And Again

I just got back from signing a new lease. Ugh. The church that we really wanted to work with hasn't gotten back with us and Russ hasn't been able to get a hold of anyone there. Another one decided that they wanted to figure out some things about the preacher's house (interpret that as they weren't interested in us...why couldn't they just say that?). We waited for the other as long as we could. We were supposed to have our notice in three days ago (I thought it was the end of the month, but it was actually due on the 28th). We ended up only signing a three month lease which extended it until the end of October. Hopefully we will be able to find a job in the next four months. Four more months living here. I'm so not excited.

Hmmmm...

Wish more people would have thought about this before seeking fertility treatments...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090630/ap_on_he_me/eu_med_sperm_damage

Read above statement with sarcasm.

She is....

her Father's child!

Sweetheart

Tummy Time

Fatetastic

Yesterday while getting ready to go to church services:

Me: *walking out of the bathroom* "Honey, do I look good?"

Russ: "ye...." *stares at my chest*

Me: *looking down and noticing a huge glob of baby spit up (and the globby kind that has already been digesting and is curdled) right above my shirts collar*

Thank you fate for reminding me what is really important in life. It definitely isn't being a sexy momma!

What I Do All Day

Right now the fact that I have quit my job has not made it through the grapevine. I've told a few people in real life, but they aren't the type to go and blab it to everyone like it's big news. Eventually, though, I know it will get around, people will start talking and I will start getting comments about it. What do you do all day? Aren't you bored at home? How can you afford it? Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Other than the fact that taking care of a baby is a full time job (my memory must be shady because I can't remember it being like this when I worked in daycare...of course I was normally in the 3 and 4 year old room, but I did have my turn in the baby room). Chloe demands a lot of attention. Between feedings, diaper changes, play time, cudde time and bath time, there really isn't a lot of down time during the day (again, how did I take care of six babies at once during daycare...). Since I don't work outside the home, it is my responsibility to keep the house picked up and organized which does take a bit of time every day. It still amazes me how the baby things just take over every single day. Between blankets, pacifiers and clothes, it doesn't seem to take long to have a mess going. I also do laundry almost every day and as you all are well aware, that can keep you occupied on and off throughout the day. How does one baby generate so much laundry? Why by spitting up on everything of course! Chloe and I also take a walk every day to (1) get the mail and (2) so I don't become completely lazy and devoid of exercise. Then there is always grocery shopping that needs to be done and church functions that have to be attended and other odds and ends things that always come up. So, with all of that being said, I also have hobbies that I enjoy during the day. When all the housework is done and Chloe is down for a nap, I have many other things to do. Blogging is one of them. I love to keep up with the blog. It is a way for me to journal and write down my life story. I do need to start printing my blogs and putting them in a binder for safe keeping in case there is ever a day that I have to delete my blog. I also enjoy scrapbooking, painting, cross-stitching among other things. So that is the day-to-day life of this stay at home mother.

And since I haven't posted pictures of my scrapbook in a while....

I found this book at Hobby Lobby and I love it! It's so girly and perfect for Chloe's scrapbook!
Icky! This is one of those things I have had to eat my words about after I gave birth. I have always thought that pictures of babies fresh out of the womb and not cleaned off were just gross. Still do, in fact. I even told Russ not to take pictures of her like that. Well, that changed the second she was born. Russ was standing with me watching the nurses with her and I quickly told him to "Take pictures! Take pictures!" And then I even scrapbooked them. There have been many things since then that I have had to take back!
If you follow my blog on a regular basis, you may remember me talking about my "Baby Box". This is the box that my mother kept of some of my baby things. She wouldn't let us look through the boxes and she would give the boxes to us (my siblings and I) whenever we had our first child. Through the process of conceiving Chloe, I often times wondered if I was ever going to get my box. This is something that I have wanted for a long time and was one of the things that I most looked forward to during my pregnancy. I decided to go ahead and add this spread to Chloe's scrapbook for that reason.
I think you can tell what most of it is, but there are a few things I am going to clarify. On the first page: bottom row, middle picture is a stack of blankets that people made for me. I can't remember who made which, but it is written down somewhere and Mom knows. On the bottom row, third picture of the same page is my baby book and a stack of cards that Mom kept for me. I had no idea that those were in there and I loved looking through them. There are cards from my Gramsie and my Grandma who have both passed on so they are extremely special to me. Now, on the second page: Top row, third picture is a handmade blanket that was embroidered. The bottom row, first picture is another group of blankets. I couldn't fit all of the blankets in one picture since I cut them down. The bottom row, middle picture is a doll carrier that was made for me. It has a blanket and a pillow that goes with it. Then the bottom row, third picture is a doll sleeping bag that I played with when I was little.

Okay, that's it for now. Thanks for reading, blogger friends!

Reading is Fundamental

I have always loved to read. I remember in grade school that there was a program called R.I.F. (Reading Is Fundamental). After so many books read, we would get a coupon for a free pizza from Pizza Hut. For a family who wasn't able to go out to eat very often, this was a BIG deal. Big. Like huge. I also remember that when I was in 2nd grade, the librarian let me get books off of the 3rd grade shelf because I was such a bookworm. I thought I was big stuff. The 3rd grade shelf held the Boxcar Children series.

So throughout my life, I have continued to enjoy reading. I have always enjoyed fantasy series the most. Though, Ashley Stockingdale definitely ranks up there with my all-time favorites along with Harry Potter and The Inheritance Cycle.

Since I am breastfeeding Chloe, there isn't much that I can do besides look at magazines or read during feeding times. I just finished up the third book in the Inheritance Cycle, Brisingr. This series is the series that starts with the book, Eragon, which was the book that knocked Harry Potter out of the #1 spot on the New York Times best seller list. Eragon also has a movie, but it does not do the book justice...or film justice for that matter. It's a boring, horrible movie and I don't know why I even own it. Plus, the movie changed so many things in order to be short enough, that I'm curious to know how they are going to keep the series going. Maybe that is the reason I can't find anything about a second movie. That and the first was awful.

Through our time together, Russ has not been a reader. There were times that I wondered if he could read...okay, it's not that bad, but I don't think he had actually read an entire book (except for preaching school) the whole time we have been together until recently. A few months ago he picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. And he actually finished it...and he loved it. Since then he has finished the first four books and is now engaged in reading the fifth book. After Chloe goes to bed at night, we stay up late and read together. It's a wonderful thing to find more things that you can have in common with your spouse after being together for 6 years. I hope he keeps up the reading. Reading is a wonderful way to get away from the world and immerse yourself in a fantasy land where there is always a happy ending.

Father's Day

Chloe did not want to hand over Daddy's gift!

No Daddy! I don't want to give you the card I made either!

Fine Daddy. That doesn't look like a very fun gift anyway.
Daddy, you bore me. But I love you and happy first Father's Day!

Chloe lovin' on Daddy.Chloe and Momma.
Chloe and her cute headband. What is with the freaky eye in this picture?

This is one of my favorite outfits...and I love putting shoes on her. I never leave home without putting shoes on her and most of the time she also gets a headband.
She was being so cute when I was taking these pictures. Just the picture of happiness!
Awwww.

G-Jo thinks this picture is awful. That was her exact word. I think it is adorable. I love her smile!

More Baby Wearing

My Baby K'Tan came in today! I love it so far!!! And the best part is....drumroll please....I got it on sale. They are normally $57.00 not including shipping and I bought mine for $34.00 including shipping. I'm hoping she likes it better than the other sling. The other one has only one position and it's laying down. She wants to be sitting up and seeing the world. This one has 8 positions and it's a double shoulder sling so it's better for my back. So far she is loving sitting in it. Just think how much more stuff I am going to be able to get done!

Beautiful