Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day to all those mamas out there!!  I hope you all have a GREAT day!

It is still hard to believe that I am considered in this holiday now.  Technically this is my third Mother's Day. 

My first Mother's day was 2 years ago and I was 7 weeks pregnant.  I had a virus/morning sickness/first trimester yuckiness that day and it definitely didn't go as planned.  I started running fever that night which terrified me because I knew that "fever" wasn't a sign of pregnancy and I was unsure what I could take for it... Luckily it stayed low grade, but then I started throwing up and was EXHAUSTED.  We had planned on announcing our good news that day to my husband's family but I ended up staying in bed all day.  Later that night, when I could at least put my feet on the floor, we called his mama and daddy to come over and told them then.  Not the big announcement I had in mind, but oh well :)  We still got priceless reactions!

Last year was my first technical Mother's Day, and I was working weekend nights then, so again I slept away most of the day....

This year, other than working on a 12-page (yes, 12-page!!!!!) paper for school that is due tonight at midnight... I am going to ENJOY my Mother's Day.

Let me just say that I am one lucky girl, because I surrounded by great mothers.  I have two extraordinary grandmothers who are sooo very special.  I am fortunate to have close relationships with both of them, and they both played very special roles in my childhood.

I have a wonderful mother-in-law who treats me like one of her own.  There has never ever been any weird, judgmental "you're-not-good-enough-for-my-son" mentality EVER.  Everyone I meet, when they find out who my in-laws are, they always tell me how fortunate I am... and they are right.  My mother-in-law works hard, and is the true matriarch of her family... she is their rock, who keeps everyone in line, and has a heart of gold.  She will drop any and everything to be there for her family.  Her children, grandchildren, and children-in-laws, should consider themselves lucky :) (and we do!!!)

My mama is my best friend.  We have always had a close relationship when I was growing up, but the last few years, she is the one I call on for everything.  My mama has always worked so hard to provide for us.  She is a Christian woman with an amazing love for the Lord.  I really don't think I know of anyone more genuine than my mama.  I hope that I can be half as good to Norah Kate and my future children as what she has been to us.  One thing I admire most about my mama is that she can find an answer in the Bible for almost any of our problems.  She has raised us to be honest, hardworking, and look to the Lord for anything of our concerns.  My mama prays for us and with us on a daily basis.  She is really a great woman!  She is also a great grandmother (Granna, Nina, Nona, Mamie, Mimi, Nana, Ma etc.).  She loves Norah Kate so much and is so proud of her.



Me and my Mama

 

I am also super blessed to be surrounded by great friends that are wonderful mothers.  With all these great examples around me, I am taught something about motherhood everyday and am learning as I go.  If a mess this "being a mommy" thing up, it is most definitely not related to the women in my lives, because I am surrounded by some model-mamas!

 

Becoming a mother myself has taught me countless things, and truly changed a little bit of who I am.  When you become a mother, and look into the eyes of that new baby, your world is rocked and your heart changes.  It is the best, most incredible feeling.  My heart still smiles a little bit every time I wake up in the mornings to Norah Kate calling "Mama" from her crib!

 

Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind.”
― Howard W. Hunter





This Girl Keeps Me Laughing

This is the result of 2 Krispy Kreme donuts:

 

 

Terrified of beach sand, but will play in mud puddles:

 

 

"Dancing Queen"

 

 

Chatty Kathy

So, my worries for NK having any type of speech delay or issues are now a thing of the past... That little girl is a mocking bird for sure!  I counted the other day about 25-30 words that she says consistently and knows the meaning of.  She has repeated probably 50+ words on command though!

Here are some words (including names) she is saying all the time:
-Mama, mommy
-Daddy
-Papa
-Nana
-Nannie
-Dee
-Tydur (Tyler)
-KyKy
-Mamie, mammy, mimi, nanniemama (these are my mom, who was supposed to be "Granna") We can ask Norah Kate to say Granna and she tells us "No."  She could say it if she wanted to, but she wants to call her something else, so ok.
-Hots (Hoss)
-No
-Stop
-More
-Eyes, mouth, nose, teeth, toes
-Tea
-Flower
-Woof-woof (dog)
-Cow
-Thank you
-Baby
-Bubbles
-Diaper
-Stinky
-Water
-Ball
-She can repeat almost anything within reason and is picking up new words on a daily basis!

 





Mama's smart girl :)

 

She has truly grown from a baby to a toddler and for some reason this is extremely depressing to me.

She is already VERY independent.  She won't let me fed her anymore and we have a daily battle over the toothbrush becaue she wants to do it but don't do it good enough so I have to take over.  There is usually some screaming and tears involved.  She has her mama's temper for sure... Oh boy.

NK is the best little mama.  Yesterday she was rocking and "shushing" her baby.  We can't leave the house without a purse, bracelet, and baby doll.

We have to paint her toenails about 3 times a day on the days I am off... little Diva.

She has also wanted to start wearing my lotion.  When I am putting it on after the shower, she has to have some too.

She has started to hit and this is not so cute.  We are working on it.  She is also a Mine-o-saur, as Matt says.  We are working on this also.

When she gets excited she does this little foot stomp and open and closes her hands very fast while making this super excited face.... I wish I could get a picture or video, it is just too cute.

She goes to bed about 9 and wakes up at about 8 or 9.

She still has a paci at naps, car rides, and bedtime....I am trying to get rid of it.

I asked her what her name was the other day and she said "me."  Haha!

Norah Kate has been throwing things in the toilet.  She threw a candle in the toilet the other day and it got stuck...I thought I was going to have to call the plumber, it took me 3 days to get it out. We have also lost a baby doll to the toilet water :(

She "reads" and I think it is adorable.  She also says "1-2-3" but I don't think she knows what they mean, but it is a start.  She knows them in that order though!





Maybe it is just me, because she is my baby girl, but I think she is extremely smart.

Pig Scramble

Do you ever have one of those weekends where you think, "wow, that was really a great weekend?"

Well, I had one last weekend.  I was off work, yay! I had finished my homework for school, yay!  So my schedule was pretty much open.

Saturday morning, I woke up quickly straightened up the house (I had already made up my mind that I wasn't cleaning all day Saturday) and got ready for a fun-filled day.  It was a beautiful day.  The sun was shining and the temperature was PERFECT!

I went to a friends house that morning at about 10:30 for a Shrimp and Grits kids clothes party.  I could have spent hundreds of dollars on all their cute clothes, but I didn't.  I just bought Norah Kate two outfits.  I am can not wait for them to come in the mail!  I am obsessed with bubbles for her this year for summer.  I made a mental note the other day not to buy her another bubble, but so far I am not following this rule very good.  I have bought 4 more since I told myself that.  It is kinda sad though because I know this will be the last summer that she can wear little outfits like that.  Probably by next summer she will be wearing toddler clothes and that stuff will be too "baby."

 

Then we went to Adel and ate at Hot Diggity Dogs.  I was craving a good, juicy hamburger and a Coke.  I got Norah Kate a "durger" which is ground hamburger meat on a hotdog bun.  I am not usually a big fan of her eating "fast food," but she got a treat Saturday! It was yummmmyy!

 

We got out lunch to go and went to my mama's for a little while.  We played out in the front yard in the sunshine and gave my brother's dog lots of loving.  NK smelt to high heavens when we were done, but the dog loved it and it wasn't anything a bath wouldn't fix.

 

Norah Kate layed down for nap and when she woke up we took her to the Pig Scramble.  The Pig Scramble takes place before the county livestock show.  It was a blast!  I really doesn't get much more country than this!  I didn't know how she would react to the pigs, but she LOVED them.

 

We took her to the pens where they were keeping them prior to the scramble and she wanted in the pen with them. She would pet them and talk to them.

 

 

 

I was going to "register" her for the pig scramble but she was too little.  She had a fit when they started.  She was climbing up the fence and squealing.  She was loving all the excitement.  Luckily, we knew several of the people that were managing the event and they took her into the pen.  She couldn't catch the pigs but she sure did try.  It was so much fun to watch her get excited about touching them!

 

 

After the pig scramble we went and saw Matt's mama.  We visiting with her for a while and then she watched Norah Kate so that I could go for a run.  I ran for about an hour and over 6 miles with my friend Amanda.

 

It really was a perfect day.  It is not very often that I feel like I get everything accomplished that I had planned for the day!  It was wonderful!

 

Sunday was just as great.  We went to church, then out to eat, and Matt stayed home with us that afternoon. I got to take a nap, and we watched a movie.  We rode around in his truck and checked fields.

 

We don't have to go anywhere special, or do anything spectacular, just good quality family time and watching my little girl grow up means the most to me!



Spring Forward

I think I am still recovering from losing an hour of sleep the other night, but I am thoroughly enjoying these longer days!  It was actually daylight still when I got off work Sunday. I have slept later than normal for the past two mornings, which is frustrating because I really need to be getting up and getting started for the day.  Bedtime for Norah Kate hasn't been going as smoothly.  Even though she is acting sleepy at 8pm (7pm old time), she is fighting sleep something serious.  I have been putting her to bed regardless though at 9pm.  If she gets in the habit of staying up until 10 that would be a tough one to break!

We have also finally had some sunshine and warmer weather.  We have gone outside every day for the last several days.  I am really looking forward to spring and summer days with her because she LOVES being outside, and I do too!

Checkin' on Daddy's greens 

We went to the pediatrician last week to have her ears re-checked from an ear infection a few weeks ago, and her ears were perfect. Now we have a cough. (sigh)  Poor baby seems to get a cold with every tooth she cuts.

I have been on a summer clothes buying frenzy for NK.  I have got to quit before I go broke.  She is so much fun to shop for though!  Gymboree, Smocked Auctions, and Zulily are going to end up getting me in trouble!  I am not a brand snob though, I will buy something from Walmart in a heartbeat if I think it is cute.

I am so excited about her first Easter!  I can't wait to watch her hunt eggs.  I am even more excited that I will be off from work to watch her!

I survived my first week of school.  It was stressful, but I think it is going to be do-able.  I am just going to have to adjust my routine some, manage my time a little better, and priortize things.  I am just praying to survive these next 18 months without a nervous breakdown.

Miss Priss is truly a little diva and it's all my fault.

 

 

I have been painting her toe nails and she loves it. 

 

We read books every day. 

 

She talks on her phone all the time. 

 

She has been making fish faces. 

 

She has learned to "color" (or scribble).  I bought her some jumbo crayons yesterday, but I am going to have be careful with this activity so that I don't have a mess. 

 

She loves grapes, strawberries, sweet potatoes, and yogurt. 

 

She will still eat just about anything though... except corn, which I think is wierd. 

 

She is also a little mama; she takes good care of her baby dolls: feeds them, rocks them, and changes their diapers.

 

She is starting to understand diaper changing. I can tell her to lets change her diaper and she walks to her room and stands at her changing table.  I am thinking potty training is around the corner.

 

She is turning into a monkey and climbing up and on everything.  Scary.

 

Her hair is growing like a weed!

 

She gave me a heart attack the other morning.  She pulled my jewelry armoire on top of her.  All she got was a bruise above her left eye and I had the shakes until mid-afternoon.

 

 

 

I am loving life with that little girl.  Heart attacks and all :)

What Am I Thinking?

Starting March 4 my life as I know it will be changing.  Yep, you are looking at one of the newest students at Walden University.  My books came in the mail last week and we paid for my classes a few days ago. Yikes!  I am a bundle of nerves and this could possibly be the hardest, longest 18 months I have had to endure yet.  I am ready though.... for it to be over. Haha!

Walden University is an accredited online school. I am enrolled in their Family Nurse Practitioner program. I should complete the program in 18 months by going full-time. I took a Pathophysiology class a few summers ago while I was pregnant with Norah Kate and luckily those credits transfer! Yay! That saves me a little time and money. Also, I can arrange for all of my clinicals to take place locally. I plan to keep on working for now... we will play it by ear and see how the next few months go.

I don't know if I am quite ready to be back in student mode, especially with a husband, a toddler, and a full time job.  When I was going to my Bachelor's it was a completely different story... no husband, no baby... just a boyfriend and a 10-12 hour/week part-time job.  I am really nervous about how I am going to balance it all, but I have always been pretty motivated and when I set goals I accomplish them.

 

My Goals for Graduate School:

#1 Don't lose my mind.  I must somehow maintiain my sanity through this.

#2 NOTHING comes before Norah Kate.  She is my number 1 priority and it is essential that I don't let anything take away this precious time with her.  She is already growing to fast.  Even if that means waking up early or staying up late to do schoolwork.

#3 Not go in major debt by taking out tons of student loans.

#4 Finish.  Even when it gets tough, when I want to quit, when I want to throw my laptop and books out the window.  I can't.  We have already invested money, so I have to finish.  It's what is best for our family.

Really though, I am excited.  I am looking forward to what my future will hold.  I have always loved learning and have always loved being a student.  This time I just have a couple other obligations and priorities to go along with it.  People do it everyday though, with jobs, husbands, kids...  If it is anything like that last 18 months, the next 18 months with FLY by.

#bringiton



Rain, Rain Go Away

For the last two weeks I think it has been raining more than the sun shining.  It has been the prettiest on the days I am working of course.  We have spent the majority of our days going stir crazy, staying in our pjs for most of the day and seeing how much we can string and strow the house.

 

On rainy days, I pick up the house just for it to get messy and I sweep the floors just for mud to be tracked back in.  Schools have been cancelled due to the roads being so messed up.



Our pond is over flowing.  I am grateful for this though because we will need all that water for irrigation in the summertime.



Yesterday you could have whitewater rafted down our driveway.  Now there are just big ruts and washouts.

The sun is supposed to come back out this afternoon, praise the Lord.  I am ready to get my run on! (If I can get out of my driveway!)