Past weekend....St Patricks and family visit!

So this past weekend has been pretty good I'd have to say :D

My husbands dad came home from Argentina to spend about roughly 10 days or so with us.  It's going by pretty quickly to and he has a lot to get down while he's here so we have to work as a team to help get those things done.  Mostly trying to kick in more cooking and cleaning since there's another guy in the house.

So on Friday we went on our usual date and enjoyed going to Pickle Barrel and Cafe/sports bar.

source

  They have the BEST fries in Georgia I've ever eaten. (sorry you haven't beaten out my ultra favorite Utah fry the Sweet Potato cajun fries)
They dip them in a beer batter and then deep fry the already fried french fry!  It's pretty amazing.

Raine was in high spirits and enjoyed the lively surroundings of the people and of course the TV's that covered every wall.  Some with channels featuring gold to others about fishing.
Our waitress was sweet to our baby and entertained her while we were waiting for our food when she could spare a moment.
I always leave a note on my receipts because I want to let the one's serving us how much I do appreciate there time and energy.  Especially on a busy friday night.
I got WAY to much fried food for myself and I've never been able to eat it in abudance like my husband can.  So I got a to go box and a greek salad to go.  Which is my absolute favorite.  If I was pregnant I couldn't eat it due to the feta cheese but thankfully i'm not this year!

Saturday we traveled about roughly 45 minutes to an 1 hour up to Eatonton, Georgia to visit my sister in law and her family.  Now let me tell you, seeing all those "creeks" as my husband calls it, got me hyperventilating because i"m DEATHLY afraid of water.
That's another story for another time because there were many things that lead to me having such a great fear of water.
We arrived and got things together so we could go to Crooked Pine Farms to do a variety of events.  From an egg launch to hay rides.

Doing the egg launch was AWESOME because I shot it the farthest...which wasn't the goal but I felt pretty good about it anyway.  My brother in law was the only one out of all of us that managed to hit the target.  Either way it was still loads of fun.
It was also pretty comical because my amazing husband was also trying to shoot his eggs pretty far.  He dropped the same egg 3 times before he was finally able to see it soar through the blue skies of the south and almost hit the target. Reminded me of our wedding day when he was trying to shoot the garter he got off my leg.  It also took him 3 times to shoot it.  Twice in the face actually.  Oh the memories....
Moving on,
We stayed for I believe an hour because the 4 children we had with us were beginning to tire.  So we loaded up and headed back to there home.
We ended up staying at there gorgeous home until the late evening.  We were watching the Bond movies which I had never seen and also spending time with them.

Sunday or yesterday, was St. Patricks Day. My husband and I had been practicing to sing in the choir for ward conference for the past couple weeks so my spouse was very excited for sunday.
I however was not looking forward to it. I DREAD being in front of people because I have become something of a introvert and don't like being in front of people or talking to anyone much anymore.  So I wasn't looking forward to being in front of people. To tell you the truth I actually love singing but I'm self concious of the way I sound due to negative critiscm and my own awareness of how badly I sound.  I go to choir to try and support my husband while also secretly trying to improve.

We got there as early as we could and sat up on the stands practicing with everyone else. We were able to sing the opening song and the prelude as the session began.  I made my exit off the stage as I went outside the chapel because Raine was not going to last in the sacrament room.
I stayed outside the entire session and wasn't able to make it back inside due to her being extremely fussy and refusing to let me sit down.
Caleb even got stuck out there with me because I asked for him to help me with her because I hadn't eaten anything and was loosing energy standing and rocking.  Sadly, he didn't get to sing in the choir and I felt AWFUL knowing it was my fault for making him leave the stand so he could come and help me.  Seeing the disappoitment on his face was hard to see because I knew how much he had been looking forward to singing  for today.

After the first meeting, church DRAGGED out and for me in a already sour mood from little sleep the night before, to not eating I could say I didn't want to talk to anyone.
The meetings went by though and thankfully Caleb held baby Raine so that I could get a break since she slept for a half hour during church.
After the meeting, the southerners like do a pot luck after there ward conferences so we enjoyed eating together.
My mother in law had come and taken the baby from me so I could eat because I knew my husband hadn't eaten that morning either because he was SO excited to get to church.  That was nice of her to do that for not just me but my husband since we needed that small break.

After the gathering and my husband fulfilling his calling, we returned home and enjoyed the company of Caleb's parents.  His mom had just gotten back from the airport earlier and brought her husband home.
Soon his sister and her family along with his brother and new wife arrived at his parents home so we could enjoy each other's company.
As we were all eating dinner, my brother in law and new sister in law announced that they had a mini weathers on the way and I am so happy for them!  I love making things for my friends having babies so I hope that they don't mind me making them a bib or two for the new little one.

The rest of the day was nice with catching up and going on walks with the family.  We all played games with the kids and made plans for the following week together.
My father in law got soccer jerseys for the youngest kids that are the opposing teams and they fit perfectly. Raine is looked so stinking cute!!!!!!!!
My daughter was so exhausted from the events of the day that she went to bed at seven which is unheard and didn't wake up til 3:30 am the following morning.

Which leads me to today.
My day began at 3:30 this morning due to my daughter getting a full 8 hours of sleep and not in any mood to go back to bed.
I was to tired to try and stay in there and keep her company so I put her back in her crib with a pacifier and hopped back in bed.  Around 5 am my daughter (still awake since 3:30) began screaming frantically.  I threw on a robe and dashed into her room and found her legs stuck in the bars of the crib.  Now I have a bumper that goes in and out of the bars but she managed to push it down and get caught.  She tried getting herself out but only made the problem worse by twisting herself to the point that if I left her like that for much longer she would have popped her legs out of place.
The crib is pretty old so things like that are bound to happen.

Sadly since I had been up for almost 2 hours, my poor husband was woken up by all the ruckus from my daughter.  Upon coming back from my daughters room, there was a small roach on the carpet and I HATE bugs.  Roaches are new to me and I don't like hearing the crunching sound when they get squished.  Plus I didn't want bug juice on the carpet.  I put a glass over it and since my husband was coming back from the kitchen after getting a glass of water, I asked him to dispose of it.
He didn't want to but being the person he is, he helped this "damsel in distress" and got rid of it for me.  That little adventure ended up waking up my mother in law because when he went to put it in the toilet, he thought the bug had gotten out of the jar and onto his hand.  Thus leading into him trying to get rid of it and the glass jar bouncing and hitting a few things in the bathroom.  It even startled me because I thought he had tripped.
When coming to learn that the "roach" he thought had escaped was just a string attached to the jar.
Poor caleb...
I didn't end up really sleeping til almost 8 am.  I slept in til 10:30 am and Raine I'm guessing had woken up at some point before 9 am but I was to tired to get her so she went back to sleep on her own and didn't wake up again til 11 am.

So my day half gone, I started on my chores and the daily routine with Raine.
It is now almost 6 pm and I just finished with everything I needed to do.  My hubby will be home shortly and I can't wait to see him since he leaves at 7 am every morning.

6 months time.....

My beautiful, sweet, playful, adorable, giggly, daughter turned 6 months today!!!!!!! The poor dear is teething something fierce so here eyes are all swollen, her gums are puffy, a slight fever and a runny nose to boot! But that doesn't keep her from smiling and still having a good time.  The one were she is in her hair chair reminds me of my husband.  He makes that face all the time when he's trying to be coy haha.

Time is flying by for my little family and I'm happy but also bummed because I can't seem to catch up some days.

Honestly I can't remember being pregnant thanks to the wonders of a mommy brain I have :p
But can you believe that????

I'm sure for many moms out there that you know exactly what I'm talking about.
For those who don't you will someday.

Here are 25 items I've learned over the course of Raine's life........

1. TEN MINUTES is the best rule that you will ever have with a baby. (Why? Because it can take that long for them to finish a diaper to whining.)
2. Changing a baby can result in never wanting to eat certain foods again.
3.  Banisters are there for a reason.
4. Don't assume something won't fit them just because the tag says it might not
5. TV and other forms of technology can take away the time with baby
6. Burp cloth? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Try towels!
7. Baby books will be another bible for you
8. You can never have to many blankets
9. There will won't be enough pictures of your little one!!
10. Sleeping will be missed
11. Peek a boo is my favorite game
12. You never know how much stress can affect them
13. Being paranoid is a good thing...even when other's don't think so
14. Having a mental list of things to check off in your head are always a good thing to remember
15. Routines are good for babies sanity
16. Cuddle time will disappear
17. Baby can miss you...even when they can't say it in words
18. Planning 3 hours ahead is better for your sanity
19. Keep extra dish cloths and pajamas by the bed
20. Pacifiers-bottles can be helpful if used correctly
21. Having toys in your purse are better then nothing
22. A spare change of clothes for both of you is always a good idea
23. Nursing has NO cons- especially when the baby is hungry
24. Dad's CAN play with baby too
25. Piano music is a good "soothing" tool

Well that's all I can think of right of the top of my head for now.  Of course there is more but these are one's that got me the most. :3

My daughter is trying solids foods!

Raine my adorable daughter is growing up so fast it's insane!
I remember being pregnant this time last year and I'm thankful I'm not this year.
She is turning 6 months old next week and I can't get over just how fast time has flown by for my little family.
Within a year we have:

• Moved twice, once to a new apartment for 3 months and then cross country and been living in our new residence for 3 months
• Found out we were having a baby and then had said baby
•  we are getting ready for school once again.
• And I changed my hair color from blonde to expresso to chocolate brown!

So I decided that it was time for her to start having something new for food because for all those moms out there and for those preparing in the future, (this might seem T.M.I but you'll find out anyway)
Your nipples get SUPER sore after a while.  Now after a some time they do get numb but you still have problems with them every so often.  

Now the other issue we have is that we our have our 2 year anniversary coming up and Raine needs a different feeding schedule and way to sleep because I need to get out every so often.  I got 2 months to do that so wish me luck :P

Here we decided to after talking with my sister in law that we were going to give her Green beans first.  Now I DETEST green beans thanks to my parents along with a lot of other vegetables but this is the one thing I REFUSE to eat no matter how it's dressed up.

But Raine LOVED it.  Just like her daddy.

Now today I gave her peas and she enjoyed that too to my surprise.  She starting coughing to get my attention and then was reaching for the bowl because she was so excited.  I can't tell you how happy that made me because i"m nervous she won't be ready for me to leave in 2 months for a 2 day trip.  

But seeing this made me hopeful that she will.

She was so happy with me feeding her that she couldn't get enough of it!

Now here is a tip on when feeding solid foods to baby:

• When you give them something new for the first time, put some on your finger.  Your finger is the perfect temperature already and baby's used to you.  So it'll be something familiar with something  new.  (Dad's can do this too.)
• Most importatly warm up the food a bit.  A few seconds in the microwave won't hurt. Tjhen stir to spread the heat evenly.  Babies HATE cold food. (trust me)
• Don't feed them directly from the container.  The saliva will break down the food and when you go to use it, it's already began being "digested" so to speak.
• Start with a little.  That way you aren't wasting so much the first time, and can see if there is progress too as you feed them.

In other news, my birthday is coming up in a few weeks and I am clueless on what i"m going to do about that.  Birthdays are just another thing that come along now but I still like to celebrate it with my husband.

I haven't made any friends out here yet so it makes it a little easier to go and make sure I do something just with the hubby.  It can be sad sometimes though because I don't have a "girlfriend outlet" but I'm okay with being humble and playing with baby girl for now anyway. Because she needs my full attention since she's still pretty young.

People of facebook.....Here are some rules you need to know

You're probably wondering about the title of my post today.  I have a little bit of venting to do.

So as you all know, facebook and other wonderful social networks have allowed us to display and post about yourself.  It can be a good tool for those who are far away and a way to stay in touch. However....Some of you are abusing the system.
When you are posting a status on facebook, it usually will have the question: "what's on your mind?"
Now that question is NOT I repeat, NOT to be taken VERY literally.

Things that I have seen before or recently on facebook:

• I don't need to know how crappy of a relationship you have.  I"m sorry I had to say it.  

FOR HEAVEN SAKE!!! Do us ALL a favor and do a few of the following if you are SERIOUSLY working on your relationship, IN THE ORDER LISTED BELOW:

1. Communicate with each other first. TRUST  IS KEY. 
2.  if #1 doesn't work SEE A COUNSELOR! FACEBOOK is NOT your therapist!
3. Try working it out with your spouse, compromise and refer to the numbers listed above.
4. Don't post every bit of your relationship woes on any social network. It just shows your partner you don't care about them enough to talk to them about it. Again refer to #1.
5. Don't ask the said social networks for advice either.  It's just embarrassing to read your situation because your partner is reading it too. Then when your married friends give advice to help since you asked and you get all mad at them for it and don't listen. And then when you have more troubles, you complain to said social network asking for the same advice that others had tried to help you with. again refer to numbers above.
6.  If all else fails after actually trying to do these things, break up.  I'm tired of seeing how your life sucks.  Fix it. Don't complain to a social network. That will do nothing for you besides drive your friends nuts.

The other things I will list I have seen on facebook.....

• I don't really care to see posts of when you are hammered as hell and then have to see pictures because you just happen to feel artistic that night.
  NOTE: I don't care to see your cleavage or any other body part AT ALL. You may not have any pride with that and are vain about the way you look, but you post something like that and I will report your for inappropriate content.  I'm tired of seeing that stuff and I'm friends with you for other reasons. Not your drinking

• When you find that special someone, I think it's fine to tell them how you feel like " I love you" and other things. But for the love of gravy, I don't need to know what sex positions you like with that person! Along with that-that ties in the one listed above, I REALLY don't want to know that you went to a swingers club.  I don't personally care if that's what you do but I don't want to know THAT much about you. That's something you should keep to yourself.
• Also when you find said person, finding memes about sex positions you like or other pictures or memes that have a lot of cursing in it, I will NOT put up with.

Alright I think I have vented enough. -_-
Seriously though, I have nothing against what you do in your personal life but there are just SOME things that you should NOT post.

We can't help the ability of natural attraction.....

Man I had a really good dream last night......until I realized when I  woke up that it was about someone I had a crush on for YEARS.  I mean literally YEARS.  I hate those dreams.  Why? Well for one I'm married.  It's really really really awkward when I have a dream about a guy I used to like and I wake up and am still thinking about the feelings I had for that person.  I mean at the end of my dream I realized it and was trying to make myself remember that I had a husband.  Because I love my husband and would rather not embark on memory lane with that particular subject.
The dream didn't get into anything scandalous (THANK GOODNESS) but it was still one of those dreams that you go WAAAAAAY back to and remember just how you felt about that person for so long.
I believe that since I never told this individual that I liked them, that-that's maybe why I still feel something towards them BUT not enough to make me do anything stupid.  It's my kid crush.
I think also because I never told them that I have some weird underlining attraction.
(EVERYONE has one.  I'm not scared to admit it because I've talked to other wives about it. SO don't be ashamed as along as you don't act out on it.)

Now I'm not going to lie, I am a HUGE sucker for motorcycles still.  The guy I had a crush on for so long owned or might still I don't know, a dirt bike.  That was in my dream of course.
I don't know why but I think it's safe to admit that every girl out there has one person that they will always be attracted to for some unknown reason.  This is one of those types of people.
Now this goes for the guys too.
I actually talked to my husband about this subject a long time ago.  And we both\ admitted that there have been attracted to people still even after we got married but of course we don't pursue anything with that.

People it's only natural!  We honestly can't help it.  It's one of the hardest things for me to understand while being married because you think before you get married that you will NEVER have thoughts about another person again and that you'll dream only of your husband or wife.  WRONG!!!
You STILL will be again attracted to other people. And then have dreams about them.
My advice? Just talk to your spouse about it.  Be open. My reaoning is because you then get close to your spouse because they are communicating how they have had a similar experience and you remember why you fell in love with them to begin with.
Now it IS hard to admit that to your companion. "Hey honey, I had a dream last night about another guy."....................Awkward.
But that's what I LOVE about my husband.  He is very supportive and understands that there are some things in life that you can't control.

On another note in my life:
Raine is sick again.  I mean not just from teething, but has her voice disappearing, every time she sneezes I have to run for a tissue, slight fever, achy, want to cuddle all the time sick.
I hope she recovers soon.  I dislike seeing my baby sick :(

Stressful times....

So today is good so far. I have all my regular chores started and or done along with the first round of baby duties. (Bathing, feeding and changing)
Now for her first nap (yay!)
I have a few decisions in my life that I need to make and it's the first time ive had NO clue what to do. My husband and I are facing a fork in the road that will both lead to a goal but the fork in the path is when to do it.
I'm not gonna lie its very scary not having the resources I need right now to help but somehow...I hope we'll get there

Phone hated me so much it drowned itself

So it's pretty self explanatory from the title.
But to explain, I dropped my phone in the toilet. So I had a funeral for it and buried it in rice. Hopefully my phone will resurrect and come alive good as new. I highly doubt that though. I picked it up pretty quick so I know it still works.... For now anyway.
On another note in my life Raine is teething. She is five months d and will be six months come march 14th. She is growing up so quickly it boggles mind.
Since she is teething, I find it stressful to get things done because she is whining so much. It's so sad but I know that shell be okay.
To give ya an idea on how it affects me, I was changing the height on her crib so that it cod be lowered due to her name lifting herself up and attempting sitting up.
So with my hand on the last spot that needs to be fixed, I was having difficulty moving it. So I used my foot to hold the crib in place and my hand to try and lift the spacer. While I do this Raine begins to cry the one cry that gets to me. You moms will know it. But for those that don't, it sounds like their in pain. So I look over and check on her. Little did I know that the crib piece decided to slide out and pull the opposite direction.my hand was still holding it so it grabbed my power skin by my pinkie. Now I have a blood blister.
But it's fine considering it cod have just ripped it off.
Oh the joys of mothering.