Wow, What a Hiatus!

Okay, I will completely admit that I have been focusing on my scrapbooking/crafty blog and this one has not received the treatment it should. So here is what is on my mind these days:

1. I can't believe how much Alexis has grown! She is now 9 months old and INTO EVERYTHING. I mean, this kid is a mover and a shaker to the extreme...Erica was so good to us that we were super spoiled. Alexis is exhausting (but I am happy that she is curious and admire her fearlessness even though it terrifies me). I am loving watching her personality form and am trying to soak up all that I can while she hits milestones because we have officially decided that she is our last baby. I am both happy and sad about this. I am happy we have 2 healthy and happy girls, but I will miss all the baby stuff (breastfeeding, baby napping in my arms, etc...). However, I will not miss teething (which we are going through and is really tough on Alexis) or having to put baby gates everywhere (it will be nice when we can eventually get rid of them)...oh well...

2. I am continuing to scrap 1-2 nights a week (I LOVE my husband for kicking me out for my "me" time) and am really liking the pages I am doing (this hasn't always been the case). I even bring Erica to all-day crops for the first 4 hours and totally focus on her and her crafts so that she gets my undivided attention (she is used to having to "wait her turn" at home because of Alexis). I love it because I can focus on her alone and just talk to her and do what makes her happy. Those 4 hours are GOLDEN :)

3. I have just celebrated my 5th wedding anniversary and reflecting back on the past 5 years there are so many memorable moments. There were some bumps (and some more major than others), but I wouldn't change a thing because I think that the couple we are today is an amazing thing. My husband truly is my best friend and my biggest supporter. I love him to the moon and back :) And he said the most unbelievable thing to me the other day. While he was home sick, I was asking him if he wanted his pillow while resting on the couch and if he wanted a cup of tea (really, I was doing everything I could to make him comfortable) and he said, "You are the best wife ever. I mean that...You know, you really saved my life. I don't know if I have brought anything more to your life, but you really turned mine around". It's amazing to think that this is how he sees me. And here I am thinking I am so lucky to have a man who loves me and is always about putting me first and making sure that he reminds me how much I am appreciated while telling me he thinks I am the best wife and mother he has ever seen. I count my blessings...

4. I saw a video about a TV anchor who received email from a "fan" talking about how irresponsible she was for being overweight while in the public eye. REALLY?! I really think that social media has taken away people's filters. Just because you can be anonymous on a computer does not mean you should have no conscience and just say hurtful things to others. The things that people write on Facebook, Twitter, etc...just leave me flabbergasted. I would never air out my dirty laundry for the whole world to see. Once it's out there, you can never take it back. I just wish we could start bringing back some more basic kindness and caring into society again. I am saddened by the rampant mean-spiritedness and bullying that is out there. I admit that I am scared for my girls when they are old enough to go to school. I can only hope that they will always feel that they can come to me and my husband when things are tough...time to keep praying for this world to heal...

5. It may seem trivial, but I am soooooo excited about a "new" couch we got this week. I found it on a garage sale site online and it was a steal! It's a huge sectional that was custom-made for someone and we got it for less than $400. We finally got rid of our old futon and have a more grown up living room. Even Erica was excited and kept saying she loves the new couch. Aaaahhhh, the little things... :)

I need to put a reminder somewhere so that I keep up with the monthly posts. I really should keep track of what's on my mind. It's a great way to vent about and/or celebrate what is going on at any given time in my life. Keep on smiling!

It's All About Timing...

Well, I managed to miss January as well, but I will attribute that to taking care of a newborn. Here are the things on my mind lately:

1) I love watching my 3 year-old interact with her baby sister. She is so gentle and loving with her. When she comes home from daycare she is excited to see me, but then changes her voice and makes a fuss over her sister. I am loving it! She is also very helpful when it's diaper changing time. She has it down to a science: she brings me a diaper, the wipes and the bum cream. Then she throws away the used diaper in the trash. She is definitely Mommy's Little Helper. I can only hope that she continues to adore her sister ("Mommy, she's cute") and that jealousy does not pop into the mix.

2) I am dying to be cleared to exercise. I had an emergency C-section with the baby (that is a WHOLE story in and of itself) and am anxious to be able to pick up heavier items. I tend to be one who likes to organize and move things around and not being able to is getting me antsy. My husband is keeping a close watch on me to be sure I don't do anything silly that will thwart my recovery. He is a good man...and knows me way too well...

3) I am finding it tougher this time around. Going from one child to two really is a huge adjustment. The older one is a Mommy's Girl and I hate seeing the disappointment in her eyes when she asks me to play with her and I tell her she has to wait her turn (or that I can't) because I am feeding the baby (which seems to be most of the time these days). I hope she doesn't feel neglected or pushed aside, but then again, there are many times that I have the baby in my arms and will still attempt to play Hide 'n Seek or bust a move with my older one. I do what I can and have to realize that I cannot do everything. When the baby is asleep, even if I am tired, I am trying to give some one-on-one to my older one. I will not lie: it is tough and exhausting at times...but I want my little girl to keep smiling and will find other times to rest...

4) I wish we were in our own house. We rent a townhouse in a nice complex with really nice neighbors, but I long to have our own place with a backyard and a basement. Something to call our own. We hope to make that change within the next 2 years. I really hope we can do it because I find that it is something missing from my life ~ a place to put our personal stamp on.

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5) I have been leaning on my husband's incredible understanding a lot these past few weeks. He is on his paternity leave (and has one more week left) and has been great about taking a few hours here and there to get me out of the house on my own (even if it's just to run errands) while he takes care of the baby. I wonder how I will be when he goes back to work and I no longer have the option of escape. Lately, the baby has been fussy and crying (the complaining kind) more often. She often just wants to be held when she is not feeding, but I am constantly in a state of "attachment". Tonight she gave my husband a hard time while I met up with a friend for a few hours and when I got home he said he couldn't understand how I do it without going crazy. he had a renewed sense of what my day is like with the baby's demands on me. You do what you need to and try to tell yourself you know it will get better. She is not colicky, she is really calm when in that state, but man, when she is upset, she lets it fly! I do not complain because I know it is trivial and not as rough as many others have it. In fact, most of the time her "episodes" are not very long. They do wear me down just due to sheer numbers of times she needs to feed sometimes, but she is not sending my to my wits' end. I do admit that I am looking forward to when she can be a little more interactive and start to be more present in her surroundings so that I do not have to be her whole universe.

Keep on smiling!

Already Missed a Month...Must Have Been Busy

So, my whole plan was to do this once a month and here I am having missed November...I'm not going to beat myself up about it because I know things have been busy. Let's see, what has been on my mind lately?

1) I spent most of November working on making all my Christmas cards (I made 72 of them and they were ready by the end of November). However, only about 1/3 have been mailed out so far...I guess I can aim to be better about that next year, but I still think people will appreciate them because I made each and every one of them myself.

2) This year I decided that rather than do tons of shopping for gifts and hoping that I find something that speaks to me about each person on my list, I'd make all my gifts. I figured that I have lots of scrapbooking supplies, why not try to use some of that and tap into my creative side? You know what? I am so pleased with how my gifts turned out, that I think I will try to keep this up for next year as well :)

3) I am really getting excited about seeing this new baby and seeing how my little girl adapts to being a big sister. I think she will be fabulous because she is a gentle soul and really is a sweetheart (that's what everyone tells me, and who am I to argue?). I look forward to watching the interaction between my girls. I only hope that my first one does not feel like she is not getting enough attention. I hope she doesn't feel "abandoned" by Mommy because I will have so much of my focus pulled away from her. We'll just have to wait and see...

4) We are less than a week away from Christmas and I still have yet to decorate! What the heck?! I usually do all the stuff the first weekend of the month, but this year with being pregnant and all, it has not been as easy to get things in line. However, this week is the beginning of my year of maternity leave, so I will get the decorating done. No way is my little girl going to NOT have a tree and decorations. I grew up in a house that was always decorated to the max and she's going to get the same thing (she loved it last year and was so excited every time I lit up the tree). Doggone it, it WILL get done!

5) I am pretty calm these days considering that there will be a new baby in about 2 weeks. I can't wait to hold a little one in my arms again :)

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

The Beginnings of a New Blog

Well, this is my first entry in this new blog. It was inspired by the monthly "challenge" that I just saw on the blog "Just me, My Soldier and our 4 little chicks" which I have been following for some time. I thought, 'what a great idea' since it's the everyday moments that we often forget to keep track of. So here is my very first attempt to follow speaking from the heart...

1) These days I am reveling in my belly. The reason being that I am now 29 weeks pregnant with my second daughter and I seriously LOVE showing it off. There is just something so great in showing off the fact that I have a little miracle kicking away in there (and she kicks a LOT). Not to mention that it is pretty much the only time that I am not self-conscious about my abdominal area. I love being pregnant :)

2) There is a LOT to get done in the baby's room. For my first little girl we were way ahead of the game. This time, we are only a little over 2 months away from delivery time and the guest room that is now to be her room is a huge mess. It has become a bit of a storage area since we started to move things out and get it ready. I have to keep telling myself to tackle one thing at a time. First, I need to straighten up the master bedroom so that I can transfer my scrapbooking stuff from the guest/baby's room before I can help my husband clear out the room to get the painting done (which reminds me, we need to pick up the paint). Then there is an area in our living room that has also become a spot to drop things...ugh! One...thing...at...a...time...I did see a few things at IKEA last week that I think we will pick up this weekend (a new entertainment unit that is much larger than the one we have at the moment that will allow us to store more things and help with the clutter...and a long DIY desk that I can put scrapbooking stuff on that will be narrow enough to fit along the main wall in the master bedroom ~ perfect!).

3) I am loving the stage my little girl is at right now. She is always telling us, "I so happy!" and it makes me smile. She loves to give kisses (especially if she thinks it will make your "bo-bo" all better) and hugs. I will take as many as I can get before she realizes she is embarrassed by us. She is so expressive and her vocabulary is growing so fast. I am just in awe of the little person she is becoming.

4) I wish I was at the end of my pregnancy because I want to be on maternity leave now. I am tired of working and just need a break. I keep telling myself to hang in there because, before I know it, I will get to that year off I am so looking forward to!

5) I am being very conscious of preparing to take lots of pictures of the next baby as well as documenting similar milestones because I don't want her to feel like all my scrapbooking efforts went into her older sister and that she somehow got gypped. We have scheduled pregnancy photos for this one just like we did with the last one. I think it will be fun to do again!

Thanks to Stephanie Howell for inspiring me to do this. I am sure I will look back later on and be thankful I did this :)

And so my first entry comes to an end...Make sure you smile today (it leaves better wrinkles later on ~ lol)!