Well finally! Something we have been hoping would happen for years. Raynor finally has a new job! I can't even begin to express how uplifting this is for us. The poor guy has been trying to make this happen forever, and I am so proud of him for not giving up.
Yesterday, Raynor had an interview with Les Schwab. My dad has worked for Les Schwab for over 3o years and the company has really taken care of him. Raynor has been trying to get in for over a year now, but with the bad economy there hasn't been much avaiblible and even when there is there are just so many other qualified people.
Saturday afternoon the assistant manager of the Orenco store called Raynor and said they wanted to meet with him. So Raynor got a nice outfit together and found someone to watch Alexxa and headed out to the interview yesterday. He was really nervous, and I was feeling for him all day while I was at work. We talked about it together and decided that no matter what the outcome, whats meant to be will have its way and we would be ok with it. Well, today the assistant manager called and offered him a job!! Its a 40 hour position and the benefits the company offers are amazing! He doesn't have to pay for health insurance for himself, or his family. Its all covered by the company! That is amazing! Pretty much unheard of. Not to mention the retirement benefits are amazing and there is plenty of potential to move up. Although advancing in the company could mean at some point we would have to relocate, we will cross that bridge when we get there. This job is what we need for right now.
Finally it feels like we can start moving ahead in life. We will be able to start making progress on our debts, and hopefully someday we will be able to live off one income. For right now though, we are finally taking a step forward and we are in a better position than we were yesterday.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Me and the Gym
I am going to be totally honest here. I hate working out. I always have. And I think it is because I am a bit of a princess. I don't like to get dirty, and I don't like to sweat...eewww. And working out involves all of that.
I am the first to whine and complain about my body. I hate what I see in the mirror and yet I don't do anything about it. And as bad as this sounds I would much rather just not eat than sweat at the gym for an hour. Thats not to say that I don't enjoy food. Late night eating is one of my biggest problems.
I've always had a fast metabolism. Up until a couple years ago I could lose 10 pound by simply living on cottage cheese and raw veggies for a few weeks. But I have come to learn that your body goes through changes as you get older (like getting pregnant and having babies) and your metabolism slows down. Gone are the days when I could just stave myself and shead inches.
Ever since Alexxa has been born I have been hating my body. Not only am I packing around some extra pounds, I have had to accept the fact that my body is now that of a woman and not a teenager. I now have hips and, well I have out grown some of my favorite tops if you know what I mean. But I have decided that I am going to embrace my new womanly body and not hate it.
So earlier this week, I put on a pair of sweats, dug my sneakers out of my closet, and threw my hair up! I grabbed my iPhone and headphones and set off for the gym! I told myself that I wasn't going to overdue it. My goal was 10 minutes on the eliptical and that was it. The first few minutes were hard, I admit but after I got into it I felt ok about it. Before I knew it my 10 minutes were up and I pushed myself 2 more minutes! I came home feeling great about myself. I went again tonight and went for 15 minutes. My goal is to do this at least 5 days a week and eventually work myself up to 30 minutes cardio and eventually add some weights. For now though, I am starting out slow. Wish me luck!
I am the first to whine and complain about my body. I hate what I see in the mirror and yet I don't do anything about it. And as bad as this sounds I would much rather just not eat than sweat at the gym for an hour. Thats not to say that I don't enjoy food. Late night eating is one of my biggest problems.
I've always had a fast metabolism. Up until a couple years ago I could lose 10 pound by simply living on cottage cheese and raw veggies for a few weeks. But I have come to learn that your body goes through changes as you get older (like getting pregnant and having babies) and your metabolism slows down. Gone are the days when I could just stave myself and shead inches.
Ever since Alexxa has been born I have been hating my body. Not only am I packing around some extra pounds, I have had to accept the fact that my body is now that of a woman and not a teenager. I now have hips and, well I have out grown some of my favorite tops if you know what I mean. But I have decided that I am going to embrace my new womanly body and not hate it.
So earlier this week, I put on a pair of sweats, dug my sneakers out of my closet, and threw my hair up! I grabbed my iPhone and headphones and set off for the gym! I told myself that I wasn't going to overdue it. My goal was 10 minutes on the eliptical and that was it. The first few minutes were hard, I admit but after I got into it I felt ok about it. Before I knew it my 10 minutes were up and I pushed myself 2 more minutes! I came home feeling great about myself. I went again tonight and went for 15 minutes. My goal is to do this at least 5 days a week and eventually work myself up to 30 minutes cardio and eventually add some weights. For now though, I am starting out slow. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
I have a new job!!!
This has to be quick because I am on my lunch break, but the good news is that I got a new job!
I am going to be a Medical Receptionist at Women's Healthcare Associates which is on the Legacy Meredian Park Hospital Campus. I applied for this position about 2 months ago, and had pretty much lost hope. I had one interview, but it just felt like it went ok. When I didn't hear anything I figured that because of my lack of experience I didn't get it. Well, about 3 weeks after that interview they called me back and said the office wanted to meet me. I went in and I felt like that interview went really well. Before I left, they gave me paperwork to go have a drug test done, and when that happened I figured they were really interested. Most companies won't spend the money on drug testing if they are not serious abou the applicant.
Monday morning I got a phone call from their HR rep who offered me the job. Not only is it perfect because it is in the medical field, but its also 3 minutes from my house, a lot more money (which I wasn't expecting) there is a daycare on site for Alexxa, and I don't have to pay for my health insurance! To top it all off the hours are Monday-Friday 8-5. AMAZING! Believe it or not though, it took me a long time to decide if I wanted to do it or not. It was offered to me Monday and I didn't give my 2 weeks notice to the bank until today. Up to this point I was working part time and this job is full time. Giving up that time with Alexxa is going to be a big sacrifice. But it makes me feel better knowing that she will be at the daycare that is just right downstairs. I am also getting back into school this summer so that I can work towards what I really want to do which is nursing. Someday when I finish school and get the nursing job I want, I will be able to work 12 hour days, or I can even work nights if I want so that I will be able to be with her during they day.
Anyways, I am so excited about this new adventure! I am one step closer to my goal. Yay!
I am going to be a Medical Receptionist at Women's Healthcare Associates which is on the Legacy Meredian Park Hospital Campus. I applied for this position about 2 months ago, and had pretty much lost hope. I had one interview, but it just felt like it went ok. When I didn't hear anything I figured that because of my lack of experience I didn't get it. Well, about 3 weeks after that interview they called me back and said the office wanted to meet me. I went in and I felt like that interview went really well. Before I left, they gave me paperwork to go have a drug test done, and when that happened I figured they were really interested. Most companies won't spend the money on drug testing if they are not serious abou the applicant.
Monday morning I got a phone call from their HR rep who offered me the job. Not only is it perfect because it is in the medical field, but its also 3 minutes from my house, a lot more money (which I wasn't expecting) there is a daycare on site for Alexxa, and I don't have to pay for my health insurance! To top it all off the hours are Monday-Friday 8-5. AMAZING! Believe it or not though, it took me a long time to decide if I wanted to do it or not. It was offered to me Monday and I didn't give my 2 weeks notice to the bank until today. Up to this point I was working part time and this job is full time. Giving up that time with Alexxa is going to be a big sacrifice. But it makes me feel better knowing that she will be at the daycare that is just right downstairs. I am also getting back into school this summer so that I can work towards what I really want to do which is nursing. Someday when I finish school and get the nursing job I want, I will be able to work 12 hour days, or I can even work nights if I want so that I will be able to be with her during they day.
Anyways, I am so excited about this new adventure! I am one step closer to my goal. Yay!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Hugs from complete strangers
This morning after stratigically planning my shopping list while Alexxa was taking her morning nap, we set off the Fred Myer. I just needed to grab a few quick things. So we go to Freddy's and get our stuff, check out. We pack up our stuff and start heading out to the car. I am walking about, oh maybe 15-20 feet behind this guy, probably in his mid to late 20's. He looked pretty average and had two adorable little girls with him. I saw him drop something. I didn't realize until I got a little closer that it was money. So I decide to chase after it because he was almost to his car and with the wind blowing, probably wouldn't have heard me even if I shouted at him. I catch up to the flying money, grab it and now I have to chase after the owner. At this point, I didn't even look at the bill to see what denomination it was, my attention was totally focused on my daughter, shopping cart full of groceries and chasing down this stranger. About the time I start walk over towards him I see him start frantically grabbing at his wallet and checking his pockets. I sort of wave and he looks at me like I am crazy (I'm sure I did look rediculous). I get about 10 feet away from him and wave the money in the air and say, "I saw you drop this!" He starts running over to me and I didn't realize it was a 100 dollar bill until I handed it over to him. For a minute he looked a little puzzled and then flew into this frantic thankful mode and said something along the lines of "Oh my gosh your an angel thank you so much!!!" and then this complete stranger gives me this huge hug. Now, anyone that knows me knows that I am not a toughy-feely-huggy person. I am really not a cuddler, Raynor and I have a king sized bed for a reason...I like my space. But for some reason this complete stranger's hug made me feel good. Let's just say I drove away feeling quite good about myself. However, also on my drive home I felt a little sad.
I think it is sad that in our world today, it is suprising when someone returns money. Obviously I never even considered keeping it, and I can't imagine how anyone could keep money that isn't rightfully theirs. This man that dropped his money was probably like the majority of us, doing the best he can to support his family. If that WERE my hundred dollars it would have been devistating to us to lose it. For all I know that could have been their grocery money for the week, or extra money he had saved to take his wife on a much-anticipated date night. How could anyone not return it?
Anyways, I am glad there are still some honest people in the world and it made me feel good about myself to do the right thing.
I think it is sad that in our world today, it is suprising when someone returns money. Obviously I never even considered keeping it, and I can't imagine how anyone could keep money that isn't rightfully theirs. This man that dropped his money was probably like the majority of us, doing the best he can to support his family. If that WERE my hundred dollars it would have been devistating to us to lose it. For all I know that could have been their grocery money for the week, or extra money he had saved to take his wife on a much-anticipated date night. How could anyone not return it?
Anyways, I am glad there are still some honest people in the world and it made me feel good about myself to do the right thing.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Car shopping is in the air...
My old friend Roxanne and I have been through a lot together. She has never let me down, left me stranded, and has kept me safe. Yes, Roxanne is my 1998 Honda Civic DX.
Don't ask me why I named my car Roxanne, or even why I decided it was a girl, I guess it just seemed right at the time. I have had my beloved Honda for 7 years. Its pretty much the only car I have ever owned. When I was learning to drive my parents got me a 1992 Toyota Corolla. Well, after I got my license, being the somewhat snotty teenager I was (sad but true) I decided the old Toyota was just not worthy of me driving it. I wanted something with more spunk. Something more my age. I had been saving money from my jobs for quite a few years, because I was living at home and didn't have any other bills to pay with it. Of course, a lot went to shopping and teenage stuff but I saved a lot too.
For some reason I was drawn Honda Civics. I think because they were young, cute and sporty, just like I was. So right after I got my license I started shopping. I knew I couldn't go into debt because I wasn't old enough to finance a car and even if I was, I didn't have a credit history and my parents absolutely refused to co-sign. So finally one day as I was surfing auto trader I came across a perfect black 1998 Honda Civic DX coupe. I was in love! It was just a hair over my price range, but it was in perfect condition. I drug my dad out to Portland that same night to look at it. The couple that owned it at the time were super nice, and said they loved the car but were selling it because they had a baby on the way. I drove it, and so did my dad. He let me do everything including negotiating the price. Before I knew it we had worked out a deal with them and the car was all mine! The very next day I drove to Portland and picked it up. I was glowing the whole way home!
I have taken very good care of Roxanne. I make sure she gets her oil changed and tires rotated every 3,000 miles. I wash and wax her regularly. I have kept up on all the maitenace including putting a new timing belt in her which cost A LOT of money haha. But she was my pride in joy and I was determined to take good care of her.
Sadly, the time has come that Roxanne and I must part ways. I am no longer the spunky 17 year old I once was. Well, I may still be spunky but I am not 17. I am now the proud mama of a beautiful 5 month old baby girl. Truth of the matter is, I should have got a new car before Alexxa was born. I have been hesitant though, because I love my little car and its paid for and it gets great gas milage. It also runs great and aside from routine maintenance it has never cost me any money. However for the last 5 months that I have been fussing with the seats to get Alexxa in the back and then wrestling with them again to get her carseat out, I realize now that I need a bigger car. I am a tall person and when I put the seat back to where I need it to drive it ends up hitting Alexxa's carseat. I think the infant seat probably takes up more room than the next stage, but still its pretty tight in the back.
Yesterday after I got off work I went over to my parent's house to fix Roxanne up and to get her in tip-top shape for her soon-to-be new owner. I washed the whole exterior, waxed it, shampooed the carpets inside, and cleaned the seats with an upholstry cleaner. And I have to say, now its even harder to part ways because she really looks just like new!
I do dread car shopping though. I am shopping on a budget and planning to use the money that I get from the Honda and whatever I get back from taxes. No car payments for me. After I get my taxes done next week I will have a better idea of what my budget will be. I've been looking around on Craigslist and autotrader, but I haven't really found anything that looks very promising. For the budget range I am in, most cars are either are newer with a ton of miles on them or they are really old. I'm not against old cars except for it needs to have airbags because God forbid if I was to get in an accident I want Alexxa and I to be as safe as possible. But I will just have to be patient and keep looking. I also know I need something with good gas milage. There are so many cute SUV's out there that are roomy and super cute, but I would be spend half my paycheck then on gas, so that is out. I also need something roomy enough in the back seat to eventually fit 2 or maybe even 3 carseats someday.
I hope Roxanne's soon to be new owner will keep her clean, and adore her the way I have. And I look forward to finding a new car that will be my pride in joy.
Don't ask me why I named my car Roxanne, or even why I decided it was a girl, I guess it just seemed right at the time. I have had my beloved Honda for 7 years. Its pretty much the only car I have ever owned. When I was learning to drive my parents got me a 1992 Toyota Corolla. Well, after I got my license, being the somewhat snotty teenager I was (sad but true) I decided the old Toyota was just not worthy of me driving it. I wanted something with more spunk. Something more my age. I had been saving money from my jobs for quite a few years, because I was living at home and didn't have any other bills to pay with it. Of course, a lot went to shopping and teenage stuff but I saved a lot too.
For some reason I was drawn Honda Civics. I think because they were young, cute and sporty, just like I was. So right after I got my license I started shopping. I knew I couldn't go into debt because I wasn't old enough to finance a car and even if I was, I didn't have a credit history and my parents absolutely refused to co-sign. So finally one day as I was surfing auto trader I came across a perfect black 1998 Honda Civic DX coupe. I was in love! It was just a hair over my price range, but it was in perfect condition. I drug my dad out to Portland that same night to look at it. The couple that owned it at the time were super nice, and said they loved the car but were selling it because they had a baby on the way. I drove it, and so did my dad. He let me do everything including negotiating the price. Before I knew it we had worked out a deal with them and the car was all mine! The very next day I drove to Portland and picked it up. I was glowing the whole way home!
I have taken very good care of Roxanne. I make sure she gets her oil changed and tires rotated every 3,000 miles. I wash and wax her regularly. I have kept up on all the maitenace including putting a new timing belt in her which cost A LOT of money haha. But she was my pride in joy and I was determined to take good care of her.
Sadly, the time has come that Roxanne and I must part ways. I am no longer the spunky 17 year old I once was. Well, I may still be spunky but I am not 17. I am now the proud mama of a beautiful 5 month old baby girl. Truth of the matter is, I should have got a new car before Alexxa was born. I have been hesitant though, because I love my little car and its paid for and it gets great gas milage. It also runs great and aside from routine maintenance it has never cost me any money. However for the last 5 months that I have been fussing with the seats to get Alexxa in the back and then wrestling with them again to get her carseat out, I realize now that I need a bigger car. I am a tall person and when I put the seat back to where I need it to drive it ends up hitting Alexxa's carseat. I think the infant seat probably takes up more room than the next stage, but still its pretty tight in the back.
Yesterday after I got off work I went over to my parent's house to fix Roxanne up and to get her in tip-top shape for her soon-to-be new owner. I washed the whole exterior, waxed it, shampooed the carpets inside, and cleaned the seats with an upholstry cleaner. And I have to say, now its even harder to part ways because she really looks just like new!
I do dread car shopping though. I am shopping on a budget and planning to use the money that I get from the Honda and whatever I get back from taxes. No car payments for me. After I get my taxes done next week I will have a better idea of what my budget will be. I've been looking around on Craigslist and autotrader, but I haven't really found anything that looks very promising. For the budget range I am in, most cars are either are newer with a ton of miles on them or they are really old. I'm not against old cars except for it needs to have airbags because God forbid if I was to get in an accident I want Alexxa and I to be as safe as possible. But I will just have to be patient and keep looking. I also know I need something with good gas milage. There are so many cute SUV's out there that are roomy and super cute, but I would be spend half my paycheck then on gas, so that is out. I also need something roomy enough in the back seat to eventually fit 2 or maybe even 3 carseats someday.
I hope Roxanne's soon to be new owner will keep her clean, and adore her the way I have. And I look forward to finding a new car that will be my pride in joy.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Work, Life and Everything Else Balance
You would think I would be a balancing pro right? I am a banker after all. Well, although I might be able to make a cash drawer with a lot of money in it balance, and on occasion even the vault, I can't seem to be able to balance my life. I just can't do it all.
Growing up I had a mom that could did it all. She was a full time college student when I was little. On top of being college student, she also worked a full time job. On top of the full time job and full time classes she was also a mommy and a wife. She handled her responsiblities with a sort of poise and confidence I have only really seen in her. Our house was always clean. Laundry was always done, my brother and I were always happy. Eventually mom graduated college, twice actually. The first time with her bachelors degree, the second with her masters. She eventually worked her way up the corporate ladder at a very prestigious company and landed herself a sweet corner office and a fancy CEO title. It is also true that I didn't grow up with a mom who was there all the time. She wasn't there when I got home from school, and for about 4 years she had a marketing job that required 70% travel. This of course wasn't while I was little, I was in middle school when she had that job. But I don't hold that against her, she did what she needed to do. She had big dreams and she made them happen. She showed us that hard work really does pay off, trust me it was NOT easy for her to get where she is now.
I guess my problem is I don't know how in the heck she did it. I have been pretty much going crazy lately. I work on Tuesday, Wendesday, Friday and Saturday. Alexxa is with a babysitter Tuesday and Wendesday, Raynor has her on Friday, and one of the Grandma's takes her on Saturday. She is all mine on Monday, Thursday, half of Saturday and all day Sunday. Raynor and I have oposite schedules so we don't have a day off together at all. If I'm off he is working, if I am working, he is off. I feel like things just don't get done around the house. On my days off the house is in desperate need of cleaning, but when I'm cleaning I feel guilty for not spending time with Alexxa, but when I don't clean I feel guilty my daughter doesn't have a clean house. Its just so hard to truly enjoy my time with her when I feel like I need to be playing "catch up" on all the stuff I didn't have time to do when I was working.
I also feel guilty that I am even complaining about this. There are a lot of women out there who are full time working moms and somehow make it work. Women like my mom who just seem to make it all work. I just wish I could figure out how to do it...
Growing up I had a mom that could did it all. She was a full time college student when I was little. On top of being college student, she also worked a full time job. On top of the full time job and full time classes she was also a mommy and a wife. She handled her responsiblities with a sort of poise and confidence I have only really seen in her. Our house was always clean. Laundry was always done, my brother and I were always happy. Eventually mom graduated college, twice actually. The first time with her bachelors degree, the second with her masters. She eventually worked her way up the corporate ladder at a very prestigious company and landed herself a sweet corner office and a fancy CEO title. It is also true that I didn't grow up with a mom who was there all the time. She wasn't there when I got home from school, and for about 4 years she had a marketing job that required 70% travel. This of course wasn't while I was little, I was in middle school when she had that job. But I don't hold that against her, she did what she needed to do. She had big dreams and she made them happen. She showed us that hard work really does pay off, trust me it was NOT easy for her to get where she is now.
I guess my problem is I don't know how in the heck she did it. I have been pretty much going crazy lately. I work on Tuesday, Wendesday, Friday and Saturday. Alexxa is with a babysitter Tuesday and Wendesday, Raynor has her on Friday, and one of the Grandma's takes her on Saturday. She is all mine on Monday, Thursday, half of Saturday and all day Sunday. Raynor and I have oposite schedules so we don't have a day off together at all. If I'm off he is working, if I am working, he is off. I feel like things just don't get done around the house. On my days off the house is in desperate need of cleaning, but when I'm cleaning I feel guilty for not spending time with Alexxa, but when I don't clean I feel guilty my daughter doesn't have a clean house. Its just so hard to truly enjoy my time with her when I feel like I need to be playing "catch up" on all the stuff I didn't have time to do when I was working.
I also feel guilty that I am even complaining about this. There are a lot of women out there who are full time working moms and somehow make it work. Women like my mom who just seem to make it all work. I just wish I could figure out how to do it...
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Job Drama
Its safe to say, I am feeling just a little discouraged. I have been wanting so badly to get into the healthcare field. I enjoy helping people. Its what I am good at and passionate about. Some would argue that you help people in the banking world, and I'm not saying that isn't true, but I want to help people on a deeper level than that.
I have applied for maybe 15 entry level healthcare-related jobs. Nothing extremely complicated or anything, basic entry level mostly receptionist-like positions. They don't pay much, but I don't care. All I want is a job that will expose me to the terminology and pace of the field so that I can learn. A company I can move up within is desirable too, but not a must. And I am sad to say I have not even gotten a call for an interview. All I get back are stupid little emails saying thanks for your interest and good luck with your search, but you don't have enough experience to work here.
Well where the heck do these people expect me to get my experience? Somebody would have to hire me first!
I guess maybe I'm a little torked (to say the least) because I have never really applied for a job that I haven't gotten. Not to sound cocky, but I do tend to interview really well and I guess I just say the right things. One of my hidden talents I guess. Candy, the manager that first hired me when I started to work at Bank of America said, that even though I had no banking, or really even any money-related experience at the time that I blew it out of the water with at my interview. She took a chance on me when she hired me. It was a good thing that she did, because I have been pretty successful. Naomi told me last week that I could go far in banking if I wanted too, which was very flattering to hear from someone in her position. However not what I want to do with my life. Being the amazing person she is, she completely supports my decision.
So I guess I hope and pray that someone sitting at their desk in an HR department will come across my resume and decide to AT LEAST give me an interview. If I just had the chance to go in there and tell them how badly I want into the field and that I am so excited get back into school and become a nurse. Maybe even some day a Nurse Practioner. What I need is for someone to take a chance on me the way Candy did. I know I am a hard worker. I know that I wouldn't dissapoint them. And I know I can do this. If I at least got in interview and then still got rejected, at least I would then know I did the best I could.
Anyways, I guess the only thing I can do is keep sending in my resumes. Eventually maybe someone will contact me for an interview.
I have applied for maybe 15 entry level healthcare-related jobs. Nothing extremely complicated or anything, basic entry level mostly receptionist-like positions. They don't pay much, but I don't care. All I want is a job that will expose me to the terminology and pace of the field so that I can learn. A company I can move up within is desirable too, but not a must. And I am sad to say I have not even gotten a call for an interview. All I get back are stupid little emails saying thanks for your interest and good luck with your search, but you don't have enough experience to work here.
Well where the heck do these people expect me to get my experience? Somebody would have to hire me first!
I guess maybe I'm a little torked (to say the least) because I have never really applied for a job that I haven't gotten. Not to sound cocky, but I do tend to interview really well and I guess I just say the right things. One of my hidden talents I guess. Candy, the manager that first hired me when I started to work at Bank of America said, that even though I had no banking, or really even any money-related experience at the time that I blew it out of the water with at my interview. She took a chance on me when she hired me. It was a good thing that she did, because I have been pretty successful. Naomi told me last week that I could go far in banking if I wanted too, which was very flattering to hear from someone in her position. However not what I want to do with my life. Being the amazing person she is, she completely supports my decision.
So I guess I hope and pray that someone sitting at their desk in an HR department will come across my resume and decide to AT LEAST give me an interview. If I just had the chance to go in there and tell them how badly I want into the field and that I am so excited get back into school and become a nurse. Maybe even some day a Nurse Practioner. What I need is for someone to take a chance on me the way Candy did. I know I am a hard worker. I know that I wouldn't dissapoint them. And I know I can do this. If I at least got in interview and then still got rejected, at least I would then know I did the best I could.
Anyways, I guess the only thing I can do is keep sending in my resumes. Eventually maybe someone will contact me for an interview.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
No more excuses....
I've decided that I will no longer be making excuses for myself. I am tired of sitting around complaining about my body and being close to tears in dressing rooms when I try on clothes. If I don't do anything about it, then I shouldn't complain right?
Lately, I have been very inspired by some friends and co-workers. They are all busy people with jobs and families and if they can find time in their day to work out and take care of themselves then why can't I? My mom is a hard core business woman who works 100+ hours a week and she still finds time to go for her walks! Even when she is on business trips, she takes her sneakers and sweat pants and heads for the hotel gym while she's there. So, I know I can do it, its just a matter of making it happen, and that part is only up to me. I mean really all it would take is 30 minutes to an hour to head to the gym, and since we have one here at our apartment I would just have to walk across the parking lot. There really is no excuse for not going over there. It is open 24/7 so I could go when Alexxa is asleep for the night, or in the morning.
Last night I started looking online at spring/summer clothes. I didn't have to really go through that torture last year, because I was pregnant, and well I never had a problem with maturnity clothes. They just always looked good on me! But this summer is going to be different. I will not be pregnant, and I would rather not sit around feeling sorry for myself not wanting to go to the pool and flat out refusing to put on shorts. I have always hated my legs. And does it seem like the shorts just keep getting shorter every year? I think they do! The last few years I have only wore capri pants or burmuda shorts because I have been sooooo self concious about my legs. Raynor is always encouraging that I look fine, but I dont listen lol! But this year, I am determined to wear real shorts and feel confident about myself. I'm definitely not saying I want to dress like a hoochie mama, but I would like to be able to wear real summer clothes and not feel terrible about it.
Anyways, here is what I am going to do. I am going to start out small, and easy. I am going to commit to going to the gym 5 days a week for no more than an hour. And I will start on something easy like the epliptical or the treadmill. I have always enjoyed the eliptical because I can go a long time on it without getting tired, and I think its a pretty good work out for your legs and theighs. As far as food goes, I'm just going to start eating healthier, and cutting down the amount that I would normally eat. You see, with me its more about portion control because I really can eat a lot if I want too! The other night I had 1 slice of pizza instead of my usual 3 and I was prefectly fine and no longer hungry. I will not totally give up the treats either. I don't think its wrong to treat yourself to some ice cream once a week, or some yummy popcorn at the movies. But there are also healthier options for treats too. I think frozen yogurt is delicious and its also WAY less calories.
Anyways, this is my commitment to myself. I know I can do it, and maybe for once in long time I will feel good about myself this summer! Go me!
Lately, I have been very inspired by some friends and co-workers. They are all busy people with jobs and families and if they can find time in their day to work out and take care of themselves then why can't I? My mom is a hard core business woman who works 100+ hours a week and she still finds time to go for her walks! Even when she is on business trips, she takes her sneakers and sweat pants and heads for the hotel gym while she's there. So, I know I can do it, its just a matter of making it happen, and that part is only up to me. I mean really all it would take is 30 minutes to an hour to head to the gym, and since we have one here at our apartment I would just have to walk across the parking lot. There really is no excuse for not going over there. It is open 24/7 so I could go when Alexxa is asleep for the night, or in the morning.
Last night I started looking online at spring/summer clothes. I didn't have to really go through that torture last year, because I was pregnant, and well I never had a problem with maturnity clothes. They just always looked good on me! But this summer is going to be different. I will not be pregnant, and I would rather not sit around feeling sorry for myself not wanting to go to the pool and flat out refusing to put on shorts. I have always hated my legs. And does it seem like the shorts just keep getting shorter every year? I think they do! The last few years I have only wore capri pants or burmuda shorts because I have been sooooo self concious about my legs. Raynor is always encouraging that I look fine, but I dont listen lol! But this year, I am determined to wear real shorts and feel confident about myself. I'm definitely not saying I want to dress like a hoochie mama, but I would like to be able to wear real summer clothes and not feel terrible about it.
Anyways, here is what I am going to do. I am going to start out small, and easy. I am going to commit to going to the gym 5 days a week for no more than an hour. And I will start on something easy like the epliptical or the treadmill. I have always enjoyed the eliptical because I can go a long time on it without getting tired, and I think its a pretty good work out for your legs and theighs. As far as food goes, I'm just going to start eating healthier, and cutting down the amount that I would normally eat. You see, with me its more about portion control because I really can eat a lot if I want too! The other night I had 1 slice of pizza instead of my usual 3 and I was prefectly fine and no longer hungry. I will not totally give up the treats either. I don't think its wrong to treat yourself to some ice cream once a week, or some yummy popcorn at the movies. But there are also healthier options for treats too. I think frozen yogurt is delicious and its also WAY less calories.
Anyways, this is my commitment to myself. I know I can do it, and maybe for once in long time I will feel good about myself this summer! Go me!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Career Changes
Its really no secret that I haven't been happy at the bank for quite some time. Its not the people, or really even the job, banking is just clearly not for me. I feel like I have been there long enough now (4 years) to know if it is really for me or not. And clearly...its not!
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and came to the obvious conclusion that it is time for a career change. Its taken me months of thinking and a lot of weighing back and forth, but I think that being a nurse would be the perfect job for me. I don't faint at the sight of blood, I'm not squeemish, and some of the gross things that nurses have to do, wouldn't really phase me. It also pays very well, not that money is everything, but it certainly helps! I also would be helping people, which is my biggest passion. The hours are also amazing! I would be working 12 hour shifts 3 days a week. And if I wanted to I could work nights, so I would only be away from Alexxa when she is sleeping.
So obviously I need to get back into school, which I am planning on doing this summer. In the meantime though, I feel like I need a change of sceanery. Something that will expose me to the medical world, so I can learn the terminology and also a company that I can grow within. I've applied for several jobs at various different hospitals. Since I have just begun my search, I haven't got any phone calls yet. I really don't expect the right opportunity to come along very soon though, just because I don't have any experience in the medical field and there are so many qualified applicants out there right now. I am really crossing my fingers to work for Legacy. They are such a great company, and they would help me pay for a portion of my nursing school. I can take a lot of the certifications at the hospital actually, and at my favorite price...FREE! I have applied for I think...like 3 or 4 positions there so hopefully something will work out. I'm not even looking to make a lot of money, just to learn.
Right now, I am probably the happiest I have ever been since working at the bank. I have a great team at work, and a manager that truly supports and cares about her employees. Because she has been so fabulous and has supported me in all my personal and career decisions, I decided I didn't want to leave her in the dark about all this. I would have felt really bad if she had gotten a phone call about me applying for jobs elsewhere and got the wrong idea. So last week I decided to sit down and talk to Naomi about it. I wasn't really sure if it was the right decision, but what was the worst thing that could have happened? And she was more than supportive of me! She said she wants all of her employees to be happy and fallow their dreams. And she asked me to keep her in the loop about interviews and things. That made me feel so much better about it!
I am so excited about the possiblilities of this new adventure! Wish me luck!
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and came to the obvious conclusion that it is time for a career change. Its taken me months of thinking and a lot of weighing back and forth, but I think that being a nurse would be the perfect job for me. I don't faint at the sight of blood, I'm not squeemish, and some of the gross things that nurses have to do, wouldn't really phase me. It also pays very well, not that money is everything, but it certainly helps! I also would be helping people, which is my biggest passion. The hours are also amazing! I would be working 12 hour shifts 3 days a week. And if I wanted to I could work nights, so I would only be away from Alexxa when she is sleeping.
So obviously I need to get back into school, which I am planning on doing this summer. In the meantime though, I feel like I need a change of sceanery. Something that will expose me to the medical world, so I can learn the terminology and also a company that I can grow within. I've applied for several jobs at various different hospitals. Since I have just begun my search, I haven't got any phone calls yet. I really don't expect the right opportunity to come along very soon though, just because I don't have any experience in the medical field and there are so many qualified applicants out there right now. I am really crossing my fingers to work for Legacy. They are such a great company, and they would help me pay for a portion of my nursing school. I can take a lot of the certifications at the hospital actually, and at my favorite price...FREE! I have applied for I think...like 3 or 4 positions there so hopefully something will work out. I'm not even looking to make a lot of money, just to learn.
Right now, I am probably the happiest I have ever been since working at the bank. I have a great team at work, and a manager that truly supports and cares about her employees. Because she has been so fabulous and has supported me in all my personal and career decisions, I decided I didn't want to leave her in the dark about all this. I would have felt really bad if she had gotten a phone call about me applying for jobs elsewhere and got the wrong idea. So last week I decided to sit down and talk to Naomi about it. I wasn't really sure if it was the right decision, but what was the worst thing that could have happened? And she was more than supportive of me! She said she wants all of her employees to be happy and fallow their dreams. And she asked me to keep her in the loop about interviews and things. That made me feel so much better about it!
I am so excited about the possiblilities of this new adventure! Wish me luck!
Monday, February 1, 2010
My first sick day as a mommy
I think one of the biggest challenges of motherhood is when your sick. You see, when your a mom you can't just lay around and be lazy and feel sorry for yourself when sick. I am a huge baby and wimp, so typically thats what I do when I don't feel well. I lay around in bed, while Raynor waits on me. I eat chicken noodle soup and catch up on all my daytime soaps. But now that I am a mommy, those days are over. Life must go on, no matter how crappy I feel.
These last few days I have had major neck and shoulder pain and I've been feeling really crappy. This morning was worse though. I woke up to Alexxa talking and cooing and being all cute in her crib. Raynor said he would go in and get her while I made her bottle. Usually when he is home, I insist on going in and getting her because shes all happy and smilily and its my favorite time of the day with her. But today because my neck has been so sore, I didn't want to lift her so I had him get her up and changed while I made the bottle. Well, let me tell ya, I made it to the kitchen, opened the cupboard to get the bottle and made a straight b-line for the bathroom. My head was spinning, and I was all of the sudden very nauseous. I've thrown up a few times, right now I feel a little better but still really tired and weak. I really don't think its the flu, its probably got something to do with my neck pain I've had. I have been taking some really strong pain killers, and I have always been sensitive to narcotic pain medication. Raynor didn't want to go to work, but he doesn't have any paid time for sick days and we really can't afford for him to take an unpaid day. I called my mom and she has meetings scheduled for the whole day at work. She said if it gets really bad to call her though, and she could leave if she HAD too.
So far today, Alexxa has been pretty good. She played on the floor this morning for a bit under her play gym. When she got tired of that she did alright in her swing, and now she is laying with me in my bed. She seems to be pretty content with me right here next to her. Soon, it will be time for her morning nap so I'm hoping she gives me a good one today.
Anyways, please keep me in your rhoughts and prayers today, its going to be tough.
These last few days I have had major neck and shoulder pain and I've been feeling really crappy. This morning was worse though. I woke up to Alexxa talking and cooing and being all cute in her crib. Raynor said he would go in and get her while I made her bottle. Usually when he is home, I insist on going in and getting her because shes all happy and smilily and its my favorite time of the day with her. But today because my neck has been so sore, I didn't want to lift her so I had him get her up and changed while I made the bottle. Well, let me tell ya, I made it to the kitchen, opened the cupboard to get the bottle and made a straight b-line for the bathroom. My head was spinning, and I was all of the sudden very nauseous. I've thrown up a few times, right now I feel a little better but still really tired and weak. I really don't think its the flu, its probably got something to do with my neck pain I've had. I have been taking some really strong pain killers, and I have always been sensitive to narcotic pain medication. Raynor didn't want to go to work, but he doesn't have any paid time for sick days and we really can't afford for him to take an unpaid day. I called my mom and she has meetings scheduled for the whole day at work. She said if it gets really bad to call her though, and she could leave if she HAD too.
So far today, Alexxa has been pretty good. She played on the floor this morning for a bit under her play gym. When she got tired of that she did alright in her swing, and now she is laying with me in my bed. She seems to be pretty content with me right here next to her. Soon, it will be time for her morning nap so I'm hoping she gives me a good one today.
Anyways, please keep me in your rhoughts and prayers today, its going to be tough.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Going back to reality...
A week from tomorrow I will be heading back to work. Its a very bittersweat thing for me to do. I know I have to do what I have to do, so I am looking forward to settling into my new routine. Raynor and I ran the numbers and put it all out on paper and it just wasn't possible for me to stay home with her full time. However, with the price of childcare we decided it would be the best choice for me to go back part time. I stepped down from the Sales and Service Specialist postition, and decided to be a part time 20-30 hour teller. I am really looking forward to it, I'm not going to miss the stress of my old job. My work days will be Wendesday, Thursday, Friday and half a day on Saturday. Other than that I will be home with Alexxa. Wendesday and Thursday one of my best friends will be taking care of her, so its comforting to know she is in good hands. Friday is Raynor's day off so obviously, I know she will be in great hands with him. The sadest part of this whole arrangement is that Raynor and I no longer have a day off together, and that will be so hard for us. We enjoy our family days with Alexxa and our fun little date days where we just go and do whatever. Raynor will be working 6 days a week starting on Saturday then Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wendesday, and Thursday with Friday being his only day off. It will be hard, but I guess we are just running on hope that things will start to turn around and he will be able to find a new job.
Tomorrow I am going to spend the day going through all my clothes. Since I got pregnant and my work wardrobe was all maturnity clothes, I really can't remember what I have for work clothes and what I might need. I know I definitely need some new pants and skirts. My old ones still fit, as in I can wear them, but my body is just a little different now that I've had a baby so I don't like the way the look anymore. I got some money for Christmas though, so I think some evening next week I'm going to head to the mall and see what I can find.
Raynor and I also came up with a new budget this week. We are really going to change the way we spend our money. I went through our bank account with a calculator and added up all out unnecessary expenses. Let me tell you, the number made me sick! We are going to stick to the budget we made up for a few months and see where it takes us. If we are doing ok, I might be able to cut my hours down at work even more and work. But we would rather play it safe and have extra money than not enough.
Anyways, keep me in your thoughts and prayers next week. It will be hard for me, but I'm tough and I think I can handle it.
Tomorrow I am going to spend the day going through all my clothes. Since I got pregnant and my work wardrobe was all maturnity clothes, I really can't remember what I have for work clothes and what I might need. I know I definitely need some new pants and skirts. My old ones still fit, as in I can wear them, but my body is just a little different now that I've had a baby so I don't like the way the look anymore. I got some money for Christmas though, so I think some evening next week I'm going to head to the mall and see what I can find.
Raynor and I also came up with a new budget this week. We are really going to change the way we spend our money. I went through our bank account with a calculator and added up all out unnecessary expenses. Let me tell you, the number made me sick! We are going to stick to the budget we made up for a few months and see where it takes us. If we are doing ok, I might be able to cut my hours down at work even more and work. But we would rather play it safe and have extra money than not enough.
Anyways, keep me in your thoughts and prayers next week. It will be hard for me, but I'm tough and I think I can handle it.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Another year gone...
Is it just me or does it seem like the older we get, the faster the years go? It certainly feels this way to me. I remember back when I was in school (which wasn't really that long ago) the years would just drag on and on. I remember sitting on the bleachers at my freshmen year orientation feeling like 4 years was a lifetime. And it did feel that way until June 11, 2004 while I was sitting on the track with my classmates in my cap and gown about to graduate! At that point it was hard to imagine where all that time had gone. High school is not one of my fondest memories, but there were some good times, but a lot of anger and frustration in those years as well. My little brother is about to turn 20 on January 10th and I have told him several times not to feel so bad about leaving those teen years behind. My 20's have been waaaay more fun than the teen years!
So let's get to the reason I am writing this blog. The year 2009. The first thoughts that come to mind are, "WOW! What a wirlwind!" If someone told me last year on New Years that I would be where I am right now at the beginning of 2010 I would have probably laughed and thought no possible way. The year 2009 has been one of the best and also hardest of my life. There have been loved ones lost, new ones born, relationships that have fallen apart, new friends that have come into our lives and then some that have fallen out of our lives. The year started out very rocky for Raynor and I. At the time I was have issues at work, really hating my job at the time, our bad financial desisions had finally started to bite us in the butt, and Raynor's hours had been cut nearly in half at work. Towards the end of January, we made the tough decision to move out of our condo. Soon after that, we got the biggest suprise of all. Two little pink lines on a pregnancy test. And it could not have come at a worse time. We found out right when we were in the middle of packing up our condo, about 2 weeks before we had to move. At a time when we needed eachother more than ever we were parting ways. Not breaking up, but I was moving home to my parents house and Raynor moved in with a friend. We decided it was the best option, so we would have time to save up our money and pay off some debt. That was probably the worst part of the entire year. It was also one of the best decisions we have ever made, as hard as it was. We were able to build our savings, and pay off some credit cards. As the month of April started to approach, and I got further into my pregnancy, we decided we were ready to find a new place. At first it was really discouraging. It seemed like everything was out of our budget. We had found a perfect apartment in Wilsonville that we fell in love with, but they didn't allow dogs. I was SO upset! About a week after that I was surfing Craigslist for places and came across an add for an apartment complex in Tualatin that Raynor and I had actually toured about a year earlier. We really liked it, but it was out of our price range at the time. However, because of the bad economy they had dropped their prices a bit and were running some killer specials! The very next day we headed in to check it out. We liked the apartment even more so than we had before. Its 2 bedroom 2 bath and very spacious. To make things even better the application fees were only 15 dollars each, they waived the move in fee, and we got our first month's rent for free. We wasted no time applying, soon got approved and moved in at the end of April. Finally it there was some light at the end of the dark tunnel! I still absolutely love where we live. This place feels more like home to me than anywhere else we have ever lived, even the fancy condo.
The spring and summer of 2009 were awesome. Well except for the heat. I was very miserable during all that heat! Of course one of the hottest summers in history was the one that I was pregnant haha! But it was all worth it. In May I transferred to a new branch. I stayed with the same position, but the move was a good one for me. I had been working out in Cedar Mill for 9 months and it was ok, but the drive was long and the robbery that we had in November of 2008 had really got to me. So when the market told me they wanted to transfer me to the Washington Square branch I was more than willing. I was there from May through September when I went on maturnity leave and I loved it. The rest of the summer kept us busy with an awesome vacation to the Raynor's family cabin on the snake river, baby preparations, and lots of family time. Before we knew it September snuck up on us! On the 9th of September my doctor decided to pull me out of work because little miss Alexxa was wanting to come out earlier than she was supposed too. It wouldn't have been a terrible situation because it was so close my due date, but they wanted her to wait until at least 38 weeks idealy. He didn't put my on bed rest, due to the fact that it was so close and she would have been fine. But if she did come earlier than 38 weeks I wouldn't have been able to have her at the hospital I wanted too, and my doctor doesn't have privilages at Emanuel (where we would have gone if she came early) so I didn't want that at all! Instead of bed rest he told me to take it really easy. Doing light chores around the house was fine, going to the store, family's houses stuff like that was ok, but I wasn't supposed to be doing any major activity. I of course took his advice and layed low for a few weeks. I still had majorly painful contractions though and it was really miserable! Finally at my 37 week appointment I asked him when, if ever he would be willing to "help" me go into labor so I could stop being miserable. He said he would induce me at 39 weeks considering everything seemed favorable at my 38 week appointment. He went ahead and scheduled the induction for October 6th, contingent on the 38 week appointment being all good. To my luck it was, and we were able to go ahead with October 6th. I remember that morning just like it was yesterday morning. I only slept until 3am and after that I was too excited to sleep. I called the hospital at 5am as my doctor had instructed me too, and they said there was room for us and to come on in at 7am! Raynor packed the car while I showered and got ready. It was so surreal leaving our apartment knowing that when we came back we would have a baby with us! Sure enough at 9pm on October 6th Alexxa Rae come into the world. It was a wonderful, perfect experience. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
The last few months have been like a dream. Bank of America has a great family leave program. I have been very fortunate to be able to spend the last 3 months at home with her. She amazes me more every day. I can't even believe that in 2 weeks she will be 3 months old. So crazy. All she does is laugh and smile now and she has gotten so chubby! I was looking at her newborn pictures this morning and all the baby pudge is certainly new! She was such an itty bitty thing when she was born.
Wendesday the 6th of January I will be going back to work. Raynor and I came up with the best situation we could pull off and I think it will work out nicely for now. I am not going back to the bank as the Sales and Service Specialist. I decided to step down to a part time 25-30 hour teller. It will be nice, I will not miss the stress of my old job. My work days will be Wendesday, Thursday, Friday, and half a day Saturday. My very good friend Ticia will be watching Alexxa on Wendesday and Thursday and Raynor will have her Friday. My mom and Raynor's mom will rotate Saturdays and other than that I will be home with her. Our goal is for me to eventually be home with her full time, but until that is possible this arragement will have to work. I'm actually looking forward to getting back to "normal".
I'm so excited to see what the New Year will bring. I have a feeling its going to be great. Hopefully the economy will start to turn back around, and there will be more jobs. Its hard to believe that this time next year I will have a little 1 year old toddling around. Its a crazy world we live in!
So let's get to the reason I am writing this blog. The year 2009. The first thoughts that come to mind are, "WOW! What a wirlwind!" If someone told me last year on New Years that I would be where I am right now at the beginning of 2010 I would have probably laughed and thought no possible way. The year 2009 has been one of the best and also hardest of my life. There have been loved ones lost, new ones born, relationships that have fallen apart, new friends that have come into our lives and then some that have fallen out of our lives. The year started out very rocky for Raynor and I. At the time I was have issues at work, really hating my job at the time, our bad financial desisions had finally started to bite us in the butt, and Raynor's hours had been cut nearly in half at work. Towards the end of January, we made the tough decision to move out of our condo. Soon after that, we got the biggest suprise of all. Two little pink lines on a pregnancy test. And it could not have come at a worse time. We found out right when we were in the middle of packing up our condo, about 2 weeks before we had to move. At a time when we needed eachother more than ever we were parting ways. Not breaking up, but I was moving home to my parents house and Raynor moved in with a friend. We decided it was the best option, so we would have time to save up our money and pay off some debt. That was probably the worst part of the entire year. It was also one of the best decisions we have ever made, as hard as it was. We were able to build our savings, and pay off some credit cards. As the month of April started to approach, and I got further into my pregnancy, we decided we were ready to find a new place. At first it was really discouraging. It seemed like everything was out of our budget. We had found a perfect apartment in Wilsonville that we fell in love with, but they didn't allow dogs. I was SO upset! About a week after that I was surfing Craigslist for places and came across an add for an apartment complex in Tualatin that Raynor and I had actually toured about a year earlier. We really liked it, but it was out of our price range at the time. However, because of the bad economy they had dropped their prices a bit and were running some killer specials! The very next day we headed in to check it out. We liked the apartment even more so than we had before. Its 2 bedroom 2 bath and very spacious. To make things even better the application fees were only 15 dollars each, they waived the move in fee, and we got our first month's rent for free. We wasted no time applying, soon got approved and moved in at the end of April. Finally it there was some light at the end of the dark tunnel! I still absolutely love where we live. This place feels more like home to me than anywhere else we have ever lived, even the fancy condo.
The spring and summer of 2009 were awesome. Well except for the heat. I was very miserable during all that heat! Of course one of the hottest summers in history was the one that I was pregnant haha! But it was all worth it. In May I transferred to a new branch. I stayed with the same position, but the move was a good one for me. I had been working out in Cedar Mill for 9 months and it was ok, but the drive was long and the robbery that we had in November of 2008 had really got to me. So when the market told me they wanted to transfer me to the Washington Square branch I was more than willing. I was there from May through September when I went on maturnity leave and I loved it. The rest of the summer kept us busy with an awesome vacation to the Raynor's family cabin on the snake river, baby preparations, and lots of family time. Before we knew it September snuck up on us! On the 9th of September my doctor decided to pull me out of work because little miss Alexxa was wanting to come out earlier than she was supposed too. It wouldn't have been a terrible situation because it was so close my due date, but they wanted her to wait until at least 38 weeks idealy. He didn't put my on bed rest, due to the fact that it was so close and she would have been fine. But if she did come earlier than 38 weeks I wouldn't have been able to have her at the hospital I wanted too, and my doctor doesn't have privilages at Emanuel (where we would have gone if she came early) so I didn't want that at all! Instead of bed rest he told me to take it really easy. Doing light chores around the house was fine, going to the store, family's houses stuff like that was ok, but I wasn't supposed to be doing any major activity. I of course took his advice and layed low for a few weeks. I still had majorly painful contractions though and it was really miserable! Finally at my 37 week appointment I asked him when, if ever he would be willing to "help" me go into labor so I could stop being miserable. He said he would induce me at 39 weeks considering everything seemed favorable at my 38 week appointment. He went ahead and scheduled the induction for October 6th, contingent on the 38 week appointment being all good. To my luck it was, and we were able to go ahead with October 6th. I remember that morning just like it was yesterday morning. I only slept until 3am and after that I was too excited to sleep. I called the hospital at 5am as my doctor had instructed me too, and they said there was room for us and to come on in at 7am! Raynor packed the car while I showered and got ready. It was so surreal leaving our apartment knowing that when we came back we would have a baby with us! Sure enough at 9pm on October 6th Alexxa Rae come into the world. It was a wonderful, perfect experience. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
The last few months have been like a dream. Bank of America has a great family leave program. I have been very fortunate to be able to spend the last 3 months at home with her. She amazes me more every day. I can't even believe that in 2 weeks she will be 3 months old. So crazy. All she does is laugh and smile now and she has gotten so chubby! I was looking at her newborn pictures this morning and all the baby pudge is certainly new! She was such an itty bitty thing when she was born.
Wendesday the 6th of January I will be going back to work. Raynor and I came up with the best situation we could pull off and I think it will work out nicely for now. I am not going back to the bank as the Sales and Service Specialist. I decided to step down to a part time 25-30 hour teller. It will be nice, I will not miss the stress of my old job. My work days will be Wendesday, Thursday, Friday, and half a day Saturday. My very good friend Ticia will be watching Alexxa on Wendesday and Thursday and Raynor will have her Friday. My mom and Raynor's mom will rotate Saturdays and other than that I will be home with her. Our goal is for me to eventually be home with her full time, but until that is possible this arragement will have to work. I'm actually looking forward to getting back to "normal".
I'm so excited to see what the New Year will bring. I have a feeling its going to be great. Hopefully the economy will start to turn back around, and there will be more jobs. Its hard to believe that this time next year I will have a little 1 year old toddling around. Its a crazy world we live in!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Baby product research
I think from the time we find out we are expecting a child we only want the best for them when it comes to baby products. I mean, who wants to be a penny pincher when it comes to their child? Is there anything that is "too good" for your child? I think not! When Raynor and I started shopping around for baby stuff, I guess I automatically thought the expensive stuff was probably expensive for a reason: It was the best! When we bought her stroller/carseat travel system I did endless research on them to truly find the safest option for our baby. In the end we went with a Graco Snugride Travel System. I decided on that one because I actually talked to a police officer that had seen the Snugride carseat survive a roll over crash and the baby was fine. God forbid that would ever happen to us, but if it did I can rest assured that Alexxa would be safe. Now, that Graco Travel System just so happened to be cheaper than the Chicco one we were considering by over 100 dollars! To Raynor and I, 100 dollars is a lot of money!
I think my biggest struggle of all boiled down to baby formula. Oh yes, the formula. Obviously you want anything you are putting into your child's body to be good right? Not even just good, you want the best! I knew beforehand that breast-feeding was best. I was not excited about doing it because, well afterall I had already shared my body with this little person for the last 9 months and I was ready for it to be mine again and wasn't exactly stoked about sharing it for another 6-12 months. However the research is black and white and to the point. Breast-feeding is superior to formula. So you can probably imagine my guilt and disappointment when it didn't work out the way I had planned. From the very first try, Alexxa wanted nothing to do with it and I didn't like it either. It would turn into this battle between her and I and would leave us both in tears. The second night we were in the hospital I broke down and called the nurse to bring a bottle. She did and Alexxa guzzled it down in about 2 minutes! Poor little thing was starving. I thought that after she got some food in her she might have an easier time with breastfeeding. NOT the the case. Over the next two weeks we met with lactation nurses three times, and had several more battles ending in tears. She had made up her mind about what she wanted and I had to swallow my guilt and give the child a darn bottle! Which brings me to my main point (I got a little off track) the baby formula! The hospital and her pediatrician had been giving me samples of Enfamil. I had about a 10 day supply of the liquid samples from the doctors office and while I was pregnant I had gotten 2 cans of the powder samples in the mail. Eventually though those ran out, so Alexxa and I went on our first outing together to Target. I went down the formula isle and gasped in shock! Sitting there on the shelf was Enfamil formula at about 25 dollars a can, Similac for about 27 dollars a can and then there was Target brand for about 12 dollars a can. Now I sat there for, I don't know how long maybe about 10 minutes thinking. What was the difference? This store brand couldn't possibly be as GOOD as the name brand Enfamil Lipil the pediatrician had given me right? So what did I do? I bit my lip and spent 25 dollars on Enfamil.
I drove home still thinking about the Target brand vs the Enfamil. So that night I got online and did some research. Here is what I came up with:
*EVERY can of formula on the market today MUST meet FDA regulations. There are specific procedures manufactures must fallow to make it. So wether you are feeding your baby Enfamil, or a generic brand, the baby is getting a safe, FDA approved product. As long as the Formula contains iron, your fine. The majority of baby formula is actually made by the same company! Therefor, the generic brand comes out of the same factory as the name brand! The extra 13 or so dollars? Its pretty much for the fancy label.
*Why do pediatricians and hospitals give you name brand samples? It boils down to money. Pediatricians and hospitals get hit by marketing campaigns, samples, and kickbacks in order to give away samples of name brand formula. Enfamil and Similac (the leaders of the baby formula empire) know that once you get your baby hooked on "what works" at the hospital or on the samples your pediatrician gives you, you are then less likely to switch products. Enfamil and Similac are also big enough companies that they can afford to dazzle you with samples and coupons, but when those run out you are forced to subject your money to the 25 dollar label vs the 12 dollar one.
*What is are the major differences? There aren't any. Wether its Enfamil, Similac, Nestle, or generic the ingredients are almost identical. As for the generic brand, if you compare the label to one of the name brands eventually you can find the one that the generic is replicating. The Target Brand just so happens to be an identical match to Similac Advance. 12 dollars vs. 27 dollars!
So there you have it! After Alexxa enjoyed her 25 dollar can of Enfamil formula, we went to Target and bought 2 cans of the Target brand for less than the price of 1 can of Enfamil or Similac. I fed it to her at her next feeding, expecting her to maybe get a little upset tummy over the switch, but nothing happened! She loved it! Lesson learned. The expensive stuff isn't always the best, and now Raynor and I will save hundreds of dollars over the first year of her life. I now feed my baby Target brand formula and I do it with pride!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
My sweet little angel is 2 months old!!!
Well I'm looking at the clock right now. 10pm exactly. Two months ago at this time I was sitting in my hospital bed with Raynor admiring our precious new arrival. Ever since that night my life has been like a dream I haven't wanted to wake up from. I don't remember what life was even like without her. She is like the last peice of the jigsaw puzzle that fit just perfectly into our lives.
Alexxa is doing amazing. She just shocks me every day. She has transformed from the little red faced bundle we brought home from the hospital into this very alert little person who is learning to smile and coo. Today I was on the computer and she was entertaining herself so nicely in her bobby bouncer. I had the music on and the chair also vibrates which was making the little toys move in front of her face. I looked down and she was actually batting at the toys with her little hands! Amazing! So far she has watched her mobiles and toys very intently, but she hasn't showed any interest in trying to touch them. Well today she did. She intentionally reached up and hit them. Such a small thing, yet it made me so proud! And she just loves her mommy and daddy. When she is in a full blown crying spell all it takes is for one of us to pick her up and snuggle her and she calms right down. I love being the magic woman!
Friday she has her 2 months check up. I am so excited to see how much she weighs and how much longer she is! At first there was a lot of conern about her eating habbits and she wasn't gaining weight at the rate the doctors like to see. She just didn't show much interest in eating much at all! Breastfeeding never came easy to me, and it didn't come easy to Alexxa either. We would both get so frustrated and eventually she would end up screaming her little head off and I would also be in tears. I met with the lactation nurses three times, once while we were at the hospital and twice after we had gone home. I tried pumping too and nothing was working. Finally, I had to just let go of the guilt and throw in the towel. But now that I did, Alexxa and I are both happier, and eating isn't so dramatic! She has come to LOVE her bottle! That was another saga...bottles. I swear, we must have tried every bottle on the market. For a while she liked the playtex drop ins, (although I thought they were a pain), we did Playtex Ventair, and then Avent. She seems to prefer the Avent and I definitely don't miss the extra step of having to put the liner in the bottle. The only issue I have with Avent is they are expensive and occasionally they leak. But the leaking problem can usually be solved by taking the cap off and putting it back on. Anyways, when we first started giving her formula she was barely taking 2 ounces at a time. Now she is chugging down 4 ounces like a pro! She is even getting cute little rolls on her theighs and arms! I love it!
Its unbelievable thinking that my maturnity leave is almost up at the bank :( Before you have them you think 12 weeks sounds like forever, but it really flies by. Every moment with Alexxa is amazing. Right on down to the four AM diaper changes. I just never get sick of her. Going back to work is going to be so hard, but I know I can do it. Its comforting to know it will only be temporary until Raynor gets another job. Up until now we haven't been able to come up with a plan as to what we will do about childcare. One of my best friends, Ticia is able to take her 2 days a week, but we haven't been sure about what to do the rest of the week. Last week I toured 3 daycares and they are just too expensive. So expensive that there wouldn't be a point in me even working. I think Raynor and I have come up with a pretty solid plan though. But first I have to clear it through Ticia and of course my boss. So cross your fingers for us and pray that it works out!
Anyways, I think that is about all I have to say for now. Its about time for Alexxa's bedtime bottle. Goodnight all!
Alexxa is doing amazing. She just shocks me every day. She has transformed from the little red faced bundle we brought home from the hospital into this very alert little person who is learning to smile and coo. Today I was on the computer and she was entertaining herself so nicely in her bobby bouncer. I had the music on and the chair also vibrates which was making the little toys move in front of her face. I looked down and she was actually batting at the toys with her little hands! Amazing! So far she has watched her mobiles and toys very intently, but she hasn't showed any interest in trying to touch them. Well today she did. She intentionally reached up and hit them. Such a small thing, yet it made me so proud! And she just loves her mommy and daddy. When she is in a full blown crying spell all it takes is for one of us to pick her up and snuggle her and she calms right down. I love being the magic woman!
Friday she has her 2 months check up. I am so excited to see how much she weighs and how much longer she is! At first there was a lot of conern about her eating habbits and she wasn't gaining weight at the rate the doctors like to see. She just didn't show much interest in eating much at all! Breastfeeding never came easy to me, and it didn't come easy to Alexxa either. We would both get so frustrated and eventually she would end up screaming her little head off and I would also be in tears. I met with the lactation nurses three times, once while we were at the hospital and twice after we had gone home. I tried pumping too and nothing was working. Finally, I had to just let go of the guilt and throw in the towel. But now that I did, Alexxa and I are both happier, and eating isn't so dramatic! She has come to LOVE her bottle! That was another saga...bottles. I swear, we must have tried every bottle on the market. For a while she liked the playtex drop ins, (although I thought they were a pain), we did Playtex Ventair, and then Avent. She seems to prefer the Avent and I definitely don't miss the extra step of having to put the liner in the bottle. The only issue I have with Avent is they are expensive and occasionally they leak. But the leaking problem can usually be solved by taking the cap off and putting it back on. Anyways, when we first started giving her formula she was barely taking 2 ounces at a time. Now she is chugging down 4 ounces like a pro! She is even getting cute little rolls on her theighs and arms! I love it!
Its unbelievable thinking that my maturnity leave is almost up at the bank :( Before you have them you think 12 weeks sounds like forever, but it really flies by. Every moment with Alexxa is amazing. Right on down to the four AM diaper changes. I just never get sick of her. Going back to work is going to be so hard, but I know I can do it. Its comforting to know it will only be temporary until Raynor gets another job. Up until now we haven't been able to come up with a plan as to what we will do about childcare. One of my best friends, Ticia is able to take her 2 days a week, but we haven't been sure about what to do the rest of the week. Last week I toured 3 daycares and they are just too expensive. So expensive that there wouldn't be a point in me even working. I think Raynor and I have come up with a pretty solid plan though. But first I have to clear it through Ticia and of course my boss. So cross your fingers for us and pray that it works out!
Anyways, I think that is about all I have to say for now. Its about time for Alexxa's bedtime bottle. Goodnight all!
Monday, November 23, 2009
The dreaded return to work...
*Sigh* The time I had hoped would just never come around is right around the corner. In just a little over a month it will be time for me to go back to work. I can't even begin to express in words how much this disappoints me. We have ran numbers and thought of just about solution in the last few months to avoid this, but sadly it just doesn't seem possible. Without me working the bills will not get paid. And as much has it hurts me, it does not change the fact that we still need a place to live. Our daughter needs food, she needs diapers. And without me working those things may not be possible.
Perhaps it would be different if I loved my job. I just don't. The day I walked out of there it felt like a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders knowing that I didn't have to hear about DDA, how bad we were doing on credit cards, customer delight, HELOC's, how far behind I was on referrals, cash balancing and all the other junk that goes along with my job. It was so nice to have a clean house for once. To actually be able to make a nice meal. To night be stressed out and grumpy when I finally got to see Raynor when he got home from work. We could actually sit down and enjoy eachothers company without worrying about everything that had happened at the bank that day.
For me personally, I have never found I job that I have enjoyed. I have had jobs that have paid the bills, and that gave me something to do during the day. But when I became a mom that all changed. I truly enjoy this "job" if you can even call it work. I get to hang out with a beautiful little angel all day. Everyone keeps asking me if I am super stoked to go back to work. If I am going stir crazy being at home with the baby all day. Well, the simple answer to the question is, no! I never get sick of it. I never get sick of Alexxa. I will never get sick of seeing her learn new things, and seeing her smile. She has already changed so much since we brought her home and it just kills me that soon, I will not be there for every smile. It also worries me that we still don't know who will be watching her when I do go back to work. I am soo picky about that. Maybe I wouldn't be so worried about it if I knew someone well that could do it. But my mom works full time and so does Raynor's. And I don't hold that against them.
I guess the only hope I am really clinging onto here is that maybe Raynor can get another job soon and I won't have to work full time for much longer. I just wish there was an easier solution...
Perhaps it would be different if I loved my job. I just don't. The day I walked out of there it felt like a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders knowing that I didn't have to hear about DDA, how bad we were doing on credit cards, customer delight, HELOC's, how far behind I was on referrals, cash balancing and all the other junk that goes along with my job. It was so nice to have a clean house for once. To actually be able to make a nice meal. To night be stressed out and grumpy when I finally got to see Raynor when he got home from work. We could actually sit down and enjoy eachothers company without worrying about everything that had happened at the bank that day.
For me personally, I have never found I job that I have enjoyed. I have had jobs that have paid the bills, and that gave me something to do during the day. But when I became a mom that all changed. I truly enjoy this "job" if you can even call it work. I get to hang out with a beautiful little angel all day. Everyone keeps asking me if I am super stoked to go back to work. If I am going stir crazy being at home with the baby all day. Well, the simple answer to the question is, no! I never get sick of it. I never get sick of Alexxa. I will never get sick of seeing her learn new things, and seeing her smile. She has already changed so much since we brought her home and it just kills me that soon, I will not be there for every smile. It also worries me that we still don't know who will be watching her when I do go back to work. I am soo picky about that. Maybe I wouldn't be so worried about it if I knew someone well that could do it. But my mom works full time and so does Raynor's. And I don't hold that against them.
I guess the only hope I am really clinging onto here is that maybe Raynor can get another job soon and I won't have to work full time for much longer. I just wish there was an easier solution...
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Parenthood
As I sit here watching my precious, beautiful little angel sleeping in her swing I cannot believe it was 6 weeks ago today that she was born. That whole day will stay frozen in my memory forever. Not sleeping the night before, stopping at Starbucks for breakfast on the way to the hospital, the way my heart was pounding the whole way there, the lump in my throat as I slipped into that gown, squeezing Raynor's hand when I was delivering her, and of course the moment the doctor said, "its a beautiful baby girl" and placed her on my tummy. It was love at first sight, and I just could not stop the tears. Raynor leaned down, kissed my forhead and said "I love you" with a quiver in his voice. I did the natural new mom thing, counted fingers and toes and just admired our little miracle. The nurse took her away after a few minutes and weighed and measured her. A perfect 7lbs 4oz. Then Raynor got to hold her for the first time. I will never forget the look on his face as he gazed at his little princess for the first time. Very overwhelmed, teary eyed, and somewhat terrifed. He was head over heals for her just like I was.
Parenthood is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. Never has my path in life been so clear. It is a type of joy that I never knew or could have even imagined. You just don't know this kind of love exists until you lay eyes on your child for the first time. You would litterally do anything for them. You just want to protect them from all the bad in the world, even though that is obviously not possible.
Now its not to say that all this joy hasn't come with its trying moments. I don't get much sleep. Thats a give in. But I try to cherish even those exhausted moments I spend with her all hours of the night and early morning on the sofa watching late night television, and the sunrises we have seen together. Just the two of us. There are days the dishes don't get done, days that I have to dig for a pair of clean underwear, nights that I have had to scramble to get a bottle clean while listening to a screaming baby, and times of utter frustration that I just have to sit down and cry. There have been chaotic moments when Raynor and I have snapped at eachother. There are days that I may not get a shower until three in the afternoon. But I think these are normal moments that every parent experiences. And its a small and very fair price to pay for the joy these little people give us!
Six weeks later, I look at my little princess and already can't believe the change in her. She is picking her head up, turning her head from side to side, and even smiling at us :) She has definitely discovered who her mommy is, usually I can calm her crying by simply just picking her up and talking to her. It scares me to know that this time next year our house will be completely baby proofed and she will be a toddler. Weird. I already can't wait to give her a brother or sister even though that isn't a good idea for a couple years!
It absolutely kills me that I have just a little more than a month before I have to return to work. Its something I didn't want to do, but unfortunately is necessary. I have a friend that can watch her on Mondays and Tuesdays, but I haven't figured out the rest of the week yet. My mom works full time and so does Raynor's. The hard part is we can't afford a lot because we are on a tight budget as it is. But we will figure something out. This stuff always has a way of working out. One thing is for sure though, as soon as Raynor gets a new job I'm giving my two weeks notice to the bank!
Anyways, just thought I would share some of my thoughts on this new adventure.
Parenthood is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. Never has my path in life been so clear. It is a type of joy that I never knew or could have even imagined. You just don't know this kind of love exists until you lay eyes on your child for the first time. You would litterally do anything for them. You just want to protect them from all the bad in the world, even though that is obviously not possible.
Now its not to say that all this joy hasn't come with its trying moments. I don't get much sleep. Thats a give in. But I try to cherish even those exhausted moments I spend with her all hours of the night and early morning on the sofa watching late night television, and the sunrises we have seen together. Just the two of us. There are days the dishes don't get done, days that I have to dig for a pair of clean underwear, nights that I have had to scramble to get a bottle clean while listening to a screaming baby, and times of utter frustration that I just have to sit down and cry. There have been chaotic moments when Raynor and I have snapped at eachother. There are days that I may not get a shower until three in the afternoon. But I think these are normal moments that every parent experiences. And its a small and very fair price to pay for the joy these little people give us!
Six weeks later, I look at my little princess and already can't believe the change in her. She is picking her head up, turning her head from side to side, and even smiling at us :) She has definitely discovered who her mommy is, usually I can calm her crying by simply just picking her up and talking to her. It scares me to know that this time next year our house will be completely baby proofed and she will be a toddler. Weird. I already can't wait to give her a brother or sister even though that isn't a good idea for a couple years!
It absolutely kills me that I have just a little more than a month before I have to return to work. Its something I didn't want to do, but unfortunately is necessary. I have a friend that can watch her on Mondays and Tuesdays, but I haven't figured out the rest of the week yet. My mom works full time and so does Raynor's. The hard part is we can't afford a lot because we are on a tight budget as it is. But we will figure something out. This stuff always has a way of working out. One thing is for sure though, as soon as Raynor gets a new job I'm giving my two weeks notice to the bank!
Anyways, just thought I would share some of my thoughts on this new adventure.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Alexxa is one month old!!!
Well...almost. Tomorrow night at 9pm she will officially be four weeks old. And technically she won't be a whole month old until Friday, the 6th at 9pm. But just the same its just a few days away. All I can think is, WOW...what a whirlwind! I'm not just talking the last four weeks but more like the last 10 months. It does not seem like a whole 9 months ago I found out I was pregnant. Raynor and I were so shocked and freaked out. We had no idea how the heck we were going to do this. But eventually that shock and fear turned into utter excitement and anticipation for the big day to get here when we would actually get to hold our little sweetpea in our arms and see who she looks like. I remember thinking that 9 months was a lifetime away. It seemed as if we would never actually get to meet her. But over those months the baby paraphenelia rolled in, we put together an adorable nursery, Raynor spent a whole Sunday afternoon making sure the carseat was installed just right, and before we knew it, it was the early hours of Tuesday October 6th. Raynor and I were laying in bed both unable to get any sleep, because we knew that in just hours we would be parents. Finally 5am came and it was time to get up and get ready. I called the hospital just to double check they had room for us and sure enough we were given the green light to come on in. I took a shower, and Raynor packed the car. We got to the hospital, checked in, and settled into our room. They started the petocin around 8am, broke my water around 10am, and then I got my epidural around 11. Before I knew it, it was time to start pushing. I remember so vividly opening my eyes, looking at the doctor and seeing her place Alexxa on my tummy. It was so surreal to finally see her. It seemed like 2 seconds later we were packing up our stuff and heading home!
The last four weeks have been some of the most amazing, fun, exhausting, hormonal, crazy days of our lives. It has been so amazing to watch her grow. She has already changed so much. If I could go back and do it again, or when we have our second baby (which won't be for another 2 years!) I would definitely charish the pregnancy more. I was in such a huge hurry to get it overwith and have her here, that I really didn't take the time to enjoy it like I should have. And now I look back and actually find myself missing it. Not so much that I want to jump back into it of course :) But I think pregnancy is a special time, that sadly not every women gets to experience no matter how badly she may want too. I thank God every day that he has given me such a beautiful, healthy baby girl. She is just the light of our world. And I pray that some day he blesses us with two (or maybe even three) more. We'll see. I have always wanted to have a big family.
Today I was reflecting back to a couple months ago how stressed out I was about how this was all going to play out. If we were going to have enough money, feeling guilty that Alexxa was coming home to a small apartment, what we would do about childcare, ect. And now I look at how things are going and we are just fine. We may not have a lot of money, we don't have the house we want, and I still don't know what we will do about childcare. But I know everything is ok. In fact we are better than just ok, we are so happy. We have a beautiful, healthy baby girl who makes us smile every day. And we have eachother. Some day when we can afford to have that house we want, it will mean so much more. :)
The last four weeks have been some of the most amazing, fun, exhausting, hormonal, crazy days of our lives. It has been so amazing to watch her grow. She has already changed so much. If I could go back and do it again, or when we have our second baby (which won't be for another 2 years!) I would definitely charish the pregnancy more. I was in such a huge hurry to get it overwith and have her here, that I really didn't take the time to enjoy it like I should have. And now I look back and actually find myself missing it. Not so much that I want to jump back into it of course :) But I think pregnancy is a special time, that sadly not every women gets to experience no matter how badly she may want too. I thank God every day that he has given me such a beautiful, healthy baby girl. She is just the light of our world. And I pray that some day he blesses us with two (or maybe even three) more. We'll see. I have always wanted to have a big family.
Today I was reflecting back to a couple months ago how stressed out I was about how this was all going to play out. If we were going to have enough money, feeling guilty that Alexxa was coming home to a small apartment, what we would do about childcare, ect. And now I look at how things are going and we are just fine. We may not have a lot of money, we don't have the house we want, and I still don't know what we will do about childcare. But I know everything is ok. In fact we are better than just ok, we are so happy. We have a beautiful, healthy baby girl who makes us smile every day. And we have eachother. Some day when we can afford to have that house we want, it will mean so much more. :)
Thursday, October 15, 2009
I like this...
So this is actually something I got through an email from our market manager at work. I just really liked it so, I printed it off and thought I would share it. I hope everyone finds it as uplifting as I did:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it..
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29.. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it..
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29.. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
Monday, October 5, 2009
The final hours...
So this is it. In less than 24 hours I will be at the hospital getting induced. Of course this is contingant on there being room at the hospital for us, otherwise we will get bumped and rescheduled. But thats not going to happen!
It is a total shock to me how fast this whole thing has gone. It seems like just a few months ago was when we found out the news. I will never forget that day. I only wish it would have been a happier day. I sat in the bathroom crying in disbelief before I finally went and told Raynor. We both sat there in shock crying. Our families were more than encouraging. I think my dad gave me the best advice of anyone. He gave me a hug and said, "God doesn't make mistakes when it comes to babies." I knew he was right. Over the next few weeks our flat out fear turned into excitement. Not that we aren't still scared, I think every parent to be is scared. But we know everything will be ok.
I will never forget the last 8 months. We have had so much fun. The same day we found out what we were having, we went to Babies R Us and registered. I have enjoyed all of the doctors appointments (is it weird that I think I might miss those?), had two amazing baby showers, put together an adorable nursery, and baby proofed our house. Now its time to meet her. Our doctor gave us the option to have a 3D ultrasound, but we decided not too. I wanted to wait until we hold her to actually see what she looks like. Everyone has been taking guesses on how much she will weigh and who she will look like. My family and Raynor's family have been calling every day for the last month or so to check on us. They are sooo excited to meet the new addition. I just hope my mom can keep herself away from the hospital tomorrow haha. Raynor and I decided it was best for us to have only the two of us at the hospital while I am in labor and up until after we have her. We didn't want to hurt feelings, but I am already terrified of this and really anxious about it and for me adding more people to the situation makes it worse. But we promised we would call when she was born and the grandparents can come up and see her first.
Staying busy today and not stressing is going to be tough. I think I'm going to treat myself to a pedicure, I need to get a few things at Target, and I need to pay some bills. I have some laundry to do at home, and I'm going to run the vacume. This evening we are taking Ozzy over to Raynor's mom's house. She was nice enough to care for him while we are gone. Anyways, wish us luck and we will be in touch with everyone when our little bundle is here!
It is a total shock to me how fast this whole thing has gone. It seems like just a few months ago was when we found out the news. I will never forget that day. I only wish it would have been a happier day. I sat in the bathroom crying in disbelief before I finally went and told Raynor. We both sat there in shock crying. Our families were more than encouraging. I think my dad gave me the best advice of anyone. He gave me a hug and said, "God doesn't make mistakes when it comes to babies." I knew he was right. Over the next few weeks our flat out fear turned into excitement. Not that we aren't still scared, I think every parent to be is scared. But we know everything will be ok.
I will never forget the last 8 months. We have had so much fun. The same day we found out what we were having, we went to Babies R Us and registered. I have enjoyed all of the doctors appointments (is it weird that I think I might miss those?), had two amazing baby showers, put together an adorable nursery, and baby proofed our house. Now its time to meet her. Our doctor gave us the option to have a 3D ultrasound, but we decided not too. I wanted to wait until we hold her to actually see what she looks like. Everyone has been taking guesses on how much she will weigh and who she will look like. My family and Raynor's family have been calling every day for the last month or so to check on us. They are sooo excited to meet the new addition. I just hope my mom can keep herself away from the hospital tomorrow haha. Raynor and I decided it was best for us to have only the two of us at the hospital while I am in labor and up until after we have her. We didn't want to hurt feelings, but I am already terrified of this and really anxious about it and for me adding more people to the situation makes it worse. But we promised we would call when she was born and the grandparents can come up and see her first.
Staying busy today and not stressing is going to be tough. I think I'm going to treat myself to a pedicure, I need to get a few things at Target, and I need to pay some bills. I have some laundry to do at home, and I'm going to run the vacume. This evening we are taking Ozzy over to Raynor's mom's house. She was nice enough to care for him while we are gone. Anyways, wish us luck and we will be in touch with everyone when our little bundle is here!
Monday, September 28, 2009
So this must be nesting???
At my last doctors appointment last Wendesday he decided to go ahead and induce me a week early! I was thirlled because I feel ready to be done with pregnancy, and I've been horribly uncomfortable. The cute little flutters that were so much fun to feel have turned into jabs and jams from knees and elbows, my bladder barely holds an ounce of liquid anymore, and sleep has become near impossible. I'm ready to give her an eviction notice! He checked his schedule and we decided to induce on Tuedsay October 6th. Now that I know for sure her arrivial is 8 days away, I find myself in this crazy frenzy to make everything perfect. Last week I stripped all the sheets and pads off her crib and got them washed. I put all the 0-3 month clothes in her dresser and the rest I organized in three rubbermaid pink bins that I stacked in her closet. So now I have all of her clothes organized by sizes 6-9 months, 10-12 months, and 12-18 months. I combined the 12-18 month stuff because I have less of it. Let me tell you between this baby girl's Grandma's she is going to be a very well dressed child! I think clothes is an expense Raynor and I won't be worrying about too much. This week I have organized my days by things I need to get done on which day. I will share:
Monday- Finish folding and putting away her clothes and blankets that I just washed. Organize her bathroom and find spots for everything like towels, washcloths, soap, medicine first aid kit, ect. I also need to find spots for things like extra crib sheets. Thank goodness she has a walk in closet!
Tuesday- Catch up on our laundry. I would like the have all the hampers empty when we come home because they will fill up again soon enough. Raynor also needs to finish putting the bouncer together. I got it maybe 1/4 of the way there, but I am terrible at putting things together. Even with instructions, stupid me doesn't understand them half the time!
Wendesday- Scour the bathrooms so they are squeaky clean. I'm only doing toilets, sinks and showers though floors will be Friday or Saturday! I also need to remind Raynor to install all the safety latches and stuff. Although she won't be very mobile for a while, it will be nice to know they are already installed.
Thursday- Put the clean sheets on her crib, the pad on the changing table, and hang the letters above her crib that I painted. I will need to go to Michaels Craft store to find something to hang them with. I also have a few things that I need to take to Goodwill. The coat closet is driving me crazy. I'm going to Target to buy some storage things to go in there.
Friday/Saturday- Make sure we have everything we need for the hospital, double check our bags and the diaper bag. Raynor also will be installing the carseat sometime this weekend. Mop all the floors so they are clean, I know she won't care but we will probably be having company coming over to see the baby for a while and I like to have a clean house when people come over. Also the kitchen cupboards are driving my crazy. The tops of them are covered with cluttery things which I need to find a home for. I have cute little docorations to put up there, I just haven't got around to it yet. Also vacume, but I do that pretty much every day anyhow because of pet hair. Saturday night Raynor and I are going out for a nice dinner together, maybe a movie we'll see. Sitting for a long period of time isn't very comfortable for me right now. But we thought it would be nice to slurge on one last date night, since we probably won't be leaving her with a sitter for a while.
Sunday- I'm hoping we can just relax (more that I can relax, Raynor is doing great) and just enjoy eachother's company. Raynor might go fish for a little bit that day, which is totally fine with me. After that we will probably head over to my parent's house for dinner.
Monday- Run the vacume and make sure that all the dishes are done, and laundry is put away. Also I think I will wash our sheets. It would be nice to come home to clean sheets. Put any final touches on her room, make sure we have everything ready like diapers, wipes, blankets, bottles, extra changes of clothes ready for when we get home. Also, packing Ozzy his little bag with as Raynor's mom was nice enough to take care of him for us while we will be gone. We'll be taking him over there when we Raynor gets home from work.
Raynor and I are going to Babies R Us tonight to get the last few things we need. If anyone has any suggestions on anything that is a "must have" for when you get home let me know! I know it sounds like enough to keep me busy, but I still think its going to be the longest week of my life. I'm so excited, but I'm also really nervous. I've never really been a patient in a hospital before. But I really trust my doctor, and I know women have been doing this since there have been women. If they all got through it then I most certainly will too.
Monday- Finish folding and putting away her clothes and blankets that I just washed. Organize her bathroom and find spots for everything like towels, washcloths, soap, medicine first aid kit, ect. I also need to find spots for things like extra crib sheets. Thank goodness she has a walk in closet!
Tuesday- Catch up on our laundry. I would like the have all the hampers empty when we come home because they will fill up again soon enough. Raynor also needs to finish putting the bouncer together. I got it maybe 1/4 of the way there, but I am terrible at putting things together. Even with instructions, stupid me doesn't understand them half the time!
Wendesday- Scour the bathrooms so they are squeaky clean. I'm only doing toilets, sinks and showers though floors will be Friday or Saturday! I also need to remind Raynor to install all the safety latches and stuff. Although she won't be very mobile for a while, it will be nice to know they are already installed.
Thursday- Put the clean sheets on her crib, the pad on the changing table, and hang the letters above her crib that I painted. I will need to go to Michaels Craft store to find something to hang them with. I also have a few things that I need to take to Goodwill. The coat closet is driving me crazy. I'm going to Target to buy some storage things to go in there.
Friday/Saturday- Make sure we have everything we need for the hospital, double check our bags and the diaper bag. Raynor also will be installing the carseat sometime this weekend. Mop all the floors so they are clean, I know she won't care but we will probably be having company coming over to see the baby for a while and I like to have a clean house when people come over. Also the kitchen cupboards are driving my crazy. The tops of them are covered with cluttery things which I need to find a home for. I have cute little docorations to put up there, I just haven't got around to it yet. Also vacume, but I do that pretty much every day anyhow because of pet hair. Saturday night Raynor and I are going out for a nice dinner together, maybe a movie we'll see. Sitting for a long period of time isn't very comfortable for me right now. But we thought it would be nice to slurge on one last date night, since we probably won't be leaving her with a sitter for a while.
Sunday- I'm hoping we can just relax (more that I can relax, Raynor is doing great) and just enjoy eachother's company. Raynor might go fish for a little bit that day, which is totally fine with me. After that we will probably head over to my parent's house for dinner.
Monday- Run the vacume and make sure that all the dishes are done, and laundry is put away. Also I think I will wash our sheets. It would be nice to come home to clean sheets. Put any final touches on her room, make sure we have everything ready like diapers, wipes, blankets, bottles, extra changes of clothes ready for when we get home. Also, packing Ozzy his little bag with as Raynor's mom was nice enough to take care of him for us while we will be gone. We'll be taking him over there when we Raynor gets home from work.
Raynor and I are going to Babies R Us tonight to get the last few things we need. If anyone has any suggestions on anything that is a "must have" for when you get home let me know! I know it sounds like enough to keep me busy, but I still think its going to be the longest week of my life. I'm so excited, but I'm also really nervous. I've never really been a patient in a hospital before. But I really trust my doctor, and I know women have been doing this since there have been women. If they all got through it then I most certainly will too.
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