I was so SO excited for my time off (from December 22 - January 3). I couldn't WAIT for it to get here. And now that I've been off for a week I am bored out of my mind. Don't get me wrong - I had a great Christmas and am enjoying the time with my husband and my daughter. BUT - there is only so much I can do to occupy myself at home. When I haven't been playing with (and taking care of) Cassidy I've watched a lot of bad TV and spent way too much time surfing the 'net. We don't have money, so that limits my options, but I'm ok with that - its not that I need to spend money to have fun, its just that having money would give me other options (like going to the movies, or buying a new book).
I'd say I need a hobby, but most of the time I don't have the time or energy for a hobby.
This all just reinforces my belief that I am not meant to be a stay at home mom. At all.
Ugh.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas
So . . . it's been a whole month since my last post. A combination of not having Internet access at home for over a week, and therefor getting out of the habit of posting and the craziness of the holiday season.
Lots has happened, most of it good.
Cassidy has been learning new things like crazy.
- pulls herself up to standing
-walks around the interior of her playpen and holding onto someones fingers
- claps
-nods her head (sometimes it seems like she's saying "yes" but mostly I think she just thinks its funny)
-crawls everywhere
-eating all kids of "big people" foods
-makes kissing sounds with her tongue
She has also developed an obsession with penguins. I've never seen her get excited about anything as much as she does penguins (except for maybe her aunt Bre).
She's growing so fast and so much! My little TINY baby who swam in her newborn clothes and wore her 0-3 month clothes until she was almost 6 months is now 8 1/2 months and wearing size 12 month clothes. She's also becoming really playful and talkative.
Speaking of talkative . . .
Last night we went to church for Christmas Eve. My church does two services on Christmas Eve - the first of which is child and family centered. I've always enjoyed it and last night I was really excited to see how many children were there.
BUT . . . despite the family oriented atmosphere, not everyone was tolerant of the children in attendance.
Cassidy was very talkative during the service and on a number of occasions I caught the eyes of people who were turning to glare at me in a "would you shut that kid up?" kind of way. (Of course, many of them then realized that I was the pastors daughter and therefor Cassidy was his granddaughter and then quickly changed their tune).
But the point is - she wasn't crying and she wasn't being disruptive. She was just . . . . talking. People seemed to think that I needed to remove her from the service. I think that's ridiculous. I've never felt that way about other people's kids and I definitely don't feel that way about my own.
Now I'm not saying that everyone was like that - there were a great many people who said how nice it was to see/hear us and all that.
I guess I shouldn't let the other people get to me, but sometimes all it takes it is one bad apple to ruin an experience.
Christmas today was really great though (despite all the garbage from the night before). My awesome husband got me a Flip Video so now I can record Cassidy's milestones. She was really hyped up and excitable all day - even if she didn't really get the whole present thing. We've spent the day with my family just hanging out, eating, and playing games. Tonight - football.
Merry Christmas everyone!!!
Lots has happened, most of it good.
Cassidy has been learning new things like crazy.
- pulls herself up to standing
-walks around the interior of her playpen and holding onto someones fingers
- claps
-nods her head (sometimes it seems like she's saying "yes" but mostly I think she just thinks its funny)
-crawls everywhere
-eating all kids of "big people" foods
-makes kissing sounds with her tongue
She has also developed an obsession with penguins. I've never seen her get excited about anything as much as she does penguins (except for maybe her aunt Bre).
She's growing so fast and so much! My little TINY baby who swam in her newborn clothes and wore her 0-3 month clothes until she was almost 6 months is now 8 1/2 months and wearing size 12 month clothes. She's also becoming really playful and talkative.
Speaking of talkative . . .
Last night we went to church for Christmas Eve. My church does two services on Christmas Eve - the first of which is child and family centered. I've always enjoyed it and last night I was really excited to see how many children were there.
BUT . . . despite the family oriented atmosphere, not everyone was tolerant of the children in attendance.
Cassidy was very talkative during the service and on a number of occasions I caught the eyes of people who were turning to glare at me in a "would you shut that kid up?" kind of way. (Of course, many of them then realized that I was the pastors daughter and therefor Cassidy was his granddaughter and then quickly changed their tune).
But the point is - she wasn't crying and she wasn't being disruptive. She was just . . . . talking. People seemed to think that I needed to remove her from the service. I think that's ridiculous. I've never felt that way about other people's kids and I definitely don't feel that way about my own.
Now I'm not saying that everyone was like that - there were a great many people who said how nice it was to see/hear us and all that.
I guess I shouldn't let the other people get to me, but sometimes all it takes it is one bad apple to ruin an experience.
Christmas today was really great though (despite all the garbage from the night before). My awesome husband got me a Flip Video so now I can record Cassidy's milestones. She was really hyped up and excitable all day - even if she didn't really get the whole present thing. We've spent the day with my family just hanging out, eating, and playing games. Tonight - football.
Merry Christmas everyone!!!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thinking Thankful
Today was a great day. I'm not one that usually gets all excited about Thanksgiving, but I do really enjoy getting together with my family and today was no exception. We had good food (ok great food) - I made a pumpkin pie from scratch for the first time and it totally rocked! And we had a lot of fun playing Wii and Blitz (a card game similar to BlackJack for those of you not in the know).
Even though I'm not a big Thanksgiving enthusist I thought I'd mention a few things I'm thankful for.
*I have an amazing husband who loves, respects, and supports me.
*I have a wonderful daughter who completely lights up my life.
*I have an amazing family that I love dearly and that I know will be there whether we're laughing or crying.
*I have 2 jobs that I enjoy - even though I wish I made more money.
*I have a place to call home
*I have a few select people that I can call friend
*I have my health (I know a lot of people say that - but I haven't always been healthy)
*I have everything I need and then some.
Its harder than I thought to make a list of things I'm thankful for. I realized though, that this isn't because I'm not thankful, but because I'm happy and so I don't need to put things on a list - cause its pretty much all gonna be there.
So . . . Thanks!
Even though I'm not a big Thanksgiving enthusist I thought I'd mention a few things I'm thankful for.
*I have an amazing husband who loves, respects, and supports me.
*I have a wonderful daughter who completely lights up my life.
*I have an amazing family that I love dearly and that I know will be there whether we're laughing or crying.
*I have 2 jobs that I enjoy - even though I wish I made more money.
*I have a place to call home
*I have a few select people that I can call friend
*I have my health (I know a lot of people say that - but I haven't always been healthy)
*I have everything I need and then some.
Its harder than I thought to make a list of things I'm thankful for. I realized though, that this isn't because I'm not thankful, but because I'm happy and so I don't need to put things on a list - cause its pretty much all gonna be there.
So . . . Thanks!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
New mom/life struggle
One of the hardest things for me as a person has always been keeping my house/apartment (hell - my bedroom when I was a teenager) clean. I'm a slob. And for the most part I've always been comfortable with it. Colin is also a slob - although slightly less comfortable with it (he gets embarrassed and frustrated by it - though never changes his ways). To be honest though, I'm definitely a bigger slob. And again - I've never really cared.
However - we now have a 7month old baby who is starting to crawl. So being a slob - not such a comfortable thing anymore. I get frustrated with myself because I can't/don't keep my house clean and that is not a good thing for my baby. I have lots of friends who say its so easy and that I just have to set my mind to it. But they're all neat freaks. No offense meant! I don't have a clue how to break a habit that I've had all my life.
It's not like I grew up in a dirty house - my parents are neat and organized and keep things clean. And its not like I never cleaned before. Every couple of months we would buckle down and scrub the house from top to bottom.
I don't even mind cleaning - though its not on my list of favorite ways to spend the weekend.
I think the biggest problem is the clutter. I don't put stuff away. Ever. And when we added the baby we tripled the clutter in an already crowded and tiny apartment.
So now I have to figure out how to change this part of my life because I want my daughter to grow up in a house that is not a cluttered mess.
Grrrgh.
On a happier note - Cassidy made her first forward motion crawling yesterday. We're still mostly scooting backward - but its a start!
However - we now have a 7month old baby who is starting to crawl. So being a slob - not such a comfortable thing anymore. I get frustrated with myself because I can't/don't keep my house clean and that is not a good thing for my baby. I have lots of friends who say its so easy and that I just have to set my mind to it. But they're all neat freaks. No offense meant! I don't have a clue how to break a habit that I've had all my life.
It's not like I grew up in a dirty house - my parents are neat and organized and keep things clean. And its not like I never cleaned before. Every couple of months we would buckle down and scrub the house from top to bottom.
I don't even mind cleaning - though its not on my list of favorite ways to spend the weekend.
I think the biggest problem is the clutter. I don't put stuff away. Ever. And when we added the baby we tripled the clutter in an already crowded and tiny apartment.
So now I have to figure out how to change this part of my life because I want my daughter to grow up in a house that is not a cluttered mess.
Grrrgh.
On a happier note - Cassidy made her first forward motion crawling yesterday. We're still mostly scooting backward - but its a start!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Rough days and sleepless nights
So I started this blog then I have hardly written in it. I must apologize. This past week was the worst one I've had since I started working for Head Start. I can't/won't go into detail - but I will say this: Teachers out there: when you have a year that's THIS BAD - its not the kids, its not the curriculum, its not the supervisors, its YOU!
OK I'm done.
On top of a rough night Cassidy has had several rough nights in a row. She's only been sleeping for 30 - 45 minute intervals. It sucks.
So when I get some sleep and when I can put coherent thoughts together I will be back.
If I'm not back before then - Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Rebecca
OK I'm done.
On top of a rough night Cassidy has had several rough nights in a row. She's only been sleeping for 30 - 45 minute intervals. It sucks.
So when I get some sleep and when I can put coherent thoughts together I will be back.
If I'm not back before then - Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Rebecca
Friday, November 12, 2010
Working Mom
So today was my own personal Take Your Daughter to Work day.
I was supposed to have yesterday off for Veterans Day - but due to scheduling things I ended up working. So my supervisor let me work a short day today. So I took Cassidy with me. We had a blast and she was totally the hit of the office. She was REALLY well behaved and I actually got everything done that I needed to get done today. I'm very fortunate to have such a well behaved baby. I wouldn't take her every day though!
On the subject of work. . . .
I'm a working mom - and I'm OK with that. I love my daughter and I love spending time with her- but I would be a horrible stay at home mom. I think that its great when mom's can stay at home to raise their kids. For most of my memory my mom either worked at home or was home when we got home from school. It's just not me! And I'm tired of being made to feel guilty about it!
We are very fortunate that my husband (Colin) and I have different schedules and he is home with her for the majority of the day and I get the evenings. With my parents so close she stays with them for the 2 hours of overlap that we have 4 days a week. He's a great stay at home dad and he really enjoys it.
And still - despite the fact that it is 2010 and many many women work outside the there are those who are surprised and even critical of the fact that I work! (Note: my husband and family are supportive and I appreciate that)
Point in case: Recently I met a couple of other moms in a playroom at RMH with their kids. Conversation ensued and I was enjoying it at first - until I made a comment about something that happened at work. And both women stopped what they were doing and looked at me totally aghast. One of them said "You work?" with a tone that set me aback. I explained that my husband stayed home and I worked and they seemed shocked that I would work when one of us doesn't have to (they didn't seem to realize that we BOTH work) The conversation suddenly took a turn and the new topic: How important it is for a MOM to stay home with their children.
Cassidy and I left the playroom. I was really angry - and it still burns. How does me working mean I love my child any less? (Answer - it doesn't!)
I was supposed to have yesterday off for Veterans Day - but due to scheduling things I ended up working. So my supervisor let me work a short day today. So I took Cassidy with me. We had a blast and she was totally the hit of the office. She was REALLY well behaved and I actually got everything done that I needed to get done today. I'm very fortunate to have such a well behaved baby. I wouldn't take her every day though!
On the subject of work. . . .
I'm a working mom - and I'm OK with that. I love my daughter and I love spending time with her- but I would be a horrible stay at home mom. I think that its great when mom's can stay at home to raise their kids. For most of my memory my mom either worked at home or was home when we got home from school. It's just not me! And I'm tired of being made to feel guilty about it!
We are very fortunate that my husband (Colin) and I have different schedules and he is home with her for the majority of the day and I get the evenings. With my parents so close she stays with them for the 2 hours of overlap that we have 4 days a week. He's a great stay at home dad and he really enjoys it.
And still - despite the fact that it is 2010 and many many women work outside the there are those who are surprised and even critical of the fact that I work! (Note: my husband and family are supportive and I appreciate that)
Point in case: Recently I met a couple of other moms in a playroom at RMH with their kids. Conversation ensued and I was enjoying it at first - until I made a comment about something that happened at work. And both women stopped what they were doing and looked at me totally aghast. One of them said "You work?" with a tone that set me aback. I explained that my husband stayed home and I worked and they seemed shocked that I would work when one of us doesn't have to (they didn't seem to realize that we BOTH work) The conversation suddenly took a turn and the new topic: How important it is for a MOM to stay home with their children.
Cassidy and I left the playroom. I was really angry - and it still burns. How does me working mean I love my child any less? (Answer - it doesn't!)
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
First things first
My first blog.
I'm not entirely sure how I fell about that. This blog has many purposes. First - we have friend's and family all
over the world and I am not good about keeping in touch with people AT ALL. So with a 7 month old baby who is growing and changing all the time it seemed like a good way to let them all know what's up with our lives. Second - I work two jobs and have a seven month old baby. With my husband (Colin) and I working opposite schedules I don't get a lot of opportunity to have adult conversation that doesn't revolve around the needs of kids. So I'm looking to the net . . . I guess we'll see how it goes!
Since we're just getting started together here are some interesting or maybe some not so interesting, facts about me and my family:
♥ Colin and I have been together for 3 years and 8(ish) months
♥ We met at work and knew each other a little less than two months before I talked him into going out with me.
♥ After 2 and a half months we moved in together – got engaged after a little over a year, and got married on our two year anniversary.
♥ We were told to expect to have trouble getting pregnant so we decided to try earlier – and bam! We got pregnant ON THE FIRST TRY! After four months of marriage we were moving from a couple to a family!
♥ We love to travel – we’ve taken a few trips to Texas, gone to Niagra Falls, Washington DC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Ireland
♥ We have a somewhat reversal of the traditional roles in our house. Colin stays home during the day with Cassidy while I work then works part time in the evening. He also does the majority of the cooking and cleaning and I pay the bills and take care of the car. It works for us.
I'm not entirely sure how I fell about that. This blog has many purposes. First - we have friend's and family all
over the world and I am not good about keeping in touch with people AT ALL. So with a 7 month old baby who is growing and changing all the time it seemed like a good way to let them all know what's up with our lives. Second - I work two jobs and have a seven month old baby. With my husband (Colin) and I working opposite schedules I don't get a lot of opportunity to have adult conversation that doesn't revolve around the needs of kids. So I'm looking to the net . . . I guess we'll see how it goes!
Since we're just getting started together here are some interesting or maybe some not so interesting, facts about me and my family:
♥ Our names are Colin Bryant Lee Powell (35), Rebecca Lynn Kratz Powell (26), and Cassidy Brenna Powell (7 months)
♥ Colin and I have been together for 3 years and 8(ish) months
♥ We met at work and knew each other a little less than two months before I talked him into going out with me.
♥ After 2 and a half months we moved in together – got engaged after a little over a year, and got married on our two year anniversary.
♥ We were told to expect to have trouble getting pregnant so we decided to try earlier – and bam! We got pregnant ON THE FIRST TRY! After four months of marriage we were moving from a couple to a family!
♥ We love to travel – we’ve taken a few trips to Texas, gone to Niagra Falls, Washington DC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Ireland
♥ We have a somewhat reversal of the traditional roles in our house. Colin stays home during the day with Cassidy while I work then works part time in the evening. He also does the majority of the cooking and cleaning and I pay the bills and take care of the car. It works for us.
♥ I love my life. There are things I’d change but I’m pretty okay with the way things are. So this blog will be about all that. The ups, downs and everything in between!
Going . . . going . . . . gone . . . .
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