2010: year of no fear

That is my goal. I am going to go full force with trying to achieve my goals without any fear. Expect success. Envision success. Believe.

What would you do if you could not fail?

I remember seeing this on a paperweight or something like that.

Next task: vision board.

Seriously? How has so much time passed?

So this May will be my college 15th reunion. Next year, my high school 20 year reunion. I can't fathom how that is possible. I really can't fathom how old that makes me! Where has the time gone?

On one hand, it all seems like yesterday. Looking back at photos, it doesn't seem like it was all that long ago that I hung out with those folks, and did those things.

But, on the other hand, lets be real about what was happening 15-20 years ago. No one had a cell phone. Most students didn't have a computer. When I entered college, everyone brought a typewriter with word processor built in. No one had heard of the internet. We wrote letters. With paper and ink, not email. So, yea, it was a while ago.

Would I ever have guessed back then that I would be doing what I am doing today? No way. Not that I have done anything particularly out there or strange, but my best predictions would not have even been close. Funny how that is. Funny how if I had my best guess about 20 years from now, I'll probably be pretty off. Even funnier is that through all of everything, through all of what happens in life, I find that we are generally the same people we were 20 years ago. And we'll probably be pretty much the same in another 20.

Why I love breastfeeding

It is the perfect food for my baby

It never runs out

It is always the perfect temperature

It soothes an upset baby

It gives me an opportunity to just sit and enjoy my baby

It puts my baby to sleep in the most calm way

My baby never has to wait to eat

When she wakes up at night, she can quickly go back to sleep with nursing

It provides me with that lovely calming oxytocin

It transfers my antibodies to my baby

Its how we reconnect after I get home from work

There are just so many reasons.....

Take a look at: http://www.promom.org/101/

Things I love about babies

-- sweet pudgy round bellies

-- the way they sometimes sleep with on their tummies with their bums up in the air

-- how their hair is all fuzzy and stands up on top of their heads when just dried after a bath

-- how they can laugh just because you change the tone in your voice

-- how you can entertain them by just providing them some tupperware

-- how they get that look on their face that says "what? who me?"

-- baby toes

-- that you can just stare at them sleep

-- every outfit just looks adorable

-- the smell of their head

-- how the remote control is infinitely more interesting than any toy

-- that just when you think you've "got them down" they go and change on you again

Molly is sleeping peacefully next to me as I type this, and every so often takes a deep breath and makes her little baby sounds. Don't you wonder what babies must dream about?

Ok, so let's give this another try.

Yes, I know. My last post was a very long time ago. I am sorry! I know if I say I've been pretty busy would be a bit lame. But, I did have another child since my last post! And she is now 8 months old! Molly was born on June 1, 2009 and she has been a joy.

Needless to say, she has added to my perspective as a parent, and given me new insights I could not have had any other way.

I decided to come back and blog mainly to just have a outlet to talk about parenting issues, share interesting tidbits about the kids and what they are up to, and whatever else may rise to the surface. Stay tuned....

Christmas is coming!

I am excited for Christmas this year. Emmett is now 2 1/2 and I think it will be the first Christmas he will really start to enjoy what it is all about. As opposed to last year when the most fun was ripping up the paper. We will have several firsts this year. 

Since we got married, we will have our first real Christmas tree. We never saw the point of getting one the past, we just put up our $10 Target mini fake tree, because we usually were not at home for Christmas and/or Emmett was too little to really appreciate it anyway and/or not destroy it. So it will be fun for us as a family to go pick out a real tree. 

It will be our first Christmas in the new house!

It will be the first time we try and take Emmett to see Santa. Try is the key word in that sentance. I have a feeling that Santa may freak him out. But, I am willing to give it a try. I have recently purchased a toddler version of the Night Before Christmas and hope that we can "learn him up" on the whole Santa thing. I tried to get him to watch the Grinch with me when it came on TV the other night, but I think he was not keen on how the Grinch was treating his dog and he asked me to turn it off. 

It's the first time I have to be sneaky about buying his Christmas presents. I already have a couple of things stashed on the high shelves of the closet. 

And it's the first time that we've actually had a fireplace and mantel to hang stockings on! 

But I don't think its going to be the first or the last time that I plan to get all my shopping done early but find myself out on Dec 24th with a few more things to get. 

I'm Back!!!

Wow, its been a month since I've been on the blog. And a crazy month it has been. I am finally feeling more settled in the house. There is still more to do... hang art, do some more organization.... but all in all we are moved in. 

And amazingly, Emmett did great with the move. I think because we had been here so much before we actually moved in, he was really used to the house and it made the transition really easy. Also, we moved him to the big boy bed when we moved in here and he has done great! Yes, we still have to kind of be there when he falls asleep, but we are working on that. 

Having a big yard has been great, too. Emmett loves watching Daddy on the "tractor" mowing the lawn and recently he has loved jumping in our raked leaves piles. We really look forward to putting in a veggie garden in the spring and having him help us with that. 

Lots of stuff to chat about on here soon.... holidays...toddler tribulations.... etc. 

Look for me to be on here more often!