A Saturday Ramble

Wow I know it has been a while.  A lot has been happening and yet nothing has been happening all at the same time.  And to make things even harder our camera's cf card keeps tearing up the card reader, so now I have to get a new CF (old school style memry card) card AND a new card reader!  Grr!!  If anyone has one of these that they no longer use and would like to donate to the cause, I will gladly send you my address!

Our little man is steadily growing and showing us just how big and smart he is.  You can ask him where your nose is and he will point to it on your face, we ask him "Reid, how old are you?" and he will hold up 1 finger most of the time, he says "Dada, Mama, Night Night, Bite, Bubba, Baby" and laughs SO MUCH!  He keeps us on our toes that is for sure.  He is learning the meaning on "No touch" more and more, eating like a champ (we put whole milk in his sippie for the first time today, the kid loved it!), loves going to football games, is standing and can stand up in the middle of the floor unassisted as well as take a few steps.  I think he could walk is he wanted to, but crawling is still too fast right now.  He loves to pull up on my legs behind me and me grab his hands while he follows me around.  He claps for himself after he has done something right, loves to ride anything that has a motor, LOVES balls of any kind, and is all around just a super happy baby.  We are so blessed to have such a fun loving little guy in our lives.  God is good!

We are also getting closer and closer to his first birthday.  You don't know how sad that makes me, my baby is not really a baby anymore.  He is such a big boy, one who is too on the go for much cuddle time with Mama.  I know I had a hard time in the beginning, but I would give almost anything to go back to those early days when he was about 1-3 months old and just sit there and cuddle with him.  Never to be :(.  I am excited to see how much more he is going to learn the older he gets, and realizing what a blessing I have to be able to stay at home with him and teach him.

I have been struggling to recover my homemaking skills since the end of summer activities.  I am needing to get back into a routine (I am desperately missing this) for cleaning, shopping, cooking etc.  I am hoping after this next weekend to get much better.  My cousin is getting married on saturday, so I know there will be many new things cropping up this week that we do not normally have.  I am excited about her wedding, her marriage, and helping her celebrate!  It is going to be the fanciest wedding I have been too that is for sure.

Ok now that I have rambled your ear (or eyes) I promise I will have something more to say next time you hear from me.

What I've Been Thinking Lately

I know I need to upload pictures, believe me some are coming soon, but until then here are some things that have been on my mind lately. . .

1. Cloth Diapers-  Ok mom, you can stop making the face you are making and read on to hear me out.  I have a few friends that cloth diaper and have read a few blogs of moms who have made the switch and loved it.  While I am not trying to create more work for myself, I can't help but think that it would save money, is WAY better for the environment, I wouldn't be stranded in a small town (with no walmart) diaperless/never have to worry about picking up diapers again, and not to mention they are cute too!  I am doing my research, but if anyone has any info they would like to share, please feel free!

2. The first day of school is today and this day has been bitter sweet for me the past 3 times it has rolled around.  The first because instead of being in my own classroom I was doing my student teaching, thanks to an incompetent advisor and a college that wouldn't budge.  The next one I was VERY pregnant and remodeling a house in anticipation of our little one arriving.  I think I was still having issues with the fact my life was about to change before my eyes, and the one thing I knew how to do (teach) wasn't in my future anymore, at least not for the time being.  It was hard to not be there to start my first official "first day" like everyone else.  This year is a little bit different.  I have a thriving (and teething) 10 and a half month old hanging on my pajamas that I am still wearing waiting to eat breakfast and play.  I am content with where I am at and my situation, I know this is where I am supposed to be.  So even though I am have not yet had my official first day I can smile and turn to pick up my little guy, knowing I am doing something just as special!


3.  The concept of worry has been on my mind lately.  More specifically as in how not to do so.  As always, there are things happening here at the Clifton house, things that feel outside of my control, and hard as I try, I can't get them under control.  So I worry about them.  This is not smart.  I have been making a conscious effort to put my trust in the Lord and to let Him do the worrying for me.  Reminding myself that His yoke is easy and His burden is light whenever I get to feeling consumed with what ifs.  Isn't it wonderful that we have a God who is in control over everything?  He knows the plans he has for us, we just have to have the faith to follow them.

4.  My phone.  For those who don't know, I had to send my phone in to Apple because of some problems.  I was 3 days without it.  It was hard and liberating all at the same time.  I didn't notice how many times a day I reached for it, weird times really.  Like I checked for it when I went to the bathroom at a store (I guess to make sure it didn't fall out of my back pocket into a toilet), as my clock for what weird time Reid was waking up because of his teeth, for my book, for my music, for my e-mail, I mean seriously it was a big addiction.  And yet it was nice to not have to worry about it for just a few days.  I didn't have to think "do I have it?" "where did I lay it down?" or things like that.  Yes it does make my life easier, but I think going without it for a few days was just what the doctor ordered.

So there you have it, welcome into my head.  One scary place to be huh?

Many Things A Happening

Many things are going on here at the Clifton household.  Well actually not really going on, but are in the works I guess you could say.  Reid is a major part of that, he is growing and changing just about every day!  It is crazy!  Just trying to keep up with him is exhausting at times and he is not even mobile yet.  Here are just a few things looming on the horizon. 

1.   One of the things that is going to happen soon is hopefully the start of solids!  Yikes, where did the time go?  My baby boy is getting so big and I really think this will be good for him and that he is ready!  While I am not sure what solids we will start him on exactly, whether it will be cereal or veggies, he will begin it hopefully within the next week after our 4 month doctor visit!

2.   Another looming prospect is the possibilty of us selling our car.  Now so you know I LOVE THIS CAR!  If I didn't have a baby it would be perfect!  It is small, cute, compact, has tons of great features, and it was a car that a grandma drove from her house to the store and beauty shop and back (hence only have 15000 miles when we bought it!).  Sadly though it is just too small now.  In order for the car seat to fit in the back, my seat has to be scooted up all the way to the dash just about!  Not only is this not safe, but if we have another kid sometime in the future, they definitely wont fit, becuase there is no way Mark could drive and be that close at the same time! Luckily we have an interested buyer, my cousin who is heading off to college soon, and needs a good reliable car, with low miles.  We just have to find something that is big enough for two children at least.  Thus the search begins.

3.  Another thing that I am debating on purchasing is the zumba fitness workout DVDs.  I am looking for something that I can do fast, and most importantly, that I enjoy doing and would look forward to doing every day.  I love dancing, so I think this would help solve a lot of my problems.  Mark and I are currently giving weight watchers a try (me on the free week long trial) and are seeing good results, I just need a work out routine, something that would help me get back in shape.  My goal is to fit into my wedding dress by our anniversary on June 14.  I think that this is a good and achievable goal.



So there you have it, some of the musings that are going through my head at the moment.  If you have any advice on any of it then please leave me a comment and an opinion!