Potty Training

Day 2 of potty training...getting a little better.  Yesterday I just let her run around bare bottomed and she did very well, she even pooped once in her potty and then told me "Mommy I went potty" and pointed to it and said "it's dirty".  Sure enough it was poop!  Today I bought her some panties and after washing them we tried a pair out tonight.  She did very well.  The only problem we are really having with her is she wants to take them off and leave them off.  So, we are having to teach her that they need to stay on while she isn't using the potty.  So far though, she has been making it to her potty to go but I know there will be some messes in the near future.  This has been the most challenging thing we have experienced so far with her.  No complaints!  In a way, it is bittersweet to think that we won't be changing diapers soon.  

I'm back! This is a little long but hey, it's been 2 years!

Romans 5:1-4

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience: And patience experience; and experience, hope.

Welcome back! Ha! It's been a long time huh? So long that I don't think I could cover almost 2 years worth of life in one blog post so I will just sum it up. 

Most everyone knows what we have been through the past couple of years but I will write about it anyway because I want to be a testimony of Faith. Damon had lost his job a week after Hannah was born. He asked why and the only response he was given was that "they didn't have to give him a reason". How nice! We think it is because he had scheduled his vacation for Hannah's due date but as you know she was a week and a half early therefore he took his vacation then and they were wanting him back at work the next day. We assume they were angry over this and just let him go. This was August of 2009. He was blessed to get a new job within a week. Then the shop owner at his new job mistreated him a lot everyday and eventually Damon got tired of it and left (probably to avoid hurting the man). Well, months went by and despite Damon's efforts he just couldn't find a job. He finally decided to take his G.E.D. to increase his chances and he passed. 

In the meantime, I go to work one day in March of 2010 and get called to meet with the bosses only to find out I am being laid off. The company I worked for was on the decline and had already laid off 4 employees the previous 2 years and laid off 3 or 4 more after me. This was a huge blow because here we are with one unemployed person, now both. The other bad thing is I was the one carrying medical insurance (which was paid for by my company). On a positive note, I was blessed to be spending more time with Hannah. I wanted to be home with her anyway so I saw it as an answered prayer but God has his own plans and timing, and sometimes it makes NO sense to us. Damon was finally blessed with a job right after Hannah's 1st birthday at Expert Tire in Gardendale in August of 2010. We were on the verge of losing our home but didn't, thank you Jesus! 

With me not working it was still a struggle. In February of 2011, we almost lost the only vehicle we had because we just couldn't afford it, we even put it up for sell to get out from under it. At the last minute, I'm talking the 11th hour, Damon goes to Limbaugh Toyota to try to trade it in but they couldn't finance us and after telling them our situation they offered to buy it for payoff! AND they offered him a job to boot! He was still working at Expert Tire  but his hours/pay ratio stunk so bad and he was never home, he even worked on Sundays. He was excited to be able to go back to working on Toyotas since that is where the majority of his experience came from. We were able to find a decent, used, one owner 1997 4-Runner and pay cash for it with our income tax refund (and we are LOVING not having a car payment, it is so freeing). 

This has been such a trying time but we have come out of it stronger and with more faith than we had before, which I'm sure was all God's plan. We were blessed to be able to have Hannah on Medicaid when needed and we were blessed to be eligible for food assistance when needed, but I tell ya, I am glad to be done with that assistance. It is not fun to go through and I hate to say it but people on Medicaid get treated differently, they do, Hannah was and I know because she started off on regular insurance and then with Medicaid it was like the doctor just didn't care as much. It is sad really. I am glad to be done with it. So now, after struggling for quite some time about what kind of job I wanted to be looking for, I have decided to follow my heart and go to school to be a Veterinarian Technician (which is the equivalent of a nurse, just lower pay). Anyone that truly knows me, knows my love of animals. I should have done this 5 years ago when my best friend Chrissy told me that the program is offered at JeffState. Hindsight! So, here I am, following my dreams, the ones that God placed in my heart from childhood. I pray that I can at least be an example to Hannah and any future children we may have. The good thing is most of my prerequisites are online so that helps a lot and I am currently looking for a job at a Vet because I have to have 360 hours of experience to be accepted into the Vet Tech program. I am so excited about this new adventure!

Well, Hannah had an awesome 2nd birthday at the Splash Pad. She really had a blast, everyone did! My Mom came to visit right after that in August and we had a great time! Hannah got to know her Grandma some more. Hannah is just amazing to me. She is my joy, literally, to see her smiling face when she wakes up every morning and to hear her say "Mommy, I love you", that is my definition of joy. She is talking up a storm these days, I couldn't begin to list the words that she can say and her pronunciation for the most part is very good, I think. We taught her to say "Roll Tide" just in time for football season and now whenever she sees an Alabama logo she says it. It's so cute! She is a typical 2 year old now, tantrums and all and she is working on potty training as we speak. She keeps me busy, that's for sure! She is also taking dance class now and she seems to love it so far. 

I'm going to try to keep this blog updated now. Funny thing is, I had forgotten about it and after losing my job I didn't have access to a computer for a while but my mother in law was kind enough to give us her laptop so that I can do my schooling since she didn't need it anymore. I was reading my Computer class textbook about different kinds of websites and when I was reading about "blogs" I thought "I need to start mine back". So here it is.

HANNAH - 4 1/2 MONTHS

Well Miss Hannah is 4 months 2 weeks old now. She had her 4 month checkup last week. She weighed 15lbs 8oz and 24" long. She got her 2nd round of vaccinations and did okay, she cried a little with the one that burns going in. She also ran a fever this time after receiving the shots but that is normal. She is growing way too fast for me, she isn't the tiny newborn anymore. She is so sweet and happy, we feel so blessed to have her. Her hair is starting to grow in good, yay! I can't wait to brush it and put pretty bows in it! She is starting to make all kind of little noises and sounds and she is really starting to grab things with both hands now (and wants to put everything she grabs in her mouth). She is working on trying to sit up, it is so funny to watch her try to pull herself up while grunting. When we pull her up to a sitting position she looks around like she is plotting on what she will be getting into later. I need to give her more tummy time than I do, I always forget that part. She has also started rolling from her stomache to her back when she wakes up sometimes. It is just amazing to watch a new life unfold!

12 Weeks

Hannah Grace is now 12 weeks old! Wow! She is starting to be "vocal" and we have "conversations" now. It is just babble but it makes us both smile :). She can almost sign to me that she is hungry, I will say "are you hungry?" and she will put her hand to her mouth as if she is telling me yes. She is growing out of her 0-3 month clothes :( , I tear up every time I have to put something away that doesn't fit anymore, they don't stay small for long, that is for sure. It is only the beginning! She is finally sleeping peacefully through the night, only because we gave in and put her on her tummy to sleep, which is what she seems to prefer but we have been trying to get her on her back for 3 months because that is what they tell you to do, but this baby does NOT like sleeping on her back, poor baby, she could have rested so much better and we could have too. She is strong enough to lift her head and move it from side to side so it is getting easier to not worry all night about her breathing. I still worry though, and probably always will. When she wakes in the morning, she will stretch a good bit and then open her eyes and as soon as she sees me she smiles :), oh how I love her smile, it really gets my day going! She really is a calm, happy baby, and for that we are grateful.

2 MONTH CHECKUP

Miss Hannah is now 2 months old (well technically she was 2 months on October 6th). I took her for her checkup this morning. She is 12 lbs 12 oz and 24" long. She got her first round of vaccinations, bless her heart, but she did well, she only cried and clenched her fists when the nurse stuck her and then it was over. I was grateful to spend a little extra time with her before heading back to work today. Speaking of work...I am doing a lot better and getting adjusted to going to work but I would still rather be with miss Hannah. At least I can spend all weekend with her :).

Photos Of Miss Hannah and Thoughts About Going Back To Work

Miss Hannah is a little more than 8 weeks old now. Time flies but also has seemed to stand still in a way. I guess because life is happening all around us but we are in our own little world, me, Hannah and Damon, it's a whole new world with new lessons to learn and new adjustments to make. Speaking of new adjustments, I go back to work Monday and I DON'T WANT TO! I want to spend my days with miss Hannah, I don't want to miss a thing, I don't want someone else hearing her first word, or experiencing her first anything! But for now, I HAVE to. Please pray for my peace, I will be a basketcase when I have to leave her to go to work. Please pray also that things change so that I can be home with her and if anyone knows of anyway I could work from home please let me know :).

Hannah Update

So, miss Hannah is 5 weeks old (not in this pic, she just wanted to say "Roll Tide!"). She had her one month checkup Wednesday and all is well. She now weighs 9 lbs 1 oz and is 21 3/4 inches long (hopefully she will have good height, not a shorty like her mama). She is just precious, that's about all I can say to sum her up. Babies grow way too fast and I stand in Awe of our Lord daily now. Being a mother and watching my child grow is amazing, the most amazing experience I have ever had!
By the way, can anyone tell me how to post multiple pics on a blog without taking up too much space? I have so many pictures to share!