Happy Valentines Day!

Well, I can't believe that it is already February 14! Time flies by in some ways and seems to drag on in other ways. I am a stay at home mom literally (meaning I have no car) and that is what I mean when times seem to drag on. It can get pretty lonely and boring at times. I stay pretty busy with house stuff and taking care of a very needy baby (don't get me wrong - Calvin is a blessing and he is an incredible baby and is so much fun to watch grow), but I really don't do much of anything else. I miss hanging out with my friends and having girl time. I still haven't made any close girl friends, so I'm still waiting for that yet I don't really have many opportunities to make those friends anyways. In some ways, I wish we lived in Oregon to be near my family and my friends. But I am here and I guess I need to make the most of it. God put me here for a purpose and I still need to learn how to embrace that truth.

Another truth that I am trying to deal with is how much my body has changed since before I was pregnant. I regret how unhappy I was with my body before I was pregnant. I had an amazing body and now I have a much larger figure and many stretch marks to prove to the world that I carried a baby inside for a whole 9 months. Yes, the idea that I carried a baby is amazing, but the reality of what it does to your body can be very depressing at times. So, thanks mom for all the sacrifices you have made for me (including the physical). You look amazing for having had 5 kids! Anyways, this is just something I am trying to embrace as well. I need to learn to love this new body that God has given me and realize that this is what my body is made to do. So, I will also post two pictures of myself in one of the slides. The first is of me before I was pregnant. The second is of me almost 4 months postpartum, stretch marks and all. Believe me, there are even more stretch marks on my breasts and thighs. It is definitely amazing how stretchy your skin can me! Oh, here is the link to a website that is helping me deal with this issue. It's a website where any mom can post stories and pictures of themselves before and after having a baby. It's an amazing website! (http://theshapeofamother.com/)

We just got our new BumGenius diapers in the mail yesterday. Yeah! They are cloth diapers, but they are just as easy as disposable and are much better for the environment. We are pretty excited about them! They are pretty expensive but they save so much money in the long run. I have a picture of them on one of the links that I will post at the end of this. We also just got some things from ikea that we were able to order with the gift card we got for Christmas from mom and dad. We got a really cool lamp that is in the living room, two reading lights for our bedroom and some metal bars to hang kitchen utensils and pots on. We were pretty excited. It's fun to be able to get stuff, so that we can fix up our house a little more. This weekend Johnny is going to work on our kitchen a little more to make the walls look a little better. Speaking of the kitchen, when we get the tax money this summer we are hoping to get new cupboards and countertops. Our kitchen right now looks pretty pitiful (I will post pictures of it later), so these new cupboards and the new countertop (more space) will make such a huge difference. Lots of plans and things to look forward to!

Johnny is a wonderful provider. He is the hardest worker that I know of and I am so blessed to be married to him. He is constantly busy with his own business of painting and remodeling during the day (praise the Lord for all those jobs) and busy at night with graphic/web design. Right now he is still keeping his eyes open for a full time job with a steady salary and benefits. Please pray that God would show us where to look.

Well, this is all I'm going to post for today. Calvin just got more shots yesterday (for his 4 month check up - he is 18 pounds and in the 95% for weight and the 97% for height), so he is pretty crabby today. It's a little annoying. Anyways, he is fussing, so I should go and tend to his needs.

Here are the links for two different slides:
(http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii19/jctviii/4%20Months%20Old/Valentines%20Week/?albumview=slideshow)
(http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii19/jctviii/4%20Months%20Old/?albumview=slideshow)

Enjoy and have a wonderful Valentines Day!