(fill in the blank). It's what's for dinner.

The dishes are done. kinda. The laundry is done. halfway. Dahlia is asleep. for now. I am am finally blogging.

It's been a long time. And domestic issues are weighing on my mind. We try real hard to not live in a pigsty around here, but cleaning does take a back burner. The real problem I am having is what to cook for dinner. I know, I know. "Your husband is a chef!" The last thing that a chef wants to do is wrangle up an impromptu meal at 11 o'clock every night after cooking and cleaning for 12-13 hours every day.

So, I try to cook. TRY. It is so hard to cook at a hot stove with a 10 month old on your hip. After all day away from each other, Dahlia just doesn't want to be left in her playpen or in the highchair for long. I have 20 minutes, tops, to do it all.

Here is where you come in. Leave a comment with your favorite fast and easy dinner idea. Help a mama out:)

Love,
Brandi

Mornin' Sunshine

If you know me, you know I am not a morning person. Unless you were a lady chieftain and I was busting in the door, hollering, "MORNIN'!" just to rile you up. I used pull the curtains tight and slumber until well past noon.

I love my sleep and I thought that the early mornings would be my least favorite part of mommyhood. I am learning that many of the things I thought I knew about being a parent are wrong.

I just adore waking up to that sleepy, smiley, cooing face. We co-sleep, and I can't get enough of being snuggled up to Dahlia. She is such a little morning person. She pops right up and goes flopping all over the bed. Rolling around and falling over in a sleepy silly bundle. Yaya and I have decided she got that from Daddy since Jeremiah and I are notorious for late nights and wasted weekend sunshine.

Did you have a similar perspective change after having kids?

Love,
Brandi

I lost my Orange. Do you have it?

I see your true colors shining through. I see your true colors, and that's why I love you.

I am blue. Or so I thought. When you take the True Colors personality assessment, you can be either Blue (Emotional), Gold (Organized), Orange (Spontaneous), or Green (Rational). 

In the past I have taken it and have always, ALWAYS, been SUPER BLUE, with a little gold and orange thrown in as my second/third place colors. This year I got a shock. My primary color was tied. BLUE/GOLD???!!!! 

I have always been a little gold, and I have to admit, I love my lists. I never in a bagillionty years thought my blue-ness could ever be matched by gold. 

Yesterday at Sonic I asked Jeremiah if he had noticed a change. He asked me if gold people are bossy! I had to admit it. Then he started impersonating me bossing him around. Later, when he was about to order way to much food and caught me about to boss him about his selection. SHEESH. Gold it is! (He also mentioned that I have been very productive around the house lately, so goldi-ness has it's positive points.)

I can handle being gold. My friends think it has a lot to do with becoming a mommy. That makes sense to me. What really plagues my mind is, "WHERE is my ORANGE???" Is it gone forever?

Any ideas?

I am totally blocked!BLAH! It is like this unbearable heat has fried my brain.

Make me a match

Hello Reader! I would like to take this opportunity to play matchmaker. Meet Cecil.

He's manly and looks good in a pair of ripped jeans.

He is a wonderful friend. 

He looks good in yellow (and isn't too cool to dress up on Halloween).

And he melts my heart when he holds Dahlia 

He is her Uncle Cec. 

The pictures are pretty explanatory. Cecil has a great easy going personality and is one of our bestest friends. If you know me, you know I wouldn't say it lightly. He watches our dog, fixes my car, and helps with our home improvement projects. He also has sexy hands. I said it. Sexy hands. If you know a sweet, pretty girl who is in her 20's, let me know and I will set it up. 

Hugs,

Brandi

New Foods

I am trying to cook healthier meals to help my waistline and Jeremiah's heart. We found out he has high blood pressure and, well, I am just wobbly.

I will make:

Potato Leek Pizza
Fruit salad with some herbaceous dressing
Pasta with seared scallops and tomato butter sauce

Jeremiah will have to help me with these. (hint hint)

MMMM,
Brandi

Little Foodie

Boughten baby food is B-L-A-H. Have you ever tasted it? I am not saying I won't give it to Dahlia. It's so darned convenient. Bu-ut, we are taking advantage Dahlia's age and tendency to put things in her mouth. Right now her favorite is her own feet. Not edible.

Here are some pictures of the most recent experiment in taste. I love pickled okra ( used to steal it from the refrigerator in the basement of our church-horrible, I know. I still maintain Mr. Neal kept it there especially for me). Jeremiah loves it too. Maybe our baby will? Let's see.  

Curious

and curiouser

and sour

and juicy

I will try it again

still sour

and slippery

and no. thank. you.

Shortly after this she threw it in the floor. I take heart in the fact that she usually makes these faces when trying anything cold. Plus, it was super cute. 

Hugs, 

Brandi

Cussin's Not For Kids

I have to say that I stole that title from a teacher at my school. Regardless, it is too true. Actually, cussin' shouldn't be for me either. I REALLY need to clean up my potty mouth. Or my sister Casey, since Trey is getting very good at repeating words.

At our yard sale on Saturday we were coming up with a few cuss word alternatives. Here are a few:

That girl blessed her pants. I can't believe she drank so much that she doesn't even know!
What the dunk?!
Who the Huckleberry Finn do you think you are?

And for the Harry Potter fans: What the Buckbeak?

Do you use cuss word subsitutes? I want to hear them all!

Hugs,
Brandi

Hair Raising

Here are a couple of pictures of my disaster haircut.

This spunky gal is my fabulous friend, Shelia. Oh, how I have forsaken you and paid the price!

One more shot of the carnage. What is that stringy mess on the left?! Holy Mackerel!

Short, but much better. Dahlia isn't impressed.

It looks much better now, since it has grown quite a bit. I guess I have been harboring a little bit of hair anxiety. 

I haven't had an experience this bad since I went for a haircut at Mastercuts in Shawnee Mall when I was about 12 and the girl wouldn't cut it. She said I had head lice! Turns out it was just little bits of glitter paint left over from me painting my jean shorts into a stiff and unwearable mess. I was so upset. I knew I didn't have lice, and I wanted the Mastercuts lady to know she was wrong. 

Alas, my mom made me suck it up. I remember being in JC Penney and Mama wanting me to try on a shirt. I was still so upset (and, let's be honest, tended a bit to the dramatic side). I said something like, " What, no one here thinks I will give them lice?!"

At least this time I could laugh it off. I even wore the terrible hair for almost a week. I was even told by a student that it looked like I put my finger in a light socket! I think I have come a long way. 

Hugs, 

Brandi

My Impatient Cheating Heart/Head

I did something rash and now I have a HORRIBLE haircut to show for it. I have my kiddos at school write "Bad Haircut" essays, and now I really have something to share with them.

It all started with my procrastination. I waited too long to call my normal Fabulous (the capital F is on purpose) hair lady. Then, on Sunday when I was going to get my toenails done, I got to the salon and it was closed. So, I thought to myself, "Self, you are already out and about. Jeremiah has Dahlia. Why not pop in somewhere and get your grown-out mop tended to?" And then I answered myself. "Great idea!" WRONG! 

So I go into the salon that shall not be named and come out looking like a lopsided eighties pop star with a heroin problem. Or Jem from Saturday morning cartoons when I was kid. Oh, the humanity!

So now I am to ashamed to tell Shelia, the most wonderful stylist around, that I cheated on her with a nameless hack. And that now my cheating ways will require her to fix me. 

Has anyone else out there ever cheated on their stylist and regretted it? A one cut stand, if you will.

p.s. It doesn't help that like half of my hair has fallen out after my pregnancy hormones shifted. **see previous post "Baldy McGee."

Hugs, 

Brandi

Baby Daydream Number One

Dreaming of riding her unicorn to steal your heart.

My First Mother's Day

What a great day! Lately I have been feeling so blessed and thankful for all of the joys and wonderful people in my life. I mean, how did I end up with such a beautiful baby, a loving and awesome husband, and all of the special family and friends I have?!

Back to my day. It started out with sleeping in and then we made the decision to venture out to Benvenuti's for brunch. We got ready and as I was feeding Dahlia before we left, I got a text. I expected it to be one of those sweet and wonderful people wishing me well for my first Mother's Day. And it was, but not who I expected.

I looked at the screen and the incoming text was from Dahlia Ann. My baby!? I immediately started to freak out. My mind was clouded with awe and I could not think clearly. As I read the three messages it ended up being, I was hysterical. I could barely read about how I was the best mom who would make her such a good person. I am still so happy hours later.

As you probably guess much quicker than my love-stuck self did, it was Jeremiah. *sigh* My sweetie snuck my phone away and reprogrammed his number with Dahlia's name so he could send me a message from our sweet little miracle.

When I finally wiped away all of the snot and tears, Brain and Cecil met us for a yummy brunch (probably the best I have had in, well, ever aside from the heat on the patio). We came on home and relaxed. Dahlia and I snuggled in for a nap, Jeremiah played video games, we sat on patio and stared at our perfect baby and then talked about how perfect she is. We took her picture a million times, then after we dragged some yard waste to the curb, came inside.

Dahlia ate her first rice cereal and got it ALL over. On her back even! We had a bath and now it is bedtime.

I will never forget this day.

Perfect.

Hugs,
Brandi

Sometimes

Sometimes I wonder what it is that makes me so aware of other people.
Sometimes I am overly sensitive, especially when it is something that is bothering me.
Sometimes I let the little things plague my mind.
Sometimes silence speaks louder than words.

But sometimes my overly sensitive awareness is like a sixth sense. Just like Spidey, it can be a curse.

Vague enough?

Brandi

I'm Losing it

Literally. For the last few days I keep getting these annoying little tickles. On my back. On my neck. On my....everywhere. No, it's no a nervous tick. It's my hair!!! Oodles and gobs of it. I have been super stressed about being back in the real world so I thought it might have been stress, but low and behold, this morning I got a BabyCenter email update. One of the articles today was all about losing your hair after pregnancy. It said I can be losing up to 500 strands a day. That sounds exactly right to me. Hormones are the culprit!!

On a side-note, Dahlia has also been losing her baby hair. Soooo... if you see us around and about with bandannas on, just know we are trying to avoid a sunburn on our bare scalps.

Hugs,
Brandi

Here Goes Nothin

Here is a little prayer I am saying to myself: 

Lord, give me the strength to make it through the next few days. Help me to trust in others to watch over my sweetest gift. Help me to be kind to those in my life who care for me and my family. Help me to keep my emotions from running over. Watch over my baby. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN. 

No boys!!

Next week is my birthday. I will be 29 for the first time. In honor of my birthday, a few months ago my mama bought me two tickets to see my favorite band, Kings of Leon. AND one of my other favorite bands, Band of Horses,  is opening for them. Sounds great right?

Except for the fact that I go back to work on Wednesday and will have to leave Dahlia at the babysitter for the week and then with a sitter that night. We had planned to drive her to my mom's house in Wetumka and then drive to Tulsa. Jeremiah was worried we would be late for the opener. Luckily we have the best Yaya ever!

My mom has volunteered to come to our house to watch Dahlia!! She is going order pizza and talk on the phone. We have already had a serious conversation like we would with any baby sitter. No boys!!

just breathe

I have an optimistic attitude today right now about going back to work. The reasons? Dahlia is napping without me right now. She has been sucking a pacifier which helps me be at ease about Marti being able to have one more trick up her sleeve when she needs calmed. The new bottle is slowly working. Jeremiah is going to stay home on Tuesdays to keep her. I am having a practice drop-off with Marti tomorrow, so I can get my timing down.

I might post again later with all of my worries, but for now I can take a big breath and be thankful for all of our blessings.

Anxiety Attack

Exactly two weeks from today I will do the hardest thing I have ever done. I have never dreaded anything so much. Not even the dentist. Not even CRT testing. Not even the end of summer vacation. I am almost in tears right now. I have to leave my beautiful baby girl and go back to the real world.

Suck it up you say? It isn't that bad?

Well folks, I will tell you, it is. She absolutely despises every bottle we have tried. The count is up to 7 different bottles. I have another bottle on the way via Amazon. Adiri Natural Nurser is our next hope. We try changes in position, the person feeding her, the bottle, the time of day, and every possible combination. I have read on the internet, all of my newsletters, called the lactation consultant, asked friends, family, and I feel like I am going to  blurt out to strangers.

Ugh!!!!

UPDATE: PRAISE BE TO THE ADIRI! SHE DIDN'T LATCH ON BUT SHE DIDN'T SCREAM BLOODY MURDER AT ALL. SHE PLAYED AROUND WITH THE NIPPLE IN HER MOUTH FOR ALMOST 25 MINUTES. ATE OVER AN OUNCE. WE ARE GOING TO KEEP PRACTICING AND TRY THE NIPPLES THAT MISTY SUGGESTED ALSO.
  HUGS,
MOMMY B

Lather Rinse Repeat

Becoming a mommy takes a little getting used to for everyone involved. Luckily, my husband is super understanding. Here is the perfect example. I hope you get as tickled by this as I did. I thought about this conversation repeatedly yesterday and I was laughing out loud every time. Jeremiah said that he was too, and that a girl on the sidewalk outside of Coriander even looked at him funny because she caught him chuckling about it to himself.

So, a few days ago Jeremiah informed me that he was out of body wash. Usually I would have already known this since I would see the bottle in the shower, but lately I have been using the little bathroom because Dahlia likes to sit in her bouncy in the steam. Our bathroom doesn't get steamy, so I made the move.

Anyway, three days later I was making my shopping list, so I call Jeremiah at the restaurant to see if he needs anything. He says no, but read me your list and maybe I will think of something. When I come to body wash he says, "YES!" I then asked him if he was completely out. He proceeds to tell me that he has been completely out since he told me he needed it, but that he has just been using shampoo. SHAMPOO!! This might make sense for a hairier man, but Jeremiah is not hairy.

I start cracking up. Then, he tells me that he uses six pumps on his upper body and six on his lower. It just doesn't lather very well. HAHAHAHA!!! Twelve pumps a day?!

Then he calculates how much shampoo he has used since he first told me. 36 pumps of shampoo on his body, plus the three he used on his head. That's 39 pumps. He rounds it to 40. And at this point my neck itches and I am actually crying from laughing so hard. "Better add shampoo to the list" he says.

Hugs,
Brandi

"Fish in the Sea" or "Too Many Metaphors"

Once upon a time there was a girl who had A LOT going on. Not "goin' on" as in "he's got it goin' on." What I mean to say is that she had a lot of irons in the fire. None of it was her fault, or anything she could control. They say into every life a little rain must fall. She had her share of rain. She also had rainbows. Luckily she also had some pretty great pals to throw on their galoshes and start bailing her out. But, enough about the weather. 

Surprise, the girl is me. I was just thinking about all of the help my super friends have thrown my way this last year. I have a couple of good buddies in mind in particular. These guys are the kind of friends who tile your kitchen while you are with your family in crisis. These are the guys who check on your dog, help your hubby work on the truck, and pretty much do whatever you need them too without complaint or you even asking them to sometimes. 

All the good ones are not taken. They just spend all of their free time helping me:) Plenty of fish in the sea, ladies. And I have them on speed dial. 

Figurative Language Counter: 8 ( I think , lol)

*Names omitted to protect the innocent

Hugs,
Brandi

Retail Braggadocio

I have been couponing. If you are Jeremiah, Mama, Casey, or Katie, you can prolly stop here. My superior social skills tell me that you are already WAY over hearing about my deals and WAY WAY over me trying to convince you to hop on my crazy train. 

The point I will be making is that I love it and you should too. No really, hear me out. Please don't stop reading. Would you be interested in 5 tubes of free Crest toothpaste? How about 3 packages of Ronzoni spaghetti for nada? Um, hows abouts two mascaras for 48 measly cents? Free floss? Don't mind if I do. Free fabric softener? I'll have three. How about 750 loads of laundry detergent for $7.88? Sign me up!!! And for you lovers of "the whip", I got three for 50 cents each. Booyah!

These are only a few of my OUTRAGEOUS deals. I just needed to put it out there. And I wanted to use the word braggadocio. Mission accomplished.

Hugs, 

Brandi

Latvia? Stats Are Eye-Opening!

I just realized that I can view stats about who is viewing my blog. I only have four followers, but lots more people have "viewed" my page. Whether or not they actually read it isn't a stat that is available. I can also see where the views are coming from (mostly facebook) and what country the viewer is viewing from ( mostly the U.S., duh)

Hmmmm. So what I really wanna know is: who in tarnation is viewing this blog from Latvia!!!! I see you have been here 23 times this month. Or 23 different Latvians have been here. Either way, if you read this, reveal yourself. I am so curious about you or y'all. In case you didn't know, since you probably don't say y'all in Latvia, it is Okie for you all or the plural of you.

Hugs,
Brandi

Dream Journal #1: My Own Lifetime Original Movie Every Night

I have the CRAZIEST dreams. I always mean to write them down, but don't, so I thought, "Hey, what about my blog? The perfect venue to broadcast my insane imagination!" Last night I had an especially good one. Well not good. It was bad, but action-packed. Here goes nothin'.

My sister Casey was on a field trip to a park and was kidnapped. She attempted to telepath a map of the location to me, but it was too late. And her map stunk to high heaven.(The monkey bars looked like a sketch of a Hershey bar.) She was murdered!! I kept telling everyone that I wouldn't have anyone to hold hands with while I was sleeping now that she was gone. This is a reference to the fact that we actually did that as children. (Sorry Casey, the secret was too juicy to hide.)

Her murderer was a serial killer who was known as "The Livestock Trailer Killer" because of the tracks he always left at the scene. Oh, I forgot, a friend from high school's sister-in-law (Gina) found the body. She told me what she knew and I started to "dig too deep." The killer started to target me and we had a show-down in an art gallery/grocery store. The showdown was mostly us chasing each other Scooby Doo style.  He was helped by his cult followers. Yep, I said cult. He was the leader and his four teenage followers acted all brainwash-y. They were taken into custody when I discovered his trailer parked outside (complete with horses). By the way, I won the showdown. I am not sure how I know this, other than the fact that it is my dream and I woke up feeling like I had defeated him.

My dreams tend to be all over the place. My age, along with the ages of all of my "guest stars" never stay the same. My sister was a teacher, like now, but also the same age as we were when we lived in the yellow house on the highway (7 and 9 or so).

This one seemed very real. I told Casey today that I could probably choose the cast if it were a Lifetime movie.

Casey-Malin Ackerman
Me: The brown-haired girl from Glee, Rachel
Livestock Trailer Killer-Jeremy Piven (but taller)
Gina- Jenna Elfman
Cult Teens-young Thora Birch, the two lesser Hobbits, Pippen and Merry, Amanda Bynes.

P.S. I didn't make this up. Well, I did, but while I was sleeping so it doesn't count.

Hugs,
Brandi

Resolution Check/Reality Check

As soon as I started reading these, I started down a shame spiral. I am disappointed in my ability to write resolutions that are easily measurable. AND I think I expected to be able to knock out all of them in one fell swoop. Oy! Here is the skinny so far. 


1. Establish traditions for my family and keep up the ones my mom and dad have started. 
Most of the traditions go with holidays. We haven't had any major ones yet, other than New Year's, and really, what can you do with a two week old on New Year's Eve? What we have done that I will count as a tradition is having Dahlia's picture taken. We went to Target and they did a good job. We bought the archiving service, so we can go in something like 72 times per year. Not really, but it's a lot. Jeremiah and I are both happy to be so proactive about documenting her growth. And I have Valentine's cards for our friends and family. With stamps on them. Ready to mail. Before the holiday is actually here. I think I might even make Valentine's cookies. Maybe.2. Write letters to Dahlia 
This is the only one that I feel good about. I have been doing it. Not as often as I had thought I would, but one letter a week ain't bad. I also ordered some unique scrapbooking sleeves. My plan is to compile the letters and her baby book pages with items from her hospital stay and other memoribilia into one massive Book 'O Dahlia. 
3. Be Better at Birthdays: 
I have started a list of all birthdays. I don't know where I put it. Amie's birthday was in January and all she got was a lame birthday text. Because my mom called to remind me. I stink. Sidenote: My Uncle Terry's birthday was today. I am going to write a little in my Dahlia letter to tell her about him. I think he would have liked to know we think about him. He is probably having a wonderful time catching up with Daddy and Grandpa:)
4. Get my Money Right 
Did I mention my shame spiral? Procrastination is rearing it's ugly head. Plus our financial situation has been precarious these last few months...I will keep you posted. I wish the world was structured to my strengths. If I could trade in hugs and smiles, I would be rich. Alas, money makes this world go 'round. I wonder what services are available to me as far as handing all of my bills and financial info to someone and them telling me what to do. That exists, right? Probably expensive though. lol5. Maintain my Planbook as if a disaster is pending
Not working right now...can't do it yet. But, I do plan to set-up some time to meet with Ruth and my team to plan ahead before I return to work. If any of you read these (probably not!), surprise! 
6. Be a Better Friend/Wife/Sister/Daughter/Granddaughter/Etc.
See resolution #1. I am sending Valentine's Cards. Kinda lame, but a start. Also, I clipped a couple of coupons for Katie. Double lame. Also, in December I ordered some shoes for my mom. I know, I know, December isn't 2011. It is kind of like when I write something on my to-do list, just so I can mark it out. I'm okay with that. Something that has mostly been to my benefit has been that I have been WAY better at keeping in touch with those near and dear to me. Only because I am home all day and crave adult contact. Unintended perk: every time I talk to Grandma Bonnie she cracks me up. We will see how this one pans out when I am back at work. Until then, I am making a commitment to take my team a treat sometime next week. And to seize the moments when I am struck with inspiration about how to treat someone.


As I read back over this, it seems ramble-y. Good thing "be more articulate" isn't one of my resolutions!! Another year, perhaps. That'll do pig. (I'm the pig, not you!)


Hugs, 
Brandi

Free Shopping Trip

Since I have miraculously been fitting into my pre-preggers clothes, I have discovered all of my old clothes anew. It is like going shopping in a store custom made for me every time I get dressed. Know that feeling when you find 20 bucks in your coat pocket? Yep, that is the feeling my closet gives me. I am seeing all kinds of fun combinations that never occurred to me before. Just another pregnancy related joy. I need to think of a way to recreate this feeling in a couple of months. When my elation wears off I maybe tempted to shop and waste money. Hmmmm.....

Doing my happy dance,
Brandi

Gets me every time

I was driving to the school today to visit some wonderful ladies that I hadn't seen in weeks, when I was musically attacked. This happens from time to time. It is always the same song. It is the only song that I can say that makes me cry every single time I hear it. And it is always when I am driving. So a word to the wise, if you hear "When I Get Where I'm Going" by Brad Paisley, get off the road. I could run you over.

This got me wondering. Does something "get" you?

Bored? Fun on the Internet

I have had a lot of time on my hands lately. Well, hand, since I have been restricted to using only my right hand when using the computer. No, I haven't been injured or suffered amputation. I have my computer set-up on the right side of my recliner, where Dahlia and I spend most of our "snuggle time". Here are some sites that I frequent.

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman-Famous Okie, Ree Drummond, is adorable. Her page has a lot to see. She also has giveaways.

Jessica's Coupons-want to find out about the best deals on the net and get updates about how to get free/cheap stuff? Follow this blog. They update several times a day. I have gotten free subscriptions to Parents and All You Magazines, a box of three refill bags of Huggies baby wipes for $11.98, a free bag of dogfood, and tons of coupons. I am sure I am forgetting something. Anyway, if you wear the "cheap badge" with pride, check it out.

The Aragon Life- My friend Amanda's blog. She is hilarious.

The Pleated Poppy- Lindsey on this blog also has a store site. She sells fabric flowers and billfolds and such. her stuff is adorable, but I really like seeing her "What I Wore Wednesday" posts. She has the cutest style and she links to fellow bloggers who also partake in "Wednesday" fashion posts. She also posts about her family and fun crafts.

Thirty Handmade Days- another crafty blog. She has been posting some Valentine's printables lately.Mique (Mickey) also does fun giveaways and posts about her family. This blog started as her craft to-do list.

Polyvore- a fun app on facebook that lets you "dress" your friends. You can also buy any of the items on the site, because they are all linked to e-merchants. A little dangerous, but very fun.  You can browse sets that other people have made. Ooo, you can also browse interior design sets.The main website, polyvore.com, is a little more involved. I haven't delved into it yet.

Couponing to Disney-I am trying to coupon and this site gives you tips on how to use couponing to save meoney for things that seem to be out of your reach otherwise. Smart and miserly fun.

Consumer Queen-this site lists the best coupon deals by store. Anyone up for free mac n cheese? I am, I am!!

Enjoy!
Brandi

the new normal is

1. Sleep when you can.

2. Eat when Daddy brings us food.

3. Cherish each moment that we don't smell like spit up.

4. Wear pajamas or sweats all day.

5. Understand just how important taking a bath/shower can be.

6. Upload as many pictures as possible.

7. Get used to asking everyone if they are sick before they visit.

8. Wet and poopy diapers make us happy.

9. Watch a lot of tv, read a lot of blogs, rely on facebook for updates on the real world.

10. Function while being a human pacifier. 

11. Be nervous about going anywhere...

Tomorrow I will wear "real clothes" for the fourth time in as many weeks. I really wonder if my jeans will fit. We will venture out into the "real world" to have Dahlia's pictures made. I might even get a few groceries while we are at Target. The plan is to nurse her into a stupor before we leave and to take a bottle of breast milk in case I can't find a suitable place to nurse if I need to...we will see. Wish us luck. 

Hugs, 

Brandi

Top Eleven: Things I'm Loving Today

Eleven Things I'm Loving Today (in no particular order)
1. The little basket that holds all of my mama-ly essentials (camera, booger-sucker, cell phone, lanolin ointment, chap stick, saline drops, thermometer)
2. That Hulu has full episodes of nineties tv show, Eerie Indiana.
3. Kids that call adults by Mr. and Ms. so and so. I would be Ms. Brandi. I have a few friends who teach their children to do this. I find it charming.
4. Adults who say yes/no ma'am/sir. Once again, charming.
5. Boppy!!
6. Calling Jeremiah "Daddy" to Dahlia.
7. Humidifier
8. Jessica's Coupons Blog
9. Singing Disney songs to my sweet lil' one.
10. Texting Jeremiah with a request for Mountain Dew/Recess/milk/the moon and knowing that he will do his darndest to get it for me.
11. Funny Faces

Hugs,
Brandi

Looking Back at 2010 and to the Future!

2011 is officially finally here. This is the very first time that when the new year has arrived I have felt the need to say "Thank you Jesus!" Frankly, 2010 has been the hardest year I have ever had. We lost my Grandpa Ben, Jeremiah's Uncle Gene (his dad's twin), and my dad in the last year. Sheesh, right?! 

Losing my dad is something I never thought I would have to do until I was much much older. Losing him before he had a chance to meet our amazing daughter just breaks my heart. He was so proud of her before she was even born and he was such a good Poppy. I know that he is watching over her and us and smiling along with Jeremiah's parents, my Grandpa Ben, my Poppy, Jeremiah's uncle Gene, my Aunt Susan and all of the loved ones that we have lost. 

Even with all of the terrible things that have happened this year, we have been so blessed with wonderful family, friends, a restaurant, and a pretty good life. I have had the best year at school I have ever had. Carol Fain always says that you get the class you need and she was right about this group. Such a wonderful group of kids and parents has been a blessing to me and my family. My pregnancy was pretty much flawless and we were given the most magical gift this Christmas, Dahlia Ann. I catch myself in awe of her several times a day. She even allowed me to sleep a little last night! I know that God never gives you more than you can handle and I think we all (Casey, TJ, Mama, Jeremiah, Grandma Bonnie, and I) have fared pretty well, given the circumstances. 

All of this has given me a chance to think about what I want for my family for the next year. I have never been big on resolutions (and I never eat my black-eyed peas), but I think I will give it a try. The resolutions, not the peas. Those things taste like dirt. 

For the year 2011:

1. Establish traditions for my family and keep up the ones my mom and dad have started. 

I am not really sure what this will look like, but I think that the big holidays are a good place to start. I would like to make an effort to have traditions that help us focus on family and not all of the hoopla. This year will be a lot different as far as our family dynamic, so holidays are liable to be too. Also, I want Dahlia to be able to look back and remember our traditions.

2. Write letters to Dahlia 

My sister gave me a beautiful journal for Christmas. The letters will be about her life and stories about the people we want her to know who aren't here. I already have a few entries planned out. I hope that this will kick-start me writing daily and will be a treasure for her when she gets older. I also plan to add in the stories and songs that Jeremiah makes up for her. 

3. Be Better at Birthdays

I love having a big deal made on my birthday, but I am such a procrastinator that I rarely do as much for my loved ones as I wish I did. This one has been in the back of my mind for a while.

4. Get my Money Right

I am terrible at keeping track of our bills and money. With childcare and health insurance for Dahlia coming into our budget, I HAVE to get our money right. A college fund would be nice too. Financial matters are my biggest weakness, so any suggestions of how to do this would be helpful. This is the scariest of all of my resolutions. 

5. Maintain my Planbook as if a disaster is pending

One of the repercussions of this hard year had been a very strong urge to plan ahead for three to four weeks. That means all of my plans were written (not just in my head) and the copies made and organized, and materials were ready to go. I was so worried that something would happen and that I wouldn't be able to get a sub plan typed up. Then something did happen. My anxiety had paid off! I was also in a position to plan ahead for Ruth for a couple of weeks for when she took over during my maternity leave. I felt good about that. I hope to keep this up without the threat of impending doom hovering over my head. 

6. Be a Better Friend/Wife/Sister/Daughter/Granddaughter/Etc.

I need to show up for my friends, family, and my husband more. I want to do something nice once a week at the minimum. I hope to at least make a friend a meal or send something to my "far away" friends. A card even. If you have an idea about how to do this one or things I can easily do with an infant, let me know. Jeremiah will be a little harder, but I just need to make the effort when the opportunity presents itself. This one feels a little vague. The idea is that I just feel so thankful to have such wonderful people in my life and I want to show them. 

Here they are. For now. I might think of something and add or revise. I play by my own rules! 

Hugs, 

Brandi