Family Life... bits and pieces

So I'm attempting this whole blog thing yet again... Why??

So many reasons... but number 1 at the moment - to avoid work!

Life has been pretty crazy for us from the beginning. We were married back in June 2007, produced a honeymoon baby boy a short 9months later and have been busy ever since juggling work, bills, chores, and well... baby stuff.

Despite the chaos, stress, and family drama - I'd say we're doing fairly well under the circumstances. This past July we were finally able to take Reid out of daycare saving a tremendous amount of money that has since vanished to only God knows where. We spend a heck of a lot less time together as a couple but Reid gets one-on-one attention from mom or dad (whoever happens to be home) constantly, so great for him and his development, I think.

I've been working at a healthcare agency handling payroll and medicaid insurance authorizations for a handful of medically fragile babies. It never bothered me too much until I became a mom myself... these poor, sick, little children, their dead-beat families (some), the tragic stories, and the ones that just can't survive through flu season or any other illness life throws at them. It's a very depressing work environment but only makes me that much more grateful to go home at the end of the day to my beautiful, healthy son.

Josh and I have had our battles as a married couple but so far we've overcome the majority of them. Marriage is a lot harder than it looks folks! I'll be the first to admit. Honestly our first year was pure bliss and I still consider it the honeymoon phase. I think people are crazy when they say "the first year is the hardest". Please... LIFE is the hardest. Not the first year of marriage, not even close. It's the ones that follow the excitement, happiness, anxiety, and butterflies. We've had a rough time of it settling in to adulthood. We both work a LOT! Josh has shuffled through many different jobs throughout the last two and half years or so, at some points having as many as three! Now we're both steadily working 40hrs/wk but I work days, he works nights and our days off do not coordinate so little time for happy, married couple stuff. We spend lots of time catching up on the phone or having middle of the night conversations mostly revolving around Reid and his crazy, adorable personality, newest developments and facial expressions. So lets dive into that... shall we?

My son is a momma's boy in every since of the word. He's practically attached to my hip from the moment I walk in the door until bedtime... Scratch that. THROUGH bedtime. He'll sleep straight through the night if he can hold my hand or wrap his tiny little arms around my neck the whole time. Most days I love it, but there are same days where you just want the bed all to yourself, know what I'm saying?? He's never been a good sleeper. We've struggled with him since he was two months old. What I would do for those first two months when he slept like a pro... I think all those years of high school insomnia has prepared me for the lack of sleep I get now. See... there's ALWAYS a reason!

He's grown up on Fraggle Rock, Barney, and Elmo. His favorite food is McDonald's fries - there's nothing that can wipe that smile of his face when he sees those golden arches. He's decided recently that his favorite color is blue. It will be our little secret that blue is the only color he knows how to say. When Josh or I step out of line, he goes all "momma" on me with his little pointer finger shaking and a big "No, daddy!" Oh yeah... he calls me daddy. Josh is daddy-O. Still haven't a clue where he picked that up from.

We go to the park on a regular basis for walks and playtime. He decided just last week that he's too big for the infant swing and insists in sitting on the "big kid" one. I only let him swing so high because I'm terrified of him falling backwards (or forwards for that matter) and the little stinker will daringly let go when I demand that he holds on. My nerves are pretty much shot with this one and it's only just beginning...