...And Baby Makes 3

Unanswered Prayers?

2012-01-30T08:52:00.002-06:00

What do you pray for? World peace? An end to disease? Better government leaders? If you are like most people in the world you probably feel like you pray and pray and God never seems to hear. Here's a new perspective and maybe something to get you thinking...

What if God DOES answer our prayers? No, I don't think God is going to snap His fingers and make things change. Not His style. What if God answered our prayers in the form of IDEAS? What if God endowed people with the knowledge, reason, and morality to solve some of our world's biggest issues?

Makes sense I think. However, if God grants our prayers in the form of ideas bestowed upon people, then you may wonder why our world isn't better. What if those people never got the chance to BE? What if God helped a man and woman conceive a child who would possess the knowledge to cure Cancer? And what if that baby was aborted? What if God helped a man and woman conceive a child who would be the most amazing president our country has ever known? And what if that baby was aborted? I think you see my point. The evils of our world can counteract even the most gracious of God's attempts to help us. God wants to see us happy. He loves us and I think He answers our prayers daily - we just have to be willing to recognize and accept His gifts....

"One nation under...." what's the rest again?

2012-01-26T08:22:00.003-06:00

I'm riled up.... and I may or may not be moving my family to Australlia.

I read this on facebook today and it all started. The emotions consumed me and all I knew to do was vent about it in a place where I can speak my mind and not be interrupted by disagreeing parties.

As you can tell from my initial statement, I am fed up with this country. Yes, my husband defended our country and was willing to give up his life for it. I am not against soldiers or any of the other selfless men and women who serve our country - I am against the fundamental beliefs that are now being compromised by unintelligent political leaders.

Is it just me or did congress not agree to add the words "UNDER GOD" to our pledge of allegiance? And was "IN GOD WE TRUST" not adopted as the official motto of the US? Oh, they've changed their minds? Well count me OUT.

God is out and it seems as though everyone and everything else is in. As I've said before, maybe if we DIDN'T separate God so much our world wouldn't be in such a mess...

While the omition of God from certain national expressions infuriates me, its not the primary reason I began this post. Its the double standard. Its the fact that our governing body wishes to accomodate every.single.belief/culture/religion/language while at the very same moment impeeding on the beliefs of at least 25% of the United States population. (With that statistic I am referring to the percentage of Catholics in the US - I'm sure there are certain protestants who share our beliefs on these issues which would in turn make the percentage potentially higher). I don't like being forced to fund things I feel are morally wrong. Its, in essence, like imposing a tax on all Americans which would pay for weapons murderers were going to use to go into the street and kill innocent people with. Would you willing pay that tax? Would you want your goverment officials to force you to pay for something people were going to use to kill others? That's what our goverment is asking us Catholics to do and I'm not happy. I REFUSE to pay for a woman to obtain abortion drugs. I REFUSE to pay for contraception for a teenager who wishes to engage in sex out of marriage. I REFUSE to do these things, however my president is telling me I don't have a choice. Its interesting that Muslims, Jews, Protestants, and any other religion have the freedom to worship as they choose, yet I do not. My beliefs on reproduction are how I worship God. I choose to welcome His most beautiful gift - children. I choose to go to any extreme to protect and defend life. My choice does not include giving monetary support to an organization that is going to give it to someone who blatantly goes against my moral beliefs. I wouldn't hand a member of al qaeda money to buy weapons and I won't hand a US citizen money to abort a baby.

Hence the move to Australlia. If you aren't aware, their Prime Minister doesn't play. If you don't like the way it is, she suggests you go find somewhere else to live. I couldn't agree more. She says "If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture." You can read more here. Love her.

I realize that my beliefs might conflict with yours. However, my beliefs are firm. They cannot be persuaded. They cannot be changed. I respect your right to comment as you feel necessary, but you are not going to alter my feelings on the issue. I respect God and His Son and will try to live how They have taught me to live - and that life doesn't include funding murder.

Goldfish

2012-01-23T13:46:00.004-06:00

Dear readers, once again I am making my vow to get back on the blogging train. I'm not even sure why I have been such a slacker lately.... that's a lie. I know exactly why. Poor Adam is so busy with school that the majority of the child rearing rests on my shoulders - and let's just say that after a 13+ hour day alone with a two year old the last thing you want to do is attempt to be comical. Or type. Typing involves moving and sometimes that is even too much of a task to undertake. You feel me?

So with excuses plainly stated I can now move on to the post at hand. Goldfish - aka MC's slight obsession.Let me introduce this fine bit of blog reading by saying that my sweet daughter is smart. I would even go so far as to say brilliant. (No, I'm not going to list all of the amazing things she can do.... even though I want to.... no......I won't be "that mom".... well, not today anyway.) So as I was saying, MC is smart. She's gotten this food thing all figured out. As I might have mentioned before, we have one picky eater on our hands! She refuses to eat just about everything you can imagine except fruit, yougurt, lima beans and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And snack food (I'll get to that in a moment). She would literally go all day without eating sometimes if I never gave her any of her preferred favorites. As you can guess, this irritates and worries me to no end. I know the child isn't going to starve herself and I've heard repeatedly to just offer her healthy foods and eventually she'll get hungry enough to eat. So that's what I'm doing.....now. I have to admit that in the past when she hasn't eaten all day and she wakes up from her nap hungry, I would cave. I gave the kid goldfish crackers. I tried desperately not to, knowing in the back of my mind that I should simply reheat one of the 247 meals I have in the fridge that she's refused to eat, but it was still hard.

I hope you see where I'm going with this. MC figured out that if she didn't eat her meals and cried pitifully enough, mommy would shrivel into a ball of mush and give her goldfish to eat. Smart cookie. MC's new code for life was something along the lines of "Accept not the food of thy mother, instead bat thine eyes or cry out with all your might and the golden fish will be awarded unto thee"....

As you can see, this wasn't working. I am now trying a new approach - goldfish nazi. Oh yes. She cries and begs for them but I am staying strong. Or so I thought.

We are currently visiting my parents and when we are here, MC sleeps in the room with me. I'm not sure if she's had this planned or if it was pure coincidence, but last night I'm pretty sure she reached a new low in the goldfish attempts. There I was, lying in bed in the middle of a dead sleep when I hear "No!! No mommy no!!!!" I sprang up in the bed and immediately leaned over to check on MC. Fast asleep. The crying out continued, "no mommy! Please! GOLDFISH!!!" That's right. The child was either having a nightmare about her mean mommy not giving her goldfish, or she is Stewie brilliant and knowingly devised this evil plan - as I type I'm still torn. She continued, "Mommy! NO! Maggie goldfish, PLEASE!!!". Low kid, seriously low. She finally stopped and went back to her happy place, but I have to admit that she got me good. {Sigh} Score is now MC- 3,791, Mommy - 2. You play dirty Mags, that's all I'm going to say....

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-21T08:20:00.015-06:00

Old Rubbermaid

2011-12-14T11:03:00.002-06:00

Before I begin, don't even act like none of you have done it. I am pretty sure we all have. They market the stuff in containers as if to say "you know we created this precisely for that use. Go on... do it" Ok pervs, you can now leave the blog because, NO, I am not talking dirty here. I'm talking tupperware.

My sweet Adam takes his lunch to school everyday (granted his OCD money saving wife insists upon it and he's secretly scared for his life - but that's not the point) Now, we all know that when a man takes ANYTHING from the home the odds of it returning are slim to none. Somehow once items leave the "universe" that is the house, they disappear into the "blackhole" that is the workplace. With that being said, I can't replace tupperware every week. I refuse. ESPECIALLY when certain deli companies insist on giving you free tupperware with the purchase of their delectable sliced meat. So nice.

Now, onto the story. In addition to Adam being an amazing husband, he also keeps me highly entertained (this is pretty obvious since he is the muse for a great many of my blog posts). The other night we made some Nutella cookies and were looking for tupperware to put them in. Adam pulled down the stack of containers and proceeded to hand me a few. We all know how trying it is to match the tupperware with the appropriate lid, especially when your tupperware consists of mix and match deli meat containers. After handing me my set, we attempted to coordinate lids....

Jess- "Babe, I need a lid for mine."

Adam "Which one?"

J - (turning over the container to look at the brand on the bottom) "Hm, I've got one Hillshire and one Ziploc"

A - (grabbing the stack of lids and passing them like cards) "OK, I've got one Hillshire and one Ziploc........ ".

J- laughing "I'll raise you one Glad..."

A - (slightly perturbed and embarrassed) "Jess, I feel like we're playing cards or something. What's that game where you ask other people for cards to get matches or something? Old Maid? Its like.......... Old Rubbermaid. "

I love this man. Definitely keeps me laughing. And I love that I'm so cheap we get to play Old Rubbermaid every time we search for tupperware :) Happy Wednesday!

Terrific Two's

2011-11-28T09:09:00.004-06:00

Alas, life just keeps happening and the blogging gets shoved way down on the priority list. ;) I am still here - just busy as usual! In all of the craziness that is our life, somehow my sweet Maggie Claire has grown into an almost-two-year-old. WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN???!!! She will be two years old on Wednesday and I honestly can't say where the time has gone. I look at her with watery eyes much too often thinking it was just the other day that I was rocking her to sleep, or giving her a bottle, or thinking how great it will be when she says "mama". Those days are long gone :( She's now too wiggly to hold for longer than .5 seconds, can feed herself, and screams "mama" on a much too regular basis.

This little child is truly God's greatest gift. I don't know what in the world I did to earn such an amazing blessing from Him. I really thought I had been granted my maximum allowed blessings when I met the man of my dreams, but still God chose to give me bestow on me another. I pray that I can live up to His expectations and raise MC with all of the love that a child of God deserves.

If MC could understand wishes, she might blow out her candles and wish for toys, or books, or shoes (what can I say, she is like her mommy...). However, since she needs another year or two under her belt to grasp this concept, I thought I could make some wishes for her. These are my wishes for my sweet angel.

Maggie Claire,

Aside from Jesus, I love you more than one human could ever love another. You amaze your daddy and I each and every day. Your smile can lift our hearts and your cry can break them. We love you and pray that God continues to bless us with many more years with you. I hope you grow up and are granted each of the hopes and wishes mommy has for you....

*Although you will never meet a man as amazing as your daddy, I hope you try. Let him be man you compare every other to. You deserve the best.

* I hope you discover your many talents and use them to God's glory.

* I hope you find what makes you happy - whether it be serving coffee or being president - and have the confidence and drive to do it.

* I hope you NEVER forget or question God's love for you.

* I hope you are able to find humor and joy in life every.single.day.

* I hope you use every mistake I will inevitably make as a mother to make yourself an even better mom for your child.

* I hope you love yourself and always remember how amazing you are.

* I hope you make friends that love you for you. Friends that will be there for you and support you, just like your daddy and I.

* I hope you have the courage to always stand up for yourself and your morals. Never compromise your integrity sweet girl.

* I hope you never give up on your goals. Stay strong and pray for God's grace when you feel like you just can't do it.

* I hope you learn that its ok to make mistakes. Every mistake is an opportunity for learning.

* I hope you remember that even when you hate us and think we are the worst parents in the world, your daddy and I always have your best interest at heart.

* I hope you always stop to smell the roses and thank God for another day of life.

* I hope you never forget how important family is.

* I hope you give generously - your time, your talents, your money, and your love. Always remember how fortunate you are and those in this world that aren't.

* I hope you truly LIVE life and never have any regrets.

Obviously mommy has many many hopes for you. Don't be overwhelmed. Just remember two things and everything else will fall into place like magic - "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself".

Happy Birthday my sweet Maggie Claire!!!!

Big City Life: Lesson 5

2011-10-14T08:28:00.004-05:00

Lesson 5: Always take a picture of the mall entrance where you park

You've missed me. I know. Dry your eyes dear readers. I have returned from a much-too-long hiatus. So what has the Martin clan been up to for FOUR WEEKS?! Craziness. Is there ever any other answer to this question?

Let me just give you a brief summary so I can get on with my much needed big city life lesson. MC started a mother's morning out program, I started a playgroup (which has now grown to over 13 mommies! Go me!), Adam's super busy being the world's most amazing designer, visitors have come and gone, and amidst it all I have been attempting to keep my home in usual OCD order. That about covers it.

Now, onto the valuable information I know you are on the edge of your seat to hear...

If you have read even one of my past posts I'm sure you are well aware of the fact that directions are not exactly my forte. I like to think that I just have so many lists and schedules stored in my head that it makes it difficult to focus on little details like observing my surroundings when doing things like driving or walking. Yeah. That sounds much better than "I'm an idiot and don't even know which way is down half the time". Soooo, with that being said my directional inability also rears its ugly head when parking. Don't even laugh 'cause I know at least ONE of you has been "that person" who walks around the parking lot with your clicker in the air frantically pushing the unlock or panic button.

Anyway, some dear friends were in town and we all decided to go to the mall here in Charlotte. I'm not even going to discuss how large this mall is. From previous trips there I knew to take careful note of where I parked and what entrace I went into. I did everything correctly. I even made a mental note of the type of clothing we saw upon entering and even the name on the little stand housing a collection of brochures. I was golden - so I thought.

You might also know that almost-two-year-olds and malls don't mix. At least mine doesn't. She is Miss Independent and insists on walking everywhere. This doesn't exactly bode well when you would like to reach a destination at some point before Christmas. She doesn't doddle - I know here little chubs are working overtime to keep up. Its just that little legs can only take you so far so fast. Therefore, we typically encounter a battle of the wills. I want her to ride in the stroller, she wants to walk. Now, between a 27 year old and a 2 year old, who do you think usually wins? Yup. In attempts to avoid it sounding like I am murdering my child as I put her in the stroller I let her walk. Sadly though, walking doesn't last long. She's excited. She's amped up on shoes and accessories and wants to run, touch, and try on everything she sees. No fun for mommy who has to explain to a screaming toddler that she cannot try on the Jimmy Choo stilletos she has strategically swiped from the display.

As our friends continued to shop I knew MC had reached her limit. It was past her lunch time and she was having no part of being carried. We had to leave. I told them we would go wait in the car and to take their time. I knew exactly where I had parked and began the trek back, attempting to control what felt like a gigantic marlin now entangled in my arms. When we reached the entrace we had come in, I went right to the spot where we had parked. Only, there was a small problem. There was no car in it. Ok, stay clam. Not a problem. I decided to just weave through each and every row of the garage and eventually I would find the car. After lap 20, I was losing it. My arms were about to fall off and I was slightly dying from a heat stroke. MC began screaming for her milk which I told her was in the car. She then began crying "mommy's car!". The child was mocking me. I was at my breaking point and may or may not have snapped back in a Linda Blair like voice "Mommy can't find the car!". It was at that point MC literally took the keys from my hand and began holding them in the air pushing the unlock button. Poor child is going to think this is common practice when going to your parked car. Anyway, I was convinced our car had been stolen and all I knew to do was call for reinforcements. I had one bar of service and called our friend asking if she remembered where we parked. She said she would send the hubs out to help me find it.

No service later, I see my hero exiting the double doors of the mall and heading into the parking garage. He informs me that there is another garage on the other side of the department store - which is where we parked. Seriously? In my defense, the friggin' entrace to THE WRONG garage was ALSO in the men's department and even had the same damn brochure stand in front of it! I felt ridiculous. I told him I was so sorry and was officially the world's dumbest person. Then I remembered the fact that this guy is 6'4" and had an insane vantage point of all the department store's exits. I felt slightly better.

On the ride home he suggested I take pictures when I enter the building so I'll know where to go back to. Good idea. Then, he threw in that if I did this each time I went, I would have multiple pictures and would probably get confused when attempting to identify which one is the new one . Thanks. (Nevermind the fact that the statement was completely accurate).

So there you have it. 47 laps around a parking garage while holding a toddler screaming "mommy's car!" with keys raised in the air can teach you a valuable big city life lesson. Utilize the iphone's camera feature.

Big City Life: Lesson 4

2011-09-14T13:52:00.002-05:00

Lesson 4: Never leave your house after 4:00 on a weekday

Brilliant move. It was now 5:45 pm and ~~the most intelligent woman in the world~~ I was STILL sitting in my car. How long had I been in my car you ask? Well, between the crying child and 207th cycle of Elmo's potty time, I would guesstimate about 5011 hours.

Not really. I had been in traffic for about 45 minutes. The beginning of it was fantastic. I had nothing to do and MC was happily watching Elmo sing about poop. I decided it was the perfect opportunity to chat it up with a girlfriend and my sweet mom. Its not very often that I get the chance to just sit and talk with nothing to do and no toddler to chase. After two conversations though, I was back to being a desperate mommy strapped in my unmoving car. I thought I could spend some time contemplating life's mysteries, however I couldn't get past how annoying Elmo's laugh can be. Time 3, its adorable, time 9 it's cute, time 13 its like fingernails on a chalkboard, and by time 207 I may or may not have considered hanging myself by my pendant necklace on the "oh shit" handle above my head.

Its funny how when you live in a small college town you never think about the time of day when you leave your house. You just know that as long as you're home by 1am you miss the traffic jam from the line at the Wendy's drive through. Any other time you are golden. Now that we've moved to Charlotte I have to be conscious of what time I run my errands. Obviously leaving the apartment at 4:30 on a Tuesday wasn't the smartest move. If I'd had a toothpick, tweezers, and a rubber band I might have been able to MacGyver my way out of the situation, but being as I'm a mere stay-at-home-mommy all I had to work with was a package of baby wipes and a sippy cup. I tried, but it was no use. I needed the toothpick....

Anywho, yet another mental note taken. Have I mentioned I am super excited for MC's doctor's appointment at 4:40 today?

Big City Life: Lesson 3

2011-09-05T18:51:00.004-05:00

Lesson 3 - Bigger city doesn't mean better zoo - it just means more friggin' walking.

Let's face it people - at age 7, the zoo was the bomb diggity. There was something so magical about seeing animals that, at that point, you had only seen in Eric Carl books. Going back to the zoo with a two year old? Um, not so much. Let's just say that there's nothing too magical about 4 adults sweating their arsses off as they play hot potato with the screaming toddler who wants to stand, jump,climb on every bronze animal statue her little eyes hone in on.

We all know there are three types of kids you will encounter at the zoo:
1) the kid on a sugar high - this cotton candy-ed kid is all but climbing in the gorilla cage (and usually one or both parents are tempted to let him/her do so as they mumble "yeah, you would fit right in..." Part of you wants to appreciate the enthusiasm, but the other just wants to slip a zanex into his Capri Sun.
2) the completely wiped out kid - this kid is in a zoo induced comma and usually has his/her head partially falling out of the stroller, drool streaming from an open mouth, and occassionally a crooked zoo memorabilia hat.
3) the devil-spawn kid - this kid is wreaking.havoc.everywhere. You've all seen him - SCREAMING that he can't see the gigantic white polar bear as the parents grab onto his wriggling arm which then results in the tantrum from hell and multiple threats of getting in the car and going home.

Now, combine 100 of each said child type with 300 sweaty, panting, stroller-pushing parents who realize they just paid $87 dollars to have their butts kicked by a five year old and you have the magic that is the zoo. Its beautiful really.

With all that being said, let me discuss THIS zoo. I have to say that living in the "big city" gave me a preconceived notion of what the zoo might be like. I was wrong. Way wrong. The main idea is that you walk 500 miles from one exhibit to the other and when you arrive, you may or may not see an animal . See, this zoo is very animal friendly. Its very natural and the animals have extremely large environments in which to gallop, play, sing, dance, whatever it is zoo animals do. They have also created the layout of the zoo to mimic a natural habitat as well - ie, you walk down long, heavily treed, winding paths to go from exhibit to exhibit. This is fantastic for the animals, but for parents with toddlers who insist on "I walking! I walking!" everywhere, it can take upwards of 1055 hours to reach a destination. All the while, this toddler is wanting to climb on every stinkin rock and poke every stinkin ant they happen to come by.

At this point I was pretty sure the zoo was a bad idea. As you can tell, MC was more interested in anything that was NOT an animal than observing the caged ones. Then, we reached the seal. We went to the glas enclosed observation area and she was in heaven. She saw the seal swim by and let out one of the most excited squeals I can remember to date. That's when I realized this is why parents do what they do. We brave the 115 degree heat, screaming children, and exhausting walks just to see the smile on our kids faces. Its what parenting is all about right? Being miserable so our kids can be happy. Seriously though, I would go back to the zoo in a minute if it meant I got to see MC that excited even for one second. And that my friends is why we continue to wear the funny hats and act a fool singing Old McDonald 900 times - because we're good parents and love our kids more than our dignity :) Happy Tuesday!

I Am Certain

2011-09-01T15:18:00.002-05:00

Its not very often that I get to say "yes, I am certain.". I'm probably the world's most indecisive person. No joke. However, much like the lessons learned in the big city, I am now sure of several things I thought I'd share.

1. The brown stuff I found on MC's hand after her nap is, sadly, not chocolate: No, I didn't eat it to find out. Thank God.

2. The enormous wet spot I found on the couch is not spilled water: Note to self, do not let child run rampant through house without a diaper on. Apparently it only takes 47 seconds for a child to sit on the couch, pee, get up, stand by the coffe table and nonchalantly read a book.

3. God accidentally gave me a child that's part dog: If I clean up any more pee or poop that's not in a diaper or smeared on her butt I'm taking her to the animal shelter.

Hmm, yeah, that would about cover it today.

Big City Life: Lesson 2

2011-08-18T08:35:00.006-05:00

Lesson 2: Add 30 minutes to every Mapquest travel time.

Adam and I are pretty good communicators. However, when we embark on a car journey and are forced to navigate together, all of that goes out the window. Let's face it, men and women were just not meant to coexist in a car. Men think they know everything and women really do - it creates problems. I kid, I kid. In reality I think we are all born with a road trip alter ego that can't help but surface in times of great navigational stress. One minute you are holding hands singing "the wheels on the bus" in attempts to quiet your screaming two year old, and the next you are screaming even louder than the two year old because we all know the louder you talk, the more likely the other is to understand that they are a complete moron.

We have learned in our short time here that they should've just named Charlotte's highway system "divorce court". Which is where lesson number two arises - you must factor in "lost time" to every single Mapquest travel time. Now, you might be wondering to yourself, "how is it that if you guys have a GPS you still end up lost?" Well, its simple. I am directionally retarded and Adam can't follow a GPS....

Now, that's not to say that Adam isn't a good navigator. He was an Army ranger. The man could find his way out of anything; I've come the conclusion that he just harbors a deep set, psychological resentment for the GPS (affectionately known as "Victoria" - yes, we have our GPS set to the British accent). Maybe he doesn't like a woman telling him what to do. Maybe its the fact that Victoria's bossy and doesn't say "please" {Adam has brought up the fact that all GPS models should be equiped with a "polite" setting...} Either way, it's the enemy and can't be trusted.

Take our recent trip to Wal-Mart. There is a Wal-Mart a few exits down, however we learned another valuable lesson - if a Wal-Mart is equipped with 50 parking lot survelience cameras and a police watch tower with an actual cop standing post, its probably not worth the close proximity. That means that we have to drive a longer distance to the devil store and that means we have to navigate highways. Not good. Here's how it all went down

{All extremely chipper and excited to get out of the house}

(good wife): ok, I put the Wal-Mart in the GPS
(grouchy husband, hehe): K, where are we going?
GW: I dunno. Follow the GPS.
GH: Well Jess I kinda like knowing where I'm going. I don't rely on ~~a stupid woman~~ machinery to tell me where to go.

GW: Honey, its not hard, you just follow the red line

GH: Whatever, this thing is retarded and it tells you like 2 seconds before you're supposed to do something!

Victoria: Turn right

GH: SEE!!!!

GW: Um, Adam that red line showed us turning for like 5 minutes. Just watch the red line.

GH: I am not watching some stinking tiny TV Jessica, I am watching the road

Victoria: recalculating...

GH: (as he misses his exit) DAMN IT!

GW: laughing hysterically

GH: NOT funny Jessica...where the hell is this thing telling me to go???

GW: Honey, just watch the red line - why are you getting off at this exit?

GH: It's telling me to!!!!

GW: No, its not Adam. It just told you to stay straight

GH: What the ^%&!!!! This thing is an idiot!!!

GW: (slight laughter) Adam, I think maybe its the operator - not the machine.

Victoria: Recalculating...

GH: OH JESSICA! I know you didn't just say that... Do you not think that after Ranger school and 4 tours to Iraq and Afghanistan I don't know anything about navigation??!! Huh??!!!

GW: (mumbling) .... and after all that you can't even follow a red line....

Oops. That was obviously stated much more loudly than anticipated because after getting lost and on and off the interstate about 3 times, Adam did the pull over. That is never good. And then the question that makes all women cringe in their passenger seat... "Do YOU just want to drive??!"

As a woman, I can't say that I ever really know how to answer this question. Do you say "yes, I would like that very much considering we almost died, like, 5 times on this 3 mile road trip" or do you play the complacent 1950's housewife and lie and say "no, honey, you're doing a great job" and then vent your frustration by blogging about it to the entire world when you get home? Hm, wonder which I chose.....

When all was said and done, it took us 45 minutes to arrive at our destination. It was 4.6 miles away from our apartment. Needless to say it wasn't the most pleasant 45 minutes of either of our lives. However, that's what marriage is. A fantastically awesome road trip spotted here and there by wrong turns, flat tires, and the like. The most important thing is that we survived. We didn't kill each other (although I'm sure both of us thought about it) and we learned a valuable lesson - If Adam drives, Victoria is off. We rely on shadows and which side of the tree the moss is growing on to determine our route. Lesson learned.

***Disclaimer: I, by no means, attempt to claim complete innocence in this ordeal. I am fully aware of the fact that being directionally retarded in no way aids us in reaching our destination and only serves to hinder any efforts sweet Adam puts forth at rectifying the situation. I have a dear and intelligent husband and I can understand that questions such as "how do you know you need to go north?" and "how do you know which way is north?" might fall into the category of special needs" and will only further frustrate an already desperate man ;) Bless his heart for putting up with me.

Big City Life: Lesson 1

2011-08-09T11:55:00.005-05:00

Lesson 1: "Stockpile" is as good as Greek to the Charlotte uptown-er

Have you ever gone somewhere and felt like you might as well be wearing a straw hat, fanny pack, and black socks with sandles? You felt so tourist-y that you craved an "I love NY" t-shirt so that you would at least have a visual explanation for your behavior without having to explain yourself 209 times to each person you passed by? That was me.

Its not a rarity for me to embarrass myself. It happens quite frequently actually. I've learned to live with it and my experiences usually do make for excellent party stories (or blog posts). Had I been born blonde it would probably even be considered an endearing quality. However, with my brunette locks I think it just falls into the category of "you have to be embellishing because there's no way anyone can be that stupid". Again, I'm ok with it.

As Adam and I moved to Charlotte, I was certain that "Big City Life" and I would have a few words. Oh did we. We all out brawled at the uptown Harris Teeter.

For you folks who might be unfamiliar with how things are done in the south, let me give you a brief, yet informative, summary. When you live in Mississippi, odds are you live in a neighborhood. Down the street from another neighborhood. Which is up the street from yet another. You must drive "into town" to obtain all necessities. It makes little to no sence to make this drive each day. Oh no. You face Wally World maybe twice a month. You stockpile what you need so that you DON'T drive into town a hundred times.

Not so much the case here. I found this out in probably the most difficult and embarrassing manner, but that IS the intended purpose of mistakes, right? To learn something valuable. I mean, it made sense - we went to a grocery store "in the 'burbs" recently and their prices were twice as high as the prices I found at the uptown grocery. Given that we are on a ramen-noodle-every-night budget, it seemed only practical to do my shopping at the place with the lowest prices. The fact that the store is only half a mile from our apartment also made it even more economical.

Cut to Jessica in the uptown Harris Teeter. I immediately stuck out like a sore thumb. My khaki cutoff shorts and v-neck polo t-shirt were a striking comparison to the crisp white button downs I was spotting all over the store. Yes, I had come at 5:30 when most of the uptown workers were making their daily run, but my disheveled appearance was the least of my worries.

I felt good when I left the house. I had an entire month of meals planned and a highlighted grocery list to cover the first two weeks worth. It was organized and it was perfect. Until I started my venture in locating the items on my list. My cart quickly filled and became more and more difficult to maneuver through the narrow obviously-intended-for-basket-shopping aisles. After the 12th person or so gave a very disgruntled "excuse me" as I stood cluelessly in front of the black beans, I knew this was no longer a good idea. These people ran into the store after work, grabbed their organic romain hearts, hummus and wine, and left. I was the crazy bag lady.

My fears were only later confirmed when a fellow shopper felt the need to openly comment on my new crazy bag lady stockpile..."Honey, look! Damn, we need to be going to her house!" That was the final straw. The lemon juice I had been in pursuit of for almost 30 minutes was now a distant memory. I was taking my crazy self right the checkout line and ridding my mind of this horrible place where at any moment the angry villagers would start throwing their freshly packaged caprese salads at me.

I knew the checkout line would too be an undertaking. Given I was unloading this monstronsity alone it would take time. Time I didn't have. I quickly begain placing my items on the black conveyor belt hoping the cashier would go all "Employee of the Month" on me and scan them as quickly as I put them down.

My dreams partially came true. She was quick. She even thanked me for organizing them on the belt, saying it made it so much easier for her to scan and bag them. I couldn't help but use the segway as an opportunity to explain. "Oh gosh, I usually try to organize them a lot, but I'm just trying to be quick because I know the people behind me are about to kill me! No one wants to get behind"that lady". Ya know, the one with all the groceries". The couple behind me threw out an insincere "oh, you're fine..." as I continued tossing items like a dang fire juggler. I then knew it was necessary to explain the situation to them as well... "when you have a little one its hard to make it to the grocery store a lot so you jump on the opportunity to stock up when you can!" The went on to say something about their little one but I was too focused to pay much attention. In attempts to save myself from the sneers that would surely follow upon my exit, I tried to make conversation with the cashier. I said we had just moved here and I was starting to get the impression people don't exactly "stockpile" here. She said no and talked about how she usually sees customers every day. Seems silly to me, but as Adam put it, "not every person in uptown turns their coat closet into a pantry to fit all their dang cans". Touche.

Feeling completely defeated, I slumped away to my car and began pondering how to get my massive load up to our apartment.

When I arrived back and shared my story with the hubs, he didn't fail in his usual response. Insane laughter. I knew to expect it. He loves to sugar coat it with the fact that I just tell stories so well that it makes them all the more funny. Good try my love. However, I must say that after my immediate drink, the situation was quite humorous. When I walked to the fridge for a refill and stopped to stare at my OCD meal calendar, Adam inquired "strategizing your next trip crazy bag lady?" I was all but on the floor laughing.

I might have given a few people in uptown Charlotte something to bitch about when they got home, but they gave me a hilarious story to tell my husband. And, in the midst of organizing, finding insurance policies, changing banks and all of the other fun adult duties, I'll take a laugh however I can get it.

Charlotte Adventure

2011-08-06T11:57:00.012-05:00

Oh how I know you've missed me. Yes readers, I live. As you can imagine, packing and moving 600 miles away with a toddler does require a bit of a hiatus on mommy's part. Let's face it - OCD organizational tendancies override blogging any day of the week for me. However, now that the unpacking is completed and most accessories are even placed in their proper spot, blogging can commence.

I don't even really know where to begin. To be honest, the whole moving day was pretty much a blur.... pick up heavy crap, walk with heavy crap, drop heavy crap. Repeat 437 times and that was the day. Thank God we have such incredible friends and family to help us or I would've lost it. I was able to limit myself to only 4 emotional breakdowns throught the course of the 4 day event. I call that success.

The drive was actually great, however, I wasn't the one driving the 26ft Budget truck. I imagine Adam's experience of drive would vary slightly from mine. Anyway, we made it to our destination in one piece and then began the arduous task of unloading every possession we own. I have to say that the unloading process was not nearly as difficult as the loading process, and, again, we had our wonderful family and friend Oliver to help us out. (This kid literally drove 5 hours to Charlotte just to help us move - no hidden pretenses... he even VOLUNTERED. I know, he's a sick man...)

We managed to get everything unloaded fairly quickly and got to spend Saturday enjoying time with Adam's parents, my parents, and Ollie.

At this point you might be wondering how MC is doing throught this process. I feel her experience could best be conveyed through pictures so here goes...

First we took away all of her toys and left only left her with a book and boxes... she didn't seem to mind.

Then, I think she got scared she was going to be left, so she decided get a box to be packed to ensure she would be taken to NC too After we were unpacked, she got to spend some time swimming at the grandparents' hotel - the kid is obsessed with swimming and had a BLAST
We all went out to a great dinner in uptown and she got to see this (charity bike race going on outside the restaurant)

and act silly

Then we got to do some exploring in uptown after everyone left. Sweet baby had so much fun! After an hour and a half of walking, she had had enough. This was the aftermath (sidways bow, hungry, berry smoothie soaked outfit, airing out the chubs...)
After a fun day of exploring she decided it was time to party. She headed the decorations committee...
If you remember from my last post, this was definately a "camera or broom" moment. I obviously chose the camera ;)

Things are going really well and MC seems to be enjoying her new home. She even finds our new apartment especially holy... (sorry but I have to sidetrack to share the story behind this statement)

The other night I was running MC's bath with her standing beside the tub as usual. Then, all of a sudden, she leaned over the edge of the tub. I immediately grabbed her and asked what she wanted, to which she responded "hand". I figured she wanted to touch the water with her hand so I held her as she reached over the edge and dipped her fingers in the water. She the proceded to stand up, make the sign of the cross, and say "amen". Yup. I kid you not. It was one of the most hilarious and precious moments I have ever experienced. Glad to know that if she hasn't learned anything else, she's learned that being Catholic involves lots of holy water and signs of the cross so she's getting her practice in now. Oh, how I love this little girl.

As you can see, our Charlotte adventure is offically underway. I'm sure we will have many more stories to come so I hope you stay posted :) Happy Saturday!!!

The Camera Or The Broom?

2011-07-07T12:29:00.004-05:00

So far Maggie Claire and I have had a fantastic day of running errands. Oh yes, its possible. No meltdowns, no crying to the "milp" god {yes, she calls it "milp" - I can't even correct her most of the time because I'm laughing about how friggin' cute it is}, however, she did run away from me once...

I had to go to the courthouse to get Adam's car tag renewed and, of course, had MC in tow. I knew it woudn't take long and she had been such an angel the entire morning that I really didn't think it to be an ordeal. I was actually anxious to show off my adorable and well behaved (well, today) child. As we entered the courthouse she immediately put her head on my shoulder, preparing for her "shy" routine. This is where parent's make the deadly mistake. You get confident. "Oh yeah", I thought to myself. "We've got this in the bag". I opened the door to the tag office, hip-carrying my "shy" child and a sign immediately grabbed my attention {given that there were 4 of them posted at each clerks station, this was obviously the intent} It didn't take long to read it. In huge bold letters it said: Control Your Children

Hahahaha. I got a great laugh out of that one. I couldn't help but instantly imagine a Jumanji scenario with 99 crazed monkeys demolishing the hallway sized office. ha. This sign was not meant for children such as mine. WRONG.

Before we got to the counter MC wanted down. Oh dear. I put her little golden sandle clad feet on the ground nervously... she stood. Then she wanted to sit in the chair. Ok. I can do that. You sit here and look pretty while mommy gives the nice lady some money. Nope. She was not having it. After crawling through my legs like a jungle gym for 2 minutes, I picked her back up in hopes her angelic face would detour the clerk from asking me to "control my child". It worked. Score. Then she wanted down - this had to occur as I couldn't adequately dig in my luggage size purse for my wallet. I set her down and WHAM - she was off. Yup. Ran down the entire office like some sort of hooligan. I threw my checkbook on the counter and chased after the 19 month old who now seemed to sprint as fast as a freakin' gazelle. I scooped her up and returned to the counter with a down turned head, feeling like a dog who just knowningly crapped on the new living room rug.

Humor. That was going to save me. Or pity. Choose quickly Jess! Both.... "Man, if she's only 1, I don't think I want to see the "terrible two's"".... I waited. It didn't take her long to respond "oh honey, we have three grandchildren - 5,3, and 2!" As she went on about their recent trip to Branson, I knew I was saved. I "mmhmm-ed" and "oh-ed" my way through the remainder of the transaction and made it out without reprimand.

Then, as we were walking to the car, one of the older gentlemen from the office walked beside me and commented "she sure is a cutie..". I thanked him and he continued.."they're a handful at this age, aren't they?". I agreed and he proceeded to give one of the most valuable pieces of advice I think I have ever heard.."I'm guessing this is your first? Ya know, when mine were growing up, I always asked myself "should I get the broom or the camera?" I always chose the camera. They grow up too fast to get upset. "Terrific Two's" I say...Try thinking about it like that..."

I could've been offended by his assumption that I thought my child was a mad-woman, but, surprisingly, I wasn't. I actually thought this man had it all figured out. What a great perspective to have on life - not just children.

So here's to you, courthouse-tag-office-wise-man. Your wisdom has spawned its own blog post and touched the life of a mom and her one or two readers. Thanks :)

Baby Genius

2011-07-06T12:45:00.003-05:00

No, no. Not the lame movie.... my child. Yup, baby genius. I know every mother tends to think this about their tot at one time or another, but I just so happen to have hard facts. Know too many 19 month olds who can say their ABC's? I don't. Granted she stopped at "j", but I still think that's pretty friggin' amazing. {A note to all readers - If your child is 19 months old and he/she can say the ABC's don't tell me about it. If your child said the ABC's earlier than 19 months, don't tell me about it. I ask that you please let me enjoy this prideful high I am currently experiencing and let me continue my naive thinking that my child is, in fact, a baby genius. However, if your child is 3 and still can't say his/her ABC's, please feel free to comment...} I kid, I kid, I'm not that mean people... the hubs may think otherwise, but I think we all know that's just not the case.

Anyway, I was making dinner last night and MC was playing in the den. It was no surprise that she was in there talking to herself as she has obviously inherited her daddy's ability to talk to even inanimate things and enjoy it. She was jabbering away when all of a sudden I hear "a!". Aw, cute, she said "a". Then I hear "beeee"..... then, "seeeee". At this point I stopped mid-stir, straining to hear what my angelic little offspring was spouting off. The chant continued..."deeee", "eeeee". I immediately ran to the door and peeked my head around as if to expected to see a 4 year old sitting in my living room instead of my 19 month old toddler. Sure enough,there was MC. Standing at the coffee table non-chalantly reciting her ABC's. I was in complete and utter disbelief. I desperately wanted to google "what age do children learn ABC's" but the event had me much to enthralled to look away for even a moment. I strained again as she continued.."effff", "geeee" {at this point if you are wondering, yes, she drags out the letters for a seemingly endless period of time. Like each one is a song in itself} I was completely amazed. I listened as she recited to the letter "j" and then I was discovered. She ran to me and asked for a cracker, completely unaware of the feat she had accomplished. I scooped her up and kissed her at least 5011 times before she grew tired of it and wriggled down, still wondering about that cracker she requested at least 5 minutes ago.

Oh what a day. I might also add another joyous tidbit of "first" information. MC also made the sign of the cross by herself! Yup, proud parents to a Catholic baby genius. We were praying before her lunch and when we said "amen" she touched her head, chest, and each shoulder as she said "hoy pirit" (No, I didn't forget the "L" in holy. She said "hoy" - same for the "s" in "spirit". It was just "pirit") PRECIOUS.

This kid amazes me every.single.day. This morning we even found her in the hallway. The child crawled out of her bed, opened her bedroom door (which was tightly shut) and those chunky monkey legs took her right into the hallway as she waited for mommy and daddy to get up. Hilarity. Can't believe this adorable little smart baby girl is all ours :)

Life Aint Always Beautiful, But Its a Beautiful Ride

2011-06-30T10:41:00.002-05:00

In addition to being a fantastic song, I also feel the title would perfectly suit a novel about my life.

My recent facebook status update read that I needed to borrow MC's new helmet because out life is one heck of a bumpy ride. Understatement. It got me thinking about all of the craziness that is our life and how we got to this point. As I walked into my last day at work I began reminiscing about mine and Adam's journey together and how we are proof God works in mysterious ways (and has a sense of humor...) Here's a small glimpse into the rollercoaster.

June 2008 - Get married
February 2009 - Find out Adam is being deployed to Iraq
March 2009 - Find out we're pregnant
April 2009 - Find out I'm moving in with my parents for a year
June 2009 - Find my long lost brother I have never met
November 2009 - MC is born
March 2010 - Find out were're all moving in with Adam's parents
May 2010 - Move back to Starkville for Adam to finish school
December 2010 - Find out Adam wants to go to grad school
February 2011 - Find out Adam is accepted to UNC and we're moving to Charlotte
May 2011 - Find an apartment
May 2011 - Find out we DON'T have an apartment
June 2011- Find out out of state tuition WON'T be waived
June 2011 - Find out of of state tution WILL be waived
June 2011 - Find out we DO have an apartment
June 2011 - Find out out of state tuition WON'T be waived (AGAIN)

That's a lot to take in in a few years time. Especially these last two months. God has put our faith to the test time and time again. I have NO IDEA what God is trying to tell us or why we have been put in such difficult situations. However, in the end, something will be learned from every experience we have had. If I'm blessed enough to be able to make it to Heaven, no doubt I'm going to be beboppin' up in there with "God, you got some 'splainin to do!" Seriously though, I often wonder if we will magically be endowed with complete understanding and reasons for all of the various events in our life. Maybe His plan is meant to remain a mystery though - even in death. I hope not. I'm nosy.

I'm sure our life will continue to take sharp turns and God will continue to surprise us with things. Let's be honest, moving 10 hours from anyone you know with a toddler and no jobs will provide a vast amount of comedic blog posts to say the least. I hope y'all continue following our journey - life aint always beautiful, but its a beautiful (and humorous, stressful, surprising, enjoyable, terrifying, aggrivating, humbling, exciting) ride :)

So What Wednesday

2011-06-22T10:46:00.003-05:00

Today I'm saying "so what" if...

We are moving to Charlotte in 34 days and I haven't started packing. Maybe the clothes fairy that frequents our house will come pack it too...

If I try to play match-maker with every.single.person. I meet. It will work out one day. It will.

I threw a rock at an certain apartment on my run today. Sooo worth looking like a lunatic.

I used the word "attention-ing" Monday night. The hubs said I wasn't paying any attention to him mid-Bachelorette. I glanced at my hand resting unconsciously on his leg and said "see honey, I am attention-ing you...

My husband is scared to say/do anything for fear that I will blog about it and "make him look like an idiot".

I know every stinkin' word to every stinkin' Fisher Price toy ever assembled. I think it makes me well rounded.

That's what I'm saying so what to. What about you?

Brag Time

2011-06-21T07:42:00.013-05:00

I know every parent thinks nothing will ever compare to the cuteness that is their child. However, I dare you to look at these pics and not agree with me.

Driving the tractor at the Children's Museum

In the Museum with her "leash" hahah

"Underground" tunnel at the museum

Yup, shoved an entire Nutrigrain bar in her mouth...

Me and my PRECIOUS angel!!

Sweet sweet baby!

Apartment

2011-06-17T07:29:00.004-05:00

So for all of you who have been on the edge of your seats wondering about our Charlotte venture, I have an update: We now have an apartment. Its official. We won't be living in a box - YAY for us! :) The influenced morons have gotten their act together at last...
Adam says we have now used up all of our blessings for the year. Let's hope not because grad school, an unemployed and directionally challenged wife, and raising a toddler in a city where you are 10 hours from anyone you know is going to be quite an adventure!

Alligator Purse

2011-06-16T14:46:00.004-05:00

So, as I read with MC yesterday I couldn't help but think how disturbing this children's story is. Anyone ever read/sang "The Lady With The Alligator Purse"? Of course you have. Don't even act like you didn't do that hand slap game thingy to this song.

Anyway, as I said, now that I am a mother and an extremely intellectual thinker (bahaha) I started analyzing this story and how its completely detrimental to our children. As I read, I couldn't help but add in my own opinions {aloud} to MC...

Miss Lucy had a baby. His name was Tiny Tim - Harmless enough, go on...

She put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim - Wait one dog'gone minute! Would it not be wise to invest in some beginners swim lessons before chunking your baby in a tub full of water there Miss Lucy?! I cry abuse!

He drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap - Obviously we need to add food withholding to the long list of abusive criminal charges!

He tried to eat the bathtub but it wouldn't go down his throat - As if we didn't have enough of a case already - lets add brain damage as a result of the blatant neglect and abuse!!

In came the doctor, in came the nurse, in came the lady with the alligator purse - in came two uniformed police officers and a social worker thanks to mommy's anonymous tip.

"Mumps" said the doctor, "Measles", said the nurse, "Nonsence" said the lady with the alligator purse - "Pica" said the mommy who has obviously watched entirely too much of TLC's My Strange Addiction. However, it was no doubt enhanced by his abusive mother withhold food!!

"Penicillin", said the doctor, "Castor oil", said the nurse, "pizza!", said the lady with the alligator purse - Hmm, mommy would concurr with the alligator lady on the food - however, as you might remember reading earlier, this is a BABY. Mommy thinks all these nut jobs should enroll in a hospital sponsored "Baby Basics" class

Out went the doctor, out went the nurse, out went the lady with the alligator purse - ...and out went this retarded book that condones child drowning, Pica, employing unlicensed healthcare professionals and choking hazzards.

MC cries. Mommy reads book again :/ {sigh}

"I Am Not A Hillbilly Honey!"

2011-06-15T08:04:00.002-05:00

Let me tell you a little secret about Adam. He's a collector. I can't call him a "hoarder" because hoarders collect junk. Adam collects "useful" junk. See the differentiation? (Yeah, don't feel bad, I can't either...") But, God love him, he comes by it honestly. His grandfather was king of the collectors. The man even had entire shed to store his collections.

Just to give you a glimpse into how ~~insane~~ innovative this man is: one day he came home with a mannequin. Yup, a naked woman mannequin. Do I really want to know the use this is going to serve? It was ok though. He had a great explanation. "Honey, it was just sitting on the side of the road! They were just going to throw it away!!" Wow? Really? They were just going to throw this treasure away??!! Erroneous on all accounts!!!!

Now, Adam has "collected" such an abundance of ~~shit~~ stuff, that when he starts looking for something he turns into a kid at Christmas. Take yesterday. He started looking for hair trimmers because the beard trimmers he was using to buzz his head just weren't working (I'll get to that in a moment, but let me just say that at this point he had a fantastic half-shaved mullet going on. The remaining hair on his head was choppy and uneven because we thought it was a great idea to just grab handfuls and cut it with scissors to make the beard trimmers "work better") He opened his insanely gigantic black box in which he stores his old Army paraphenalia and he found a treasure trove of goodies...
1. A broken green thingy with wires sticking out - Adam:"Oh wow! There that is! I bet I can fix that!"
2. A cord that goes to nothing and is missing the actual attachment that makes it even serve a purpose. Adam: "Oh look! This is awesome! I don't have the part to make it work but when it does work its great! Oh, wait, here it is!!"
Me: "Yay."
3. UnderArmor boxer briefs. Adam:"Woo hoo!"
Me: "..."

It went on like this for a time, and unfortunately, no trimmers were to be found. We found the guards for the trimmers, but no trimmers. (Adam probably had a moment where he had both in his hand and in attempts to keep with his collections as "useful" as possible, he opted to keep the guards and toss the actual trimmer...makes sense.)

Now, onto the continuing hair cutting operation. As I mentioned, Adam was immensely irritated that his beard trimmers wouldn't buzz his head properly. (Obviously a complete crap product. What lunatic designs BEARD trimmers that won't cut hair.) He then insists that I go to Wal-Mart to purchase something more appropriate. At this point its almost time to pick up MC and I wasn't about to go all the way to the evil Wal-Mart across town. I suggested he put on a hat and go himself. Hm, probably not the best idea.
Me: "Honey, just put on a hat and go yourself."
Adam: "Hell no! Look at me!"
Me: Insane laughter
Adam: "See!!! I look like a monk!"
Me: "Adam {laughter}, if you have a hat on your head, no one can see your head {laughter again}
Adam: "What the crap Jess? A hat only comes down so far on your head! I'll have half hair and half no hair hanging out of my hat!"
Me: "Honey.... it's Wal-Mart."
Adam: "I don't care! I am not a hillbilly honey!"

This is where I begin rolling on the floor laughing. My husband is standing in the bathtub, in his newly found UnderArmor boxer briefs, with a mullet, attempting to buzz his head with beard trimmers. Please, honey. Tell me again you are not a hillbilly. Really think about it this time....

Magic Abs

2011-06-14T08:08:00.006-05:00

I want magic abs. I know what you're thinking "what the freak is that?". Well, magic abs are the ones that just put you in a trance. You see someone with magic abs and you are not on this planet anymore. You stare at them transfixed and all you can think is "whooooaaaa.....that is like....magic or something." Yeah. Those.

I have some friends with magic abs. I love them dearly, however they do make me throw up in my mouth a little bit (you know who you are). I saw a photo of one of my magic ab friends 3 weeks after she had her baby girl.... in a bikini. Not surprisingly, her abs looked better 3 weeks after carrying a watermelon than mine do 18 months after giving birth to one. Ugh.

I've spent the last few days reminiscing about my time in high school and college when I was thin and didn't have to do a damn thing to be that way. I brought this up to my sweet husband and his response was "honey, that's just part of getting older". Screw that. I want to grow young if that's the case. I wish I could go all Benjamin Button on him.

In attempts to regain the figure of my youth (no, I'm not ninety, but lets get real - I'm 2.5 years away from 30. To me that's OLD) I have decided to start the "Couch-to-5K". An exercise program specificaly created for those who don't do exercise programs. Exactly what I need. You gradually work your way up to running more and more and by the end of the 9 weeks you are supposedly able to run a 5K.

So how's it going you ask? Well, yesterday at 3:00 was my first time. I decided I should be very strategic and intellectual about it and chose the friggin' hottest time of day in the friggin' hottest part of the year to begin my weigh loss journey. Yay for brains. I was hard core about it though. I said "its now or never" and hit the asphalt with Rocky music echoing in my head....

Cut to 4 minutes later. The Rocky music has stopped. I am now hearing french horns and trumpets playing "Alleluia" hymns because I am certain that death is upon me. I can't breathe. My cute running shorts are riding up my fat butt who has decided to eat them. My perfectly smoothed pony tail is now disheveled and partially sideways, flapping in the wind like white flag of surrender. Sweat is dripping down my God-awful uncomfortable sports bra and I have a stick stuck in the laces of my shoe. I had pushed myself from the category of "cute girl running" to "special girl they let out of the facility for a walk".

While my appearance was particulary horrid, I also began dealing with a knee that was about to explode. I have no idea what I did to my knee in 8th grade, but I remember hurting it and every now and then when I put a lot of continuous strain on it, it starts hurting. Well, considering I haven't run in 5011 years for this very reason, I wasn't surprised to find it throbbing. I wanted to stop REALLY bad but I knew I had to come home to my Ranger hubs and I just couldn't face the shame of having quit.

God must've heard me because it was at that moment that I passed my an old boyfriend's apartment. This guy was so totally nutso that he could've had his own show with Dr. Drew. He was horrible and thanks to him I get to carry the weight of about 30 emotional suitcases. Anyway, as I passed his old place I began thinking about how horrible he made me feel all the time and I was like "ha! I'll show you psycho!". I then went all psycho and started repeating profanities rhythmically in my head as I ran. It got me through the rest of my ru,n but as I approached my house I was limping like a 3 legged dog. Adam must've seen me and came running to the door asking what happened. No, I didn't get mugged and beaten (although I probably looked it) - I overworked my knee while screaming profanities at an ex's apartment. Yeah, that sounds WAAAY better....

Needless to say I can't walk this morning. Previously I was an out of shape, middle aged woman. Now, I'm an out of shape ninety year old who needs a cane.... fantastic. Let's hope things heal up quickly so I can run by the ex's and throw rocks at it for hurting my knee now.

And The Door Was Opened

2011-06-09T15:54:00.003-05:00

I said "its not logical!". I said "it can't be done!". I said "I can't!". Just moments ago God reached down, smacked me in the face and said "no, you can't... But I can."

My life has been forever changed today. Today. A day like any other. However, a day that I will never, ever, in my entire life forget. Today is the start of a life without ever doubting God. Its the start of a life where I fully and completely, with every ounce of my being trust in God and the power of prayer.

As you know Adam and I have been struggling. Physcially, emotionally, spiritually, monetarily. It seems as though one mountain after another after another has been placed in front of us. We are trying to get Adam to school and get an apartment. That's all. However, NOTHING has seemed to work out for us. I doubted whether we were doing the right thing. I doubted God's ability to make things happen for us. However, the past few days have lead me to this beautiful moment I am in right now.

If you aren't a believer in prayer, I hope that this post at least makes you re-evaluate your stance.

Adam and I planned on him going to school without paying out of state tuition. (I touched on this briefly in another post) Well, that didn't work out. We were informed his out of state tuition would not be waived - WHAM. Thousands of unexpected dollars were hurled at us all at once. Immediately following this news, we received a phone call saying the apartment we just drove all the way to Charlotte to put a deposit on is not available. They made a mistake and don't have a unit. WHAM.... again.

We've spent the last several weeks attempting to correct both of these situations to no avail. We have pushed and pushed and nothing seemed to be going our way. I hit rock bottom. I doubted every choice we had made. I asked Adam how all this money was going to materialize. I believe my exact words were "How Adam??!! How are we going to magically get xxx thousand dollars each month??!!!"

A few days later, I read that an old sorority sister of mine and her husband won a house. That's right. A whole house. Not even a crappy house - a half a million dollar house. I was intrigued (and of course incredibly jealous). I watched a clip of their interview and you know what they said? They said they had prayed and prayed and prayed. They truly believed God was going to help them and they were going to win this house. What did I do? I laughed. Not out loud, but to myself. Seriously? You think if you pray for a house you're just going to get it? No friggin' way.

Last night about 3am Adam and I both couldn't sleep. We began talking about everything and how stressed out we were. We reached a low together and all we knew to do was pray harder than we had ever prayed before. We didn't pray for God to give us money. We prayed for His will to be done. There, in the dark at 3am, we reached out. We both agreed to let go and put it in His hands. We both cried. I delved into the very depths of my soul and pulled every ounce of faith I had in me. I truly let it go for the first time since all of this began.

Fast forward to today. Despite the sleep deprivation I awoke refreshed and positive - and I had no explanation why. I felt this alien sense of peace that everything was going to be ok. I thanked God over and over for this calmness that he had blessed me with. No, nothing happened to change our situation, but I was so thankful to finally have peace of mind. Adam was still distrought but I told him about these emotions and assured him everything was going to be alright.

Fast forward again to one hour ago. We were at the bank completing some business when Adam's phone rang. He stepped out of the office and all I heard was muffled speaking and then very distinct thank you's. He returned to the office with a smile I hadn't seen since the day our daughter was born. He said "Jess my out of state tuition has been waived..." The very question I asked Adam just nights ago had been answered - "How are we going to magically get xxx thousand dollars each month???" - God, that's where. No, God didn't wave his wand and give us money. He gave us what we both longed for and needed this entire time and didn't even know it. He gave us faith. With His intervention in the minds and hearts of everyone involved, He showed us that this is our path and He WILL provide for us.

This has been a long and emotional post and some of you might have grown tired of reading something that's not my usual comical pity party. However, I pray that some of you out there have seen our miracle and believe. My husband has come back from Iraq and Afghanistan FOUR TIMES without a single scratch. We were given a perfectly healthy baby girl while he was away that I cared for on my own for months. We've had no jobs and chased dreams. Yet, it took this day to change my perspective. All of the blessings we have received are now visible and I have been granted the gift of faith in God and prayer that I can pass on to that beautiful baby girl.

Adam and I both said we are going to tell Maggie about this day. Whenever she doubts, she will hear about this day. Whenever Adam and I have struggles, we will remember this day. I pray that if you haven't yet, you will have your day. And guess what, since I am praying for it, it will happen :)

What will it be - option one, two, or three...

2011-06-06T16:15:00.002-05:00

This is what our life has come down to. In essense, playing "pick a door - any door!" with a studio audience. Things are falling apart and since I am in the midst of a nervous breakdown, I figured I should just go with it and ask complete strangers what we should do with our lives. What do you think everyone? Option one, two, three, or four?

What's that? You don't know the options you say? That's ok. Just pick one. Yup, you heard right. Just comment with a number; 1,2,3, or 4. Simple enough.

PS - If you're thinking "whoa, that chick has definately gone off the deep end", you're so right ;)

Really People?

2011-06-03T08:15:00.001-05:00

"I may not being going to school, we have no place to live, and now Pooh's gone!!! Our life is a mess! We've got issues and now we've got missing bears!" This quote by Adam made my horrible day almost laughable.

Let me just take a moment to fill you in. We are moving to Charlotte for my husband to attend grad school. Now the statement should read - "We MIGHT be moving to Charlotte for my husband to attend grad school." The two major things needed in this whole process have now possibly been removed. School and lodging. See, in order to go to grad school, you have to pay (I know, crazy). When you believe your out of state tuition is going to be waived due to the academic common market (I'm not even going to go into an explanation of this. Google it) and then someone tells you its not, you can't exactly pull another $20,000 out of your butt. As much as I would like to. It also doesn't help that said moron is incorrect in the decision...that's not even an opinion - that's a fact. Urban DESIGN is not the same thing as Urban PLANNING. Ugh.

Move on to requirement number two - lodging. Its kinda hard to move somewhere with your family and go to school when you have no house. I've mentioned living in a cardboard box before, but this is literally what it would amount to. We went to Charlotte this weekend and put a deposit down on a great 3 bedroom apt in a perfect location. When we get back from Charlotte we got a phone call saying they made a mistake and that apartment wasn't available. Really people? Have you been hanging out with the moron school lady and the idiocy just wore off on you??? "Mr. & Mrs. Martin we have a great apartment ready for the time frame you requested. HAHA Just kidding! We fooled you didn't we!" Awesomeness.

In order to get another 3 bedroom at the complex we had to go a different route and fill out 4632 pages of ~~crap~~ forms. Ok, maybe not 4632, but it was 46 pages. Seriously, I counted. We are now waiting for them to process everything and that could take up to a week.

So alas, we have possibly no school and no home. Things are looking up.

We also got another surpise when we got home from Charlotte (yes, this is where the missing bears comment comes in). I noticed Pooh, who of course is part of the family and had to accompany us on our trip, hadn't been roaming the house as he usually does when we returned. I figured he was still in our not-yet-unpacked suitcase and didn't think much of it. Well, yesterday as I was unpacking, he was no where to be found. I started a frantic search and couldn't find him anywhere. (Let me just say that MC hasn't noticed. Although she is quite fond of Pooh, he has more sentimental attachment for Adam and I. Not long after we found out we were pregnant we were in Chicago and bought Pooh for MC. It was the first thing we ever purchased for her. Together. Right before Adam left for Iraq. Pooh IS a part of the family) I was completely distraught. I called both sets of parents and the hotel and Pooh hasn't turned up. I don't know if we'll ever find our silly 'ole bear....

That was the end to a completely crappy day. The story of our lives lately - morons, moving, and missing bears.

Its a "Small Ring" Kind Of Day

2011-05-24T08:12:00.003-05:00

So I was listening to the radio in my car the other day - which in itself is quite a rarity. Anyway, I stopped on a Christian station and one of the gentleman was discussing a low point in his life and what he did to regain his joy (not happiness- happiness is circumstantial. Joy is something you hold inside you; also a fantastic point). So, what did he do? He went to a friend's ranch and as he was taking a walk he found a tree that had been cut in half. He started looking at the rings and noticed how some are big and some are small. Obviously the small rings were times of drought, infestation, etc. and the tree lacked substantial growth. However, just next to these small rings were very large rings. During this time the tree thrived and grew. Just like life. While life can give us times of "small rings", its after those that we are able to learn, and grow, and thrive. The man also said he has learned more in the valley than he ever has on the mountain top. So true.

After quite a tangent I have to say that yesterday was a "small ring" kind of day. One of those days when you want to go all Jim Carey on God and scream about an ant and a magnifying glass. I won't go into details but lets just say even after I thought things couldn't go downhill any more than they already had a wonderfully sweet police officer shoved a ticket in my face... SUPERB!

I know what some of you are thinking - seriously? You couldn't get out of a ticket? That's what I was thinking. I am proud and ashamed at the same time to say that I have been able to smile, cry, or flirt my way out of at least 5 tickets. I know, sad. However, when you're scared of your mother you do what you can to survive... {I know mom is just loving that statement right now. haha}

I must say that this guy was obviously having none of it. And, to be honest, I was too distrought to even give it a good performance. As I pulled out of my driveway to go get MC at daycare, I was still bubbling over the events of the day. I ALWAYS put on my seatbelt, however, today I was more focused on not engaging my own self in an argument just so I could yell at curse at SOMEONE. After driving LESS THAN ONE MILE (thats how close MC's daycare is) I put on my blinker to turn in. My blinker wasn't the only thing that blinked. Those friggin' blinding flashing lights reflected in my mirror and told me my day was about to get even better. Oh joy! I knew exactly why I was being pulled over. I tried my best to perform to the standard I have previously held myself to, but it was hopeless. I was so mad at the world and officer stupid head I couldn't even do it. To really put the cherry on top of everything though was hearing on his CB that my was expired. One month. I knew officer ruin-my-day would call me on that one too - and he did. However, I suppose he cut me some slack and just wrote the ticket for the seatbelt. Guess he figured even a half ass performance deserved some credit. Thanks. Half a gold star Jess.

But ya know, even though my "small ring" day made me want to curl in the fetal position and cry, when I got home I remembered those large rings. I had called Adam crying and said I needed to talk to him about stuff when he got home - after I explained everything he just said "well Jess, at least you and MC are safe." So wise. I looked at my sweet husband and precious baby and realized how ridiculous my complaining had been. What if I didn't even have a baby to go pick up at daycare? Life is good. (Let me just mention that at this point I decided I needed to lighten the mood and broke into song. Chorus of "had a bad day"? - check. Mood lightened? - check. Confused and slightly scared husband? - check. PS - if you ever want to totally freak out your spouse, just burst into random song pretending your wine glass is a fancy microphone. Works every time.) Needless to say, I think tomorrow is going to start a "big ring" day :)

Random Friday Thoughts

2011-05-20T12:29:00.002-05:00

I'm excited its Friday. Like, super.excited.

For all of you millions of readers out there who are interested, today I think...

1. Rice cakes have to be the messiest snack ever. MC loves them but I always end up picking up her trail of rice pellets. Guess it does make her easier to find...

2. Men can be absolutely ridiculous. (However, this isn't just a "today" thought. I usually tend to think this, at least once, every day.) I think they really believe there is a magic clothes fairy that comes to our house and picks up clothing left in every room. They think this is a cool thing, so they continue to leave clothing in every room. I mean of course. It makes perfect sense. Who would want the poor clothes fairy to have to draw unemployment.

3. I need to lose AT LEAST 15 pounds. Thanks for that fashion industry.

4. MC is a genius (although, much like men being ridiculous, I tend to think this every day). She's got the lip pout down to a science and knows it. "Oh, you wanna play that game mom? Watch this {insert highly dramatic bottom lip puckering} BAM! Butta' baby!"

5. My one hour lunch break is too short. This doesn't even come close to affording me adequate time to blog.

With that said, its back to work. Have a fantabulous weekend all!

Toddler Brain?

2011-05-18T12:00:00.002-05:00

I always talk to MC. It seems as though I feel the need to give the poor child a play-by-play of each and every move I make. I suppose I want her to be exposed to as much vocbulary and possible... or maybe I just get lonely sometimes and feel more social if I attempt to converse with my 18 month old whose only response usually includes "bahgadoo". (I'm being slightly sarcastic with that. I will take a moment to brag that MC now has a vocabulary of over 20 words....If you are one of those people thinking "oh no she didn't!" I say to you, oh yes I did. I counted every word my child can say and blogged about it. Just wait my friend, you will fall into the blog brag trap soon enough. )

Anywho, while this overly descriptive habbit might be great for a developing toddler, I have to wonder if it has become a detriment to my own mental health.

Today I talked to myself about making mac-n-cheese. Out loud. With no one home. Is that sad? I have to admit I'm a little concerned. Thoughts?

Blog-ertisement

2011-05-17T08:26:00.003-05:00

Sooo, not too often do I blog about someone else's blog. Let's face it - I'm struggling to get even one comment on my own, the last thing I should be doing is sending readers to someone else who is overwhelmingly more entertaining than I am. However, this is so friggin' hilarious I had to share. Seriously. Laugh.out.loud funny. Enjoy...

Marlee's Blog

Terrible Ones?

2011-05-16T10:31:00.005-05:00

I have to say that between Adam and I, MC didn't have a chance. While I am a logical, practical, overly analytical, emotional OCD perfectionist, Adam is a creative, independent, energetic, and confident "think outside the box"-er. Definately more of a free spirit. Now, combine the two and what do you get? MC. I would describe MC as quite a balance between the two of us. She inherited my practicality (the kid will perfectly place her shoes back on the shelf of her closet and adjust them until the are in line) and "high maintenance", and inherited Adam's strong will and independence. Sadly though, she inherited both of our emotional expressiveness. I cry at the drop of a hat and Adam has an anger fuse about as long as my pinky nail. Now granted these characteristics are what make us "us", they aren't exactly the best combination in an 18 month old.

Maggie Claire has developed quite the little personality. She LOVES to help with whatever you are doing (she is actually insistant upon it as I will soon explain further), she is a complete daredevil and has no fear of anything, she operates on full throddle every second of the day and will ONLY sit still a max of 20 minutes and thats only when she's watching Baby Einstein, she doesn't like you to tell her how to do things - but then gets frustrated very easily when things dont do what she wants them to. Now, you might have guess where I am going with this extremely long personality analysis...

Maggie Claire has a tantrum problem. Mommy, therefore, has a "clueless" problem. I have NO idea how to handle these tantrums. I have done the research and there seems to be a great divide as to the proper approach - cuddle and comfort or ignore.

I feel in order to receive proper advise on the subject I need to give you a little insight into how, when, and for what reason these crazy spells arise. Its quite simple really - anything and everything makes MC cry. I kid you not. You might think I'm being overly dramatic (not that I have ever been known to do that....) but the kid really does get mad/frustrated/psycho ALL THE TIME. Examples:

(PS, if you haven't already figured it out, this is going to be an extremely long post. If you have to get back to work or start dinner, I strongly suggest you save this post for a day in which you have at least 2 hours to devote to reading/analyzing my situation and offering award winning advice....)

Its raining. MC sees daddy go outside to put something on the deck. MC wants to go outside. Mommy says "MC baby its raining, we can't play outside right now - how about we read a book?" MC runs to door, bangs on it, screams. Mommy lets MC play on deck. MC wants to go down the stairs into the rain - mommy says no and attempts to find something to play with on the deck. MC falls into a pile in the middle of the deck and screams. Mommy takes MC inside and MC continues flailing on the floor screaming.

MC tries to put her shoe on and can't get it on - screaming begins. Mommy or daddy try to help and she shakes her foot making it quite impossible. Screaming escalates. Mommy or daddy try to explain what they are doing and why - MC grabs shoe, throws it, and repeats above mentioned flailing and screaming.

We are playing happily with MC when she asks for a cracker. Mommy goes to the kitchen and gets out a cracker to hand to her. She turns away and starts screaming. Mommy says "MC you asked for a cracker baby, so here is a cracker." Screaming escalates and MC falls to floor. Mommy gets a drink.... haha j/k... well, slightly-depends on the hour ;)

In mass daddy is holding MC. MC wants to get down and run around the cry room like a hoodlum. Daddy refuses to let her down. MC screams like she's being attacked and forces herself out of daddy's hands. Daddy wants to join MC in screaming.

Daddy smells poo-poo. Daddy takes MC to change her diaper. MC screams and wriggles like a friggin' worm all over the changing table while screaming at a decible known to shatter glass.

It goes on and on like this each and every day. MC does something/tries to do something, she gets mad and throws a tantrum. She can't do/get what she wants, she throws a tantrum. I understand that this is a "normal part of her development" and that "she can't effectively communicate her feelings, needs, and emotions" but this is madness. The last thing Adam and I both want is to raise "that kid". Ya know, the one who runs rampant through the grocery store screaming "I WANT A CANDY BAR!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!" to the poor, unfortunate looking mother who appears as though she could be the spokesmodel for the suicide hotline. No thank you. We want a child who understands that her way is not "THE" way. A child who is capable of being reasoned with and doesn't throw a tantrum when she doesn't get her way. A child who is able to exhibit persistance and hard work in order to acheive a desired outcome. Did I just describe an adult? Maybe I did. I realize I am throwing things out there that are not able to be acheived until MC is much older, but there has got to be a way to deal with the current situation in a way that will put us on the right path.

My question to you after this long, drawn out rant is this - WHAT DO WE DO? When MC throws a tantrum what should our reaction be. Ignore it? Comfort her? I have to say that in our attempts to cover all the bases we have tried comforting her - this only leads to her becoming even MORE angry and pushing us away. If any of you veteran mothers out there have a solution PLEASE comment. Any input is appreciated! Have a great Monday everyone!!

All The Single Ladies...

2011-05-12T12:10:00.000-05:00

I know it's not Wednesday - so this can't really be my "so-what-Wednesday" post, but if it was, I would have to say:

"so what if I let my 17 month old child put on her "fancy" shoes and dance on the coffee table to Single Ladies"?

*PS - To make myself feel like a slightly better mother, I did stress the importance of "puttin' a ring on it"...

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

2011-04-27T12:45:00.012-05:00

Best. Easter. Ever. Seriously, it was FANTASTIC. When you get married and have children, its really difficult to juggle the traveling so that each set of grandparents gets to see the baby on each holiday (because let's face it, when you have a child its never about seeing YOU anymore. The totem pole is drastically altered and you are now way down on the bottom with the crazy aunt) Which is fine. I get it. I can openly accept and agree with the fact that my child is the most adorable little thing to ever walk the planet.

Anyway, while Adam and I usually hash out the difficult task of scheduling said visits, this time we got to take it easy! Adam's parents invited my parents to their house for Easter and they accepted which meant we ALL got to be together for the holiday. Super nice.

As you may know, MC was much too young last year to do the whole egg hunt. This year I imagined it would pan out as follows... We would point out an egg to MC, she would pick it up, and the moment we tried to get her to let go of it and put it in the basket she would throw one of her famous tantrums and flail on the ground screaming. I was wrong (thank God). This kid was like some sort of pro egg-hunter and never even bothered to let us in on it. The kid has never "hunted" an Easter egg a day in her life, but when we cut her loose she took off and was HARD CORE. She was even belly crawling like a freakin' army ranger (I'll leave out the fact that said manuever might have been slightly overdramatic since the egg was in the middle of an open yard...) but it was precious to see.

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter as well and don't forget that it wasn't the Easter bunny who died for our sins! Keep Jesus in your hearts and have a great day!

And she's off...

And, yes, she insisted on carrying her basket like a purse

The loot

My gorgeous family

Easter Morning

Daddy and MC being silly

What's better to finish off the day than a cupcake...

Unlike her 1st birthday cake, she actually LOVED the cake and icing this time!

Baby Scholarship

2011-04-19T12:11:00.006-05:00

Have you ever thought people should have to have some sort of qualification to be a parent? I mean I see an 8 month preggo woman standing in a parking lot smoking a cigarette and I think to myself - you have to have a permit to have a yard sale yet any dimwitt can have a child. There should be some sort of application process...

Which leads me to my next point - there should be a "good parent scholarship". Upon the parental application review, the selection committe would pull the best and brightest applicants for said scholarship. Lets face it, there are people in this world who ADORE being parents but just can't afford the cost of another child (I wonder who I could POSSIBLY be referring to) hahaha. Adam and I would LOVE to have another child right now (well, me anyway! The baby bug bit me a while back and it bit HARD) however with him going to grad school its just not in the cards financially. I think since we have had a proven track record - we have kept one kid alive - we should be awarded a full paid child. In my imaginary Jessica world, the government says something along the lines of "you seem to be good people and you like kids and being parents... with that being said we would like to pay YOU to have a baby. That's right Jessica and Adam, we basically think you rock and would like you to bless this world with yet another precious offspring - all expenses paid" Ah, that'd be nice.

I guess until the government can get its act together and formulate this application process I will just have to continue stalking all my pregnant friends on facebook.... all 376 of them. Not really, but it seems like that many...

Happy Tuesday readers, and since I hate to leave on a negative note, here's a little happiness to share! Spring is here - and that means we can finally play outside! Here are a few pics of MC when we got back from the park - look at those precious pink cheeks!

Hooray for Spring!

Nutella Junkie

2011-04-11T14:08:00.008-05:00

Nutella. Adam is convinced there's crack in it.... its that addicting.If you've never had this stuff then I would say living under a rock is surprisingly not your biggest issue. You are missing the spread sent straight from Heaven. Forget Aphrodite and her lousy pomegranate, this stuff is UH-MAZING.

Now, with that being said, I have never met a soul who has tried Nutella and didn't like it. That would also go for 16 month olds apparently.

Let's just say she liked it ;) haha. Happy Monday!!!

Accessories 101

2011-04-02T12:28:00.003-05:00

Let's face it, all a girl needs is a great pair of shoes... or even just one.

Home Sweet Home

2011-03-28T07:21:00.005-05:00

I really can't believe its been close to a month since my last post. Well, actually I can. As usual, things have been INSANE - did I mention we'll be moving here in July??!!! Any guesses? Charlotte, NC. Yup. Little fishes in a BIG 'ole pond! I have to admit that I'm ~~a little~~ seriously freaked out at the present... Just to give a little background, the hubs has decided to go to grad school and UNC has a great urban design program. I am not a big city person by any stretch of the imagination, but I will do anything I need to to support Adam and his dreams. (Goodness knows he's sacrificed A LOT for our family!!) Anyway, of course when we decided to move I went into panic mode (me panic? I know its out of character completely..)considering I now had 6 months to find a job, daycare, place to live, etc.... all in a town neither of us had EVER been too. OCD kicked in and I just about lost it. I We decided the best course of action would be to plan a visit as soon as possible to find a place to live, or at least find an area that would be convenient and safe. Safety is a huge thing as you can imagine having a 16 month old daughter. I have to admit that when I saw how large Charlotte is (Its the 19th biggest city in the US) I was not picturing "safe". However, that was a pleasant surprise when we visited this past weekend. This town is ridiculous. I mean I have NEVER been to a city that is so CLEAN!!! It was insane! There were no run down, abandoned buildings. No trash blowing through the streets. I was seriously impressed. Good job Charlotte. Now, while I was MAJORLY impressed with the city, I am still having my spaz moments. I will go ahead and say it - I am directionally challenged. Like, bad. I am extremely worried about getting lost like a little ant in this ginormous city and ending up sobbing on a street corner. Everyone keeps saying that I'll learn my way around, but I really want to respond with "people, I lived in Florence Alabama for 18 years and I still get lost". I truly feel there isn't much hope there. However, we did find some great apartment options and I was shocked to find that we could be right in the middle of the city on our budget. Most places we looked were less than a mile to Adam's building so no more driving! I have to admit that I am excited to be walking to most places (even the grocery store is just a few blocks) and shed a few, or several, pounds. Most places only operate on a 60 day notice schedule so odds are we will be planning another trip to see what units are actually available. Besides our trip we've also been busy just trying to get things done. Adam was away for a week in Chicago so I was here with MC. First, she got sick (sinus infection and an ear infection) and then I got sick! Sick mommy and sick baby with absent daddy equals not the best week for anyone. It was very tiring and stressful but my mom came down for a few days at the end of the week and graciously helped me out! MC is doing fine now, just growing like a little weed. I just sit and stare at her a lot pondering her little brain and all those new connections she's making every second. I'm sure its natural for every mother to feel their child is smarter than the average child at that age, but MC really is. haha. She truly blows me away every day with things she says or does or new things she's learned. No greater joy than being a parent!!! Well, being the heavily read blog that I am (did ya pick up on the sarcasm there? Good for you..) I wonder if there are any Charlotte readers out there.... do you have any city advice or apartment suggestions? Hope everyone has a great week!

Near And Dear...

2011-03-07T12:43:00.005-06:00

As many of you know, the hubs, Adam, served in the Army rangers and National Guard. He completed 4 tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. I am a proud woman to say the least. While I didn't know Adam when he was deployed the first 3 tours, we were married and pregnant on his latest one to Iraq. I tried to be strong and stay positive, however I couldn't help but imagine worst case scenarios in my head. I thought about what mine and Maggie Claire's life would be like without daddy. Its for this reason I want to inform you about what our dear friend is doing....

Our friend Andrew is taking part in a noble task and completing a 21-themed triathalon for this 21st birthday in order to raise money for the SOWF (Special Operations Warrior Foundation). This foundation helps the children of fallen special operations soldiers by raising money for them to go to college. Imagine being able to provide the gift of one less stress to a family already dealing with so much heartache. PLEASE take the time to read about what Andrew's doing and whether it be a prayer or financial support, please offer what you can! We need to help protect the families of the men that protect us!!!

Read Anna's blog description here (Andrew's amazing girlfriend) or you can go straight to the donation page and get more information about Andrew's cause here.

Have a happy Monday and please check out these links! GO ANDREW!!!

I Have A Favor To Ask...

2011-03-03T12:43:00.003-06:00

This post is not full of witt or humor. My sarcastic rantings must cease for the moment to ask a favor of my readers. As you might have been able to tell from my recent downtrodden posts, Adam and I are in the midst of tough times. I won't go into details, but I am asking a very large favor of you - please remember us in your prayers. The only thing I know to do to make it through this difficult time is to reach out and rely on God. I am reaching out to you right now in hopes that you will aid us in this quest to turn everything over to Him. I am asking for prayers of strength, peace, wisdom, and most importantly faith. As a wife, mother, and self pronounced OCD perfectionist, I have exhausted myself in attempts to take all of this into my own hands to fix it, control it, and carry it. I need prayers to let it go. I'm not truly comfortable putting all of this out there and making this request, however I know that two prayers are better than one, three better than two, and so on. So please, toss in our names if you think about it and know that we are eternally grateful. Happy Thursday everyone and God Bless! :)

I Can't Think Of A Good Title

2011-02-28T08:17:00.004-06:00

Lack of title - does this give you any inkling as to the recent happenings in the Martin house? That's right, my mind is mush. I'm truly surprised I have even been able to function without a meticulously composed and detailed description of what I am supposed to be doing each day. My mind is so mushy that it would need to include - get dressed, brush teeth, and the like. Yeah, its that bad.I feel that the combination of lack of sleep, extreme stress, and being INSANELY busy have all compiled to produce a mushy brained mommy. But, hey, you do what ya can. Here's a little of the going-on's at our house...

First of all, an update on MC. I have still not determined MC's night wakings. Its got me dumbfounded. However, I do have to say that she's gotten A LOT better. She is only waking 2-3 times a week and she's only crying about 2-5 minutes or so each time. Granted, its not the best situation to be woken up in the middle of the night by a crying baby considering I am a sucky sleeper and it usually takes me an hour or so to go back to sleep. Anyway, the solution we have found for the problem? Let her cry. It might sound harsh to some, but its the only thing that gets her back to sleep. She'll cry a few minutes and then lay down and go to sleep. Before, when we would go in her room, we would do the back and forth thing for over an hour. And when we layed her down after coming in, the crying was even more severe than when she had initially started. Hopefully, over time, she will not cry when she wakes up, but until then, we are letting her learn to put herself back to sleep.

In other news, I'm not sure If I've mentioned our move to North Carolina. Moving to a city in which you've never been is enough stress in itself to kill you. Literally. You have the daunting task of finding a place to live, finding a job, finding a daycare - all the while you are 10 hours away and can't even drive around the city to get a feel of good locations. However, I must say that we've been EXTREMELY blessed by being given several contacts in the area who have given us a good deal of information about things. Bless them.

While trying to arrange everything for the move, Adam has also been working himself ragged. If he's not working on his huge senior project, he's studying for the GRE or other class tests, or trying to help me with MC and the house. This man is amazing. He works so hard for his family. He usually goes to bed around 3am then he's up at 7am getting ready for class. Blows my mind. Speaking of my super-man hubs, he is taking the GRE today so if you could happen to think of him around 12:00 today and say a little prayer we would all appreciate it :)

In addition to the above mentioned, things are also starting to pick up in the real estate market so I too have been super busy. Winter is usually a little slow, but around March/April/May, things really start picking up. Hoping this year is a great one!

I've probably spoken enough rubbish for one morning. I hope everyone has a fantastic Monday and I'm sure MC will put a smile on your face just as she does mine ;)

HELP!

2011-02-17T07:54:00.002-06:00

Ok mommies! I need some major help here.... we've got a little situation with MC and I am totally in the dark as to what to do.

MC, like most children, will occassionally wake during the night. She'll ususally whine/cry for a few seconds and then go back to sleep. However a couple of months ago the crying got worse. She would wake up SCREAMING bloody murder. The first few times we were quite alarmed, as you can imagine, and went in to check on her and everything seemed to be fine - not too wet, no poop, not hot, not cold, and we gave her Tylenol just in case her new teeth were bothering her. The only thing we could come up with was teething. Then we noticed that ss soon as we picked her up she would stop crying... When we laid her back down, the screaming began again.

This started happening maybe once every two weeks or so but now it is happening multiple times a week. I dont know what to do! Now, you're probably thinking "well duh you idiots, she's used to you coming in there and picking her up!" Well we still let her whine and put herself back to sleep when its not bad. She'll still do those partial wakings where she'll do the whine a few seconds and we don't go in there and she just puts herself back to sleep without a problem. The problem is that a few times a week now its NOT just a short whine. Its an all out SCREAM that does not stop after a few seconds, or even a few minutes. I will go in there and not pick her up, but just put my hand on her and she immediately stops crying. The moment I take it off she starts back again. Its heart wrenching to listen to your child scream like that and not know what to do!!! I am so confused - and tired!

If ANYONE has any suggestions or advice, PLEASE comment!!! I have been in tears too many nights with my baby crying so hysterically that you would think she was in the worst pain of her life! HELP!!!

Stating the Obvious

2011-02-07T21:14:00.002-06:00

Sooo, I know I'm not a preformer. I'm sure its a difficult thing to do. However, it must be said that I AM an American and I DO know the words to the star spangled banner (ehem, Christina).

It must also be duly noted in the words of my brother that from now on "when life isn't going your way, just remember.... hey, at least I'm not one of the retards with a glowing box on my head." Couldn't have said it better my friend.

Super Bowl entertainment - boo. Seriously. Big thumbs down. And I watched the whole dadblame thing for those stupid commercials and they weren't even that great. Big disappointment overall.

However, there were high expectations to be met. I mean, will anything EVER compare to the best band of all time's half-time show performance during Super Bowl 36??? I think not. (PS - If you have not seen this and you are awesome enough to watch it, please note there are two parts. The first part, Beautiful Day, and the second, Where the Streets Have No Name. UH-MAZING.)

K, I'm done. That's for a complete hot mess superbowl-entertainer-get-togtherer-people.

2- what?

2011-02-02T20:34:00.004-06:00

Does it ever scare you how ordinary birthdays seem after you reach a certain age? I must admit it frightens me, however what's even worse is when you don't even remember how old you are. Seriously. Someone at work asked me today and you know what my response was? ............ Yup. Nothing. I had no freakin' idea. Either I've got early onset dimentia or I am just too damn old (my guess would be the later).

I turned 27 today (if I have done the calculations correctly that is). 27 is almost 28. 28 is almost 29. And 29, my friends, is almost 30. That is scary. Not because of the fact that there is anything wrong with 30. Its just that I'm not 30. I'm 12. I'm a 12 year old kid playing house and "mommy". I do not EVEN feel like I am old enough to have a husband, a child, a house, a career, etc. Anyone else ever feel very Tom Hanks in "Big"? Little kid trapped in a crazy adult body? I need a fortune teller head to come shoot a quarter out of her mouth so I can turn back into my 12 year old self.

Any-who, its been a pretty uneventful day which in my world is a very good thing. I did call the hospital today to see what could be done about our ~~bankruptcy letter~~ hospital bill and as you might have guessed the lady was a complete biatch. Lets face it, it wouldn't be a day in my life if this wasn't the case. She truly sounded like she hated the world and, instead of sympathizing with my current situation, proceedes to ask me condenscending questions and do everything in her power to make me feel like an idiot who isn't worth her time. LISTEN HERE WOMAN - You might have money and that is fantastic. Truly. However, if it weren't for the sacrifices of my husband and thousands like him you wouldn't even be sitting in your little cubicle making money right now so you better start saying thank you and asking how you can help my family!!! I was slightly pissed and then remember it was my birthday so then I just got sad. I then hung up the phone and sobbed a round of "happy birthday" to myself feeling a pity party was better than no party.

God must've gotten the invitation and apparently didn't want any part of it, so he jumped in and helped me out. (I suppose he's gotten as sick of my parties and complaining as the rest of the world) I won't bore you with details, but the charges are going to be covered on MC's ins :) Yes, this is a very happy day. At least, that's what the lady on the phone told me. She probably thought I was major psycho after my reaction when she told me this but I don't care. I wanted to go dance in the street like those people on the car insurance commercials. It was that great. I'm PRAYING she hasn't misinformed me. I only asked her about 20 times if she was sure. I'm assuming she was. Guess we'll see how it all pans out.

As for the rest of the birthday? Well, my employer surprised me with two gorgeous cupcakes and a sweet card and the hubs got me a cute handbag he ordered. Yup, handbag. The sweet man was so proud it was adorable. Said he'd looked all over the internet for hours looking for just the right one and it was really hard. How can you not love that?

He had night class tonight and had to work on a project pretty much as soon as he walked in, but oh well. I'll see him again one day... Like I said, the birthday's really lose that special-ness when you have to count back from the year you were born to even remember your age. I guess the next big day comes at 40. Oh joy. Halfway to death - let's celebrate!

Sorry, I'm being all mean-hospital-lady tonight. I'm not mad at the world, just disappointed I don't get to spend time with Adam I guess. Its my birthday and however un-special it might be to me, I still want it to be special to OTHER people. Kind of the notion that I don't have to celebrate me, but everyone else certainly feel free to! A little ridonkulous, right? Yeah, maybe so.

Well off to bed! Happy Wednesday everyone! :)

PS - one thing that DID make my day today? My dear friend Jessica wrote this on my facebook wall. Serious tears here people. Probably one of the sweetest things ever:

Top 10 reasons why YOU ROCK!
1. You are so self sacrificing and strong with everything you go through
2. You are openly dedicated to God...and your family
3. You're really fun to be around
4. You're a wonderful mother
5. You're gorgeous
6. You're compassionate
7. You're so considerate in thinking of others
8. You're hilarious and amusing... :)
9. You have impeccable taste!
10. You're a great listener and an amazing friend

Love you!

Ah, tear again. Thanks Jess - YOU rock! :)

That Pin Better Have Been Made Of Gold!

2011-02-02T07:51:00.002-06:00

Whoa. That's all I can think to say. Whoa. Not like the Joey from Blossom corny whoa, just a regular, slightly depressed, whoa. Received the ER bill for MC's thumb. 916.30. Can I please just take a moment to tell you what they did? THEY PRICKED THE BLISTER WITH A STRAIGHT PIN! That's it! He mashed around on it, then proceeded to poke it with, what I presume to be, the most expensive, golden straight pin in the entire world. That's the only explanation I have for why on God's green earth we would be charged almost a thousand dollars for a man with a special coat to do the exact darn thing we could've done at home! After his diagnosis I should've butted in with "hey doc - my husband was a Ranger and used to eat sticks. He knows a thing or two about blisters - why don't you just let him take a stab at it and you go prop your feet up or make out with a nurse in the on-call room (maybe I've been watching too much Grey's...)" and saved us $900.

I have received word that if I beg to these people they will let us make payments or reduce the bill. That's good. Or maybe I should just try my method and walk in there and poke one of them with a safety pin and send them a bill for $915.30....

Today I turn 27 and I think I'm going to send the ER a thank you card for the thoughtful birthday gift. I might even frame it. Maybe even a little plaque - "Best Birthday Gift EVER". Thanks again OCH. You rock.

Been There?

2011-02-01T12:04:00.003-06:00

Sometimes its hard to understand where someone's negativity is coming from unless you've been there. Well, has anyone ever been in that place where, for some reason, EVERYTHING happens at once? One bad hand after the other? Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for all of my blessings, but sometimes the bad luck is overwhelming. That's the place I'm in. That's where the negativity is coming from. I am about to dump a whole crap load of useless information at you, but its my blog and I'll vent if I want to ;)

Ah, where to begin... As many of you know, Adam recently finished his contract with the national guard (yes, I told him I would ~~cut off his right hand~~ be very angry if he resigned. I feel if you serve as an Army ranger, and are deployed 4 times, you have done your part.) Now, back to the story. You do get insurance benefits for a short period after returning from deployment, however, after that point, you are required to pay for the insurance like a regular plan. And boy is it expensive - great coverage, but PRICEY. We went ahead and signed on for 3 months to buy us some time to look for a new policy. Cue the insurance headache. I won't even go into it but finding new insurance is like being stabbed with a blunt stick. Yes, its that bad.

Now, after we get everything submitted I figured we'd have plenty of time to get approved before our current policy expired. I THOUGHT WRONG. There were issues that I won't go into but everything was delayed due to someone's error and we then received word that they CANCELED OUR APPLCATION. We got this news only days before our policy expired. Not good. We got it all worked out eventually, but as of right now we are without insurance. Now, what do you think is the first thing that is going to happen when we don't have insurance? You guessed it! Emergency room, here we come!

MC (was) an incessant thumb sucker. It was in her mouth anytime she was tired or sleeping. Well, she developed a blister on her finger that got infected so off to the emergency room we went (let me add that this occured the DAY AFTER our policy expired!!!) I still haven't received the bill but I have a feeling I will want the hospital to include a very long rope with it....Not to mention the mental anguish I had to endure seeing my baby in a guaze mitten for 3 days. Just look! (There is a silver lining to this cloud though - my baby is no longer a thumb sucker!!! The days without it apparently broke the habbit! Yay!)

In addition to the insurance fiasco, let me also add that I just got into real estate - not the most money savvy thing to do starting out. Its expensive to get going and therefore, money is tight. So what does life throw at us next? Every gosh darn expense it can find, thats what. Adam's hard drive goes out on his computer, he knocks over his terra byte drive and breaks it, his car starts messing up and has to be fixed, I drop my laptop... the list goes on an on.

And the award winner for "shitty-wrenches-to-be-thrown-into-my-gears-of-life"? We are moving. Not down the street, not to the neighboring city, not even in the same state... we are moving 10 hours away to Charlotte. Now, let me clarify this before going any further - I am excited about the new experience. I am excited that I get to support my husband in his dream, God knows he deserves it. I am NOT excited about the fact that in the course of 5 months I must find a place to live, a job, a daycare, etc. Its not like I can drive down there for the day and scower for the previously mentioned. Its draining. And stressful. And I'm OCD and can't plan things and I'm just mad about it.

Now, let me remind all of you that this has all happened in the span of 3 WEEKS!!!! I think anyone in my position would be slightly jaded. So bloggers, there really isn't a point to my ravings, I just had to give you a glimpse into my life so hopefully you won't judge me for my pessimistic posts lately...I am trying to follow the advice I have so often been given that "things will just work themselves out", but I aint gonna lie - its difficult. I know God's got some great plan going on up there and this is all part of it, so I'm trying to pull on that faith. I'm hanging in there and maybe in the end everything will work itself out!

PS - last night MC threw up everywhere - please pray that she feels better and we don't have to pay $347 million dollars to a doctor's office :(

And the List Goes On

2011-01-29T23:12:00.002-06:00

If I haven't mentioned the fact that everything that could possibly go wrong in a person's life is gradually going wrong in mine, forgive me. The last month has consisted of a multitude of insane events that have all but sent me over the edge.

I also recently got another bomb dropped on me, hence the reason for the almost-midnight blog posting. Venting is needed.

I can't go into details, but let me just say that I am truly in the midst of a nervous breakdown. There are no plans - I need plans. There is no certainty - I need certainty. None of this makes any sense to you. I feel like a raving Jerry Maguire, diligently hacking away at the keys that will all too soon be the forceful creators of a raving mad mission statement.

I'll stop there. Its almost midnight and beyond the fact that my child refuses to sleep any later that 7am and I need what little beauty rest I can get, I also realize that with no details about this situation, it isnt much of an interesting read. Thanks for humoring me. I'm off to bed to contemplate the highest quality mental institution with the greatest opportunity for immediate admission...

Fast Forward

2011-01-15T13:31:00.002-06:00

Ok readers, I need some help. You all know that the money situation is dire so I'm attempting to get another job working from home. "Doing what, Jessica?" Well, I'm so glad you asked! Writing. I dunno, this may be a complete crap shoot, but desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Anyway, my sweet brother sent me some info so I'm going to look into it.

So what do I need from you? I need you to leave a comment telling me if you have a favorite post. I have to submit writing samples to this company so I thought a time saving strategy would be to use some I already have - a.k.a blog world. Now, I know this is a daunting task considering how fantabulous ALL of my blog posts are - but if you have a favorite, or recall one you enjoyed reading I'd love to hear about it. I'm going to gather some samples and see what happens. Thanks friends ;)

Icing and a Cherry, Please

2011-01-13T11:17:00.003-06:00

You know those weeks that just SUCK. I appologize for my negativity, but I don't care how optimistic and happy-go-lucky your attitude about life may be - you have days that SUCK. This is one of those weeks. One of those weeks where you want to write a letter to life. One that says "oh life, you are just totally rocking my world this week. Thank you so much! Please, please, can I have some icing and cherry to top off the insane amount of nonsense you have bequeathed upon me? Yes? Gee thanks - you're awesome."

I'm not going to ~~piss off my husband~~ bore you with financial troubles... or raising-a-picky-eater dilemas... or begining-a-new-career setbacks. Nope. I am just going to let you in on the icing and cherry life threw atop my stress cupcake yesterday.

As you might have seen in MC's letter to me in the last post, we had snow recently. (In case you're wondering, the city did follow along with its typical practice of the "one snowflake shutdown" and the entire city ceased to function and all bread went missing from the grocery stores) Well, when snow melts and then it gets cold, it freezes. (Please, don't thank me for this useful knowledge - I'm just doing what I can to educate the population) When it freezes we call it ice and it covers an abundance of stuff you walk on - like stairs going from your porch to the sidewalk. Being the observant person I am, I ALWAYS look for ice on my stairs since I live in freakin' Mississippi - one of the coldest places in the US. {If you picked up on that sarcasm, good for you.} So I stepped off the porch and onto the stairs and WHAM - icing order thrown my way. And the cherry? I was carrying my laptop. The computer and my shoes went flying like a kite in the middle of March. If it didn't suck enough to now be sitting on my ass, shoeless, in the middle of the sidewalk, I then got to retrieve my now broken laptop. Is that not the biggest, juciest cherry ever? Thanks life. Keep 'em coming.

Dear Mom

2011-01-10T13:08:00.005-06:00

Dear mom,

The madness must stop. The posting of these so called "cute, priceless" photos ends today. I've had enough. If I were old enough and understood the complex legal processes of this country you can bet your Cheerios I'd be suing for defamation of character.

I knew my day was coming. You didn't think I was watching, but I saw clips of that kid on "A Christmas story" over the holidays. I began to rue the day you too would dress me in the never ending abyss of white fluffiness. I've heard stories about those people mom. Once the suit goes on, you never come back. Two small eyes are all that's left once the suit has its way with you. I was waiting....

Then my day came. Oh, you and daddy tried to cheer it up with all the talk about "snow" and "going bye bye". Then you took me to the window and I saw it. The white stuff from the movie... and I knew it was coming. The suit of death. As the green and white fleece enveloped my entire body, I knew I would soon be the laughing stock of the entire facebook community. I fought it. I wasn't going down without a fight. However, you were too much for me. I had to accept it - but I didn't have to like it. Ah, you dream of the facebook comments you'll receive about how "darling" and "stinkin' cute" I am, but I am ruining it for you mom. If I must be posted across the nation in this atrocity, there will be no smiling. There will be no teeth showing. There will be no scrunch face....

I told you woman, I am done.

Sincerely,

Maggie Claire

p.s - I hope you will not hold this against me, as I am desperately hoping for a yogurt snack upon awakening this afternoon.

Hello New Career

2011-01-07T12:34:00.002-06:00

Well, I've done it yet again. I've changed my mind and my career. Let me elaborate (because I know the bloggy world is just DYING to know the details of my complete multiple-personality-career disorder)

Some of you might know that the entire time I was growing up I wanted to be a doctor. A pediatrician to be more precise. Then, as I got older and learned more about the profession, I decided that might not be the best idea since #1 I desperately wanted to get married and have children BEFORE I was 30 (we all know how long you have to go to school to be a doctor) and #2 I pretty much stink at math and its definately not my favorite thing to do. Anyway, throughout high school I found a few other career options but quickly nixed them due to whatever reason (law, optometry, etc.) I then went into college completely uncertain of what the crap I was going to do with my life.

I then decided teaching would be a great fit so I major in elementary education. I graduated with honors and thought I had really found my "calling". Well, let's move to year two of teaching.... INSANE. I can't even begin to describe my first two years of teaching. Totally re-evaluated everything. I then worked a few receptionist type jobs while I did the whole soul searching thing. I truly thought about what aspects of each career I liked and what I didn't and my specific personality traits that would help me excel in whatever profession I chose. I then decided on real estate...

Skip to present day. I did my course work and took my state test in December and am now a licensed real estate salesperson. However, as with any job, it requires a great deal of knowledge about the business- something which I do not have. I am therefore working as an assistant with a real estate agent until I feel comfortable stepping out on my own. Its already proven to be a great learning experience and I hope I will continue absorb this crazy amount of information.

This brings me to my current state of complete horror. I feel like an idiot. I do this with every single new job I take on... I think "oh my gosh. I'm a retard (accent on the second syllable as noteably stated in The Hangover) and will never learn how to do this properly." Am I alone on this? Any other spastic, perfectionistic, OCD crazed people experience the "what was I smoking when I decided to do this - I will never get it" feeling? Yeah, thats me right now. Real estate is a VERY complicated career and all the legalities only add to my overwhelming, yet unfounded fears that I will do something wrong and be sued or thrown in jail with a manlady named Bob who wants to make me her "special" friend. Oh dear God, I'm having a panic attack. Maggie Claire will be the kid in school who's mom "wears that funny orange zip up thingy and pals around with the psycho cat lady who killed her husband" Not good.

Seriously, it all makes me quite nervous (as if you can't tell). I basically jumped in a career I know NOTHING about with past experience that has NOTHING to do with my new endeavor. However, Adam says that no one knows everything when they start something and I will learn as I go. Let's hope he's right. I'll keep ya posted as everything develops. Until then, I will continue to sport my deer-in-headlights expression as each new form, law, data sheet, input information, ect is thrown my way :) Hopefully its a good look for me....

Have a happy weekend!

Hollywood

2011-01-02T21:00:00.002-06:00

Back From The Dead

2010-12-29T11:17:00.012-06:00

You followers of mine are probably pretty close to un-following me by this point. You probably think to yourself "man, this girl posts pics of her kid once in a blue moon and thats about it - why the crap am I still following this dead blog??" I would probably equate your following to something like the Playboy situation (I do have a point here...) While everyone tries to claim they only read it for the substance of the writing, we all know its only because of the pictures that you stick around....

So what's been happening in Martin-ville you ask? Let's see here.... I guess the biggest thing and one of the many reasons I've been MIA is that sweet Maggie Claire is transitioning to one nap a day now. She was previously taking two - one mid-morning and one in the afternoon. Since she moves to a new "big girl" room at daycare after the holidays where they only take one nap, we figured the long break would be a great time to undergo the transition. I'm happy to report that things are going very smoothly so far (I'm sure I'll be kicking myself in a few days for saying that). We are pushing back her morning nap every day by 20-25 minute increments and when it got to the 10:30 mark we took away the afternoon nap completely and just made her bedtime earlier. (On a side note, I just have to say that kids are strange. I mean STRANGE. We usually put MC to bed at 7, however due to her still early single nap, we put her to bed at 6:00 last night. I was pretty sure she would be up at 5 am or something, however she slept later that she ever has! The child didn't wake up until 7:45 (she usually gets up between 6:45 and 7:00). Insane. Why would she sleep more when we put her to bed earlier? Craziness. I'm definately not complaining though - power to her, mommy got some major shut eye.) So anyway, now that MC is only taking one nap, I pretty much get zero time to myself anymore. Hence the absense from blog world...

In addition to the nap schedule, other things are going well for little one too. She is drinking from the sippy like a champ now (which is great news for mommy... I had pretty much convinced myself she was going to become completely dehydrated and just shrivel up like a little raisin or something) and eating fairly well. I would like to run this by you though - what does/did your child eat at 13 months? MC has shown to be a very picky eater and I'm running out of ideas. Her diet includes the following: lima beans, peas, mac and cheese, ravioli, fruit, crackers, bread, and mashed potatoes. Thats it. In addition to picturing my child as a raisin, I also imagine going to her crib to wake her and finding a large lima bean in her place. She seriously eats/loves them that much.

MC is also talking up a storm. I mean besides baby babble. She can now say: mama, dada, bye-bye, hi, cow, ball, pea, bear, baby, and sometimes dog. She's stingy with that one. She is also doing the baby sign for "more" (although she also uses it to mean she wants to eat. Which I don't really mind since at least she has a way of letting me know what she wants) She will go stand in front of the cabinet that has her food it in and tap her little hands together letting me know she wants the food in there.

I suppose I should also comment on the fabulous holiday we had. It was MC's second Christmas (although she was one 1 month old for her first and basically had no idea what was going on) and, unlike last year, Adam was home this time. If you've been following for a while you may remember that Adam was in Iraq from July to March of this year so he missed Christmas with us. Needless to say it was fantastic having him home. Felt MUCH more like Christmas. We also were able to have his parents and brother, and my parents to our house this year. If you have children you are aware that driving 3 hours to one family and 2 hours to another family is quite a challenge with the insane amount of baby crap you are required to tote along.

Thinking the holiday couldn't get any better, we opened the blinds Christmas morning to this...

yup, snow on Christmas day. It was fabulous. Not enough to go play in as it melted by lunchtime, but still a nice thing to look at while opening gifts :) MC also enjoyed trying to catch the flakes...
I suppose that's a long enough post for now. However, I do need to catch everyone up on the new job situation. Here's a big hint - I just passed my real estate state test ;) haha. Now for your viewing delight - the fabulous Maggie Claire ;)

Opening gifts Christmas day

YAY for presents!!!

Mashed potato hair haha

Cheeeessseeee!

Sweet baby girl...

Pass The Stamps

2010-12-12T21:08:00.003-06:00

Nope, not dead. Just busy sending these out...

Thanks to Shutterfly and the fact that I am el cheapo, our friends and family can now happily expect this new fridge decor.

LOVED Shutterfly's "50 free Holiday cards" blogger promo and I think the cards turned out great! Hope they do it again next year!!!! Happy Holidays everyone! :)

This Post Is Going To Jinx Me

2010-12-09T07:53:00.003-06:00

I know that posting about this is going to jinx the whole thing - but I can't help myself. We are making serious progress here people and I have to discuss.

So one of MC's daycare teachers has informed me that MC will not drink from any of the 100 sippy cups we send with her. Duh. She DID inform me that she is all too willing to drink from another kid's sippy cup. She tried putting milk in a sippy cup like the one the other kid had and MC drank the whole thing. She tried this experiment the next day and, again, she drank the whole thing. Sooo, basically in addition to being dramatic and stubborn, now my kid wants to be in a clique. The cool sippy cup clique. Great.

Sooo, what is a mother to do when your child only wants something because someone else has it? Well, right now, my butt is going out to buy 10 of them. If it means my kid actually drinks milk, I would buy anything.

On the home front we are also getting some major improvements. Again, I don't want to jinx myself here, but MC actually downed a whole glass of milk before bed last night. The sippy is one of the many hundres I've bought - and we've tried this one before, however, I guess last night she finally "got it" or something. Its a munchkin with a soft squishy spout like the Nuby ones. Anyway, like I said, I was shocked because I had tried giving her this one before and she wouldn't have any part of it. Also, the one she has been drinking from at school has a hard plastic spout - and this one is soft. It resembles a bottle more so I suppose at night she likes the whole "comfort" of having something more like a bottle. Anyway, going to try it again tonight to see if she's still into it. My only problem is that it seems like she has to suck hard to get liquid out. I feel like she would drink more if it were easier coming out - but on the other hand I don't want to mess with something if its working. I dunno, we'll see what happens tonight.

Speaking of tonight - MC is in her very first Christmas play! I seriously have no idea what 7 little babies are going to do on stage in footed pajamas, but with the cuteness factor, does it really matter? I'm not hoping for an academy award worthy performance - I'm keeping my expectations low. No screaming is really all I'm hoping for at this point. Wish us luck! :)

Well, If That Idiot Can Do It...

2010-12-08T07:28:00.002-06:00

I think I have had a revelation people. Have any of you ever watched some skanky reality TV show where the women have children and thought to yourself - really? These women (or girls in some cases) have kids??? I stress out over MC every.single.day. (Am I doing this right? What if she does this? What if she doesn't do this? I'm obviously talking to myself so what if I'm a complete lunatic and totally screw her up?) Then I realized, hey, if these idiots can raise a child without killing them, surely I can too! I mean seriously, do you think these people constantly monitor their child's milk intake to the ounce? I'm guessing no. Based on some of the junk I've seen, they probably throw their baby a bottle of leftover beer and are done with it. Anyway, my point is, their child still survives. Its sad, but I freak to the point that I think MC is going to die or something if she doesn't eat like she should or drink all of her "required" intake of milk. If she was thirsty, wouldn't she drink?

Then I started watching rivermonsters. (I have a point to this seemingly major sidetrack in topic) It showed a large group of African villagers and that made me start thinking about tribe babies. (Sorry, I just don't really know what else to call them) Anyway, they were barely clothed and probably didn't eat a whole lot based on the fact that I thought some of them were going to literally kill over with excitement when the guy brought them a huge fish to eat. My point is, despite the fact that they didn't have the right sippy cup, they lived. Maybe I should just chill.

Now, I realize this is going to be much easier said than done. I am uptight. Always have been. However, I feel I need to soak in the advice of many a facebook wall poster and just go with the flow. Doctors all reccomend being off the bottle at a year old so I am taking her bottle away and I am not going to freak out anymore. hahaha. Lets see how long this lasts...

Bottle Battle

2010-12-07T07:54:00.002-06:00

Ok. I am completely abandoning the 30 day challenge for the time being. We've got issues in the Martin household and I need HELP!

As you may know, sweet Maggie Claire is now a year old. Along with turning a year old the doc expects us to be off the bottle and formula. Formula? Check. Bottle? NOT EVEN CLOSE. My child will be going to kindergarden with a bottle in her backpack. Here's the deal...

I knew we needed to be off the bottle at a year so around 8 months or so we started giving MC water in a sippy cup (the kid will NOT drink juice and we liked the idea of her becoming a water lover). So anyway, she had her bottles of course, but she also got the sippy cup. I assumed that when it was time to ditch the bottles, she would all too gladly accept the sippy cup since she was already used to it. Well, you know what they say about ASS-uming....

After I got the low down from her doctor about how to do this whole "milk thing" works at her 12 month appointment I was ready. Guns blazing. It was a showdown - mommy vs. Maggie....

Day 1 of no bottle: We ran out of formula the day of her doctor's appointment so I wasn't about to go buy more since I knew we were getting rid of it all together. We had enough to make a 4oz bottle that morning and I knew her appointment was at 3 - so I figured I'd just tell daycare to give her milk in a sippy and see how it went. When she finished the 4 oz in the bottle that morning she started SCREAMING. Wonderful. This is going to be super fun. Let's just hope she gets thirsty enough to drink some milk at daycare today....

I picked her up for her appointment and asked the teachers how it went. Apparently she wouldn't drink ANYTHING. (Let me back track here for a moment and say that MC was never a HUGE drinker from the sippy when she was on the bottles as well. She'd drink some sips here and there but never guzzle it the way she did the bottle...) I figured that maybe she was one of those kids who didn't like milk - or needed it warmed or something. I thought that night when we gave her milk I'd warm it a little.

After the doctor's appointment we went home and had dinner. I gave MC some milk in a sippy and when she went to take a drink it immediately dribbled completely out of her mouth. Her poor little face was staring at me with a questioning "what is this??? YOU HAVE DECEIVED ME WOMAN!" Again, I figured maybe she just didn't like it cold and at bedtime I'd warm it and it would be find. Well, after her bedtime routine I asked Adam to go get some milk ready while I got her pjs on. He came back with a bottle full of warmed milk. Once she saw the bottle I knew it was over so I just let her have it - and she GUZZLED it. Obviously this kid doesn't have a probably with milk, its just the darned sippy cups. (On a side note, I probably did yell at the hubs about bringing in a bottle - he played the "I didn't know!" card and I let it slide...

Day 2 of no bottle: The next morning I attempted the sippy with warmed milk and she wanted nothing to do with it. She kept pushing it away like I was trying to poison her or something. We continued trying the entire day and while we did feel encouraged that she would take a few sips here and there, I knew she wasn't getting enough liquids. She barely had any wet diapers and when they were wet they weren't WET, only mildly damp. And we're only talking like 2 or 3 of them - not the typical 7 or so. Needless to say, I was freaking.

Day 3 of no bottle: The next day was much the same. A few sips here and there but probably no more than 2 ounces or so the entire day. Freaking again.

Day 4 of no bottle: Then comes Monday morning. After having a complete breakdown Sunday night with a long bout of crying, I decided something had to give. The kid had to drink - and I had to know whether it was the milk or the sippy she wasn't into. When I got her up, I again attempted the sippy cup. Denied. I then tried another type of sippy cup (I forgot to mention that throughout this process I have tried every sippy cup on the market, thinking maybe we just hadn't found the right one) Denied again. Then I tried putting some Nesquick in the milk via the doc's suggestion. A few sips, then denied. Then in attempts to figure this out, I poured the now chocolate milk into a bottle and handed it to her; of course she drank the entire thing. Experiment complete - MC is just as stubborn and hard headed as her mother and just wants a bottle.

While I now had the answer I had been seaking, I don't know where to go from here! How do I get her to drink enough from the sippy instead of demanding a bottle. I mean the kid went 2 days without drinking anything when I didn't give her a bottle! I've gotten a few suggestions such as trying different types of cups (done. I've bought hard spouts, soft spouts, with handles, without handles, with straws, without straws... you get the idea), and giving part of the milk in a bottle and then finishing with a sippy. I thought this was a great idea, however MC didn't. When she finished the milk in the bottle and I put the sippy in her mouth she started crying and pushed it away.

Now, I appologize for the super long post, but I need answers people. I am compeltely confused as to how to get my stubborn sweetie to give up her bottle. Also, if she wasn't such a picky eater I wouldn't worry about it as much - but the kid will only eat fruit, lima beans, pasta, and crackers (and of course the Gerber snacks like puffs and little crunchies). Any suggestions for a picky eater would be welcomed as well. I'm scared my kid will dehydrate before she gives up that stupid bottle so please help a momma out! Thanks!

One...

2010-11-29T08:20:00.015-06:00

One year gone.... hopefully many more to come! My sweet little angel will be one on the 30th so we went ahead and celebrated at our family Thanksgiving get together. All went wonderfully and MC seemed to have a great time! Although - she didn't want anything to do with eating her cake! She stuck her hands in the icing a little but that was it! She got so many wonderful gifts (we looked like the beverly hillbillies driving back to Starkville!) and loved being able to see everyone! :)

The Birthday Girl! (In her oh-so-sweet Thanksgiving dress made by my dear friend, Jessica)

"Hi mommy! Did ya know its my birthday??!!"

My beautiful family :)

Told you she wasn't too thrilled with the cake...

Yep, thats her spitting it out

But she did have fun playing in the icing ;)

We also had our photo session with Tabitha and, as usual, the pics turned out great! Here are a few of my favs! Happy Monday!

30 day blog challenge - Day 21

2010-11-23T07:50:00.004-06:00

Day 21 - Picture of yourself

Even at at 3 or 4, I had it all figured out. Sprawl out in a lounge chair by the pool with a cold drink in hand....

While I don't really get the opportunity to lounge poolside anymore, I DO get to spend tim with my AMAZING family (which is even better than some stinkin' pool). So here's one of my most fav pictures of myself because I'm with the two people I love the most in the world :)

30 day blog challenge - Day 20

2010-11-22T08:39:00.002-06:00

Day 20 - Nicknames

Sadly I don't have any super fun, creative nicknames to share. My name is Jessica. People call me Jess. (I know, the originality astounds me as well.)

And there you have it. Shortest blog post ever. Maybe the next topic will be a little more interesting...

30 day blog challenge - Day 19

2010-11-22T08:15:00.003-06:00

Day 19 - Something You Miss

1. No worries - I miss being carefree. Man, we had it SOOOOOOO great as kids and didn't even know it! Now we get to deal with bills and jobs and laundry and just generally un-fun stuff. I want to run through the sprinklers and eat ice cream and be skinny and take a nap; anyone else with me on this?

2. Sponteneity - While Maggie Claire is one of the best things to ever happen to me besides marrying my husband, I do miss the opportunity to be spontaneous. Now, I'm not talking crazy spontaneous here - that gives me panic attacks. I'm talking about running errands around town and saying "hey, ya wanna go to a movie?" Not possible when you have kids. If you're out on a Saturday, the car ride consists more of turning around in the seat to peek-a-boo with a burp cloth while the kid is screaming and your husband is quietly planning his escape through the open sunroof. Not exactly "hm, wonder what good movies are out" thoughts. You just want to make it HOME before someone dies.

3. Being thin - I feel this is pretty self explanatory.

4. Coloring - This is odd, I know. However, I seriously feel like this kid....

I got to color a lot while teaching which was awe-some. I'm hoping MC is a big fan of the coloring thing so I can do it again without looking like a freak.

5. Food - No, we aren't so poor that we can't eat..... yet. No, I miss eating awesome food without having to be the one to cook it. Aka - mom. I guess I should just change this whole subject to mom. I miss being carefree - reason for being carefree? Mom. I miss not having to do laundry and clean - reason for not doing it? Mom. I miss eating great food and not cooking it - reason for having it? Mom. I miss my mommy.....

And finally, I miss MC. She's only been gone an hour and a half and I miss her. And that my friends makes me NOT miss not being a mommy ;) Happy Monday!!!

30 day blog challenge - Day 18

2010-11-22T08:04:00.002-06:00

Day 18: Something You Regret

Again, sorry for stinking at this blog challenge.... to say that things have been hectic would be an understatement.

So lets see here, something I regret huh? To be honest, I do regret a lot. Being the perfectionist I am, I imagine I will always look back at things and wish I hadn't of made whatever "mistake" it might be. However, as far as CHANGING things - I wouldn't do it. I really feel as though everything happens for a reason and if certain things had happened differently, I might not be at the place I am today. Which would stink cause where I am right now is a great place ;)

As I embark upon this new career path, I often think about all the past career choices I made and wonder why I didn't just chose real estate in the first place. Then I think about all of the positives that have been gained in each and every job experience and how they will benefit me to some degree, whether it be professionally or personally. As I've said before, I've been on one windy road and hopefully each turn is taking me to where I am supposed to end up.

Makin' Popeye Proud

2010-11-18T14:35:00.002-06:00

So, I know spinach is not exactly an American family favorite. However, put this tasty concoction in your mouth and I promise you will be scarffing down spinach in no time. Yeah. It's that good.

PS - If you try it, let me know! I'd love to hear how ya like it!

Crunchy Topped Creamed Spinach

-2 pkg (10 oz each) froen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
-1 container (8 oz) Philadelphia Chive & Onion cream cheese spread
-1/2 cup Kraft ranch dressing
-2 eggs, lightly beaten
-1 1/2 (thats one and one half) cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I used Colby and Monterrey Jack and think it tasted better...)
-1 cup crushed Ritz crackers, divided

Preheat oven to 375. Mix spinach, cream cheese spread, dressing, eggs, and 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese (or Colby and Monterrey Jack) in large bowl.

Spoon spinach mixture evenly into greased 2 qt. ovenproof casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup crushed crackers and remaining 3/4 cup cheddar cheese.

Bake 20 to 25 min. or until heated through and cheese on top is melted.

YUM YUM!!!!

30 day blog challenge - Day 17

2010-11-17T11:39:00.004-06:00

Day 17: Something You're Looking Forward To

Besides my beloved Christmas, there is something that I am DEFINATELY looking forward to. MC talking. I know, I know. If you are a veteran parent I can only imagine what you are yelling at your computer right now ("Are you serious?! I PROMISE you will regret saying that!! Once they start, they never stop!!!") And I get that. However, MC has issues. As I have discussed numerous times before, MC has poop issues. (This is where you stop reading if you are not interested in reading about my child's poop. I'm sorry to discuss it, however if you're a mom, poop just isn't as controversial or quite so disgusting anymore...) MC has had constipation issues for as long as I can remember. We've been struggling with it and now we've reached another dilema. Since she went so long with painful poop, she's now holding it in. Being that I google EVERYTHING of course I googled the situation. It seems odd after my research that she would be doing this at such a young age, but its quite obvious that's what she's doing (yes, I'll spare you a little and not go into details) Now, why on earth did I share this information with you? Well, its because this is just one of the many reasons I want MC to talk. I want to know what's wrong with her or what's hurting her. She has been sick the last 3 days with a fever and when the child cries, I have NO idea what's wrong with her. Is she hot/uncomfortable from the fever? Is she hungry (she hasn't wanted anything to do with food or formula since she got sick)? Is she constipated? Does her throat hurt? Is her nose too stuffy? I mean YOU NEVER KNOW. I want her to be able to walk up to me and say "mom, listen. My poop will not come out. A little help here?". But no. I just get WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH.

Now, most often when this occurs I go into "I'm-a-horrible-good-for-nothing-mom" mode. I feel like I am supposed to know what her cries mean. I mean, we've all heard that moms are able to decipher the dynamic code that is our child's cry - however, I was apparently not endowed with this gift. Even when MC was little. I never knew what her cries meant. It all just sounded like waaaaaahhhh to me. Anyway, I still to this day just look at her like a confused dog watching a ceiling fan when the wails begin....

Now, I mentioned this point on facebook and I got responses about baby signing. When I had MC I knew I wanted to use signs. I got the Baby Signs book and began reading when she was a couple of months old. We even began using a few signs when she was about 7 or 8 months. I had every intention of sticking with it, however, you know how that goes. Everything got crazy and sadly the baby signs were abandoned. Now I'm wondering now if she's too old for me to try to pick it back up. I would LOVE for her to be able to communicate with us beyond "ball" and "bye-bye". (Especially since she still hasn't grasped the whole "bye-bye" concept yet. We'll be sitting on the floor of her room playing and she'll look at me and say "bye-bye". I'm like, kid, where are ya goin? We're in a room with the door closed and you're about 1 foot shy of being able to reach that shiny brass doorknob. You aint going "bye-bye" anytime soon.) I digress. Back to the signs. Has anyone ever used signs with your baby? Did they pick up on it quickly and was it useful? I'd love to hear about your experience with it and how easy/difficult it was for you as a parent.

With all that said, I'm looking forward to sweet baby girl being able to talk. Mommy's tired of the guessing game.

Gotta Love A Freebie

2010-11-15T13:49:00.002-06:00

Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly...sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

So I'm sure several of you have heard about this, but I'm all about some free-ness. I've never used Shutterfly before, but almost all of my friend's have and they rave about the experience so consider me onboard! I figured their free offer was a great way to get started and find out for myself why so many people love their holiday cards, photo Christmas cards, and invitations. I can't wait to make our first family Christmas card this year using one of their cute holiday designs. I'm thinking something that has LOTS of spaces for pictures to show off our precious Maggie Claire :) (98) It will also be great to actually have my family together for Christmas since Adam was deployed for the last one :( Our first Christmas together as a family - who wouldn't want a Christmas card celebrating that?

I really hope you can all take advantage of this super awesome offer to get some free goodies for yourselves! Happy Monday! :)

30 day blog challenge - Day 16

2010-11-15T08:15:00.002-06:00

Day 16: Your Dream House

Dream house.... hmmm.... do you think this is too "out there"?

I Just Don't Get It...

2010-11-12T10:50:00.002-06:00

We all know that I love my husband dearly. However, this I just don't get..

Yes. Those are my husband's clothes IN FRONT of the hamper. Can someone please explain this to me? I mean, is the lid too heavy? ITS WICKER! It weighs as much as a paper clip for goodness sake. I just don't understand. If anyone has any insight into this oddity, please feel free to share.

30 day blog challenge - Day 15

2010-11-12T08:39:00.002-06:00

Day 15: Bible Verse

Man do I ever need to remember this one more often...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowladge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Cheeeeeesssseeee

2010-11-11T11:59:00.004-06:00

30 day blog challenge - Day 14

2010-11-11T08:21:00.003-06:00

Day 14: A Picture You Love

This was a really hard assignment. It was beyond difficult to choose just one pictured I loved. Because when you have a child, you LOVE every single picture of your child. Why? Because naturally they are the cutest little person that has ever been born.

The reason I chose THIS picture was the emotion behind it. As you all know, Adam was deployed during my pregnancy and the first 3 months of Maggie Claire's life. This picture was taken when he was home on leave right after she was born. Everytime I look at this picture, I remember all the emotions I felt when it was taken. There I was, holding my newborn baby and kissing my husband who I hadn't seen in 6 months.... and who was about to leave again for another 5. I was a joyful wreck. I say joyful wreck because on one hand I was overcome with elation at having my husband and child together beside me. However I was a wreck knowing it would all too soon end.

When this picture was taken I remember experiencing a flood of gut wrenching emotions and then looking into his eyes, feeling Maggie Claire hold my finger, and knowing it would be ok. I kissed him then. It wasn't scripted, I just kissed the man I loved who helped give me this most precious little gift we both held in our arms. If you can't tell, he is holding back a smile in that kiss...

This photo represents the strength, love, and commitment that is my family. We are all in this together - whatever God throws our direction... and we'll make it.

30 day blog challenge - Day 13

2010-11-10T07:44:00.004-06:00

Day 13 - Goals

I have a lot of goals. Some of which I have already acheived and some of which I am still working on. These are the ones that are still in progress...

1. Be the best wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend I can possibly be.
2. Find a job I love doing and that I do well.
3. Follow God's path for me (On a side note, I do wish he would be more explicit at times. Seriously - I have been on a crazy, windy road and sometimes I wish he would just slip a note in the mailbox or something. "Hey, Jessica, just do this - k?")
4. Help as many people as possible each day of my life
5. Die with no regrets
6. Write a book
7. Drive a racecar (No, I am not a NASCAR fan. No, I do not like watching races. But do I LOVE driving fast? OH YES!!!!)
8. Live at the beach
9. Be the person people want to call when they need someone to listen

And finally (because there has to be ten... nine is just a weird number to stop at ) This one is HUGE...

10. Go just ONE day without falling, tripping, hitting, knocking, burning, slamming, sliding, smashing, scratching, banging, slipping and ultimately injuring some part of my body. That's right, I am a walking disaster. And for someone who bruises like a peach - this is not good. Most people probably think my husband beats me.

Anyways, those are my little goals. Today's goal? Make it through the 8 remaining tests I have to complete my 60 hours of real estate pre-licensing course work. I have taken 38 tests so far so I just have the 8 left. After that I will be sending in my application for the state test. Wish me luck! :)

30 day blog challenge - Day 12

2010-11-08T15:52:00.003-06:00

Day 12: What You Believe

1. I am blessed beyond measure
2. My husband is my soul mate and the most amazing man I have ever met. I would never be where I am today without his love and support
3. Our world would be a much better place if everyone let God in a little more
4. When you grow up, no matter what you do, you will have AT LEAST one moment where you sound just like your mother
5. Nothing feels as good as helping someone
6. Everything should close at 3:00 so everyone can nap
7. We would have world peace if women were in charge
8. There is no sacrifice like that of a soldier
9. We should take more time to stop and tell God thank you
10. It's o.k. to cry
11. Raising a child is the most challenging, but most rewarding experience you could ever have
12. You need family - not matter how looney-tooney you think they might be, you need them
13. Everything happens for a reason
14. You should always tell the people you love that you love them - especially when you want to hate them
15.You can never have too many friends... or too much macaroni and cheese
16. Teaching is one of the toughest and most underappreciated professions there is. Just saying "thank you" to one would make their day - try it.
17. This is the day the Lord has made and we should rejoyce and be glad :)

Happy Monday everyone!

30 day blog challenge - Day 11

2010-11-04T07:33:00.008-05:00

Day 11: Favorite TV shows

1. Grey's Anatomy: I'm sure there's no argument with anyone on this one. Its fabulous.

2. Biggest Loser: Love it. It's so inspiring - however not QUITE inspiring enough to make me put down the bag of cool ranch Doritos I usually scarff down while watching it. 3. Project Runway: Hate the season is over :( On a side note, I think since it's Heidi's show, she should get the final say in who wins. Mondo got shafted for the crazed 70's bohemian skeleton? Not right.
4. America's next top model: Don't judge - I don't like the WHOLE show. If I cute mute Tyra Banks but hear everyone else that would be a bonus. I really just like watching the actual photo shoot and seeing the girl's finished photos. Oh, and staring at Nigel.
5. House Hunters: Oh.my.gosh. I am so the person they have in the commercial that sits there and argues with her husband saying "no, no! House number 3!" Obsessed with this show. Especially the international episodes.
Those are really the top ones. Of course I enjoy reruns like Everybody Loves Raymond, America's Funniest Home Videos (yes, the commentary is about as cornball as can be, but lets face it - some of those videos can have you rolling on the floor in laughter), and Reba. Since no one comments on my blogs and I feel unloved (not helping #9 here people) I will copy Laura T and ask YOU a question in hopes of getting maybe just one comment :/ hehe. What is YOUR favorite TV show??

H - A- double L, O, W, double E, N spells Halloween

2010-11-03T08:41:00.009-05:00

Happy Halloween (a few days late!)

30 day blog challenge - Day 10

2010-11-03T08:04:00.002-05:00

Day 10: Something You're afraid of

Well, since I've already gone into depth about the paranormal stuff, I've decided to make a list of things I'm afraid of. I also realize it's quite sad to have enough fears to even make a list, but that's just me - scaredy pants.

1. FAILURE: I often have nightmares about this one. As I have also mentioned before, I am a complete perfectionist and if I don't live up to my (most often, unattainable) standards, I freak out. If I make a mistake, I usually cry and dwell on it for at least 2 weeks. Wow. Are you sure you want to continue reading all this?

2. Something tragic happening to someone I love: Is it normal to think the worst when someone is late getting home? Its sad really, but I end up imagining all these worst case scenarios when Adam isn't home when he says he's going to be home. And don't even get me started on Maggie Claire. After all the horrible things in the news and movies, this kid will be lucky if she's EVER allowed out of the house.

3. Spiders: I was bitten by a spider people. And I don't mean I woke up one morning and had a red place on my arm. I woke up one morning and had a gigantic welp on my cheek which continued to swell and was SOOO painful. They first told me it was a brown recluse - oh yes, I freaked. I was instantly swarmed with images of my face rotting off like some horrible Steven King movie. We drove to Vanderbilt for a second opinion. Thankfully not a brown recluse, but they weren't sure what kind of spider it was. I won't go into details about the ordeal, but needless to say- no spiders for me, thank you.

4. Any insects that jump or fly (i.e., crickets, grasshoppers, dragonflies, etc): You can't escape them. You move, they move - and land on you. Its unnatural.

5. Under the bed: Yes, I still get scared of something reaching out and grabbing me from under the bed. I back away and stare at my feet when I change the sheets.

6. Swimming in lakes, rivers, oceans where I can't see through the water: Now, this fear only applies to being in the water alone. If I am swimming with other people, I am usually ok. Not sure why. I guess if I'm in a group, I've got other people who could get eaten first- in turn giving me adequate time to make my escape. Nice, I know.

7. Putting my hand in the garbage disposal: Anyone else get REALLY paranoid while doing this? Quite often MC's bottle tops will fall down in there. I can just see the retarded thing malfunctioning and turning on the moment I stick my hand in there to retrieve it.

8. The Dark: Yes. I am still afraid of the dark. We have nightlights in almost every room in the house (In attempts to not seem like a 5 year old child, several of them are air fresheners... Its a lot easier to seem normal to your husband when you plug in a light up air freshener for the sake of smelliness than plugging in a huge light bulb while explaing that his 26 year old wife can't be alone in a dark room because SOMETHING will get her)

9. People don't like me: Yup. I guess this goes back to my perfectionistic attitude. I pretty much always assume people don't like me.

10. Squirrels: I was also bitten by a squirrel. I feel like Matthew McConaughey in "Failure To Launch" - nature rejects me.

I think I have let you in on quite enough of my crazed mind. Now I am going to go wrap up in a blanket and enjoy a good book - in a well lit room, away from all beds, spiders, bodies of water, insects, garbage disposals, and squirrels :)

30 day blog challenge - Day 9

2010-11-02T08:12:00.014-05:00

Day 9: A picture of your friends

Yeah, I definately stink at this blog challenge. I'm going to do better...

Well, Adam and I are lucky to have been blessed with such amazing friends. However, sadly, we don't really see most of them anymore! Everyone has moved on with their lives and AWAY from Starkville :( Thumbs down. Anywho, here are some pics of our dearest pals

First is my BFF from college, Kristen. She is a hoot. Any girl that loves Nascar, doesn't know what year it is, and falls at least 3 times a day is someone you like to have around ;) I like to think this picture sums her up pretty well...
Then there's the odd couple - Andrew and Oliver. They aren't really a couple, but they were always together and lived together (and are COMPLETE opposites) so I like to call them that. They are nutso and we love them to pieces.
Next up are the Melvins. Pretty crazy story there. Adam and Jessica (yes, her name is Jessica too) were best friends in high school (and even dated a little while believe) and her hubs Chris and I lived in the same town growing up. His dad was actually my pediatrician. However, we never knew each other since we went to different schools. Anyway, we all met at Jessica's birthday one year and have been friends ever since. Wish they lived closer so we actually got to see them and their sweet kiddo, Clark.

You've also got the Harris clan - aka Matthew and Allyson, and James and Laura. (James and Matthew are brothers) Adam went to high school with the two of them and since I got to inherit the friendship along with the marriage I am super glad that I adore their wives and we have come to be besties as well.

Matthew and Allyson and their sweetums, John.

James and Laura and preciousness, Stelling

Then there's the soon-to-be Cole's, Jordan and Emily. Precious precious people that live MUCH too far away!! :(Speaking of people we love and don't see enough, you've then got Ruth and Preston. They rock.

And last, but not least, you have the Shaidnagle's. Man I hope I spelled that correctly. Chris just left for Iraq so we are really going to miss him this year. Hopefully we'll get some visits from Jennifer though! :)

So that's our clan. Of course there are others, but I've already been on this thing for over and hour and Adam will be home from class soon so I've got to get busy and act like I've been working hard... Happy Tuesday! :)

30 day blog challenge - Day 8

2010-10-28T08:26:00.007-05:00

Day 8: A Place You've Traveled To

Well, of course I had an amazing time on our honeymoon in the Dominican. It was gorgeous. But, since we all know I have a slight obsession with the beach, I figured I'd discuss a destination that took me by surprise.

Some of mine and Adam's dear friends - Jordan and Emily- live in Denver, Colorado. Adam had been there before to visit and ski, however last year was my first time to go. I'll admit I wasn't super excited about the actual city. I'm not a cold weather fan and I really despise skiing.

However, once we got there, I was in shock at how beautiful and cool the place was. The weather was AMAZING (not below zero as I had anticipated) and we had the BEST time! One of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! Wouldn't you agree?

30 day blog challenge - Day 7

2010-10-27T08:23:00.003-05:00

Day 7: Favorite Movies

To say that I'm an 80's movie fanatic would probably be an extreme understatement. It's past the point of "oh, she's cute with her little 80's movie "thing"", and moved on to "oh, how unfortunate. That poor girl is a complete loser and is completely unaware..."

However, I will face the critique and ~~stand~~ type proudly that, yes, my name is Jessica and I am obsessed with 80's movies.

Pretty in Pink - oh my gosh. Sixteen Candles - love it. Weird Science - don't even go there. The Goonies - nothing left to say. And the ultimate in 80's movies and the movie I could watch a billion times and never grow tired of...

THE BREAKFAST CLUB

I mean, seriously? Is this not entertainment at its finest? I would have to say yes.

Now, with that being said, I do enjoy movies that were not released circa 1980-something. Steel Magnolias? Wait, that was 80's too... um, Rain Man? Ok, so a lot of them are from the 80's.

Newer movies just don't have the same charisma! However, when it comes to new movies, I do enjoy a good scary movie. While the whole I'm-gonna-break-in-your-house-and-chop-you-up movies don't really affect me, you can forget it when it comes to ghostly ghouls and crazy posessed children. The Ring? Um, yeah, had to sleep with my college dorm roommate after seeing that. (Yes, in the dorm twin size bed). The Exorcist? Didn't sleep for YEARS. However, I must have some strange self-destructive disease because I am still drawn to these movies and actively seek them out. The hubs is at his wits end. If any of you saw "The Fourth Kind" you probably didn't think much of it. However, the hubs said that he saw this crazy movie overseas that actually happened and he thought it was more indicitive of the devil and demons as opposed to alien entities. Now, watch the movie with that in the back of your mind and see if you,too, dont end up sleeping on the couch while you wait for your husband to come to bed because you can't be in the bedroom alone...

As far as other favorites I would have to say Legends of the Fall (man, was that 80's too?), Forgetting Sara Marshall (probably one of the funniest movies I have EVER seen), Reign on Me, Dan in Real Life, The Lakehouse (don't hate - it doesn't get any better than Sandra and Keanu). I could really go on for a long time, but unfortunately work calls...

I'm really going to try to do a better job with this 30-day challenge. So far I'm not doing so hot with it. If it were a diet, I would still be fat. Just saying.

Happy Hump Day!!

30 day blog challenge - Day 6

2010-10-22T07:37:00.002-05:00

Day 6: A Picture of Something That Makes You Happy

This is the epitomy of happiness. My husband and my child. Nothing in the world could ever make me as happy as these two individuals. This picture also makes me happy because for the longest time, I didn't know if I would ever get to see the two of them together. When Adam was deployed, I always had that fear in the back of my mind.

However, now, we are all a family and it feels amazing!!!!

30 day blog challenge - day 5

2010-10-20T12:22:00.008-05:00

Day 5: Siblings

Well, up until I was 16, I thought I was an only child. Then I get the bomb dropped on me. (Again, you can get filled in on all the details of that here).

Sooo, since I found my bro, Jeff last year, I am not an "only" anymore. Jeff is a graphic designer/artist and is WAAAAY super talented. He used to be a landscape architect so he and Adam get along great, as you can imagine. (Note: this has been a complete blessing. When Jeff is around I am no longer forced to listen to the hubs rantings about urban sprawl, my carbon footprint, blah, blah, blah. Thank you Jeff.) He is so much like my dad its quite frightening. Except that he doesn't like to hunt - killing Bambi isn't really his thing.

He also has an AMAZING g/f who I totally adore. Hopefully she'll be added to the in-law list at some point ;) (No pressure Jeff...)

Our first picture together - the day we met

Jeff and MC when she was t-tiny :)

Jeff and Angela

All the "kids" at Jeff's loft in Nashville

30 day blog challenge - day 4

2010-10-20T12:09:00.004-05:00

Day 4: The parents

Meet Steve and Dorothy.

Steve and Dorothy have been married a long time. I don't know how long exactly (28 years maybe?). Let's break down these two exciting individuals...

We'll start with Steve. Steve is a man of few words. He's not one to go out of his way to initiate conversation. However, you will never meet a nicer guy. To him, I can do no wrong, and lets face it, who doesn't love that? He has been my cheerleader throughout my entire life. No matter what I was experiencing, no matter what endeavor I took on, he supported me and constantly reminded me of how amazing and capable I was. To this day, he is still the person I look to when I am tackling something I don't think I can handle.

Now, Dorothy. Wow. Where do I begin with Dorothy? God love her, she is the woman who never really stops talking (maybe that's why she and dad make such a good pair ;) hehe. She will go above and beyond to help anyone. When I'm stressed out she is the one to say "Well honey why don't you let me come down this weekend and clean your house for you so you can relax and spend some time with Adam..." Every time Adam and I go home she has diapers, wipes, and usually clothing waiting for MC (she knows our financial situation right now {poor} haha). I can always rely on her to help me, or anyone else for that matter, with anything.

All in all, I've got some great parents. Hopefully MC will say the same for me one day :)

30 day blog challenge - Day 3

2010-10-19T08:28:00.002-05:00

Day 3: Your first love

Hmmmm. Well, I'm not going to lie, the hubs wasn't my first "love". Is he my first TRUE love? Absolutely. Its strange how in the moment you really think you are in love - then your soul mate comes along and you realize how you didn't even have the slightest notion as to what love really is....

Ironically enough my first love was also named Adam. We started dating when I was a freshman in high school and dated a year or two I think. That's really all I need to say about that because life before "the one" really doesn't matter anymore :)

30 day blog challenge - Day 2

2010-10-19T08:23:00.002-05:00

Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name

I know my blog name is very vague so let me see if I can shed some light on things....

Adam and I got married. He was one person and I was another. That made two people total. When we found out we were pregnant, that meant two people plus one more. That made three.

AHHH! At last!!! The mystery is revealed!!!!!!!!!

30 day blog challenge

2010-10-18T12:24:00.005-05:00

Sooo, since Brittany says all the cool people are doing it, you know I had to jump onboard.

Day 1: Introduce, recent picture, 15 facts

Hmm, well as most may know, I have been married to my hubs, Adam, for a little over 2 years and we have one daughter, Maggie Claire. Adam got back from his 1 year tour in Iraq in March so we're just enjoying our time TOGETHER!!!

This picture is SOMEWHAT recent. It was taken at one of State's games - I believe last month. This is the adorable hubs and little MC :) It makes me smile.

15 facts:

1. I am ridiculously scared of anything parnormal/supernatural. Seriously. It makes me have panic attacks. I should actually devote an entire post to this topic and how nut-so I am.

2. I love the beach. Adam might say this is closer to an obsession than a love.

3. I just quit my job a few weeks ago. Very uncharacteristic of me. I must also add that this (like the ghosts) is about to give me a panic attack.

4. My best friend is my old college dorm roommate. Didn't know a soul when I started at MSU and those lovely people at the housing office miraculously paired me with someone just as crazy as myself - it was love at first sight. Love ya Kris! ;)

5. The most difficult time in my entire life was when Adam was in Iraq. I was pregnant and living at home with my parents while my husband was at war. I seriously didn't think I was going to make it. This is when I discovered how powerful prayer can be!

6. I graduated from Mississippi State with a degree in elementary education. I taught for 2 years and realized it may not be for me. I am now on my bankrupt-inducing path of self discovery.

7. I actually adore my mother-in-law. I know, crazy, right?

8.. I found out I had a half-brother 10 years ago. Last May I decided to look for him and I found him on facebook. You can read the whole store here.

9. I hate confrontation. In the midst of anyone being angry I usually cry.

10. I wish I were as spiritual and faithful as my husband. He makes me want to be a better person.

11. I love public speaking.

12. My favorite food in the world is macaroni and cheese. period.

13. One day I am going to invent toe extensions. I hate my toes. They look like short, fat sausages. One of my friends in high school called them "little smokies". I am forever traumatized.

14. I don't get into the following things: sports, politics, and plants (yes, this last one upsets my husband greatly - he's finishing up his degree in landscape architecture)

15. I am technologically retarded. Seriously. If something involves more than clicking a mouse or plugging one cord into the wall I am usually in trouble.

So there you have it. A little about little me. Next post should be short so I think I'm going to get on it right now :)

Are You There Readers? Its me, Jessica...

2010-10-06T05:24:00.002-05:00

I miss blogging. I like to think at least one person misses reading. However, I am drowning and therefore all energy is being devoted to kicking my little arms and legs in desperate attempts to stay afloat. Note to self: full time job + baby (who has lately been sick and teething) + husband pursuing landscape architecture degree + house = insane woman.

I'll be back one day. Until then - remember a post you enjoyed, curl up in the fetal position, and repeat "she will not leave me, she will not leave me". Stay strong bloggy buddies ;)

9 month pictures

2010-09-22T05:23:00.009-05:00

Can't believe I am just now getting these posted. Our sweet little MC had her 9 month photo session recently - here are some of my favorites!!! Happy Wednesday!!! :)

The Devil Wears Skinny Jeans

2010-09-08T19:24:00.006-05:00

Not Prada. Skinny jeans. I am convinced that these supposed fashion staples were in fact conceived and manufactured in lair of an evil mastermind. I fail to take responsiblity for the fact that I had a baby nine months ago and I'm fat. I refuse to acknowladge the known fact that I am probably one of the clumsiest people to ever live. These jeans must be stopped. Let me elaborate.

Sunday night was going well. We had a few of Adam's friends over and I was sporting my skinny jeans. (I had aboslutely no issues getting these things on by the way) I had to admit I was looking snazzy. After a fun night hanging out his friends left and it was time for bed. (Cue stereotypical western-show-down theme music) I went to our room and started to get undressed. Uh oh. Issues. As I put my leg up in attempts to remove what I now lovingly refer to as the "devil pants" I got tangled. I mean I got tangled bad. Its close to impossible to remove your foot from the tiny opening at the bottom of the devil pants and so as I pulled and my foot didn't come through as it should've, I lost my balance. When I say "lost my balance", I mean I feel completely backwards and slammed my head on our bedroom door. Of course the hubs immediately comes running in to check on me. Must've been quite the site. Me. One naked leg. The other hopelessly tangled in a disarray of demon fabric. He heard the thud and then put two and two together - and laughed. As I reached for the back of my head and started pouting about how badly , number one, I hate these damn pants, and, number two how horribly my head hurt. He then went from ass wipe to sweetheart and helped me up and asked if I was ok and if he could do anything. I said no and just went to bed.

I awoke the next morning and couldn't believe how bad I felt. I expected the headache - but the stabbing pain? Man, it was rough. Well, then I started feeling REALLY neauseous (ok is it just me or is that the hardest word in the whole freakin' English language to spell??) Anyway, I didn't think too much of it. I had taco soup the previous night for dinner. Taco soup. beans. You do the math. Anyway, pushed is aside along with a few doses of Tylenol.

Then, Tuesday rolls around. Time for work. I woke that morning with horrible head pain and was surprisingly dizzy trying to walk to the bathroom. I made some toast (as my stomach wasn't feeling too great) and couldn't even eat it. One bite and I had had enough. Got dressed and went to work.

However, all my symptoms just kept getting worse throughout the day and to top it all off, I was TIRED!!! I mean, like, crazy tired. I called my mom during lunch and after telling her of my spill she frantically told me I needed to get to the ER ASAP. I thought about it and decided that would probably be best. With my luck I'd have a bleeding brain and kill over before I could even make it back to Starkvegas.

Got to the ER and had PLENTY of time to fabricate my tale of heroism and subsequent head injury. "Well, doctor, I saw a puppy running into the road to catch a man who had just stolen a little old lady's purse while she was helping a mother whose baby stroller had rolled away from her. I knew I had to take action. I quickly ran into the road, caught the purse snatcher, picked up the puppy, and stopped the roll away stroller.... however, a car hit me. Small price to pay for saving a puppy, little old lady, and a mother and her baby though." Oh yeah. That was it. The truth of "well, I fell whil attempting to remove my fat ass from a pair of skinny jeans" never crossed my mind.

I'm such a softy. When "mam-could-you-describe-your-accident" time came, I couldn't lie. I told them straight. I'm a clumsy idiot and need to be kept away from all sharp and pointy objects. Anyway, diagnosis? Concussion. What the crap? Is that code for dying? Let me just say, I had never been the athletic type and therefore have never sustained any major injury of any sort. To me, a concussion was something that knocked you out and made your brain bleed and explode. Uh, not fun. He assured me that it was fine and my CT looked normal. He said I just needed to take it easy for a few days and refrain from any physical activity. and skinny jeans. and heels. Thanks, doc.

All in all it was a grand experience. I have now equaled the likes of football greats and can check "concussion" off my major injury list. Yay.

On a lighter note, I have to say the hubs has been super sweet. I wasn't feeling well last night and ended up falling asleep on the couch as Adam worked on his school stuff. I awoke about 2:30am to find my sweet man curled up on a pallet on the floor beside me. He heard me move and looked up to see if I was ok...

brain-dead wife - "honey, what in the world are you doing down there on the floor?"
sweet hubs - "well, I didn't want to wake you to come to bed... and I wanted to be close to you in case you woke up. I wanted to be here in case you needed anything and I didn't want you to wake up alone."

Are you serious?? Men like this exist - and I married one? Lucky clumsy me! Have a great week everyone!!!

Where Does The Time Go??

2010-08-24T19:30:00.009-05:00

Well, let me just jump right into things here. My little girl is growing up WAY. TOO. FAST. I mean she's standing up by herself now. Before I know it she'll be walking. Then going to school. Then driving. Oh dear God. Ok, I need to talk about something else....

Other than the fact that MC IS growing up much too quickly, it IS neat to see all the new things she's started to do. We're becoming quite the accomplished sippy cup user and she's able to stand up by herself (see below).

She usually pulls up on things and then let's go, however about a week ago she went from sitting to standing without pulling up on anything. She was sitting and all of a sudden thought "hey, ya know what, I wanna stand." Then stood up like it was nothing. Of course she then proceeded to sway like a drunk person trying to get her balance. haha. Adam and I clap and cheer whenever she stands on her own and I think she's starting to figure that out. When she lets go of something she'll look to one of us (wanting us to act a fool I guess). I mean seriously, her little thought process must be something along the lines of "I suppose I have accepted that my mommy and daddy are looney tooney. However, I do find it quite entertaining. Whenever I let go of something they start yelling and clapping for who knows what reason. I'm not sure what I'm doing, but if they find it that amusing I guess I could pacify them by continuing my trick..."

Also I have to share our teething journey. Every mother out there who is reading this - I caution you. You ARE going to hate me. Our teething tale consists of ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! This child sprouted a tooth without one single symptom except wanting to put anything and everything into her mouth. No crying, no crazy explosion diapers, nothing. She fussed one night (when I say fussed I mean kind of whined on and off. No all out crying, just a whine) which was very uncharacteristic of her, but thats the extent of it. How blessed are we??!! I have heard absolute horror stories about this ordeal so all I can figure is that we are going to be in for it with baby number two. Oh dear.

Besides having fun with MC, we've also been spending every weekend for the past few months out of town. Trust me, I am SO over it. I hate the car. If I had a super power it would be teleportaion. We haven't been home a single weekend in almost 2 months. While we have had some great fun (visited my bro in Nashville, went to the coast to see Adam's family - most of whom had still not met MC, and visiting the grandparent's) I was glad to finally have some time at home this past weekend. You might be thinking - oh thats great! I bet you relaxed and enjoyed the free time! Not hardly people. I cleaned ALL WEEKEND. Let me just put it out there - I am in dire need of counseling for my OCD problem. I am a neat freak. I get crazy anxious if things are out of order (by out of order I mean I can barely let my husband make the bed without going behind him to re-straighten fringe on the accent pillows). So you can imagine that I was about to blow a gasket not having adequate time to clean my house because of all the traveling. It was therapudic to say the least. I still didn't get it all done, but the list did get substantially smaller so thats good.

In closing, I have to brighten the mood and show off my precious angel! I mean I know this is my kid and all parents think their baby is the cutest - but seriously people. Is this not the cutest little girl ever??!!

"Aw, I love your kisses daddy!"

"Showing off my toofies mommy!"

"Hi mommy!"

"Bye Bye for now people!"

Seriously?

2010-08-23T05:33:00.005-05:00

1 month since my last post??? Seriously? This hiatus must stop. I promise a new post and pics will come soon (by SOON, I mean sometime this week. swear.) Here's one present and hopes for a happy Monday!

Nope, Haven't Died

2010-07-24T12:31:00.002-05:00

No readers, I haven't died. However, I feel like I could. Things around the Martin house have been INSANE! First and foremost, I got a job. I'm working as a patient care coordinator for Beltone Audiology. While the job is in Columbus (about a 30 minute drive) its been great so far. The bad news? I still have yet to get into the routine of the "working mom". I get home between 5:30 and 5:45... just in time to either feed MC, or watch Adam finish feeding her. I then have about 45 minutes to see her before its time for her bath and bed! Now, during this short window of time I have with MC,of course I want to play with her. Its the only time I get to spend with her during the day (I'm sure you know how chaotic the mornings are trying to get both of us ready!) So by the time I or Adam feed her her bottle at 7 and put her to bed, we still haven't even had time to think about dinner (let alone eat it). So as you can see, there are still a lot of kinks to work out. Dinner being the main one I suppose. Even if I do start cooking as soon as I walk in the door, its going to be at least 6:30 before its ready and by that time its time for little bits bath, bottle, and bed. So we still don't get to even eat until about 7:30. I wake up at 5 each morning so, as you can imagine, I don't want to go to bed any later than 9 or 10. That leaves me two hours each night to cook/eat, do laundry, do dishes, clean the house, and iron clothes and pack my lunch for the next day. Can we say EXHAUSTING??!! Sorry for the pity party - I realize its all just part of being a mom and I better get used to it. Its gotten a little better. I spend a lot of the weekend cooking so I can freeze meals for us to have during the week and that has seemed to help some.

MC is still doing great. Crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything. We also just started trying a sippy cup - pics to come. She's not too sure what to think about it, but I guess she'll learn to like it eventually! Well, time to feed little one!!! I'll post some more pics and details soon :)

Escape Artist

2010-07-09T19:54:00.009-05:00

Sooo, this is what I walked into this evening when I went in MC's room...

She had just finished eating dinner and I put her down for a minute while I put away her highchair, etc. My little escape artist. I am soooooo glad Adam and I had already lowered her crib. (On a side note about cribs... remember the beautiful crib I posted that we bought for MC? Yeah, we ordered it in MARCH and it's still not in!!! The company told me what was going on and I won't bore you with the details but I am still quite perturbed. Thankfully friends of ours gave us a crib to use! Her furniture should be here in August - if its not, they just better watch out! haha) Anyway, MC was apparently quite proud of herself and decided to show us what else she's been working on..

Did I mention she has a new fascination with her tongue?

"Hey dada!"

I'm busting out!

"Now, this is as close as you get when you dance with boys Maggie Claire..."

Does it get any better than this smiling face??!!!

Have a happy weekend everyone!

Captivating

2010-07-07T13:59:00.005-05:00

Elderly people are not appreciated enough. I remember being a kid and even a teenager and not taking the time to really get to know my grandparents. Its only been in recent years that I have come to truly appreciate the amazing life stories that elderly people have to offer. There is one perosn imparticular that I could sit and listen to for hours. Her name is Hilda and I'm not sure if I have mentioned her before or not. A little background - my mother is her hygienist and they quickly became quite close. She is an older woman whose husband had passed and her only daughter lives halfway across the country. My mother realized she could probably use some help getting to and from doctor's appointments and taking care of her house, so she jumped in and volunteered. I met Hilda soon after and remember thinking she was the funniest person ever... her bouffant hairstyle and thick German accent would have me laughing to myself quite often. Here are a few pics of her with "Tigressa" (her name for MC) when she came over this past weekend.This weekend when she was over, Adam and I got the treat of listening to some of her stories of living in Germany during the war. This woman is completely captivating. The things she has seen and experienced are enough to leave your jaw on the floor. I just had to share a few...

First of all, she has met Hitler. She worked in a factory in Germany and for some reason the factory workers were invited to Hitler's home for dinner. They were starving and all quite poor. They entered his home to find a beautiful table filled more food than they had ever seen. As you can imagine they were quite excited that they were actually going to get a meal. She then went on to describe the experience..." Hitler walked in and, Jessica, you could've heard a pin drop. Everyone was at attention and said nothing. He walked into the banquet room and looked at the table. He walked closer to it and then grabbed a corner of the table cloth. Then, without a word, jerked the table cloth off, sending every bit of food and china crashing to the floor. Just as silently as he entered, he left. Again, no one said a single word." At this point I literally thought I was going to have to use my hand to close my wide open mouth. She then went on to tell us "my friends and I were so hungry that we were almost in tears. I knew we had to have something to eat so I grabbed one of the linen napkins I found on the floor and started shoving food into it. I told my friends to do the same, but the hesitated saying that we would surely be killed if they caught us trying to leave with the food. I told them that we had to take the chance - we didn't know when we would get the chance to eat again..." Pretty amazing huh?

Even more amazing? The number of times she escaped death. Hilda was in her 20's during the war and lived with her parents in a home in Germany. She said she arrived home one day to find her house completely engulfed in flames from an air rade. Not only that - when they moved into another home, it happened again. They lost everything - twice - to air bombs. Things were so dangerous at this point that her family, and the friends they moved in with, were forced to live in the basement. Hilda said they had no food and couldn't even go upstairs to take a bath because it was so dangerous. She said she remembered an American soldier knocking on the door one time and being completely terrified. He asked her if she had a camera and she said yes and ran to get it. He said he would give her candy and cigarettes in exchange for her camera. She said she accepted immediately they were so hungry.

Another story which left me with my mouth completely agape went as follows... "I had started a job as a secretary about 8 miles from where I lived. There was another girl named Olga that worked with me who didn't live far from my home so after work we would walk home together. As we were walking, we heard the sirens and knew another air rade was coming. We were always told to get in a ditch if this occurred so we ran to the closest ditch and put our heads down. I remember hearing the machine guns and bombs so close to me. When it was all over, I said "Ok Olga. I think we can get up and go home now" Olga said nothing. I looked over and she was dead...."

After spending time listening to Hilda it made me realize how INCREDIBLY blessed we are. I asked her once if she was afraid and she just looked at me and said "Jessica, you don't even know fear." She's right, I don't; and I'm glad.

I was so amazed with this woman I just had to share a few of her stories - maybe it will inspire you to take the time to really talk to an elderly person you might know!

Mommy's Little Sparkler

2010-07-07T08:35:00.014-05:00

Hope everyone had a happy 4th of July! As usual we spent our weekend ~~trapped in a freaking car for 3 hours~~ traveling. We went to Florence for Lisa's little boy's birthday party and to hang out with the fam for the holiday. It had been a while since they had seen MC so they were super excited of course. Her nana bought her a special fourth of July outfit for the occassion - "mommy's little sparkler"...
I really can't believe my little girl is 7 months old now. It seems that in the last month she has done SOOO much. I mean she finally learned how to roll from her stomach to her back, started sitting up alone, started waving, started crawling, said mama, and has now started pulling up on things and standing on her own (well, with mama's hands close by to catch her when those little knees collapse haha). Its totally insane to think back to her being a little, tiny, 7lb 13oz baby who just laid there and could fit so snuggly in my arms. Now she's all over the place doing crazy downward dog yoga moves. This is her newest "thing". I don't really know what she is doing, or why she enjoys it, but I just know I love seeing her cute little booty in the air like that hahaHere are a few more pics from the weekend. I know everyone wants to see the cutest baby in the entire world (Ok, maybe I'm a little biased...) ;)

Clueless

2010-07-02T17:17:00.002-05:00

Alright readers, I've got a serious question. As you all know I have been frantically searching fora job here in Starkville. Well I made it past the first round of interviews for a job (it was a phone interview), and now I've got second rounds coming up. This will be a face to face interview with the manager of the company. We are meeting at Starkville Cafe (a little down home cooking sort of joint) at 9:15 in the morning. My question is WHAT DO I WEAR?? I mean, I haven't been on an interview in like 5 years... and the fact that this seems somewhat more casual (I mean we are meeting at a southern cooking restaurant in the morning) I am at a loss. I mean I don't want go the business suit route because number one it is freaking hotter than face of the sun outside and number two, as I mentioned, this seems a little more laid back. Let me give you some background. The position is for a customer service representative for a medical equipment provider (ie - they sell medical equipment such as breathing machines, mobility machines, etc.) The first interview was over the phone since the majority of the job would entail talking to people over the phone. Now, its face to face time. HELP!!! I am totally lost as far as proper summer interview attire!!!!

MC's 6 month pics

2010-06-28T16:09:00.011-05:00

I know, I know, its taken a while, but here are a few pics from MC's 6 month photo shoot we had last weekend. Such a sweetie pie! :)

Redneck Enough?

2010-06-28T14:26:00.007-05:00

We had a yard sale. Redneck enough? Nope. Adam had to kick it up by sitting in a lawn chair beside his yard sale drinking a beer! The REALLY redneck part? It was 8:00 in the friggin' morning!

Redneck enough? Nope. Adam decided the lawn chair was no good and instead went for drinking his morning yardsale beer from the riding lawnmower.

Redneck enough? Nope. Merely sitting on the lawnmower drinking the beer would not suffice in this competative world of redneck-ing. Adam took it a step further and decided he should actually RIDE the lawnmower while drinking his beer.

Redneck enough? Nope. He went the distance, literally. He rode it all the way down the street and actually popped a wheelie on the darn thing.

Redneck enough? YUP!

No Rest For The Weary

2010-06-22T10:29:00.003-05:00

Yet again, its been a long weekend. It seems as though we go out of town every single weekend. I. hate. the. car. I am so sick of driving and riding its ridiculous. I know MC is too... poor baby always gets dragged somewhere. Well, thats the price you pay when you live hours away from both sets of grandparents!

So, anyway, we went to Florence this past weekend for MC's 6 month photos. I am SOOO excited to see them!!! (And, yes, you know I'll be posting them as soon as I do get them!) I hope they turned out well because she was sick when we had them done. I thought about rescheduling, but we are having a yard sale next weekend and after that she won't be six months anymore! She's doing much better now, I took her to the doctor because I had a feeling it was allergies. She seems to get the coughing, runny/stuffy nose, watery/itchy eye thing at least once a month. It got so bad Sunday that she started coughing so much it made her choke and vomit. Super scary. It was mostly mucus which also scared me. Anyway, the doctor said it probably was allergies, but it might have been a cold. I will stick to my allergy theory due to the sheer number of times it seems to occur. She gave us a prescription so we'll see if it helps... I hate seeing MC not feeling well and not being able to do anything to help her! :(

Good news from this weekend too - although kinda sad for daddy. MC said mama for the first time!!!! I walked in the room and she popped her little head up and said "ma ma". She then proceeded to say it ALL DAY LONG - over and over again. I was loving it, however, if you remember, Sunday was FATHER'S DAY! :( Not exactly the best gift for daddy! haha. He took it very well though and was excited and encouraged her to continue saying it throughout the day.

In other MC news, the constipation issue is SOOOO much better!!!! I am so excited because it too gave me a lot of stress. Again, seeing her in pain and not being able to do anything is the worst feeling ever. I stopped giving her rice in her bottle about a month ago and limited the amount of banana and apple baby food (I only give it to her maybe once or twice a week). I also increased the amount of "p" foods as I had mentioned earlier. Anyway, whatever it was, it seems to be helping thank goodness.

Now I've got a question for all the mommies out there. What in the world do you do with your child to contain them??!! haha. MC is crawling now - (can't remember if I had mentioned that or not. I hope to get video on here soon, but I can't right now because our internet is too slow. When we canceled our cable we increased our internet speed so hopefully when they finally get around to changing everything it will be fast enough for me to load the videos!) I've seen the play yeards, but I worry about them being made of a hard material...she rolls all over the place and I'm scared she'll roll and hit her head on the side and hurt herself. I have yet to see any that come with soft sides. I know I could put her in the pack and play, but I want her to have a lot of space to move around. I don't want to keep her in a tiny little play pen where she can't crawl and move around. Suggestions? Now, in addition to her being very mobile, our house has no carpet. Its all hardwood and tile (aka nothing cushy in the whole house). We have a rug in the living room, but the coffee table takes up most of the space and its way too heavy to move back and forth. I think I might have come up with a solution to this though - I thought about getting one of those egg crates from Wal-Mart (the kind you put on a matress) and just putting a fitted sheet over it so I could take it off and wash it. Then, we can just roll it up and put it in a closet when she isn't using it. Thoughts?

I've got a super funny story to tell about our drive to Florence, but I need to feed MC right now. I'll be sure to post about it later! Happy Tuesday readers!

Well Dave Says...

2010-06-16T08:27:00.002-05:00

As I have mentioned, Adam and I are now taking part in "Financial Peace University" - the Dave Ramsey financial planning thingy. In his DVD's he made a joke about how couples fight about finances and how everyone hates him because one spouse will alway say "well, Dave Ramsey says..." (Maybe you have to see the DVD to get the full effect of this humor) Anyway, I caught myself actually saying it to someone this morning and so I just had to write about how this whole experience is going.

Dave's motto is "live like no one else so that later you can life like no one else". Yeah, sounds a lot better than what he is REALLY saying "~~live like no one else~~ a bag lady/hobo during the prime time of your life ~~so that later you can live like no one else~~ be rich when you're old and can't do anything with the money anyway. No, I joke about Dave but he is really onto something here. He really gets Adam and I fired up about this whole process and we have been sticking to it so far this month.

The premise is this - budget for every single dollar you make. Make a cash flow plan showing where every dime of your money is going each month and don't vere from the budget! You even have to put certain categories' money into envelopes so that you are SURE not to spend more than you alloted. Now, do I like going to the grocery store and getting out my white envelope labeled "groceries"? Hell no. Do I like shoving the pennies and dimes into the Kroger self check out machine while people glance at me with pity filled eyes? Not at all. But, I'm hoping in the long run it we will be rewarded.

So you're probably wondering "that all sounds well and good, but what happens if you go to the store and you forget your envelope?" Easy. You leave the store and go back home and get it. I kid you not. Dave says to. When you think about it, it makes sense. If I am out running errands and happen to make my way into a clothing store and find an amazingly super cute top but don't have my "clothing" envelope, I can't buy it. And unless its the most amazing top that has ever been constructed, I am not going to go all the way home, get my envelope, and come back to the store. Genius idea really.

So basically the whole plan is going well. We really enjoy watching the DVD's (the guy is actually REALLY funny and entertaining) and they are SOOOO informative. I never knew a lot about financial matters (aka investments, insurance, ect.) and he fills you in on all that. I would definately reccomend it to anyone who likes the idea of being wealthy. Yeah. That should just about cover everyone.

A brief warning though....you will want to kill your spouse. My blogging friend Brittany said that Home Depot should pass out free marriage counseling with each paint sample - I will say the same for this program. I think it should come with a coupon book for everything from marriage counseling to 50% off garbage bags, rope, and shovels. I mean when Adam and I had our first budget meeting, I was scared one of us wasn't coming out alive. However, we got through it and if it's not for the best in the long run, I am going to go hunt down Dave Ramsey and ~~kick him in the balls~~ ever so politely explain that his program is crap and now I'm divorced with a lazy eye because the computer we were throwing at each other hit me in the face.

Anyway, I'll keep you updated as to ~~who dies first~~ how its going. Happy hump day everyone!

Ambulance Please

2010-06-14T08:28:00.003-05:00

I seriously think I am having my first heart attack. I kid you not. I could kill over at any moment while typing this. I just dropped MC off at daycare for the first time and it's either a heart attack or panic attack I am now experiencing. I mean, I am leaving my only sweet, precious, innocent, and helpless baby girl with a complete stranger!!!!

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but Adam and I have been searching for someone to care for MC when I do finally get a job. I wanted to have all that arranged so that when ~~McDonald's~~ the fortune 500 company begged me to come work for them, I could say yes because I already had arrangements made for childcare. Anyway, I asked on facebook (of course) and got a reference from someone for this woman I'll call Mrs. M. Now, Mrs. M and Adam talked while we were still living in Madison and he seemed very impressed with her. We told her when we would be moving to Starkville and that we would be in touch. I spoke to her shortly after we moved in to arrange a time for us to meet. She told me her address and I couldn't believe it - the woman lives about 5 houses up the street! Fate, right? Let's hope so!!! She charges an EXTREMELY great price and takes care of 2 other children full time and one other child part-time. The other kids are one and a half, 2, and almost 2. Of course this makes me nervous as well. What if these kids (unintentionally of course) hurt MC???!!! What if they try to pick her up, or throw things at her, or poke her???

These kids are not the only things I am worried about by any means. I am worried about EVERYTHING that could possibly go wrong. Every single insane scenario that could ever play out is now flashing over and over in my mind. What if she doesnt nap? What if she doesn't eat? What if the world is attacked by zombies and I'm not there to protect her? Again, EVERY SINGLE thing that could (and I suppose things that couldn't) ever happen are majorly freaking me out!!!

We are starting her part-time to see how it goes. She will be there from 8-12 Monday-Thursday. No, I don't have a job yet, but at least I will have a few hours to actually go look for one now. Maybe something will work out soon....

PLEASE keep us in your prayers right now!!! I really need some serenity to deal with this and I'll take all prayers I can get for MC's safety! (Asking God to help me out with the job thing wouldn't hurt either if you happen to think about it....) Thanks readers! Happy Monday! (Oh, and Happy Anniversary Adam! I'm sure you won't read this but just in case...)

The Story Of Us

2010-06-11T08:13:00.002-05:00

I might have mentioned this before, but Monday is mine and Adam's 2 year anniversary. This year is really special because we will actually get to be TOGETHER for it! Last year he left for Iraq the day before our anniversary. I spent our one year balled up on the bed crying my eyes out. Not fun. So this year is a big improvement. I might have also mentioned that we are broke. I mean we literally have no income. We are living off savings which is a huge bummer. We saved and saved while Adam was deployed and built up a nice little nest egg - now its all disappearing. (On a side note, we are now watching Dave Ramsey's ~~dont spend any money 101~~ Financial Peace University. Don't laugh. This guy is UH-MAZING.) My point is, we are not going anywhere or buying each other anything. Its easy to get caught up in the materialism of the occassion, but after what we went through last year, I'm glad just to have him home with me and spend time with him.

Anniversaries really make you think back to when you were dating and how this whole thing started. (At least it does for me) So I have decided to ~~bore~~ induldge you with how we became "Jess and Adam"...

Once upon a time there was a beautiful young maiden (yes, thats me) who had had her heart broken repeatedly by the biggest tools in all the kingdom. She had forever given up hope of ever becoming wed so she decided to just ~~have fun an enjoy whatever tool bags hadn't screwed her over yet~~ deal with the pain. One day this fair maiden's roommate introduced her to a noble young man named Jacob. The single maiden asked the noble young man if he had any noble young friends he might be willing to introduce her to. He said he knew just the man and told her he would arrange a meeting. The maiden was beside herself with excitement and waited anxiously for the day she might meet her prince charming.

The maiden waited and waited and had almost given up hope when one day she went to a friend's birthday ball. While at the ball she spoke to Jacob and he said he was going to call his noble young friend to see if he would also like to attend the ball. The maiden became quite anxious and had to ~~throw back repeated Jell-O shots~~ take several deep breaths to calm her nerves.

Then, out of nowhere she saw her prince's charming form as he ~~walked~~ rode his stallion up the street to the ball. And, what was this? A royal black puppy accompanied him! Oh the joy the young maiden felt in her heart! The rest of the ball was spent conversing and entertaining the royal puppy. What a wonderful night!

The next day the maiden could hardly wait to receive a ~~facebook message~~ ~~phone call~~ letter from the prince asking for another secret rendezvous (it had to remain secret for the maiden knew her kind mother would ~~interrogate~~ politely ask when the two would be wed - and we know the maiden was not looking for a husband) The maiden, who was still ~~slightly drunk~~ on cloud nine from the previous night decided to be forward and ~~facebook stalk~~ write the young prince. The young prince quickly responded and the two arranged a meeting for the following night.

The young prince arrive at the maiden's door that evening dressed in ~~a Polo and jeans~~ his finest attire and took the maiden to an establishment in which all the cool people of the kingdom went to. The two enjoyed their time together, however the maiden didn't think this charming young prince was her one true love. For the maiden had a picture in her mind of HER prince and, while this was a truly noble young man, he was not the picture.

The maiden still enjoyed the company of the young prince and the two were together almost everyday. They took the royal puppy for walks and swims and went to all the bars in the kingdom. They became quite good friends until one day the prince approached the maiden at the Royal Quizno's....

"My fair maiden... it pains me to say this but we can no longer be ~~friends with benefits~~ friends. For I have fallen madly in love with you and it feels as though a dagger is being pushed into my heart when we are together. I know you have been ~~shit on~~ hurt by village douches, but I would never hurt you as they did. I love you and I cannot be around you if you are not mine." The maiden was stunned and didn't know what to say. She knew that she enjoyed spending time with the prince, but did not feel he was the one for her. She sadly told the prince she understood and would miss him. The heartbroken prince left with tears in his eyes and a heavy heart.

As the maiden drove back to her ~~crappy apartment~~ palace, she thought long and hard about the prince's words and what they meant. The maiden didn't know what to do so she called upon her wise and noble father for advice. Her father asked her one simple question which changed the maiden's life forever... "my dear daughter, how would you feel if you saw the prince out with another maiden?" She pictured the prince at the bar with another ~~slutty ho~~ village woman, and her heart began to hurt. For this maiden soon realized that she had put a suit of armor around her heart to protect it long ago. For her tender heart had been cut, pierced, smashed, and walked on far too many times and the maiden wanted to save what little was left. The armor went up and she was determined that no one would ever be able to remove it. Until now...

With love in her now free heart, the maiden immediately ran to the ~~even crappier house than hers~~ royal palace to tell the prince she was in love with him! (In her haste she did not even notice that she was in her night clothing with no make-up...) Low and behold when she knocked upon the door the prince did not answer! The royal roommate opened the door and told the young maiden the prince had gone out to the nicest restaurant/bar in the kingdom with princes' from other neighboring lands. What little was left of the maiden's fragile heart was now breaking for she feared the prince was not out with friends, but with another ~~slutty bitch~~ maiden! She went straight to the nice restaurant (still in her night clothes and without make-up) to break up the ~~pre-sex drinking~~ date, and profess her love for the prince. As she rushed into the restaurant the hostess looked at her as if she had lepracy, and the maiden soon realized she had entered the nicest restaurant in the kingdom in her night clothes! She didn't even care - she knew she MUST find the prince! The hostess led her to the table and there was the prince! (Not with another maiden, but with other neighboring princes' as the royal roommate had said...) She grabbed the ~~drunk~~ heartbroken prince and led him outside. She proceeded to tell the prince she was so sorry and that it was him she loved. For he alone had broken the armor that surrounded her heart and it was now free to love! The prince cried joyfully, as did the maiden, and the two lived happily ever after...

Some story, huh? Happy Friday everyone!!! :)

Well Hello New Friend!

2010-06-09T15:59:00.002-05:00

Is it sad I just spent 30 minutes talking to the plumber? No, not about plumbing issues - about life. Even sadder? I told him to come back and visit anytime. I'm serious. My name is Jessica and my best friend is a plumber. Wow.

Keepin' It Real

2010-06-09T07:38:00.004-05:00

So apparently part of the appeal is that I keep it real. (Wow. Totally didn't mean to Dr. Seuss that) With that being said, let me just have "real" slap you in the face if thats the case (are you kidding me? I didn't mean to do that one either)

So let me tell you what I hate - moms who talk about how wonderful and perfect their life is staying home with their child. It makes me feel like a failure. Now don't get me wrong, I LOOOOVE my baby more than life itself. However, my daily routine these last few months with no job is about to kill me. Its like "Hello, adult conversation. I miss you. xoxo - Jess" Their life seems to resemble this...

That is not my life. My life looks more like this... (well, minus the cat... and the nursing.. and the blonde hair... well, geez, you get the idea)

A little background here... I LOVE to talk (I tend to get shy around new people but thats only because I get intimidated very easily - not because I'm snobby) and I LOVE to change things up everyday. Now, being at home I rarely get to talk and its the same thing day in and day out. This is our routine everyday:

- wake up/feed MC

- MC plays on mat and I eat breakfast/check email

- MC plays in walker (I usually dance and sing to her at this point)

- feed MC baby food

- put MC down for a nap

- while she's asleep I take a shower, make the bed, clean our room, and do the dishes

- get her up/feed her

- she watches baby einstein while I eat lunch

- we play together for a while then she goes down for a nap

- I do more cleaning or laundry and check email again

- she wakes up and we play/go for a walk

- she goes down for a nap and I get dinner ready

While she's asleep Adam usually comes home. I then proceede to talk nonstop about absolutely nothing because he can respond with more than "aaaahhhh" and "eeeiiioooo".

For those of you that work, you are hating me right now. You are thinking to yourselves - ugh, I wish I had time to do laundry and clean my house and sleep in late! This is true (I mean I don't know if I would consider 6:45 late, but its late for me compared to getting up at 4:15 when I used to teach). However, you have to weigh the pros and cons of the situation. WE HAVE NO MONEY. Big drawback. Another draw back is that I spend my ENTIRE day in silence! I mean, yes, I talk to Maggie Claire. A Lot actually. But, its just not as fulfilling when the person you are talking to looks at you like you're crazy and doesn't respond. Also, its completely monotonous. Same thing day in and day out. Feed the baby, change the baby, clean the house, feed the baby, change the baby, clean the house. You get the idea.

There. I kept it real. I really hate to complain because I do cherish the time I get to spend with MC and I know most moms would kill for the luxury - but it takes its toll. Thats all I'm sayin'.