, including other things we don't necessarily need but I'd like to have, and then was going to come home and eat lunch. We got home later than planned, and ending up going to see mom at school (teacher work day)... that was a disaster. Boogie has become a very sensitive little girl and burst into tears when the main teacher mom works with was discussing changes to the room with my mom (they are both loud... we think Boogie thought he was angry with mom or something)... then the other assistant mom works with acted like she was crying (thinking it would make Boogie laugh) and she burst into tears... AGAIN. Yikes! I knew we needed to eat soon, so mom and the other assistant said it was fine to leave Boogie with them while I ran across the street to get us some lunch before heading to mom's house. I was gone MAYBE 15 minutes... and came back to Boogie in tears AGAIN! Needless to say... I was done for the day.

Things were better once we got to mom's, but I was exhausted. Boogie took a cat nap on the porch on my lap and then woke up long enough to play with them for a bit before mom left for her part time job. Now we're home... and luckily Boogie sat in my arms long enough for me to doze for a minute (I'm a light sleeper, she moves I wake up... works out well!) but I think that just made me feel worse!

So anyways, this new exhaustion hitting me is NOT fun. It doesn't make anything easy and I'm praying that I'll get through this semester and be able to graduate! Thanks for reading my mumble jumble of a vent. At least I'm almost in the last trimester.... right?

Summer Blog Challenge, Day 13

Day 13: How You See Yourself by the End of the Year

Our whole family dynamics will be different by the end of this year. I will be a mother of two little ones (I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind around that one) who will be 1 month and 2 years old. I will have been married for 5 years and that is INSANE! I see myself graduated from the community college with my Associate in Arts, nursing nursing nursing 24/7, chasing a rambunctious toddler, starting tot school with my girl, and hopefully planning on a big move for the Spring. Lots of big things happening this year...

It's Official

I have reached a new level of crazy. As I have mentioned before, I am lacking THREE classes to graduate. THREE. One of my biggest issues the last few years is that when I would go to sign up for classes, the classes I needed were never available (some of the classes I needed online are only offered during certain times, and when I would go to sign up for those classes they were full). It was incredibly frustrating. So... 3 years later and I am SO close to being done, and since I've been here so long, I was able to sign up for the three classes I need ONLINE for the fall. But... WAIT. This baby is due in November, about 2 weeks shy of the end of semester. So yes, I am certifiably insane. It's official. I'm hoping I can do it! I am only taking the three classes, however they are not easy classes. Intro to Biology, Environmental Biology, and Intro to American Literature. That means a LOT of reading, a LOT of assignments, and two labs in addition to those 3 classes. EEK! Please pray for me... I'm determined to finally graduate and be done. Someday I will go back to school and finish my Bachelor's and then pursue Graduate school... but that will not be until our children are grown (and we are done... which could be 3 or 4 children... who knows!). I'm scared to death, but I'm hoping that things will be a bit easier with an almost 2 year old, and maybe just maybe I can work ahead and be done before Baby Bubby or Sissy arrives... right?

4 Years of Blogging!

I realized today that I have officially been blogging for four years! When I started this blog we were planning a move to a new state, hadn't even been married for a year and were learning what it's like to be husband and wife. It's amazing what four years can do in a young couple's life! J has come so far in his career path, we've had a beautiful little girl who continues to grow, learn, and surprise me everyday.... and I couldn't be happier.

We're facing a lot of changes in this upcoming year, and while it's incredibly exciting it's also incredibly terrifying. J will be completing his certification in October and will start looking for a CDM job immediately. We'd love to stay right here in our beautiful mountains, but realistically we know that in order to do what's best for our family we may have to make the choice to move. This is also my last semester of school for now. I am still lacking 3 classes to get my Associates but J and I have decided that it's time to take a break and focus on our family. I'm not looking forward to starting payments on my student loans (actually I'm absolutely terrified), but it has to be done and we will get through it!

This summer we are hoping to transition Boogie into a big girl bed, she is finally sleeping through the night! She just randomly started sleeping last Saturday... there have been two nights since then where she woke up one or two times but it didn't take much to get her back to sleep! It's incredible getting so much sleep! We tried so many different things to get Boogie to sleep and the more we tried the more she fought us.... so as I had told J over and over again, I had high hopes that she would just figure it out on her own. So ha! I was right! ;-)

Another thing we are hoping to do is to get a family pass through our local nature center (if you are unfamiliar with what that is, it's basically a small zoo with animals found in our 'part of the woods'), it will give us a huge discount and even free entry into many zoos and aquariums all over the country. Now, we definitely won't be traveling all over the country, but there are several participating zoos within a 2-3 hour drive from us. Boogie loved the aquarium we took her too on our mini vacation a few months ago, so I know this will be a great treat for her this summer!

We are also looking forward to really diving into "Tot School"... basically preschool for homeschoolers! I have a lot of fun activities and such that I want to do with Boogie, we have already made her magnet/chalk board and have purchased the Leapfrog Alphabet toy, a batch of numbers (which actually includes math symbols and things which will be great for later on!), and some Melissa and Doug Animals. Boogie loves to learn, she loves to read, she loves to color and explore.... so I have high hopes that she will enjoy some of the things I have planned!

Other than that I don't have anything to share! May is coming up soon, so I will be working on my book post (aka What's On Your Nightstand?), and I'm going to start my Five Question Friday posts again tomorrow. I'm hoping to start updating a lot more, especially since I won't have school to weight me down, and I want to post more updates on Boogie for family members because I'm taking a step back from Facebook. Not leaving... just not going on there all the time like I had been. Anyways, that's it for now!

A Little of This... A Little of That

My life as a blogger at the moment is in meltdown mode... I just don't ever have the time or patience to sit down and type. However, at the moment my daughter is nursing to sleep and I do NOT want to read anymore American History... so here I am!

What's new? Boogie cut a tooth on Saturday, you can't really SEE it yet, but you can definately feel it with your finger! She is still not crawling, but that's really no surprise... she IS still pulling up on everything in her reach and has contemplated a career similar to Evil Kenevil's! Yesterday we were playing in the floor of her room, I was doing some reading for school and she was just doing her usual thing of picking up a toy... throwing it... screaming at me... and repeat! Well, she decided that it would be great fun to pull up on my shirt, and in the process ended up nose diving right into the closet door (which was open, so she hit the edge where it folds out when you open it). She hits her noggin a lot, but this time she SCARED me. It left an indention, she locked up and didn't breathe for a minute before she started screaming... and even nursing wouldn't calm her down. So we called the pediatrician and they had us bring her in just in case. Thankfully she is OK, and she was back to her normal self within an hour... but AH! And I'm not one of those mom's who freaks out when her kid falls... seriously, this kid hits her head atleast twice a day! Ay yi yi!

J is almost done with his class... we'll be signing him up and paying a hefty fee for his exam this fall and he'll take it in March (I think). Hopefully there will be more changes in the next few weeks for him job wise, so we'll see what happens!

I'm in school. It sucks. I'm ready to be done so I can just relax and enjoy being a mommy. Oh... but I did learn one really cool thing! There was a short little info section on Huron Indians in the 16th century! Did you know that they breastfed their kids until they were 3 or 4 years old? So ha! Proof! I'm not a wierdo, my kid's only 8 months old! :-p And I bet THEY didn't use nursing covers! Sorry... I couldn't help myself.

Ummm.... anything else I haven't already blogged about? Vacation may or may not happen when we'd like it too... more on that later.... possibly going to Ohio to see my mom's side of the family (hopefully).... oh. And Boogie is now 18lbs and slowly moving up to 12-18 month clothing. AND she'll be 8 months old in 5 days. Where is my 5lb squishy? And since I don't have a graceful way to end this random post..... bye!

It's That Time of Year Again...

School.... oh school. I was semi excited about this semester, I scheduled my classes so that I am taking two 8-week classes until October and then I will start another two 8-week classes until December. A little bit quicker paced, but I'm not loaded down with four classes at one time... my thought was that this would make it easier and I would still have time to do my everyday "chores" and care and play with Boogie. According to Boogie, that's not the case unfortunately.

EVERY time I pick up my textbook to read, or pick up my notebook to take notes... she demands attention. If I get her to sleep and start doing homework... she wakes up demanding attention. I refuse to fail another class. I refuse to drop another class. Somehow, I will finish this semester with good grades... then I will take more classes in the spring and finish with good grades and I will FREAKING graduate with my AA. It will only take me 3 years :-\ Ugh.

A Little Bit of This... A Little Bit of That...

Can you believe it? I sure can't! I never thought I'd get to the end of this semester! I was so sure I could handle taking 4 classes online AND being a SAHM to my Boogie... little did I know how high maintenance Boogie would be! I guess I should have known though right? LOL! She really is a wonderful baby, but it's hard to get things done, especially homework, when this little girl refuses to be put down and wants your undivided attention ALL the time. I started out taking Principles of Biology, Sociology of the Family, Social Psychology, and Critical Thinking. What was I thinking when I signed up for Biology? I mean REALLY? That was a horrible mistake. The other three weren't as bad, however Social Psychology was ridiculous... the way the instructor set it all up was crazy and confusing. It's not her fault that I did poorly, I just had a horrible time trying to figure everything out and missed several due dates and therefore did very poorly on her tests. So in the end I dropped those two classes and am now acing my last two classes and ENJOYING them. That's what matters right? So instead of graduating this Fall, I will be graduating in the Spring. It might be taking me 3 years to get my AA, but this little girl is totally worth the extra time :)

This week Elah turns 4 months old... yikes. Didn't I just write about her turning 3 months old? She's starting to grab things, hold things, and put things in her mouth (yea....). She's definately teething, and that "4 Month Sleep Regression" I've heard and read other momma's talk about... we're experiencing it. NOT fun. Vacation was definately a sleep vacation... one night she slept close to 9 hours! Now I'm lucky to get 3 or 4 out of her. I shouldn't complain though, it could be much worse!

I've been practicing putting Elah on my back in the woven wrap... it's much more difficult than wearing her on my chest, and not only are my arms short, but Elah is so little it's hard to reach behind me and her to wrap her appropriately LOL! Here's a few photos to show you how I've done:

I look ROUGH in the second picture... but that's because Elah and I... well I walked from our apartment to my mom's house. That's approximately 1.5 miles with a child on my back, a diaper bag, and it quickly went from a nice cool morning to HOT. It was worth it though! I can't seem to get Elah as high up on my back as I would like... but like I said, I'm still working on it. What kills me is how people seem to think she's uncomfortable or she's in danger... so let me just say... babywearing is safe if you do it correctly. I wouldn't wear Elah if I didn't believe with my whole heart that it was safe. Sure, it's a little harder to get her on my back, but I would never put her in danger. I seriously wish I could have photographed some of the looks I got walking that day... how do you think people in Jesus' day carried their children? I bet a lot of them did this! Ok... off my soap box. But seriously, babywearing is AWESOME!

Elah's dedication is coming up soon as well! We haven't set a date yet, but we are really excited to finally publicly dedicate our daughter to the One who blessed us with her. We're going to be doing things a little differently, but it will be just as special. Her godparents are going to lead the dedication, I couldn't choose a better couple to be her godparents and who better to dedicate her than them?

After all that rambling... I really have no idea how to end this.... so.... I'll leave you with this:
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." Psalm 127:3.

Tomorrow! It's Only a Day Away!

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! This time tomorrow night I will be relaxing... well maybe... we might be running around like crazy getting our stuff unpacked or chasing kids around to put them to bed.... but either way... I will be on VACATION! WOO! That's the good news. Ready for the bad news? I'm failing two of my classes. Yea. Sarah is failing two... count them. 1. 2. Classes. Ugh. I'm so disappointed in myself, because I know I can do better, I should have done better. But, if I'm being honest, I didnt' care one bit about my classes this semester. Not even a little. I could have gotten straight A's, I could have focused more of my time on my classes. Well guess what. I didn't. I have devoted my time to my daughter... even those lazy moments cuddling with her late in the morning. Just sitting with her cooing and making crazy sounds and faces at her. I just didn't care. I'm seriously debating starting my break after this semester. SERIOUSLY debating. I'd rather focus on Elah, and not have classes hovering over my head. Question is... can we afford to start paying off school loans that soon? Ugh.

I almost didn't share the fact that I'm failing two of my classes (which I'm dropping tomorrow to save my GPA), I was ashamed. But geez, I'm only human. I feel like a failure, but I keep reminding myself that while there is no excuse for doing so poorly, Elah is more important at the moment. I adore her. I will finish my degree, I may even do it course by course until I finish. I'm just NOT interested at the moment, I am bored and frustrated with school right now. And that's huge for me... I'm generally all about it... nope. Not anymore!

For all you momma's who manage to get phenomenal GPA's, spend quality time with your kids... I commend you! I don't know how you do it!

An Abundance of Love

I've made a decision about my life today. Something I don't think I ever expected to do, but after praying about it, talking to my mom, and than discussing it with Justin... I think it is the BEST decision for our family, not just me! If you know me at all, you know how important my education is to me, and how important it is for me to go ALL the way and get my Master's. Well... we have a new plan. I know. A new one. When I finish my Associate in Arts Degree I am going to take a break. We will pay off the loans that have accumulated from that... and THEN I will start my Bachelor's. I'll take a break after and we will pay off those loans... and FINALLY I will pursue my Master's and then pay off whatever accumulated from that. I think it's smarter this way. I won't be working immediately after school if I finished in the next couple of years anyways, and I'm afraid to think of how much student loans would pile up if I stormed through and got my Master's immediately. I love being a mommy, and I love staying home with her and experiencing everything... so that is my decision. To raise Elah, make MORE babies (yes, I said more... just not anytime soon) and enjoy our little growing family. I also think this will help me from getting burnt out on school, because frankly, I'm burnt out!

My bible study tonight is on Deuteronomy 28:11, which says, "The Lord will give you an abundance of good things in the land he swore to give your ancestors -- many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops." The story that goes with it is about a couple who find out they are pregnant for the sixth time.... and I laughed. Janelle.... I'm sorry but I laughed LOL. I immediately thought of 5 little Flint Monsters and their parents. I can't wait to have a big, lively family like the Flints... every squeal, every laugh, even every tear and smart remark... I want it! Nothing is more fun than spending a day with the Flint family. Big families are FUN! So hopefully, the Lord will bless Justin and me abundantly with lovely little Massey's. And after all the talk of me wanting boys... after Elah.... I'm thinking I want a little Esther :) Only time will tell... until then, I'll just enjoy my Boogie :-D

Ugh Ugh Ugh

Ugh, AGAIN. I am SO behind in my school assignments, and really it's all my fault. I've just been lazy... between taking care of Elah and trying to keep up with laundry and  housecleaning... I've just "forgotten" to do it. Now... it's not NEARLY as bad as last semester... now THAT was horrible. This semester consists of SO much reading, it's kicking my butt! And I only have 3 classes right now! My 4th starts in March, so I HAVE to get my butt in gear! LOL!  Ofcourse, I will manage, and do well this semester... I just have to stop staring at this beautiful little girl and get to work! I got a ton done tonight... atleast between waking Justin up to get Elah so I could continue to work!

A few exciting things...

I tried out our Ergo Carrier w/the Heart 2 Heart insert today... LOVE it! And Elah loved it too... she falls right to sleep in it, just like in the woven and moby! J, E, Mudgie, and myself walked down to the lake and back... it was SO beautiful today! And apparently it's supposed to be in the seventies tomorrow!

We bought a new camera! I'm so excited! We've been talking about getting a nice camera since... well since our honeymoon actually. Justin and I both love to take pictures, especially when we go on walks... and now that Elah is here, it's more important than EVER to document our lives! I can't wait for the battery pack to charge so we can start trying it out!

Oh and just for the record.... only 41 days until vacation! WOOHOO!

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!

3 Weeks Old

AHHH!!!! I feel like I just wrote Elah's 2 week post! She is THREE WEEKS OLD. Which means in 7 days she will be a month old! AHHH! I though James & Jonathans first year went by fast... this is worse!

My munchkin is currently sleeping on her daddy's chest, comfortable as can be! And luckily her daddy is in a better mood than this morning... he doesn't handle sleepless nights as well as mommy does LOL. Love you babe!

There's not a whole lot going on this week really. Today I'm taking Elah to the primary school, where my mom (Nene) works, to let her friend Venita hold my baby girl. She's met her, but I wouldn't let mom take her out because I knew she would pitch a fit when we put her back in the carseat (we had a checkup that day). After that we are on a hunt for some more newborn sized WARM sleepers. The regular cotton ones aren't cutting it for nighttime... it always seems to be a little cold and drafty in our apartment at night. So those warm fuzzy sleepers are the best! Other than that... I'm hoping to sneak over to the Flint house one day this week (hinthintcoughcoughjanelle LOL) to visit and get away from my DEAR WONDERFUL grumpy husband... again, love you babe!

I'm also starting to think about a few things we need to get when Janelle and I finally take our shopping trip that we've been planning for MONTHS. I definately have to go buy me some new clothing. I had to wear maternity jeans today :(, my hips are far to wide for my regular jeans. Ugh. I'm losing weight, but my hips just aren't going back to normal. So I'm going to have to try on some different styled jeans or something. I also need some more nursing friendly tops. I haven't gone out in public all that much, or really attempted to breastfeed Elah in a REAL public place... so I've been wearing my nursing tanks and button up shirts. I also wore a low cut sweater from Old Navy that I bought when I was pregnant. I thought that it would fit me after having Elah, it's not maternity, but now it SWALLOWS me! It would be ok over a regular tshirt, but over just my nursing tank it just hangs on me. So yea... new jeans, new nursing tops, and I need new panties... LOL sorry! TMI. Mine are all too big as well, LOL.  I also would like to visit a store that carries various types of cloth diapers so I can get some more smaller diapers for Elah. We have plenty of one size diapers that she'll fit in when she puts on some more chunky cuteness and grows some.. until then, we need to find some to add to our stash!

School is going well, I'm staying ahead! I'm a little nervous about my biology course that starts next week... I'm doing so well with my 2 classes now, so we'll see how it goes!

Cleaning Spree

Thank goodness for Nene & Papaw... they came over today and loved on Elah so I could nap... except I didn't nap. LOL! I ended up taking a shower, doing laundry, and doing some cleaning. And we NEEDED to get some cleaning done! School starts back on Monday, I only have 2 classes that actually start on Monday, but with a new baby in our lives it will be interesting to see how I handle school, housework, and Elah!

We do have a bit of a dilemma in our household however. Snickers. Snickers is jealous. She's not mean to Elah or anything like that, she actually likes to watch her and sniff her... but she is definately annoyed with how much attention the baby gets compared to her. I've tried my best to show her love and affection when Elah isn't in my arms and JUSTIN needs to do a bit better with that and be a bit more patient with the dogs. Do you hear me honey?!?!?! She is peeing on everything. She NEVER does that. We've had a few incidents where she'd pee on the carpet when she'd get mad or if (shame on us) we took to long to take her outside... but what she is doing now is just being downright ornery. She peed on the couch last night, and that wasn't the first time she's done that. She KNOWS better. And you know she's doing it on purpose because she looks RIGHT AT YOU when she's doing it. UGH! We've tried rewarding her for good behavior, setting aside special playtime with her and Mudgett... I don't know what else to do. I can't just drop what I'm doing to play with her all the time, especially when Justin isn't home and I'm the only person to care for Elah. Hopefully over time Snickers will stop being ornery and realize she's not being replaced!

Other than that, there's not much going on. Elah's umbilical cord stump fell off yesterday... it was gross. She still has a bit of cord left inside her belly button, but it's not completely dried out yet, so we're still waiting for that. She isn't sleeping much at night, which makes for a pretty sleepy mommy... but like I told my mom, it doesn't make much of a difference when she sleeps because I'm home with her all the time and can sneak in naps when she sleeps. However, switching my sleep schedule around is a little tough!

Tomorrow we hope to venture out to the Flint's house for lunch if the weather isn't too bad... Elah has met her godmother (obviously considering Janelle was in the L&D room lol) and all 5 of the monsters... but she hasn't met her godfather yet! So hopefully we'll get to go over there and hang out for a little while.

Like I said, classes start Monday, so I'll have 2 classes to work on starting next week. Then Wednesday is Elah's 2 week checkup, I have my 2 week checkup with Dolly (the midwife), and at some point I have to go out to AB Tech to see my academic advisor. Elah's not even 2 weeks old yet and we haven't slowed down! Justin is off for vacation starting on Wednesday, and I believe he has 9 full days off... that will be wonderful! Hopefully we won't drive eachother completely crazy ;-)

Spring 2011 Class Schedule

So this coming spring semester I'm retaking World Civilizations... however I chose a DIFFERENT professor and I'm taking it in a classroom setting this time! I also staggered my classes so that they start at different times!

SOC 240 (Social Psychology) starts on January 10th and it's online.
BIO 110 (Principles of Biology) - I dropped this one during fall semester - starts January 24 and is also online
HIS 111 (World Civ I) starts on March 8 and ends on April 5... it's at the school "campus" at the mall on MWF from 6pm-9pm
HUM 115 (Critical Thinking) starts on March 8 and ends at the end of the semester with my first 2 classes (which is May 10)... and this one is online as well.

Elah could be here anywhere between mid december and the 2nd week in January... so I hope by staggering my classes this way I won't be completely overwhelmed. March and April will be my toughest months since I'll have all 4 classes going at the same time... but I can do it!

Project 365: Day 27

Again, haven't done much today... so here's a piece of art I wrote about today. It's by Davinci... and I'm tired of looking at it!

Project 365: Day 4

Sorry this is blurry...

Today I spent the majority of the day doing homework for my online classes... yay me! Then Justin and I went to Asheville to pick up a few things we needed (pants for Justin primarily)... and we managed to come home without spending anymore money on Elah! I couldn't believe it! My daughter is already spoiled, normally any time we go to Asheville we come home with atleast one thing for her! LOL! We finished off the day by picking me up my last "meal" of the day (I'll explain that in a minute) from My Father's Pizza and headed to Nanny's to sit infront of her cozy woodstove... YES! It's woodstove season... atleast at Nanny's house! We got home from Nanny's and I shut myself up in the bedroom and did some last minute stuff for school and then Justin came in to cuddle :) hence the blurry picture (thank you Droid camera phone).

Now to explain my random meals of the day. Pregnancy has thrown my normal eating routine out the window... I don't eat breakfast, I can't. Typically I eat crackers, dry cheerios, or something bland in the a.m. because I can't keep anything else down... whatever I'm eating gets washed down with good ole' Gingerale. Yum. NOT. The rest of the day I have no schedule. I eat when I'm hungry or nauseus... and usually the rest of the day I'm nauseus because of hunger, not because of morning sickness. For instance, today, I had a bowl of Chicken Ramen around 1pm, a Sonic Burger, Sonic Fries, and sliced apples at 4pm, and then I had a stromboli and a side salad at 8pm. So again... random food hours. ::Sigh::

An update on Elah... she is fantastic! She is moving as I type actually, kicking up a storm. I'm loving being able to finally feel her all over my tummy instead of just at the base of my tummy! My next appointment is on Thursday, and I'll give you a good update then as well! Until then... goodnight!