Don't call me crazy parent

Okay sooo for the last two weeks every time RG has to go #2 she crawls under the kitchen table and does her business...

Well the other day Skyping with Granny she said why don't you start potty training her and I was like ohhh no she's too young...

Well a few days later on pinterest I came across this article

http://domanmom.com/2012/07/things-you-can-do-with-your-baby-to-make-it-easier-to-potty-train-later/

(sorry if it doesn't link just copy and paste the article, I posted this from my phone not computer)

But anyway I was thinking WHY not buy a potty and have her sit on it from time to time... Why not when I know she's going potty tell her what she's doing and try sitting her on the potty... Is it going to hurt anything??? NOOo!!

I plan to keep her potty in our bathroom and when we go in there just say our potty, Raegan's potty. When she crawls under the table like she has been doing the last few weeks I plan to tell her what's she doing and place her on her potty ... Am I going to take her diaper off??? No... I'm just going to teach her where to go... Do I think this article is going to work and make it easier in a year or so when we do officially potty train? I hope so but my fingers aren't crossed! Lol!

So no I'm not potty training Raegan this early... Not doing anything other then exposing her to the potty and teaching her vocabulary so that as she gets older she may be successful when we do try potty training...

It's just practice what can it possibly hurt? :)

Enjoy these pictures of Raegan on her new potty I think she likes it! Lol!

Raegan Grace!

RG woke up... I rocked her back to sleep, went to lay her back in her crib... She started crying... :( so back to the glider... Holding her ...admiring her beauty! My oh my is she growing up so fast! She is so stinking cute! I really could hold her all night (But we know I can't... ) my oh so sweet blessing takes up my whole lap now... I feel her every breath... Hear her talking in her sleep... Feel her soft skin...and her freshly brushed teeth.. (which by the way she LoVEs brushing her teeth! She smiles and giggles almost every time I put the tooth brush in her mouth). My oh my my baby is growing up! Taking her first step today (well technically yesterday)... Two steps total for the day! It's not full out walking but man is she on her way! ...

She's growing up and changing so fast all day long!!!! Sitting here looking at her brings tears to my eyes knowing in a few weeks im not going to have her all to myself! I've got to SHARE her! Ha! I'm not good at sharing her! I don't want to go back to work! I don't want to leave my sweet blessing! But one has got to do what one has got to do! Holding her now with her head on my chest!!!! Ohhh lOvE her!!!!

Oh I could write about Raegan all day long!

Okay may attempt to lay her down in a few mins...

Back to Raegan and mommy snuggles!!!

Summer thus far

Summer is basically half way over..

I'm not really sure how I feel about that statement. It's been so wonderful to have all this time with my sweet baby girl! She is such a blessing and I am enjoying every single minute with her! She is the sweetest happiest baby and I just love and adore her!

We haven't done a whole lot this summer... which really is kind of what you are suppose to do over summer right? I had/have lots of aspirations to get stuff done around my house, but it's proven to be a challenge with taking care of Raegan and trying to do everything else. It's not that I can't do both, I would just rather be on the floor playing with Raegan or napping when she does...haha!

We have hung out with lots of friends, have had some lunch dates and play dates, took Raegan to the zoo for the first time, went to Virginia for a weekend to visit my family, and went to Myrtle Beach for the 4th of July and took RG on the beach for the FIRST time. I'm trying to focus on the little things. To me relationships are important. The people in my life brighten my world, and the love they have for my family always makes me smile. To me my friends are my family, and even if I don't get to see them as often as I would like I am glad Raegan has this love in her life. After all, everyone adores babies, especially Raegan Grace! :)

I did get my organizational board made, and came up with some plans for getting stuff done around here, but that's about all... I just pass by my board and think oh man...I need to get on that... then I will hear Raegan laughing and playing, and I'm like oh let me see what sweet girl is doing, and off I go into Raegan land soaking up her every move.

Do I feel guilty I'm not really getting my house organized? NOPE! Not at all... the house is clean, it's not in a OCD kind of way organized that I want to remove all the clutter, but it certainly is presentable and functional. My baby is happy, my husband is happy, and I am happy..that's all that really matters isn't it? Of course it is!

I feel better with my lists, I know the planning part is done so if I ever get a free moment then all I have to do is pick something on my list to do...at least I won't be stressing over that part..it's all written... the hardest part is over! ha!

I haven't worked on a single thing for school yet. Honestly, school has been the furthest thing from my mind... Every summer before Raegan I use to dream up new activities to make and prepare for next school year. This summer, pinterest is about the closest thing I have done as far as preparing anything...haha! I know I need to do some things... but dang Raegan is way more fun then work, duh!

We have planned a mini vacation to go to Litchfield in the beginning of August. I am very excited about taking Raegan on her FIRST family vacation! I hope this is a tradition we will carry on for years to come!

I really have lots more I want to do over summer: would love to invest in a sewing machine (I am waiting though to buy one, till I am sure I can commit), love to get some stuff organized around here, figure out a work out plan, meal plan better, etc and work on some school stuff but we shall see...I'm just taking it one day at a time.

Currently, while Raegan is napping I have been productive TODAY! I paid a few bills, worked on some laundry, made a grocery lists so we can go to the store when RG wakes up, and right now just taking a little me moment by writing on my blog. I can be productive, today is just one of my greater Proverbs 31 days! haha!

Well, for now I guess I'm out of here, going to go fold some clothes (maybe put them away) before Raegan wakes up! Going to eat some lunch with Raegan (which she's eating big girl food now: table food) and then hit Hobby Lobby to buy some stuff to make her a Cow Appreciation outfit for next Friday, and then head to the grocery store. See I can be productive...till next time friends! :) Be blessed!

Just when I was about to go to sleep

It was after midnight, I was just about to fall asleep after watching the GAMECOCKS beat Arkansas and who do I hear crying??? Ohhh Raegan Grace! Sooo I go in to check on you and by that time I get in there you are no longer crying but definitely wide awake and standing in your crib. As I walk a little closer your eyes are glued to your bow holder. It was the most intense look on your face like oh those are my bows!

As I walk closer to you, you see me and give me the biggest grin. I pick you up and decide to try and rock and nurse you back to sleep. While you are nursing you just stare right up at me with those big brown eyes and by the time I finish nursing I can tell you are still not ready to go to sleep. So I decide to change your diaper.

Normally when I change your diaper it's a whole big ordeal. You toss, you turn, you flip over. I normally have to find whatever is in sight to hand you and distract you so I can work like speed lightening and get a new diaper on you before you roll over. I mean it's a huge deal! But tonight you laid there and you smiled up at me. You talked to me in your little voice. You took both hands and you waved at me while I changed your diaper (which by the way you just learned to do today). It was just the cutest thing! I lowered my head down to yours and I just laid it close to you and took your oh so sweet self in!

After you were freshly changed I take you back to the glider and try to hold you to rock you back to sleep. You ever so gently rolled over so your back was to my stomach and you could see about your room, but still having your head laid against me. You allow me to ever so slightly brush your cheek with my hand over and over while your eyes flashed open and closed and you debated if you were ready for bed or not! I just sat there brushing your cheek thanking God that yes it's 1 am now but this is oh too precious not to soak up every moment. And I vowed to myself right then that as soon as I put you back down in your crib I was going to go write about this moment.

I continued to rock you as your eyes flashed back and forth. You decided you were ready for mommy to hold you the way mommy loves to hold you and you turned yourself around and laid your head on my upper arm and your arm wrapped around my shoulder! Ohhh how you melted mommy's heart right there! You haven't let me rock you to sleep like that in a few weeks now and ohhh how I was missing it!

You finally drifted those beautiful eyes into a slumber of sleep and I just held you! I prayed to God over you and just thanked him for this ohhh so perfect moment to spend with you! I prayed our little nightly prayer over you again and I just sat there starring at your beautiful delicate little features in the shadows of your night light. It was truly perfect!

After sitting there for I don't know how long I decided it was time for you to lay in your crib. You hardly made a sound as I laid you down and kissed you good night!

Raegan Grace, moments like tonight are moments to cherish forever! You are the absolute greatest blessing I could ever ask for! The love I have for you is unconditional and I thank God every day for this oh sooo sweet family of my own! I hope when you are older and you have a daughter of your own that you will always cherish the little moments. Life goes by way too fast not to cherish the little big moments! Always remember how much I love you my oh so sweet blessing! You light up my whole world! I love you to the moon and back forever and always!

Xoxoxo!!!

Love mommy!!!

Summer Aspirations

I have lots of aspirations, goals, and things I want to do this summer! You think if I write them down I will get them done??? Haha... Probably not! But I gotta start somewhere!

So here's my TO DO list if you will... [warning: it's long, read at your own risk]

1. PLAN!~ I want to plan out my days to include prayer, fun AND relaxation with Raegan, exercise, meal planning, cleaning planning, couponing, professional development, etc... I believe all first steps should start with planning! If I can write it down make a list of it I can get started! Planning out is a HuGE task and will take me time to do, but i have hope! If I plan my day out that will hopefully help me get lots of things accomplished! We shall see because we all know plans don't always work out as we hoped... But then again if plan A doesn't work there's always plan B-Z :)

But anyway lots of lists to start with so...

The rest of these items are in NO PARTICULAR order! #1 has to be down first for all the other things to be done in MY opinion!

2. DECLUTTER this house!!! And I'm not talking about cleaning and reorganizing....I'm talking EVERY room and closet in this house... I'm talking about throwing lots and lots of stuff away and giving lots and lots to good will... And then cleaning and organizing what's left of it all! I so want to do this so bad!!! I have wanted to do this since moving in 3 years ago! Haha! All I have done is added to the crazy frenzy of stuff in this house! I thought that before Raegan was born I would accomplish that! But NOOO! I couldn't do it! And now I've been so busy with this crazy thing called life the house is in it's worse condition EVER! Ideally I would LoVE to take ONE week and hire a sitter to watch Raegan so I could knock this out in ONE week (you know pretend it's s normal "work" day and send Raegan off and pick her up at regular time... Sounds ideal??? but I just don't know if I'm willing to give up that time with Raegan... But I know if I don't do that then this could be a very long or even never ending project. But I'm OKAY with that too!) :)

3. ORGANIZE everything!!! ~ I have always loved baskets, bins, containers, storage boxes, the whole world of organizational resources just excite me till I could giggle!!! [yes you may giggle out-loud] I feel like much of the clutter in my house is due to the fact that every thing in this house doesn't have a home of it's own. Some of the things don't deserve a home [I mean really how much junk mail can one possibly pile on the kitchen counter, or in my case the front seat of my car????] but many of the things I do have need a place to call home rather a cute little basket for my gift wrapping tools or a bigger file cabinet for all my bills! Who knows??? I don't! Haha! I just want to TRY to find a real home for all the little things all over my house!!! And My OCD would be much happier if I find these things a home!

4. GET READY FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR! ~ now this section can be broken up into many different bullets ....

a. I have always had dreams of starting my own teacher blog! I would love to start one but I just don't know if I will, but it's definitely something I aspire to do! :) I would love to do this!!! First Grade Parade blog [if you haven't checked her out do it] is my ultimate idol! I know I will never be as creative as her, but if nothing else I want my blog to be resources and links to other blogs that I site within my blog so I can find what I need to... If that makes sense?! :)

B. Organize all my teacher files rather on a flashdrive or website etc. I want to be able to say oh I'm teaching contractions this week here's a whole list of items I could do ... I just want my resources to be at my finger tips!

c. My school to do list: Of course I have a whole list of other things I Need/want/ have to do for school that i have already typed up and need to work on... Hehe


5. VACATION~ convincing Drew will be the hardest! He hates taking time off from work! But I sooo want to start making these memories as a family with Raegan. That's something I've always wanted to do and even more so now that we have a precious baby girl to share it with... I am thinking the beach somewhere... Hopefully I can convince Drew on this one!

I am sure there are a MILLION things I could add to this list. But these are things I WANT to get done! I know they won't all get done, but a Proverbs 31 wife can dream right???

Now if you noticed I didn't include Raegan in my lists! That's because she gets mommy 110% no matter what she needs or wants EVERY day! My summer will be solely devoted to my oh so sweet blessing, but again a Proverbs 31 wife has to start somewhere and honestly I think Raegan might just enjoy helping mommy with SOME of my lists! :)

But these are my dreams, my aspirations, my goals, my oh so big to do list! The first step is writing it down! They aren't unrealistic goals just time consuming goals! Who knows how long it will actually take me? But it doesn't matter at all... Gotta start somewhere and well my first step writing it down!

Wish me luck! :)

Wow it's been 2 months!

Well it's practically been 2 months since I posted on here! Crazy I know! But not all too surprising... Hehe

Raegan is growing so fast! She is 7.5 months old and just a complete ray of sunshine!

Yesterday we celebrated my 1st mothers day! Daddy and Raegan did good! I got two cards, roses, a necklace, and a membership to the zoo! I can't wait to take Raegan this summer! Not to mention a clean house and daddy cooked me a steak dinner with fudge brownies for dessert! It was terrific!

Yesterday at church we learned about how to prioritize our faith. Dr. Lincoln listed them in the following order

1. God and His Will
2. Marriage as Institution
3. Family-yours
4. Self/needs

I couldn't agree more with the order of those faiths in a family. You have to have God first in ALL that you do. Then your marriage in order, then your family, and yourself comes last.

I'm trying to do better with putting God first. Life sometimes can get in the way and I need to stop letting it. I'm trying to do better each day. It's something I strive for. Spending time with God is important for me to be that Proverbs 31 wife and mother and just to function with the realities of this crazy world. The world may not always put God first, but I certainly will try.

God is sooo good to us all!



Let's see news... (incase you don't fb)

1. My niece Rebecca Lynn was born May 3, 2012 at 6:39pm 6lbs 6 ozs 19.25 inches. I still can't believe my brother is a daddy!

2. Raegan learned to crawl on my birthday April 18th! She was 6.5 months old! The last two weeks she has enjoyed pulling up to standing position on us and things around her! She's just too stinkin cute!!! And ohhh how I love her!!!!

3. We only have 13 days of school left! I cannot wait to spend the summer with my sweet blessing. Ughh come on summer I am so antsy for you! :)

Well, this works for an update right? I post basically everything on Facebook soooo that's pretty key to why I hardly write on my blog....haha! I know I need to do better!!!

MIA I know

Soooo I don't think I've posted since before out Cancun Sonic trip! Boy has this month just flown by!!!!

We had a wonderful Sonic trip last month and actually survived leaving Raegan Grace with the Hysners! We will forever be thankful to them for taking such amazing care of her! And we are thankful to the Irons group for giving us a free vacation too! It's so nice to be partners with people who know how to take care of and appreciate their partners!

When we got back from Cancun my school district had a week off for something called a mid Winter break... First time ever (& probably last) having this break...but it was the week after my Cancun trip sooo it was sooo very nice to have a week off with Raegan after being away from her for a week. Drew's mom came and stayed with us most of that time which was nice because she got to spend quality time with Raegan and I know she has missed her!

Oh and 2 days before RG turned 5 months old she got her first 2 bottom teeth!!!

School has been going. Some days are better than others. It's still challenging for me as I learn the curriculum but we are chugging along doing the best we can. It's sooo hard to leave RG in the mornings! It was hard, then got easier, and is now hard all over again! Just trying to find balance between home and work right now so please keep me in your prayers!

Tomorrow we have our "October" moms play date! I can't wait to get all the babies and mommies together! I've missed them! I still can't believe the babies are growing sooo fast! Raegan will be 6 months in 12 days!

Raegan only slept in her crib for about 2.5 hours and woke up. As soon as I grabbed her she fell right to sleep again. I know I can lay her back in her crib BUT it feels soooo good to hold her! I don't get to do it nearly as much as I would like! A few hours each evening after work just simply isn't enough! I miss everything about her while I'm away! I'm so thankful (& jealous) of Tracey that she gets to spend sooo many waking hours with RG! RG is in wonderful hands with Tracey though and I couldn't be happier with the love and care she gives RG!

Sooo I'm just gonna sit here and rock my beautiful sweet blessing! And enjoy every tiny little thing about her! Sounds like the perfect time to pray over her and thank God for her!