The business of parenting; what I have learned thus far.

What does it mean to be a parent? Does it mean to provide shelter, clothing, food? At the very least. Does it extend to love and protection? Of course. Even further, does it require patience, understanding, and acts of selflessness? Hopefully so.
True parenting requires each of these and much, much more. Your child should be your number one priority. That isn't to say you shouldn't take care of yourself too, for in doing so you also take care of your child. And that isn't to say that the needs of your spouse should be put aside, for that would do your child no good. What I mean to say is that children are in the greatest need of care at any moment. Their aches and pains, misgivings, boredoms, and tantrums are unscheduled and require the utmost attention and in a reasonable amount of time. Their schedule for learning is well, quite disorganized. You must be able to put everything aside at the drop of a hat when you become a parent. This makes your child your number one priority. It is not a job for the uptight, the rigid, or the self pleasing.
This is what I have learned about parenting over the past 8 months.

Cough, Cough, Sniff, Sniff

There should be a natural law that babies are never sick. Little Jareth has been puny all week. Bless his heart, he has been coughing so hard he gags. He isn't sleeping well which means mommy and daddy aren't sleeping well and he isn't very interested in eating. It makes me feel helpless not to be able to make him feel better. I worried so much over him while he was in my tummy and now it seems that it was the safest place for him to be. So now I can only hold him close and hope he feels better soon.

Our Family Vacation

We just took our first family vacation! We went on a cruise to Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. It was so much fun. Jareth was wonderful. I didn't know what to expect with him but he was a champ. Everyone we came in contact with gushed over how good he was. He was a perfect angel.

My uncle, aunt, and their two kiddos came with us along with Jon's brother and sister-in-law. So we had plenty of help with Jareth and both sides took him for a little while so that we had a break. That was super nice.

We sailed on the Carnival Fantasy May 3rd-8th. We visited Cozumel on Cinco de Mayo. Instead of doing an excursion via Carvival we got a taxi to Paradise beach. At the beach we rented some chairs and pretty much just relaxed all day. We found a hammock in the shade, ate yummy guacamole, had delicious drinks, and played in the water. The next day we were in Playa del Carmen. We got day passes to Playacar Palace, an all inclusive resort right on the beach. It was beautiful! Jon and I went to Moon Palace on our honeymoon so we were excited to visit one of their sister resorts. Nora was our server while we were there. She ran back and forth for us all day long. The resort had a beautiful fresh water pool which was very much appreciated since the pool on the ship was saltwater. It was right on the beach and the water was gorgeous. I did a little snorkleing and brought back some shells and coral. It was our favorite day. Jareth loved the water. He had a little float to sit in and he loved splashing.

The planned activities on the ship were quite lacking. They had bingo and trivia games but there were so many people playing that the odds of winning were very low. They also had random contests each day which were fun but they pre picked the contestents. So, if you wanted to play you just had to be at the right place at the right time. We did have some fun in the casino. But of course thats because we won about $200! I used half to get a massage and facial. It was bliss. We also went to one of the variety shows. They did a Beatles tribute. The music was good. Jareth went with us and was in awe of the bright colors, lights, and music. Another night we went to the comedy show. It was hilarious, vulgar, but hilarious!

Overall we had a great time. And I am so glad we took Jareth with us. He did great and he really made the trip even more enjoyable. We can't wait to do another cruise! Greece anyone?

*Inspired*

I have met many amazing women through my Thirty-One business. Thirty-One itself is made up of a wonderful community of women who have been so helpful and encouraging in starting my own business. They have given me such great advice and help and they have uplifted me so much in such a short amount of time. I have also gotten to know some really inspiring women at the parties I have held. The women I have met are from all different walks of life. The one thing they have in common is their active lifestyles and their nature to give back. Each of these women have a cause. From walking for alzheimers, to leading youth groups, to taking care of children with special needs, to forming bicycling and hiking groups, to fundraising for Susan G. Komen, these women are involved. They have insipred me to take a look at my life and see where I can give back and how I can be more active. I haven't found exactly what my calling will be, but I am actively searching. I want to thank Thirty-One for giving me such a gateway into the lives of such amazing women.

Six Months Old!!

Jareth has been here half a year. Man, does time fly by! "It seems like yesterday" that we were bringing him home and all he could do was poop, pee, cry, and eat. But not anymore! He is doing so much now. On the day of his half birthday he decided it was time to sit-up. But that wasn't good enough. He reached several milestones that week. He learned how to stand while holding on to something and he can now clap! He LOVES to play Pat-a-Cake. And apparently he also enjoys hitting the keyboard as you can see below. Well, I would write more but Jareth isn't having it.
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Where do we belong?

Jon and I have been struggling for several months over where we want to plant our roots. We have loved Knoxville and it has been our home for seven years. It is hard to imagine living elsewhere. But because we have started a family we are worried about not being closer to our relatives. Jon was born in and grew up in Athens. I also lived there for several years. Both of our parents are there along with my siblings. We visit Athens often but we miss out on a lot that goes on. Jareth doesn't get to see his grandparents as often as we would like and since my sister also has kids we would like him to be close with his cousins. Now on the flip side, as I said, we love Knoxville. The city feels like our home. We love that there is so much to do here and it has a lot of the perks of a big city yet it's not a big city and there is a real sense of community here. Also, Jon's job is here and he would have a 45 minute commute if we moved to Athens. If we moved to Athens it wouldn't be for the town. It would be for the people living there. And if we stay in Knoxville it would be more for the city. We have some amazing friends here but we don't see them as often as we would like due to conflicting schedules and since we don't have babysitters ($$$) we don't do as much as we would like. However, in Athens we would have babysitters so we would be able to come to Knoxville to visit with friends. Then there is the issue of church. We have been going to a new church for several months now and we really enjoy it. It has a great children's program, great missions, and we have made friends there. I would hate to leave it. I don't know if we could find the same thing in Athens. But I haven't really done my research.
So what do we do? There are many other things to consider but the main things are Family, Church, and Work. Possibly in that order.
We have decided however that regardless of where we are we want out of our mortgage. We have enjoyed our first home but we have found that owning is highly overrated. At least for now. We do well. We pay all of our bills on time and have minimal debt. Each paycheck puts a little money into savings and we always have a little extra spending money left over. But since I am staying home for the next few years we know it will be increasingly harder for us to go on the vacations we want, enjoy nice cars, and buy the things we want. So we have decided the best thing for us is to rent until I am working again and we can buy/build the house we want. Athens would be more affordable to do this. There are more affordable options there. But I think as long as we can forego some luxuries we can make it work in Knoxville too.
Sooooo much to think about! It really should be easier than this. Lord, tell us what to do! I think I need to put it in His hands or we will never make a decision. I can't think anymore. : )

My Big Boy!

Jareth is almost 6 months old and it shows! He is getting so big. And he is doing so much now. He rolls back and forth, reaches and grasps his toys, "talks" all the time, is trying to sit up, can put his weight on his legs, holds his own bottle, and oh so much more. He loves eating his baby food and loves trying to drink from a cup. Best of all, he has such a good temperment. He is always happy and wears the biggest gummy grin. Everyone just adores him. We are so blessed!!

An Awesome Thursday

Yesterday was beautiful. The sun was out and shining brilliantly, there was no laundry or dishes to do, Jareth was in a fantastic mood, and I had a Thirty-One party that night at a friend's house. After piddling around the house for a while Jareth and I met daddy for lunch. We went to one of my favorite places in Knoxville, Nama!!! They have the best sushi I have ever had. After lunch I took Jareth to the park where we took a walk and then spread out a blanket in the shade. Jareth ran his fingers across the grass and took a little nap. Afterward I took him on another stroller ride and then we went home. Once home Jareth decided to take an extra long nap so mommy took an extra long bath. He slept until daddy got home and woke him up by peeking at him on the bed. Once he was up it was daddy's turn to take care of him while I went and did a Thirty-One party. It was an awesome party! The ladies were so much fun and my friend Heather was a great hostess. I made well over $100 in just a few hours. It's going to be a great month for my thirty-one business. I have seven parties booked! I could make our mortgage payment!
It was a very nice and successful day for being a Thursday. Life is golden!

If I Had a Million Dollars

Who hasn't fantasized about what they would do with $100,000,000? I know I have many times. But over the years my ideas of what I would do with that money have drastically changed. I used to imagine a beachfront mansion, designer clothes, and lambos before I knew or understood how much a million is really worth. Now I imagine a five bedroom, four bath, Colonial home with a wrap around porch surrounded by a couple of acres backed up to the woods. I envision a Saturday sitting on the porch swing with Jack under my feet, Jareth playing in the dirt with one of his cousins or godbrother, and Jon snoring in a rocking chair. Security, safety, and stress free. Not too far from the city but a retreat for Jon and a sanctuary for me. Wide open space for July 4th bbqs and just enough room for overnight guests. Simple and beautiful. So if anyone would like to hand over the cash I have it all planned out ; )

Big Fat Negative

I was almost three weeks late so I went to the drugstore to buy a pregnancy test. I had been putting it off because I figured my hormones were still out of whack from being pregnant with Jareth. But after a while Jon and I figured we better check to make sure. I had to get the girl at the register to get the test for me from behind the counter. When she handed to me she said good luck. I just smiled. Then she said she didn't have any kids and didn't want any, any time soon. I told her I had a five month old. She said something to the effect of "Oh man, are you going to cry if it's positive?" I thought about it for a second and said that I wouldn't.
On the way home I thought about her question. Jon and I of course weren't trying for another baby and if given the choice we would wait a few years but I don't think I would be sad if the test were positive. I remembered what it felt like when I saw my first positive pregnancy test. I was ecstatic. Then we lost that baby and I was beside myself with saddness. The second time I had a positive test was with Jareth and I was riddled with anxiety, afraid we would lose him. So, no I wouldn't cry if I had a positive result. I would be happy, nervous, but happy.
When I got home I found Jon snuggled up in the bed with Jareth taking a nap thus confirming my decision. I woke up Jon and let him know that I was about to take the test. He made me promise not to look at the result without him. Three minutes later it was negative.
That same day I made an appointment with my drs office to get back on birth control. Although a new baby would have been welcomed, I wasn't exactly ready to be pregnant again. As far as birth control goes, we have decided to do the Mirena IUD. It lasts for five years. That gives us plenty of time to prepare for another baby and give Jareth all the attention we want. And if we decide to have a baby sooner it can easily be removed. So, we remain a family of three for now....and for several years to come. Besides I don't think Jack could handle another baby right now. : )