Beginning of a New Chapter

Well today is the day! This is my last day of full time work! The decision to leave was not easy. There were many things that Chris and I considered. First and foremost was Reese. Right now we are so blessed to have my mom watch her on a daily basis and I know she is receiving the best care. In fact, when I stay home I know Reese will really miss her Gramma! However, I would really like to be there on a daily basis and have really missed that these last 3 months. Secondly we considered income. It is a HUGE step to take away a large chunk of your yearly income. We have been living the sweet life for so long, it was a big decision to take the plunge and enter a lifestyle where we will have to budget, but we know it will be worth it!
The last 3 months I kept looking for "signs" to see what would be right for us. Everything seemed to point toward me leaving my job. I love my job, I love my co-workers, I love the money I make, I love being successful, but I love my daughter more. I think things would be a little different if I had some flexibility to work at home a couple days a week, or the ability to go part time, however this is just not a option for me. When you factor in my 9 hour workday and commute on top of that, I only get to be with Reese a few hours a day, 5 days a week. That just wasn't cutting it for me, and we are so blessed to be in a position right now where we can make the choice for me to stay home.
So today I am dealing with the flood of emotions! I am happy, sad, nervous, and excited all rolled into one! I can't believe this is the last day, but it is also the start of a new chapter in my life. I don't know where this next year will take us, but I trust God that wherever we end up will be the right place for us!

Milestones

When you first have a baby, certain milestones seem so far away. Babies are born so small and helpless and it seems like forever until they are able to start doing things on their own. I have been amazed at how quickly these changes come. Ever since we hit the 5 month mark, I feel like we are hitting one milestone after the other. It seems that she is changing daily, and she probably is! In the last month she has learned to sit on her own, eat solid food, sleep 9-10 hours stretches without eating, sleep in a crib in her own room, roll to get to things (she has been rolling for a while, but now it is with a purpose), get up on all 4s (but not crawling yet), recognize her name, and drink water from a sippy cup. She has even started to take "steps" when you hold her in a stand. I can't believe what a social person she is now too. She seems to love everyone and doesn't have a problem being passed off to new people. She is also quite a talker and babbles constantly! It has been so much fun watching her grow and change this past month. My mom was commenting the other day how her body was starting to look more toddlerish than babyish. I have to admit I was a little sad by that, but excited too! I have loved every stage and it seem to just keep getting more fun.

I have also had a lot of fun with the food aspect! During my pregnancy I decided I was going to make her baby food. I have to admit that before I was pregnant I NEVER thought I would do that. I didn't really understand the point. However, when you are pregnant (and after you have you baby) everything changes! You do things you say you would "NEVER" do. Until you have a baby, you really just don't know how you are going to feel about certain things. I am not making her food because I am paranoid about store bought food, or because I don't think it is good quality. I think there are probably some great choices out there, and it is definitely more convenient. However, I just really like the idea of fresh food. I think it tastes better and is in its purest form. I also make her food because I love cooking! I have really enjoyed cooking for a long time. I cook all my meals, so why wouldn't I cook hers? I don't eat out of a can or jar (well most the time), so why should she? I am so glad I made that decision, because I have had so much fun with it so far and it is so easy! I was very blessed and received a Beaba babycook for one of my baby showers. I don't think it is something that is necessary, but it definitely makes things easier! It also steam cooks, which helps to preserve a lot of the nutrients that other methods of cooking can "cook off". I also love the fact that you only have to clean one thing when you are done since you cook and blend in the same machine! So far we have made pears, peas, rice cereal, butternut squash, and apples. I can't wait to try other recipes as she gets older! Some of them are very gourmet, things I would like to eat like mushroom risotto! I want Reese to like a wide range of foods and spices, so am hoping that introducing them to her young will help her like them when she is older. We will see if that holds true!