Twice in 1 week

So after spending the first day of 2014 feeling crummy and hanging out with my sick little girl... only a few days later I was hit with some weird stomach virus. Not cool immune system. The kicker... I barfed up a meal that I was LOOKING FORWARD to digesting for several days.

Sorry Mahogany... you're officially on my "do not consume" list for a while. Bummer huh? That food was AMAZING going down... not so much coming back up.

BUT... with two illnesses in less than a week... I feel like I've spent the better part of 2014 playing "catch up".

My dining room is covered in a Christmas explosion awaiting boxes and a trip to the attic, my office at work is filled with stacks, my office at home.. stacks.

I'm still praying about what my word, verse, and thought for 2014 are  going to be.. stay tuned for more information about those in a future blog.

Deep breath-- I.Can.Do.This.

New Year... New Post

I've attempted to blog a million times and I always quit. This might also be the same... deal with it. :)

As I start out this year, I have so many things that I want to accomplish, and so many things from last year that I am trying to finish.. EEK!

On New Years Eve... I got sick. Terribly crummy awful sick. As a crazy type A person, this didn't go so well. My instant thoughts were... OK, but tomorrow I have to finish up my billing at work for the year, take down the Christmas tree, do 7 loads of laundry, sweep the back porch, build Anthony's birthday present.... The list went on and on and on.. until I finally drifted asleep.

Two hours later I was awoken by my sweet little baby: "Mommy, I have yuckies... " In my delirious NyQuil induced state-- I simply shrugged her off to my poor sleeping husband, and my immediate thought was "Great.. there goes tomorrow".

When I woke up, a little less delirious, I checked on my poor sweet baby and we both felt yucky together.

We spent the ENTIRE day cuddled up on the couch. During this lazy relaxing time I felt great. I know there were a million things I should have been doing.. or that needed to be done (thanks to my sweet husband some of them did get done), but God was revealing something to me. BE STILL, It's OK to not always have everything done. 

I think that's going to be an ongoing trend with me in 2014. Finding the right balance between God, family, kids, work, friends, and self.

May 2014 be the best year yet!! :)

Soul Mates

I've heard it time and time again from various people. People often talk about the ONE person that was meant for them. I don't believe in soul mates. In fact, I think the entire concept is hilarious. To think that in the ENTIRE world that there is only ONE person that could make you happy for the rest of your life is well.. insane.
What if your soul mate gets run over by a train, or picks the wrong person. Then what? Do you sit and sulk for the rest of your life b/c that ONE person isn't with you? No.
 I'm married to a wonderful man. A man that I wake up and choose to be married to each and every day. If for some reason he and I hadn't met, we would probably both be married or in other relationships. The idea that our worlds wouldn't work if we had "missed our chance" with one another, is just simply one that I can not wrap my mind around. 
What DO I believe? I believe that there are various people in this world that you can spend your time and life with. I believe that long lasting relationships are built on one idea. Both parties have to CHOOSE each other. This is also why I believe that arranged marriages can work. If both the man and woman enter that marriage with the desire to stay together I honestly believe they will.
This is also why so many marriages fail. One of both of the parties start thinking that they don't want to be in it. There are some crazy couples out there that have managed to last the test of time. You can have nothing in common, you can be different religions (although this might prove tricky), you can hate the way your partner dresses, but in the long run, if you want to be married and you can both come together to make it work, it might just last.
Have you ever seen that couple.. we ALL know this couple. They are best friends, they have everything in common.. food, music, sports, etc. These couples make most of us sick. Just watching them fit so perfectly together can be nauseating at times. Then out of nowhere the couple announces their divorce. Sure they love hanging out, playing games, eating out, but they have decided that they don't WANT to be together.
Then there is the couple you see. We know this couple too. When you see them coming you can not figure out what they see in each other. This couple manages to stay married for 50 years. They CHOSE to stay together.
So if you're married, remember why you decided to get married. Remember that you and your spouse decide your future together.  If you're single. Don't give up. There are "Plenty of fish in the sea" and your future is not limited to that "one perfect person" that will make you smile.

Insurance?

Any of you that know me... or follow me on facebook know that my poor little family has been in an all out war with sickness for the last two years.

Between my two pregnancies, Anthony's hospital stay (not including birth), his ER visit, my two ER visits, Anthony's two surgeries, and all of the visits to the doctors offices our mailbox seems to be a wonderful reminder of how much of our budget is dedicated to our family's health. Even with the ridiculously high deductibles, I am forever grateful that we have insurance.

**Start rant**

I know so many people that refuse to get insurance for their kids. PLEASE INSURE YOUR CHILDREN!! There are so many illnesses that kids get that you just can't account for. There are so many things that you just don't know are coming. They have week immune systems, and are prone to injury (a two year old will jump off of anything!)

If money is tight and you want to risk your own health fine, but insure your kids. If you live in OK there are plenty of affordable options. If you can afford to eat out, smoke cigarettes, etc. you can afford some sort of insurance for your kids. I can not tell you enough how helpful having insurance has been for my family.

**End rant**

If you want to get insurance, but don't think you can afford it. ASK ME. I can pretty much create a budget out of nothing, and would be happy to help you.

You never know when someone is going to get sick, or what illness they might encounter. Don't risk losing everything over being unprepared!!

We're wearing Orange

Today my family is wearing orange. Not as a tribute to my alma mater, but as a tribute to a precious baby that didn't get to celebrate his first birthday.

Stories of parents that suffer this kind of loss break my heart. There are no words to describe the heartache they must be feeling. I just can't imagine.

I know that this is something you CAN NOT prevent, but I am constantly holding my breath praying that God doesn't need one of my sweet angels. I held my little Ainsley longer than usual last night and thanked God for her life. I gave Anthony extra hugs and kisses at bed.

Ainsley was born only a couple of days before Baby Owen. My prayers go out to that family. I simply can not imagine.

To the Bissing Family: I don't know you and we've never met, but my heart goes out to you and your family. I'm praying that you continue to find peace throughout this experience. Owen lives on and has helped carry on life. He was so beautiful and a warrior indeed.

An Attitude Adjustment

If having a second child has taught me anything, it is this.

You can do SO much more than you ever thought. Although I have always wanted more than one child I had a panic attack about a month before Ainsley was born. HOW am I going to be able to love her as much as I do Anthony. HOW can I bond with her. HOW can I change two sets of diapers (we are STILL potty training Anthony), how can I afford for 2 kids to go to daycare, how and when am I going to take a shower, brush my hair, cook nutritious meals, go to school? After almost 7 months of living with those questions I have a simple answer: You just do.

It's so easy to fall into the mindset of "woe is me" and "life is too hard". It has really taken me a change in perspective to overcome this way of thinking, and I remember the exact moment it happend. It was one of the first Saturdays that I had the kids all by myself after Ainsley was born, right before Anthony's 2nd birthday. Both babies were being fussy, not sleeping, Anthony was having a HARD time with the idea of mommy not being able to just pick him up when he demanded it, and things were out.of.control! So much so that I just sat in the floor and cried. THEN, it hit me. Get up... this is NOT hard. Just take a breath, and do it. I regained composure put little Miss in her swing, got Anthony settled, and took a breath.

Ever since that meltdown and serious attitude adjustment things have been easier. Things are by no means easy, but they are easier. For starters, I have the most amazing baby ever. She never gets fussy anymore, she sleeps fantastic, and she lets me put her down. Anthony is beyond amazing too. He is so kind and gentle with his sister it brings tears to my eyes. He always tries to make her laugh, or if she's touching too rough he grabs her calmly and shows her how to "touch soft" on his arm. The jealousy and meanness between them never really existed, and I am so thankful for that.

I really do joke that life go easier with 2 babies than it was with 1. I think just relaxing helped out with that. I have great kids, an amazing husband who helps, a daycare that I could not be more proud of, a job that helps keep things rolling (for now), and great family to help out when things really do get overwhelming.

So let this be a word of encouragment to those who are struggling with a second child, or the idea of having a second child. It isn't that bad, and I have had SO many more good moments than bad. It really is amazing what you can accomplish that you never thought you could.

Ok. I'm behind

Really really behind. My last post consisted of me throwing up on Anthony during a morning sickness fit. Now... almost a year later things have changed dramatically.

Ainsley Elizabeth was born in November. I never invisioned my life as a mother to a little girl. I always thought i'd have a house FULL of loud crazy boys. I am so happy that God had other plans for my family. Ainsley is amazing!! I could not have been more blessed, and I am so excited to raise that sweet little girl alongside my sweet little boy.

The hubs is still traveling a lot, but the kids and I have fallen into a pretty good routine. I took my full maternity leave with Ainsley (not just the 2 weeks like I did with Anthony) and it gave me a chance to get settled into a routine of cleaning, bathing, organizing, etc. It's funny to think that things run more smoothly with two kids than they did with one. Ha!

I am going to "TRY" and blog more.. and FB less. That is my goal for myself over the next several months. It's easier for me to put it all out there... than to just throw out life updates one line at a time. Or.. so it seems. We'll see how that works.