...Without expanding my waistline...

This week has been CRAZY! Jason has been gone almost every morning this week and has had to work every evening which has left me home with a certain someone who not much of a conversationalist. Everyday starts the same for me. Wake up to David on the monitor, nurse him, feed him a real breakfast, eat my own breakfast, dress David, work out, shower, put David down for a nap, watch TV/be online and other ways of being unproductive, David wakes up and nurses again, then we eat lunch. Jason typically comes home shortly after lunch to spend less than an hour an a half with us before leaving for work... he doesn't come home until around 10:30 or 11 depending on how late his relief is that particular night (and they are ALWAYS late!).

Typically, Jason is only gone 2 mornings during the week for school and is home the other 3 (he's almost always completely free on the weekends). We run errands on Mondays which usually include WalMart/Aldi and JoAnn Fabrics... and MAYBE a stop at somewhere more fun like Petland, lol. Those mornings are basically my only time spent with another adult. Even at church my calling is in Nursery!!! I never get a heads up about Relief Society activities so I almost always miss those. AND David and I have been terribly sick for a week and a half so we haven't gone anywhere... I may cry.

I need something to do to cure my boredom! I used to sew or bake to entertain myself but since I have FINALLY completed those 20 dresses for Nixa High School, I'm not so into sewing at the moment. Not that I don't have plenty of projects to finish! I NEED to take a hiatus from baking for awhile. I LOVE cooking!!!!! Oh man do I love to cook & create new recipes! I'm afraid, however, that my figure does not love my obsession with cooking. Like a lot of people, I have jumped on the cupcake bandwagon... along with cookies and anything that looks yummy, lol. Sometimes I'll have a craving for cookies or cupcakes, make a batch, then (after eating 1 or 2) I'll send the rest with Jason to work or with the missionaries just so they don't sit around the house!

I'm rambling... anyway, back on course. I need a new hobby or activity to do that won't expand my waistline.

Ideas? Anyone?

How to Preface This...

I have a lot on my mind today... mainly about the same topic

When I was in 8th grade, my Grandpa (my dad's dad) passed away very suddenly. He went into the hospital on a Saturday morning and passed away the following Monday evening. It's been bittersweet for me watching the Olympics because he passed away during the winter Olympics in 2002. He was such a great grandpa! He was the Grandpa who never missed a softball game, always bought me a toy when we went to the store (very important quality to a 6 year old), he was very active and always full of love for his family. We always used to go to his (and grandma's) house on Christmas Eve to open gifts. I will always remember him rooting for his favorite team - Go Penn State! I miss him ridiculously to this day.


My Grandpa Sitler holding me all the way back in 1987.

Yesterday, I got an e-mail from my grandma (mom's mom) that instantly brought tears to my eyes - we just found out that my other grandpa has cancer. My Grandpa Brown is amazing. He has always been there for me with his sweet smile and room-filing laughter. He and my Uncle would always hold me down and tickle me until I was crying from laughing so hard. I know regardless of what happens in the near future, I will always be able to be with my Grandpas... but is it selfish for me to want to have my last grandpa for a little while longer in this earth life? Ok, selfish? Yes, understandable? I hope so...


5 Generations of my mom's family:
In the front, my brother & comedian, Alex.
On the couch from L to R: My Great-Grandma (mom's dad's mom), My Grandpa Brown, Me & David, & my Mom.
Back row: My Grandma Brown, My Great-Grandpa, & my amazing husband, Jason

Sick Days

Oh how I longed for sick days when I was younger! Staying home, curling up on the couch with my pillow and blankie - there was nothing better! I really needed one of those days today... but my little boy needed one more. David has had a runny nose for a couple days now and woke up today with an awful, phlegmy cough. He was acting completely normal for the most part. He usually takes 2 naps totaling about 3 hours, but not today, he took 2 naps only totaling 1.5 hours, so he was a little grumpy. He's not running a fever and I think his cough is bothering me more than him. I just feel so bad for him!!! I'm feeling pretty awful. I've had a lingering headache all day and I'm stuffed up! As strange as it sounds, the roof of my mouth hurts & I'm totally exhausted too, lol. What a day! Hopefully David and I will sleep well tonight and will wake up feeling better.

Can I just say

How much I love my blog? After much construction, I love it's new makeover!!

:(

This place sucks... Tonight, I am in a dark place. I'm feeling so down!! I held back tears while putting David to bed because it meant that I would be by myself until Jason gets home from work. I feel like I'm always alone. Jason goes to school in the morning and works until 10pm. I have no job and no family close by. At church, I spend my time with 2 & 3 year olds. There is only 1 other person in Nursery with me who is older than my grandparents. I make Jason come to Nursery with me because sometimes I feel like I never see him. I can't get together with friends because some of them don't have kids and, therefore, want to do non kid friendly activities which I would totally be up for if it wouldn't require me to hire a sitter to participate. Sometimes it feels like my friends who do have kids don't want to get together with me. Jason and I do our best to get together with people - we've hosted 2 parties in the past 2 months. While we have definitely enjoyed the company, we don't feel that we should have to be the ones to organize it and host every time.

I am so lonely tonight

Our Fluffy Buns!

Once upon a time, I decided to try cloth diapering... and ended up loving it! Seriously, it's WAY easier then I anticipated (and I was giving it the benefit of the doubt!). I really don't understand why more people won't do it! Think about it. What are some "fears" about cloth diapering?:

Poop... why is everyone so afraid of poop?!?! You're going to touch poop at some point - even while changing a disposable! If it makes you that uncomfortable, go and buy some rubber dish gloves and wear those while changing a poopie cloth. Sure, it's a little more work than just tossing it into the trash, but is it really that hard to take a couple minutes out of the day to spray out a dirty diaper? I maybe spend an extra 5 minutes a day on diaper upkeep... worth it!

"They're just not as convenient as disposables"... Whatev! My bunGenius 3.0 are amazing! After washing, all you have to do is put the insert inside the pocket in the cover and you're set! Mine are even Velcro closure!! Jason wasn't sure what to think of cloths until we got them and he changed a diaper - even he says they're easy. If you're out and have to change a cloth, just change them like normal, and put the dirty in a ziploc bag. I made a cute little zipper bag for my ziploc to go in so I don't even have to look at the dirty... and no unsuspecting diaper bag snooper knows what it is either! lol... I can even still use my diaper champ - amazing!

"They're not cost effective"/"They're so expensive"... again WHATEV! We spent 4 months worth of diaper money up front and have diapers forever! We have to run the washer and dryer a couple extra times a week, but even then, it's still cheaper than the $25-ish we were spending a month on disposables.

Jason and I are very pleased with our decision to cloth diaper, David is happy as usual, and life is still going on as normal. Not to mention how ridiculously cute the diapers and David's new "fluffy bum" is. Probably my favorite feature of these diapers is that they will fit a baby from birth to potty training - now THAT'S a great investment!


Our Super Cute Stash

One Happy Boy!!

I have decided I am the only one who knows what's best for my child. After all, that's what the motherly instinct is for, right? David is 10 months old now. He can sit up, crawl, pull himself up, communicate what he needs, and is a GREAT sleeper. He has the cutest smile, the sweetest laugh and loves his Mommy & Daddy... what more can I ask for? I don't understand why people worry so much about what their baby is "expected" to do at a certain age. I think their is entirely too much stress in this world so why start putting stress on them at young ages... and why add the stress to your own life? Children are only babies for a short while. They are so perfect and so uninfluenced, why not learn from them instead of trying to teach them to grow up even faster? I don't like the idea of development charts & I can't stand it when people brag about their children based on what they say. I understand the need to express excitement, but when people are like "My baby is crawling! What's wrong with yours?!" I just want to shake them! Maybe that child has an undiscovered learning disability... maybe they're perfectly fine... either way, if someone has to "pick" on another child to make themselves feel better, it's ridiculous! One of my close friends has dealt with this lately and she almost cries every time we talk about it. ENJOY the moments! Relish in the fact that you have a strong bond with your child... they will become independent someday, but why make it happen any faster than necessary?

If David is happy, I am happy... that's the only standard I need :)

On another note... our cloth diapers shipped today! We should get them in the next couple of days and I'm so excited!