I haven't posted in a really long time lol. A lot of those months were chaos while taking care of two children, going to school full time, and teaching full time. I new that internship time was crazy... I just hadn't been told how crazy it would be with two very small children.

But... that time has come and gone with me earning straight A's. I graduated and received my bachelor's degree in elementary education with almost straight A's. And now, I'm just spending my time subbing, and looking for a job.

Today is my two year anniversary. Two years ago today, I met my mother in law and sister in law for the first time. I couldn't stop giggling because my husband blew out the unity candle instead of his own candle. We got crazy drunk, and galavanted all over Las Vegas. Sometimes, I really really miss Las Vegas. I get a very strong urge to start planning a trip there. I remember when we were listening to a time share thing so that we could get free tickets. The guy that was trying to sell us a time share told us that people usually only go to Las Vegas one time in their life. I asked him why? He said that once they go, sure they have fun, but there isn't any reason to go back because they can basically mark it off of their list of things they want to do. I think I'm different. Forever, Las Vegas will always be special to me. I will go there again someday.

I can't explain myself very well when it comes to things like that. Memories are so important to me, which then makes places where those memories happen very important to me. Especially when it was very happy for me.

My husband is in the process of becoming sober. He's been sick for days now. Don't get me wrong, but part of me is sad for one reason. If he is truly serious about being sober, that means no more drinking together. I'm not one for drinking but I have really happy silly memories where we both have had a lot of fun on nights out drinking. Playing pool, laughing like crazy, and even crazy drunk uninhibited sex lol. Some of my happy memories. I will always enjoy those memories.

I hold some things so dear even though its from the past that sometimes I have to go revisit it just to calm my head. I'm not sure what it's about. OCD? Sometimes it feels like it. Like yesterday, I had the urge to go and see the trailer that we use to live in. The first place that Aaron and I lived together, the place where I got pregnant before we even had a bed, the stupid speed bumps that gave me contractions in the last part of my pregnancy, and the home where we brought our new born baby. I drove by it, and had the biggest urge to stop and go inside. It doesn't look like anyone lives there, but of course I didn't stop and go instead because that would break the law and I don't do that.

I have that urge for other places too. Every time I drive by certain streets I look down the road at certain houses even though the people don't live there anymore. I go to certain websites to look at and read things that hold some of my past. And for the life of me, I don't know why I do that.... sometimes it really irritates me too.

There are other things that should be important to me but aren't. The place we lived and found out that I was pregnant with Emily and brought her home to. I don't have any urge to go there. If I drive past that street, I don't look. I won't lie... that was not a very good time in my life. In fact it was stressful, and I hated much of what went on during that time. Maybe that's why that house doesn't mean anything to me.

Anyway, I find myself sitting here on my anniversary night alone because Aaron is working, and wishing that instead we were in Las Vegas making another memory for me to treasure.

So far so good!

Resolution #1 - Lose Weight

Today, I did day two of sparkpeople.com's 28 day bootcamp, and I did another 1.4 mile walk. Still trying to work on making good choices when eating, but, hey, it's still day two!


Resolution #2 - Graduation

I haven't done anything for this yet because I'm one of the lucky few who didn't get registered before the break. Some of my classmates are freaking out because they've been registered and they've already taken a look at the workload in the class. I'm jealous because I can't see the class, but I'm worried because they're freaking out and... I can't see what they see. Hopefully tomorrow I'm registered and Tuesday the class will pop up for me.


Resolution #3 - Financial Organization

I've been looking at different things that should make up a budget but I haven't actually worked on it yet.


Resoluation #4 - Organization

I folded clothes today. It doesn't really sound like organization but I'm counting it. First, we have one dresser and ALOT of clothes so I'm trying to find places for clothing while it's getting washed (or rewashed in some cases).


Resolution #5 - AJ and Emily

AJ and I went to the dollar store today to get Emily some diapers, and then I took him on my walk with me. I know he enjoys getting out of the house, even if it's just for a walk, and he was having a blast sitting in the stroller for our 30 minute walk.

Emily took a very long nap today. I think it's because she's always getting interrupted during her nap and also both kids were awake at 4 am.

Resolutions

New year, new blog title! I had to figure out a way to include Emily in the title.

The mandatory New Years resolution post. I've decided to make a resolution for different areas of my life to make sure that I'm working on bettering myself all around.

1st - I want to lose weight. My goal is to lose one pound a week, and to make sure that I am exercising at least 3 days out of the week. I started today with a sparkspeople 28 day bootcamp video, and a 1.4 mile walk.

2nd - I want to graduate in May, and then have a teaching job in August. I don't really know what goals to set for this other than to do my absolute best during internship.

3rd - I want us to be financial organized. I need to make a budget, and then we need to stick with it. That also includes saving. My goal for the first six months of the year will be to save at least $50 - $100 a month. It'll basically be all we can afford while I'm interning. I'll reevalute it as needed, but definitely by August when I'll hopefully have a job.

4th - Organization. I need to go through our things in the storage unit and here and get rid of what isn't needed and organize the rest.

5th - My kids. The order of the list isn't in order of importance. I want to make sure that I'm do whats right for my children. I'm already doing this but I want to keep doing this. With school being so demanding and just trying to survive on our tiny income, I start to feel like I'm not doing what I should for them. I can say that this is what I need to do to make sure they have a good future, but instead I'm going to stop what I'm doing and read a book or play with them. I also want to make sure that I keep up with this blog for the sole purpose it was made... to make sure that I have memories written and pictures taken for them to look back on when their older. So that being said.... a picture of each of my babies on the first day of 2011:

Emily had her one month check-up today! She now weighs 9 pounds 2 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long. She's gained a lot of weight for two weeks, and the doctor is happy with her progress. I think I'm the happiest because I know that I made her gain that weight. I was so worried that we were going to be wrong about the birth control drying up my milk last time and that it would happen this time. I still want to get past 12 weeks because thats when I really knew it was time to give AJ formula, but I'm feeling more hopefully that I will be able to make it to at least 6 months and then hopefully a year.

Anyway here is my progress so far in the Day Zero Project:

1. Take my vitamin every day for three months (3/90)
2. Graduate with my bachelor’s degree
3. Lose 25 pounds (0/25)
4. Go through the closets (0/4)
5. Make sure the house is spotless before bed every day for a week (0/7)
6. Finish three of my WIPs (0/3)
7. Save $1.00 a day for 1001 days (3/1001)
8. Watch every episode of House (Season 1 - 3/22)
9. Finish this list
10. Buy one scratch off ticket every week for a year (0/52)

I found House Season One full length episodes at http://www.free-tv-video-online.info/internet/house/season_1.html. If you go there, make sure to use megavideo, and if it won't let you then novamov. I don't know that the other ones are safe, and I know that those two usually work.

Day One

Day One of 1001

So far I have 60 items on my list, and I have decided to work on these ones right now. It doesn't mean that I can't complete other ones, but I want to make an effort to work on these:

1. Buy one scratch off ticket every week for a year (0/52)
2. Finish this list
3. Save $1.00 a day for 1001 days (1/1001)
4. Finish three of my WIPs (0/3)
5. Make sure the house is spotless before bed every day for a week (0/7)
6. Go through the closets (0/4)
7. Take my vitamin every day for three months (1/90)
8. Lose 25 pounds (0/25)
9. Graduate with my bachelor’s degree

Day Zero

Emily was born on May 23. My dr decided to induce me on the 22nd after an ultrasound showed low amniotic fluid levels. The induction wasn't too bad this time. He used the foley method to start and then I was on pitocin. I elected to get the epidural but everything went so quickly that the epidural didn't even kick in before she was born.

She was 7 pounds 9 ounces and 19.25 inches long. She's absolutely perfect!

I'm really happy that I went through a whole pregnancy without finding out the sex. It was really hard, but very rewarding at the end, especially because she's a girl! I had a lot of people say right after that it's so great I have a boy and a girl, now I can be done. I really don't think I'm done yet. I definitely don't want another one until Emily is older than AJ is now. I think it would be great to wait until she is at least 3 before we start trying, so that would make her at the late end of 3 or maybe 4 depending on when I would get pregnant. Of course I don't know all of the details right now, but I know that as of this point, I'm not done.

So, I've decided to do this thing called Day Zero. You make a list of 101 things that you want to complete in 1001 days. I've made about half of my list so far:

1. Graduate with my bachelor’s degree
2. Take the Pro Ed exam
3. Take the Subject Area exam
4. Get certification to teach
5. Go one full semester without waiting until the last minute to do an assignment (0/16)
6. Join a gym
7. Exercise three to four days a week for a month (0/12)
8. Lose 25 pounds (0/25)
9. Make and take my lunch to work every day for a full month (0/30)
10. Replace 2 cans of soda with water every day for a month (0/30)
11. Take a walk everyday for a month (0/30)
12. Go without soda for a full week (0/7)
13. Go without soda for a full month (0/30)
14. No candy/chocolate/sweets for a full week (0/7)
15. No candy/chocolate/sweets for a full month (0/30)
16. Go to bed before midnight for one full week (0/7)
17. Get CPR certification
18. Donate 1 gallon of blood (0/8)
19. Take my vitamin every day for three months (1/90)
20. Buy a filing cabinet
21. Create a system for my bills and paperwork
22. Organize AJs toys
23. Go through the closets (0/4)
24. Make sure the house is spotless before bed every day for a week (0/7)
25. Don’t eat out for a month (0/30)
26. Potty train AJ
27. Change all of our light bulbs to energy saving
28. Eat dinner as a family at our table
29. Frame our family pictures and hang them
30. Finish three of my WIPs
31. Design and make my own graduation announcements
32. Make something for AJ
33. Make something for Emily
34. Donate one skien of squares to One Square at a Time Charity - http://onesquareatatime.wetpaint.com/
35. Learn to knit
36. Save $1.00 a day for 1001 days (0/1001)
37. Develop a budget
38. Find a new author that I like
39. Visit Aaron’s family
40. Go on a vacation with my family for at least 3 days
41. Watch every episode of House
42. Watch 15 movies that I have never seen recommended to me (0/15)
43. Go 24 hours without having the TV on
44. Go on one date night a month starting in September 2010
45. Go to a Redwings hockey game with Aaron
46. Finish this list
47. Get a new piercing or tattoo
48. Don’t go on Facebook for 24 hours
49. Get up to the alarm without hitting snooze 50 times (0/50)
50. Sleep without an alarm 50 times (0/50)
51. Go fruit picking with AJ
52. See a play
53. Make homemade bagels
54. Write from www.creativewritingprompts.com 20 times (0/20)
55. Build a blanket fort with AJ
56. Donate $5 for every task not completed after day 1001

It's been about two months since I last posted. I guess I haven't really felt like posting. I think about it, and I sign in to see the other blogs on my list, and even those ones seem to be slowing down.

What's new with me?
I have 18 days left until my due date, and I've had quite a bit of people tell me they don't think I'll last.
I've enjoyed two weeks off of school. I got 5 A's my last semester! The next semester starts on Monday and the first of my classes just showed up so I'll be starting that very soon. I need to make sure that I'm always one step ahead so that when the baby comes I'm not going to be too stressed about it.
I've been crocheting a lot. Right now I'm working on an Elvis blanket for Aaron's birthday. I hope it will be done by then, but I haven't had much motivation to work on it. I'm also working on a newborn dress, bootie, and headband set. I'm in a "babyshower" for my online group and I have to send my partner her present very soon. She's having a little girl. I hope she likes it. So far I've got the headband and both booties done, and I'm working on the dress. If I have enough yarn left I might make a pair of bloomers, but I have to send it out soon because her due date is coming up. I think I have like a week left before the deadline.
I just started working on my baby's things last night. I got the bassinet all cleaned and set up... and that's about it so far. I'm not too worried about getting it done, it will get done eventually... even if that means waiting for the baby to get here.


What's up with AJ?

He's a full blown two year old. He can't talk but think he can so there is a huge meltdown if you don't understand him.
He's rough and tumble with daddy, and tones it way down for me.
He has started to greet me when I come home from work. He comes running at me full speed jumping and yelling, "Momma, HOME" and I can't help but smile everytime he does it because it is just too darn cute.
He freaks out when I try to leave. He even says bye to daddy and tries to walk out of the door with me, but when I have to shut the door I hear him scream and cry. That makes me feel bad, and I'm so glad I don't have to deal with that in the morning because he's still sleeping when I leave.


I'm feeling lazy, and I don't want to get up to get the camera, but I have some pictures to post later.