A challenging day

Abigail was a little challenging today.

First, she wanted nothing to do with her breakfast. So we caved and finally set the plate on the coffee table desperate to get her to eat something to start off her day.

Then, I ran an errand with a friend this morning so daddy took Abby to the park. When they returned home, she was refusing to lay down for her nap, constantly claiming she needed to potty. But she'd sit there forever and nothing would happen. I think someone was delaying her nap on purpose ;).

After sleeping for a solid three hours, she woke up very emotional. She couldn't seem to pull it together. She even passed out from crying so hard because mean-old-mommy put clothes on her! After that whole ordeal, we went to the beach and had a great couple of hours.

When we got home a little later, she again decided that she wasn't going to eat dinner. We ended up showering and relaxing later, and that was wonderful. We also got to video chat with my sister, which was great.  But the poor girl decided to cry when I said it was time for bed (which is very unusual for her). Honestly, I considered bringing her into my bed and letting her sleep with me. We never do that, but it was awfully tempting! But I was in so much pain & I haven't been sleeping well, so I needed to get her down so that I could relax and try to feel some relief. 

Days like these can be challenging, but they also remind me of how great I have it most days. These days are rare for us. We are extremely Blessed to have a happy and pretty easy-going kiddo. She's always very strong-willed and can be a bit stubborn, but I wouldn't change that for the world. I think she's going to grow up to do great things and I'm excited to watch with pride. 

Oh, and did I mention that tonight was the second night in a row that as I'm walking out of her room at bedtime, I've overheard her saying, "thank you Jesus." MELTS MY HEART! How precious is that?! I must be doing something right :).

My payment

It's 3am and I am unable to sleep. I'm uncomfortable, my back hurts, and my heartburn is really acting up...pregnancy sure can be glamorous ;).

I read an article a bit ago about stay-at-home mom's and their "worth." It talked about how a lot of stay-at-home mom's feel the need to compare their days and hours to day cares and such to show "the money they are saving them and how valuable their time is."

It got me thinking...isn't my time at home with Abigail payment in itself? Getting to be there when she says each new word or phrase, being there hug and kiss her when she feels pride in achieving something that she feels is worth celebrating, and being her rock for when she's needing a little extra TLC. There's timess where out of nowhere, for no apparant reason, all she wants is to snuggle on my lap. Although I know Dan loves his job, I also know that he would kill to have some of these special moments with her. Time is something we can never get back. As each moment passes, we're all getting older and we can only look back on the memories we've made. I am so grateful that I'm able to stay at home at this point in our life and raise our daughter. Being her "person" in life right now is worth more to me than any amount of money.

I love my little girl :)

Shoutout to my Folks :)

Today is one of those days that I'm feeling extra thankful. 

I am so grateful to have two parents in my life that have always taught me to stay positive, stay strong, and to do everything with optimism, love, and a joyful attitude. My parents have been extremely supportive of my life and I am so grateful for that. 

When I wanted to pursue something in school, they supported me. When I wanted to get a new job, they were happy for me. When I got married, they made sure to make that one of the best days of my life. And when I had Abigail, they were her biggest fans and made me feel so proud of what I had created and accomplished. They still make me feel like I'm a great mother and wife, and their validation means so much to me. Having their support with this pregnancy has been a Blessing, too. I love that they trust in Dan and I to make our own decisions, and are there beside us if we ever need them. I'm so thankful to have grown up in a stable household with a family that loved and supported me in each stage of life. They are still this way with both my sister and I. Having role models like that in life sure makes being a mother easier. If Abigail and Isabelle grow up respecting and adoring me half as much as I do my own mother, I will be so happy.

Not only are they great parents, they are wonderful grandparents. Abigail loves them so much, and I know Isabelle will too :). Whether it's a quick "hello" on FaceTime, or a visit to their house...she loves her time with Mimi and Grandpa. 

Knowing that they moved up to Washington to be closer to Lindsay (my sister) and I gives me such comfort in day-to-day things. There such a safety and reassurance for me in having my parents close by. Living in a separate state from them for four years was tough for me! I'm not at all ashamed to say that I rely on seeing my parents often. 

So mom and dad....I can't thank you enough for being my biggest cheerleaders through life. You are both so amazing and I'm so happy to have you as my parents and friends! I love you so much more than I could ever begin to explain.

(Sorry this was so jumbled and if it seems as though I'm rambling. I'm tired and am battling a headache tonight...but I felt the need to get out what was going through my head) :)