My house is a wreck

I have a toddler, a full time job (that seeps well into my "off" time) and a husband that works 12 hour swing shifts. My house is 9 times out of 10 a wreck. There are toys everywhere, Cheerios everywhere, socks everywhere, dishes everywhere, there are things smeared into my carpet that I can't even identify anymore, there has been more milk dumped on my carpet than I'd like to admit and my son has peed in places that you might sit. Guess what. I don't typically care. I try to keep up with it. I do the typical housework, but when you have a little one at home unless you are home all day long there is no "keeping up". It turns into a huge marathon clean on Saturday and Sunday and by Thursday you wouldn't even believe that I had tried. Please don't be offended by our home if you pop in to visit and if you are offended then you probably don't have a toddler and a full time job!

A years review

By request I am going to try to enter the blog world again! It has been some time and there has been SO much change in our lives!

My tiny infant that I once wrote about is now 20 months old and is so incredibly active, intelligent, and ornery! Never did I think I could feel so much love in my heart for anyone. Sometimes tears still come to my eyes as I sit and watch him play or even sleep and I think about how miraculous he really is! Never is there a dull moment in our home and never is there an opportunity to just relax and be free, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

I have also started teaching! I teach 2nd grade in a local charter school. I was very apprehensive about teaching in a charter school because of all the bad things I had heard people say, but let me tell you I found the perfect school. Actually, I believe I was lead to the school that was built for me. The school just started last year and it is a school dedicated to changing the lives of these children. We aren't just giving them an education we are giving them a chance at life! Taking children from the poorest communities and showing them the world and then giving them the tools they need to succeed in the world. Everyday I feel God working through me and everyday I know that I am where he lead me to be.

My husband has also started a new job. He is working in a factory, but has a nice schedule where he only works 3-4 days a week. This allows us to see each other a little more often and to spend time together as a family.

We are in a good spot finally. The past couple of years have been full of hurdles, raw emotions, family feuds, and stress but we are finally coming out on top. We prayed our hearts out and didn't give up and finally the puzzle is coming together. I have high hopes for our family this year. Stay tuned to watch it unfold!

Curveballs

Being a mom is hard work. It's been a few months since I have posted because it's been hard to find the right words. As a family we have been through a lot. Last time I posted I spoke of our puppy problems and my husbands new job. I would give anything in the world to go back to that week and the stress that I was dealing with compared to what came after. On July 15 my father-in-law passed away unexpectedly. My son was only 2 months old. My husband and I had just turned 25. We were so close to him. Literally living on the other end of the street from each other, spending around 3-4 days at his house. He was a man of character that you just don't find very often. He was strong in his values, kind in his words, growing leaps and bounds in his faith, and loved his family more than anything in the world. I feel honored to have known him for the 3 years that I did and to have become as close to him as I did. It has been hard though. Neither of us were prepared to lose a parent or a best friend. We also had the stress of raising a baby through all of the pain. Never did I have a chance where I could just say forget the world and sleep for days to try to 'escape' reality. I had a baby to attend to who didn't understand anything about the world. I'm incredibly thankful that he didn't have to feel such sadness and pain, but I'm incredibly sad that he will never know his Grandpa personally. His legacy shall live on in our household and our children will know as much about him as we can share, but I wish that we all had the next 20 years like we had planned.

I'm hoping that passing this tough topic and something that I felt like I had to deal with will help me be able to post about other more light hearted things in the future.

Puppies

I have a baby that is 7 weeks old and not really sleeping through the night. A husband that just started a new job working a full 40 hours a week and I'm more sleep deprived than ever ( I'm not even back to work)! Seems like a great time to get a puppy right?!?! We've wanted one for a while now and came across a cute little guy for free. I figured since I already have to get up in the middle of the night and I'm home for the summer it would be a good time to take it on. WRONG! Let me give you a piece of advice. Do not under any circumstance take on a puppy and a newborn at the same time! You may feel like superwoman while rocking your screaming baby, holding the pacifier in, trying to eat dinner, answering the phone, and changing the tv channel all at the same time, but puppies are MEAN! This little fella has been more stressful than the baby, more stressful than being a first time mom, and more stressful than trying to live on 4 hours of sleep each night. Somehow through all the accidents in the house, the chewing of walls, the biting, the scratching and the howling we grew attached to him. We like him, he just makes my life hell when I'm alone. So, needless to say, after many nights of going back and forth this puppy will soon be finding a new home. It's not fair to him and I frankly am fed up with him. It was a hard choice and we are truly sad to see him go, but listen to me when I say having a newborn and a new puppy does not mix. One is screaming and red in the face because he wants to eat and at the same time the other is peeing all over your house.

Mom Breaks

I love being a mom. I love watching my son grow and explore and learn more about the world each day. I love sitting and snuggling at 4am while he eats. I love getting to kiss his chunky little cheeks. To be honest though, sometimes I just need a break. I call them "mom breaks". I need that time with friends or heck even just to go run errands where I don't have to be responsible for his every need. I don't have to be the one to jump up when he cries or try to get him to sleep when he's fighting it so hard. For this I give great praise to my wonderful husband who sees my need and lets me go before I have a break down. He is such a hands on dad and I couldn't love this more about him. He's working to support us and yet when he gets home at the end of a long day he still uses his time to love on his son and to give me a break. For this I can never thank him more.

Yes, I've been peed on!

People seem fascinated by the idea of baby boys peeing on you while having their diapers changed. It happens frequently around here. If you are lucky enough, there is a diaper handy to catch it with, but sometimes there isn't. I'm not a part of the crowd that wastes wipes, washcloths, napkins, etc. to make "pee tents" just in case he decides to pee. I'll block it with my hand if I have to. Really though, I'd much rather be peed on than puked or pooped on.

Sleep...A Whole New Ballgame

I've never classified myself as a "morning person". I didn't like to be woken up before I had to be up, I didn't like to interact once I got up, and I was just down right grumpy some mornings. Fast forward to having a newborn. It's no big deal to me to wake up after only sleeping for 3 hours. It's not even a big deal to me to have to get up before falling back asleep. If I sleep 6 hours (thanks to my husband) I feel like I've had a full nights sleep and wake up not knowing what to do while my son still sleeps. I'm sure someday I'll appreciate a full nights sleep again, but right now I'm totally shocked at how well I have been handling my 3 hour stretches!