Random Thoughts

Lets be honest. This blog is a place where I can come and sort out all my thoughts for myself. Even if there were no readers out there in blogland, I think I would still write. Its a little bit of therapy mixed with some organization to my thoughts so all in all its good for me, and if anyone cares to follow...they are certainly welcome. That being said, here are some thoughts I have had about the past 6 months. I was ushered into parenthood 6 months ago, and have found I have already made plenty of mistakes, actually done some things right, and have an ongoing list of things I will do different with baby #2. (Which won't be arriving in what we would consider the "near future") I thought I would share my thoughts on what I plan on doing different next time:

Do Different List:
1. Implement BabyWise routine around 7-10 days after birth rather than waiting 6 weeks.
2. NURSE for WAY longer than 6 weeks...more like 6 months at least
3. Swaddle for a little longer than we did
4. will NOT start solid foods until 6 months (or until I see SURE ready signs)
5. No traveling for at least 1 month after
6. Allow myself to gain more weight during pregnancy, and be ok with it.

Do Same List:
1. Move baby to nursery at around 4 weeks (with monitor of course!)
2. routine works!
3. network with other mommies!
4. Teething tablets
5. Not take baby out too much until after 1st round of immunizations
6. Exercise steadily throughout pregnancy.
7. Not go cheap on diapers and food. Its not worth the aftermath.
8. Tylenol/Motrin half hour before shots.

One thing that I go back and forth with is the use of a pacifier. For Anslee, we do not use one. Not by OUR choice, but by hers. I feel like her "decision" in not using one is really because we just did not think to give her one shortly after birth. There are times when I so desperately want to pop one in her mouth and watch her go from fussy to content. We do not have that luxury, but at the same time, I am glad that weaning her from a pacifier will not be something we have to deal with at all. I think with the next one we will try out the pacifier, and see how they take it. Who knows what will come.

When Anslee turned 6 months I really started thinking about how things have worked for us, and what we would like to change. These are things that I had to experience to know if they worked or if I would want to try something different next time around. If I could ask all moms, especially first time moms what they would do different in hindsight, I think I would learn a lot. I still learn everyday...and these lists are subject to change and to be added too!!!!!!

Don't Settle!

"Don't Settle" seems to be the new Moses Mission Statement lately! We have really been blessed with our house hunting experience. We have enjoyed it, and know that our future will be in a home that we really love. That is why we don't want to settle, and we won't! The process has almost been too easy, and I say all of this after having been out-bid on the first house we really fell in love with (see below post). 3 people put on an offer on the house last Friday. Ours came in at 2:30, the next at 2:38, and the last one right before the end of the work day. The last one was an offer for the asking price, so I don't blame the bank for taking that offer! We weren't going to do that, so we took that as a sure sign that was not our perfect home. We have now looked at about 25 homes. We have another favorite that we like and will probably put an offer on tomorrow. Here are some pictures. You will be able to tell why we like this one after you see the photos!

Front View


Side of House/landscaping


Side View of backyard


Back patio


Kitchen


Utility Room



Breakfast area/into kitchen area



Master Bedroom


Master Bath


Living Room


Bedroom


Bedroom


Guest Bath


We really like how this house has character, but still looks new and up to date. Its a good mix of everything we like. We don't like that it backs up to a fairly busy street, but that will not be a deal breaker for us. This house was built in 1994 and is really great shape. It was very clear that the current owners take very good care of this home. I love the crown molding that is throughout the house. I have also been made aware of how expensive window treatments can be, which made me so glad to see that it had the 2" blinds come with the home! The carpet was in really good shape and very clean. We felt very comfortable in this home, and are looking forward to making a move on it. If this is not the house for us, we will of course continue our search with a good attitude. It has been fun looking at what different homes have to offer, and just getting to know Waco in general.

We will keep you blog readers updated as we move along!

First Time Home Buyer Hopeful!

Today we went on our 2nd round of looking at houses with our wonderful Realtor, Whitney. She took us to two different areas in Waco. We felt so much better and very hopeful after today's adventure. We really liked most of all the houses we saw today. We did favor one though. After today, I can't seem to get this one particular house out of my mind. All this to say, I am very much trying to not get my hopes up. This house (pictures below) was a foreclosure. It is just beautiful. It seems to have everything little thing that we want already. The changes we would make are minor, like painting and that is about all. Its a 4 bed two bath. The guest bathroom (which there are no pictures of) is large and set off with the three bedrooms off the living room area. The living room is large and has a fire place. The kitchen is just perfect the exact way it is, from the counter tops, floors, and cabinet space. The master bedroom and bathroom are so perfect. Large room, large walk in closet, separate tub and shower and double vanities/sinks. For being a foreclosure its actually pretty nice and in really good shape. The pictures I do have don't really do much justice, but this is what I have so I will post!

Street View


Kitchen


Living area


Breakfast area



Master Bedroom


I love that the kitchen looks out and is very open to the living area, and that you can look out all the windows straight into the backyard. I love every single light fixture/ceiling fan that is already put in the house. I really love the tiled kitchen counter and of course the size of the two bathrooms. One thing that really got me hooked on this house after seeing it was that Anslee would be able to have a play room, while still having her room and a guest room. I also really liked the neighborhood and feel that resale value will not be an issue for us to have deal with in the least. There would be plenty of room guests...and I am always loving to invite people over!

Now its just a matter of not getting too excited. We will be doing what we can to make this one happen. This house is also within the mile limits to the Hill County DPS office.

All this to say, we did like all the (7) homes we visited today. Tyler and I both know that if this house is a part of his plan for us, it will work out perfectly for us. If this house is not a part of his plan, we will be equally excited about what he DOES have in store for us! We just can't wait to see what will happen next!

Anslee did get her 6 month shots today, and as usual, she did great. She was such a big girl. We cried for just a few minutes, found one of our favorite toys and got to work on a yummy bottle for comfort. She quickly forgot that she even had shots at all. During the house hunt, she was robbed of good nap time, but drifted off easily for bedtime when we got home this evening. The doctor said everything was good, and encouraged us by letting us know that her not being interested in baby food is ok for now, but to keep working with her and that she would soon learn to love food (especially if she has any of her mama in her!!). I still can't believe she is 6 months old. Please know that I have already started planning her 1st birthday :)

Well that is the update for now. More to come when more happens!

6 months

In my recent stalking of othger blogs, I have seen several of my friends write letters to their little ones as they reach "birthdays" or significant times in their young lives. I loved the idea, so I thought I would copy it and write My precious Ans a letter on her 6 month birthday!


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Sweet Anslee,

6 months old today. I almost want to push a pause button on our lives so I can freeze frame you as you are right now. Its hard to know where to start when wanting to describe to you the most precious 6 months of our lives. You have changed our world in such a way that I would never want my life the way it was before you arrived. I remember the feeling I had when I saw your face for the first time, and its a feeling that I will never forget. Your Daddy and I had never seen anything so beautiful and so perfectly innocent. After seeing you and holding you for the first time I wondered how anyone who had experienced the miracle of a baby could not believe in God. I had no doubt that you came to us as a gift from God. There was no other way to describe what a miracle you truly were to us. You have been nothing but a joy to us since we found out we were expecting you. I know that the future is bright for our family, and bright for you.

I have watched you so closely over the past 6 months. You have become my best little friend, and I feel like I know you so well. I have enjoyed watching you, learning about the little person that you are becoming to be, and doing life with you by our sides. There is so much you have already accomplished in your short time here with us!

You can now play with toys, sit and play in your exercauser, and roll all over the place! You reach and grab for everything in your line of vision and want to put everything you get your hands on in your mouth. You squeal with delight, and when you smile your eyes light up a room. The first time you smiled, I cried. I felt like I had waited so long to see you communicate happiness. I only had to wait 8 weeks and it felt like an eternity, but when you did, my heart just melted. You have two teeth now, so each time you smile now I am reminded of how you are growing and developing so fast already! You babble all the time. Its your way of talking to me, so I just talk right back to you. I enjoy our conversations and know that I will continue to love our conversations as you get older. A talker you already seem to be! We predict a very outgoing personality as you are content to smile and talk with anyone who comes your way. You get a lot of attention, and you really seem to like it that way.

You have become so incredibly mobile! You are starting to crawl and can get up on your hands and knees. You are so strong! You seem to always be on the go! Sitting up on your own is no longer enough! You like to move from place to place and you are exploring new ways to get from where you are to where you want to be. You have us laughing all the time. We know that you will continue to astonish us with how quickly you grow and meet all your milestones!

As you develop physically, you are also developing the character to who you will become. What you will be known for, and how you will always be remembered. My prayer for you as you grow, is this: That you are happy and confident. Sensitive and caring, wise and likable. Most of all, I pray that you have a clear understanding of salvation and that your life be aligned along that understanding. I pray your life bring nothing but Glory to our Father who so perfectly planned your arrival to our family 6 months ago today.

We love you!
Mommy and Daddy

Here are some pictures to visually mark your growth and development over the last 6 months!

Your first few seconds outside the womb! 1/22/2009


2/2009 (one month)


3/2009 (two months)


4/2009 (3 months)



5/2009 (4 months)



6/2009 (5 months)



7/2009 (6 months)

Hunt 3

Well, today is the big day! We are so excited to get to Waco and actually walk through these houses. We are seeing 5 houses today. We will be walking through the 2 homes that I have posted pictures of earlier this past week, this one I am posting photos of today, and two others. One of them is still being built, and the other I do not have any photos of, as it was just listed. I will be taking pictures myself during our walk through and will probably end up posting those some time later. Here is the 3rd house we will look at. This home is a little bit smaller than the other two, which is fine, considering we know that this is our first home and there will always be time to "grow" especially as our family grows!

Front outside view
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Window


Dining Area


Kitchen


Master bath: Shower/tub


Guest Bathroom


Driveway into backyard


There are some things I already have questions about on this one. I still certainly want to go and take a look at it, but it seems to be on a busier street. I have never wanted to live on a busy street, but that will have to be something I consider more so once I have seen it in person. I do like that the bathrooms and kitchen counters have been updated. I would like to see some bedroom pictures and maybe the living room too, so there is just more that I need to look at on this one. Worth a drive out to see though! Price wise, they are all extremely reasonable, but this one is really the most reasonable and that is always an attractive attribute!

Please pray for us as we begin this decision making process. We are excited about this time and just want God's will above all else!

More updates to come!

House Hunt via the Blog part 2

I appreciate the feedback on house #1 (on here and on faccebook!). I like the house from what I can tell, but like I mentioned, I have questions that I want to get answered before just falling in love with any house. On that note, here is another house that is a good option for us as well. We really like this house as well.

Front outside View


Bedroom 1


Bedroom 2


Guest Bathroom


Dining Room


Living Room


What we are missing (in photos) of this house would be the 3rd bedroom, master bathroom, and the kitchen. All big selling points, of course. I like what I see, but need to see a whole lot more. I also am NOT a fan of the wood paneling on the walls of the living room. I LOVE that its on a half acre of land. I know that is not just a TON of land, but its more than a city lot, so the yard size is nice. Its an easy fix though, as painting will probably be a "must" anywhere we move to! Its hard to not get in a rush when doing this, but making a well thought out decision is important and I know that despite how my excitement wants me to sign papers in a big hurry!

Well, that is option #2, a strong option, for now at least!

Will put a possible 3rd maybe later today as we are headed out for the weekend. By Monday, I hope to have lots of questions answered! We are very excited about meeting up with our realtor. Her name is Whitney, and she is a reference from Tyler's sister, Jacy. They went to Baylor together and was in the same sorority as Jacy as well. My lender had called her and visited with her and after their conversation my lender, Moo, said that she was an excellent realtor to work with and that this should be a fun process for us! I felt so reassured after hearing that from Moo, as being a first time home-buyer is nerve wrecking! I feel like she will be working to find us the most house for the best price and that is all we can ask for!

*on a different note*

Parenting...not so perfectly

This has been another rough week with Anslee. I hate to think that she might be feeling uncomfortable, but I am beginning to think she has a form of reflux called GERD. The symptoms include:

excessive spit up
food aversions
irritability
more intense pain when laid down
waking early from naps

All of these Anslee has been experiencing for the last two weeks. I have to remember that she is teething and growing too. I have talked to the nurse at Dr. Neesmith's office several times, and we think that GERD could be a possibility, so we will see if a medication (in drop form) called Axid will help. I think lessens the amount of acid in the stomach and esophagus. Vomiting, and coughing are also symptoms of GERD. We are thankfully not having any of that going on though.

GERD is not a sickness, in fact it is the same thing as severe heartburn in adults. Happily, this is not anything that would require Anslee staying at home in order to not pass on to anyone else. Its due to an immature gastrointestinal track.

We try to do our best to comfort her, but we are not able to fix this ourselves. Hopefully the drops will ease her discomfort!

We take off for the Gaylord Texan Resort today! We are excited to have a weekend away, and get in some relaxing! Anslee is thrilled to hang out with her Aunt Jacy and Uncle B all weekend! :)

Pictures to come soon!

House Hunt via the Blog part 1

I have decided that over the next 3 days, I am going to post pictures of a couple of the houses we are looking at in the Waco area. I love to share what is going on with us, and I would love to get feedback from blogging friends! So to start off the house hunt with us, look at the below photos, and feel free to tell us what you think!

Here is photo #1 The view of the home from the street


The living room view #1


Breakfast Area


Kitchen


Bedroom 1


Bedroom 2


Bedroom 3


Living Room View 2


I really like this house, its a 3 bed/2 bath, and in a nice neighborhood. I feel like with of course adding our own personal touches we could really enjoy living in this home. I just hate that there are no photos of the bathrooms. Bathrooms and kitchens are big sellers for me, so its important to see them! Tyler and I will be making a personal visit to this home on Monday!

This house is within 30 miles from the Hill County DPS office, which makes it even more attractive to us, because nothing would change with Tyler's duty station!

I have a few more homes to post pictures of, so stay tuned tomorrow for a view at another option!

All Things "Mommy"

What a busy first part of July it has been! I can't believe that a year ago on July 9th, I heard Anslee's heart beat for the very first time. I was 8 weeks and 4 days along in my pregnancy. My first doctor's visit and sonogram. Pregnancy was such a joy for me (I say this with caution, as I feel I may jinx myself with the next pregnancy!) Wow. Now she is here. She was living and had a beating heart then...for more than a year she has been living, and for almost 6 months I have been able to hold her in my arms. I still can't get over how fast time flies, and I will never be able to capture each moment in a photograph or on film...but I am certainly doing the very best I can!

Teething
On July 3rd, we noticed Anslee's 2nd tooth sprouting above the gum line. I knew again this was happening, as the drooling that had somewhat subsided after the first one sprout had returned. Needless to say, we wear a bib everywhere we go. I hate it, as it always seems to be covering up the cute outfits she is dressed in! She enjoys putting everything she can get her grubby little hands in her mouth, I suppose to ease any pain she is feeling. However, she gets bored with each item shortly after she discovers it, and is always wanting to move on to something else. What keeps her attention the most is a wet wash cloth, but only while bathing. She is a particular child, and I wonder if this part of her little personality settling in, or if she is just temporarily exploring all that is offered to her. Thankfully, I use Hyland's homeopathic teething tablets for instant relief. They dissolve immediately in under her tongue, and she seems to calm as soon as they are given. I like these better than baby orajel, only because she seems too.

Developmental Milestones
Anslee has been rolling over from side to side and front to back now for about 2 months. Now, at 5.5 months, she is almost sitting up independently. She sits in front of her baby gym set and will play with the toys that dangle from it. She is grasping objects with both hands and is really getting good at it. She of course, takes everything straight to her mouth. She can pass toys/objects from one hand to the other. Anslee does tend to drop things a lot. I am starting to wonder if the notorious "dropping game" is starting, or if she is just trying to hear different sounds. I try to keep several toys at arms length, so that when one is dropped she can simply amuse herself with another. Anslee is cooing and babbling and screeching and squealing almost every moment that she is awake. Tyler says that she is already a talker. I hope so, I try to talk a lot and read a lot to her for language development purposes. She tends to really get vocal when we are in public places. Thats really my favorite...you know when you get those stares from the nice old couple in the booth next to you. I always wonder what they are thinking. Are they thinking "gosh, if that were my child....." I guess we will never know, Anslee is happy and healthy, developing right on pace with her age group (or so I read...and read and read...) so I have NOTHING to worry or complain about at this point. Our favorite book this past week has been "Abby Learns her Shapes" (its a sesame series book). Anslee also is trying to work on her "crawling" muscles. She fidgets around, and pushes up onto her hands and knees but then is quickly back down to her belly again. She has mastered the art of backward crawling...which I think is cute, and at least she is moving about...no matter what direction! Here is a photo of Anslee sitting up and playing



GRRRRR....Growth Spurt Again?
This week (week 24 of development) Anslee has been bad at feeding, and not going down as easy for her naps during the day. Oh yeah, and as far as solids go: Not happening. I hate feeling like I am forcing her to eat them, but I do feel that way. I only started them because I under instruction to by my pediatrician, who is wonderful and who I very much trust. I think with Anslee its just going to be a learning process that takes a little longer. Its especially frustrating this week. I feel like she is going through growth spurts all the time lately. I can't understand why...she has only grown 8.5 inches and put on 4 X's as much as weight from birth...no, so it seems likely that we could again be victim to the dreaded growth spurt again this week. This is always...without a doubt...how she handles them. Fusses a little, does not eat well, and does not go down for naps as well or for as long. I take heart in knowing its temporary, and thankful that it does not disrupt her night time sleep pattern.

Extras!
Tyler and I are looking forward to being homeowners in the next few months, and starting the process in which it takes to become homeowners. Even though we do not know for certain where we are going to be, we are committing the next 3 to 5 years wherever we go, as we see this decision best suits our family! We are excited and ready to know where 1st God and 2nd the DPS is leading us!

We had a wonderful time celebrating the 4th of July! I got to make a fast trip to Abilene and visit with my family, and then we went on to Coleman, where the 4th is bigger than Christmas. Anslee participated in the 1st Annual Family Parade, and we played games, ate a lot of food, played more games, and ate more food. Here is Anlsee as she "paraded" down Walnut Street in Coleman. (She has her Grandad to thank for pushing her in the stroller the whole way!)



We also took Anslee swimming for the 1st time! We bought her a floatie, and she so enjoyed it. The water was warm (how could it not be? clearly its 108 degrees!) and so it probably felt nothing more to her than a big bath that she could splash around in! She laughed and giggled and relaxed as well. Here is a photo of her floating and enjoying life to end this post with!