Friday, May 30, 2008

just words

just as i threatened, we haven't been taking pictures. however, my month of working full time is now over, and we've all survived. hannah's suffered the most, as her schedule is different every day and she really needs consistency and her own bed in which to nap. but like i said, we're all here.

Grandma Jan was unable to come, as her sister Jean was just last week diagnosed with lung cancer. I dont' believe they've settled on a treatment plan yet, our prayers are with them. Dad and Bunny didn't either, because of their schedule. So, that's how we've got all this painting done. Hannah's room is finally decorated, green again, and I love it! Except the crib doesn't match at all, so i'll be glad when she gets in a big girl bed.

speaking of big girl, she really is. she walks about 50% of the time now, kind of like a zombie. she toddles (that's why they call it that) with her hands straight out in front of her, then slowly loses her balances, rocks back and forth, then plops on her butt. but she just learned to turn around backwards to go down a step or two. she alway sleeps through the night now, thank God. that took long enough! and my perfect little eater is no more. for i while i was really frustrated that she'd only eat cheerios and goldfish (any other granola people, please hold the gasps of horror that i feed her cheerios and goldfish. at least it's not the cream cheese danish i saw another baby eating in starbucks, seriously) but i finally realized she just wants to feed herself. now, if i want to feed her with a spoon, i have to put something on her plate she can eat on her own, then sneak the spoon in with her own bites. it's pretty funny, actually. i never thought i'd pacify my children with food, i fact i was sure i wouldn't, but once again, i take back my criticisms of mothers in that respect. we do draw the line somewhere, however.

also, we've been going round and round with the working thing. i tell you what, these decisions are harder than i once thought. i take back all my criticisms of working mothers, as well. if i just wanted to work so i could afford the marc jacobs bag i saw in tj max for 50% offf (still $179, mind you), then it wouldn't be so hard. (i would love aforementioned bag, by the way. it was green. i love green. and my birthday is coming up. . . :-) but we're talking about every day living expenses which are really expensive. and attaining financial freedom before we're retirement age. we don't know what to do, what is best for our family, now and in the long run. i will probably keep on babysitting, though i could make more money somewhere else, because i want to be with hannah. i think i'm going to try to keep someone at our house, though. if anyone's done that, give me your opinion, pros and cons.

we're sort of getting into a sunday school class at our church. but last week, we did a terrible terrible thing. we are always late because i try to get hannah to take a nap before we go, and we have to leave at 9.15, so by the time we got there and got hannah settled in the nursery, we were more than 20 minutes late. it's only a 45 min class, then we have a fifteen minute break before the service. in jest, i suggested we go get coffee. my husband, being the, uh, free spirited preson that he is, thought this was a grand plan, so there we went. oh, i felt so guilty, eternal damnation. i am not a rule breaker. bob jones didn't even bother me. and here we were, using the nursery for free babysitting and playing hooky from sunday school. oh my. i didnt' even enjoy my coffee! anyways, i hope that's humorous to those of you who know us well.

Monday, May 19, 2008

insomnia strikes again


it hasn't been nearly as bad as it used to, but after two hours of trying to fall asleep, i gave up. so here i am, 1 am. but you know what that means? i am totally allowed to splurge on starbucks on the way to work tomorrow. after lar's graduation we went out for breakfast at the pewter rose, our favourite brunch place. hannah didn't have a bib, so we tied a napkin on her.


yes i know my eyes are closed, and half of us aren't looking at the camera. but hey, we did our best.


my mom is downsizing in preparation for moving, so she brought alot of stuff for us to fight over. it was a long night, but i hope we all went away happy!


yeah!!!


hannah with her new dolly. we're calling it lama. as in dolly lama. :-) ok, this'll be my only soapbox this time: i just went to target and got the cheapest one i could find. it came with a toy bottle, which i threw away. (they all did, as a matter of fact.) the other day we were watching a sesame street movie about a family that has a new baby. the day they bring it home from the hospital, they start giving it a bottle. is this because they think it would be inappropriate to have a nursing mother on a children's show? heaven forbid. it isn't like the 4 yr olds watching it are going to be embarassed, they don't care. (trust me: i've nursed in front of quite a few little children by now, and they dont' care.) possibly no one wants to have to explain it to them, because then the adults will be embarassed? or maybe it's because so many people dont' anyways, so it's a more accurate representation to have bottlefed babies in the media? i would say that's a chicken and the egg thing, then. but really. it isn't that big of a deal, people. so stop trying to brainwash my child to think that it's normal just because for some reason the real normal embarasses you. (can you tell i feel strongly about this?) moving on.


hannah (who is now quite the walker, btw!) has this cute but frustrating habit of hanging on your leg. and she wont' let you move. you have to drag her. really fun when you're trying to make supper, of course. but for once she was doing it to patrick. yeah! and i have to throw in here, i was having a super stressful day today. hannah doesn't sleep much at all at our babysitting house, so when we're there full time it's rough. and pretty much everyone who's around me knows i am really really really serious about hannah's sleeping. (some would say too much, family?) so she was screeching up a storm as i was trying to get her to sleep for the third time today. patrick came over to get something out of the car, and i told him to go in and calm her down. so instead, he just takes her with him. yes, i was hannah-free for 2.5 blessed hours! he took her home and believe it or not, got her to take a nap. that's a special man, folks.


not sure if anyone else has tried to do this before, but let's just say it didn't work out very well. not unless we wanted hannah fingerprints all over our new walls. who knew her arms were so long?


so i've started letting her wear make up. just kidding. she did, however, start eating beets.


hannah in a new dress from nana. yes, i have to say it again, she's so cute! (now if only that hair would grow. . . )

Thursday, May 15, 2008



so an hour ago when i started this process i was really motivated, and now i just want to go to bed! but because i know there are hundreds and hundreds of you that just can't sleep until you read our blog, i dont' want to let you down! :-) we're back from nc, we had a good but very busy trip. patrick's been gone pretty much all week, and i'm working pretty full time now, so it's been a blur. poor hannah baby, she's just along for the ride. to start off my commentary, my mom found out she likes watermelon. i think she ate her weight in watermelon. we've also expanded her gastronomic horizons to include bulgur, black beans, edamame, pears, strawberries, blueberries, spinach, cheerios and goldfish.



i 86ed the corn, because apparently that's too hard for her to digest. on that note, please, anybody that's done this before, give me advice! i don't know what i'm doing. i prefer she not eat much meat, but she doesn't drink enough to meet all her nutritional needs, so she needs to eat more than fruits and vegetables. hence the grains and beans, but i'm not sure if that's ok for her this early. i don't want to just give her baby cereal, because that's kind of nutritionally empty. oh, now on that note (i know, it's a whole forest of rabbit trails when you read my blog) i'm reading a book called in defense of food, which is really good. basic premise: good health and disease prevention isn't about this individual vitamin or that low-fat/cholesterol or something. food is more than the sum of its parts. just eat real, old fashioned food. not fat free cheese or sugar free oreos. keep moving. and chances are, you'll come out ok. anyways, moving on



mom brought down the rocking horse from christmas, and she fits in it better now


yes it was mother's day. no, i didn't get a picture with my darling. there's always next year :-)



in the pool at dad's with kennedy and parker. hannah did really well. i think it was the noise she didn't like at the beach.


she looks so big!!!


my munchkin. i fall more in love with her every day. you would too, if you were here.


my two favourite people.

you know, there are so many things i would love to share. lots of other people have themes on their blog, or at least things they talk about. other than my family, there isn't a whole lot here. that definitely isn't because i don't care about anything. on the contrary, i care alot (too much, patrick would say :-) about a great many things. i just don't take the time and energy to write it down for the world to see. the other day, i finally washed my kitchen floor, and there was squashed sweet potato under the high chair that had been there for oh, a good 2 wks, i think. (mom, i hope you aren't reading this!) at the point, i officially rescinded any and all criticisms i have ever made about mothers and housekeeping. i have only one, and i dont' even work full time. yet the sweet potato remains.

speaking of working, this is why it took me awhile to share my job news, because then i have to feel silly when i tell you all that i was wrong, or they were, or somebody was, because i do not have a new job. not yet. maybe not every. they sort of changed their minds. so, it's back to the drawing board. i can continue where i am for another month, but then they're moving. they're a handful, being so close together. i don't know how parents of multiples do it. i have friends who're having twins for their first ones, and my prayers are with them! it's just hard.

anyways, i will have pictures of the real purpose of our nc trip whenever my sister sends them to me. patrick's promised me we're going to paint this weekend. so maybe i'll have pictures of our decorated bedrooms soon!

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

getting busy!


things might be a little sparse on the ol' blog for a while. this month i am working nearly full time at my babysitting job, and then next month i start my new job. through some miracle, i am the newest radiology transcriptionist at the east alabama medical center. no, i have no experience, but i'm going to learn. this is a work from home thing, 20 hrs/wk. the training, however, is full time on site at the hospital, and will probably last a month or so, depending on my learning curve. we've found a girl who will come to the house and watch hannah for a reasonable amount, so i will be leaving her ALL DAY. yeah. i know. but only temporarily.
this weekend we're going to charlotte for lar's graduation, which we're very excited about. and i get to see meghan pregnant and think about that, also very exciting. my mom will be in charlotte as well. then in two weeks grandma jan is coming from kansas for a few days, and that will be so great, because she hasn't seen hannah since thanksgiving, and alot of changes have happened since then! then dad and bunny are coming for the weekend. then we're going to myrtle beach with david, desiree, brett and jes. then things should slow down a little!
so, i'll do what i can. but when we aren't at home, i don't even take pictures. i do have to mention that she's started walking! a few steps here and there. very exciting. not sleeping good at al, i think there are more teeth in there somewhere. why God made that such a painful process for babies, i'm not sure.
so there you have it. have a great mother's day, all!