God works in Mysterious ways

I have always believed things happen for a reason and God works in ways I don't understand all the time. Sometimes it is hard to hear that, and really you just want to feel sorry for yourself and mope.

A few things have happened this last week and I'm waiting for God to show me how they are all going to work out.

First a story not about me. One of my daycare parents we will call her M. She has one daughter that goes to my daycare. M is a single mom and after some hardships I put a prayer request in for her at church. A guy from the church gave her a check for a big amount of money. She was very grateful and at first she wasn't sure if she should accept it, but she did. A week later she comes in to my daycare (Friday) and tells me she has been fired from her job. She is even more grateful for the money because it will help her out until she can find another job which she is sure she will have soon.

*I tell this story because I feel that God knew what was to come and made sure that M was taken care of and would not have to worry while she looked for another job*

This leads me to my story. Before I started my daycare but was feeling things out I was told I would have 3 kids for sure. Well I decided to open my business and right away all 3 of those kids backed out. I was now left with no kids and no job.

I am grateful those kids did not start because since I started I have now been able to get 7 other kids with one more starting soon. I have gotten so many kids that I have to have an assistant 4 days a week. Well until my last kid starts in March money is still a little tight but my assistant was working for $5 an hour and with taking taxes out making next to nothing. So Thursday night I told her I was giving her a raise and that she was now making $6.50 an hour. Friday roles around and now M is pulling her child until she can find another job and so money now becomes even tighter.

God has blessed me with this growing business and lead me to where I am now. So now I pray that money issues will work themselves out quickly and that he will show me the way once again.

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6 months ago today I had no idea if I was going to have a job come August. I sit here today so happy with a job that keeps me home with my kids, lets me help other kids and I enjoy it.

a year ago today I went into work each day with the weight of the world on my shoulders worried about what I was going to get blamed for that day and what kid was going to push, punch or cuss me out. Today I sit here with parents paying me the highest compliments for watching their kids and telling me that they will be with me for as long as their child needs care. I have 7 parents that love what I do with their kids! I have found what I need to do.

Missing Grandma

When I found out I was pregnant my mom said she would come and help out for two weeks so that Alyssa could get attention and I could relax. I said, "great!" but really I was worried if two weeks was a good idea. I love my mom to death but sometimes after too much togetherness time we get on each others nerves.

Well since that time I opened my own business and Colin came 3 weeks early. These two things changed my mom's visit drastically. Colin was about a month old when my mom came out instead of 2-3 weeks and I had been back to work for 4 and a half weeks.

My mom came in helped with the daycare for the week my assistant was out of town and then spent some quality time with Alyssa and Colin. She also got really sick and spent a day curled up in bed sleeping while kids screamed downstairs all day( how she slept through all the noise I have no idea).

My mom left today and I'm so sad she is gone. I feel like because of the daycare and everything we had no down time. It also seems like she wasn't here long at all.

I know Alyssa is going to miss her. She would wait to hear Grandma's hair dryer in the morning so that she could go up and see her. I would then find the two of them snuggled back in grandma's bed playing with her ipad. At night Alyssa and Grandma would sit on the couch watching videos on the ipad while Alyssa did her breathing treatment.

It was a really good visit and I can't wait for mom to come back in March and see how much the kids have grown and maybe have a more relaxing time.

Best Laid Plans

I had planned to potty train Alyssa over the summer. I tried unsuccessfully for a week. I got 2 poops on the potty and not a single pee. After a week of cleaning up the carpet I gave up.

She then started to take her clothes off and say she had to go potty end of October first of November. I did not push it because I was 8 months pregnant and the thought of trying to run to the bathroom all the time was not something I could do. After a week or two she gave up and stopped trying to tell me she had to go potty.

I had decided that around her birthday in February I would try again. This gave her time to adjust to her new brother and me to get the daycare in order with the new kids I had added.

Well last night I asked her if she had to go potty before we got in the bathtub. Not because I wanted her to go I just wanted to distract her from the fit she was throwing. She said yes and I put her on. She sat there and nothing happened so I went to take her off, she freaked out. So I put her back on. She peed! I praised her and so did her dad and she was so proud.

Today I went to get her up from her nap and she was totally naked and told me "potty, potty" so I took her to the toilet and she went potty(there was no accident in her bed). She then went another 3 times this afternoon.

So I guess we are going to start working on potty training and maybe she will be potty trained by her 2nd birthday.

Best laid plans rarely work out and I guess this is a case where it might work in my favor. Maybe we won't have two in diapers for too long.

1 Month

Dear Colin,

I write to your sister every month and so now you will get a letter too. I hope some day you will enjoy reading these.

I can't believe you are only a month old.You already weigh 9 lbs 14 ounces and are 22 inches long.

You were 3 weeks early in your arrival and came on a day when I told you that you were not allowed to be born on. Since then Daddy and I have taken to calling you our wrench. Because whatever plans we have you make sure that you change them. If we plan to sit down to dinner while you are sleeping you wake up. If I plan to jump in the shower while you are happy in your bouncy seat then you are no longer happy. No matter what the plans you make sure we don't forget you are there.

You are a very calm baby. You do spend a lot of time awake and just looking around this has lead to really strong muscles in your neck. You can hold your head up very well and are very strong. You enjoy the swing and the bouncy seat. Most of the time you do not have to be held while you are awake and like just hanging out watching the kids in the daycare. You sleep through all the noise of the daycare and sometimes have a harder time sleeping on weekends when it is quiet.

At night you only wake up about 2 times. You eat and go right back to sleep. This helps mommy a lot since mommy is up for work each morning by 5:30.

You already have your dad and me wrapped around your finger and we can't imagine our lives without you. Your big sister loves to kiss your head and tell you that she loves you. I'm excited to see your relationship with her grow.

You have gotten to meet all your grandparents already (except Papa). They all love and adore you.

23 Months

Dear Alyssa,

I have not written to you in a long time. So Mommy is going to try to catch up. The biggest change you have made since the last time I wrote is that you are finally getting more hair. You have enough for me to put in a pebbles style pony tail on the top of your head.

You are saying so many words and will repeat almost anything we say. You love to talk and will do so any chance you get. You read books to us and enjoy being read to.

The other big change in your life is your baby brother. He was born a month ago. You like to lay on the floor with him and get him toys (though not your toys). You will also read him stories. You are not jealous of him, but you do watch me closely and when you see that my arms are free you take your chance to get some snuggles with mommy.

You really enjoy playing with all the kids of the daycare and look forward to when they show up during the day.

Christmas was a big hit with you. You knew how to open presents and were very excited to see what was inside. You got to open yours, Colin's and all of mine. When you would open a present for Colin you would take it to him and show him what he got before moving on to the next one.

We tried you in a big girl bed for a week and that did not go very well so you are back in a crib for awhile longer.

I can't believe in a month you will be two! You have changed mine and your daddy's life so much and we can't picture our life without you. You are so smart and happy.

You have been sick a few time in the last few months and now have to go have the tubes put back in your ears later this month. Hopefully those will help and you won't have to keep taking yucky medicine.

I love you big girl and once again can't wait to see what the future holds for you.

Love,

Mommy

Happy New Year

Today is the first day of 2011. Hopefully the start to the New Year does not predict what is ahead. Today Alyssa woke up not feeling well and through out the day got a fever and had an upset tummy. Colin did not want to be put down for one second today and spent most of the day in Chris or my arms. Through all that we get the tree out of the house and the house cleaned. It wasn't a bad day but not the start I figured for 2011.

This year will be a year of changes as every year is but I don't see any big changes in store for us this year. We won't have any graduations, moving, or babies. Hopefully my business continues to grow and Chris continues to get job assignments for his job.

Every year we have a big project we save up for and I think this year is new floors for downstairs. We would like to put hardwood down. We will see if we can save enough for that.

I look forward to watching my children grow and change this year and I look forward to see what God has in store for our lives.

I don't write new year resolutions anymore because I know I won't keep them. But after watching a few friends lose people unexpectedly in the last month, my new years resolution this year is to enjoy the good and bad that this year has in store. I will not wish my days away because who knows how many I have left. I will enjoy and cherish my family and my life.

Last Thoughts on Pregnancy

37 Weeks with Alyssa

I went back through my blog post the last one I did was 32 weeks. So here are my 37 week pictures. 37Weeks with Colin

Total weight gain: About 30 pounds

Maternity clothes? Yes at the end that is all I could wear and most of those were to small.

Sleep: I was sleeping okay as long as the baby wasn't moving too much or having contractions

Best moment this week: Going to the doctor and hearing the heartbeat again. That never gets old.

Movement: I feel the baby every night now he is getting stronger by the day. He likes to stretch with his head in my left hip and his feet in my right ribs. He also liked to push as hard as he could out of the right side of my body.

Gender: Boy! Colin James for a name

Labor Signs: Yes starting at 36 weeks 5 days I had constant contractions for 3 days. They then stopped for a day and then my water broke at 37 weeks 3 days.

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but getting more shallow.

What I miss: Being able to bend over and not think about how I'm going to breathe. My lap is also shrinking so it is getting harder to hold Alyssa for long periods in my lap.


Weekly Wisdom: Slow down and take it easy.

By day 5 after he was born I had packed away all my maternity clothes.
By 4 weeks post baby I am down 24 lbs. (So I have 6 left to lose) though my clothes do not fit the same. I still have a small flabby belly. I can put on my size 8 pants and even button them but don't ask me to sit down in them and it gives me really bad muffin top.

I am not sleeping at night but that is due to my noisy baby sleeping beside me.

My belly button has gone back to normal but does not seem as deep.