An update

I'm updating even though I don't have much to say or anything really fascinating. I'm not sure what I really started this blog for so it is hard for me to stay motivated about keeping it updated.

I'm in the last week of my second trimester and as I prepare to enter the homestretch I'm thankful for the blessings this pregnancy has brought. This time I have been more chill and less worried even my Dr. noticed. I feel massive but I'm "on track" or at least following the same basic weight gain as last time. I've noticed also that this babe is most likely positioned differently than little man was, all the kicking is low low low this time. Second time is also more uncomfortable as I am even less toned then round one. The last two weeks I have had major reflux in the evenings. Minor discomfort aside I keep trying to remind myself that I should take joy and offer it up. No major issues yet.

Lately I have been struggling with laziness and apathy. I can't make myself want to improve or "strive". Funnily my weekly book study at church is over Matthew Kelly's Rediscovering Catolicism and a major theme is striving not just surviving. So I have trying to strive to be a servant to others, which is majorly difficult for someone who wants things their way all the time.

Little Man is really great. He talks and becomes more of a little person every day. He has such personality it cracks me up but oh toddlers are exhausting! Always testing and mischievous he is never still. What an adventure! He also teaches and humbles me.

My house is a mess, full of stuff and I can't get motivated to do anything because we are looking at houses to buy. We are on the fence about purchasing but we keep looking.

That is what happening over here. I'll leave you with a picture.




Basket boy!

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Rain

I'm dying for Rain, cool fall rain.
I do not like the heat and this summer in OK is the pits.
I just want cool rain.

An awesome Mom thing

So I feel the need to share. Little Man has totally been talking about a storm. Baby jibber jabber in preparation to speak to us. He already has a few words and this week he has Momma and Dada down pat! (happy dance) He also signs and is really understanding what we say and man is it amazing. It is also sad because my baby isn't as baby-ish as he once was.

This kid entertains himself. He plays, he dances, he sings! The thing though that I love the most this week though is the little things he picks up from the hubs and myself. When I ask for a hug or he gives me a hug he makes this happy sigh/hum. At first I was like what?!? Then I realized I do that every time I hug him tight. I do it because he makes me happy and he feels so perfect and right and good in my arms.

So that is my awesomeness for this week.

Thoughts and catching up

I have been neglecting my blog but really is it neglecting if you never really tend to it.

Anyway, I'm pregnant but I think everyone who reads this probably knows about it.
So needless to say but I am tired, like mega-tired, chasing a 1 year old, working afternoons (when I want to nap) tired.

I'm due in February which is exciting because it means I will be humongous in the winter. SCORE! *HAPPY DANCE*

I have been working on Elliot's birth story and I really meant to post in time for his first birthday but as that has not happened I'll get it done when it is done.

This pregnancy I have been sick but I would say it is probably the same amount of sick as last time (though I think my family would disagree). I feel more excited about having a baby I think because I am not afraid of giving birth. I mean we are about at the same place financially as we were when we had Elliot but I am more okay and less freaking out about it this time because there is nothing I can do but work harder on being better with my money. I also am looking forward to time off in February (is it too early?)

I did get to see the baby at my last appointment! My dr. only does 2 ultrasounds in low-risk pregnancies. I was further along than with Elliot when I had the first ultrasound, so I could actually see little arm buds and leg buds and the big baby head because the baby turned for us!

In other news we finally removed the guest bed from Elliot's room, so E has been like "woah all this space to run around now watch me dive into pillows on the floor!"
E has also been signed up for Mother's Day Out for the fall.

All in all life is good. We may not have a lot but we have our faith and our family!

Colds

Maybe it is the cold/allergies I am having these last few days but I am totally un-inspired. I don't want to exercise, I don't want to cook or budget and I don't want to do anything. We have ate out at least 7 times the last week. Budget what budget? I got cash out but have no idea where it went. ARG I hate feeling this way. Okay I am done with the pity party.

Soapbox again

Anyone who reads my blog or knows me probably has heard me talk about cloth diapers.

Yesterday I was yet again preaching to the choir (my husband) about why I think that cloth is the most responsible and sensible choice for my family.

I understand that people have to do what works for them. As I work part-time I cherish the time I get to spend with my family and understand why and how people make choices when it comes to parenting.

Disclaimer: (If you do choose to use disposable diapers because that is what works for you please do not take offense at the following post.)

Am I the greenest I can be? No, most definitely not, but I truly think that if we think about the future and try to live more naturally that it will be beneficial for us and the future. In fact I can readily admit that I don't recycle as much (barely at all). On average my household probably produces at least 5-13 gallon bags of trash each week. I don't make all of my sons baby food (actually probably not even half). I also eat fast food all the time. So, no, I am not super green but I am aware of how my actions effect the environment and I am slowly trying to change the way I live.

So after a bit of preaching I think that if you are on the edge of what to do when it comes to diapering your child I thought I would provide some links that might help you decide. I'm sure there are more sites out there to consider and if you have one please post it but these are some that really affirmed me.

Real Diaper Association Why Choose Cloth? & What a Waste

Pam.pers Myths and Facts - I could try to argue against this but I'll let you read it.
(See there is no information about prices or modern cloth diapering)

I will try to post common questions I get and reasons I diaper the way I do.

I'm participating in a blog hop so here it goes.

Belated Happy Mother's Day.

This is a great post that I think should be shared especially since yesterday was Mother's Day.
AnyMommy's blog is always a great read. She is a wonderful writer and here is her post.

My first Mother's Day with my son was awesome! The hubs came through and I thoroughly enjoyed my day and the lack of diaper changing I did! It was like my Little Man knew he was super cuddly yesterday!

Lack of self control

From yesterday...

I think this is quite a common problem.

I'm pretty sure if I had a time machine and I was left back in the 1930s-1940s I would die because I would spend the little money I had way too quickly.

Last night and today = major fail.

Last night it was about 85 degrees here in T Town and my kitchen is usually what ever temp. it is outside. So when I knew that nothing was prepared for dinner at our house I caved and requested we eat out in honor of Cinco de Mayo. So to Elote we went. Which was delish, even though we got stuck with a new server.

Then today, we are totally out of milk, bread and almost everything. We have food don't get me wrong but not the stuff we usually eat, you know the easy stuff. We have ground beef, pork chops, tuna for meat. We have frozen mixed veggies, romaine, arugula, spinach and carrots. It is just the putting it together that is difficult for us.

$Mula$

Have you every noticed that when you try to give up something it is all you can think about?

At Casa de Junger we are trying to go a entire week without using our debit cards/spending any money.

Now I already knew I was totally addicted to shopping online and such but now it is just killing me. Plus we spend a ton of our money on food.
Ridiculous amounts of money.
We gave up eating out for Lent (except for once a week) but that worked really well until the last 2-3 weeks and we totally caved. But even with the no eating out I spent a fortune on groceries. It really is a lack of planning in our family. I work afternoons and so that leaves the dinner cooking up to the Hubs. Who actually is not a bad cook but just really has no motivation or creativity when it comes to cooking. Plus I will admit I am a super harsh critic and I require balanced meals for dinner. Meat and potatoes? No thank you, add some veggies and fruit and then we can talk. The Hubs does great if I write out what I want and how to cook it but that takes tons of work! Something we in this household are very averse to. So after the Hubs went to a check up and had lost 10 lbs in the last 3 months and I reviewed how much money we are flushing away because of a lack of planning viola! The motivation has returned.

So, this is day 2 of no-spending-week and I am hoping I will have pork chops waiting at home for me!

My goals for our new attitudes include:

Eating out much, much less
Going all cloth (except for grease & TP) so, no napkins, paper towels, kleenex (eventually because I would have to spend money to work on this goal)
Making my own cleaners when necessary or prudent
Spending $150 on groceries per month! (This is drastic so I am not sure it will work)
Making lunch so as to motivate the Hub

I'm not sure how we are going to do it but I am gonna try!

Untitled

So when I was at work of course I felt inspired to post but now that I can I cannot remember what I wanted to say. Probably blah blah blah Earth Day blah blah blah Land Run Day blah blah blah mommy thought and blah blah blah cloth diapers.


My obsession with diapers is at crisis level. I have a ton! I keep wanting to try new things or something is cute. The hubs thinks I am clinical, I am sure. Right now though I am having laundry issues with my microfiber and Little Man is having rash issues caused by the laundry issues I think.

Today I was just having a reflective moment when I realized that my life is moving fast. All those plans I had are out the window. They have been reinvented. Sometimes it makes me pensive about what the future will bring since the present, the past's future is vastly different from what I thought it would be. Sometimes I just want to say "Hey I'm still trying to be a kid and figure it all out!" But when I really think about it everything is always different than what we expected and that is what makes it great.




Surveying the damage after he dumps the entire bin of toys out.

How do you do it

I'm a new mom. I know it's a learning process but this week my 9 month old is owning me. How do those who work and have a baby stay sane?




Pasta utensil or toy?




My new do and glasses.

I'm just having a weird week.



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Long overdue update

Wow time flies and I have been neglecting my blog. I'm sure my two or so readers are not that upset.

New things: I dyed my hair but it's very subtle. Elliot is no longer army crawling but real up on all fours crawling. So nothing is truly safe because he is getting faster and this week I have learned he's sneaky. He also is cruising some (pulling up to a stand position and taking steps while holding on to something). Oh and I had a major splurge fest at he JBF sale, hopefully I can put some stuff back and spread it out.

I also have become super addicted to my chocolate chip cookie dough, so my last 10-15 baby pounds aren't coming off nor are the 40 pre-baby pounds. I'm pretty sure I have learned all the bad eating habits my mother had before her surgery.

And I'll leave you with some pictures.




At McNellies



With his crib Pappaw built.



Who needs toys?



Let us out!

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So excited

I am not a great cook. In fact if you asked the Hubs he would laugh at the thought of me cooking.
Don't get me wrong I am not a horrid cook either. It is just that I am lazy. I would rather eat out.
I work in the after noon so if I want to eat at a decent hour I have to either cook ahead or the hubs has to cook.
BUT today I decided to cook ahead. I found this blog through another blog.

Gabi at Honest Fare has been tempting me with her fresh easy recipes, recently she posted on making baby food, something I have been dying to try and while I was looking at that post I saw this one for vegetarian chili.

I am a sucker for vegetarian chili. I love it ever since my friend made me some and my husband (then boyfriend) actually liked it. (He is very picky about food that doesn't have meat). SO today I finally made it! It was easy peasy and super yummy. The only problem I had was guessing how much vegetables yield when chopped (we over bought). Hopefully this means I just get to make more.

Another Thing I like

I totally dig this rocker by Urban Outfitters.

Things I like

This bed by Ikea the Vanvik, I totally like but alas it only comes in Queen and Full. Someone wanna figure out how to make a knock-off?

Feeling Strangely

I know that the title really is not proper English..
Anyway loooong blogging hiatus because I don't really have that much to say nor does this have an actual direction or topic.
Joy though because today as I sit at work my family is supposedly assembling the home-made crib my dad made for Little Man!!!!!!
I may actually have to finish our nursery now.
Little Man has been bed-sharing with us since he out grew his co-sleeper bassinet and we bought a king size bed. This is not as horrible as some say it is. I actually get quite a bit of sleep. I don't have to get up in the middle of the night for feedings unless I want to.
Downside is that I am a pretty flexible parent so my child sleeps from 10 p.m. at night until 9 a.m. usually. Also he has become an adorable monster who wants to be rocked by daddy only for naps.
I am fretful.
I do not want to sleep train even though everyone loves sleep training. I also have mixed feelings about letting LM sleep in another room.
So as excited as I am about this beautiful heirloom made Dad has been working on for almost a year I am a bit apprehensive.

In other news I feel strange because I have been super tired (not because my child sleeps with me! I have been getting 9 hours a night of sleep) and super hungry! I am not pregnant though! Weird.