stay at home momma

well for the past 3 weeks, i have been staying at home with Jaylin.  i graduated in December and my last day of work at the library was December 23rd.  i've been home since.  i'm waiting on the state of Arkansas to send me my temporary nurse's license.  i can't start work until I have it in.
i admit the first couple of weeks were so much fun.  waking up and playing and running errands with my favorite little person all day.  don't get me wrong, it's still fun...i just want to work!!!  i didn't graduate from college to be a stay at home mom.  and this is no insult to those that are.  this is the HARDEST work i have ever done.  there is no down time.  i don't get to clock in and out.  there are no breaks and one hour lunches.  i eat fast when i can, i sit when she's preoccupied for a milisecond.  i'm exhausted!
how do you ladies who are stay at home momma's do it?  i'm craving adult interaction!
i'm so upset with the state boards for not having our licenses to us by now.   it's been over 3 weeks since our stuff was turned in.  don't they realize that's 3 weeks of no money!  i was supposed to start my new job on the 10th of january, but nooooo.  i'm going to be a recovery room nurse at Spark's hospital in Fort Smith.  i'm extremely excited about this.  it will be M-F 8 hour shifts during the day!  i will be on call 1 weekend a month.  this is the perfect mommy job.  i will be at home at night to get my little one to bed and at home during the weekend to hang out with the hubby!

until later

razorback basketball games

so we took jaylin to her first ever razorback game.  it was the day before thanksgiving. it was so much fun!  she had a blast.  she was completely mesmorized by all the lights and sounds and people all around her.  so well behaved too.  she also totally flirted with some little boy behind us.  we were kind of weary to take her to the game because the weather could possibly turn on us and it would be around 10pm by the time we got home.  i'm so glad we took her.  we now know that our little girl is a sports loving girl.  jaylin made her daddy proud. 

 

everyone was so nice to us also.  apparently you have to have a ticket for everyone, babies included.  we only had two tickets and were told that the ushers sometimes have freebies for babies.  there was no way i was paying $25 for jaylin to get in, but the door guy said it was fine.  the ladies who checked the bags had to come over and dote all over her while i was waiting for jeremy to come back from parking.  everyone had to comment on her cute cheerleader uniform, her beautiful eyes, and her overall fun personality.  it was such a great family outing.  i can't wait for spring...baseball season!!!  jaylin will love baseball games!

 

until later

storytime

so a couple of weeks ago. i took Jaylin to dress-up storytime at the library.  i work in the children's section, so everyone had to come see her.

 

it's time to sit down and listen now.  there are other kids dressed up also...buzz lightyear, a bumble bee, and minnie mouse just to name a few.

 

Then Jaylin made a friend.  This adorable little girl kept wanting to play with her.  Her mom kept telling her to stop bothering Jaylin, but she wasn't bothering her...Jaylin enjoyed it!

 

She sat up and listened intently to Ms. Robin and Ms. Judy as they sang and told the stories.  She also had fun watching all the other children dance along to the songs.

 

Well storytime was over and it was snacktime for the bigger kids. Jaylin isn't quite ready for cupcakes and goldfish crackers.  So the girls snapped this picture of us right before we left.

 

I am so excited to take her to more of these.  I want the library to be a great memory for her when she is older.  So far, she seems to really enjoy it!

Until later

girls day out!

It's been a while since I last posted...I've been busy.

But since the last time, Jaylin and I had a date at the park, and let me tell you it was fantastic!
It was like one of those days where you are stuck inside and the weather is so perfect that you are fighting the urge to go outside and bask in the awesomeness...the weather was that kind of perfect.
A perfect light breeze and the right amount of sun.  No rain, no humidity, just perfection.
It also helped that my company was amazing...only thing to make it more perfect, if my husband could have been there.  But he was stuck in the office.

So I had the whole day for just me and Jaylin.  I got her dressed for storytime at the library but Jaylin had other things on her mind.

 So off to the park after a short nap.  We walk around a bit trying to see if the little train was running, but it wasn't, so off to decide on what will be our first adventure.  I decide on the swings.  Jaylin has never been in a swing like the ones at the park and at first she was a little apprehensive.

 

but then she gets the hang of it and my younger brother described her look perfectly. "Mom, Dad out of my face, I'm about to show this swing what to do"

 

 After the swings, I feed Jaylin her lunch and we settle in on the blanket.  I think the day may be getting cut short because Jaylin is getting restless.

 

 But the breeze picks up a little and Jaylin finds contentment in being outside with her toys.

 

We giggle and play and roll around on the blanket and just enjoy the beautiful day.  It was amazing.  It was a day I will never forget.  I needed that.  I needed a day to play with my daughter, to enjoy being outside before the weather turns cold and the outside turns gray.  A day for just us two.

 

Until later

blessings

last night jeremy put our little giant to bed and it was awesome.  during her bath she splashed and played and then when he was putting her pajamas on her, i could hear her beautiful laughter ripping through the silent house.  they were having fun.  he fed her her oatmeal and then read her a story.  while all of this was going on, it made me think of a few things.

i'm so glad that jaylin will get to grow up in a household where she recieves no shortage of love.  her smile melts our heart.  while everday i am thankful for this wonderful blessing...i also realize that we are a blessing to her.
everday jeremy and i shower her with enough kisses and hugs to last a lifetime.  we worry about her nutrition, what books we read to her, are her toys stimulating enough, what can we do for her.  she is in every thought and every decision.
if only all children were that lucky.
some children would love to be cuddled to sleep.  to have someone care for all of their needs, not just the basics.  to be loved unconditionally.  to have a daddy that makes their heart swell and their voice rejoice in beautiful laughter.  to have a mommy that would go through all the hard parts of labor, a c-section, and the complications afterwards over and over again because it brought jaylin to me.
there is no love like the love a parent has for a child.  it is completely indescribable until you become a parent.  it's like a secret club with a big bouncer and you can't get in without knowing the intricate password.  a parent can try to explain it to a non-parent, but to no avail you just can't understand it until you become a parent.  i can't imagine how some people have children and then hurt them or just ignore them.  to not want to do everything and anything for that miracle that God has given them is completely unbelievable to me.

we are so blessed as a family to have each other.  i love my wonderful husband and wonderful daughter.  i couldn't have dreamed of a better family.

until later

game day

today is the day!  razorback football!  arkansas vs. alabama.  alabama won the national championship last year and we have to prove that we are better than them.  unfortunately i work today, but will be keeping up with it online.

jaylin is spending the night with her nana and poppy while jeremy and i celebrate the upcoming nuptials of our dear friends.  jeremy has already left to head to his parents house so that he can hang out and watch the game with them.  i'm jealous.  i wish i was going over to their house with the lovely carpeted floors, 2, count 'em 1- 2 sofas you can sink into, a huge tv, and someone else to hold jaylin when she's being inconsolable(she doesn't get that way often).  but i gotta work. 
i'm excited about tonight.  we are blessed to have so many wonderful family members willing to babysit our little giant all the time.  but i'm really excited about tonight because we are going out with friends.  not that i don't love and enjoy time with just me and jeremy, but it's nice to get out and hang out with some ladies at the same time that i'm hanging out with the hubbie. to sit and have a nice dinner and who knows what after that.  but it will be fun, of that i am sure.
oh and on another note...jaylin has slept all night for 2 nights!!!!!!!!!  i feel like i may be jinxing it by saying something this early, but it is awesome.  no waking up in the middle of the night for a bottle or a diaper change(thank you fisher price diapers).  last night she did wake up and cry, but soothed herself right back to sleep.  i hope this is a sign of things to come and not just a lucky couple of days.  wish us luck!!!
i just wanted to share this picture to show how truly blessed my life is.  my child is such a happy baby!

well i'm off to finish getting ready for my day.
until later

the sleeping giant

 so jeremy and i have decided to start a sleep routine with jaylin.  she's 6 months old now.  she needs  to be falling asleep on her own and sleeping through the night(at least that's what the books say).  i know, i know...just now starting a sleep routine!  but before this, i would rock her to sleep and i loved it.  it was our time of the night.  a time when i knew that in my arms, she was safe.  she had everything she wanted-me to hold her and cuddle her and a bottle. 
well my jaylin is a big girl.  she does not need that bottle to go to sleep with and she doesn't need to be waking up to have one either.  a baby that is 6 months old can fast for up to 12 hours.  how glorious that would be...12 hours of sleep.  i don't know what i would do with myself.  i believe that jeremy and i would throw a party, albeit a quiet no music party as to not wake the sleeping baby, but a party nonetheless. 
back to the routine.  last night, when jaylin started rubbing her eyes i scooped her up and gave her a bath.  then after bath, put on pajamas, sat in her quiet room and read her a story.  she did get a bottle, but there was only 3 oz of formula and it had been quite a while since she had ate last.  i laid her down after her bottle and she went right to sleep.  it was awesome!!!!  no rocking her for 20 minutes.  she even soothed herself back to sleep after the stupid neighborhood kids came over to see if we wanted to buy some chocolate bars. 
she woke up at 10:45 to eat.  i wasn't mad at this.  i kind of expected it.  i gave her a small amount of sweet potatoes at 5pm and a 3oz bottle at 8pm.  i knew she was actually hungry.  i gave her some oatmeal and water and rocked her for 5 minutes...back to sleep.  she still woke up at 2:45 for another bottle and a diaper change.  i gave her 3oz and back to bed.  awake again at 6:30am, but that's what time she wakes up.  my jaylin is an early riser.  this is an improvement compared to a regular night.  i know that this seems like a lot of waking up, but we are working with it.  tonight instead of 3oz of formula at 8pm, she'll get oatmeal and water to tide her over, so she won't wake up at 10:45.
the first week of october, i'm going to try the cry it out method.  i'm dreading it...DREADING it.  but she needs to sleep better.  the first week of october i don't have school because it's not my clinical groups turn.
anywhooo, off to do homework.