Blog Sabbatical?

Whoops!!  I totally didn't mean to be gone so long without blogging.  We went home to Illinois after Caleb got home, and then on to Florida for vacation with the whole family for a week.  I didn't have very good internet while we were there, so that is why I did not blog for so long.  But, now I'm back home, and I have SO much to share with you!!   Unfortunately, I don't have a whole lot of time right now... we are going to go pick up Sookie at the kennel and look at new cars this morning.  So, just watch here later and the next few days for many updates, pictures, and videos of what we did during my Blog Sabbatical.  I hope you had a very Merry Christmas!!

An End to Three Daddy-less Weeks... AND Confession Saturday 12-17!

Thursday morning at 7:30, I got a text from Caleb.  He had finished the Selection course... but he was not selected.  He got Involuntarily Withdrawn (IVW) because of peer evaluations on the day they decided who got selected and who didn't.  According to paperwork we got before he went, Captains are allowed to try again if they get an IVW... we both hope that he will have that option.  So, now he has to decide what he wants to do and if he really does want to go back.  I think he does, but I am fine with anything that he decides.  He came home Thursday night at 11:30pm to Kansas City.  He lost some weight, got scratched up a bit, and is really tired, but nothing that won't heal.  I am SO incredibly proud of him for finishing the course even if he didn't get selected!!

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And now, my confessions:

I confess that when Caleb texted on Thursday morning, I thought that he was seriously hurt because he said he couldn't talk and that it was bad news.  It ended up that I was just a super worried wife... and luckily he texted one of his friends what actually happened, so when I found out what really was going on I was able to calm down.

I confess that if he doesn't want to or doesn't get to go back to selection, we are staring down the barrel of a deployment and that scares me!

I confess that we think that Clara said "Ma" and "Og" and "Ba" today in the right contexts!!  (That would be Mom, dog, and bottle for those of you who don't speak baby.)

I confess that I was hurrying to get Clara's diapers done today since she only had one left.  Once they got done in the washer, I realized that I was missing four diapers... so really we have five diapers left.  WHEW!!!

I confess that Clara's new car seat is two days away.  And what did Caleb say when I told him that?  "You should've had it shipped right away instead of waiting so we could have had it on this trip.  Gah!!  I never win!

I confess that when I took Clara to the doctor on Friday to get her flu shot booster, she weighed 19 pounds and is 28 inches long!!  Our little girl is getting to be not too little anymore!

Have a great rest of your weekend!  I'll be in Florida next week... exciting!!

It's just one of those days!

Last night I found an awesome price ($219.99) for a Britax Boulevard 70 car seat.  I checked to make sure that the prices at Amazon ($239.99), Toys R Us ($271.99), and Diapers.com ($255.99) were all more than that before I bought it.  (I could have gotten a 15% discount at Diapers.com, but that would have involved using someone else's information to qualify to get that... buying it straight up seemed a WHOLE lot easier and the 15% discount would only bring it down to $217.50!)  When I found this price, my first thought was, "Dang it, I can't talk to my husband." and "What if this price is gone tomorrow?", so I bought it... and then had buyer's remorse since I couldn't talk to Caleb.  I called Albee Baby and asked if, since Caleb is in the Army and I am unable to discuss it with him, if I could put my purchase on hold. 

http://www.albeebaby.com/britax-boulevard-70-car-seat-in-sterling.html is the car seat I want!!

I got a call from them this morning, and they have put it on hold for me!!  I asked them if it would be better if I just had it shipped and return it if Caleb didn't want to pay that price or to hold it.  She, God bless her, said that if we had to return it with nothing wrong with it, we would have to pay shipping back to the store, so putting it on hold was the best option.  She ended the conversation with a, "Thank your husband for his service" and I now have a smile on my face about the whole situation!  I totally recommend Albee Baby for your children's purchases!!

In other news, I feel like poop today.  My back is aching, I had a borderline fever (98.8F when my usual temperature is 97.xF) which has now gone down to normal, I am dizzy at times, and have a headache off and on.  Fantastic!  I was SO excited when Clara went down for a nap!  But, yeah, I need to clean the house like big time... feeling like crap is not a great way to get that done!  Ugh, Mamas need sick days!!!

It's Tuesday... I will definitely hear something from Caleb by Friday!!!  EEEeeeekkkkkk!!!!!  Keep on praying that he will get selected!!!

Weekend Wrap-up -- 12-12!

My eye is twitching!!!  It is driving me insane.  I hope it is better soon.  I also have a cold now... lovely.  I hope I get better... or at least my cough calms down before I leave for Illinois.  Oh, and I'm not a fan of the fact that all the awesome cold medicines dry up breastfeeding mama's (like myself) milk supply... which means I can't take anything.  So, Angela, if you know any alternative cold remedies, PLEASE let me know!   

I can't wait for Friday to confess this because it is just too good: I confess that Saturday night, Clara was scooting around playing when I looked down and found her sucking on Sookie's bone... YUM!!! 

I am really hoping that this week goes by quickly because I have butterflies in my stomach about the outcome of selection for Caleb.  Like really, fly by days please!!

This weekend, we went to Amelia's 2nd birthday party.  It was loud awesome!  Hannah throws some great parties!!  Clara got a bow and a tutu, and she looks absolutely adorable in them.  I am sad, though, that I didn't even get a chance to try the cute pink cupcakes.

My friend (and former co-worker) Angie came over Saturday afternoon and stayed overnight.  We watched Law & Order: Criminal Intent, played with Clara, and just chatted.  It was a fun, relaxing time.

Sunday, I didn't go to church.  I figured that everyone there would like me to keep my germs to myself... especially with the fact that I could barely talk that morning.

 Today, I start on my cleaning week.  This house HAS to be clean for when Caleb comes home.  Too bad I don't really feel like doing anything at all. 

Aaaannnddd, now my arm is twitching.  I guess that's my cue to go.  I hope this day flies by!!

Confession Friday -- 12-9!!

I confess that ONE WEEK FROM TODAY we should know what our future will hold for us!!  Oh man, I am SO nervous and yet SO excited.  Keep those prayers coming for Caleb!

I confess that I am trying to decide whether to leave for Illinois when Clara goes to sleep at night or when she is already awake.  I want to mess up her sleep schedule as little as possible, so I am thinking at night... but then that is a seven hour drive in the middle of the night. 

I confess that I haven't eaten any of the candy canes on the tree, and if I watch a program on the DVR that I know Caleb likes I don't erase it.  I hope that wins me nice wife points!

I confess that I wish that I just had someone to stay in the car when I run my errands so I don't have to keep getting Clara out of the car when I am just going to be in a store for five minutes!  She is not a big fan of that!!

I confess that after many calls to Wal-Mart, my Christmas presents that I ordered from them should all be here by today!

I confess that I sometimes only have ideas for potpourri blog postings (can you tell?)... hope you don't mind.

I confess that I might have bitten off more than I can chew with making THREE Christmas presents this year.  They may or may not be done by Christmas, too.  I am making two reusable Clara-A-Day calendars for Clara's great-grandparents on both sides and a taggy blanket for Clara.  The calendars are going to be... a process.  I am just getting the paper for it now... then I have to order pictures, glue down pictures, write the dates, laminate, and then find some way to make it stand up.  Any ideas for that one will be appreciated!

I confess that I have a week to get the house into tip top shape before Caleb gets back!  It is not that it is a wreck, I just want to make it better than what it had been before he left.

I confess that I love being able to freely eat beef while Caleb is gone (since he usually gets hives after eating it).

I confess that I am still not done with reading Eclipse... but I hope to be by the time I leave so I only have to take one book with me on our trip.

I confess that I really need to clean my computer screen.  Clara has specks on her cheeks when I scroll...

Have a great weekend!!

A Little Bit of Everything...

... all rolled into one!  (Doesn't that make you want to sing the song by Meredith Brooks?) 

Clara slept without waking up in the middle of the night three nights in a row... and then last night, she woke up once (I was already awake since I was hot though).  I thought we could do four nights in a row, but at least this is better than where we were last week!  I'm so proud of my little girl!!

Clara has discovered the wrapped Christmas presents... she likes to keep me on my toes now that she can scoot around!  And, every time she reaches them, she laughs... what a little stinker!!

She goes for the cube ones on the left.

I hope no one minds that I am finally sending out Clara's birth announcements now that she is almost 7 months old...

Wal-Mart better have my Christmas gifts to me before I leave for Illinois... at least the charge is showing up on my account now, so I will know if they refund me for the cancelled item that they told me was not actually cancelled!

I absolutely LOVE my friends!  I only have one day (the 13th) not covered for someone to watch Clara.  If I don't find anyone, I will have to cancel but I will feel okay about that since I have been able to find someone for all the other times.

I LOVE my "uncle" Steve!  He sends a box of paper products (like kleenex, baby wipes, paper towels, etc)and a box of food products (like hamburger helper, chex mix, cereal, etc) every year.  I got mine yesterday... totally made my already great day even better!

I am REALLY wanting to try out some recipes from The Big Book of Cupcakes that was in the food box this year!

A HUGE thank you to Melanie!  Because of her, I get to return the winter coat/snow suit I bought for Clara.  She gave me two coats and a snow suit for FREE last night!!  LOVE this lady!!!

There is nothing like being wrapped in love and being blessed while your husband is away... I'm feeling it today!  Thank you!!

Reunited and It Feels So Good.... for Josh, Hannah, and Amelia!

This morning I had the opportunity to be a part of Josh's homecoming from Iraq!  Hannah and their daughter, Amelia, welcomed him home, along with the other members of 1-5 Field Artillery.  I was there as their personal paparazzi.  I was grateful that it was not in the middle of the night, and that my TOTALLY AWESOME friend and neighbor, Kaarin, was able to watch Clara while I was at the ceremony.  Thank you!!

I wanted to share a few of my favorites (aka 20 of 250 pictures) as a sneak peek  for Hannah.  I hope you enjoy them!

Update

We are now officially into week two of being Daddy-less, and we are doing really well so far.  I find that I have been a lot more productive with Caleb gone... weird!

Clara is snotty and has a cough, but she has slept all the way through the night two nights in a row!  YAY!!

I am really hoping that all of my Christmas presents make it here before I leave for Illinois!

A Tale of One Body, Many Weights

Over the weekend, I finally returned to my pre-pregnancy weight of 141 pounds (and I'm back to my pre-pregnancy pants size, too) after four months of working my butt off to lose it.  YAY!!!  I celebrated Sunday night with some Welch's sparkling white grape juice.  YUM!!  So, what better way to see my accomplishment... here are the pictures.

Very beginning of college: 135 pounds

Spring of my freshman year in college (I gained a whopping freshman 35): 170 pounds

170 pounds

170 pounds

May 8, 2009: 170 pounds

I gained 18 pounds from July-October 2009 while I was pregnant.  November 2009: 188 pounds

November 2009: 188 pounds

May 2010: 135 pounds

Not sure how much I had gained at this point, but my pre-pregnancy weight was 141 pounds (Caleb coming home helped me gain 6 pounds).

April 2011: I gained a total of 25 pounds in my pregnancy.

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of me now at my, but when I get one of me, I will post it so that you can see.  I hope you enjoyed this pictorial weight journey of mine!  Now, I hope to stay this weight for a while (or maybe a few pounds less after I stop breastfeeding when Clara is a year old).

Confession Saturday -- 12-3!

I confess that I forgot to put an extra pair of clothes for Clara into the diaper bag today so, when she pooped and some came out of her diaper (very little, but still it wasn't where it was supposed to be) I had to just wipe off the poop and put her back into them.  WHOOPS!! 

I confess that Clara is this close to crawling.  She can scoot, she can get on her hands and knees, but she can't put them both together.  SCARY!!

I confess that Clara is apparently not wanting to go to sleep tonight.  But, I did just see her pull herself up to standing in her crib (for the first time).  I guess I might have to move her crib down for the second time in a week!

I confess that even though I said I didn't want to put my Christmas tree up without Caleb and since we wouldn't be at home for Christmas, it is now up thanks to Kaarin talking me into it.  It feels a whole lot more Christmas-y around here.

I confess that my apple candle and my frosted cranberry plug in scent from bath and body works is really helping with the Christmas-y feel!

I confess that I may contemplate leaving the Christmas tree up because it block the TV from Clara's sight when she is in her jumperoo.  Win for Mommy!!

I confess that every. time. I get a call or text (or email for that matter), I say to myself, "Please not Caleb.  Please not Caleb."  Yeah, it is good to not hear from him until selection is totally over, but it does feel weird to NOT want him to call or text!

I confess that I would REALLY like a FRIENDS marathon.  I got halfway through the series one time (the only reason I didn't get all the way through them was because the DVDs were my roommate's and I moved).  But, it was so cool to actually watch them in the order that they were meant to go!

I confess that I bought a Magic Bullet since our blender is not working to puree Clara's food, but the more I think about it (and the more I try making more foods and am able to mash them up with just a fork) the more I think I'm going to return it.  I really hope they put it back on my card and not on a gift card (I am NOT a fan of Manhattan's Kmart)!

Thankfulness Thursday: Last 10 Days

21) My mother friends: When I ask for advice, you give it.  Thank you SO much!!  And, there is nothing like watching another mother in action to learn how to be a better mother.

22) Time away from my husband: I might be going through three weeks without Caleb and without any communication with him, but it is during times when he is away when I learn things about myself, grow, and bring out the independent side in me.

23) SLEEP!: Yes, the night after I wrote about not getting a lot of sleep, Clara slept from midnight to 10am!  We have been doing a lot better ever since, and I have been able to get to sleep earlier, too!  Thank you for all of the advice, encouragement, and prayers!

24) My personal trainer: I have had a personal trainer since December 1, 2009.  He has helped me lose 53 pounds, keep my pregnancy weight gain on track, and lose the weight that I did gain.  It is SO great to feel like myself and fit into my pre-pregnancy pants again!

25) Crestview Christian Church's nursery: I put this one on my Facebook last week.  I LOVE that I can enjoy church now instead of having to keep Clara occupied!

26) La Brisa Aspiring Photographer Workshop (APW): I am learning so much from everyone!  Thanks for creating it, Chris!!

27) Jesus: I think this is pretty self-explanatory why.

28) My sister: I guess I didn't mention her in the first 10 days of thankfulness along with my mom and dad.  I have so many good memories from my childhood with her.  I miss her a lot!

29) My workout buddies: I workout five days a week thanks to Danelle and Kim.  I love our time together and a good sweat!

30) Music: I love all types, and I am SO happy that we finally got an auxilary cord for my car so I can listen to my iPod instead of CDs that are really difficult to switch out while driving!  (Aren't you fellow drivers thankful for that, too?  Haha!)

I Want to Cry Wednesday!!

Okay, it doesn't help that I am watching "One Born Every Minute" or the fact that I am super tired yet can't sleep, but I really feel like crying tonight.  No, it isn't because Caleb is gone... I have done that before and I am fine with that.  Yes, I know it is different this time around because I have Clara, but even if Caleb was here, I would still be with her all day and waking up with her at night.  And at night is where my problem lies...

Clara wakes up in the middle of the night... still... and sometimes it is multiple times a night.

She used to do good (with only waking up once), and then she wasn't and woke up a lot.  Then she only woke up once again.  There were a few times in there where she slept eight hours straight!  But, now I'm back to multiple times a night.  Not getting a full night of sleep really wears on me... especially when I can't fall asleep right away to begin with.  It makes me feel like I'm not doing a good job at being her mother because, dang it, she should be able to sleep through the night by now!  I did.  The worst part is that no one else can get up with her... even if Caleb was here: I have the milk.

I don't know what to do.  If you have any tips, please share, and thank you for them.  I'm sorry for this pity party I invited you to by posting the link.

Goodnight... hopefully!!   

And So Begins Three Daddy-less Weeks...

Caleb left on Saturday.  His plane took off at 6:30am, but we left him there at 5:30am so that Clara and I could go back to sleep.  I last heard from him very briefly on Sunday, and he officially started Special Forces Selection on Monday.  If I don't hear from him, that is good!  I just wish I could fast forward to December 16th so that I would know whether or not he gets selected!!  I want to know where we are going and when we are going there...

But, back to the rest of my weekend.

On Thanksgiving, we went to Caleb's mom's house.  Caleb's brothers, Daniel and Brendan were there along with Daniel's wife Paula, and his son, Michael.  Michael is four and one half years old, so he and Clara can't really play together very well this year, but next year should be fun (or interesting).  Daniel has a Canon 7D, and I was excited to get to play with that and his external flash.  (I want both now... even though I know that that will not happen for a while.  A girl can dream, right?)  We had A LOT of great food (we only had one meal that day because of it).  We went to the park where Clara had fun in a swing for the first time.  And, I had a lot of fun with multiple Clara photoshoots.

On Black Friday, we just relaxed at home.  I bought my mom's Christmas present online (I almost slipped up and said what it was, but she does read this blog), and I picked it up later that night.  We also went out to Buffalo Wild Wings to bid farewell to our friend, Jared Carpenter.  He got out of the Army as a Captain, and had spend at least three months trying very hard to find a job.  When he got the job in Memphis, Tennessee, he was two weeks away of being homeless because the house he was renting got rented out from under him.  He accepted the job on Tuesday, and moved on Saturday.  He will be working in the medical supply field.  We all wish him good luck on his life's next chapter, and hope that he finds a nice big house with a backyard for his cute puppy.  Caleb and I went to Cold Stone for dessert... the cookies and cream shake that I had was delicious.

Saturday started off with Caleb leaving us for three weeks.  The rest of the day was spent relaxing and playing with Clara.  I was able to talk to Caleb once he got to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

On Sunday, Clara and I went to church.  I put Clara into the nursery for the first time EVER.  It was SO awesome to not have to hold her and entertain her during church.  She did great, too.  She was the only kid in the infant room.  And, the nursery worker did great with her cloth diapers.  We went to Wal-Mart after church to check on the prices of the Jillian Michaels DVDs to see if it was better to get them online or in the store... online won out.  I ended up buying: Six Week Six Pack, 30 Day Shred, and The Biggest Loser: Cardio Max online.  I wanted Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism, but they sold out of that online before I was able to order them.  I also bought some more of my Christmas presents for people in my online order.  While I was in the store, though, I did get part of Caleb's present and a little bit more for Clara's present.  Yes, I finally decided on what to get Caleb! 

On Monday, I worked out with friends in the morning, and Clara ate green beans for the first time for lunch.  She is not too sure about them, but I think that that is because of their texture... and my blender not working.  I'm done, I WILL be getting a new blender!  Making baby food will just be too difficult without one because she needs to eat more than just oatmeal, avocados, and bananas!  Then, right before the end of Cyber Monday, I bought a little bit more for Christmas presents.  I now have everyone covered except for one more thing for Clara, my grandma, grandpa, grammy, Carl, and Sookie (because she is part of the family after all).  I know what I want to get all of them, but it Clara's last part, my grandma and grandpa, and my grammy's presents will all be homemade.  I hope that I can get them done before Christmas!!

Today, I went to Protestant Women of the Chapel (PWOC) and had a great Bible study (Guarding Your Child's Heart by Gary Smalley).  I will just be playing with Clara the rest of the day.  Later today, my friend Amy will be coming by to watch Clara while I go to my personal training session.  It will be my last time seeing Amy before she moves back to New York.  It will be a sad day, but I am glad that I will get to see her (and I am thankful that she volunteered her time to watch Clara for me).

Well, that was my long weekend in a nutshell.  We are getting by here.  In fact, I feel a lot more productive when Cale is not around.  The only problem I have is going to bed at a reasonable time... I have been going to bed at midnight since Caleb left and it is wearing on me.  I hope that I can start going to bed earlier!!

Please keep Caleb in your prayers while he is at Selection!!  Thanks!   

Confession Friday -- 11-25!

I confess that Caleb and I actually got to go out on a date on Wednesday.  We went to Harry's with a 20% off coupon (because, let's face it, it is too expensive to go there without a coupon).

Fancy!!

I confess that my appetizer and dessert were the best parts of my meal.  I do not recommend getting the pork roulade at Harry's. 

I confess that my meal was very spicy (to me, since Caleb thought that it was just fine) and I was worried about Clara sleeping because of the spice.  She slept just fine!

I confess that I am really nervous and excited for Caleb during the next three weeks at selection.

I confess that I am really worried about not having a break in the evening (when Caleb usually takes Clara and plays with her) for the next three weeks while Caleb is gone.

I confess that I will actually have to cook while Caleb is gone... since he is usually the one that does all of the cooking.

I confess that Kim's Facebook status today reminded me that I still don't know what I'm going to get Caleb for Christmas.  I should probably ask him what he would like today before he leaves!

I confess that I wanted to participate in Black Friday shopping for the time ever... but instead, I slept in.

Hahaha!!  LOVE that lady's face!

I confess that I slept in because Clara slept in!  We were gone all day, so she got 8 hours of nap while we drove... and then she slept for 8 hours at night, too!!

I confess that I really hope that the deal I found online today is better than what I could find on Cyber Monday.  Are there no Cyber Monday ads that I could check?

I confess that there are three Jillian Michaels DVDs that I would really like to buy... they are in my Walmart.com shopping cart, but I haven't pushed "Proceed to Checkout" yet.  I know that they are great workouts because my friend, Danelle, owns most of them and we do some of them every week.

This is the one that I REALLY want to get!  I have never done it, but who doesn't want ripped abs?

This is one of the ones I have in my cart, it is a pretty awesome workout!

This is the one I already have.  I recommend it.

This is another one in my cart.  You don't have to use weights with this one, but it still gives you a great workout.

I believe that this is her newest one.  It is more expensive than the others, so I am not going to get it right now.  I totally recommend it, though.

I confess that now that I have done all of the research on the Britax Boulevard 70, I just want to get it ASAP so that Clara can be riding around in it sooner than she needs to.  It sounds so much safer than her Chicco Keyfit 30!

I confess that I wrote some of my posts this week on other days and I scheduled them to be published.  Bwahaha!!  I'm so sneaky!