I Win!

I have decided to award myself with something most fitting: World's Crappiest Blogger! Yay!

Do I have an excuse? No, unfortunately not. I wish I had some amazing story but the truth is, I just haven't put the time nor energy in.

I look back on my previous blog posts and realize I haven't truly written about anything worth reading in quite awhile. Hopefully that's about to change.

Things here have been ... well, changing. Life has become so FUN.

Kaleigh still remains a very sweet, easy going girl, but she is definitely coming out of her shell. She is getting to the point now where she has opinions and knows it, which, has been fun to watch. She still is really good about not giving me the "No!" response I hear other toddlers give their parents, but she will sometimes look at me with a sly little smirk when asked to do something, and will need a second asking.

She has finally taken an interest in climbing and running, all of which I knew was coming. It's a riot to watch her run, especially when she runs into our room and face plants onto our bed (which is a Japanese style on the floor). She likes to make noises as she runs and her cheeks bounce up and down as she goes! I love it! She loves climbing up onto her trunk full of books with her mic in hand and singing along to "American Idol" or any other singing show that may be on TV at the time. She then asks for "More" when it's over. It's ridiculously cute.

When wearing anything with letters on it, Kaleigh will begin reciting letters and pointing to them. She loves to try and sing her ABC's, even though she can only get to "C." She also has taken a high interest in trying to count things - anything. When playing with her blocks, she'll say "Three, seven, nine.."

Coloring has also become a favorite of my kid's, and she's still ambidextrous. Brian is left handed as is his dad, and I'm right, so it'll be interesting to see which hand she ends up choosing. She loves to color and even holds her crayons correctly, which is amazing in itself! She colored on Valentines for her family and some of her little toddler friends and was extremely pleased with herself for doing so.

My girl has become such a girly girl! She loves trying on shoes and clothes. She asks for "Ponies" in her hair and bows. She points to things she wants in the store and says "Buy?" For example: We had a few snow days and had chosen not to go out. My husband had to go look at a job across the street from Fred Meyer's, so we all went, and I took Kaleigh to look at the toys inside Freddy's. (Something we do on a weekly basis since I do my grocery shopping there). Well, they had set out their clearance shoes from Christmas season, and, needless to say, we didn't even make it to the toys. Kaleigh was in HEAVEN trying on all of the shoes and asked to buy a pair of purple Twinkle Toe shoes. She put them on and was dancing around the store to the point where people were stopping to watch her. Of course, Brian saw this, and caved in and bought them. Good thing they were on clearance ;) She loves them and wears them all the time.

I love all of the above. Watching her grow and form these opinions and personality traits has been such a blast. She understands so much now, and not only simple basics, but processes. For example, the other night we baked a funfetti cake together. The second ever and it had been about a month and a half since we'd cooked the last one, but Kaleigh knew to get her whisk and sprinkles from her play kitchen out to prepare.

This summer is going to be insanely fun with the swingset up and all of the outdoor activities we can do now that she's walking. I am so pumped!

At her 18 month checkup (which really was at 19 months because she kept getting sick with ear infections), she was 34" and 28.8 lbs which is 75%. This makes me happy - she has slowed down in her growing to where she has been wearing clothes for awhile! This makes one happy Mama, as I can now give in and buy the $20 shirt and not wonder if she'll only wear it once and then be done with it. Seemed like such a waste when I did that when she was little.

We are still co-sleeping. Call us crazy. Co-sleeping is something we never thought we'd do. We usually don't publicly offer that we co-sleep because we don't like having to feel like we need to explain ourselves, but, being that I am choosing to put it out there, I'll explain:

Kaleigh was 4.5 weeks early. She had Jaundice, and was hospitalized after birth. She slept in a bassinet for about 3 days, and then hated it. Went from sleeping soundly to screaming in it. It was Brian's bassinet, so it was an older wicker bassinet with wheels on the bottom. The doctor thought she maybe had a bit of reflux since she was formula fed due to my severe pre-eclampsia. We couldn't elevate the bassinet and she HATED the crib, which, the doctor also said was probably because she was preemie and hated the open space. Long story short, she ended up in her carseat. It was snug and it kept her upright, so, from very early on, she slept right next to me and I knew her state of being at all times. She saw my face when she woke up and never shed a tear. Four months rolled around, and, she outgrew her car seat. She slept until 10 AM, and we had only tried the crib a couple of times since. She still hated her crib. She ended up in a co-sleeper in between my husband and me, which was propped up and slowly we took the incline away until she slept in it soundly. We figured she was used to our room and being with us that changing her place of sleep, her room, and not seeing us would be too dramatic of a change. Of course, she never left our bed. So, here we are, at 20 months and still co-sleeping. The funny thing? We love it. Still. She sleeps in until 10 (at least) and we are still under the "Why fix what's not broken" rule. Are we crazy? Maybe, but it's what my husband I feel is best for us at the moment, even though she's almost two. I love having her wake up and snuggle right on my chest in the morning. I turn on Sesame Street and we just snuggle there and take our time waking up. I love knowing her state at all times still, even though she's older. We do have a plan to get her out of our bed eventually, but for now, we're still letting her sleep with us, at least until the addition is done and she gets a new room because we'll all be getting new rooms and new beds! Woo Hoo! I sort of feel like moving her will be like potty training for most kids: it will happen when she's ready and when it's supposed to.

Speaking of potty, my kid is still going #2 on the potty and I really need to sit down and see if she's ready to train. I just bought her Gerber training pants tonight from Target, as she seems to be into undies (she already has a few pairs I picked up on clearance from various places). It's just a matter of actually taking the time and motivation and patience to sit down and stay home with her and give it a go. It's definitely on the list of things to do.

So, there you have it. Hopefully this was enough of a novel to read to somewhat makeup for my absence. I promise I will try and be better about blogging. (Key word: Try)

All in all, I'm still loving parenthood and motherhood and am excited for what the future holds:

1) Our addition to our house happening in Spring 2012. We are adding a second story onto our dinky rambler to give it some value and hopefully be able to refinance. Our goal is to be OUT of this house in 3 years. Wish us luck....

2) More adventures with the family, especially as the weather gets nicer. We bought a humungous swingset for our yard (23 feet long complete with tunnel slide and all), which will be a BLAST to play on. Hiking? Definitely. Camping? Hopefully. The Fair? HELL YES, Kaleigh will be old enough to go on rides this year!!!!!

3) Baby McKee #2 has been a Hot Topic in conversation as of late between us. More on that later... (No, I'm not pregnant).

4) Possible trip to Minnesota this summer. This is huge - it will be Kaleigh's first time meeting alot of her second cousins! I am really hoping we can make it happen, it all depends on whether or not our addition is done and if Brian can escape from work. My cousin is getting married and we'd love to be there for the special day! If not, we will tentatively plan a trip with my brother and his wife and their kids so we can all cruise back and invade the town! Lookout!

So there ya have it. My life in a nutshell.

I'd say I'm pretty much winning all around, even if I also am winning at being a Sucky McSuckerson at blogging. I still feel pretty good!!!!

It blows my mind to think she used to lay there at one point and not even be able to turn over.

It's .. Pinteresting!

I have been MIA for entire too long. This is being fixed starting about two seconds ago!

Recap: Maui was wonderful and I almost didn't come back. I cannot wait to go again! Our little bug wasn't a huge fan of the sand (big surprise) but finally gave in and stood on it and played in it fully on day 7.

Christmas was insanely busy, I'm now 31, and we had a ton of snow the week before last which was amazing.

I had my wedding anniversary and got some bling to prove it!

This has caught you up just about!

My little kiddo got a double ear infection when we returned from Maui, and another one which she just finished antibiotics for. She hasn't even had her 18 month child check yet because she keeps getting those damn infections. I hope they go away for good!

I have become a total Pinterest junkie in the mean time, and have decided to start blogging about it, the things I make from that site, and the recipes I tweak.

I am going to start a different blog for that to keep things somewhat organized!

I think that's about all I got at this current moment.

All in all, life's great here.

Adoption Awareness

"Not flesh of my flesh, Nor bone of my bone, But still miraculously my own. Never forget for a single minute, You didn't grow under my heart - but in it"
Author: Fleur Conkling Heylinger

November is Adoption Awareness Month. This is a huge deal to me since not only am I adopted, but I also hope to adopt one day.

My story:

I was left on a doorstep of a police station when I was a couple weeks old, maybe even a month. With me was a basic note stating my birthday and that my mother couldn't care for me (quite possibly even that she was too young to care for me, I can't be fore sure).

I was put into an orphanage, where, I was tied to my crib who I shared with other babies. At 17 months, I was moved to a foster home where I got one on one time, and, was in dire need of it. I could only sit on my own. I couldn't crawl, I couldn't walk. Couldn't do much, due to the overcrowded orphange I was in.

Now, most of you know, my little Kaleigh is 17 months. To think of all she can do, and try to imagine her not being able to do much past about 6-9 months freaks me out!

Luckily, I was a quick learner, and in the month or so I was at the foster home, I had caught up to my age developmentally.

I was adoped on June 30th. I was 18 months, 3 days.

Being adopted definitely caused some issues back in the day. I wondered why I was different, but my parents did a really good job explaining to me and always treating me the same as their biological children. I was even sent to an Adoption Camp, where I got to meet other Korean children who were adopted.

Do I ever wonder about my birth mother? Sort of. I don't need another Mom in my life. My "mom" will always be the Mom who raised me. The mom who taught me all of my values, who kissed my scrapes when I fell, who held me everytime I threw a tantrum. That's my mom. Part of me does, however, wonder about my birth mother. Not necessarily about her specifically, but I'd love to find out genetics, family history, and, most of all, just to thank her. Thank her for giving me life, for leaving me where she did, and not doing anything different, because, let's face it, the other choices aren't pretty.

I know if I had a baby and had to give her up, not a day would go by without me thinking about her. Wondering if she found a happy family, worrying I did the right thing by giving her up, etc.

Honestly, though, if I had to choose, I don't know if I'd actually meet my birth mom. Makes me feel like a total chicken shit, right? I'm not one for awkward situations and I feel like it would be mighty awkward for me....

To sum it up: I hope that everyone remembers what it is to adopt. It's giving life to a child. An adopted child isn't any less of a human being, and I hope that if any of you out there can't have anymore children naturally that you would consider it.

I'm adopted, and look how I turned out! ;)

Makin' A List.. Checkin' it Twice...

Last night started out like any other night in bed. The sound of soft snores escaping my husband's mouth, Kaleigh's steady breathing, and the low buzz of the TV provided my brain with much solace and just like that, I realized:

IT IS NOVEMBER!!!!!

I probably should've realized this, you know, on November 1st, but I have been so pre-occupied with playing single Mom that my entire body just shuts down at night lately. That being said, the good news is that my husband actually took an entire day off Sunday! The first in .... who knows how long. It was so great to have him around. Not only for my sake, but for Kaleigh's. She was all about Daddy, which, gave Mommy a semi-break, but also provided her with some much needed reassurance that yes, Daddy is still around, and will continue to be. It's not easy when your 16 month old randomly calls out for "Da Da" and having to explain that he's working. Again. Poor girl.

So, laying in bed last night, I jolted upright from laying down in the realization that it's a week into November, which means quite a few things for me/us.

The first thing that infested my head is all of the 1,000,000 things I need to get done. Which million things you ask? Let's see if I can narrow this down for you, otherwise, this blog post will be an epic portion of crap you don't want to read.

1) November means Thanksgiving. Where are we spending ours? No idea. We need to figure that out.

2) Maui - most of the 1,00,000 things I need to get done probably reciprocate around this.

2a) Packing - pulling out, choosing the clothing, and washing our summer clothing for myself, my husband, and my child. Needing to try some things on Kaleigh as she's grown since summer time... wonder if a good majority of her stuff still fits? Hope so... Which toys to bring. Buying little "prizes" for her to get while we're on the plane (most likely from the Dollar store or the dollar bins at Target). Should we bring her little portable potty seat? Where are our suitcases?

2b) Need to get the dogs in for their Bordatella vaccines so the kennel doesn't deny them the night before we're supposed to leave....

2c) Need to call the airlines to find out about their little media centers you can rent or just break down and possibly buy a portable DVD player. I wonder if I can find one cheaper at a pawn shop or if someone has one I can borrow? Maybe Craigslist?

3) My niece's birthday - of couse, is on 11/23. She will be 4. I already bought her presents, but need wrapping paper for them, or a gift bag. Must go buy soon.

4) Christmas - need to get more shopping done. Originally, my goal was to have all of my shopping done before we left. That quickly went out the window, as it's November 7th (technically November 8th now), and I don't even have half of it done yet.

4a) Imagine elaborate list of people I need to buy for, gift ideas for each one, and attempting to make mental notes of such things to look for and buy, including my husband.

4b) Remembering that my mom asked for a short list for us that I need to email her and my sister. Imagine another elaborate list of things I can put on this list (which took some time and consideration since I don't shop for myself anymore) and for my husband (who shrugged his shoulders when I asked him what he wanted, so I had to research and come up with ideas myself). I emailed that list off earlier tonight, btw.

4c) Making a mental note of asking everyone else to email me a list of what they want in my family and my husband's family if there is anything they want specifically (which is only the case 50% of the time it seems).

4d) Christmas cards needing to be sent. This means I need to get a few good pictures taken of us that are recent, and order them, and most likely, send them out. I guess I can always pack them and do them in Maui while sitting on the beach, but really, that just sounds like work when I could be in the water.

4e) Wrapping paper. I'm extremely picky about my wrapping paper. I bought some at Costco yesterday and decided I needed to return it, along with a Christmas dress for Kaleigh I had bought and failed to try on. I had bought two, and we decided to keep the one from Burlington Coat Factory. At least she already has her dress!

There's a good chunk of it. All of the above plus more went into my head and was enough to jerk me wide out of my drowsy state I had been in, and left me with anxiety. Getting to sleep last night wasn't so fun.

The good news is that it was a great motivator to get my butt into gear. My focus will be solely on the above list, plus more things that I'm sure will come along.

It will be a well deserved vacation, to say the least!

Happy Halloweekend!

It's officially Halloweekend 2011.

WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?!

Here's the long awaited costume we decided to get for Kaleigh:

Our little leopard got runner up on Friday night at The Little Gym party! I was humbled and surprised, as I didn't even know there was a costume contest going on! I will post better pictures later.

Daddy is still working A TON, so it's just been Kaleigh and me lately. We haven't even carved her pumpkin yet. I am hoping that Daddy can be home when we do this, but that may be wishful thinking.

That being said, I've been constantly reminding myself of how lucky I am to have such an amazing kid. By amazing, I mean mellow, happy-go-lucky, obedient, and easy. I know moms who can't wait until the kids are in bed, until their mom's night out, and need to get away. I am the exact opposite so far. I love spending every moment with Kaleigh, probably in fear of missing out on something. A word, a milestone, something major that she does for the first time. She is definitely my bestest buddy, and I honestly prefer her over most adults that I know.

Which brings me to my next subject. My daughter seriously amazes me.

On Friday, at the Little Gym party, she colored her first picture with markers (of course I kept it), stuck a ghost sticker on it, and beamed with pleasure as she handed it to me. We walked into the activity room, and her first stop was a station where you are supposed to walk with a spoon while balancing a plastic egg in the spoon. To my surprise, she did it on her first try, took the egg off, and walked right over to the basket of the eggs and plopped the egg in the basket where it belonged, gave the spoon back to the teacher standing there with her mouth wide open, and proceeded to clap when she was done. She got play-doh as a prize. Second station was the little balance beam which she absolutely loved. I held her hand (as she asked for "help" each time), and walked it probably about a dozen times. Third station was a "pin the lips on the frog" fabric game which she placed the lips right where they were supposed to go. She even walked over to the high balance beam and had the teacher help her walk it! And, of course, she walked the "cat walk" consisting of high mats for the costume contest twice for the "judges" and about a half dozen times on her own. Needless to say, she was exhausted by the end of the night! Daddy met us for Mongolian Grill dinner and she passed out shortly after.

She is still using her potty, and I am happy to report that I haven't changed a #2 diaper since we brought the potty home. Tonight, for the first time, she walked into the bathroom herself and sat down on the potty. (Usually I ask if she wants to go sit on the potty and she says "Yes" or "No," though I've only gotten two "Nos" so far). I asked if she had to go and she said "Yes." I had to go get my phone (sometimes I play videos for her to watch to help her relax), and she followed me bare and ended up going on the floor. The good news is that she recognized she had to go and went to the potty to do so. Baby steps, my friends! I am extremely proud of her.

Usually while we're on the potty, we'll read potty books, or books in general since my child is a huge book worm if she's having trouble focusing. She loves her "ABC" books, and now will point to objects that I tell her to find. She also can tell me what sound a cow makes, a dog makes, and sometimes if I'm lucky, a duck's "quack" can quietly be heard escaping her mouth.

It seriously blows my mind that Kaleigh used to just lay there. When she was first born, she slept more than she was awake since she was a preemie, and because, that's what newborns do.

She is now this little "person." I often refer to her as a baby still, which, of course she isn't. She's definitely a toddler. A walking, talking, dancing, singing, playful toddler.

I just cannot believe how fast she seems to be growing up and changing everyday.

And I cannot wait to see what's in store for our future!

Once Upon A Potty

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I had a chat about getting Kaleigh a potty.

While she is a tad young than most who start potty training, she's shown great interest in the potty and has taken to squatting when she goes. She's also into mocking us, so we figured that when we go, she can at least sit on it and get the idea if she wishes.

I have read various posts from other moms about suggestions on potties, why certain ones are better than others, etc. I always thought I'd want to get one that would sit directly onto our toilet, as that's what the little girl used that I nannied. It's amazing at what a different ball game it is when it's YOUR child.

I decided that since my child is really into mimicking, that she needed her own potty. I didn't want something big and bulky, and I wanted something semi practical. I found this potty at Fred Meyer, which, immediately, won me over:

This potty is a potty, a step stool, and the potty part comes out and sits in the big potty. It also has a motion sensor that plays music when she goes. For $24, we're getting 3 things, 2 of which will definitely be used. WIN!

I picked it up today, and Kaleigh was super excited about it when I set it up in the bathroom. She immediately sat on it, and since she needed a diaper change anyways, I let her sit bare on it.

A few hours later, she needed another diaper change, so I took her in and we both sat on the potties which she thought was just great. Clapping and smiles were exchanged for about 5 minutes.

Tonight, as we were getting ready to head into the bathroom to brush our teeth, I caught her squatting trying to go #2. I quickly picked her up and told her we were going to the potty, took her diaper off, and sat her down. She laughed at me since I was also sitting on the big potty, and I wasn't sure she had to go anymore. My daughter makes the most obvious face when she goes, so on improv, I made the face she does. Immediately, she mocked me, but it worked!

She stood up and a her first little poo hit the floor (which I thought was funny, even though I should've been grossed out probably. I guess after 16 months of changing diapers, nothing phases you anymore in that department). I clapped so she knew that going was a good thing, and she sat back down and promptly went on the actual potty, both #1 and #2! I didn't know if she'd gone when she stood up because the music hadn't gone off, so I was very surprised when I saw. I clapped and sang and hugged her, and showed her, and immediately she did not like what she'd done. She pointed and made a whining noise. Why? Because it's dirty and my child is the most dainty kid you will ever meet. Again, I had to fight back laughter, as I told her it was okay, and cleaned it out. I realized the reason the music hadn't gone off was because earlier, to test the motion sensor I'd filled it up with some water. I think it absorbed when she went. After it was clean, I made the music go off and I showed her it was all clean and better. It was then that she clapped and was all smiles.

I still cannot believe my child went on the first day. I was hoping I could get her to go PEE on the potty in the next month....

I am hoping that we can continue to have positive experiences with the potty. I am in no way wanting to rush her, but am super excited for what lays ahead. Who knew potty training could be so amusing?!

Today Was A Good Day!

So, about a week ago I got an unexpected text from my friend, Liz. Liz and I met way back in college (Go Cougs!) and have stayed in touch ever since. We both worked at Papa John's on campus, where everyone who worked there expected us to be rivals since we were so much alike. Of course, we proved everyone wrong, and buddied up instantly one night when we made a drunk guy streak up and down Greek row for a free pizza. (Ahh, college. I miss those days sometimes). At any rate, Liz and I have stayed the type of friends who can go for awhile without talking and it doesn't matter.

When Liz found out she was pregnant, I was pretty ecstatic. Motherhood has changed me immensely, and I feel like it made me a better person, and I just knew that it would probably affect Liz in a similar way to me since we were pretty similar before. I always enjoy identifying with other moms on that sort of level because it probably makes me feel less freakish. Ha.

Liz's job ended up transferring her out of state, so of course I haven't gotten to see her or her daughter, Lillian, as much as I'd like. Not even a quarter of what I'd like to. Boo!

You can only imagine my surprise when I got a random text from her letting me know that she was coming back for work and wanted to do dinner. Stoked was an understatement, as I love seeing her and wanted to see Lillian, her daughter again! We made dinner date plans immediately and I didn't hear from her for a few days until she sent me another random text... this time, it was asking if I could watch Lillian for a day from 7 AM - 6 PM. (She gave me the easy opt out saying "she knew it was probably way too much to ask...").

I thought about it:

Challenge #1: Dragging my ass out of bed before 10:00 AM. Kaleigh spoils me and sleeps in unti 10 everyday. Usually when asked to do something before 10, I decline, but if it's for a good friend, I will usually cave.

Challenge #2: Taking care of an infant who's adjusting to a different state, different climate, different time zone, and who has only met me once before.

Challenge #3: My own kiddo's reaction to having a baby in the house for an entire day, sharing my attention, and any other unforseeable reactions out of her.

Those of you that know me, know I love a good challenge, so of course, I said yes.

Liz's mom was nice enough to care for Lillian in the morning and dropped her off closer to 9 so I could sleep in a bit more. Kaleigh and I were both up by 8:30 and ready for the day.

Things couldn't have gone any better.

Right away, Lillian was greeted by kisses from my Kaleigh Bug:

Kaleigh was the best kid I could've asked for today. She sincerely welcomed Lillian into our home, gave her toys to play with, showed her how to play with things (like her stacker), was gentle, and played by herself quietly in the living room when I put Lillian down for her naps. She didn't fuss once the entire day.

Lillian was a great baby, too! She was so happy. She loved watching Kaleigh and would constantly reach out to her. I was quite impressed with how well they did together, given that neither one of them knew who the other was, and it could've been made a very awkward position for both.

I was extremely proud that I got them both to nap at the same time - Lillian went down, and Kaleigh went down 10 minutes after and they slept for an hour and a half.

Six o'clock came surprisingly fast, as both angels were smiling, giggling, and playing together like they'd known each other all their lives. I guess they're just meant to be BFF's!

Needless to say, I knew that today would be a challenge for me. I was nervous, excited, and anxious about it all week because I didn't know how things would play out. I didn't know if one kid would behave while the other one was a terror, or if both would be. I had low expectations which I think is why I'm still so surprised that it went so well.

Another thing that I knew today would teach me is whether or not we're ready for another baby. (And by "we," I mean "me"). I knew that even if Lillian was an angel and Kaleigh was an angel, it would still give me a very good idea of whether or not I'd feel up to having another, and, like I thought, I am definitely not ready for another yet. Granted, I know that if I were to get pregnant tomorrow, I'd have nine months to prepare, but I still don't think that's enough time for me personally.

Could I do it? Sure. Today taught me that Kaleigh will be an amazing older sister someday. I always knew she would be, but I didn't know if she'd understand this young (16 months) about sharing and all that fun stuff an older sibling gets to do once another baby joins the family.

Do I want to do it? Not yet. While I sat and played with both girls today, I kept feeling bad for Kaleigh since she had to share me. Even as she smiled at Lillian and shared her toys, I almost felt sad FOR her. It was a very bizarre feeling. I kept telling her what an amazing job she was doing, and how much I loved her to reassure her .

One thing about Kaleigh and myself is that I get numerous comments on is how in tune we are with eachother. Alot of people will tell me that she understands and communicates with me extremely well.

For example: I will ask her if she wants oranges, and she will say "yes" and then proceed to go get her oranges out of the diaper bag. So not only is she understanding I'm asking her a question, but she truly understands what it means. It's been like this for about a month, maybe two. I will say "Kaleigh, be careful there's a step there." She will slow down, stop at the step, and wait for me to get there, hold her hand out and say "help."

My other moms that I hang out with who have toddlers the same age comment about this at least once a week. I don't know if it's because I've always made it a point to talk to Kaleigh about everything, point and label everything, or what, but I've always felt such a strong connection to her, as I'm sure is normal for any mom. I want to be able to talk to her about a baby sister or brother, and explain what it means and know that she fully grasps what's going on. I feel like it's only fair to her to know that there is a baby growing in mommy's tummy and to share the experience of being pregnant again with her, and celebrate her role of being a big sister so she understands it.

I have felt like this for a little while, but also would have moments where I'd think that having another baby soon would be nice, so I was about 50/50 of wanting to "try" again for another.

After tonight, though, I simply am not ready.

I talked with my husband about this, who, if he had it his way, would have me be pregnant now already. Surprisingly, he agreed with no argument, which I love.

We also decided to wait until Spring to add our second story onto our house, since we won't be trying for another baby soon, which is a relief. Originally we wanted to build in September, but permits took longer than we thought, and now we'd be building in the pouring rain which could cause sheet rock damage, so we're not going to chance it.

So, all in all, today was a great day for me. I got my Lillian and Liz fix, decisions were made, and I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders because I know I'm making two right decisions for our family.

We most likely won't be "trying" for another baby until Spring at earliest, but I'd be perfectly happy with waiting until she's 2. Originally, we were thinking Winter/New Year, so I can actually rest easy now!

Good night!