I just need to get this out. First, I am STILL grateful that we got a job, and frankly it's probably way whiney of me to even be complaining... but, well, sometimes you just have a bad day. I hate moving.
Yesterday as I was walking out to do visiting teaching I tripped over the last step and twisted my ankle so badly I honestly thought I broke it. Jordan and I debated the merits of going to the emergency room, and I'm glad we didn't because I'm sure it's not broken now (at the time I was genuinely in a significant amount of pain), but it's a pretty nasty sprain. It's hard to get up and down and walk around the apartment as effectively as I need to in order to pack and care for a cute little baby. Lame.
Lately, Clara has decided to take 20 minute naps. This is actually probably my fault because we haven't been as consistent with her bedtime because we're so busy getting stuff done/saying goodbye, and so she's starting to get sleep deprived. But man o man is it frustrating when I go to start to do something and she wakes up about 5 minutes later, clearly still exhausted. People have offered to help and watch her so I can get more done, but how can I send her to people like this? It doesn't seem fair to say, "Here, put my kid to bed. She'll wake up crying in 20 minutes, but thanks anyway!"
First, I couldn't get my apartment listing on Craigslist. So then I got it on KSL, had two responses who both came and saw the apartment (which I just think is the best place ever) and decided to go with someone else. I finally did get it on Craigslist, got two responses but both decided it wouldn't work. It's SO frustrating! I should have never signed that year-long lease (they were pretty forceful about it) and really pushed them to do month-to-month (I don't know if I would have won, but I wish I had put up more of a fight).
On top of all of this, I'm leaving and I wish I could spend time with everyone. But here I am, stuck in a stupid apartment that one sell and doing the one thing I'm pretty sure I hate most in the world: Moving.
Alright, pity-party over. It's going to be ok, the apartment WILL get rented out, Clara will feel better when we have a normal schedule in Phoenix, and most importantly I can stop moving.
I really, really hate moving. Did I mention that already?
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Another Blog!
Alrighty, not everyone may be interested, but... maybe you are. One of my favorite pass-times is to read, including current events. And I often have an opinion that I don't necessarily feel comfortable expressing on this blog. So I've started a new one, that deals mostly with current events, or commenting on trends, or maybe just discussing something I read that I thought was interesting. I started because I enjoy having intelligent conversation about what's going on in our world. Feel free to go on, comment, and maybe even write a post stating your OWN opinion. I'm not interested in having arguments, but thoughtful conversation (that includes people who don't necessarily agree with me). And, certainly, if you just like Happy Mommy Amanda and not so interested in loud, opinionated Amanda, keep reading this one! But for those adventurous souls, you can find my thoughts here.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
5 Months Old!!!
This is ridiculous. How can time go by so fast? And how can she change so rapidly in such a short period? I was thinking today of how my life has revolved around nursing her for the last 5 months! Every 2-5 hours for the last FIVE MONTHS I've been tied to this beautiful creature. And it doesn't bother me nearly as much as I thought it would...
Ok, lets see if I can break this down:
-Clara's favorite and most impressive trick by far is rolling over. She can go from her back to her front very easily and quickly. For some reason she's slower from her front to back (which is weird because that's what she did first). She can go all the way around to get somewhere.
-Grabbing things! She was a bit of a late grabber. Just not that interested in using her hands. She's still ok with NOT grabbing everything (which, I won't lie, is fabulous), but she's getting more and more bold.
-Very, very close to sitting up. Actually, she will sit up on her own for quite a while, but then if she bends the wrong way she comes toppling down. So... this is a "mostly." I say by 5 1/2 months she'll be a pro!
-Sucking her thumb. So, so, so cute. Indescribably cute. I should stop her, but I can't. It's too adorable.
-She's a TOTAL Daddy's girl. Poor thing is going to be heartbroken when dad has to work all day and she's stuck with Mommy. Daddy, somehow, always makes everything better for her. He'll go to put her to bed, and the next thing I know I hear her (very adorable) belly laugh.
-It's just amazing how she's discovering how to use her body. She bends all sorts of ways now. Arching her back to look behind her, lots of twisting, and TONS of wiggling.
-Lately she's started to jabber a bit more. Really, she just has a new sound that sort of sounds like yelling when she's decided she's bored and wants attention. It's basically "fake crying." She's upset, but not sad or angry. It's also very funny to hear this used to be quiet baby making such a big deal about getting her toy back.
-Still no hair. *sigh* My sister-in-law Anna recently had a beautiful new baby girl, Lizzie, with TONS of dark hair. We called her husband Mike and told him that we're having "hair envy." Jordan likes to remind me that this is my fault. He had tons of hair (like Lizzie). I was bald until I was two. Poor Clara...
-In our new ward, I'm fairly certain she is the the youngest. Actually, I think she's the only baby under the age of 1. Which is SO weird coming from a BYU Married ward. But it does get you a LOT of attention. She's just TOO CUTE!
Enjoy this video of Jordan making her laugh!
Ok, lets see if I can break this down:
-Clara's favorite and most impressive trick by far is rolling over. She can go from her back to her front very easily and quickly. For some reason she's slower from her front to back (which is weird because that's what she did first). She can go all the way around to get somewhere.
-Grabbing things! She was a bit of a late grabber. Just not that interested in using her hands. She's still ok with NOT grabbing everything (which, I won't lie, is fabulous), but she's getting more and more bold.
-Very, very close to sitting up. Actually, she will sit up on her own for quite a while, but then if she bends the wrong way she comes toppling down. So... this is a "mostly." I say by 5 1/2 months she'll be a pro!
-Sucking her thumb. So, so, so cute. Indescribably cute. I should stop her, but I can't. It's too adorable.
-She's a TOTAL Daddy's girl. Poor thing is going to be heartbroken when dad has to work all day and she's stuck with Mommy. Daddy, somehow, always makes everything better for her. He'll go to put her to bed, and the next thing I know I hear her (very adorable) belly laugh.
-It's just amazing how she's discovering how to use her body. She bends all sorts of ways now. Arching her back to look behind her, lots of twisting, and TONS of wiggling.
-Lately she's started to jabber a bit more. Really, she just has a new sound that sort of sounds like yelling when she's decided she's bored and wants attention. It's basically "fake crying." She's upset, but not sad or angry. It's also very funny to hear this used to be quiet baby making such a big deal about getting her toy back.
-Still no hair. *sigh* My sister-in-law Anna recently had a beautiful new baby girl, Lizzie, with TONS of dark hair. We called her husband Mike and told him that we're having "hair envy." Jordan likes to remind me that this is my fault. He had tons of hair (like Lizzie). I was bald until I was two. Poor Clara...
-In our new ward, I'm fairly certain she is the the youngest. Actually, I think she's the only baby under the age of 1. Which is SO weird coming from a BYU Married ward. But it does get you a LOT of attention. She's just TOO CUTE!
Enjoy this video of Jordan making her laugh!
Day Fifteen: Your First Kiss
Ok, I won't lie, part of the reason I've been putting off writing this is because I've been debating telling the truth. Everyone else has been talking about their kiss when they were 5, or their first kiss with their husband. Well, my real first kiss is too funny not to tell. So, here it goes:
I was 17. This was during the unrequited love period with Jordan, I was still pretty obsessed with him, he was still with Sarah, that whole sob story. I was helping out at a Cub Scouts thing and there was this guy I had met the year before. I thought he disliked me. He never talked to me, always seemed to leave the room when I got there, etc. Well, it was strange, because this time I kept catching him looking at me, and eventually he got up the nerve to ask me out.
I. Was. Shocked. I never viewed myself as an exceptionally pretty person, and no guy had ever come up to me and actually asked me out. I didn't even have a chance to consider if I was actually interested, I was so shocked that I said yes automatically.
We went on a date the next night. I didn't really know what to think... I really thought this guy disliked me before, and now I find out he actually has a crush on me? Too weird (clearly my self-esteem needed some work). We went on a date, and he took me to a really lovely restaurant, which was so kind and totally intimidated me. I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu because I was too shy to order anything else. We talked a bit, and I enjoyed myself, although I wasn't sure what to think. We went to see Finding Nemo at the movie theater, which was fun.
At the end of the night we were saying goodbye, when he asked for a kiss. I. Was. Shocked. (for the second time). I didn't even have a chance to think about it, I said yes automatically. Yes, again. And no, this is not the type of thing you want to say yes automatically to.
We broke up about 2 weeks later (he left, wasn't LDS, etc). The best thing that came out of it, however was the fact that I realized that pouring myself into Jordan (who still was dating someone else) was essentially a waste of time. Boys were interested in me, why was I wasting my time one someone who didn't particularly care? This seems like a harsh thing to say about my husband, but it was probably the best thing that could have happened. Because I wasn't idealizing him any longer and we could just be friends, things developed more naturally. I"m certain that because I stopped being infatuated with him when I was 17, we were able to become a real couple when I was 19. Thank you, boy-who-gave-me-first-kiss, for showing me I was someone worthy of love and admiration.
I was 17. This was during the unrequited love period with Jordan, I was still pretty obsessed with him, he was still with Sarah, that whole sob story. I was helping out at a Cub Scouts thing and there was this guy I had met the year before. I thought he disliked me. He never talked to me, always seemed to leave the room when I got there, etc. Well, it was strange, because this time I kept catching him looking at me, and eventually he got up the nerve to ask me out.
I. Was. Shocked. I never viewed myself as an exceptionally pretty person, and no guy had ever come up to me and actually asked me out. I didn't even have a chance to consider if I was actually interested, I was so shocked that I said yes automatically.
We went on a date the next night. I didn't really know what to think... I really thought this guy disliked me before, and now I find out he actually has a crush on me? Too weird (clearly my self-esteem needed some work). We went on a date, and he took me to a really lovely restaurant, which was so kind and totally intimidated me. I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu because I was too shy to order anything else. We talked a bit, and I enjoyed myself, although I wasn't sure what to think. We went to see Finding Nemo at the movie theater, which was fun.
At the end of the night we were saying goodbye, when he asked for a kiss. I. Was. Shocked. (for the second time). I didn't even have a chance to think about it, I said yes automatically. Yes, again. And no, this is not the type of thing you want to say yes automatically to.
We broke up about 2 weeks later (he left, wasn't LDS, etc). The best thing that came out of it, however was the fact that I realized that pouring myself into Jordan (who still was dating someone else) was essentially a waste of time. Boys were interested in me, why was I wasting my time one someone who didn't particularly care? This seems like a harsh thing to say about my husband, but it was probably the best thing that could have happened. Because I wasn't idealizing him any longer and we could just be friends, things developed more naturally. I"m certain that because I stopped being infatuated with him when I was 17, we were able to become a real couple when I was 19. Thank you, boy-who-gave-me-first-kiss, for showing me I was someone worthy of love and admiration.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Update
Yes, I know I'm failing at my 30 day challenge. In my defense, I"m too busy. So we're going to take a little "hiatus" from it and just plow through the next few busy weeks. I have SO much I need to get done. The good news is that a LOT of it can be done from home with phone calls and the internet (thank you Ensign and renter's insurance). But there's just a lot of little odds and ends that need to be taken care of before I can leave.
We got an apartment! It's 3 minutes away from Jordan's work. We haven't seen it, so here's to hoping it's as great as the internet says it is! We're looking for someone to take over our apartment. lame. But, yeah, just chugging a long and trying to get everything in order! Wish us luck!
We got an apartment! It's 3 minutes away from Jordan's work. We haven't seen it, so here's to hoping it's as great as the internet says it is! We're looking for someone to take over our apartment. lame. But, yeah, just chugging a long and trying to get everything in order! Wish us luck!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Job
Well, we knew someday it would happen, but it seemed like it never would. And here it is: we have a job! Well, Jordan has a job. He'll be working for Milliman in Scottsdale, AZ. We're SO excited, but we can hardly believe it's actually happening. And so quickly!
It's the perfect place for Jordan to begin his career. Small office (he'll be the 8th person) in a big company (you can find Milliman in every major city). It's a consulting company (rather than an insurance company like BlueCross BlueShield or Travelers) so he'll work with clients and get a really broad set of experiences.
I've been saying for months that we're willing to go where ever we're needed, and I can say we're definitely eating our words. :) I can't say Arizona was on our top picks of places we wanted to move. The summers are going to be HOT! But we are willing to go anywhere and be happy, and that includes Arizona. That being said, May-September, you can find me indoors right next to the air conditioning...
I just have to take a moment and talk about how grateful we are to our family and friends who have been fasting and praying for us. We had a family fast at the beginning of the year, where both my parents and siblings and Jordan's parents and siblings fasted that we would get a job. We did this knowing full well that we may NOT get a job, that it might not be what Heavenly Father has in mind for us. We are so grateful that things have worked out the way we hoped.
I kept hearing a quote this week at church, "Pray as if everything depended on the Lord, but work as if everything depended on you." I wish we could say that we totally lived up to this, but we're human and I can't say we did everything we could to find a job. So much credit goes to Heavenly Father for helping us find the right people at the right time. I know He has a plan for our lives, and I have seen His hand in all that we do. I hope that this can stand as a testament in our lives about the importance of prayer, obedience and faith.
It's the perfect place for Jordan to begin his career. Small office (he'll be the 8th person) in a big company (you can find Milliman in every major city). It's a consulting company (rather than an insurance company like BlueCross BlueShield or Travelers) so he'll work with clients and get a really broad set of experiences.
I've been saying for months that we're willing to go where ever we're needed, and I can say we're definitely eating our words. :) I can't say Arizona was on our top picks of places we wanted to move. The summers are going to be HOT! But we are willing to go anywhere and be happy, and that includes Arizona. That being said, May-September, you can find me indoors right next to the air conditioning...
I just have to take a moment and talk about how grateful we are to our family and friends who have been fasting and praying for us. We had a family fast at the beginning of the year, where both my parents and siblings and Jordan's parents and siblings fasted that we would get a job. We did this knowing full well that we may NOT get a job, that it might not be what Heavenly Father has in mind for us. We are so grateful that things have worked out the way we hoped.
I kept hearing a quote this week at church, "Pray as if everything depended on the Lord, but work as if everything depended on you." I wish we could say that we totally lived up to this, but we're human and I can't say we did everything we could to find a job. So much credit goes to Heavenly Father for helping us find the right people at the right time. I know He has a plan for our lives, and I have seen His hand in all that we do. I hope that this can stand as a testament in our lives about the importance of prayer, obedience and faith.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Day Fourteen: What I Wore Today
This again? I so don't care about clothes! It's just too bad. At least I had church today, so I wore more than pajamas...
I wore a black skirt and a red shirt, and some very cute new shoes. I wasn't super happy with the way I looked, but you know, at least I got this cute baby out of the whole my-body-is-a-disaster-zone thing. :)
To distract from the other... unpleasantness... here are some pictures of the sweet baby!
I wore a black skirt and a red shirt, and some very cute new shoes. I wasn't super happy with the way I looked, but you know, at least I got this cute baby out of the whole my-body-is-a-disaster-zone thing. :)
To distract from the other... unpleasantness... here are some pictures of the sweet baby!
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