For a Sweet Little Man

One of the sweet ladies, that I worked with in Florida, is expecting her 3rd baby! A little boy. Sonja is the sweetest! And has 2 little boys, that will just melt your heart. Well, I wanted to do something for her. And her little man. For one, she is such a good friend. My closest friend, from Florida. From the beginning, she always invited Paul and I over. For dinner, holidays, just because. Made us feel, like we were part of her family!

But secondly, she sent Matilda the biggest box of goodies. We received it the day we got home from the hospital. With a big box of snacks, movies, and other treats for Paul and I. I told you, she's amazing!!

I've picked out a few little outfits. And a precious picture frame. Sonja loves to have pictures of her family, on her desk at work. But I wanted something more thoughtful. More personal. I got the idea to crochet this little man something. That's when I found this pattern.



Isn't it adorable? What a cute hat! I'm going to make 2. One a dark brown, the other, a baby blue. I even want to make Matilda a pink one. I think this is a hat, for both boys and girls. Depending on the color.

And I'm going to try out this pattern again. I hope to make 2 pairs, in the same colors as the hats. I can't wait to put together this little package. I miss Sonja and her family so much! And I pray, that the remainder of her pregnancy, and the delivery, go well. ♥E

Miss Eloise

Our dear friends,welcomed their 2nd little girl, into the world. Last week! The day after Miss Eloise was born, we had some pretty horrible weather. Matilda, slept most of the day. And I began to get worried, by dinner time. Thinking, she was getting sick. But Friday, we were a OK.

Then we traveled to the east coast. The guys had left earlier in the week. And J was taking the week off. That meant, that we got to leave a little later than normal. But it still didn't allow us, to go meet Eloise.

Instead, we went to work. And by we, I mean Paul. Matilda and I, just enjoyed the traveling! :) I also found myself, wanting to make something. We'd already bought Miss Eloise some darling presents. But I just knew, I could make her something. Alli's blog has so many wonderful patterns. And that is exactly where I found this pattern!



I just adore the little flower. It's different from most, that I've seen. I managed to make 2 hats. A pink one, just like this one. And a cute yellow and white one. If you read Cari's blog, than you'll know she loves flowers!! I just thought, this hat would be perfect. And, I've made a few flowers, for Matilda. I want to attach them to some headbands.

We are planning to go visit our friends this afternoon. I'm so excited to meet Miss Eloise. I've heard that Amelia, is very excited to be a big sister! We're so happy for our friends! And their adorable little girls. ♥E

Inspires Me

I don't think it's any kind of a secret, that Paul and I travel a lot! Paul has a busy career. And we're very grateful, that Matilda and I, get the chance to travel with him. It means so much to us!

With that comes a lot of expectations. I need to actually look nice, when I attend events. I need to put in an effort. It's a good think though. Especially being a new momma. Because let's face it, in the early days of mommyhood, I was just grateful to take a shower. :) But traveling with Paul, gives me a reason to do my hair, put on some makeup, and look for a cute outfit.

But if you want to get honest here, it's tough. I don't go shopping a whole lot. Even when I go, I'm not really inspired. And lean heavily on friends. Like when we went to Dallas recently. I totally took advantage of Lola and Vi! I'd been saving money, and used it on a nice little shopping trip with my friends. Asking them a million and one questions. I hope they didn't mind! But I just had to. Besides, Lola has amazing taste!!

Now that we have a "schedule" again, I'm tying to remember these little things. Like making an effort in my appearance. Not only do I want my husband to be proud of me, but I want him to know, that I'm making an effort for him. He does so much for Matilda and I. Getting dressed up a few times a week, isn't a huge deal. But Paul's smile, when he opens the door, says it all!

It's funny how I've been thinking about this. And yesterday, Jamielynn posted this. Everything about this post, has inspired me!



First, I just LOVE all these colors!! And this style. Casual, but put together. Not too fussy. But a whole lot of fun. Best of all, if you read this post, you know it's all affordable.



This happens to be my favorite outfit of Jamielynn's. It's so fun! And colorful. Perfect for Spring and Summer. And now, I really want to go shopping. And not just for Matilda. Momma needs a few new outfits too! Between, isn't Jamielynn the cutest. And all those tulips, make me want to plant a whole bunch, for next year!

I really want that pink purse. And that pink ruffle shirt. So I tweeted Jamielynn today. I hope she gets back to me. Even if she doesn't, I'm still so grateful for her post. It's given me the inspiration that I need! I know that not every day in the mommyhood, has to be spent in workout clothes. ♥E

It's Monday...

I just can't believe how tired I am. But we're back home. And today is Paul's day off. I'm not going to lie, we slept until noon! Yes, I said noon. I can't believe it. But we were so tired from our trip to Texas.

It's a little crazy that we came back home. I'm sure J would have let us stay. And just head from the job to my in-laws. But we really needed to come home and rest up! We're heading out to visit my in-laws this week. And I'm really excited!



Everything just seems so much more laid back. That's the thing about living in rural areas. Having a working farm. It's an amazing thing to go back to. And I can't wait to start cooking with my mother-in-law. She makes the yummiest things ever! Let's just say that my 80-20 week isn't going to work out on this trip. I'm not going to worry about calories or working out. I'll deal with that when we get home.

But my tummy is growling. I'm pretty sure I should get up and go make us some lunch. Oh, and start the day. Why do we have so much laundry. I really have to start my Monday... ♥E

Options

Paul and I have been doing a lot of thinking. And a lot of talking. We have so many options ahead of us. Lots of things having to do with our future. And I'm pretty sure, I'm going to stop looking for a job.



You see, Paul is making a good salary, with his new job. We're better off now then we were when we both worked. And there is really no reason for me to work. And I'm enjoying being home a lot. I think Paul is also enjoying it. Because I'm definitely doing a lot more around the house.

I've always cooked. But now, our meals are a lot more thought out. And I have to say this, they're a lot more yummy. I've also been experimenting with baking. And I'm doing a lot better.

But the biggest point for us, is that I get to travel with Paul. Whenever he travels for work, I get to go too. And I think that's important. Since Paul is gone about half of the week. When he is on the touring schedule.

We also want to start a family in the next 2 years. So this is a good option. No more working for me. We can afford it right now. And there are really no jobs available. So I get to stay home. And take care of my husband. I really enjoy being home. And being a housewife. We have lots of options ahead of us. And I'm glad that we have these opportunities ahead. Life is really good for us at the moment. ♥E

A Long 10 Hours

Being that I'm still looking for a job, I decided to attend this Pediatric Nutrition Conference with Lola. I'm completely exhausted. And all I wanted to do today, was sleep. But Lola and I got through it.



This was such an interesting conference. I know that doesn't sound interesting at all. But it was. In all the years I went to college and studied nutrition, I only took 2 pediatric classes. They don't offer many. It's something you have to seek out after you become an RD.

Lola talked to the Pediatric Chief at the hospital where she works. There is a good possibility that I can get a job in the pediatric unit. I'm not sure if I'd be working in the regular pediatric unit, the PICU, or the NICU. But I need to become pediatric certified.

After 10 hours, I can't believe how much I learned. It was incredible! And now, I'm so excited. Even if I'm tired. We relied heavily on AMP and chocolate to make it through the day. But it all worked out nicely. Right now, I'm heading to bed. It's been a long 10 hours. ♥E

My Husband

My husband cracks me up. He went to work today. Even though J told him he didn't have to start until next week. But he went. And ended up getting paid. For 1 day of work. And what kind of work did he do? He tasted pies and cookies at the local fair. :)



Lola needed some more judges. And J and Paul went to help out. Paul came home stuffed! And told me that was a great 1st day of work. We're already loving our new home. Now, I should probably get started on dinner. I hadn't even thought about cooking. And I'm sure Paul would like something more than just desserts today. ♥E

Last Day at Work

Today was my last day of work. It feels strange even typing that. It was my first professional job. And I loved it. I loved the people I worked with. The location. Everything about my job. And here I am leaving it.



I packed up my office. And was very tearing eyed. Why? I really don't know. Our office isn't anything too special to cry about. It's a large room. With a bunch of desks. All of the RDs share it. But it was a nice place to be. A comforting place. A warm environment.

And then, my coworkers through me a "Going Away" party. Presents included. I cried. I couldn't help it. They are so much like family. I'm going to miss them. I'll never forget my first job. It was a good experience. I just hope my next job is just as blessed. There are so many good memories over the last few years. I did my internship at this hospital. And was offered a job here. The people will always have a special place in my heart. ♥E

On Our Way Home

We're on our way home. Right now, we're in GA. stuck. Our flight is delayed 3 hours. I wish we were already home. Because I'm tired. And not a big fan of airports.



Paul and I are definitely moving. And all I can think of is packing up our home. I think I'm just anxious to get home and pack. I already miss the SW. And our family and friends. Is that crazy? I think it is. But I don't care. We're ready to be home. Where we belong.

Paul has a job. We have a place to live. And I've already had 2 job interviews. We're ready. And I personally, can't wait to be moved. But it's also going to be sad leaving our home. This is where we've lived for the last few years. As newlyweds. And we have a life here. It's going to be tough. But it's time. ♥E

Being Honest

It's time to be honest about Paul and I's plans. When we decided to leave for Florida, we always knew that we would return. We liked the small community where we had met. Paul could have easily finished his degrees at our university. But I would have to move 3 hours away to get my masters degree and become an RD. We didn't want to live 3 hours apart! Especially for 3+ years.

Paul and I looked for a school that offered both of our degree programs. That is how we ended up in Florida. I graduated before Paul. I got licensed and became an RD. I was also very lucky when it came time to finding a job. The hospital where I did my RD internship, they offered me a job immediately. And I took it. Paul needed some more time to finish his PhD. And his training.

In May, Paul received his hard earned PhD. He had some training to finish up though. But at the beginning of the month, it was complete. And our talks became more real. In June, we had talked about moving home. Paul called J to ask him for a job. And J found him one. Not only that, but he offered us a home to live in. I also asked Lola to help me find a job. She has some good connections in the area hospitals. Soon, I had 2 good jobs to choose from.

I gave my 2 week notice last week. I will work the remainder of this week. Then next week I am am taking my vacation time. We are heading home for a visit. When we get back, I will have 1 week of work left. I have 2 job interviews set up back home. One for the DOH and one for a trauma center hospital. Paul and I hope to solidify our plans while we are on this trip. Paul will be signing a contract with J. And we will get to look at our new house.



Paul and I are just ready to start the next chapter of our lives. The entire time we have known each other, we have been in college. The last few years, we have grown up so much. Being so far away from our friends and family, we really learned how to depend on each other.

Florida wasn't all a "business" situation. We have built a nice life here. We met friends. Paul and I rented a nice home from an elderly couple when we first moved. And we have enjoyed making it our home. Spending lots of time gardening and hosting cookouts. We have also made amazing connections for our careers.

But it is time to go home. To begin our new careers. To make our new house, our home. We are anxious to be closer to family and friends. Paul and I are also excited to start new phases of our own life. To potentially explore other areas of our marriage. To begin our own family. We are looking at this move, as a new beginning to our life together. ♥E