Productive Family Day

Rob was going to take this weekend off as it's mandatory to take at least one day off every 20 days of work. But, after talking last night about our finances, he decided it would be more beneficial to work the entire weekend and take today off. So that's what he did and we're enjoying every minute of our family day. We slept in, ate a big breakfast, called my mom to wish her a happy 60th birthday, got some stuff done around the house and then headed out to run errands. Our first stop was a secret place where we made Mimi (Rob's mom) a Mother's Day gift. From there we went to check on 2 foreclosure houses that my friend hired me to look at for her (I work part time, hit or miss, doing odds and end real estate tasks for her business). After that we went to sign papers for our new auto insurance plan. Yesterday I spent the afternoon shopping around because our plan goes up time the policy gets renewed and I'm getting sick of how expensive it is getting. From there we toured the two daycares I had looked into a couple weeks ago. Rob had the same impression as me with the first one....kind of bland with not a lot of color but other than that he liked it. The second place we walked into and, while we were waiting for an employee to give us a tour, we saw the teacher that would be working with Preston forcefully put a child back down for nap. She didn't see us standing there and when she did she completely changed her tune. At that point, both Rob and I were ready to leave, knowing we would not subject Preston to that. It made our daycare decision an easy one. We got home not too long ago and both boys are sleeping while I enjoy some quiet time on the computer. When they wake up it'll be time for the Nationwide race and hamburgers for dinner. I love days like this and am glad Rob was able to spend the day at home.

Working Hard

I'm sitting here in a completely quiet house, both boys asleep for the time being. I usually get things done around the house while Preston naps but Rob just got home from working 24 hours straight so I think it's only fair to keep it quiet so he can get some shut eye. The reason he had to work was because of a huge wind storm that hit Reno with over 100 mph winds. My parents were here when it hit and they couldn't believe how strong the winds were. Preston actually woke up at 3am yesterday because of the wind so I brought him in our room to try to sleep. That didn't work because he decided to tell us stories until it was time for Rob to get up for work. So, not only did Rob work 24 hours, trying to restore power to parts of Reno, but he'd also been up since 3am the night before. Thankfully he is taking this weekend off so he can relax, catch up on sleep and hang out with the family. It's a much needed and deserved break, one we're all looking forward to!

Always Nice

We're very family oriented so it's always nice when family comes for a visit. But, this time it's been nice having my parents here because they've been a big help. They watched Preston while I got my teeth cleaned and got a couple groceries. Then my dad and I stacked 2 areas of firewood and moved blouders while my mom hung out with Preston. Those stacks of wood have needed to be moved for 2 years so it was nice to finally get it done. I wanted to move more blouders and rocks but will wait until the snow stops before taking on that challenge. I painted the kitchen and Preston's bathroom so my dad is going to finish those rooms as well as do the touch-up in areas I missed. I always like family visits but fun, yet productive, visits with my folks are the best.

Dancing in the Rain

"Life is not about how to survive the storm but learning how to dance in the rain" is a quote a friend posted on FB this morning. It's my new favorite quote because it's so true. For the past week or so, I've been looking at the glass half empty. Last night I got a wake up call at a work party that I went to with Rob. One of his co-workers and I had a long talk about how negativity can really get you down. Usually I'm a "glass half full" kinda girl but it seems the weight of the world has been on our shoulders lately. After talking to Aron for quite awhile last night I realized how true the above quote is. We need to make the most of the blessings we've been given....a healthy happy baby, a good marriage, a beautiful home, loving family, wonderful friends, lots of extras that most people can't afford right now. So, I've decided that I will not wallow in self pity, but will continue to look on the bright side of things. That being said, I actually slept pretty good last night for the first time in a couple weeks. I didn't lay awake worrying about the future and the unknown because, as Aron said, it can only dig you into a hole of negativity.

Today I am looking forward to getting together with another mom to take the boys for a walk, am looking forward to lunch with a good friend. Tonight I am looking forward to Rob being home and shish kabobs on the grill. Tomorrow I'm looking forward to church, the Dega race and my parents coming to visit for a couple days. The weather is beautiful, picture perfect in fact, so my dad and I will get a lot of accomplished around the house while my mom hangs out with Preston. I'm really looking forward to the next few days!

Been Awhile

I don't know if you'll see any more blogs than you've seen recently. I've had such a heavy heart and when I get like this I just kind of hide in my cocoon until I come out of my funk. We decided that I have to go back to work part time next year so I checked out a couple daycares yesterday. Days like we had today where Preston and I are both tired and cranky make me think I'll be okay leaving him a few days a week. But, when I got tours of the places yesterday I teared up, thinking about what a mess I'll be the first week I have to leave him. It's not just leaving him that I'll struggle with. It's the freedom I've grown accustomed to, the "Mommy and Me" groups that I meet with a few times a week, being able to get housework done without time restraints. It will be a big adjustment, but I am praying that it'll only be for a year. Other than that, there are things going on with friends that burdens me. But, that's how I am with my friends and I know everything will work out as it's supposed to. Be patient if you don't see too many blogs from me in the next few days and know that I'll start blogging again soon.

So Big!

Our computer is still on the fritz but I'm going to chance blogging and hoping it'll let me succeed. Preston is changing before our eyes, becoming Mr. Personality. He had us in stiches last night, making funny faces and "begging" us to tickle him. He's also growing up pretty fast. He now pulls himself up and walks along the edge of the coffee table or recliners. When Rob takes a bath after work he crawls into the bathroom, pulls himself up on the baththub and stands there and "talks" to him while his daddy bathes. He now waves bye-bye and does the sign language for "doggy" when he sees one. My favorite is when I say, "Power to the baby." At that point he sticks his fist proudly in the air. It's so funnyily (My new word) adorable! He interacts with other babies, loves to play on swings and slides. Even his appetite is growing! This morning he downed his bottle, ate a few bites of my cereal and was still crying for more. So I gave him an Eggo Waffle with mashed bananas on it. He devoured it in no time flat! Our pediatrician said we'll notice an increase in his appetite now that he's more mobile but he eats like a horse! Our lil man is becoming just that....a man. We're so proud of him and love watching him grow like a weed!

A Break Please

I haven't been blogging because our computer is having problems. It'll work for a few hours then not work the rest of the day. Probably just as well because I don't have anything fun to blog about. Life seems to be kicking us even though we're down. I wake up each morning thinking, "What crap am I going to have to deal with today?" which is so not like me usually. I don't want to go into detail right now because the computer is about to crash and I don't want the tears to begin again. Know that we're all in good health, Preston is a happy and growing baby and Rob still has his job. I guess that being said life isn't too bad. There are people worse off than us, losing their jobs and homes, dealing with health problems, etc. Our stuff is minor in comparison but a break from it all would be nice.

Dr. Seuss life

Today was great for Preston...perfect 9 mo checkup, a new savings account (Thanks Mimi and Grandpa) and dinner with "Aunt" Cristy. But in between the greatness, Preston had a Dr. Seuss kind of day. ~Sidenote: One of my all time favorite stories to read, regardless of whether I'm teaching Kindergarten or 6th grade, is "Oh the Places You'll Go!" It's a fabulous book about life and its lessons. Dr. Seuss eloquently described Preston's life at this moment in time...." I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you."~ As I was saying, in between in today's greatness Preston had some Bang-ups and Hang-ups. I was trying to get his laundry done while he played in his room. All of a sudden I heard him screaming and crying. I peeked around the corner to see his bedroom door closed. Well, you see, I think he was trying to pull himself up using the door and it got closed. But, he was leaning against it so I couldn't get it open. Finally, I pushed and pushed until I was able to budge him away enough to get it open (all the while he was screaming and crying). Not even five minutes later we were in a safe room...or so I thought. Preston was happily doing what he loves to do right now- pulling himself up and walking about the edge of the coffee table. I was sitting close to him to "help" him if need be. Apparently I am not fast enough because he fell on the corner of the table, hitting his face on the edge. He was screaming and before long his nose was bleeding a little. Good thing his injuries, to date, are ones that can be healed with mommy and/or daddy's kisses (and a Kleenex). Lord help us when kisses aren't enough to heal and I'm sure those moments aren't too far off in the future. So, Dr. Seuss thank you for preparing me to deal with a very mobile baby-too-quickly-becoming-a-toddler.

9 months and counting....

Today marks Preston's 9 month birthday. Our baby is looking (and acting) less like a baby and more like a toddler these days. He now says, "Mama and Dada" and knows who is who. He also waves good-bye on command. It's cute because he started out waving the correct way but now he waves backwards and stares at his hand as if he can't believe it's making that motion. He loves playing with all of his toys but especially enjoys puzzles and books now. On top of that he's crawling, pulling himself up into standing position, getting his own toys out of his toybox and starting to throw little temper tantrums if he doesn't get his way. Yesterday, at Walmart, he decided he was done shopping (I don't blame him because 1 1/2 hours in that store is a little excessive even to me and I love shopping.). He was going through my purse, trying find something to play with. He found my phone, at which point I took it from him. He started crying and put his head down on the cart handle, not looking at me. The next day he was crawling to me in the kitchen. He was extremely tired but I had stuff to do so I didn't go halfway to pick him up. He got mad at me, covered his head and started yelling, "Dada, Dada, Dada...". All these changes are fun- for the most part- but come with added gray hair. Last night in the bathtub he took a tumble and was face down in the water. I sit with him while he bathes so I was there to grab him and get him upright but it scared me to death. Several times this week he's pulled himself up only to lose his balance and do face plants. He's used Holly to pull himself up, which she does not like in the least. So many changes, things to enjoy and things to give me heart failure. I thank God for it all, as Preston is such a blessing to all that know him. He is truly amazing!

Not Taking Calls

Today is a day I learned to dread as a child. My mom, not one to lie, lives for this day! It's the one day she can pull pranks and "lie" all in the name of April Fool's. As a child I would put sticky notes all over my room reminding me not to get fooled...to no avail. You see, my mom plans for this day months in advance and for good reason. She has been able to pull off the mother of all pranks in years past. Then she laughs and laughs when she announces it's April Fool's Day and watches the person she pranked get all flustered...or even tear up. So, as much as my mom and I talk, she knows that this is the one day we won't talk on the phone. She can text or email but that's the extent of our communication on this day.
I thought Rob wouldn't try to pull off a prank but he even tried to get me this morning. He called and, after talking for a couple minutes, he told me that April 14th would be his last day. Luckily, I've learned to be on my toes on this day so I knew right away it was a joke. A friend of mine posted pics of him holding a newborn, saying that his wife had their baby last night. I guess I just have to hole up today, not answering the phone or talking to anyone. My pride can't handle being fooled. =) So, enjoy today whether you're the tricker or trickee and I will talk to you all tomorrow when I know it's safe.