Random thoughts

• Facebook, love it and hate it. Am I really that nosy? Are people nosy about my life, do they really care what I'm doing after 10 years of not seeing or talking to them. It is nice to reconnect with people, but I have a feeling some people just like to have a lot of 'friends'. There are people that have over 400 friends, do they really know 400 people? I'm pretty impressed with my 130 and even some of them are questionable.
  
• I love a good thunderstorm.
  
• The previews for Haunting in Connecticut scare me. Same with Harpers Island (one by one, one by one......goosebumps!)
• I'm tired, from what I hear (from other mothers) this is going to continue for the next 18 years.
• I'm still working on being more positive. I'm lucky to have such a cute daughter who likes to cuddle in the mornings even though she cries a lot (oops that a little negative isn't it?)....darn it!
• I need to start running/walking again, I know it will feel good once I start....it's the getting started that is the hard part.

How do you know?

How do you know if you don't have a cute baby? Because honestly I really think our baby is really cute! Maybe some of you reading this don't think Presley is cute, (in which case, what is wrong with you???) but do parents know when their babies aren't cute? Will I look back at her baby pictures some day and realize that she wasn't that cute after all?

I mean look at this face! Even when she cries I think she is cute! :)
Even with her bald head (which is slowly sprouting some peach fuzz now! YES!) ahhhh, adorable!

#8- Work?

Can I really be grateful for work? At this point yes! Considering too many people are losing their jobs and going thru rough times in the economy, I really don't want to complain about my job. We just have to be thankful that we have them!

Steve's job has been rocky for almost a year. Since Regency went out of business last May, he was lucky to be one of the guys brought to the new company. You never know how a new company will compete in the market, especially with commercial projects. So far he is holding on to his paycheck. They recently laid off a couple people, cut some hours and are no longer matching his 401k...but we can't complain right now b/c we are still receiving a paycheck!

I'm basically going back to a brand new job. My department started doing FHA loans when I left, I haven't been trained on anything. So when I go back I'll be one of the 'new' people! New rules, new process, new system, new people, basically a whole new job! Which is one of the reasons I'm just going back part time for the first week...ease back into the craziness, with mandatory overtime!
So until the economy turns around we are just going to hang on. Good luck to everyone! Just be thankful you have your job, things could always be worse!

6 weeks old - and already getting an attitude

I'm going back to work next week, half days for the first week then back into the grind of work. My work, which is starting mandatory overtime b/c they are so far behind! Guess I don't have to worry about losing my job any time soon!
I don't think I'll have a hard time leaving her to go back to work, probably b/c she'll be with my mom. It'll be nice for me to have a reason to actually get up and get showered and dressed every morning, which right now doesn't happen. I'm just hoping when I get back to work I stop talking in my high-pitched baby voice and I don't call myself Mommy or Steve, Daddy when I'm there! ha ha

Here's our little girl with her half smile...she gets this from Steve. She has started smiling, normally right after she wakes up and is still in a good mood.


and here she is sleeping, of course with her hands/arms, over or near her head. She is too sweet when she is sleeping, this is probably why 90% of the pictures we have of her are when she is sleeping. Notice the small double chin she is getting. She is still wearing newborn clothes, some of her 0-3 month stuff will fit, but most of it is still a little big. We bought a 0-3 month pair of jeans and the waist is about 5 inches too big still! Poor thing has a limited wardrobe right now!

#7 - We are family.....

Oh family.....I am very lucky to have a great family. Even though we might not see most of our family very often we do try to keep in touch. I know that everyone in my family would be there for us if we ever needed anything.

My dad's side of the family...they are funny! They are loud, speak their mind, and did I mention funny! They can make me cry with laughter and that is something I always look forward to when being with them. They love food as much as my family does...Steve tells me that food doesn't solve every problem, but I think my family would disagree!

My mom's family lives all over the United States so we are lucky if we see them once a year. But we do have a family reunion every other year that we all attend. Of course, it can get overwhelming with everyone but it is fun to see everyone. We have our family olympics and talent show where people laugh, cry and get mad. The olympics are very serious from picking the teams to picking the perfect balloon for the water balloon contest! We have trophies too. We stay up late talking and drinking, well some go to bed early because of the drinking!

Steve's family is very different than mine, but also very close. They all live within an hour of us. Steve is the baby of the family with 9 nieces and nephews. I'm the oldest and just had the first grandchild of my family. My parents don't drink alcohol, his family drinks for every occasion. His family is able to get together every year for a week of vacation, which is very laid back and fun!

There are other people in our lives who I would consider family also...those people I've known for a long time or who have had an important impact in our lives. You know who you are, and thank you for including us in your lives and letting us into yours.



Frederick Family Reunion 2008- Texas

#6 Girls, Girls, Girls

I know my last post I mentioned my long time friends. This post is for being so grateful for all my friends who have come into my life! My friend Cindy and I casually mentioned having a once a month Fiesta Girls night. I remember saying, 'if only you and I can make it, that's fine with me!' We've never had less than 8 girls and have up to 20! We have successfully had a girls night about once a month for the last year and we have brought together girls from all different circles. Everyone meets new people, new friendships form and you've never realized how many girls want to get out for a girls night!
It's good for girls to have a lot of friends. As girls get older, it seems a lot of woman lose touch with friends b/c of family obligations, which is totally expected, but it is my job to make sure I get some of these girls out of the house and socialize at least once a month! :)
We'll see you all out for mexican food and margaritas....pitchers of margaritas!

And I don't want to exclude the girls that I work with, they are the reason that I can make it thru the day! Complaining, laughing, talking....this is what girls do best and I could not make it thru every day at our job without them. Some of them know things that my closest friends don't even know! They know things about friends that they've never even met, but you almost feel as if you know these people that you hear stories about. I hope we remain friends even when we go our separate ways....and I know that we all want to get out of this boot camp that we call work :)

Pic from my bachelorette party with most of my good friends! This pic is priceless!

#5- Meet new friends, but keep the old.....

My good 'old' friends. I have 2 very close friends that have been around for more than 10 years. That really doesn't seem possible. It is hard to keep friends for that long, you just lose contact or go your separate ways. Colleen, we were friends in highschool, but not that close. Into college we became closer and now...we were in each others weddings! I love that girl. She is such a strong woman, it's amazing. She had a daughter a little over 2 years ago and her husband was diagnosed with cancer a couple months later. Thru all of his chemo and radiation and her fairly demanding job and raising a new baby she was unbreakable! I'm sure some of this was because she doesn't like to show a lot of emotion, but goodness I would've been stressed and having myself a pity party! I wish I had her drive, energy and creativity! :)

Cindy, my roommate freshman year in college. We were alike is so many ways...both our mothers did in-home daycare, we both had dark green bedspreads, we even had some of the same clothes and shoes! We have still remained friends, she moved to TX for 6 mths and then we lived together again for another year. Cindy just got married 6 months ago, I'm so happy for her and wish them the best of luck. Cindy is another very strong woman. Its seems like Cindy is always dealing with a full plate, whether it be family problems or training to run a marathon! She is smart, nice to everyone, very expressive and goes out of her way to make everyone happy.

I'm so lucky to have these two strong, wonderful, fun girls in my life and hope that we can continue our friendships and memories for many more years to come! I love you guys like sisters!

Me and Cindy

Me and Colleen

#4 Sister, Sister

My sisters! Of course, I always wanted a brother but I'm not sure I could live without either one of them. They are crazy and different in their own way. Holly is nice, caring, funnier than hell, a great friend and wants nothing more than to find the man of her dreams...and she will and it will be worth the wait! She has always been there for me, when we both were going thru bad relationship drama we supported each other. Of course, we don't always get along but sisters aren't supposed to!

Samantha, was always my little brother growing up. Loved fighting, Ninja Turtles, tae kwon do and hated dresses or anything girly. Now she is actually a girl! Make-up, short tight shirts, flirting, oh yeah the boys love her. I was gone at college during a lot of Samanthas 'growing up' so I missed a lot of the stuff that she went thru. But we get along pretty good. I try to stay out of her business b/c my mom and Holly do enough worrying for all of us!

I think they are both excited to be aunts and I'm lucky to have them around for my baby-sitting needs. I love my sisters even when they drive me crazy and I hope they know that I'm always here for them. I'm kinda glad I didn't get stuck with a brother! :)

#3 - Ma and Pa

I think I have the best parents in the world. They do everything for us girls. I hope that I can be a great mother to my kids, as my mom has been to us. Of course, she can be annoying.....I'm sure most mothers are. My dad is always more than willing to help change the oil in our cars, come over when we need help lifting something or lets us borrow his truck. When I went away to college is when I first began to appreicate my parents, I think most kids are probably like that.And now that we have Presley, Steve and I realize how lucky we are to have my parents near us. They love to watch her and are more than willing to take her for a couple hours while we sleep! She is already spoiled rotten by grandma...the way it probably should be! They do anything and everything for us and I know they will for Presley too.

Both of my sisters have moved back home during different times and my parents have welcomed them, with a little sarcasm of course, but that is expected of my family. They loan us money when needed, whether it be emergencies, a car, a laptop, education, getting married. They don't have a lot of money, but they are willing to work and make sacrifices for their kids and I hope that one day I'm able to do that for my kids. My parents have been married 30+ years. They are what a marriage should be and I congratulate them. With divorce rates the way they are it is hard to find couples married that long and I'm so thankful to have them as role models of how a marriage should and could be. Don't get me wrong, it's not all romance and happiness but they make it work! People give up too easily! My dad is a truck driver so he works weird hours, my mom has slept on the couch for years, but my dad will still bring my mom flowers on the anniversary of their first date! It can be hard, and I think people think marriage fixes all your problems. It doesn't! It's good to disagree and discuss, but remember to have fun along the way. Tease each other, flirt with one another and always make each other laugh!

Anyway, I hope everyone has an example of a good marriage in their lives! and are lucky enough to have parents as great as mine. You rock, ma and pa!

#2 - Baby Presley

Wow, how the last 10 months have flown by. We are so blessed to have an adorable, healthy baby girl. Who already has an attitude, she knows what she wants and when she wants it. This whole parenting thing is a little surreal and I think we are still getting used to it. We are very lucky to have this little girl in our lives and I know as time goes on we'll be even more blessed by her.
Our lives have changed. We can no longer sleep in. We can't go out like we used to. I don't think Steve has made is weekly trip to Home Depot since you've been here. As tough as it seems, as tired we get and as much as you scream and cry....we are very lucky parents and it is totally worth it. We love you Presley Grace!................but when will you sleep thru the night? :)

Absolutely #1...even though these are in no particular order!

Steve. What can I say? I am truly grateful to have married my best friend. Someone who makes me laugh and amazes me everyday. He is cute, funny, sweet, hard-working (if you get off work at 3:30, are you bored by 4? NO? He is! I think it's A.D.D), loyal, dedicated, opinionated, a great cook (he is the only man I know that would rather make his own pasta and grate his own chesse), stubborn, outspoken, smart (the only guy I know that can tell you everything about cooking, construction, paint, furniture, fishing, football, clothes AND shoes!), sarcastic....I love everything about him, even if he can drive me crazy at times :)

We've been thru some ups and downs, good times and bad...lucky for us the bad times are few and far between!Steve, I am very lucky to have found you and very lucky that you decided to stick with me! :) I look at our wedding pictures and realize that day was for sure, the happiest day of my life. I am so excited to be your wife for the years we have ahead of us. Our love is the kind that people take for granted, that people don't take the time to realize how lucky they are or what they have until it is too late. I want us to be this happy everyday and be thankful that we have found each other. I love you, as your wife and friend. September 22nd, 2007 :)

Happy thoughts!

yeah yeah, I know I'm negative sometimes...a lot of times.....most of the time...maybe I'm just spoiled rotten and don't realize it. Anyway, I recently came across a blog that was listing the top 10 things to be grateful for in her life, so I've decided to give it a shot too. To realize all the good things I have and stop worrying and complaining about the little things that really make no difference to how I live my life. I also came across an email forward about the Presidents approval rating and how most US citizens aren't happy with the economy..blah,blah....and then it went on to list all the reasons that we should be happy. For example, having homes, food to eat, emergency care, education...we have all these things and yet we are still unhappy with the ways our lives are. I don't want to be one of those ungrateful people, so I thought this task might help me out. Can you list 10 things that you are extremely grateful for? Now.....where do I start?

1 month

Presley is now 1 month old. We are slowing getting her to sleep in the bassinet or in the crib. I'm basically sleeping on the couch with her either in the bassinet or the bouncy seat. I feel bad if she wakes Steve up when he has to work in the morning. Boy that will change when I have to go back to work.

Our one month old....

• loves to be held and cuddled
• hates baths or being naked....even getting her diaper changed sends her into tears, but this is getting better
• is finally out of premie clothes and now into newborn clothes, 0-3 months are still a little big.
• drinks about 3 oz, every 3 hours....sometimes more, sometimes less. Once I think she is on more of a schedule, she changes it up.
• she likes the sound of running water, but is too smart to fall for the white noise, or running water from the sound machines.
• is losing her hair. This bothers me, I know it will grow back but with the hair Steve and I have I just didn't think we'd have a bald baby!
• has a nickname of Spaz. Every night around dinner our baby changes into Spaz...really she's probably a little colicky.
• has a cuter nickname of Peanut, Steve calls her this, I think it's cute.

I think we are all still adjusting to our family of 3, but we are slowly getting used to it. In another month it will seem even easier.....right?

Baby mullet!

Presley is losing her hair but only on top....see her hairline! But the back doesn'tl look too bad.