Happy Halloween!

Yesterday was Camdyn's first Halloween! She dressed up as a black kitty cat - too cute!

Cami and my mom

We went over to my parent's house to sit in the front yard, eat pizza, and hand out candy. I made sure we left by 8ish so we could get Camdyn home for bed. Speaking of...

She has not been sleeping AT ALL at night lately. This makes for a very cranky me. I've always been a very light sleeper, so when she wakes up every two hours, I have just barely fallen asleep before she's up again. John's been incredible, though. He's been helping me get up with her at night even though he's been working a ton, and yesterday he surprised me with a card and some gift cards. Best husband ever :)

Sleep is a funny thing - you don't really "miss" it until it's gone. For those of you who don't have kids yet, take advantage of sleeping! If you feel like sleeping til noon on a Saturday, DO IT! I'm thinking sleeping in won't happen again until Camdyn's moved out, and by that point John and I will be old and probably getting up at 5am willingly, haha.

So since I haven't posted in awhile here are some more photos of what we've been up to (pictures explain it best, in my opinion):

Romantic dinner from John (i've been spoiled lately)

John after work...he doesn't normally dress like this lol :)

LOVE this pic of us!

During the day Halloween outfit

Camdyn sleeping, it's a miracle!!

I also baked a delicious apple pie the other day.  It was my first one so I was kinda nervous, but it turned out amazing! I'll share the recipe soon :)

Now it's off to cleaning and working. I took on another freelance job (now I have THREE! Woo-hoo!) so that explains the lack of blog posts. Hope everyone's having a good day!

Life lately and my love language

Things have been very busy around here! Cami and I have had errands to run every day this week, so between that and working I haven't had time to blog :( Trust me, I'm desperately trying to get into the habit of blogging 5-6 times per week.  For those of you that are able to do that (plus work FT as I know most of you do)...I totally admire you! Blogging is so much fun, but it definitely takes time!

what i've been up to at work:

SheKnows.com: 10 Best ski resorts for the upcoming season
                        Holidays and breaking bread with Soleil Moon Frye
                        How to be a successful business owner

Rant Finance: The cost of having a baby
                    Halloween on a budget
                    Earn money from home
                    Is a joint checking account for you?

what i've been up to at home:

Nothing too interesting...cooking, cleaning, playing with Cami, etc. John and I got Mad Med season 5 in the mail through Netflix! So that's exciting. Mad Med is one of my all-time favorite shows. It's so witty and the characters are great. 

John and I started reading "The 5 Languages of Love." Has anyone read that? It's great, and I recommend it for all couples even though we're only on chapter 3. You first take a quiz to determine what your "love language" is, and then the book goes over how to meet the needs of your spouse's love language, which ultimately leads to a happier, healthier marriage. My love language is quality time, which didn't surprise me in the least. Quality time to me, though, isn't watching a movie together, it's more about actually talking to each other and having his full attention (no sports allowed during quality time!!). Anyways, it's a great book and I'm excited to dive further in.

And Camdyn is crying...so I leave you with some photos:

love this little bald chic!

oh ya know, just relaxin'

"mom, quit blinding me with the flash"

Cami LOVES her daddy!

Big news, and some recipes

I have some big news to share with everyone: My baby girl is eating. Specifically, she's eating sweet potatoes, and I have the pictures to prove it:

Messy messy baby

She's in sweet potato heaven here

I know this may not seem like a big deal, but it means my baby girl is growing up. I want her to stay a baby forever!! Seriously.

I'm a pretty tidy person - I hate germs and clean obsessively, actually - but Camdyn and the sweet potatoes win every time. I always thought I would never let my child eat messily and get food everywhere. HA! There's no such thing. She flails her arms like a crazy person and spits her food out more than she takes it in. Last time I fed her, I found sweet potatoes in her hair. 

In other news, John and I have been eating pretty good around here (in other words, I've actually been cooking).  Easy recipes, of course.  The crock pot is my new best friend.

Last night, I made spicy mexican shredded chicken tacos. So simple.

Spicy Mexican Shredded Tacos

• Frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or not frozen lol)
• 1 packet taco seasoning (I used the spicy kind)
• 1 can of Rotel

Place in crock pot and cook on low for about 4 hours.  Shred and continue cooking another hour (it will be a little watery looking from the Rotel but if you cook it more after shredding, the chicken will absorb most of this).  Serve in soft or hard tacos with cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes, salsa etc.  I also made mexican rice from a box to go with this. 

Frozen chicken, seasoning and Rotel

Voila! Delicious spicy, shredded chicken

I LOVE making meals in the crock pot because it's so easy and always tastes so good. Plus, I'm never sure when John's going to be home so it's nice that we can eat a home-cooked meal whenever he arrives :)

Tonight for dinner I made pasta salad. I got this recipe from some family friends. It doesn't involve the crock pot, but it's really easy nonetheless.

Basil Tomato Pasta Salad

• 1 box bowties pasta (I used mini bowties)
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• fresh basil, cut thinly
• olive oil
• shredded mozzerella cheese (I used finely shredded)
• salt and pepper

Make pasta according to package. Rinse with cold water. Add in diced tomatoes, basil, some olive oil, cheese, and salt and pepper. Mix well and refrigerate a few hours. Delicious!

That's all for today. I'll leave you with some more photos of Camdyn and my most recent finance blog: Is a joint checking account for you?

I'm bad at blogging

I officially suck as a blogger, haha.  My "31 days of love and inspiration" came to a halt at day 4 and I haven't even posted anything since last week.  Life sometimes gets in the way of blogging, and you know what?  That's OK :)

Lately I've been working a LOT and doing a LOT of walking around with Camdyn.  Add in cleaning the house and hanging out with John and my days have been flying by.  It's good though.  John is in a super-busy time at work (as am I) so we can play catch-up and save some money.  

So let's see...tomorrow is Camdyn's 5 month birthday!  I seriously cannot believe I have a 5 month old.  Time needs to slow down.  She crawled backwards two nights ago...soo precious!  I'm scared for when that kid's mobile, though!  I will need to pretty much move upstairs during the day as downstairs is all hardwood and tile.  

Here's a few photos of lately:

Hope everyone's enjoying their Tuesday.  I'm headed to do a little walking around outside - the weather finally permits open windows and enjoying the outdoors!  Ya!

Simply Right Formula

 

Camdyn had Simply Right gentle formula (pictured above) all day yesterday.  If you recall, this was the formula that I found for $15.99 for 48 oz (or 87 4 oz bottles!) at the consignment store.  I knew it was risky, but I figured it was worth it to see if she liked it.

Guess what?

She loved it!

Phew.

No fussiness, no problems drinking it, no spitting up (which is amazing since normally she does spit up), no gas.

This is a huge blessing for John and I.  Originally, we were spending $25 every 3-4 days on formula, then I found it discounted so it was $15 every 3-4 days.  Now, it will be $15.99 every 8-10 days.  HUGE savings here people!!

Of course, it's only been one day so this could backfire, in which case I'll put her back on the Enfamil, but for now...we like it :)

Happy Friday, everyone!

What I've learned about formula

As most of you know, Camdyn is now a formula-only baby.  I breastfed solely for the first two months, then slowly started incorporating formula.  By 3 1/2 months, she was weaned from breast milk completely.

Knowing what I know now, for our next baby I am going to try and breastfeed longer. Formula is SO expensive, and breast milk is so much better for the baby.

I wanted to give a breakdown of my experience with formula so far:

• Similac - $25 for 23 oz.  Camdyn was a little gassy with this, but overall she liked it.  

• Enfamil - $24 for 23 oz.  This is our favorite.  No fussiness, no gas.  She takes this very well and has only had a positive reaction to this.  I discovered a second hand store that sells 23 oz for $15, brand new of course.  GREAT deal.  

• Parents Choice - $14 for 23 oz.  I tried this before finding my discounted Enfamil.  It said it was comparable to Similac, so I figured I'd give it a try to see if she liked it.  She did NOT.  It gave her horrible cramps and gas.  She would eat it (I've come to the realization that she'll eat anything), but would cry for a long time afterwards in pain.  Needless to say, after a few bottles I threw it out.

• Simply Right - $16 for 48 oz.  Yup, that's right.  This is half the price of the discounted Enfamil for double the amount.  It's the Sam's Club brand of Enfamil, essentially.  I compared ingredients and vitamins, and it looks exactly the same as Enfamil.  I haven't tried this yet - but will definitely provide an update after a few days of her eating this.  To me, it was worth the investment.  If she loves it and reacts well to it, than I'm looking at hundreds of dollars being saved.  If not?  I'll take the loss and go back to Enfamil.  No big deal.

Any moms out there have a favorite brand of formula?  Please share your thoughts in the comments below!  Would love to hear from you!

Camdyn 4 months

Camdyn was officially 4 months old as of September 10th.  Where has the time gone??!  She has brought such joy and companionship to my life.  I love this little girl more than anything :)

At 4 months, Camdyn:

• weighs 15.8 lbs (76th percentile)
• is 25 inches long (82nd percentile)
• and her head is in the 93rd percentile lol
• holds her head up all by herself all the time
• is a pro at "tummy time"
• can roll over, mostly tummy to back but sometimes back to tummy
• eats 4-6 oz of formula every 3-4 hours
• sometimes sleeps 8 hrs at a time, but mostly still wakes up every 3-4
• takes a long afternoon nap!
• has tried both rice cereal and bananas
• hates the bananas
• the rice cereal is growing on her
• LOVES being held / attention of any sort
• loves watching cartoons and screams at the television while doing so
• has the biggest, most beautiful smile that lights up my life

Love you, Cami! 

Taking care of business / work

I know a lot of you are interested in what I do for a living (ok, maybe not...but I'm going to tell you anyways).  

I have a degree in finance and worked as a finance counselor before having Camdyn.  Though I liked the people I worked with, working FT isn't in the cards for me (right now).  

Right after Camdyn was born, I got an amazing opportunity to write articles for SheKnows - a website of fashion, entertainment, food, parenting, pets, home decor, style, and more.  It's updated hourly.  I write for the home, living, and pet sections (adding food soon!).  It's funny, my whole life I've wondered about my "purpose" and always thought I'd be a mom and wife and that was my role.  I always looked at jobs as simply a way to make money.  I didn't think I'd ever find something I was actually passionate about.  Low and behold - I did.  I absolutely love writing (trust me, I wouldn't have this blog if I didn't).  I feel confident that this is where I'm supposed to be, and that, my friends, is a wonderful feeling.

Here's a few articles I've written if you'd like to take a peak:

The hidden costs of home buying

How to invest your money

Top 5 must-read craft blogs

How to make money blogging

I don't want to bore you with all of them, but if you click my name on one of the links it will take you to all the articles I've written thus far.

So what does a day in the life look like for me?

Well I wake up to this:

around 6:30am (and 1:00am, and sometimes 4:00am haha).  I feed her and play with her for a few hours.  She typically takes a morning nap, and that's when I'll start either writing or brainstorming topics.  Lunch is normally spent at Starbucks with my mom or sister, followed by more hanging out with Cami. She normally naps for 2-3 hours in the afternoon.  This is when I plan on getting my articles done.  When John gets home (between 5 and 7), we hang out, have dinner, and play with Cami.  Whatever's left for me to finish I do after Camdyn goes to bed.  

Since my job is PT right now, every day doesn't look quite like that.  Some days I don't have work to do, so I'll spend them cooking, cleaning, running errands, etc.  It's crazy how fast my days go by even though I stay home!

Since finance is my major, I've decided to start a weekly finance column.  I need to narrow it down a bit - so I'm asking your opinions!  What is something you would want to read, weekly, when it comes to money and finances?  Budget tips?  Ways to save?  Family finances?  Finances for those "getting started" in the working world? Etc.  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!  I know I personally like to read about investing, but I don't think most people do...which is why I'm asking you!

Football Season!

Football season has officially begun.  Being completely honest, I am not the biggest fan and hate that I lose my husband for a few months, haha.  This year, though, I'm going to try and make the best of it and include me and Camdyn in all the fun!

John is a huge Cowboy's fan.  This year, he ended up with Tony Romo for his QB on his fantasy team as well...that means it's going to be twice as intense as normal!

So for tonight's opening game (Cowboys vs. Giants), I surprised John with homemade nachos, matching Cowboys headbands for me & Cami, and a Cowboys pacifier for the babe (of course).

For Christmas last year, my little sister made Camdyn a Cowboys blanket and Cowboys booties.  She was all set to watch the game!  Unfortunately, being the 4-month old that she is, she got a little too excited and fell asleep during the second quarter. 

Hahaha look at that face!!

This was prior to her falling asleep

Cheering on the cowboys

Big belly!

Almost half-time, time to convince John to go get me a chocolate dipped cone from McDonald's :)

Are you a big football fan?  What team(s) are you rooting for?

Camdyn lately

Camdyn is almost 4 months old!  I really can't believe how fast time is going by.

My parents got her a walker last week.  Though her feet don't touch the ground yet, she has a lot of fun playing in it.  I push her around the house and let her hang out with me in the kitchen when I'm cooking.  She laughs so much and really is a very happy baby :)

She's currently eating formula only.  I would guess she has 32 oz per day.  I gave her rice cereal last night mixed with formula and spoon fed her.  This was probably the funniest thing I've ever witnessed!  She made hilarious faces at me the entire time, and ended up spitting most of it out.  I'll probably try again in a few days, I don't want to force her to eat if she's not ready.

John and I are getting ready to go to Laughlin for the weekend.  I'm super excited to get out of town and see Gary Allan in concert!  John and I are both huge fans.  My favorite song of his is either "The Best I Ever Had" or "Life Ain't Always Beautiful."  

My mom and sister will be babysitting, with the exception of Saturday where they will both be at work.  That means my dad will be watching her!  Hopefully this goes well, haha :)

Here's to a good day!  And for some encouragement:

Remember, happiness is a choice.  Only you can choose to focus on the good in life and be happy.  If you want to be very happy and satisfied with life?  Do it!

Nap Time

This past week I've realized that if Camdyn takes two naps per day, she sleeps SO much better at night.  I used to think if she didn't sleep very much through out the day then she'd sleep through the night, but that's just not true.

Yesterday is a perfect example.  My sister and I went to the mall to pick up a spare comforter for my mom.  We left around 10:30.  Camdyn slept a little in the car, and then was all smiles the entire time we were at the mall.  She's such a little ham...tons of people were asking about her and playing with her. I love when people do this!  We got back around 2:00, and I fed her and attempted to get her down for a nap.  Keyword: attempted.  She screamed hysterically for about 2 hours.  I tried everything - fed her, changed her, bounced her, played with her, cuddled her - and nothing.  Screaming screaming screaming.  Finally I put her in her crib and let her cry herself to sleep.  I told myself if she was still crying after 30 minutes I'd go get her.  After 27 minutes, she was sleeping.  I hate when she cries herself to sleep but I just didn't know what to do.  I knew she was tired.

Point in case: Camdyn needs a morning nap and an afternoon nap.  

Watching her super simple songs

Beautiful girl in a beautiful dress

The one photo I have of her smiling

New bow!

Love this baby so much!!  

What Camdyn's Taught Me

Having a baby is life-changing.  Though I'm still the same person, I now see the world through the eyes of my daughter.  Every decision I make affects not just me, but her.  I want to be the best mom I can to her.  She deserves a safe, loving home and I'm going to make sure she gets that.

Not only am I going to be Camdyn's main "teacher," but she's going to be mine, too.  Here's a few things my 3 month old has taught me so far:

• Life is simple.  Camdyn cries if she's hungry or uncomfortable, just like any baby.  We cry if we're emotionally sad, our feelings are hurt, etc.  We get mad at things that don't matter.  We gossip and get upset over nothing.  Life's short - choose to be happy and not succumb to things that really don't matter.  Now if you're starving, like a baby, or are sitting in your own poop, than yes, that right there is a reason to cry :)
• Love.  They say you never know love until you have a child.  This, my friends, is true.  Of course I love John and my family, but my love for Camdyn is different.  The other day she was screaming in pain because of gas, and I started crying as well because I so badly wished I could take that pain from her and have it myself instead.  I would do anything for my precious baby.  
• To appreciate my mom.  Ever since Cami came, I've felt a lot more love and respect towards my own mom.  I now see firsthand exactly what she sacrificed and went through with me.  My "job" is taking care of my baby, and at one point that was my mom's job, only with me.  My mom also spoils Camdyn to no end.  She helps with diapers, babysits whenever we ask, buys her new toys, and loves her almost as much as I do :)  Thanks, mom, for everything!
• To be a good role model.  She's going to grow up to be an independent, self-sufficient woman (I hope!), and I want to make sure that I'm a good role model for her...again back to my decisions affecting her.  I want her to see what a good marriage is like through me and John.  I want her to see that we follow our hearts, set goals, and do our best to accomplish them.  I want her to choose a career that she's passionate about, just like her dad does.
• Life is no longer about me.  This one's obvious, but having a child makes your life not just your own anymore.  Yes, we still travel and go on dates and hang out with friends, but our day to day life is different.  We save money, we plan for the future, we don't drink as often, we make decisions that are best for Camdyn and our future, not just ones that sound good in the moment.  My days of being selfish are gone, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

There's a lot more, but I'll stop for now.  Babies are a lot of work, but the value and meaning she's brought to my life is incredible.  Thank you baby Cami for being you!  I love you more than anything and can't wait for us to continue teaching each other things.

Birthday Boy

Today is my husband and best friend's birthday!  I couldn't be more excited to celebrate with him.  We woke up this morning and I tacky-decorated our house with "Happy Birthday" banners, plates, ribbons, and more.  I made cinnamon rolls and coffee before he took off for work.  

His actual gift is a trip to Laughlin in two weeks for the Gary Allan concert.  We're both huge Gary Allan fans so are looking forward to seeing him and having a mini-vacation with each other.  For today, I'm going to take him to dinner and then we're off to play Bingo!  If it's your birthday, it's free!!  *Which we found out last year on my birthday, haha.

Pictures to come soon, but for now...here's some pics of Cami (you didn't think I'd leave her out of this post, did you??!):

Taking a nap with my babe

Giant bow...I think she's scared of it, lol