money

I want to talk about how awesome it is to be a stay-at-home mom. I love it. There is no other person I want to be around 24/7. I try to acknowledge all the special moments I get with my little artichoke. Like when we are fort building and she looks at me with amazement at our creation. Or when she runs at me, flapping her arms and screaming "MA MA MA!". Or when she fake laughs after hearing me crack up at Holly licking her face. Those moments I got today :) How could I not feel like the luckiest mommy ever?!

Ok, here comes the but. BUT, there are times when I seriously feel like I am not contributing enough to this household. Why do I feel like that when I am a huge part of keeping the roof on this house? Why do I feel like I need to be bringing in cash? Is it because I spend the money so I feel like I should be replenishing it with liquid money? I don't know. But I have been trying to find more consulting work because I feel like we need more money.

Instead of stressing I want to focus on a couple goals:

1. try to save more $$. I am not sure about making this happen since I am a terrible spender. I have tried to keep a budget, but I really, really bad at it. My first step will be to check out a budgeting website, then go from there. Can't have a budget unless you know where all your money is going, right?....

2. remembering everyday that a stay-at-home mom is a full-time job and then some. remembering that my husband works hard so I can take care of Lily. remembering that money can't buy me moments with my daughter.

P.S. Lily is still AWESOME, growing fast and is 18 months old tomorrow!!!

1 or 2 naps

Lily is down for a nap right now. She is almost 17 months old and we are at this "transition" time of going from 2 naps to 1. It seems like we are always at a state of "transition" with these little people! They grow and change SO fast! But anyway, I have been kinda stressed lately because Lily's nap schedule is changing and most of the time I don't know what to do. Should I keep her up and enforce a lunchish nap time? Should I play each day by ear and sometimes give her 2 naps? What happens when she wakes up at 5am do I still keep her up for a lunchish nap? Ugh. I ask myself and my husband these questions everyday now. Today, she is prolly going to take 1 nap. And she will most likely be super grumpy by 5pm. I just can't wait until she is on a "regular" nap schedge again. I am sure when that time comes it will be time for the paci to go away and we will be at another "transition" moment. Fun times.

On another note: LILY IS AWESOME.