Cheese-Bur-Ger

After living in Truckee for almost a year now, I finally learned of the "cheeseburger birds!" They have a little whistle that sounds like a three syllable "cheese-bur-ger." Quite amazing! Now when I hear them, it makes me smile. I can't wait for Anna to notice the cheeseburger bird whistles throughout the cool summer days in Truckee........

"Ham Bone"

This is Anna's new nickname from her daddy. All day yesterday I think she had the happiest day of her life yet. She smiled all day despite all the errands we had to run. I worked on Monday night, slept for 3 hours on Tuesday morning until Anna woke up and then we had to drive to Reno for my dentist appt. (I got a good report by the way!) She fell asleep in the car during our 35 minute drive and I was hoping she would sleep right through the whole appt. because we left the house at the start of nap time. Anyway, we got to the dentist's office and she had her little peepers wide open looking around at this strange new place she'd never been before. So, I picked her up and changed her diaper. Within 5 minutes just about every woman in the office was saying hello to her. I was a little worried so many people would overwhelm her because she gets overwhelmed very easily. This time, she was smiling, talking back to them, almost giggling and just eating up every minute of attention. They all fell in love to say the least. During the whole time I was getting my teeth cleaned, she layed on her back on my stomach in the chair and played with her toy and just cooed and cooed and cooed. She was making us all laugh. I was so happy she did so good! Then, off to costco where we made the grocery run. She was smiling and cooing at everyone there also. She took a great afternoon nap and again, woke up so happy. Anna is usually a happy baby but has her fussy time also. I think the Lord especially blessed me yesterday with her happy mood because I was so tired and running on 3 hours of sleep.

We ate dinner. She loves eating with us now and watching everything. We put her in her bumbo on the table with us when we eat. Through all of dinner she was smiling at Peter and talking to him. It was so cute to see them bond. She's responding to him more and more since I've gone back to work and spending more time together. After dinner I put a new hat on her that my mom got her this past weekend and got some pictures. For the first time, she was smiling, cooing, and making her "I'm excited" noises at the camera. She was quite a ham. She did this for about 20 minutes. Peter and I were just laughing at her, we've never seen her so happy! After a bath with daddy and a last feeding, she went down with out a fuss and Peter and I had our much enjoyed alone time for a couple hours before we went to bed. We watched Hairspray. I didn't think it would be that good but we loved it! John Travolta was quite a kick in that movie playing the fat mom. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Anyway, we loved last night of good family time. It was so fun, and our little "ham bone" was quite entertaining.

"Jack.....NO!

I'm pretty convinced that these will be Anna's first words. Even before mommy or daddy or kitty etc. Jack (our beloved attack cat) has been driving me absolutely bonkers lately! Talk about having spring fever. Summer fever now I guess. He is an indoor only cat but I'm almost to the point of letting him get outside. He's been jumping in the window sills, playing with the blinds, jumping on the counters (a huge no) batting at everything in site, runing around the house like he's on crack, seriously, trying to do almost everything crazy imaginable. He's going going going at about 100 miles an hour all day long! It's driving me nuts. Maybe I need to give him a little more attention than he's getting, maybe he's acting out like a kid?? I don't know but all week it's been..."Jack, NO!" to just about everything he does.

Anyway, onto life's more important things. I am officially back at work. It's going well so far but I am absolutely exhausted! I don't know how long I'm going to be able to do it on my own with watching Anna. My previous plans of working Fridays so I can sleep on Sat. has been destroyed by out of town adventures to Chico (way too much) and Peter's racing plans and desires. It's been frustrating trying to work out the schedule and I am starting to feel the effects of it. Even going home where we have help isn't restful either. Too much to do, too many people to see, and a baby that I really want to spend time with even as tired as I am. It's been a bumpy road to figuring this out!! I just keep praying that the Lord would show us how to make this work and honestly if I am really called to go back to work or go down to per diem (just one day a week). I pray he shows us here soon, or at least teach Peter how to happily flex his desires more (something that he struggles with). It's been hard to find a balance for him between work, family, and play time lately. I feel it's more play time these days that the other two which just makes me more tired and exhausted feeling that I have most of the time with Anna. SIGH.....I think I'm just exhausted! I struggle with wanting to be a nurse, work, a mommy and a good wife. I try to justify it that I'm working for health benefits but we could get private insurance also and afford it all in the same. So, the question becomes, am I working to afford Peter's hobbies or am I working because I want to and I feel called to it. What comes first? What is most important right now....to me, raising Anna. Time with Anna.....family....work.....or hobbies? Yikes, huge revelations today! Things I've been too tired to think about lately. So, a lot to sort out recently. A lot to put into perspective. Not to mention the true role of becoming parents and making our lives work with Anna now in the mix is starting to come to fruition. How does it all work? How do people make it work? What does it look like to live in a Godly household and to raise your children under his authority? What a learning process I tell you! There is so much to think about and such a huge commandment on mother's to raise your child as the Lord has called us to, every day. Big responsibilities!

Ok, a lot of rambling but these are the things that have been on my heart this morning and that I have been thinking about. I am exhausted and it's time for Anna's nap, so until next time.....

Tagged.....

I was tagged by Heather! so here it goes:

4 things i was doing 10 years ago:
1. I got bumped up to be a level 8 gymnast
2. graduating from 8th grade
3. enjoying the summer off
4. won the "golden rolling pin" in home econ.

4 things i was doing 5 years ago:
1. taking my nursing prerequisites
2. leading a small group bible study
3. supporting myself through college
4. Getting to know Peter as a friend

4 things i did yesterday:
1. Took a nap
2. Went shopping in Reno
3. bought Anna some cute new things on sale
4. Made dinner

4 shows i like to watch:
1. Gray's Anatomy
2. House
3. NCIS
4. CSI