Music Helps Cure Everything

Lately, I feel like I've been stuck in my own spiral downward.  I see it happening and as much as I try and stay positive, when the girls' are asleep and the house is quiet it just takes over.  The Hubs new job didn't work out, so we are back to square zero, yes I meant zero and not one like the saying.  Honestly, I know that things need to change and something work out for once, it's just frustrating, tiring, and makes me feel crappy.

Our families have been amazing and supportive through it all.  I'm so glad our parents there for anything that we need mentally/physically.  As I get older I realize how lucky we are.

When we got home tonight from a family picnic I turned on the tv and flipped on a concert special by Jason Mraz.  And suddenly as I was listening to his lyrics, it came flooding back how music gives us hope even during some of the darkest times.  I had shut this part of me off without even realizing it and now I just want to rummage through to find the artists who speak to my soul and help uplift.

One of my favorites is Sara Bareilles and thought I'd share her latest single - super catchy!

Happy 4 Months Avalynn!

Baby Girl,

Wow - I can't believe another month has flown by.  Feels like this past month has been slow and fast all at the same time.  You, my beautiful little girl have given me a challenge or two in the past few weeks.  You do not like to go down for your naps, which makes a very overtired baby who just yells and screams and takes Mommy & Daddy hours to get you to sleep.  The vacuum seems to make you stop crying, so on one really bad day I would just have it running beside your swing.  We'll have a good week and then a bad week with your naps.  I "think", ahem *hope* and *pray*, that we have it figured out,  with a routine for you and what works the best.  You are becoming a belly sleeper which scares the crap-o-la out of me, but we have a monitor the ticks with your breaths so this gives me peace of mind.  You still aren't sleeping through the night, some nights you get up once and others twice, there is no telling why it's one way or the other.

You are rolling over like a champ from your belly to your back.  And from your back you can roll to your side and almost all the way to your belly, minus getting that inner arm out from under you.  You have really started using your legs and are kicking like crazy.  You still LOVE chomping away on your fingers and hands.  Your whole face and shirts get soaked from all of the slobber you create.  It's very cute though.  You have started grabbing your feet, so I have a feeling it'll be no time at all until they start making their way to your mouth also.

Unfortunately,  this week we've decided we had to stop cloth diapering you as for the past two months you get a rash whenever we try.  I've scoured the internet and cloth diapering boards for some advice and have tried different things but to no avail none of it seems to be working.  This really saddens me.

Happy 4 Months Baby Girl - you brighten every day for us!

Foto Friday

Little One stayed over at her Great Grandparents one night this week so it was just Baby Girl and me.  Had some fun taking pictures of her goofy expressions.

A Smile to Brighten

even the darkest days.  The past two weeks have been somewhat bleak around here.  But these two little girls' are what brighten our days and push us through knowing we can overcome these obstacles.

A Whirlwind of

new beginnings in the "R" household.  Two weeks ago, on a whim the Hubs sent an email to a local motorcycle shop, he was browsing their website & saw they were hiring.  As I've said in the past year, it's been tough - he's only worked about 4 months in the past year.  He's a carpenter for the Local Union, had gone to trade school in high school for it, completed the program through the union, it's all he's ever known how to do.  So, this is a complete 180 from what he's done, but something he's interested in.

The sales manager at the shop used to work in the same union and got out for the same reasons.  The owner and him liked the Hubs and within 4 days of the email being sent they hired him.  So far, the Hubs really likes it and the interaction with people.  After 2 days they sent him for his sales license.  Needless to say it's been a huge adjustment around here.  The days are Tuesday - Saturday & the hours are open to close, plus 30 mins prior to opening and after closing.

Last week was rough, as I've gotten used to him being around to help with the girls' and we've entered into the sleep strike of hell with Avalynn the last two weeks.   Anyways, I'm getting over the overwhelmed phase and the girls' and me are getting into a groove.

'Cause if she wanna rock, she rock,

if she wanna roll, she rolls.  When trying to title this post Eric Hutchinson's Rock & Roll song popped in my head.  It's catchy, although the rest of the song doesn't apply really, but it's an up beat song.

Anyways, on to the exciting news.  Friday night we got home from running errands and I put Baby Girl on her tummy since she hadn't had any tummy time yet that day and right away she rolled over.  Unfortunately, the Hubs didn't get to see it as he was out watering the plants.  Saturday morning we decided to lay her down and see if she'd do it again and she did it 4x's!  I wasn't totally ready for this, it's like in the past week she's completely changed.  When laying on her back she rolls to her side, she loves laying like this.  And she now kicks her legs and hips up and basically moves her body in circles around the blanket on the floor.  I remember the first time, all of a sudden she was the opposite direction I had laid her down.

Amazing how fast time goes when you have kids, and I feel like it's going by even faster with her for some reason.  This is me digging my heals in and trying to get time to slow down some.