Milestones

Sierra has reached some significant stages in her short little life of being three:
She finally gave up her beloved soother for sleeping - and it wasn't nearly as traumatic as the first attempt which occurred just after her third birthday. This little doll and stroller were her gifts for accomplishing that feat. Notice that the doll has a soother!


Our baby girl has been very busy growing lately and was suddenly looking extremely long in her little toddler bed. I found a great deal on a used twin-sized captain's bed for her that matches her current dresser. Sierra was one excited little girl when we moved it into her room and adjusted with absolutely no problems.

(Imagine photo here, I'm waiting to buy her some pretty sheets)

It the last two weeks, since the new bed and shortly after my post on naps, Sierra is loosing interest in her nap. I'm not sure how I feel about this milestone. I still insist that she goes to her room even if she plays quietly for an hour and half or so. Often she still sleeps but only after a good play session. In some ways it will be nice because then she will go to bed much earlier.


Her first enormous sucker that was given to her by a male co-worker and friend of Trevor's in attempt to woo her into liking him. Sierra is very wary of strange men but bribes go a long way!

We've had a good summer with her and although she's growing way too fast at least she is also growing more and more fun and delightful!

Monday Motivation

Aren't Mondays great for starting anew? There's a whole new week ahead to be filled! I have a new resolve.
Sawyer is six months old today. That was my magic number with Sierra and being ready for a routine and I feel the same with Sawyer. I can't believe we've already reached that milestone with him!



His first try at rice cereal - it is a hit!

Balloons are fun!


My new weight loss target date is October 30. We just received a wedding invitation in the mail for wedding on that date. What a better goal than to be svelte in a sexy dress for a wedding? I'm not going to stress or obsess about it. What I'd ideally like to do is eat super healthy during the week and then relax a bit on the weekends when we usually socialize. I'd also like to consistently work out again. It makes me feel so much better overall when I exercise so I need to do it again. Besides, I bought new workout gear this past weekend which needs to be justified. I'd like to loose 10ish pounds and a wack of inches but again, I'm not going to let it consume me. I'm going to try to let my body just do it's thing while I'll do my best at a healthy realistic lifestyle. I may or may not blog about this little journey, I may just surprise you at the end!

I'd like to do a few other things in my day to day life. Like getting dressed and made-up before Sierra wakes up at 8 so that when we do have to go somewhere it's not as many people to get ready. Especially with Sawyer now on solids, breakfast will take longer. Making my bed every morning. Having the kitchen clean every night before we go to bed(this actually happens most days right now). Planning a weekly supper menu, which I used to always do before I got lazy. I'm tired of being tired and looking at the clock and it being 10:30A.M. and breakfast isn't even cleaned up and we're not dressed. I need to feel a bit more in control of my life, that's it.

The Same Old Story

After my post about napping I actually got mad at myself for it. Sure it may be justified but something was nagging me about it - should I really be this tired?
Back on the iron pills I went, reduced the number of breast-milk enhancing pills I was taking (a side effect is drowsiness) and within days I was feeling better. Today I even went for a good 1/2 hour run on the treadmill during the kid's naps and it felt great! (Maybe it was the three chocolate chip cookies I scarfed down before that energized me!) It always amazes me and you'd think by now I'd learn! I've been in this exact same place many times before.
Here's to renewed resolve to working out and eating better and getting back - and staying-on track.

The Joy of Naps

I have become a champion napper. There is nothing like letting myself totally relax and drift off to dreamland during the afternoon. I usually indulge in my little sleeps in the comforts of my bed and dark bedroom.
I used to scoff napping for anyone not very young or old or sick. I don't feel that I currently fall into any of those categories. I fall into the "mom" category.
I began napping regularly when I got pregnant with Sawyer, between him and Sierra my energy was pretty much non-existent and naps were a necessity to get through the day. Then Sawyer was born and there went any hope of a solid night's sleep and Sierra kept my running during the day so naps were a matter of survival. Now, Sawyer still gets me up once a night (although that has just moved to 7ish in the morning as he is now on rice cereal|) and Sierra still goes non stop for every one of her waking moments so naps just give me an extra boost. Fortunately Sierra still naps at age 3. We could push her to go without and send her to bed earlier but if she doesn't nap than by the evening she turns into a small bear and is beastly to deal with. Poor Sawyer's sleeping patterns are probably not quite what his little body would like. His morning naps get interrupted or held off until the the afternoon so both kids sleep at the same time in order that I can snooze.
I admit that I also go to bed rather late, 11:30 or so most nights. Sometimes later on the weekends if we're socializing. That also contributes to my need for the nap. I know if my bed time was much earlier than the nap would likely go. But Sierra goes to bed rather late for a kid, 9 o'clock, and Sawyer a bit after that so Trevor and I cherish the solitude of sleeping children and time to ourselves.
Hey, if I can do it, why not? I would love to say I'm wildly productive by cleaning my house or exercising or simply enjoying a good book during the quiet of the kids naps but no, I'm often sleeping myself!

Funky

I've felt a little quiet lately. Not that there hasn't been anything going on but all my thoughts and feelings have been churning around and locked inside my head. Hence a bit of a funky mood.

This mood was triggered by a falling out with someone close to me. It was a very hurtful situation that I did not handle very well emotionally for the first number of days. Upon fully realizing that there was absolutely nothing I could do, I gave in to my faith and gave it up to God (why I fought it in the first place is beyond me, my humanness I suppose). Through His mercy and grace I was able to truly forgive and the weight around my shoulders and in my chest was lifted and joy was restored. There is still a lot we have to work through but now I believe we can go on.

Jobs and finances and so on are also heavily on my mind. With the state of teaching jobs in our part of the world Trevor and I have all but given up hope on him securing one. Other options are being explored but for some reason the teaching door has been closed to us. Last week I found out that a good friend of ours, also a wanna-be-teacher, just got phoned up and asked if she wanted a teaching job!!!! She just completed a year of maternity leave and had planned to simply sub this next year. She didn't even want to work full time, just enough to qualify her for another maternity leave! Last spring she had said that if God wanted her to work full time someone would have to call and offer her a job. Well.....it was a little hard to hear, to say the least. We are honestly happy for her, and not really jealous, per se of the job. Trevor wasn't qualified for this position anyway and would never had stood a chance.
Trevor and I are not even sure we want him to teach now. He is in a job where he is making money for someone else and earning mediocre pay himself and not 100% satisfied with that. We are thankful he likes it and works for good people and that he can come home and not have to continue working which a teaching jobs require. We are not in need financially but have no extra either. So why the heck are we even thinking of complaining? I don't mean to complain so much as really mull through our current place in life.

The questions are I have:
Is there more for Trevor in terms of occupation or are we to remain for awhile as we are? I can honestly say we are content overall.
Where is our turn? Our break? Do we even get one? Not that we even necessarily deserve it, we have a good life....
If it is not our turn or break or whatever than what are to learn? Are we to learn anything?
We feel so strongly that God lead us back to this area six years ago for Trevor to get his teaching degree and pursue teaching. God forced us to rely on Him time and time again and helped Trevor overcome obstacle after obstacle and continually affirmed our journey up until he graduated. So why does it feel like He's completely switching directions on us now?
Are we doing something wrong? Not praying enough, reading the Bible enough?
No, God is not like that.
We know moving wouldn't help, there are no teaching jobs anywhere.
So....What?

Ah, the battle of the mind. I could go on and talk in circles I'm sure and still be nowhere. The joys of life. As I said, we have a good life and we are content for the most part. We want to make sure we are maximizing it, though, and living according to the will of God. It would sure be nice if he would just write it on a piece of paper, or phone us up or something! It happened to my friend so it could happen to us....
I'll let you know if it does.