"It's been a while...are you sure you remember how to do this?"
Those were the exact words my husband said as he watched me sit here with a blinking cursor trying to figure out what to write.
Actually I have MANY things going on in my life in the last few months that are worthy of a blog post.
I have sat down at the computer probably 50 times, started, deleted, saved, and restarted post after post, but none of them make it to "publish."
I'm not really sure why.
So until I figure it all out, here are a few things going on around the Weber Haus.
As predicted Jackie is a moving machine. It didn't take her very long to figure out the army crawl and today there's not a barbed wire she couldn't crawl under. At 7 months she is standing, bouncing, and scooting herself all over the house. She's working hard at learning to stand on her own and moving those feet in a walking motion (with mama, daddy, or grandpa holding her hands). She is enjoying playing and exploring all around the house. But she doesn't get to go everywhere she wants, the baby gate is up and functioning keeping her off the stairs!
I finished coaching volleyball and for the first time in my teaching career I didn't follow it up with basketball. I went into the gym on the first day of basketball practice. It took me over 15 minutes to actually work up the courage. I was scared. Would I walk in there and realize that I made a huge mistake? But I needed to. I needed to find out if I was really ready to be done with it. I was. I walked in the gym and saw basketballs pounding on the ground and coach hollering "keep your eyes up," and I had a feeling of relief. I didn't have to be there. Not that I ever felt like I HAD to be there, I loved it while I did it. I'm just happy to be enjoying all the changes in my life!
Coaching, teaching, and being a mom was a HUGE transition and at times I felt like I was failing at all three. I was excited for the volleyball season to be over so I could enjoy afternoons with my baby and a day of work without an email from the athletic director. I'm finally finding the time to make new lesson plans and change things up in my classroom like I wanted to do at the beginning. My house is cleaner and I am working on trying to be more organized and tidy. I keep thinking and praying on what to do next year. I keep coming back to an article my husband told me about that describes how people are as busy as they make themselves. They decide to do this and that and everything and then complain about their busy lives. I don't want that kind of life, at least not yet. I don't want to get home at 9:30 at night, exhausted, and realize that I still have dishes to do and laundry to fold. However, on the flip side, I love coaching and the connection I make with the players. There's no greater feeling for a coach than to see his/her players improving, succeeding, and achieving goals, and I'm not sure I'm ready to give up that feeling yet.
I finished breastfeeding for baby number one. It was a sad, but necessary transition. I simply was losing my supply of milk and she wasn't getting enough food from me. We had already introduced some formula at daycare and night time, so luckily the transition for Jackie was a smooth one. I am doing fine with the decision as well, I wish I could have done it longer, but so many factors can affect a mother's milk. I gave my baby what I could for 6 and 1/2 months. She's happy and healthy. We're happy and healthy. It was a good move.
We made an unexpected purchase last weekend. A new vehicle. This was a big decision for us and it was one that weren't planning on making for the next year or so. However, when we took the truck in to get the oil changed it was discovered that we were going to need new tires, new brakes, and a new windshield. So it became apparent that we were either going to put a sizable amount of money into the truck and keep it longer than we planned or start looking for a new vehicle earlier than we planned. Well, turns out new Durangos with hail damage and an excellent interest rate make for a deal that we didn't want to turn down. That is hopefully the last vehicle we buy for a looooooong time!
The most recent purchase has many positive side effects, one of those was our budget. Not that it got better, it didn't. But what did get better was our knowledge of the budget. When it became obvious that we were going to be getting the Durango we went home and sat down that night looked at all our bank statements, credit card payments, and spending habits to find where exactly all our money goes each month. This was VERY good for us. We set up goals and limits and I even get an "allowance." Sounds juvenile, I know, but I am very happy for some "guilt-free" spending each month. It's funny how a major purchase can make me feel better about money.
Our baby is 7 months old. 7 MONTHS! I just got used to telling people she's 6th months, now I have to try to remember 7. I know so many people say "enjoy them when they're small" and I do. I love the stage she's at right now, but I don't wish for her to stay this way. I don't want to go back to when she was just born and SO TINY and I don't wish for her to be 5 or 6 years old yet. I look forward to each stage of her life (except the teen years...I'll be looking for volunteers then!). I can't wait till she's walking and talking and running all around here, but I'm enjoying the nightly cuddles and big smiles she gives me everyday!
