New Change

This post is mostly because I am sitting here pretty extremely bored and I have no desire to do ANYTHING but sit on the computer and do something other than clean, cook, take care of the kid (okay he's actually sleeping at the present moment) etc. I am so ready for winter to be over! I'm seriously feeling the cabin fever today.

But in actuality we do have some pretty exciting news! We are moving back to Montana. Billings to be exact. Hubs got a job with the Department of Transportation as a Safety Consultant. I think it's going to be much more up his alley and I think he is going to enjoy it a lot more than what he's doing now. He doesn't have to deal with Worker's Comp, Security and Environmental. Just purely safety. And it was a little jump in pay, so that will help cover additional expenses that we will be adding. Rent for example. What a big fat pain in the ass. We were so spoiled by not having to pay rent. I knew that, but until you actually have to dish out the money for rent, you just really don't realize how nice it is to not have to. And we had decided that we really needed things like a yard, a storage shed or garage and we were really hoping to find something with 3 bedrooms, that way we could have guests. As it turns out, Billings is NOT pet friendly (okay correction, dog friendly) and we were having a hell of a time finding something that would allow a dog. And anytime we did find something, it was for a dog 30 lbs or less, aka a rat dog, so not even a real dog. But we did finally find something that suited our needs. It was a little more than we wanted to spend, but with everything it included (yard, garage, washer, dryer, dishwasher, 3 bedrooms) it was actually a pretty good deal. Many houses that had equal amenities were a lot more. And the great thing is that it is only 2 miles from hubs' work. So not too much of a commute thankfully. Because of that, we will hopefully be able to get by with one vehicle for a while.

I am excited for this new move, but I am really sad to be leaving the Grand Tetons. There's just nothing else like this place. Not many people can say they live so close to something so beautiful. I will miss the mountains like crazy. And we have made some great friends here. So much has happened while we have lived here. This was where Jack was born. It is always going to be a special place for us.

It is going to be nice to be close to things too. I am definitely feeling like this week would be a good week to go do something with Jack. Anything really. We could go walk around the mall or go to the library or go workout at the YMCA (they have a daycare center). There are just so many more options for us. I'm also considering looking at a part time job. Now that Jack is a little older, I feel like it would be a little easier to work a little here and there. I really would want to find someone that I can trust though. I'm so wary of leaving him with someone, especially with him being little and not able to tell me if the person he's with is crazy or something. But I feel like if we can really interview the person and get a good vibe from them, it will be a good indication. I just think it would be good for both of us to be with some other people a few times a week. And maybe I could find a job that actually pays decent that it would add a little extra spending money to the budget.

Only time will tell. I am excited about this change. And nervous. It's always nerve racking when you are moving to a new place. I think we will make friends fairly quickly though. I've already joined a mommies group on Facebook, so I don't think it will be hard to find other people who are in the same place we are. That's the nice thing about moving to a city with 150,000 people. There are bound to be other like minded people. Only about a week and half left till we take off!

What's Going To Happen

Well here we are again...at a crossroads of where we will be in the next few months. Hubs is getting tired of his job and is ready for something new. I don't blame him either simply because it sounds like his new/temporary boss is being kind of a douche. I think there is too much gray area with the company when it comes to safety. They want people to be safe and not get hurt, but they don't want to discipline those who aren't. And when someone gets hurt, hubs is to blame, all because people are too damn stupid to be safe. 'eyeball roll'

So we've started looking at other opportunities. There's a job that's open about an hour and a half from our hometown that's kind of a long shot but would be AWESOME. I would be so happy to be that close to our family. It would be an offer that would be really hard to refuse, even if it ended up being a pay cut. Being that close to home would be worth it!

And there's another job...it Utica, Illinois, 1800 miles from our hometown. We have a friend that works for a company there and so we checked it out and they need a health and safety guy. I'm not sure how likely the chances of getting it are but if it were to happen...gosh I'd be scared shitless to go. It's soooo far away! And the only people we know are our friends and they'd be an hour away anyway. I think if it was just hubs and me, I'd be a lot more excited, but with Jack, it freaks me out. If it were just us, I'd get a job too and have more opportunities to meet people and get out there. I'm scared that it will be hard to find friends and feel happy. I'm scared I'll be lonely if we go there. And just the unknown is terrifying. 

But I'm not going to be narrow minded and refuse it just because it's scary. God has a purpose and a plan for everything and if this ends up being what he wants then so be it. We'd be close to Chicago, which would be kind of cool maybe. We also wouldn't have to stay there forever either. But I feel like I've been far from home for a while already that I'd really like to get closer rather than farther..much farther.

Wherever we go I would like it to be near a town where we can be closer to a church, or a grocery store, or a gym. I'm definitely over being an hour away from anything. Only time will tell. Where will we be in six months...

Losing Touch

This past weekend my little family and I went to Bozeman for a good friend's wedding. The trip was exhausting but overall went perty darn good for taking along a two-month old. He did great on the way there, but the trip home was a little more challenging. He cried more and was just over the car seat and being in the car overall. I couldn't believe how much crap we had to bring! I did discover that bringing cloth diapers on a trip is just a bad idea. Way too difficult and STINKY! Next time we take a trip we are def doing sposies!

I enjoyed the trip and was really happy to get away, but I don't know...I was a little perturbed at how my friend was. He was a close friend in college and he was an usher at my wedding. When we first were getting to know each other, I had a little crush on him. That didn't last too long though because he's just kind of an idiot and he drove me crazy because he's somewhat thoughtless at times. This weekend was a good reminder of that. I don't know...I realize that it was a busy day for him and hectic and he had a lot of people to see and talk to but it took him most of the night to come say hi to us and it was us who sought him out. I was hoping to see him before the wedding to say hi and wish him luck . Well I found him in a back room waiting and when I looked in, he was on the phone giving directions to someone. He waved at me and I thought he might come out when he got off...nope! Like I said, I realize it was hectic for him and he had a million other things on his mind. But we had drove quite a ways and I would have liked him to at least come say hi...

We finally did talk to him after the wedding, and after dinner was served and he was running around moving tables and chairs inside because the weather had blown in. And even when we did talk to him, it felt weird. Like we weren't good friends and we only knew each other way back when. 

If I had to do all over again, I'm not sure I would bother. He did text me after and said thanks for coming, which was nice, but it was just disappointing. It wasn't like it was just hubs and me. I was also hoping there might have been some other people from college that would be good to see, but there was no one. We didn't know anyone else, which really can make a wedding kinda lame. 

The nice part was that we got to sis hubs ' sister and she volunteered to babysit for a couple hours so we could have a little break. That right there was almost worth the whole trip itself. We went and got a drink and some food (we had to rush through dinner at the wedding to avoid getting blown away) and just enjoyed some alone time. I also got to do some shopping at Target and Walmart and we got to go to Cosco for the first time (that was fun!) so it wasn't a complete waste. And we had breakfast with SIL and my maid of honour. That was another thing! I cannot believe how shallow she has become. She was always a little silly and not very mature (and very vain!) but it has gotten bad! At one point she told us that our baby needed to tan! I know she was joking, but I mean really? I found that I had nothing to talk about with her. Honestly very little has changed in her life. She recently had to move back to Montana because she moved to Florida and couldn't cut it apparently. And now she works at Target again/still and lives with her mom. And she must not have been very interested in my life either because she didn't ask me anything. Not about Jack, how it was going being home with him, how the birth was, how pregnancy was, nothing! 'sigh' I guess distance just doesn't always do so well for all friends. She and I used to be able to go months without talking and be able to pick up like it was nothing. Not anymore I guess. 

Well on a better friend note, one of my besties who I have stayed in touch with quite well over the years told me she's expecting again! And I am so happy for her! She also told me that she had a miscarriage around the time Jack was born. She didn't want to say anything because I was busy with him, but I feel bad that she didn't. I can't imagine how hard it was for her and I wish I could've been there for her. 

Wouldn't it just be perfect if you could live near every single person that you care about and love so that you never lose touch and your friends and family are with you at any moment? That's what I think Heaven is like...

First Big Trip

Tomorrow the hubs, the babe and are all headed to Bozeman for a wedding. It's about a five hour trip from our house and it's going to be interesting. We are going to spend the night but it will be a long couple days for Jack. I admit that I'm feeling a little nervous about it. We are leaving early so that hopefully he'll sleep as long as possible in the car, but he gets tired of being in the car seat pretty quickly. I guess it's good preparation for for when we drive home in October, which is about a eight hour drive on a good day. It's amazing how much a baby changes pretty much every aspect of your life! Before Jack, this little trip would have been no problem. Now it's quite a different story. I wouldn't change it for anything. I love being a mom and I'm excited to show our little guy off, but it just totally changes every part of your life. We asked Chris' sister to babysit while we go to the reception, but I'm just worried he's going to be cranky and just difficult for her to deal with. And I am hoping to get some time to shop a little. I haven't been to Target in forever so I'm crossing my fingers that I will be able to get away for a bit. 'Sigh' It's just going to be a wait-and-see thing. 

And now I've got to pack for this little trip, which also is another life changer after a baby! It's 3:00 and I haven't even pulled a bag out yet...mostly because my guy sleeps a lot and sleeps best if he sleeps on me. And we all want him sleeping! He has been soooo happy this week because he's been sleeping so good! The only bad thing about that though is that I cannot get anything done! Even if I use the carrier, he doesn't sleep as well and I can only do so much. But it's really okay. I know it won't last forever and it will be over before I know it. So I'm going to just enjoy it while I can. I cherish the baby cuddles. So I'll just wait for hubs to get home and pack then...

Cloth Diapering 101

When I first started cloth diapering, I was having a heck of a time figuring out what was what. So I found this video SUPER helpful!

I bought basic pocket diapers off of eBay. I found some for about $5 each. No way was I going to pay $15+ per diaper. Even though they are still cheaper than buying sposies in the long run, it's a HUGE initial investment.

I also have been doing cloth wipes. It's just easier than having cloth diapers and paper wipes. I can just throw both the wipes and diapers into the wash. I just got some of those microfiber auto wipes and cut them in half. I ordered like a 24 pack and really I have way too many. I just have them folded up and I spray them with a simple cleaning solution. A lot of other people go all out with tea tree oil or lavender or whatever.

Mine is simply:
1 part baby wash (I use the Johnson and Johnson all-in-one)
1 part baby oil
2 parts water

I originally was just keeping the wipes wet with just water, but I found that the wipes started to smell of mildew (even though I alternated every couple days) and they didn't slide or clean his bottom like the solution does. Some people keep the wipes in a small container soaked in the solution or they dip it in a container with the solution. I just spray the wipe with the solution. That way I don't waste it and we don't have to worry about it starting to mold.

I'm so glad cloth diapering has come back and has become so much easier than it was when my mom had me. With the pocket diapers, there's no folding and worrying about pins or ties. And no more of those plastic covers that were ugly. The diapers I have come in cute prints and are just so easy. And we are saving SOOO much money by doing it. I'm definitely sold on them!

Eight Weeks

Well my last post was a little cut off. I started it a while ago and got almost totally done with it, and then when I went to post it, my internet had timed out and I lost most of it. So I just went ahead and posted what I had and thought I’d add more on this one. 

It has now been eight weeks since little Jack was born. I can't believe it. He'll be two months old on Thursday! Wowzas...time really is flying by. Well when I look at it overall it seems like it is flying. Some days can seem longer if I’m kind of bored and don’t have a lot to do around the house. I do really enjoy staying home with Jack. Just knowing that he is being well cared for and I don’t have to worry about someone neglecting him is a huge relief. If I was to go back to work before he’s in school, I wouldn’t really want to leave him with anyone but family or close friends.

I think the first month was definitely the hardest to get through. Just figuring out his personality and what things soothed him best took some time. Being a parent is definitely something that requires on the job training. No matter how many books you read, it’s never going to prepare you as much as actually doing it. But honestly I feel like we are doing a pretty darn good job. I love being a mommy so much. I like that I’m doing something that is worth more than just a paycheck. And honestly we haven’t noticed much of a difference as far as money. Yes I’m not bringing home a paycheck and we’re not able to put as much into savings, but we are still knocking out our student debt super fast.

Now that we have Jack, we are kind of anxious to get moved closer to home. It’s hard to not be close to family. We really would just be so grateful for a job that is near home, preferably one that is as sweet of a deal as this one. But of course that may be hard to find…maybe even impossible. If we could at least get all of our student debt paid off and have that taken care of then we would be a little more free to move on to something else. But dh is getting tired of this job and I don’t really blame him. There’s a lot of stupid politics that go on here and it can get old. I know that I’ll be ready to move on whenever God sees fit to move us. I would personally just like to be closer to a town and a church and just civilization in general. But I know that when we are meant to move on, it will happen and it will be in God’s time, not ours.

So for now we will just wait and be content with what we have been blessed with.

Five Weeks Old

Well it has been five weeks since baby Jack arrived. I can hardly believe he's already five weeks. In a week, we'll be at six weeks, which as I've been told is the hardest to get through. Obviously I can't say for sure from personal experience just yet, but I think I probably agree with it. Actually I think it's the first four weeks or month that's the hardest. I feel like we have finally figured out what his various cries mean and how to soothe him best. We've also kind of got into a small semblance of a routine. It's nothing we've done to get him into a routine, he has just kind of made one for himself. I don't believe in feeding my baby according to the clock, and not when he wants. Not only does that inhibit his growth and faith in us to take care of him when he needs it, but I don't think we could stay sane! If he's crying, we check his diaper or I try feeding him, even if he ate five minutes before, simply because it keeps him from crying. We can only take it so long.

We did learn in the first two weeks that he gets VERY bad gas sometimes. The two nights after my in laws left were the hardest we have had so far. He literally screamed from around 6:00PM to 1:00AM both nights (the second night it was until 2AM) and no matter what we did, nothing helped console him. We figured out that it was something I had eaten that upset his tummy. A friend of ours brought us some chicken that had a little spice on it. I ate it without a thought and later that night as dh was holding him, Jack burped and dh said it smelled spicy. So we are pretty sure that was what was the matter. He was much better the next day, which made us believe all the more that that was the problem. I've had to cut dairy out of my diet, which really kind of sucks. It's amazing how many meals include cheese or milk! But I'd rather not eat dairy and have my baby be happy and feel good than the alternative. We've also started giving him baby probiotics and it seems to have helped him overall. But for the times that I slip up and eat something that doesn't agree with him too well, there's Gripe Water. I tell you what, it's a magic potion! I don't know how parents would ever go without it. I know that it will be included in all my future baby gifts. We give it to him and his happy again within 5-10 minutes and he sleeps if he's tired.