All Great Things

Some wonderful things we are up to these days:

The jumperoo!  I don't think it is really called this however I feel the need to refer to it as the jumperoo.  A month ago she was still too small for it and not just ready, but this past weekend we put her in there with a hand towel for extra stabilization and she is loving it!

Oatmeal!  Madison started on oatmeal this past weekend and she loves it.  She will even reach up for the spoon and "help" you bring it to her mouth.  I think it just has a little more flavor than the rice cereal.  I can't believe in only one more month she will be eating baby food.  I have every intention of making my own baby food and can't wait!  Every night at 7PM she gets 2 tablespoons of oatmeal with 1.5 ounces of breast milk.  It is by far the messiest point of the day but also one of the funnest.

School supplies! I like LOVE school supplies. This is absolutely my favorite time of the year and I am so lucky that I married a teacher/coach because I did not have to loose this excitement when I graduated. Every August is always about starting fresh and getting ready for the "year" ahead.  My favorite school staple was always the day planner.  So, in the spirit of the new "year" I have decided I must have the MomAgenda day planner.  It is perfect because it goes from August to August.

Image from: momagenda.com

As hi-tech as everything gets, I am just a traditional girl and I like to write down my lists and thoughts!  As handy as it is to have my outlook and iphone nothing compares to making lists and getting to mark through the item when it is complete!  This should help me loose the many notebooks/lists and calendars and organize it all into one place!  And it doesn't hurt that it comes in fun colors and patterns!  Now do I get the larger desktop version or the smaller version?? Decisions!

5 Months Old

New hard drive installed. Check.  Lightroom. Check. Photos. 1/2 check.  We haven't been able to recover anything off our old hard drive, but at least I can fill Lightroom back up with new photos! 

Baby girl is 5 months old as of yesterday the 8th! I can't believe it, and time is just flying by.  A few stats:

• Weight: 12.2 lbs (according to scale at home)
• Size 2 diapers
• Size 6 clothes still, but I have a feeling this won't last much longer.  Even though your weight is little, you are a long baby.
• Lately you go to bed around 8-9 and wake up around 5AM at which point you get into bed with me and daddy gets ready for work, then you are back out until 7 or 8.  There are still a few nights of waking up randomly.
• You love the toy in the 1st picture and will play with it the longest.  I don't know who gave us this toy at our shower but Thank You!
• You are so much more aware of your surroundings
• You are catching on to when I'm not around or leaving and you get upset.  It makes it that much harder for me to leave you every morning.
• You've started giving "kisses" and "hugs".  You put your mouth on our faces and open wide.  It's one of the sweetest things you are learning.  You will also put your arms around our necks and pull in.
• You are starting to show when you want someone else to hold you or if you want down.  You kind of throw your body in that direction.
• You are pulling hair- Ouch!

On a side note: I discovered something that may change our weekends for the better.  We did our grocery shopping for the week on Saturday afternoon and not on Sunday.  We always do our grocery shopping on Sunday and then I feel like our weekend goes by too fast.  From here on out Madison and I will be doing our shopping on Saturday mornings while the hubby is at football.  That way we don't have to do anything on Sunday besides hang out as a family and gear up for the week ahead.
Really its the small things in life!

T.G.I.F.

I am so grateful this week is over! Monday started off on the wrong foot and we very really got back on track especially with all the computer drama.  Brent does not have evening practice tonight so we get to spend the evening as a family and I can't wait!  I love evenings in just the four of us (can't forget Bella).  I'm going to enojy tonight, because tomorrow is a full day of computer errands, and wine night with neighbors.  Life is so busy right now, but I'm loving every minute of it.

I would love to recap our week in photos, but without the computer I can't watermark my iPhone pictures.  And even though I really doubt anyone would want to take them, I'm to OCD to have them on my blog without it since all other images have it.  Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous. 

TGIF!

Sad Day in Our House

I am so upset.  Yesterday I go to turn on my computer and there is nothing! After running it up to see what our IT guy could do for me.... the dreaded answer: Hard Drive is Broke.  I was so upset he couldn't recover anything.  But the glimmer off hope was that the hard drive still contained my data, but a specialist would have to access it (potentially costing up to $1,200). 

Every photo ever taken of Madison- ultrasounds, hospital, bringing her home, monthly photo shoots and every photo before Madison- Our 1st Christmas, New House, Hawaii all gone.  Thank God our wedding photos are on a disc of their own.  I know it's only 4 1/2 months of her life and there will be so many more photos, but those first months were the months I was home with her.  And I know I will never get that time back, so I really treasured my photos.

I'm sure Brent will do some looking around to see what we can do to recover the hard drive without spending too much money, but its not looking good.  Right now it is with a sweet neighbor who has some computer savvy skills.  I cried yesterday- I think mostly because I'm mad at myself.  We had talked for so long about buying an external hard drive so we could back everything up and we kept putting it off. 
This should be a reminder to everyone: Back up your data!!  We are off to find a new hard drive this weekend and at least get us back up and running.

On a very positive note: Today is off to a much better start.  Madison and I both woke up a little earlier and so far the difference it has made is great and the day is already running smoother.  I did not feel rushed, and even though the house wasn't perfectly tidy it didn't bother me because I was able to get us both ready for the day smoothly.

Back to Routine

I live and breathe routine.  I'm a scheduler all the way.  I have a notebook in my purse with my "to do lists"and shopping lists, and my outlook calendar synced to my iPhone at all times.  However, in the past two weeks our routine has gone out the window.  It's hard to work all day, take care of a baby all night and then keep a clean house and be ready for the next day.  Let's not even mention finding time for exercise.  My energy level is gone.  God bless single mothers and those whose husbands are away from the home all year round. 

I love the quote:

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference between them. "

When baby girl entered into this world things changed.  At first I didn't see these changes, but slowly they appear.  I have to rely on others now and that is something I'm not good at.  My sister keeps M at our house every day, but if she is running a little late, that means I'm running a little late to work and I hate to be late.  But I CAN'T change that at this time.  I just have to be ready to run out the door when she arrives.

For some reason our house is always upside down these days.  She is only 21 weeks old! I can't imagine what it will be like when she is a year old, 3 years old, oh my!  What I pick up every night is there again after work the next day.  I think this may be where I gave up for a bit.  When your energy level is so low the last thing you want to do is pick up a mess that will appear again the next day.  BUT...

I hate starting off my day feeling hurried and disorganized and that is the main issue right now.  I CAN change this.  I'm learning that if I wake up to a messy house my whole day is thrown off tracks and its hard to get back on, so I have to try harder.  I have to stay up a little later and wake up a little earlier.  I have to do this to get done the things that are important to me and make me feel good.  Because I'm learning if I feel good then the whole family feels good!  It's just the season of life we are in right now.

Finding Our Toes

Last night was one of those times I really could see Madison growing in front of me.  She has such strength in her arms now and will grab for things- mostly others hands/fingers.  If I put my hand back to her car seat to hand her the pacifier she will grab my hand and hold on tight.  It warms my heart every time.

Madison also found her toes last night!  After her bath she was wrapped up in her towel and next thing I know she put those toes/foot straight into her mouth! She is just adorable!  Technology is so amazing these days- I just picked up my phone caught it on camera and texted it to the daddy so he could be part of this moment even if was at practice.

Ignore my crazy mommy voice! I have the cutest baby in the whole wide world!

I'm always so grateful Madison is home with her aunt, but today is just one of those days I wish I could be at home with her.  I just don't want to miss one moment of her learning and growing!

Last Full Weekend

This was our last full weekend together as a family as this coming weekend starts Saturday meetings for the hubby.  We went into it with no real agenda and no honey do's- just planning to hang out and enjoy time together.  My talk of a coach's schedule may seem a little dramatic but really the break down for this month is Brent leaves by 5AM and gets back around 10PM Monday through Friday.  And of course Saturday meetings.  Once games start I can go from saying goodnight on Wednesday to not seeing him again til Saturday evening.  So yes it is a lot of time away from home.

Every year on the first day of 2 A Days I try and send a breakfast treat since they are all dragging out there at the break of dawn.  This year I was running out of time and with the baby nothing every happens how it is supposed to, but when I mentioned not being able to send something I could see a glimmer of disappointment in Brent's face.  So I busted out the muffin pans and whipped up some blueberry muffins after dinner.  It makes me really happy when Brent is happy. 

He said something last night that really shocked me   I told him I didn't have the time this year and suggested maybe picking up some doughnuts on the way in today.  In summary, he replied: "It's not the same.  That's just me bringing breakfast; when you make muffins it sends a different message.  It means that you represent all of the wives in letting us know you care and will miss us at home during football season.   And yes I really get all of that out of one muffin."

Hmmm you mean he actually got my message all of these years! Of course that is exactly what it means when I make them, but I never really thought he got that message without me saying it.  Guys say they don't read into what we do/ say and that you have to tell them things because they are not mind readers- but they do get it! 

We love you hubby/daddy!  And every day you struggle out of bed at 4AM just remember we are always supporting you.

Most amazing add on ever!  I love the new whisk with the spatula side!

We had some yummy bites.



Wore a new outfit.



Played on our mat.