Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Things I wish I was doing right now.

I am still at work for the next.SIX.WEEKS. Yeah. I gave a lot of notice. So, I'm pretty much trying to focus on what God wants me to still focus on at work, but I'm pretty checked out, honestly. I really just want to be home with Daphne right now. Some of the things I'm looking forward to doing are:
creating healthy meals

taking Daphne to the library
scrapbooking
visiting my friends
maybe learning a new craft or just generally being crafty-er
hanging out with God more
exercising
 and cleaning my house. For real.

I'm sure there are a lot more things I'm looking forward to, also, but these are all things I've been thinking about a lot. I'm getting so excited just to snuggle my baby more, and teach her things, and watch her grow and learn. I am anxious to get started on my new life!

Friday, March 25, 2011

It's raining, but it's Friday!

 
 
1.   My most prized possession is    huh. I'm kinda stumped because I try not to prize possessions. I would say my "wedding ring," which is really my grandma's (who passed away several years ago). It has sentimental value, because I remember when she told me she wanted me to have it (at my high school graduation, actually). Jon did give me a wedding ring, but he's cool with me wearing this on my left hand.  

2.  If I could be one age for the rest of my life, I would want to be    My first thought was a young age, because there are less responsibilities etc.,but I didn't have the greatest time when I was a little kid. I think I would pick 29 as my age, because it has been such a wonderful year for me.

3.  The best way to spend a weekend is  snuggling Daphne and Jon, playing outside, and going out to eat.

4.  My outlook on life is   that God created us to worship Him and serve Him. We get many opportunities to do that in life, and as long as that's what our main desire and focus is, everything else will work out. 

5.  If you want to annoy me, just   be a know-it-all.

6.  I am completely defenseless when it comes to    chocolate. Unfortunately, Jon is too. We are completely co-dependent chocoholics .

7.  When dressing for the day one should     be practical. If it's raining, don't wear flip-flops.
 

Thursday, March 24, 2011

I wish...




that this was really my body and not Kim Kardashian's. I love summer, but I hate trying to find swimsuits. Also, I love food, but I hate how the garbage I eat makes my body look and feel. Maybe this picture will motivate me. Something needs to! I pray and pray about this issue, and I constantly fail at eating better. I have so many reasons (and excuses).

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Seven months


Dear Daphne,

As you turn seven months old, I must tell you, you are just becoming a beautiful little girl. Physically, you have always been striking - people have been telling your dad and me that since you came out of the womb in the operating room. But, your personality is really what makes you beautiful.


You almost always have a smile. Not just for me and dad, but for everyone you see. You're such a sweet girl. You have a boisterous laugh, and lately, you've been screaming to get people's attention. Once they look at you, you typically start laughing your crazy monkey laugh.

You have just perfected crawling, which made your dad say, "Look! She's crawling like a little baby!" I think he thought you would crawl more like a wolverine, since the screaming lately has made you appear more like that animal than an infant. Also, many times when you crawl, you try to stand up, but you are only a tiny baby, so you just end up doing the "downward dog" yoga position.

You love oatmeal and peas, and you are giving other foods a shot too. You don't really like bananas, but when we mix them with your oatmeal, you eat it and give us dirty looks.
This picture does you no justice. You're quite adorable and don't have demon eyes.
You will pay attention when I read a book, though, not for long. You are a very curious and energetic baby, but you're pretty laid back, too. You will hang out just about anywhere with just about anyone and be pretty cool as long as someone is there who occasionally gives you attention.

Today, two days after you turned seven months old, we took you to the park. Your little eyes were closed against the sun nearly the whole time. Your dad gave you a stick and you wielded it like it was your wand. Even when you fell over, you didn't put the stick down to right yourself. We laughed and you were stoic.

I cannot wait until I am able to stay home with you full-time. I know we are going to have so much fun learning together and playing together. You are so absolutely precious to me and your dad, Daphne. We.Love.You!

“There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish; the thing is to do as much as you can in the time that you have." Dickens

I want to update my blog, really I do, but some days I don't have time to make out with my husband, which is infinitely more important, so really, my blog is suffering. I also don't have time to do dishes or clean my bathroom; also important. But, it's an incredibly beautiful Sunday, Jon and Daphne are both sleeping, and I do have time. No, the bathroom and dishes aren't done, but oh.well.

The lack of time has been an unfortunate theme lately in the Minor household. Jon and I have had many tearful discussions about how we can find time to spend together, quality time as a family. He works midnights, which is a TERRIBLE shift if you care about interacting with normal people. I work days at a company that is 35 minutes from home, so I'm gone 9 hours of our day. Daphne spends more time with Cheri than she does with either of us, and we spend approximately 1.5 hours together as a family each day.

We don't even have time to take a decent family picture
So, tearful conversations and a couple of arguments (ahem), but no options surfaced. Jon really likes his schedule because it enables him to write his book while he is at work. He wouldn't quit anyway, if he didn't have another job lined up, and he doesn't know what kind of job he would even look for. I really love my job, and it's an important ministry. I'm really invested there with the kids I work with and the staff. Plus I make a little more money and I pay for my insurance and Daphne's.

I don't know which one of us brought it up, but we started talking about me quitting my job. It seemed crazy, because of the above mentioned reasons, but once we started talking about it, that option became pretty attractive. Then God left us no room for doubt. All kinds of confirmations began to come in that this was exactly what God wanted us to do. Between talking to people who had done the same thing and hearing Bible studies about the value of family, and then, finally, hearing my mom say that it was a good idea (the one person who I felt would be most against the plan), we knew it was the right thing to do.

This is definitely the scariest decision I've ever personally made. Ten years ago, I was a liberal feminist going to college to earn a degree that would further me professionally. My career was most important. My status and independence were all that mattered to me. Then, God started wooing me.

I've learned that Christians serve a Higher purpose - God's purpose. And, I know that serve is the operative word. In my current case, it is imperative that I 1.serve God and 2. serve my family. God is asking me to step out on faith, to change my heart to that of a person who puts her family's needs ahead of her own, and to give up independence and pride in my job. It's a hard calling, it's scary to have faith, but it.is.so.EXCITING!

I wanted to deny that God was really behind this decision. I wanted to think of every way in which we were making the wrong choice. Money is a big motivator. However, God kept making it more and more clear. And, it came down to this: Do I believe in Him? I mean, really? Do I believe that an invisible being is directing me to give up a lot of our income, our insurance, and my professional life in order to trust and obey Him?

Well. Yes. I do. I know now that believing in God is about acting on that belief. It's definitely one thing to say we believe and quite another to live like we do. So, that's why this is so exciting. I know where I stand now. I've been tested and I feel like Jon and I are being obedient and faithful. (This certainly doesn't mean I've become a better person or anything like that - I'm still definitely a jerk sometimes).

I've given quite a bit of notice at my job, for a couple of reasons, so it will be about a month before I get to be at home with Daphne. But, Jon and I are counting the seconds. Neither of us can wait!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Daphne is crawling!

Look at those teeth!
Daphne is getting to be such a big girl. Until recently, I never really minded that she was getting older, because, duh, everyone does. But, when I start to think that seven months is this month, it makes me a little sad. But, her cuteness just keeps getting cuter and her personality cracks me up.

Just the other day, she started crawling. Seriously. Now, Jon is taking the hard line and saying that she's not "quite" crawling, but he didn't see the moves I saw. She really is crawling, though, yes, she hasn't perfected it. She does this thing where she crawls forward then stops and tries to stand. I'm like, "Girl, seriously, perfect crawling and then stand!"

She's also been getting a little more interested in food. We tried oatmeal the other day, and she pretty much digs it. She actually started getting impatient for me to get the next spoonful in last night. She also loved yogurt, but it's the only really sweet thing she's had, so of course she does. She's our daughter, after all. Jon and I like to feed her when we're together to see what silly faces she makes, but sometimes our conflicting schedules prevent this. This was one of those times:
Clearly, I wasn't around for this.
Unfortunately, another new Daphne trick is screaming as communication. She has been screaming for attention, screaming because she's happy, screaming because she's bored - you get the idea. Hopefully, this is just a phase that she will grow out of in five minutes, like she did all the onesies she recently got. She seems to be becoming more of a mama's girl, as evidenced here:
I want to help with makeup, Mommy
but, she still just says, "Dada," and acts like he is the king of her universe. Which, of course, he is right now. Jon is an amazing dad. I love watching him dance with Daphne and sing to her. He is such a silly dad, but he takes her very seriously too. When I joke about future boyfriends, he gets a stern tone and says, "Let's not joke about that." He's being serious, too.

I'm thrilled that soon I will be able to stay home with my munchkin, because I did finally decide to put in my notice at work! I will write more about that later, but I just want to say that I'm so excited that I won't be missing any more time with this sweet lamb.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Friday, friends!

 I have lots to update on, but I have been editing Jon's book in all my spare time, so not much has been blogged yet. Spoiler: Daphne started crawling! Well, Jon says it's not quite crawling, but I think it is. More on that later plus adorable pictures of my growing child. Oh, yeah, and also, I'm going to blog about how I resigned at my job this week... But, for now, Fill in the Blank Friday! Play along here!

1.   My biggest accomplishment in life thus far is    Honestly, my biggest accomplishment has been investing in therapy. I had some major childhood things to get over,  and I needed to learn a lot of different tools to get along in daily life. But, I did it, and I'm completely awesomer now.

2.  My favorite place to sit in my house is    Haha, so few choices... I'd say, the rocker where I nurse Daphne.

3.  My fashion philosophy is  classic clothes make any girl look elegant. I also think that everyone should express themselves with their clothing and accessories. I love new and trendy stuff, too, I just lean towards classic in my own wardrobe.

4.  Something every girl should have is    a best girl friend or 7.

5.  If you looked in my purse right now you'd find....    a grandma-ish wallet (it was my grandma's), three sets of keys, a lip gloss and a chapstick, sunglasses, tiny hairbrush, tiny Britney Spears' "Curious" perfume, tiny mirror, tiny hand lotion, dental floss and a bottle of generic Tylenol .

6.  My favorite music right now is    oh, man, when it is sunny outside, all I want to do is rock out to some Janis Joplin or Phish, or Grateful Dead or Sublime.

7.  My favorite part of my body is    hmmph. My smile, I suppose.