In Sweet Loving Memory...

My last living grandparent passed away on Monday. May God rest your soul, Grandpa Kandel.

Peacefully sleeping, resting at last,

His weary trials and troubles past,

In silence he suffered, in patience he bore,

Till God called him home to suffer no more.

Most Exciting Times...

Struggling to pick up that monstrous pile of dirty dipers...and don't ask me where her clothes are...her happiest times are when she's running around without clothes. She gets really creative and extra curious in her birthday suit...she feels so freeeee! :o)

She's going through this purse and shoe fetish right now....looooves to put anything that looks like a purse on her shoulder and carry it around. It's so cute....she wants to be a big girl. :o)

There. Now the look is completed. No look is complete without the neck blankie. Ha!!

"Mooooom!! Take this darn diaper off too!! Promise I won't pee all over the place!!"

"Got my mom's shoes on now, and I'm about to put this necklace on, too! But first I'll flash you a cheesy grin!"

~~ I Love My Baby Girl ~~

Oooooh, you thought you were going to see exciting pictures based on the title of this post, huh? Well--these are the most exciting of our times for now folks!

Winter, winter go away...we want sunshine to go outside and play!!! Let's all keep chanting this phrase...maybe it will happen soon!

Lemons...

So, we've been brutally abused by life's lemons lately. Pulverized, it feels. I'm sick of making lemonade...I continue to squeeze and squeeze and squeeze these lemons til my knuckles are white, day-in and day-out....maybe it's this dragging gloomy gray wintry blah going on outside that has us feeling hung out to dry and not interested in tackling more lemons...

What in the world are you talking about, Liz??? Here goes....

Lemon #1: Recently, Eric was told by his work that because of this dreaded economy and slow business lately, he & the rest of the employees working for his company may have to cut back to 4 days a week instead of 5. Not cool...not at all...a matter totally out of our control.

Lemon #2: Our babysitter might be leaving us way sooner than we wanted!! Her husband lost his job just before Christmas and while he has since found a new job, it isn't as providing as his old job. Since our sitter will also be losing one of the little guys that she babysits and we will be her only "income" then she may have to go back to being a teacher. A serious bummer there....

Lemon #3: I need to start working every weekend to make up for these predicaments that we "may" be in sooner than later...not only for the increase in money, but also because we may be losing our sitter. Uugghh...working every weekend is sooooooooo un-appealing to me...but, I have to do what I have to do.

Lemon #4: Apparently, working every weekend is a problem on my current floor. Who would have guessed that working only weekends would be a matter for discussion. Seriously, I am not even going to mess around with more lemons... if I have to leave L&D just to work weekends then I guess that's what I will have to do...family matters come first, ya know?

Lemon #5: We've come to the conclusion that we need to sell our house...and that's one big fat lemon right there. Luckily, houses in our area hold their value very well...however, we bought our home 3 years ago without much of a down payment...uugghh...I just have a feeling that this is going to be ugly, but our current financial situation doesn't allow for too many other options. With Eric's hours being cut, costly childcare that is finally catching up with us, and our need for a bigger bang for our buck (meaning more house or a bigger chunk of land at least) we must sell. I do love our house...but as first time home buyers 3 years ago and with me fresh out of college and finally making money we rushed into buying the first house we laid eyes on...and didn't put much thought into where we wanted to be in another 3-5 years. Our home is just barely 1500 sq ft, 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, and the basement is 1/2 crawl space 1/2 finished. It's the perfect size now, but for a growing family it would get tight quickly. We could afford it perfectly fine 3 years ago without children and without paying back my school loans...but our costs seem to keep increasing...ah-hem, costs such as child-care, diapers, organic groceries (hehe!), preschool (omg...that's a 2nd mortgage right there!) and all those other costs that come with babies. Not to mention we'd  I'd like another baby in a couple years :o) --which means twice the child care costs, twice the groceries, hopefully not twice the diapers though...oh please let Ava be out of diapers by that time! Plus, I would loooove to work less and be home more with my munchkins...at least until my babies are all in school. Granted, I work 36 hours a week as it is, but I would like to work 30 or so...and that isn't possible with our current situation. I hate being on a tight budget...really, I would rather have a cheaper mortgage and have plenty of extra money to use elsewhere--like to put Ava in various classes like swimming, ballet, gymnastics, or whatever, put away a plump sum of money each year for her college and not think twice about it, buy rec-center memberships, go on lots of family vacations, be able to visit one of my best friends in Colorado and our family members across the country more often, have a huge swingset and slide so we can get outta this house and play outside! You know what I mean? And I want some signs of wildlife in my back-yard--and those pesky squirrels who steal strawberries off my strawberry plant do not count!! I'm just sacked-out on worrying about things...they say money isn't everything, but when you're content with where your hard-earned cash is being spent it's much easier to relax. I'm dreaming up fabulous things for our next house and we won't be doing any rushing into that one!!!!!!  That is, if we ever break free from this one...ugh, my stomach flip-flops just thinking about it.


Lemon #6: Okay, not a big one, but it adds to the cocktail of thoughts already running through our minds--Miss Ava has been in rare form lately. I'm talking about these ugly  t-a-n-t-r-u-m-s  that have been appearing more frequently. They really test my patience...and sometimes I don't even worry about patience...sometimes I just sit down and join her pity party. We both cry, and she confusingly looks at me like, "what in the world are you doing, mom? I'm supposed to be the only one crying." And then it's over. She's happy, I'm happy, we're all happy and we continue to go about our day. :o) We both feel much better...we bond...that's the way I'm looking at it!! Ha!

Lemon #7: Kitty used our spare bedroom as her litter box last week. Diarrhea. All. Over. The. Bedspread. The final, and most annoying lemon of all. I seriously want to accidently leave the door open and let her little kitty-butt walk right outside and then slam the door behind her!!! Good riddens kitty!! Now, I would never do such a thing...but, I want to, and if I didn't have a conscience then I would in a heartbeat!!!

I'm trying to remember that as crappy as these lemons seem, most of them are totally out of my control and it's my response to the lemons that matters most. Ultimately, the outcome of our predicaments is not up to Eric or me. I also remind myself that He will never give me more lemons than I can handle. So, on that note, I'm rolling up my sleeves, splashing my face with cold water, and preparing for lots of praying, hoping, and relaxing (well, I can't guarantee that last one:).

P.S. Any advice on home-buying, home-selling, and financial planning is welcomed here. Feel free to enlighten us! We need all your financial smarts!

Ava Lately...

Just some pictures from our house lately...

Ava smothering kitty...this is most likely why kitty escaped a couple weeks ago and didn't come back for 8 days...I'd say I can't blame her. :o)

Having a snack...crackers are her favorite!

Last Friday evening we couldn't take it anymore and had to get out of the house...we loaded up in the Saab and headed for some Chuck E. Cheese action. Ava had fun...where there are children, Ava has fun.

Ahhh, yummy...stuffing her lil mouth full of outrageously over-priced Chuck E. Cheese pizza--eat up girl!

Weeeeeeee!

Driving with Stuart Little...

Ava's newest obsession...playing on the stairs with the baby gate...entertains her for hours! Ok, 15 minutes max... ;o)

Getting a little risky here little girl...

Alright, now you're making mommy sweat...

Lookin' like her daddy here! Notice her blankie...she's been obsessed with wearing it around the house like this lately...whatever makes ya happy, girl! :o)

Eating again...this time a cereal bar...with her ever-faithful blankie in tow...

This is what baby hair looks like after a round of "let's rub this alfredo sauce in my hair instead of eating it!!"

My beautiful baby girl...alfredo sauced and all!

Another Good One...

My "Spare Time Must Reads" column is growing rapidly...if only I had enough spare time to completely appreciate these must reads! Check out my new favorite--The Pioneer Woman. If you're into photography and photoshopping...or cooking...or home decorating...then check her website out...pretty cool! She has photoshop tutorials on there! That's fantastic...I'm really excited about that....photoshop has it's own foreign language going on and it is taking me forever to figure it out!!

That's all for now. ;o)

Divin' Right In...

Today was my 1st day out of orientation and on my own!  Let's just say the L&D spirits wasted no time in getting my feet wet...


Choose the easiest possible patient right off the bat--a scheduled induction patient---Check!

Start the Pitocin, after all appropriate initial interventions---Check!

Prepare the baby warmer & delivery table ASAP, this is her 4th baby---Check!

Ahh crap, fetal heart tones down to the 50's for 3 minutes---Check!

Rush to the OR for a stat c-section---Check!

Go to the bathroom and check my drawers---Check!

Return to patients room after the c/section false alarm (heart rate up to 120 by the time in
OR)---Check!

Amnioinfusion for the big fat repetitive variables in fetal heart rate---Check!

Scarf down leftover gumbo & a greek yogurt for lunch in a record 7 minutes---Check!

Brush up on my communication skills with low-socioeconomic status patients---Check!

My patient begging me to take her home with me at 3:00 because she doesn't want to "do this anymore" (Literally, sobbing she repeatedly said, "Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiz, pleeeeeeeease take me home with you!!! My response, "You're pushing this little boy out...like right now! You've got this, girl!!" )---Check!


All in a days work. ;o) Craziness.......

A New Favorite...

You might not have noticed the newest addition under my "Spare Time Must Reads" column called Thrifty Decor Chick, but you've got to check this blog out!!! As the title of her blog implies, she is the queen of decorating on a budget...this girl can do it all!! She offers fantastic ideas on simple home decor, stuff that you'll be like, "Oh my gosh, that sounds so easy, and it looks so cute! Why didn't I think of that!?" She gets her ideas from catalogs like Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, and the like. She even includes in-depth tutorials on how to make this stuff on your own! It's a cute site...my new favorite...I hope you'll take a look!

A Sweet Message ...

In honor of Valentine's Day this weekend, I wanted to share a fantastic email I received from a friend. What a great message...a great reminder that marriage is an everyday work in progress. I'm reminded by these inspirational words to keep the "cartilage" of our marriage strong and be gracious, encouraging, and understanding in my interactions with my life-long partner...even when he pulls clean clothes out of the dryer and piles them on top of the washer... ;o)

I hope this email reminds you to keep the cartilage of your marriage in check, as well! Enjoy!

Happy Valentines Day Lovebirds! <3

Cartilage is a tissue that is found in many places in our bodies, including at the end of bones where joints form. It protects our joints from wear and tear, helps them move smoothly, and absorbs shock. When the cartilage in our knee, for example, is damaged, we feel pain.

Grace in our marriages is like the protective covering of cartilage in our joints. Couples who show each other a gracious attitude cover their marriage with understanding, protect their marriage from misunderstandings and short-tempered emotions, and help one another absorb life's jolts and shocks.

For example, the other day Scott came home late to discover that I had forgotten to turn off the ho se after washing the dogs. The backyard was overflowing with water—an inconvenience and a costly mistake on my part. He could have gotten mad at me, but he didn't. His gracious attitude covered my shortcoming.

Today's key verse contains the word love rather than the word grace. That's because one aspect of love is grace. It's the part of love that is generous, forgiving, encouraging, and unconditional. It's the part of love that empowers you to fill in the gaps rather than notice what's lacking in your spouse. Grace asks, "How can I help you?" instead of growing frustrated or bitter when your spouse isn't measuring up to your standard.

Bringing criticism, judgment, and self-righteousness into your marriage is all too easy. Saying "Why didn't you…" "You should have…" or "I told you so" requires no effort. But being gracious is what we need in marriage, and that's what Christ calls us to be. We're human. We're going to disappoint one another. We 're not always going to meet each other's needs.

When you are fully aware of your own weaknesses and of the ways you fall short of the glory of God, you are more likely to show your partner a gracious attitude. God's Word reminds us that "love covers." How can you cover your spouse with the love of grace today?

Dear Lord, search me, O God, and know my heart (Psalm 139:23). Soften my heart and make me willing to adopt a gracious attitude toward my spouse. Where I have been unforgiving, harsh, judgmental, or bitter toward my spouse, Lord, I am sorry and ask Your forgiveness. If we need to talk about an issue, Lord, I pray our conversation will lead us both to a gracious attitude toward one another. If there's something I need to be quiet about or just to accept, give me willingness and strength. Lord, I pray that my attitude toward my spouse will reflect Your gracious love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 
 
This exerpt is from Melanie Chitwood's blog...check it out!

Back in business!

Oh, hallelujah!! My daughter is showing definitive signs of feeling better from that dreadful DOUBLE ear infection. I can't even express my joy in words!

You see, this girl was a c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e basket case for...oooh, probably 3 weeks or so before we decided that something had to give...the whining, fussing, and crying was sending mommy & daddy over the top!!! Basket-case baby=basket-case parents!! Not sleeping well at night, not napping well during the day, not eating well, draining enough boogies to clean out a box of tissues in about 4 days...she felt miserable and our nerves were nearly rubbed completely raw. I was pretty positive that I would never have another kid...ever. YES, it was that bad! So stressful...ugh. I actually feel pretty bad that it took us 3ish weeks to take her to the pediatrician...but, in our defense we've all been fighting a nasty case of the snots & coughs for weeks now...and we all know that antibiotics do nothing for viral bugs...which is what Eric found out after his first round of azithromycin that did absolutely nothing for him (I tried to tell him...but he doesn't listen to the wife...even though I'm a NURSE!). Anyway, amoxicillin has done wonders for my baby girl and I'm hoping we can all stop being sick now for awhile! Going back & forth from the sitter whose family is struggling with their own set of sickies creates a vicious cycle for our families. Good news is, baby girl is smiling, giggling, curious, playful, and oh-so-sweet again!! Thank You Lord!!

Playing in the Snow!

Winter is getting a little boring around here. No walks, no playing outside, no swingset, no zoo....just plain old boring. I've been trying to make lots of playdates with Ava's little friends lately, and we go to the library for toddler time a couple days a week trying to prevent serious cabin fever. We'll definitely be getting back outside once the temperature rises a little!! For now though, we just dress up in our snow gear and get outside for a quick puff of fresh air.

Lil marshmallow puff girl ... :o)

She's so serene sometimes...just taking it all in. :)

My snow angel... 0:-)

Checkin' out the fluffy white stuff.

There's always time for peek-a-boo!

Uh-oh, mittens are coming off...time to go inside. :o)