Well, I've been more aggressive in my job hunting this week! I went to a local Job Fair on Monday. It felt kind of weird getting all dressed up - I guess it's only been a couple of weeks, but it feels like it's been longer, in a way.
Anyway, all of the employers I was interested in speaking with require a top secret security clearance. Well, 95% of them, anyway. *sigh*
I guess the problem is...it takes 6-9 months to get one of those and they need to fill the position immediately. I've been applying for administrative positions too, because even though I've never actually done that for a job, I'm a pretty well organized person, have experience in customer service type stuff, and yea, I would definitely do a good job.
I'm applying for several positions this week in addition to the ones I "applied for" at the job fair. We'll see if anything turns up.
One thing I've thought about, is..."What if I can't find a job around here?" and that scares the crap out of me. A recruiter at the job fair recommended that I apply for jobs in NoVA, and everywhere, because the job market is so crummy.
How could I even do that?? Would I even make enough to live on my own up there, with a baby too? Would I have to leave Noel in Tim's care while I worked in NoVA during the week? It would seriously break my heart if I couldn't see her everyday! It was hard enough only seeing her a couple of hours M-F.
In other news, Noel has been super clingy this week. Tonight while I was making dinner, she was crawling after me. I was going to the fridge to the stove, to the counter, to the table...and she was right behind me every step of the way. When she'd get to me, she'd sit up on her knees and grab onto my leg like a little koala bear. Hah! It's really kind of cute, but gosh, I can hardly get anything done.
She's also been sucking her thumb like it's going out of style. She does it when she's bored, or tired, or hungry...ALL the time. I have been turning the radio on in her room and letting her be exposed to different types of music. She seems to love the radio - we were jamming to "Footloose" yesterday (stop laughing!!) and today it was "The Land Down Under". It seems kind of hard to get her laughing good, but it does happen a few times a day - I just need to get it on video ;-)
I think she's getting really attached to me since we've been spending so much time together. Not that I'm complaining - I love it! I just worry sometimes that I'm spoiling her. I guess I'm trying to convince myself that she's too young for spoiling ;-) Whoever looks after her after this is going to have their work cut out for them. She has become very demanding of your attention. :o)
Okay well I think I'm gonna turn in. No pictures or videos today! Sorry :o)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Hot Hot Hot
Noel pulled herself up on her feet this afternoon. I was laying in the floor with her, and she crawled over to me, sat up on her knees, then pushed off on her feet in order to get a string. :)
I also saw her crawl up to one of the baskets in her room and pull herself up on THAT. Oh boy! We need to finish baby proofing ASAP.
Yesterday we went to the park with Allison and Ronan again. It was SUPER HOT though. I lathered her up with sunscreen, and tried to put it on her scalp since she didn't have a hat, but I ended up just getting her hair nice and greasy ;-) Thus, I didn't take any pictures. Maybe next time!
We had a picnic in the shade and it was really nice! We had chicken salad sandwiches, some great macaroni salad that Allison made, and brownies. Noel was more interested in the "non-toy" items (forks, plastic bags, pine needles, dirt, rocks, Ronan's face...), so I spent most of our picnic just chasing after her and trying to keep her on the blanket. Eventually it was time for her nap and she was cran-KY. I didn't want her to fall asleep outside because it was sweltering, so we went to a nearby mall (the name of it escapes me right now) to window shop and cool off.
So we walked around the mall, and Noel slept for about 15 minutes until we decided to get on the elevator to get to the next level, and the bell/ring of the elevator woke her up. :o( She is SUCH a light sleeper.
I wanted to find her a summer hat, since it's impossible to put sunscreen on her scalp, and whenever she sees sunlight she flails around and hides her face as fast as she can. (I think maybe her eyes are so sensitive due to their color? I don't know.) I found a really cute romper (with a hula girl and palm tree on it) and hat. I will consider it my splurge of the month! Plus she needs the hat if she's going to be outdoors this summer. I tried to take some pictures this morning, but this is how it went...
Insert baby.
Smile sweetie! Look at mama!
Yoo-hoo!! Noel!
No no...sit right there. Don't move!
Taking pictures is definitely becoming more difficult!
I also saw her crawl up to one of the baskets in her room and pull herself up on THAT. Oh boy! We need to finish baby proofing ASAP.
Yesterday we went to the park with Allison and Ronan again. It was SUPER HOT though. I lathered her up with sunscreen, and tried to put it on her scalp since she didn't have a hat, but I ended up just getting her hair nice and greasy ;-) Thus, I didn't take any pictures. Maybe next time!
We had a picnic in the shade and it was really nice! We had chicken salad sandwiches, some great macaroni salad that Allison made, and brownies. Noel was more interested in the "non-toy" items (forks, plastic bags, pine needles, dirt, rocks, Ronan's face...), so I spent most of our picnic just chasing after her and trying to keep her on the blanket. Eventually it was time for her nap and she was cran-KY. I didn't want her to fall asleep outside because it was sweltering, so we went to a nearby mall (the name of it escapes me right now) to window shop and cool off.
So we walked around the mall, and Noel slept for about 15 minutes until we decided to get on the elevator to get to the next level, and the bell/ring of the elevator woke her up. :o( She is SUCH a light sleeper.
I wanted to find her a summer hat, since it's impossible to put sunscreen on her scalp, and whenever she sees sunlight she flails around and hides her face as fast as she can. (I think maybe her eyes are so sensitive due to their color? I don't know.) I found a really cute romper (with a hula girl and palm tree on it) and hat. I will consider it my splurge of the month! Plus she needs the hat if she's going to be outdoors this summer. I tried to take some pictures this morning, but this is how it went...
Ahhhh, a blank canvas.
Insert baby.
Smile sweetie! Look at mama!
Hey Noel, Look at me!
Yoo-hoo!! Noel!
No no...sit right there. Don't move!
Come back!
Ummmm...
Woops!. Maybe next time...
Friday, April 24, 2009
Peek-a-boo!!
Today Noel has started playing peek-a-boo with me. She'd cover her face with a blanket and I'd say "Where's Noel? Noel's gone." and then pull it off and I'd say "There she is!"
She did it for 20 minutes or more - she REALLY liked it!! I got a short snippet of it at the end, I think she was getting bored with it.
And last night Tim said "It's Dada"and she repeated "Dada" every time. Then he was like "Who am I?" and she said "Dada". It was so sweet! I'm still trying to get her saying "mama" but so far it hasn't taken ;-)
She'll be 7 months old tomorrow!
For now I'm enjoying being home with her, but I've realized quick that I can't just keep myself cooped up in the house all the time. Yesterday I was getting cabin fever - I think stay-at-home moms must have regular outings. I keep thinking "no, I need to stay in so that I don't spend money on gas, or food, or whatever", but if I do that 7 days a week, I really go crazy!
Yesterday I ran into C'ville to deposit my severance check and do some grocery shopping (even though I forgot like 5 items on my list!! Hate when I do that...)
I ate really poorly yesterday...I stopped at Wendy's on my way home (my rationalization for that was that I hadn't eaten since breakfast), then at the store I got chocolate iced kreme filled doughnuts, of which I ate THREE last night.
Today is my first day of a healthier lifestyle! I still have 9 pounds of baby weight to lose! (Which I've been down to since 11 days postpartum) All of my summer clothes are too small, so my options are 1)get new clothes. And I can't really afford to do that or 2)Lose weight! I figure since I have so much more free time now, it'll allow me to have time to work out a little and plan our meals a little better.
Here's the video of Noel playing peek a boo :)
She did it for 20 minutes or more - she REALLY liked it!! I got a short snippet of it at the end, I think she was getting bored with it.
And last night Tim said "It's Dada"and she repeated "Dada" every time. Then he was like "Who am I?" and she said "Dada". It was so sweet! I'm still trying to get her saying "mama" but so far it hasn't taken ;-)
She'll be 7 months old tomorrow!
For now I'm enjoying being home with her, but I've realized quick that I can't just keep myself cooped up in the house all the time. Yesterday I was getting cabin fever - I think stay-at-home moms must have regular outings. I keep thinking "no, I need to stay in so that I don't spend money on gas, or food, or whatever", but if I do that 7 days a week, I really go crazy!
Yesterday I ran into C'ville to deposit my severance check and do some grocery shopping (even though I forgot like 5 items on my list!! Hate when I do that...)
I ate really poorly yesterday...I stopped at Wendy's on my way home (my rationalization for that was that I hadn't eaten since breakfast), then at the store I got chocolate iced kreme filled doughnuts, of which I ate THREE last night.
Today is my first day of a healthier lifestyle! I still have 9 pounds of baby weight to lose! (Which I've been down to since 11 days postpartum) All of my summer clothes are too small, so my options are 1)get new clothes. And I can't really afford to do that or 2)Lose weight! I figure since I have so much more free time now, it'll allow me to have time to work out a little and plan our meals a little better.
Here's the video of Noel playing peek a boo :)
Sunday, April 19, 2009
6 month appointment
Okay, so Noel's 6 month well baby visit was on Friday afternoon!
Weight: 14 lbs 8.5 oz
Length: 26.25 inches
She's 50% for length, but only 10-25% for weight. She is very lean!! She is still wearing her 0-3 month shirts with even some extra room in there.
She was not happy about her vaccinations this go-round (not that she ever is, but this time was different)
She was kind of wheezing and had a hard time catching her breath. She was looking at the nurse like "Why on earth did you do that to me??? You mean mean woman!!" It was so pitiful!!
Last time she just didn't act right for a few days afterward, and this time she acted fine once she woke up the next morning. At least there are no more vaccinations until 12 months!!
Her eyes are tearing up now when she cries, it's just so sad.
She's also been hurting herself a lot lately. When she's tired, she'll kind of bury her face into my chest, arm, or she'll bury her face into her bed. Well she was on our hardwood floor and did it, and she just SMACKED her face straight into the floor. I felt bad for her - she had already had a rough afternoon!
She also tried crawling through the sliding glass door to get onto the deck and bumped her forehead a few times trying to get out there. She didn't hurt herself though - it was just kind of funny ;o)
Weight: 14 lbs 8.5 oz
Length: 26.25 inches
She's 50% for length, but only 10-25% for weight. She is very lean!! She is still wearing her 0-3 month shirts with even some extra room in there.
She was not happy about her vaccinations this go-round (not that she ever is, but this time was different)
She was kind of wheezing and had a hard time catching her breath. She was looking at the nurse like "Why on earth did you do that to me??? You mean mean woman!!" It was so pitiful!!
Last time she just didn't act right for a few days afterward, and this time she acted fine once she woke up the next morning. At least there are no more vaccinations until 12 months!!
Her eyes are tearing up now when she cries, it's just so sad.
She's also been hurting herself a lot lately. When she's tired, she'll kind of bury her face into my chest, arm, or she'll bury her face into her bed. Well she was on our hardwood floor and did it, and she just SMACKED her face straight into the floor. I felt bad for her - she had already had a rough afternoon!
She also tried crawling through the sliding glass door to get onto the deck and bumped her forehead a few times trying to get out there. She didn't hurt herself though - it was just kind of funny ;o)
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
A blessing in disguise
Well, as some of you know, I was laid off yesterday. It didn't come as a COMPLETE shock because the company I work for hasn't been faring too well in this economic downturn. I guess although I was trying to prepare myself for the worst, I was hoping for the best. It is what it is, though. It is not ideal by any means, but Tim and I feel like we'll be just fine.
I have been job hunting for some time now, but haven't felt a need to apply for positions in the Richmond area due to it being so far away (1 hr+), but drastic times call for drastic measures! I'll keep everyone updated on my job hunting progress!
In a way I feel like this might have been a blessing in disguise because I had to "lay off" the babysitter. In doing that, I realized afterward that Noel meant absolutely nothing to her. She really couldn't care less! I guess she's just another kid to watch after...but that is NOT the kind of person or environment I want Noel to be around! I have a lady that is closer to our house that I had considered back in December, and I might contact her again. If I got a job in Richmond, or anywhere, I could still use her.
Soooo anyway. As far as Noel goes, she is great!! She started really crawling on Monday of this week. We're still wrapping up the baby-proofing thing, and now that I have some time off, it is a good time to zero-in! I also want to get a smoke detector for her room, since I am super paranoid about house fires.
She is babbling up a storm, too. It's "dadadada" "babababa" "yadabadaya". Much different than her sounds before! I'm just waiting for her to say "mamamama". :o)
Her 6 month appointment is tomorrow (even though she's only 9 days from being 7 months) and I'll update with her weight/length stats!
Check out the new videos :o)
I have been job hunting for some time now, but haven't felt a need to apply for positions in the Richmond area due to it being so far away (1 hr+), but drastic times call for drastic measures! I'll keep everyone updated on my job hunting progress!
In a way I feel like this might have been a blessing in disguise because I had to "lay off" the babysitter. In doing that, I realized afterward that Noel meant absolutely nothing to her. She really couldn't care less! I guess she's just another kid to watch after...but that is NOT the kind of person or environment I want Noel to be around! I have a lady that is closer to our house that I had considered back in December, and I might contact her again. If I got a job in Richmond, or anywhere, I could still use her.
Soooo anyway. As far as Noel goes, she is great!! She started really crawling on Monday of this week. We're still wrapping up the baby-proofing thing, and now that I have some time off, it is a good time to zero-in! I also want to get a smoke detector for her room, since I am super paranoid about house fires.
She is babbling up a storm, too. It's "dadadada" "babababa" "yadabadaya". Much different than her sounds before! I'm just waiting for her to say "mamamama". :o)
Her 6 month appointment is tomorrow (even though she's only 9 days from being 7 months) and I'll update with her weight/length stats!
Check out the new videos :o)
Friday, April 3, 2009
AHHHHH
Tim and I went to a "National Wild Turkey Federation" Banquet last night in Richmond, and while we were out, Noel said her first word!!!!!!
Mom and Dad said that she said "Dada", and they both looked at each other and were kind of unsure. Then she said it again. They said that she said it multiple times last night, clear as day!!!
I'm so sad that we missed it, but at least glad that she shared that with Mom and Dad and not Miss Holly.
I guess it's paid off for Tim that he's been plugging "dada" since she was a day old!!
Miss Holly also told me that yesterday she was full-on crawling forward, on hands and knees. No army crawling, or scooting, but CRAWLING.
I can't wait to see her tonight!
Mom and Dad said that she said "Dada", and they both looked at each other and were kind of unsure. Then she said it again. They said that she said it multiple times last night, clear as day!!!
I'm so sad that we missed it, but at least glad that she shared that with Mom and Dad and not Miss Holly.
I guess it's paid off for Tim that he's been plugging "dada" since she was a day old!!
Miss Holly also told me that yesterday she was full-on crawling forward, on hands and knees. No army crawling, or scooting, but CRAWLING.
I can't wait to see her tonight!
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