Week from H E Double Hockey Sticks!!

This week really has been pure craziness for all of us. Jackson has been cutting his first tooth and The Man had reserves this weekend but instead of the typical Saturday - Sunday drill they made it a 4-day, Thursday - Sunday.

This is how Thursday - Sunday looked for us:

Thursday: the Man left for reserves at 6 a.m., the babysitter got here at 9:30, I got home around 2, the Man got done with reserves at 4 and went directly from there to class and got home around 10 p.m.

Friday: the Man left for class at 7 a.m. and then went directly from class to reserves, he got home around 5:30, we packed everything up and headed to the Brewer/Nationals game more on the game later, we got home from the game around 11 and went to bed.

Saturday & Sunday: the Man left for reserves at 6 a.m. and then went directly to work afterwards, he got home around 11:30 p.m. I do realize that Sunday is not over but it will be the same as Saturday


What these 4 days have taught me is that I do not think I could be a stay-at-home-mom! well maybe I could be a stay-at-home-mom if the Man would have been home more than just the 5 hours he was here sleeping and the little man isn't cutting teeth  Nothing around the house got done & I am exhausted in every possible way I know the Man is too...I also have a ton of work that I needed to do from home over these 4 days and have not started any of it, so it looks like as soon as the little man goes to sleep tonight I will be working. It is days/weeks like these that make me wish we lived closer to our family and friends!! And I am so so so thankful that the Man is no longer active duty I can't imagine him deploying for 8 months or only being home for a total of 15 weeks of the year (like 2011) now that Jack is in our lives and that reserves only happens once a month and 2 weeks out of the year!

Out with the Old Routine and in with the New!

So I spoke to soon....here I stated that we finally got back into a routine, well that is all changing...

Here is how a typical week would look for us:
Monday - Wednesday: I would go into work in the morning and be home by 1:30 at the latest, the Man then left for work at 2, Jackson would be sleeping by 8, I would work from home from 8-11, the Man gets home around 11:30, we go to bed and wake up and do it all over again

Thursday: I would go to work in the morning I don't have to be home by a certain time since the Man has off on Thursdays & Fridays, I get home and we have some family time, the Man leaves for class around 5, Jackson goes to bed by 8, I work from home from 8-10 if I need to, the Man gets home from class around 10, we hang out for a bit, we go to bed and wake up and do it all over again

Friday: the Man leaves for class at 7, he gets home around 11:30, I go into work in the afternoon, I come home, hang out as a family, Jack goes to bed by 8, we hang out & then go to bed

Saturday - Sunday: We hang out as a family in the morning, the Man goes to work at 2, Jack goes to bed by 8, If I feel like it I will do some work from home from 8-11, the Man gets home around 11:30 and we then go to bed.

Now all of that will be changing because last week the Man was 'bumped' from his job.  He works at a place that is union, so if someone with more seniority and the right qualifications decides they like someone with less seniority's job they can take it.  Just to clarify there they consider your job to be what shift you work, what days off you have & if you have holidays off or not. The Man is in the electrician field, so only people in that field would be able to 'bump' him from his job. Because he was notified that he was 'bumped' from his job he has so many days to put a bid in on another job. If he is the most senior person to bid on that job then he gets it or he could bump someone else from their job if he wanted.  Last week Wednesday the scramble was on to find a job that worked with my work schedule & his school schedule and a job that hopefully no one will bump him from in a week!  Well starting Monday, a.k.a. tomorrow, the Man will now be working 3rd shift, 11 p.m. - 7 a.m., and have Wednesday and Thursdays off.

We are crossing our fingers that we can settle into a good routine fast and that maybe 3rd shift will work for our family better than 2nd shift did.  The whole Wednesday & Thursdays off will always suck since I have Saturday & Sundays off but we will manage since we know that this is not a forever routine and what we have to do for our family at the moment.

Back To Work

I know its a little late but 3 weeks ago I went back to work.  It was bittersweet, as I really do love my job but I wasn't ready to leave the baby. Luckily for me my job is pretty flexible and I can for the most part make my own hours...as long as I get all my hours in for the week...and part of my job allows me to work at home.  Which working from home with a super cute baby is a lot harder than I thought it would be.  I really should be doing some work right now since the little man is sleeping but instead I am doing EVERYTHING but work :)

The whole going back to work situation was pretty stressful when we first moved to MD and for probably the first month after we had the baby.  We called what seemed to be 100's 10 different daycare places trying to get Jackson in. Everywhere we called either had a waiting list that was from 6 months to 2 years long, they didn't take infants or they costed more a week than what I make!  It was pretty insane.  The Man and I then figured out that there was only 3 weeks that he would still be on day shift before going to his actual job, which is 2nd shift, after I started back to work.  A light bulb came on and we called Nicki to see if she was up for the task of being our live-in nanny for 3 weeks until we were working opposite shifts.  She was totally up for it, granted we did sweeten the deal a little and even agreed to pay her & feed her :)

I think having Nicki here to watch the little man probably made it a little easier going back to work but boy oh boy am I ever excited when I get home and he gets a big smile on his face when he sees me....probably one of my favorite things right now!

Nicki left us on Saturday so today was the first day that the Man and I where on our own with taking care of  Jackson and both working.  So far I think this new routine for us will work out pretty good....hopefully in the fall Josiah's school schedule won't add too much more stress on to us and this new routine!

Vegas...the city of lights, the city that never sleeps, or in my case the city that takes all your money in a very short period of time!

Earlier this week I had the privilege of driving to Las Vegas for work.  We would only stay one night and my hotel was completely paid for.  Being the good sister that I am Nicki has never ever been to Vegas I decided to bring her with for the 2 day trip. 

Here is about how the trip went:

~ Drove 6 hours with 2 stops along the way

~ Found our hotel in North Las Vegas not near the strip but very close to the base I was working at the next morning

~ Took a $45 cab ride to the strip Yep thats right $45 one way cab ride just so I could let my sister experience the strip for the first time

~ Saw some crazies while walking along the strip

~ Gave Nicki $20 so she could actually gamble You guessed it, she came to Vegas with $12 in her pocket...she some how managed to lose her debit card & drivers license in the 2 months she has been living with me 

~ Walked the strip closer to our hotel in hopes of a cheaper cab ride back...Took a cab back and paid in cash this time so it only was a $35 ride

~ Went to bed, woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed whatever that is suppose to mean

~ Gave Nicki the iPad, $20 and the spare car key and told her to wait for me at the food court till I was done with work.  I worked over 4 hours.

~ Left Vegas to start our 6 hour journey home but decided to stop at the casino on the Nevada/California border for lunch.

~ Decided to try our luck at gambling again. Nicki lost what she had left from the money I gave her earlier and I ended up winning $35.  

~ Drove the rest of the way home. Had to wait in road construction for about almost an hour.

So that about summarizes our 2 day trip to Las Vegas and back.  It was a lot of fun jamming out to 'family-sing-a-longs' during the car rides.  The only part that sucked was having to get up super early the rest of the week to work...but I guess thats life! 

one year and some

A little over a week ago was my One Year Anniversary at Kraft.  I can not believe that it has been a year already....I feel like I just started months ago!!  I haven't talked a lot about my job but I really love what I do. I am not sure if this will be the job that I do for the rest of my life or for a few years until something else comes along, but I do know I am not ready to leave it yet. So here is to hoping that the second year goes as good as the first!

Again....Sorry!!

To anyone...I think there might be a few people that faithfully read my blog....I am super sorry that it has been so long since I have posted a blog of some substance  I am not counting this one


There has been a lot of stuff going on that really needs to be blogged about: a concert, Nicki moving in, a trip to WI and being at my job for a year.


Hopefully I will be able to get all of these blogs and more done this weekend.  So please be patient with my blogging.

It's My Birthday!!!! The start of being closer to 30 than 20!

Today is my birthday! The day I look forward to the most every year. 

2 years old

Before we look at what 26 has to offer, lets see what happened at 25! 

Highlights of being 25:

• Started a new job (that I love)
• Took 2 trips back to Wisconsin
• Had visits from Megan, Josiah's Parents, my Mom & Bill, Nicki, and Chad & Carrie
• Went to see the Badgers play in Vegas, where I saw more friends from WI
• Went to see the Badgers play in the Rose Bowl, also met up with Kyle and his family
• Took another trip to Vegas to see Carrie
• Took a trip to San Francisco with the Man
• Met some awesome friends!
• Celebrated being married for a year (it went by really fast!) 

Overall 25 was a pretty good year for me. It defiantly had its downs but judging from the list above there were ALOT of highlights!

This years birthday cupcake

The start of 26

This years birthday was pretty good.  I brought cupcakes to the people I work with on almost a daily basis....they were AMAZING!!  I received tons of birthday wishes on facebook and in text messages, thanks again to everyone that wished me a Happy Birthday, and I even got a few phone calls :)  I ended the night with a birthday dinner at La Fiesta with two friends, Coleta & Kat.  

Lets hope the rest of 26 goes as well as today, if not better!  

I probably should have just made this two posts but oh well!