National Lampoon's Vacation

Have you seen this movie?  Well, if so, that's kind of what our family vacation felt like - except Christian. :)  Ha!  We had a very enjoyable time, visiting every single family member we ever had (or maybe it seemed that way).   Over 20 hours in the car, both sides of the family, 4 states...incredible.  Here are a few pictures that will speak 1,000 words about our 10 days away.  

Our vacation started at Lake City for the Fourth of July.  This was taken at the "Greatest Fourth in the North" parade.  Three generations of women.

Do I have a stylin' kid or what?  She loves her cat-eye sunglasses.  She'll kill me for this picture in 10 years.

Vacation at the Cottage

We're spending the first leg of our vacation at the family cottage in Lake City, Michigan. This home was originally owned by my grandparents and we grew up spending summers there. My uncle now owns the home and has kept family tradition alive by allowing us to spend many a weekend there. Each year, our entire family heads up to the cottage for the fourth of July - and sometimes stays to spend the week. We've been here a few days now and are enjoying ourselves as always. There's no other place on this earth that I can relax the way I do in Lake City. Yesterday, we went to the "Greatest Fourth in the North" parade. Annelise enjoyed it so much - for about 30 minutes. Then, she conked out. Papa took a video of Anne shortly after. Enjoy!

Update & Vacation

Life has been extremely busy for us.  It seems like summer is going by so quickly.  My mom reminded me today and we need to update our blog with more pictures.  Unfortunately, we haven't taken any.  So, instead, I'm posting a video on Anne eating some cereal at grandma's.  She sounds like she is crying, but its more like a singing scream.  

And lastly, we're leaving for vacation early Friday morning!  We will be traveling a lot - spending time with my extended family and Matt's.  We'll be back on the 14th.

Happy Fourth!

Where We've Been

Did I mention that Matt and I would be on a mission trip to inner city Chicago for the past week? We helped lead a trip of 14 high schoolers to the south side of Chicago to do a work trip.  It was a great week, but unfortunately, I don't have the energy to write about it right now.  So, I'll post pictures and more details tomorrow.  For now, home sweet home!

New Toy

When I got home from work yesterday, there a knock at the door.  The UPS man (I love that guy!) dropped off a big brown box.  

Matt's immediate words were: What did you order online?!  (You ladies know that tone.)  

My response was: If I ordered something online without telling you, don't you think I would have it delivered when you're not home? (Probably not the right response for many reasons.)

Much to our surprise, it was a Bumbo seat from my previous boss in Kentucky!  I was so excited I could hardly contain myself.  Here's a picture of Anne in her new seat.  She loves it! 

She is already 5 months old and still bringing so much joy to our lives.  Even when she's utterly exhausted (like in the carseat picture above) she's smiling!

Happy Father's Day

Annelise got Matt a watch for Father's day.  We had it engraved to say "To Daddy June 15, 08".

 
We also spent the afternoon with my family.  Here's our first family picture since Anne was born. What a bunch of troublemakers!

Bathtime at Grandma's

Annelise spent the night at my parent's house last week so Matt and I could celebrate our anniversary.  Mom gave her a bath in the kitchen sink and I just had to post this picture.  It's too cute!

We Love the Pool

Matt, Anne and I spent much of the day, outside working in the yard.  Boy, was it a scorcher! After hitting a few graduation open houses, we decided it was time to go to grandma's house for a dip in the pool.  I wasn't sure how Anne would react to the cold water.  She loved it!  Looks like we have a little "fish" on our hands.  

Four Years!

Yesterday was our four year anniversary!  My parents kept Anne overnight on Wednesday, so Matt and I got to sleep in and spend the day together.  We were planning to go to the zoo, but it was a torrential down pour when we left the house.  So, we went to a mall nearby that neither of us had been to.  Then, we had a nice late lunch at the Olive Garden.  It was a wonderful day!

4-Month Check-Up

Annelise had her four-month check-up today.  Mommy wasn't quite prepared.  No one told me she was going to get another 5 shots and an oral medication!  It was so sad!  But, the good news is, we have one healthy, skinny little girl.  She is 13 lbs 4 oz. and 24 1/2 inches long.  She was in a great mood for the doctor, which always helps.  I'd post a picture, but she's sound asleep in her bed.  It was a long day for the little one.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Advice

Men Beware

Anne is a little over four months now and has put herself on a really nice schedule.  I've noticed lately that she's only interested in nursing four times a day.  I suspect that the doctor will want me to start feeding her solids on a regular basis when we see him this Friday.  When I'm working, its very difficult for me to pump, so there are days when I only breast feed her three times.  Is this going to really affect my milk supply?  So far, I haven't noticed a huge decrease and my supply seems to be meeting her demands.  Any advice on this would help.

Thanks!

Trip to Kentucky

Well, we had a wonderful weekend in Kentucky.  Here's what I learned...

• Pumping breast milk in one hand while feeding your infant child a bottle in the other is great multitasking, until you realize the semi sitting in front of you has front row tickets to the show.
• Annelise doesn't like to sleep in the car (like her mama).  That was a bummer.
• Spending an evening with friends is worth every minute of the six hour drive!
• I couldn't have picked a better family to marry into.  My in-laws are wonderful!
• Buying a mini-van was the best decision we've made recently.  Its amazing how much "stuff" you have to pack for a 4-month old.  And we used every bit of it.
• The Gap Outlet is still my favorite place to shop!
• The ride home gets faster the more kids you have.  I figure by the time we have three, we'll click our heals and be there!

After

With the gracious help of many friends from church - we got our new roof on! 

Weekends

Don't you love weekends in the Spring?  So much gets done around the house - and everyone seems to be in a good mood.  This weekend, we're reroofing our house.  Here's the before picture: 

And, I couldn't post of picture of our inanimate house without also posting one of our beautiful baby girl!  She is getting so big lately.  I was going to write about how content she has been, but that just doesn't seem right as I sit here and listen to her crying in her bed.  It's nap time and she's refusing.  

WHAT???

Is anyone else totally ANGRY that Andy proposed to Angela?  I mean, he completely stole Jim's entire "engagement setting" and used it for his own!

Ugh!  Is it possible to be this emotional about people that don't exist?

It's for real!

Seriously, this is not a gimmick. If you sign up for Revolution Money Exchange (it works like PayPal), then you get a FREE $25! There is only a charge of $2.50 if you want your money sent via check, otherwise, you can link it to your bank account at no charge! - and you can spend it a TON of places online. Better yet, you get $10 for every friend you refer. I just referred my husband and now we have $50 to spend!

So, click on the button above to sign-up! Did I mention the offer ends TOMORROW?

We're Coming to Town

The Neals are FINALLY making a trip down to Northern Kentucky for Memorial weekend.  Our friends, the McDaniels, have graciously offered to host a part at their house on Friday so we can see many of our friends in one location.  You're all invited!  Send me your email address and I'll forward the event invitation on to you.  Hope you can make it!

The Dress

It seems to me that Annelise already knows the difference between jeans and dresses.  My Aunt Sue bough her this beautiful dress for Easter - but it was too big at the time.  So, with the weather being cool this weekend, we put it on her for church.  She looked absolutely adorable.  But, putting it on her was hilarious.  I had her on the changing table as normal, she was cooing and laughing.  I put the dress and on and she went limp.  She dropped her arms and stared at me as if to say "Are you for real?"  She never does that when I put jeans and a t-shirt on her.  Maybe this is a forecast of our future?  Either way, she got TONS of compliments at church.  Thanks Aunt Sue!  I hope she gets to wear it a few more times. 
 And this is a picture of Annelise and I at Panera Bread this past week.  We met up with some old friends from high school and had a blast playing with the babies!  This was Anne's second outfit - she pooped through the first one.  This same thing happened the last time we went to Panera.  I think we'll boycott it for a while - at least until she gets her blow outs under control!

First Cereal

Anne and I went to Target today - and as I walked past the baby food aisle, I thought "Mmmm...I wonder if she'd like any of that?" So, I bought some bananas for her to try. She seemed to really like it! Here's some pictures with captions. Enjoy!  

So happy...she has no idea what's about to happen!

"Hm...this doesn't taste like breast milk at all."

This is the poop face.  She decided to stop and fill her pants.

At the end, she sneezed and everything came out.  Apparently, she thought it was funny.

Slander

How do you respond in a godly way to slander?

Tulip Time

As I've stated in previous posts, its Tulip Time here.  The weather has been beautiful - and we are all enjoying the elephant ears, fat balls, and Dutch dancers.  Here are some photos for your enjoyment.  We couldn't pass up taking pictures of Anne in her Dutch costume by the world famous tulips.

Tagged

what was i doing ten years ago??
i was 15 (almost 16).  not a fun time in my life.  in a word - rebellion.  moving right along...

5 things on my "to-do" list...

• the bane of my existence (aka laundry)
• clean the house
• a few grocery items to get
• plan our anniversary day away
• make a dentist appointment (fyi - this never gets done, therefore is a permanent fixture on the to do list)

snacks i enjoy
i'm baring my soul here...

• little debbie snack cakes (thus the reason i'm still 10 pounds behind on the baby weight loss)
• cereal
• baby carrotts
• candy - all kinds
• elephant ears - did i mention its Tulip Time here?

five things i'd do if i were a billionaire...

• tithe to the church
  
• give to the rescue mission
• give to the school
• buy a new house
• quit work

my 5 bad habits... (mine are eerily similar to cydney's)

• laziness
  
• tv watching
  
• diarrhea of the mouth
  
• forgetfulness
  
• eating junk food
  

places i've lived...

• saginaw, michigan
• holland, michigan
• banska bystrica, slovakia
• chicago, illinois
• jarabacoa, dominican republic
• crescent springs, kentucky
• fort wright, kentucky

five jobs i've had...

• holland rescue mission thrift store - cashier
• good earth bagels - shift manager/barista
• moody bible institute - human resource assistant
• nanny
• northern kentucky chamber of commerce - special events assistant
• holland rescue mission - development associate

who's next????

• cousin pam
• stacy pauls
• janelle spence
• melissa talbert
• katie nuelsen

Debate

Matt and I have a healthy debate going.  He thinks (at times) that our blog is a wasted site.  Cute for the few people that read it, but useless none-the-less.  I keep telling him that there are lots of people that read our blog that we don't even know about.  So, to help me WIN the debate, if you read our blog, please comment with your name, like so.

Ex: Rachael Neal

I'll be interested to see who actually reads this - and of course, to prove my husband WRONG!

Jen Beat Me...But Only By 3!

19

Being a Mom

Mother's Day is just around the corner - and will be the first time I get to celebrate it as an active participant.  I must say, motherhood is the most rewarding job I've ever had.  Recently I stumbled upon a blog post that said something like "Motherhood is definitely the hardest job I've ever had." I totally disagree!  Is motherhood difficult at times...yes.  But, I can't say it's the hardest job I've ever had.  

Let's assume that Annelise is my boss (going along with the "job" comparison)...

• I never feel like I need to perform well for her to approve of me.  She accepts me as I am - and loves me regardless of my mistakes.
• I never feel like if I do a bad job, she could replace me with someone more qualified - or a machine for that matter.
• I don't have to get dressed up for her - she prefers me in my sweats with no make-up.
• I can disregard the schedule for a day, without severe consequence - other than the ramifications of missing a nap. :)

These are just a few of the reasons why I love being a mom - and DON'T find it difficult.  Its the most natural, rewarding task I've ever had - even if I'm not perfect at it!

Pierced Ears

We went to the mall tonight to run a few errands that we have been putting off for a few months now.  I didn't intend to get Annelise's ears pierced, but we wandered past the Piercing Pagoda - and I thought I'd just inquire about the service.  Well, before I knew it, we were sitting in the chair, marking spots for her new earings!  Daddy couldn't stand to watch, so he took a short walk while we did it.  Boy, does she look adorable!  And the best part...she only shed a few tears that lasted just a few minutes.  

She Made the Web

As many of you know, you're hardly in your right mind in the days following the birth of your child.  Which is probably why I vaguely remember this reporter's article - or the story he recorded - about Annelise's birth.  I realized today (yes, 3 months after that wonderful, but traumatizing experience we call "labor") that Annelise made the web!

Check it out!

Rolling Over

Talking

A PLEA FOR HELP...LEE NORDINE

Lee - I recently saw a picture of you with a Mac at your house.  So, I assume you can help?

I have a problem.  I have a Samsung video recorder that records on SD memory cards and mini DVR's.  I also have a MacBook Pro.  I video taped Annelise rolling over this morning, with hopes of uploading the video to my blog.  I recorded it on the DVR.  I can't get my Mac to recognize the video recorder when I plug it into the USB drive.  There is no disk (I knew that would be the next question).  My Mac won't take mini DVR's.  Can you help?

And if you're not Lee Nordine....I still welcome the help.

Lots New

Its been a while since I posted something.  Matt's been home almost a week now.  It's so nice to have my best friend back!  Trips like this are always good for our marriage.  They make us appreciate one another more.  The weather here is beautiful!  We hit 70 degrees yesterday - and both Annelise and I enjoyed a walk today.  Our tulips are coming up in the front yard, which always excited me for Tulip Time.  If you've never experienced this annual festival in Holland, you MUST come stay with us and check it out.  We live in the heart of Holland, which means we have access to all the festivities.  During the two weeks that the festival is taking place, we'll get out the stroller and walk to watch Dutch dancers (nearly 600 downtown), eat Elephant ears, watch parades and more!  So, anybody in the mood for a May road trip?  Come see us!

Oh, I should mention that we have one guest room.  So, this limited time offer is limited to ONE couple.  Unless you want to get cozy.

Daddy is home...

...safe and sound.  More on his trip soon!

Zambia Update

Matt's trip to Zambia is quickly coming to a close.  They are six hours ahead of us - and enjoying their last day of ministry as a team.  Tomorrow, they head to Victoria Falls to spend the day site seeing and curio shopping.  Then, they are flying home!  Here is an update on their trip.  Thanks for praying!

Greetings from Choma, Zambia. Or should I say - Mwalibihabuti. 
 
It's Wednesday afternoon and I'm sitting in the World Hope office writing this email while the students are outside playing "futbol" with the neighborhood kids- and thoroughly enjoying it. That would be, I think, the theme of a lot of this trip so far - we're enjoying it thoroughly. It's been wonderful to watch each student "soak in" the new culture, new sights, new people, new language all around them. We've packed each day full - we've worked on rebuilding homes, put on a youth rally, visited people in their homes, prayed for them, played with kids, and just generally seen God and His people and their struggles on another side of the world.
 
We praise God for a healthy team - that's been great. And we've had safe travels in all of our bumping along dusty roads into villages, etc. We also praise God for effective ministry too. For Monday and Tuesday we worked closely with students in the village of Siachetema. The students were able to build strong, authentic relationships and love on the many children the follow us wherever we go. The students put on a youth rally for the Siachetema students - complete with a wonderful skit, testimonies, and even "preaching" by our senior guys! It's been wonderful to watch each student step up to whatever task placed in front of them - no matter how uncomfortable - and do it well. They've definitely not been able to stay in their comfort zones.
 
Today is officially our last day in Choma - where we have been centered. Tomorrow we will travel 1 1/2 hours to Zimba where we will tour a mission hospital. We'll then help them with work projects, and spend the night at a nearby guest house. Then on Friday we'll get up early, visit Victoria Falls, and fly out. Many of the students, when they realized that today was our last day in Choma, expressed how fast this time has gone. And, truly, I believe they are leaving a bit of their hearts in this beautiful place. 
 
Thank you so much for your prayers during this time. We have faced great things and also tough things and we have seen God work. Please keep praying as we continue with this trip. Pray for safe travels, pray for discernment and compassionate hearts for all of us, and pray that God will be glorified in everything we do. 

Mouse Away - Cats Play

I can't resist myself.  Every time Matt goes away for an extended period of time, I have this urge to get my hair done.  Weird?  It's like I realize how awful my do is when he's gone.  So, I spent a few hours at the salon the other night and now feel like a new woman.  (At least until the next time he goes away and I realize how awful I look.  And so the cycle goes.)

The NEW Leah

So, my sister Leah has been staying with me for a week and tonight she decided to cut her hair off!  Here's the before and after pictures.  She hasn't had her hair cut since 7th grade!  Doesn't she look hot?

Bling Baby & Rock Star

"Grandma Sue" bought these shirts for Wyatt and Annelise.  Thanks!

Update from Zambia

Here is an update I received from Matt and his team.  Thanks for praying!

Things are going great over here. We've had a full weekend. On Saturday we worked on several houses. We demolished a house that was half down, moved brick and poured a cement floor. Needless to say,  we were pretty tired that night. The team is healthy and enjoying the people here and playing with kids as well as  experiencing a  unique worship-style at church. I had the opportunity to preach in church yesterday. 

All the students are soaking in the culture and enjoying one another. Continue to pray for strength and endurance as we go to a remote village and hold a youth rally. Painting and futbol are on the agenda as well. Give all the parents our greetings and love.

~ Matt, for the team

Day Four

Since Daddy's been gone, Annelise has progressed by leaps and bounds!  Here's a few new things she's doing lately...

• She found her fist and now loves to "eat" it constantly!
• She is a TV junkie.  Someone please help me.  The child loves the boob tube.
• She can play with toys!!!  We bought a new swing and a carseat toy - both of which she can reach out and touch the toys.  We sometimes here a giggle from the back seat.
• She sleeps through the night.  I had to blog about this one, because Matt will never believe it.  She slept 10 hours the night he left and another 10 the next night.  Since, she's been sleeping at least 7 hours at a time.  Mommy loves it!

We also went to visit my Aunt Sue and cousin Angie this weekend.  It was a lot of fun seeing cousins Ty and Wyatt.  We'll hopefully post pictures soon (when Ang emails them to me *hint hint*).

Day One

Daddy's gone and Anne slept through the night last night!  Let's pray she keeps this up.  Mommy might experience the best nights of sleep in nearly 3 months - all while daddy is half way around the world!

Keep praying for Matt and his team.  United Airlines cancelled 52 flights out of Chicago last night - one of which was supposed to take our Zambia team to London!  Fortunately, they got all 8 travelers on another airline.  I won't hear until later this weekend whether or not they made it. But, as always, no news is good news.

We'll keep you posted!

A Few Days

Matt leaves for Zambia this Wednesday.  For those of you that read this blog, we would appreciate your prayers for:

• Safe travel - they are taking 5 students with 4 adults.  Its a good ratio, but there is always risk of someone getting lost when traveling that long.
• Safety in country - they will be doing manual labor after Katrina-like disasters have struck Zambia.  Dehydration, illness and fatigue will all be factors during this trip.
• Spiritual renewal - for both the team and the people they minister to.  Many of the villagers they will visit are stricken with HIV/AIDS and haven't had visitors in months. Our team will be a fresh breath to them during their struggle.  Pray also that the students will be encouraged spiritually - and challenged to grow in their faith and relationship with Christ.
• Pray for Annelise and I.  We will be home for 10 days without Matt.  My sister Leah will be staying with us to help out.  Pray that God would keep us safe and that the baby would do well for me.  

Thanks in advance for your faithful prayer support!  We'll keep you posted as we hear from the Zambia team in the coming days.

Blondie?

No, I'm not talking about the dessert (for those of you wired like me)!

Do you think my kid is going to be blond?  I was looking at the comparison of these two pictures and it seems like her hair is getting lighter.  Who would have thought that I would have a blond haired, blue-eyed girl!

My Ornery Little Girl

Annelise hasn't been feeling like herself lately.  She is very congested, which has turned my once happy baby into a rather ornery one.  One minute she's laughing - and two seconds later she bursts into tears.  Being the kind mommy that I am, I took some pictures of her in action.

HAPPY...

NOT SO HAPPY...

REALLY NOT HAPPY.

Shots

Yesterday was a sad day for us.  Annelise went for her 2-month doctor's visit and had to get 5 shots!  I knew it was going to be sad, but I didn't realize how hard it would be for me.  Two nurses held her down to give her the shots simultaneously and Matt stood by her head, calming her.  Mommy hovered in the corner, fighting tears and praying her "silent screaming" would stop and she would begin breathing again.  As soon as they were done, they said "Ok, someone hold her."  That's all I needed to hear.  I scooped her up and cuddled her for most of the night.  One good outcome was that she slept 10 hours last night!  So, we all got some rest after the big ordeal.

By the way...she's now 10 pounds exactly and 23 inches long.  Tall and skinny like her aunts!

My Coworker

A New Cousin

Congrats to James & Pam Wickman (my cousin) on the birth of their first child.

Evan Philip Wickman was born this morning weighing 8 pounds 1 ounce and was 20 1/2 inches long.  Welcome to this wonderful world!

9 pm - 6 am

Annelise slept through the night!  I think that's all I need to say...

Lots Going On

Another Sunday has gone by and I can't believe we're starting another week. Not much is new around the Neal household. Annelise has been sleeping really well lately. She finally dropped her late night feeding and is only getting up once in the night. Mom is certainly happy about that - although dad doesn't seem to notice it much! She's also been a much happier baby - content to lay on her play mat. She's beginning to notice her toys now and is starting to laugh. We're really beginning to enjoy her smiles and interaction.

Today, we said goodbye to our pastor of 13 years. Pastor Mark took the lead pastor position at College Park Church in Indianapolis. It's a wonderful opportunity for their family and will allow Mark to spend more time teaching and writing. We have truly enjoyed being under Mark's teaching and shepherding for so many years. We know that God has something wonderful planned for our church very soon!

In other exciting news...our school is celebrating the ground breaking of their new high school facility tomorrow evening. I graduated from Calvary 8 years ago and have anticipated this day for many years. It's so exciting to be a part of this expansion. A new school building will allow us to minister in more unique ways to both our students and the community around us. God has finally blessed us with that opportunity! Matt will start the 08-09 school year in a brand new building. He might even have his own classroom!

Lastly, as many of you know, Matt leads the high school spring break trip to Zambia, Africa each year. This year he will be traveling with 5 students and 3 other leaders April 2-11. Annelise and I aren't looking forward to daddy being gone for that long (and I'm sure he's not looking forward to leaving us either). But, we're excited at the opportunity he has to minister in this unique way. Please pray that God would keep him and his team safe during their travels, that they would have an effective ministry, and that they would be able to raise the remaining funds needed to go. If you would like more info about this trip - or would like to know how you can be a part of making it happen - please feel free to email Matt. Here's a picture of their team.



Well, I'll post more pictures/video of Annelise tomorrow. She is growing so quickly!

My Twin?

My friend Kate posted a blog yesterday about my "secret double life."  I guess the cat's out of the bag.  Don't tell Matt.

Sunday Blues

What an oxymoron!  I know, I know...Sunday is supposed to be a day of rejoicing and rest.  It's the Sabbath, right?  Why is it then that we find it ok - and even praiseworthy - to fill our Sundays with church meetings galore? I used to feel bad about sleeping in on Sunday mornings or skipping out on small group.  If the doors were open, I should be there.  Now that I have a young child, I have seen the light.  The light of Scripture that is.  We're to keep the Sabbath holy.  Resting in the Lord.  This day is supposed to be different from all of the other days of the week.  But, too often we get up early, rush to church, subject our children to a rigorous schedule of Sunday school and worship, rush home for a quick bite to eat, run out the door to a Missions meeting, change our clothes and head out to small group, then get home and frantically prepare what we need for the next day at work.  If I'm lucky, I can find 30 minutes on a Sunday relaxing.  But, all too often, the only rest I find is 15 minutes in the rocking chair, nursing my child.  How did we let it get this way?  Sometimes I feel like we're guilted into this busy lifestyle by the church.  Like the more we participate in, the holier we are?  Of course, no one would EVER say this out loud.  But don't we think it in our hearts?  "We missed you at church last Sunday" or better interpreted as "Where were you?  Sleeping in?!"  At which time I find myself making up some excuse like, "the baby didn't feel well" or "we had a rough week." Why can't I just say "We felt like getting some rest and spending time as a family." Fortunately, this Sunday, I am home for a few hours in between church and small group.  My daughter is actually napping in her crib (rather than the car seat) and I'm sipping a cup of tea as I write this. BUT, my husband is at a Missions meeting and when he gets home, we'll turn around and head out to small group.  Do any of you ever feel this way?

This is How We Roll...

Annelise is a great office companion.  We spent most of the day at a fundraising event for the Mission.  She was held by just about every woman in the room.  Trust me, she loved it!  Now, we're home and mommy is finishing up a few projects before we call it a day.  Here's a few pictures of "how we roll" in the office together.

Update: First Day Back to Work

The work day is finally coming to a close for me  at 8pm.  My first day back was...interesting.  Oh how the tables have turned.  It used to be a day in the office was filled with accomplishments and coming home was full of distractions.  I must say that today was quite the opposite.  My babysitter happens to be in the Florida this week, so my normal Tuesday morning in the office was filled with baby's cries, wet diapers, and much more!  Anne had to come to work with me today.  It was crazy - I felt like I got nothing done.  BUT...we came home around 2pm and I got more accomplished in the next two hours than I did all morning at the office.  She slept soundly in her crib while I hurriedly typed emails, designed brochures and created "to do" lists, never knowing when her whimper would turn into a full fledged screech.  She slept the entire time - THANK YOU LORD!  So, overall, how did my day go?  Very well!  Thank you for your advice and for praying!  I made detailed lists for the day and it seemed to help immensely.  Now, we'll see how tomorrow and Thursday go...

Back to Work Jitters

This post is probably a little premature, but I wanted to get some advice from you ladies, so I thought I'd post it today.  I'm headed back to work on Tuesday and I'm feeling a little nervous about the transition.  In the last few days, I've felt extremely overwhelmed with the thought of balancing work responsibilities, my child's needs, my husband's needs, my own needs, cleaning the house, doing the laundry - the list goes on.  I think part of my concern is that I'm going to be doing what was a 40 hour a week job, in 25 hours mostly from home.  I know several of you that read this blog have gone back to work since having your baby.  How do you do it?  Any tips on how I can maintain my sanity (if there is any left) and do a good job at all of this?  My fear is that I will be stretched so thin, I won't be good at anything.  If you know me, I hate to let people down and I'm afraid my quality of work will suffer, having to tend to a child each day - although she does have to be my first priority.  I welcome any and all advice!  

Don't Laugh - Daddy Dressed Me

It appears our friends and family know Matthew all too well.  We received not one, not two - but THREE of these onesies saying "Don't Laugh Daddy Dressed Me!"  

Diggs Visit

Matt's cousin Dawn and her family came to visit Annelise yesterday.  It was so nice to see them all.  Here are some pictures for the family to see!

Annelise Smiles

Here is a clip of Annelise smiling for the camera.  I am really annoying in this video, but it was the only way I could get her to smile.  So, if you need to mute your computer, I don't blame you. Matt and I decided that once Anne gets old enough to understand what the word "beautiful" means, we should probably stop calling her it so often.  We don't want our daughter to think more highly of herself than she is!

HELP!

Please tell me what I'm doing wrong.  Annelise is 5 weeks old today and she seems to have regressed in her sleeping habits.  For a while, she was sleeping 4-5 hours at a time during the night.  Last night (the worst yet), she slept a total of 3 hours - and they weren't consecutive.  I ended up sleeping in the guest room with the monitor, so Matt didn't have to wake continually to her crying.  Am I doing something wrong?

One solution I've thought of is to put her to bed after her 8pm feeding.  We typically let her stay up until her 11pm feeding, because she's wide awake.  Do any of you have any insight?  I go back to work in one week (and counting) and I'd like to get some sort of schedule in order.

On a positive note, she's eating like a champ and has established a great feeding schedule. Here's a picture of her first smile (captured on camera).  Yes, she looks a little cross-eyed because of a toy I was holding above her head.  

Uploading Videos

I finally got around to uploading videos of Annelise.  I haven't done it lately, because it takes so long to upload on blogger.  Does anyone else have this problem?  Or is it just me?We have high speed wireless internet at home, so I'm not sure what the problem is.  Maybe I'm doing something wrong?  If you have any ideas, let me know.  

Candace, Cydney, Janelle...I know you all post videos.  Does it take you forever to do?

The Nursery is Finally Finished!

Wow!  What a crazy busy week.  With all the snow up here, we enjoyed the first two days of the week home with daddy.  I haven't wished for a snow day so much since I was in high school. But, now that my husband's a teacher, I secretly pray for them all the time!

We finally bought a used crib for Anne and put it up yesterday.  With all the craziness of life, we just haven't had time.  So, her nursery is finally complete!   

We love all the bright colors.  And yes, this is my little girl, kicking and screaming in her new crib.  Grateful little brat, isn't she?

Oh and here's Annelise with her new little friend, Acacia Joy.  Acacia's mom, Lisa, and I were best friends all through high school.  This is her second little one - born just a week and a half after Anne.  We were hoping to spend some time in the hospital together, but Anne came too early.  Here they are sleeping in their car seats next to each other.  I have a feeling this is the calmest picture we'll get of the two of them...ever!