Bottles

I got a little sad this afternoon. I was looking at bottles. Ella's bottles. She hasn't used most these bottles for about two weeks.

At her last doctor visit, Ella's pediatrician said he wanted her to totally off bottles by one year. I was a bit shocked. I knew it was coming, but so soon? So, I took the challenge. I had exposed her to sippy cups from time to time, but she didn't really know how to drink from them. I figured it would take a while, so I decided to start right away (I had 3 months at this point). I tried about three different types of sippy cups, and one of them was too close to a bottle, in my opinion. One by one, each one was rejected. I got frustrated with it and stopped.

A couple of weeks later, I discovered that Ella can drink through a straw. It was very exciting and gave me the encouragement I needed. I tried all the other sippy cups again, but she would only drink from one. The one I thought was too much like a bottle because it had a soft spout. It was not shaped the same, so I decided to get her used to that one.

I started out with two sippys and two bottles a day. But the second day of that, she was taking the sippy cups with no problems, so I went cold turkey on her. There was one set back, but it only lasted three days. I had to give her a bottle at night. Now, she hasn't used a bottle in over a week.

I was sad today looking at those bottles. I was about to pack them away forever. Well, until I need to use them again. I was so sad, I couldn't even throw away the ones that are almost useless. My baby girl is almost not a baby anymore. She will be a year old next month.

Any help would be great!

If anyone knows of a part-time job or better yet a full-time position out there let me know. I am looking for a career move and a salary range of at least 40K to start with. Thank you everyone!

PS- My cell phone # if someone does not have it is: 480-292-2179

This is a good week!

Not that other weeks are not good, but this one is exceptionally good!

My brother's kids have spring break this week (they live in Southern California), so they decided to come visit! Yay! I only get to see them about 2-3 times a year, MAYBE 4, so when they come it's always a nice treat. They actually came a day earlier then I thought they would, so that makes it even better! On Friday, we are also doing a family camp out. I'm so excited! My family hasn't been on one in probably close to 10 or 15 years. I love camping, especially with family. Good thing I married into a family that does a camp out every year! My family is going to a spot just south of Globe. It's only about an hour to an hour and a half away, so that will be nice.

The other thing that makes this week so good is that Ella turned 10 months old today! Wow. She is growing up so fast! She just had another tooth cut through yesterday, and two more are coming very soon. So that makes four teeth. Two on the bottom (middle), and two on the top. She got the tooth just to the right of her middle teeth, and yesterday she got the right middle tooth. So her grin is a little crooked!

She is a speed crawler! Especially when she wants something she can't have. She pulls herself up on everything and has started to cruise along the furniture too. She's so close to just letting go and standing on her own! She has tried a couple of times, but was not ready. Hopefully she'll be walking by the time she is one, but who knows! She is very unpredictable.

I just love family! They are the most important thing to me, and they are always there for support! I love spending time with Craig and Ella, my parents and brother and sister, my parents-in-law, brothers and sisters-in-law, and nieces and nephews on both my side and Craig's side of the family! I'm so thankful for all of them!

Just Because...

I think she's so darn cute! I may be a little biased, though.

She did this herself

This is what happens when her hair gets wet

And this is what I see when I go to get her up from a nap!

Updates!

The past week and a half has been pretty busy. First off, on the 11th, we got the keys to our house we are renting! Yay! It feels so great to be on our own, in our own place! I was a slacker and didn't get any pictures of it before we moved in. I would take them now, but the house is a mess. We are still trying to organize things and put them away. When we get that done (hopefully this week), I will take pictures.

We probably would have been farther along than we are, but I just had to get sick this weekend! I think Ella gave it to me because she had a runny and stuffy nose all last week. She wasn't acting sick and she was, and still is, cutting three teeth at once, so I attributed the runny nose to that. She had her well check appointment on Thursday, and her doctor said it looked like she might have an upper respiratory infection because she had fluid in her ear, so he put her on antibiotics. Anyway, she has been fine, except for that nose. I, on the other hand, was bed-ridden. I haven't been this sick for almost two years! Well, I did get a sinus infection once while I was pregnant, but I was not stuck in bed (or the couch).

One thing that made it hard taking care of Ella, was that now she crawls! She has been SO close for a month, and then, the day before her doctor's appointment, she figured it out! Yay! Here is a video of our little 9-month old doing her thing! It's not the best video, but every time we pulled out the camera, she stopped.

I almost forgot! Ella also turned 9 months old last week! She is such a smart and funny little girl! She already knows how to get what she wants! At her appointment, she weighed 16lbs, 9oz. And she was 27.75in long. She's a little thing, but that's fine with me! She is in the 50th percentile for height, and dropped a little for weight. Her doctor didn't say exactly what it was, but last time she was in the 30th percentile, so I'm guessing she's now in the 25th.

So that's what has been going on with us! When we get the house completed, I will post pictures!

Home Sweet Home

Well, not quite yet, but we did get approved for a house! Woohoo! I'm so excited! We will probably sign the paperwork either tonight or tomorrow, and then it's moving time! I don't have pictures now, but maybe I can get them off the listing. We'll see. If not, I will post some when it's ours!

A Season of Changes

I know it's not officially spring yet, but it's finally gotten warm (I hate cold weather and being cold) and it feels like spring! Spring is my favorite season. I love seeing all the plants and trees start to blossom out and it also the greenest time of the year. To me, the air feels fresh and new, and it has a certain smell to it that I absolutely love. I can't describe it other than, well, fresh and new. I may sound crazy, but I don't care. It makes me very happy.

The weather is not the only thing changing that I'm excited about! We got a good amount of tax returns (thank you, Ella!), so we were able to pay off several small debts and a couple of credit cards. And, last night, Craig got a second job! It will work very well for our family schedule-wise.

Some of may know that Craig has been looking for a better paying job for just about a year with no luck. Recently, we decided that a second job would be better than nothing, because he does have a job, but it just doesn't pay enough. We have been staying with my parents for the past two and a half months because of this. Now that he has a second job and we were able to pay off those debts, we are now in the situation to be able to move out on our own!

We have been praying hard and fasting every Fast Sunday for a new job. It has been very trying on my faith, but I was determined to keep strong and not let it falter. He will still be looking for a new full time job, but another good thing about his new job is that there is potential for him to go full time and have a good income.

Now, it's time to look for a house to rent! We were wanting to buy, but it's very hard to get a loan and we most likely won't qualify. At least we are able to get out on our own! I feel like a newlywed all over again! I've never had the chance during our almost two years of marriage to be able to decorate a house how I want. We've never had a place of our own to live in. I'm so excited! I will definitely update when we find a house!