My New Mommy Ride : )

TJ surprised me with this last week! He told me he wanted to get me something that he knew I had been wanting for a while and wanted to make sure we had the extra money to spend. He got up early to go to work and came back shortly with a Bike and Baby seat in tow.

AJ and I have had a ball riding around our neighborhood. I had no idea how undulated our road was until I was the motor for the transportation.

It was truly a nice surprise...Thx Honey!

13 things on My mind today

1. Cleaning and doing laundry...it's never ending

2. Getting out of the house to do something...Maybe go to the lake and feed the ducks

3. Alex's 1st Birthday is just around the corner and will any of my family be able to come for it

4. I wanna see My Sister and My Niece!

5. Those Imagination Movers look like a lot of fun ; )

6. Does My tv get any other channels besides Disney and Nick Jr ?

7. 1st date real date night tomorrow...since before our son was born

8. What movie will we see and where will we eat?

9. Hope AJ sleeps the whole time where gone and doesn't give the babysitter any trouble

10. My sister-in-law graduates from Law School Saturday and I wish we could be there : (

11. Hope to get a nice healthy tan on the boat this weekend

12. Excited that my hubby has a 3 day weekend starting tonight

13. I LOVE MY FAMILY SO MUCH!

Wordless Wednesday

Little Man with his hair Blowing in the wind on the boat yesterday!

Operation Skinny Jeans

I have joined a blog called "Skinny Jeans" that has 17 contibutors including myself. We are all on the quest for a better version of ourselves. We are sharing our struggles, fears, excitement and accomplishments along the way. All while holding each other accountable and giving encouragement. We've all been down that road before of the diet that goes no where.SOA brilliant mind Brittany decided that she would start a support group so to speak. We all understand one another and get where were coming from, where we've been and where we hope to go. This is a journey that I hope to lay to rest and not spend my whole life traveling. I had a baby almost 9 mo. ago now and I realize my body is different but it doesn't have to be. I want to lead a health, active life and set a good example for my son. My husband and I have talked about the outing that we would like to have but I feel in my current physical shape I would be "dead weight". We've talked about repelling, rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, even running. I hope to work up to these things. I have a goal in site and plan to reach it. If your interested come join in the journey and follow us while we make "dreams of skinny jeans and bikinis come true"

Growing Pains

Last night was a long night and I'm not used to that. AJ is 8 months old and has had maybe 2 or 3 nights where he's gotten up in the middle of the night. He woke up a little after 11 and was up until I would say 2. I could tell that he was so tired but yet SO restless. His legs were moving like he was running a marathon and he would shift his head back and forth trying to find a comfy spot. I turned the TV on in our room to kinda take his attention off of his discomfort. It worked for a short while but as soon as he closed his eyes he went right back to his squirming. I gave him some Motrin and thought this'll help him to relax...NOPE! At this point we had ran my husband off to the couch for his last couple hours of sleep. AJ's cry was a cry of pain and discomfort so I'm checking everything and messing with his ears thinking "Maybe he has an earache". He didn't even care that I was poking and looking.

On to my next hypothesis...AJ in the last couple of months has went from wearing at 4-5 months a 6 mo size for about a month and then moved into a 9 months size and has now recently moved into 12 months sizes. He's not a chubby baby but he seems long, which is the reason we have moved up sizes for the length. All of that growing can't be easy on top of crawling and building muscles. I know how I feel after a workout so add putting wear and tear on such delicate skin . It can't be easy being a baby and it's no wonder we can't recall our first years, it would no doubt be traumatizing.

I finally helped him get to sleep by laying my arm across him at the bend of his knees and patted and rubbed his back until he finally started snoring.

He seems ok today but tonight will tell for sure. It's just heart breaking when my baby reaches for me and wants to be held and he wants Mommy to make it all better and I'm pulling all my tricks out of the bag and nothing is working. Guess it's Growing Pains for Mommy too.

My Sister was doing this so I decided I would join in!

So a little about me...

I'm 28 yrs old

My Husband and I have been married for 2 yrs come this June

We have and 8 month old son, AJ

2 Dogs, GG a Pitt-bull and Izzy a Lab

2 Cats, Daisy and Georgia

I'm a most of the time Stay at home Mom

I work 1 weekend a month as a Hair Stylist

Even though my son is still very young I plan to home school.

Most of my blogs are short and to the point because I now have a little man crawling around

who will not let my attention be off of him for too long or else I find him doing something mischievous.

I look forward to finding more interesting blogs and hope that everyone enjoys sharing in my life as a new mother and all that goes with that through my blog.

It's the simple things

Today I was sitting with AJ and he was disinterested in his toys that have all the lights, bells and whistles. So I decided to do something simple and fun. I got out some pots and a pan, a couple of spoons, showed him what to do and he went right to it. He played with these longer than most toys. I think what I as an adult look at and think "wow this looks fun" may not be what really is fun to an 8 month old. I'm really going to try and think out of the box to engage him more in things that really help aid in his development.

Stay tuned for what we might be playing with next : )

A Security Cookie Monster

I was just reading an article about children developing an attachment to certain objects just earlier today. It stated that it usually occurs around 7 months or so. Then I went in to check on AJ and he was laying on his back with his Cookie Monster on his chest hugging him close (the picture above is from a couple days ago).

When I was little I had a blanket that my Mom tells me she received as a gift (I'm guessing a baby shower gift). I still have that blanket and it is so tattered and torn. The satin around the edges has been sewn back on several times in a rainbow of colors. I loved that blankie and it just seemed to make everything OK. I think that AJ has found his "security blanket" or Security Cookie Monster.

It's so sweet when I put him to bed he grabs Cookie monster and hugs him tight to his side. We'll see if this changes but as of now it's the soft, cuddly, blue Monster.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

AJ and I spent this past week in Albany. I went to work and he went to spend time with Granny and get his picture taken. I always feel so rushed when I'm there because that is where I do all of my "business" so to speak. I had not made an appointment with anyone to get pictures and had a limited amount of time so I got online and made an appointment with good ole Olan Mills.

AJ is 7 months old now and I didn't want to let another month go by without getting this milestone picture of him sitting up good.

It is so hard to wrap my brain around the fact that just a little over 7 months ago my baby was not even breathing the air of this world and in a little less than 5 months from now he will be 1year old! It's all happening so fast! He's on the verge of crawling. He gets on his knees and rocks but the rubber hasn't met the road yet. He is also teething (happy-happy, joy-joy). His 2 bottom teeth are just about to come on through. It's a wonder we got any good pictures with how much he was chewing on his hands but Mission Accomplished.

AND

We are SO HAPPY to be Home!

AJ and I missed his Daddy A Bunch.

SO much that shortly after TJ left to go to work tonight AJ said his first word

DA DA!

I was so Happy to be able to call TJ and him hear Our Little Man say such Sweet words.

When I look back at this picture I will have lots of memories and I just thank the Lord for in trusting TJ and I with this Little Angel.

Next Missions...Get a FAMILY picture, teach AJ to say MA MA ; )

Good Fathers Make Good Sons

OK I'm going to admit it, I am a bit of reality show junky. Now with that said I was watching Celebrity Rehab today and on this episode they had children of addicts. It was really sad to hear their stories but what hit me the hardest is that none of them had their fathers in their lives or even knew who they were. I've heard it said that our nation is in the position that it is in because we have become a "fatherless nation" in more ways than one.
This is a quote that I read and couldn't agree with it more."Fatherlessness is the most harmful demographic trend of this generation. It is the leading cause of declining child well-being in our society. It is also the engine driving our most urgent social problems, from crime to adolescent pregnancy to child sexual abuse to domestic violence against women. Yet, despite its scale and social consequences, fatherlessness is a problem that is frequently ignored or denied. Especially within our elite discourse, it remains largely a problem with no name".
I can't explain how THANKFUL I am for my husband TJ. He works 60+ hours a week so that I can stay at home with AJ. He comes home everyday for lunch to see us and spend just a little bit of time with AJ in case when he gets home he's asleep. He Loves us and provides everything we need. There is no way I could ever (not that I have to) repay him for giving me the opportunity to be the one who raises our son instead of a nanny or daycare. Not only is he a Great Husband But He's an Awesome Dad. He loves AJ with every fiber of his being and I see it everyday.

Without the Rain there would be no Rainbow

We went over to Lake Defuniak to take a walk today BUT with all the rain the sidewalks were under water. So we visited with the ducks for a bit and enjoyed the sunshine and headed back to the house. Perfect timing too AJ was getting tired from only taking a 30 min nap earlier so he was ready for another nap. We will have to remember to bring some treats for the ducks next time. He loved them he would just squeal and smile. It was fun!

Home is Where you Park it!

This weekend My Dad Ron and Step mom Georgia came to visit us here in Defuniak. They pulled their 5th wheel and stayed at a nice little RV park across the lake from us. As soon as they got here and set up AJ and I went over to see them. When we first got there we were all excited to see each other and we talked about how big AJ had gotten since their last visit and caught up and laughed. After a while we went inside and opened a gift that didn't get mailed with AJ's other Christmas gifts and got it put together. This gift couldn't have came at a better time because BOY he sure likes it. He's just really sitting up good now and with this toy he can look in the mirror at himself and it plays music when the buttons are pressed and lights up.

We just spent quality time together and we did take a trip down to Destin to Destin Commons Outlet. Georgia wanted to buy AJ an outfit and ended up finding a SUPER cute one. I can't wait to get his pictures done in it.

All in all we had a Great time with Papa and Mimi. We were sad to see them go!

YALL COME BACK NOW, YA HEAR!

Proverbs 22:6

I was thinking tonight, what is the right way to raise a child? This is my personal POV(point of view).

I don't remember being raised so to speak. I think that's something that happens when your really not thinking about it. It's only since I've been thinking about the bring up of my son that I think of my own raising. I was raised in a christian home where at around 11 years old My Daddy prayed with me to receive Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. I always knew Jesus was there for me and never stopped believing but did stray from my christian walk at times. Then later when I was about 25 I rededicated my life. Since then I have had my stumbles but hey no body's perfect. I Thank my parents for planting that seed because I don't believe I would be the person I am today without my belief system. Now that's just a little background.

When I think about being raised nothing comes to mind except for things like going to church, my mom teaching me to sew, fry chicken, make dressing for Thanksgiving and other recipes. My Dad teaching me to roller skate, making oyster stew at night and letting me have some (there for which my love of oyster stew came from). And My Gran and Poppy I learned differently from them. My Gran had sayings for example: "pretty is as pretty does" and "a women can throw away more on a teaspoon than a man can bring in on a shovel". That's a couple but there are many more(as I think of them I'm sure I'll talk about them). And My Poppy had this knack for building things from him I learned that you can always make your own "blue print".

What I've learned most from all of these influences in my life is that even though all of these little things add up and make life interesting the biggest impression that was made wasn't anything they told me or taught me but it was how they led by example. They didn't have to write a rule book and make us (My sister, brother and I) memorize it. It was just part of everyday life.

Now thinking about raising AJ...knowing how I learned I know that I have to play "monkey see, monkey do". I can't expect anymore from him than I do myself. No rule books just life lessons and I have trust that even when he may stray he'll come back because the"seed" was planted.

When the seed is planted I have to water and give it lots of sunshine to help it grow. When it gets out of had and is growing so fast before it has that strong root system I'm going to have to cut it back some so it doesn't get top heavy and fall over. Then at last when I know that the tree is grounded and has a strong root system I'll be able to sit back and watch it flourish and bloom!

It just Clicked

TJ and I have had a few struggles with this amazing and wonderful change in the last 6 months. Since just before AJ arrived I have only been working 1 weekend a month. This was the most sensible thing given the situation. Babysitters are expensive and being a money making cosmetologist takes a little time in a new town. We've had to sacrifice "things" but that's really all they are is "things". We have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, heat in our house when it's been sooo cold outside, clean clothes, and the list goes on and on. When it's all said and done I'm not going to look back and remember the name or mega pixels of the latest gizmo that I could afford if I was working full time. However on the other hand I'm looking at my life as a Mother...this is not a "dress rehearsal" this is the real deal. NO REWIND BUTTON!

Tonight I was reading my cousins Blog, The Life of a Firefly. She has 4 children and is a stay-at-home, home schooling Mom. The thing is, She is a certified teacher. I looked at her home schooling as being like my doing hair. If my son wants to learn how to do hair, I can teach him. What I'm trying to say is I have NO confidence in myself to be a homeschooling mom.

Until...It CLICKED!

In her blog she talked about reevaluating. For some reason that never entered my mind. Maybe I CAN do this, with an open mind, a network, a head start and good communication with AJ along the way. In talking with my sister, who has been doing a lot of research to help in her decision about homeschooling, she told me, "Ya know if you think about it...From the time our children are born we are teaching them". Well in those 6 amazing and wonderful months I have seen so many "light bulbs" turn on. We're learning together in someways.

SO this is what I have came to...

Who more than Myself would enjoy teaching, facilitating, encouraging, empowering and watching AJ have those "Ah-Ha" moments. I have the perfect career that I can pick my hours and when the time comes for me to work , I will BUT not at a sacrifice to AJ. I have about 3-4 years to research and make sure I'm equipped with the necessary goods to do the job and do it well. I'm sure it will not always be easy but I know it will be rewarding to know that "My Little Acorn" did grow into a "Great, Strong, Tall Oak" because he did grow "slowly and well".

And so another Adventure Begins : )

I Woof You!

Today is Valentines Day and My Wonderful Husband is a work, unfortunately BUT...Fortunately I have a New Valentine this year : )

LOVE has a totally new meaning this year. When I was a youngster I couldn't imagine loving anybody as much as I Love my Mom, Dad, Gran and Poppy. Then as an Adult I met TJ and that love is a different love, a love that makes me feel as though we are in this world for each other. Still yet there is this love that I have for AJ that is like no other. A love that makes me feel stronger yet weak all at the same time. In short, I feel so fortunate to have so much love in my life...My Cup truly runneth over!

Happy Valentines Day ♥

Great things come from small beginnings

Today I finally took the plunge and decide to start a blog about My life as AJ's Mom, TJ's Wife and Everything in between. AJ is a little over 6 months old now and I feel as though every day that passes that he learns something new, I'm forgetting those times when he did little more than lay there cooing. I thought back today about how tiny he was when we brought him home and how I felt the car seat was going to swallow him whole. Well the reason I was recalling all of these memories is because in the mail yesterday I received a little blue box. TJ and I are always buying things from ebay and I thought this is another on of his fishing lures or maybe a necklace or something that I had gotten. SURPRISE-SURPRISE! I opened the little blue box and inside was a porcelain baby shoe with AJ's name, date and time of birth, weight and length. I thought...Oh this must be from My Dad and Georgia because We had also received Valentine Day Cards but to My surprise it was from Dr. Graham. My Doctor and the Doctor who delivered AJ. What a nice keepsake that just made my DAY!