Finding Balance- A baby, a Bell, and everything in between!

I decided I wanted to change direction with how I write on this thing, and in doing so I hope it inspires me to post a little more often.

Obviously, my number one priority in life is my family- Dann, Ashtyn, and my fury kids Lacey and Bella, that I think goes without saying.
Next comes my career, life in the corporate grind has its ups and downs, but all in all I work for a great company and my job revolves around SHOES, all things considered you can't ask for more.

Then there are the things that I do/ NEED to keep a balance on the fore-mentioned family and career. Besides books that have the ability to put me in a different time and place as someone else, or me writing the ridiculousness that I come up with in my own head (and I assure you, its ridiculous) I've found a passion in a iron ball with a handle that weighs about 30lbs. It has already started to change my life in ways I didn't really think possible.

I picked up a Kettlebell for the first time in March of 2009. I was watching the movie "Never Back Down" and in their training they used these cannonball looking things. I Googled it, discovered www.dragondoor.com, and in turn found the name of a guy that taught an Intro to Kettlebells class. I had NO idea what to expect, but the guy seemed cool so I made Dann come with me and we gave it a shot.
Considering after the first class I couldn't walk for 4 days, yet I had this urge to go back and do it again I knew I had discovered something I could get into. So a couple days a week, we would go, and in a short amount of time I saw results that I had never seen before in the areas of strength and cardio endurance. (I point this out because I've been an athlete for most of my life, and I've trained in tons of different ways, yet this one object was shaping something that I hadn't gotten with all of the other techniques.)
Everything was going really well, I enjoyed my workouts and was in class 2-3 days a week, then in January of 2010 I found out I was pregnant. For my first trimester I continued with morning classes, and pushed to a limit I felt comfortable with (funny story, Dave was one of the only people we told I was pregnant for a LONG time, he actually knew long before family and friends) Anyway, after my first trimester going to the gym started happening less and less, Dave was sharing gym space and the times I could get in he wasn't the one teaching. After one workout that pissed me off more then made me feel good I just stopped going. I was afraid I was going to hurt myself or my baby, and at that point I was so angry that I needed to just walk away. I missed it tremendously, but for the time being I had other things to focus on.
Fast forward to about July, I got an email from Dave telling me somethings had changed at the gym, and if I chose not to come back he understood. We took a fifth of Crown Royal (for Dann and Dave) over one night and in 90+ degree heat, almost 9m pregnant I knew that as soon as my little lady arrived I'd be back in that gym hitting the iron just like I had done before.
Sure enough, once my doctor had cleared me I was back in. With Ashtyn in her car seat (usually napping) I started back at square one. It was painful but liberating, it made me feel great even if I wanted to cry every time I had to walk up and down a flight of stairs. I lost all of the weight I'd gained during my pregnancy by the time I went back to work 12 weeks later, and that 30 minutes 3 days a week made me a happier person. But once I was back at work, balancing that life and nursing, my gym time once again fell to the wayside. I felt guilty if I didn't come strait home after work, going at lunch was a stretch, and getting up in the morning was too much with pumping and getting myself out the door, so I fell off the wagon again, put on 10 lbs, and was unhappy but couldn't really tell you why.

Fast forward again to July of 2011, I had an epiphany of sorts. I needed something for me, that I could do for myself, by myself that allowed me a release. I needed this to be a better mom and a better wife, and I needed it to figure out why I felt unhappy when I had so much to be happy about. I went back to Bluechip Athletic, 530 am, two mornings a week. In a couple of excruciating weeks I started to see results and I felt better.

We took a family vacation in August to San Diego, and I had the privilege of working out at Revolution Fitness in La Jolla with a Senior RKC, and that one workout sent me home with a new focus, a new goal, and a new outlook.
I made the decision in September of this year (with some encouragement of course) to go after the RKC certification in 2012, and in order to do that I had to step it up. I have a smaller (yet equally as important) hill to climb first in completing the HKC in February. While I have confidence in my basic ability I have a ways to go and SO MUCH to learn. Right now my focus is on increasing my strength, and endurance, improving my technique, and doing 5 bloody pull-ups!
I have a great mentor/ teacher in Dave, a great support system from 2n and family, and a drive to complete something that I know is going to test every ounce of physical and mental strength I have. I love a good challenge, and this is at the upper echelon of anything I have ever attempted.

So now that I've bored you all with my story, the reason behind it is this- I am a mom and a wife with a career in corporate America, but I am also still Sara with goals and dreams and a desire to kick some serious ass. To set the best example I can for my young daughter and to raise her the way I want to this is important. I think that a lot of moms feel guilty when they do something for themselves, but the reality is having something that's "yours" will make you a better mom/wife/human. This blog is here for me to write about my balance, feel free to tell me about yours. Until next time

~S~

The thoughts of a working mama...

I'm not sure if its because one year ago at this time I was on maternity leave and it was truly the most relaxing and amazing time of my life, or if now that Ashtyn is really developing her own personality I want to be more apart of it. But whatever the reason I have been fighting a battle with myself and being a full time working mama.
Let me just throw out there that I do have the choice of staying home, but in doing so I forfeit the life I am accustomed to. In theory, we could stay in our 2 bedroom condo for the next 5 years, not have a second baby, not have cable or internet, never go out or on vacation, and overall not be able to enjoy the luxuries that we do now and maybe I would be ok with that. However I am lying to myself if I said I don't enjoy my Starbucks, my DVR, my trips to Colorado, and going shopping for my daughter whenever the mood strikes me.
I busted my ass to get where I am, and I have a lot more potential waiting for me at DSW. I can grow and move on and with that will come more exposure to an industry I love as well as more $$. I still want that, but there are a lot of days that I just wish I could take my daughter to play, hang out with my other mommy friends and their kiddos, not get out of my pajamas because we don't feel like leaving the house that day. I would love to have a clean house, dinner made when Dann gets home, and dogs that get walked more then twice a week (when they're lucky). I want to see my daughter's first steps, not hear about them from her teachers.
On the flip side of the coin, Ashtyn is gaining great social skills and one hell of an immune system at school. The minute she see's Miss Tina and Miss Lynn in the morning Dann and I are chop liver so clearly she likes it there.
For me, I like being around other adults, I like being in the fashion industry, and I like having my own independence. Do all of these things make me a bad mom? Does it make me selfish that I'm not willing to give up "things" for days, months, and years that I will never get back? These are the thoughts that go through my brain at all hours of the day. I watch several women everyday who are incredibly successful professionally balance home and work, and they inspire me. They show me that you can have a high profile job and still be there on your baby's first day of Kindergarten. I just hope that 18+ years from now I don't regret the choices I made, and that my child/ children don't think I'm a terrible mother because I wanted to be able to give them everything and to do that I had to work.
I'm going to stop ranting now, I just needed to get this off my chest.
Ciao!
*Sara*

Update on life, it's been a while!

This has been such a crazy summer, I can't believe it's almost August already! This summer started with my cousin Michelle's wedding, there are now 2 of us on the Kosin side that are married, wahoo! Welcome officially to the family Craig!

Also around that time I got a promotion at work, yay! I moved into the role as Merchandiser for the Women's Better Dress department. For those not familiar with the lingo my job is to merchandise the stores with the goods that the buyer has selected. This department buys product from vendors like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Tahari to name a few. I am so excited to take on a new role, a new challenge, and I have been blessed with a great person to teach me the ropes. That woman should be sainted when its all said and done, and I hope I can convey how thankful I am to have her there to lead me. Oh yeah, and my new boss is awesome, I could not have asked for anyone better to follow up the amazing team that I just left. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up on the professional front.

I spent my first weekend away from Ashtyn over the 4th of July. I feel bad saying that it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, and I had a lot of fun. I went up to Michigan and stayed with my family, spent the 3rd with my cousins out on White Lake and experienced a monsoon at the Tigers vs Giants game later that night. Some QT with Zeke, was outstanding. We went to Lake LeAnn on the 4th and spent more time with family, God i love my Uncle Frank!

My brother in law Josh raced at Mid Ohio the following weekend, and we had a full house with all of Dann's family and my parents visiting! Josh finished 11th on the first day, and sadly took 19th on the second. I loved getting to see Josh do what he loves, especially after having to jump some of the hurdles he's faced the last couple years. He is a pretty awesome guy that Josh Galster! We also got a night out thanks to my mother and father in law (Horrible Bosses was H I LARIOU S!!!) Thank you so very much!

Last weekend was the release of Harry Potter, and with my cousin and Aunt we braved the ludicrous crowd to see the double feature starting at 9 and ending after 2am. I need to find time to see the movie again, I loved it! *Tear* I can't believe its over.

I went back to Bluechip Athletics and have started Kettlebell- beat downs once again. Anyone that knows me is aware that I like a good physical challenge, I love a workout that will push me to my physical limit and Dave never disappoints. I walked away after I went back to work just because I couldn't make myself find the time and I had an overwhelming amount of guilt about doing something for me that meant less time with Ashtyn. Now I'm out the door by 515am and home before she wakes up. It makes me feel better, stronger, and happier so while I miss my bed and the gym is hotter then Hell at the moment I want to get back on my way towards RKC and achieving some personal goals.

In between all these things Ashtyn figured out (in no particular order) crawling, pulling herself up, walking with a push toy, climbing the stairs, cutting more teeth, feeding herself, dominating the sippy cup, and basically leaving behind babyhood and entering toddlerhood at a run. I'm not ready for this yet everyday I see that toothy silly grin and love everything about my Ashtyn Lily. I love my life, but by far the very best part is being a mom and sharing it with the best other half a person could ask for. It makes me smile just thinking about it!

We have another crazy couple of weeks coming up with another trip to Michigan, a mommy-kid pool party with friends of ours, vacation to San Diego, and planning a certain little lady's first birthday party.
Maybe fall will slow down a bit... Maybe ;)

~S~

A bittersweet ending...

I don't expect anyone except a mommy that has been there to understand this, but this weekend has marked the end of being a nursing momma. It is a sad and joyous occasion all at once, and I can finally say I am no longer conflicted about the decision to stop.
I have several friends that made it to the 12 months and beyond mark- they are working momma's and stay at home momma's, so either way it is absolutely possible to do it. When I made the decision to nurse, they were my idols, that was what I was striving for. Dann however, always the realist in these occasions told me to make that the overall goal, but set small goals in between.

Goal one was to get her to latch... check.
Goal two was to go a month... Check
Goal three, three months... Check
Goal four, pump at work enough to send to daycare each day... check
Goal five, six months... Check

Once we started introducing solids into Ashtyn's diet I noticed my supply went to hell fast, and then around 7.5 months pumping at work stopped completely. However, goal six was still 9 months... check
By not pumping at work I was still giving her the AM feeding, and her evening feeding which to me still seemed like a good thing. That was working out well until her top two teeth finally dropped. Nursing was incredibly uncomfortable, and Ashtyn's attention span was admirably shorter then that of a butterfly. The evening feeding took a hike right after she turned 9 months old.
Then she started teething again, and uncomfortable went to excruciating. The decision to stop became a no brainer when I feared she might take some of me with her during our next nursing session. Considering my supply had gotten so low I wasn't really that worried about it, and so far I don't seem to be having any issues.
I really enjoyed my time being that sole food source, I wouldn't trade those times with her for anything and I know whenever we welcome Baby Galster #2 I will do it again without any question. I have to admit though, I'm really excited to wear fun bras again, and not having to plan my life around her next feeding is a huge relief.
To all the moms that made it to one year and beyond I applaud you! To all of those that want to nurse their baby, regardless of how long it is a wonderful expereince and truely worth any discomfort and are thinking about taking that route (regardless of how long) it is so worth it!

~S~

Ashtyn's 9 month player profile

On Sunday Miss Ashtyn turned 9 months old, holy cow!
Height/ weight- She is 28 inches tall and weighs in at 17 lbs.
Foods- This girl LOVES her Puffs! Especially the dehydrated yogurt dots, but if it means she can feed herself then she's all for it. About the only thing she doesn't like is mixed green veggies, those are not her fave.
Clothes- 9-12 month pajamas, 6-9 month clothes, and between a 2-3 in shoes.
Teeth- Her top 2 front dropped so we're up to 4 total.
Toys- Her stuffed Bella (although the real puppy is still a bud too), her play table, wubba nub, my car keys, and tubberware (especially the Cool Whip container!)
Fave Activities- Swimming, going on walks in her stroller, giving hugs and kisses, pulling herself into a standing position, bath time, snuggling with her stuffed animals, and feeding herself.

Ashtyn is a very happy, very vocal (my little squawking dinosaur), healthy and smiley little girl. Everyday I get to watch her gears turn as she discovers something new. Her smile can light up the darkest hour of my day, and I am amazed at her dexterity and determination with everything that she tries. I can't believe that 9 months has already gone by, and I can't wait to see what the next nine months and beyond have in store!

Random ramblings

It's now June, this year is almost half over and I really don't even know where it went. My baby will be 9 months old on Sunday, is it sad that I'm in denial? I'm not going to go into too much detail since I plan on posting her 9m player profile early next week, but holy cow! Every single day there's something new, there are times when I look at her and she just seems so grown up. Our sweet baby girl is becoming a very independent and vocal little lady. She is a joy and a pleasure, and without a doubt the thing that makes my day no matter what else is going on. Her laugh, smile, hugs and sloppy kisses are the bestest thing in the entire world!

Then there is the man that is the reason that I have my little monkey- the second best thing in my life, 2n! Dann is such an amazing husband, father, friend, partner, and everything that falls in between. I have moments when I am crazy and neurotic and he just laughs at my absurdity. I have others when I am stressed and sad and he's always there with the best hugs and a bottle of wine. He is my biggest fan, but not afraid to talk me down and put me in my place when I need it. I know I have a "strong personality" and that I can be a lot to handle but he brings out the best in me and loves me at my worst. I don't think you can get any better then that!

There are lots of other exciting things going on in my life right now, but since my world revolves around the above fore mentioned I figured I should start there.
I've been interviewing at work, I'm hopeful that it will turn into a promotion and a new position in the near future. The funny thing is I fought the path I'm heading down for so long that I didn't see how much potential was right in front of me. I've been in my current job for almost 3 years- and I love what I do. I work on a fun team with great people and best of all we buy the fun, young product you see in all of DSW's stores. While it's been fun and educational I've hit the top of what I can do as an MSA. I've said that buying is what I want to do, and I still believe that to be my eventual stop but before I can get there I need to get some experience in Merchandising. I've avoided this step thinking that I could just "skip" it (somehow in my mind that was going to happen, then I realized I work in Corporate America and I have a lot I need to learn). Well skipping isn't really an option, and as I learn more about the Merchandising role the more excited I am to get into it. I know that the job isn't glamorous, but it's something that will put me so far out of my comfort zone that I'm really jazzed. It will also give me a skill set to be one hell of a good buyer once the time comes, watch out everyone! :)

So family and work are what take up most of my time, there's also those two little fury children that live with us also. They've had quite the life change in the last 9 months, and I have to give them a lot of credit for handling it as well as they have. Bella thinks that Ashtyn is her personal puppy, and now that she is capable of handing food off under the table Bella really loves her. Lacey doesn't really pay much attention, as long as she has someone to snuggle with, and someone to feed her she's pretty happy. Last month she had to get 14 of her teeth pulled, my poor pup is going to need some dentures! Thankfully she's adjusted just fine, although eating corn on the cob now poses a bit of a challenge.

Alright, well I could continue rambling but I'm going to wrap this up and enjoy the rest of my evening with Dann. Until next time!

~S~

Ashtyn's 8 month stats-

No picture uploaded yet, but lots of fun things to share!

As of last week Ashtyn weighed 15lbs 8oz, which means she FINALLY doubled her birth weight, yay! No height measurement since 6 months (apparently they don't take that during impromptu ear ache related doctor visits.)

Teeth- 2 of them, bottom front. More on the way, they just haven't broke the skin yet.

Fave Toys- Still Sophie and Wub a Nub along with a stuffed "Bill" and her purple monkey.

Fave Foods- Banana cookies, mommy milk, anything we'll feed her.

Fashionista Faves- 6 month clothes, 9 month jammies, and size 2 shoes.

Movement updates- We have a bouncer, our lady likes to bounce! She still hates tummy time, but she holds herself up really well. She also likes to be standing up, though that requires someone to assist in getting her in that position. I know that having a mobile baby is in my near future so I'm enjoying the view while I can.

Fave fury animals- Sesame Street! We'll turn it on for short increments, and as soon as she hears Elmo her attention locks on wherever its coming from. I'm hopeful we can skip the whole Dora faze in favor of "Sunny days, chasing the clouds away..."

Anything else- Ashtyn likes to swim, give hugs, laugh, make you laugh, stick things in her mouth, chew on her toes, and make lots of noise both with her voice and with her hands.

At 8 months we have a smiley, silly, happy little lady, and Dann and I are blown away by something it seems everyday.

My 101 things...

I got this idea from a friend of mine, and it's taken me months just to get to 75 things, however since I started completed some of these things back in March I'm just going to continue adding as I go. I feel like this will give me little things to work towards each day, and just being able to cross them off gives me a sense of accomplishment. I'm wide open for suggestions!

On another note I haven't been on here in a while and have lots of things to write about, so I'll be blitzing this thing pretty crazy over the next couple days. It's always nice when there is lots to share (and pretty much all of it is good news! :)

~S~

Book #5

Ozzy Osbourne is the definition of a rock star, and his stories of excess are legendary. But to hear them from the horse's mouth are a whole separate thing entirely.
This is pretty much an autobiography, from as far back as the mad man can remember (and all things considered, he shouldn't be able to remember back that far). From his poor upbringing to the Black Sabbath Days, to hell and back he really is an interesting bloke.
The irony in the fact that he's done more drugs then any human should even be able to comprehend, yet he almost died going 10 mph on a 4-wheeler is just irony at its finest. I also felt a much greater appreciation for Sharon after reading this book. Any woman that puts up with that amount of $hit, but can dish it right back and knock you around when necessary gets my vote any day of the week. All in all I thought it was a fascinating and fun read about the legend and goofball that is Ozzy Ozbourne.

Frustration!

I firmly believe that there should be a parent's manual, because this learning as you go stuff is exhausting!
A couple weeks ago Ashtyn had a stomach bug (or at least that's what we thought it was). It involved projectile vomiting and besides that little factor she didn't have a fever, and although she was a little cranky her demeanor really didn't change. So we get through a couple few days of that, she seems back to normal, life goes on.
We tried to give her a formula bottle about 2 days after she's been back to eating, and then she geyser-ed it all over me. We thought it was still too heavy for her little tummy so we just went back to strait breastmilk, and she didn't have a problem.
Before she got "sick" we'd been kicking butt with solids, and she really seemed to be enjoying them. So we give it a go with some peas after about 4 days, and she eats a little bit, then nurses, then brings it ALL back up. Fell right asleep after that. Try something similar the following night, same story.
So now- no formula, no solids, just nursing. Sometimes she's fine, other times she'll bring whatever she just ate from the source back up. At Daycare they have not had one issue since she initially got sick-not one! We send three 4oz bottles of what I pumped the day before and she takes that without an issue.
I don't know if her gauge of when she's full is still out of whack, so when she's nursing she just keeps eating and it's too much. They toyed around with reflux back in January, which I thought was asinine since she hadn't had any issues previously and the meds made it worse but I just don't know what to do any more. Her 6 month appointment is coming up, so I don't really see a point in getting with the doctor before then. I'm terrified she's not growing properly (as that was an issue back in January also) but she's such a happy baby that it just makes this that much more befuddling. I'm beginning to feel like a terrible mother, wondering if there's something wrong with my milk, or why in the hell I can't just figure out the issue and fix it. A mommy intuition is supposed to just take care of these things, but I'm running out of options...

*S*

Book #4

So in less then a day I finished book number four- Beastly by Alex Flinn. I said that I'd be doing some light reading after two Hannibal Lechter novels, and this didn't disappoint. Pretty much a modern day Beauty and the Beast that takes place in New York City.
Spoiled rich brat makes a witch mad so she turns him into a beast. He gets 2 years to get a girl to fall in love with him despite his hideous appearance. You can figure the rest out from here as it all ends happily ever after. I wasn't expecting a great literary master piece and I was happy with just a light fluffy chick read. There is a movie coming out I think next week, and while I would like to go see it (as I find Alex Pettyfer to be incredibly easy on the eyes) I have a feeling I'll have to wait until it's released on DVD.
Now on to my non-fiction book number five!

Books 2 and 3 for the year...

**Spoilers inside**

Book number two on my list was The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. Considering the movie is one of my top 10 faves, I'm surprised it took me this long to read it. This is the 2nd book in the Hannibal Lechter series, the first being Red Dragon which I read a couple years ago.
I was really surprised at how closely the movie stayed to the book, obviously with the amount of detail you can only ever be so close but this one is pretty good.
For those not familiar, the Silence of the Lambs introduces us to a young FBI agent named Clarice Starling. She is pulled into a case involving a serial killer that skins his victims, and to find him she must enlist the help of sociopath (and cannibal) Dr. Hannibal Lechter. In the time Clarice spends with Dr. Lechter he gets inside her head and forces her to face things buried deep in her memory. In the end Clarice ends up catching Buffalo Bill, and Dr. Lechter escapes imprisonment due to the greed and ignorance of the "Doctor" in charge of him. At the end of the book we see Starling graduating the Academy, and Lechter enjoying his new found freedom after being locked in a cell for fifteen years. "Have the lambs stopped screaming yet Clarice?"

Book number 3 for me was Hannibal, also the third book in this series. This one finds our characters Clarice and Dr. Lechter 7 years after the Silence of the Lambs. Clarice falls from grace in the FBI when a drug bust goes terribly wrong, and Lechter is enjoying his freedom in Florence Italy acting as a curator in a museum. This book introduces us to one of Lechter's victims that actually survived- Mason Verger. When I first started reading Mason was the reason I almost didn't continue, he was disturbing. His obsession with revenging the mutilation done to him by Lechter involves man eating pigs and is a little out there. His sister Margot was who I was rooting for the whole time. In several twists and turns Lechter and Clarice reunite, Mason and a few other unfortunate human beings get what's coming to them, and the story ends much better then it did in the movie (at least in my opinion). Clarice humanizes Lechter, and it's just interesting to see how they pull things no one else can out of one another. This book is also the first glimpse of Lechter's past and the grizzly death of his sister Misha.
There is a fourth and final book "Hannibal Rising" which I have and do intend on reading. I think I need some lighter reading for a while though. As in to these books as I find myself, I also have trouble sleeping if I'm reading before bed. Some light, frothy reading is certainly on my horizon. All in all two very interesting reads that suck you in from page 1 and kind of make you question yourself when you see that the "Bad" guy isn't at all the worst person out there.

Ashtyn's 5 month player profile

On Saturday our lovely little lady turned 5 months old! I liked the way a friend of mine posted each of her daughter's milestones so hopefully she won't mind if I take a page out of her book. :)

Height: At her last appointment she was 24 inches, but since there's been a growth spurt since then I imagine it's more.

Weight: 12.5lbs at her appointment, again growth spurt so I know she's more then that now.

Clothing: She's been in 6 month pajamas for a while, now she's mostly in all 6 month clothes. I squeeze her into some 3 months onsies still, but that won't happen for much longer.

Movement: Rolling over! She can go from her back to her belly, but she's still getting a little stuck from belly to back. She desperately wants to sit up on her own, but she isn't quite there yet. There is a lot of time spent in the sit-up position- head and feet raised- our daughter has a very strong core!

Words and Tricks: No words yet, but she will mimick "Lalalalala" when you sing it to her. She has also figured out that when she is what's making you smile to ham it up some more to see what kind of a reaction you'll give her. Not one to shy away from the spotlight already.

Sleep Habits: We're just about back to a full night's sleep. We've had about a month of waking up for no reason at all but to say hello. That has finally passed, and she's getting a formula bottle just for bed and that seems to keep her tummy full longer. Daddy takes her up to bed around 830 and she usually stays down until between 630 and 7. If there's a wake up it's because she cant find her Wubba Nub, but once we shove it back in her face all is well in the world.

Teeth: No teeth yet, but they are definitely under the gums waiting to come out and play. She chews on everything she can get her hands on, and iced teething toys have been clutch so far.

Favorite Foods: So far she's had rice cereal and oatmeal, which only seem to go down without a fuss if there is banana or some pear juice thrown in. The green veggies (peas and green beans) have been introduced and they have been a success for now, next on the roster: squash!

Toys: Wubba Nub giraffe and monkey, Sophie, anything she can gnaw on and stick in her mouth.

Things that make her laugh: Blowing raspberries on her belly, the tickle monster, Bella, seeing you laugh, getting lots of crazy loud kisses on her cheeks and face.

All in all Ashtyn is a really happy baby, she's always a joy and brings smiles to everyone that meets her! I'm excited to see what this next month has in store.

Book Review #1

My goal for this year is to read 12 NEW books (IE: Books I have not read before.) The first book I completed was Water for Elephants. It had been recommended to me by several people, and since the movie comes out soon I wanted to see what all the hype was about. What I got was a delightful surprise.
Just by the title, and without seeing the cover I had preconceived notions, and no desire to read it. However once I heard a movie was in the works my mind changed. I am yet to see a movie as good as a book it's based on, so I wanted to prepare myself for this release with plenty of time.
The writer tells a great story, it's gritty but fabulously written. She paints a detailed picture that makes the story very vivid on every page. I also loved the ending, it really was perfect with just the right amount of detail.
The only complaint I even have is that I saw Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson as the two main characters. I must admit that they fit the roles perfectly, but I wish I could have drawn that conclusion on my own accord. I give it a 9 out of 10 and would recommend it to anyone that wants a fictional story that will allow them to escape from reality and into the circus for a little while.

**On a seperate note, if you have any recommendations please feel free to float them my way. I have a habit of reading the same books over and over again. Hence "New" books for 2011**

*S*

Cold Season

I think the shear amount of germs and "bugs" that go around this time of year is the absolute worst. I myself have started drowning my head with a Neti Pot in an attempt to catch whatever this is before it can get too bad. However, I do not have that same luxury with A, and let's face it she's in a germ pit 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.
I am religious about Saline solution, her vaporizer/ humidifier, and up until 2 days ago her aspirator (a small dog who will remain nameless *cough cough* Bill, decided it would make a fantastic snack). Besides those options, I really don't know what else to do for her besides let it run it's course. I guess this is that part they neglect to tell you when you have a baby- how very helpless you feel when there is nothing you can do except hug and hold them until it goes away. I guess some super snuggle time will be in order for both of us this weekend.

Happy Friday all!
*S*

My (2nd) first official post!

So I started this thing a couple years ago, and then neglected to actually keep up with it. Reading back on the couple other posts I wrote, they are hilarious. I like to rant about nothing I guess.
So with the addition of Miss Ashtyn I think this is a fun way to keep people posted about the happenings in our life, however big or small they may be.
2010 was such a HUGE year, and it went by so fast that it was kind of a blur. So far 2011 has started out much slower, and while that is something we aren't used to it is a welcome change. Ashtyn turned 4 months old on the 5th, and when I look at pictures I can't believe it's the same little lady we brought home in September. She is developing such a distinct personality full of gummy smiles and belly laughs. She enjoys splashing around during bath time, hugging her Wubba Nub, chewing on everything and snuggling with her mommy and daddy. She's finally getting some hair, and everyday her eyes turn a little greener. She is what wakes me up in the morning, and the last thing I see before I go to sleep. Being a parent has been an amazing ride so far, and I look forward to what's to come.

*S*