lately

Lately, my days have been settling into a semblance of normal. We have a bit of a rhythm going, and it's like this:

Wake to a delightful little one's smiles promptly at 6:45. Or 6. Or 5. Or 8am, on that blessed day called Monday (thank you, Lord).

Change the little guy into daytime clothes and plunk him in the pack and play while I feed the cat, empty the dehumidifier, and make breakfast and Brad's lunch.

After we eat breakfast, Brad heads off to work, and Joshie has a nap while I have a shower. At least, the shower part is a goal! The nap is usually only about 30-45 minutes long. Sometimes Joshua refuses to sleep and we just wait it out until nap #2, at about 11 or 11:30.

Morning play time sometimes means we head outside, or that I put Josh in the Ergo carrier on my back while I throw a load of laundry in. Sometimes it means all I can handle is turning on something classical on Youtube while the baby plays with blocks on the floor and pulls the cat's tail. And fur. And whiskers. And ears. Oscar is such a tolerant, lovey cat.

The midday nap is often the "long" nap. Long for this baby means about 1.5 hours, usually interrupted halfway through. He likes to know I'm still there...I think! The long nap means I get to rest, myself, and enjoy some quiet lunch time.

Afternoons consist of more play time for Joshua, which means I'm often holding his little hands to help him walk, carrying him all over (hefty 20lb load, mind you), and keeping him from crawling over to electrical cords and teething on Daddy's shoes. Sometimes I'm able to fit in some crunches on the floor while he's playing, or I can pay a couple bills online, or write part of an email. Sometimes I'm able to snap some pictures of him and continue to slowly learn about shooting in manual mode.

Sometimes the baby will nap at about 4, especially if the midday nap was short. This is also a short nap, since he goes to bed at 6:45 or 7. Having him asleep by 7:30 is the hard-and-fast bedtime, but he's often tired enough to be asleep by 6:45.

Then, I blog. If I have the energy. And sometimes, a blog post (like this one) takes days to complete.

But I need to do this. I need to have time where I do something normal and fulfilling for me. More than just taking a shower, but taking time to be creative, to decorate, to write, to think, to read. Introverted, expressive, thought-filled me needs this.

Whew.

And then I catch what sleep I can during the wakeful night. And count my many blessings. This, my friends, is my "schedule."

beauty and pain

these red beauties are mine! my husband gave them to me to celebrate our 1/2 year wedding anniversary...he's so sweet to me.

this would be an example of me having fun with a camera. i also discovered that i hate kodak easyshare cameras - it's incredibly difficult to get a good, clear macro with realistic color.

today i have the worst headache i've had in a long time. it was one of those that you wake up with, that's just a dull ache for a while. after lunch, it got so much worse! i took extra meds, took a nap, and i feel a bit better now. i'm hoping it's gone for when we head out to dinner tonight.

the roses my husband gave me for our 6-months-of-married-bliss celebration are still gorgeous, but have just a hint of dark red around the edges. i know it won't be long before they're past, but i like them! i'm enjoying that little bit of beauty in my home. my husband loves me, and i'm so very grateful. he just kissed me...so sweet.

most of our friends should be back in town tonight, since the semester starts up again on tuesday. i'm excited to reconnect! it should be good.

i've agreed to plan and lead the music for our church's womens' retreat in mid-february. it should be pretty low-key (haha), just me and a friend of mine who plays the guitar. i think i even have the retreat cost covered, which is a mini-miracle, since we have very limited funds right now. it's pretty stressful.

the hubby's car broke down a few weeks ago, and my father in law (mechanic with pretty sweet skills for fixing stuff) took it to see if he could figure out the issue. bottom line is apparently that the car can't be fixed for less than it's worth, and we're turning in the plates. we need another car really fast... my husband's school schedule and my work schedule don't really mesh so well this semester. we're not sure what we're going to do, but somehow, i know God will help us through.

we're here for a reason. we have to be. there's no other way.

and i know it's for our good.

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." ~1 corinthians 15:57