Happy new year!

I bet there are about a million people that have officially started blogging this morning, and they probably have the same title. We all want to start a fresh page and it's OCD enlightening to do it on the first day of the first month of the new year. This year, I am not making any resolutions. I break them. Easily. Instead I was perusing on Facebook and came across the oneword365.com and chose to do that instead. We chose a word as a family. So, for my household, our word is "improvement". It's broad but it fits what we want to achieve this year. We do want improvements. We want to fix ourselves financially, as individuals, as a new family. Today I already started the improvements that I really have been holding off.
I re-did some caulking in the bathroom as well as painted the trim along one wall and the front door frame. Granted, I did all this after the baby went to sleep so I don't want to do too much indoor painting that will end up hot boxing the entire house. Maybe tomorrow I'll do another door frame and another set of trim. I haven't decided which way to go but I'm thinking I'll do the walls with less stuff in the way first and then just use a weekend to move things around. If my husband is going to be traveling less, it means I will be able to have a bit more help on the crazy-hair-up-my-ass ideas I get when he's not here and I'm being an insomniac.
I also painted two jars that we saved from sauce or whatever else they were in their past lives. They are now pretty jars that will hold two things. One of them is the 52 challenge, and the other is our compliment jar. Last year sometime we started writing little notes of what we love or loved at that moment about the other. We then put it in the jar and when we felt low or really we were supposed to check the at the end of the year, we would see all the nice things written. We didn't so many but it was enough to give each other the fuzzies. I hope to use the compliment jar as a way to improve my attitude and esteem. I want my husband to know when I appreciate him but I have to learn to be better at my words. I shouldn't rely on just writing them down. The 52 challenge is saving X amount of dollars for the week you are in. Since it's week one, the jar should end up with a dollar from each of us by Friday night, and then two each next Friday, etc...I'm hoping it starts a really nice nest egg for us. We will see! The point is to stay focused and excited about it!

Catching up

The confines of my bedroom is where I lay, but with sleeping baby on my chest. Her weekend was a little jammed so today is hers to catch up. 

A Christmas parade last night in my parents town was on her to do list, and while I thought she'd sleep right through it, she actually enjoyed being awake for the lights,sirens and all other crazy noises associated. It was nice to go to it again. You forget what it's like to do little town things when you live in big city debacle. Now that I'm back to work I feel like I am holding my breath the minute I set her down at daycare until the minute I pick her up. It's awful. Working is crucial though for the financial situation. The bills are stacking and it's going to take a while to get them all paid off. I know insurance helped, but it didn't feel like it at all. And now that there is three of us it feels like that's going to take half my paycheck "just in case" I need to see doctor.. The premiums and deductibles are so high is not worth it,but since there's madness in healthcare reform, we do what we have to to escape being slapped by the man. It's the same with car insurance. Every year it's rising to the point of unbearable. We might as well be playing bumper cars.

You wouldn't believe it but we are the safest drivers I know. No tickets no accidents....so what's with the rise? 

Every time I feel myself get flustered about money, I look at baby.

She's so sweet and loving. She has no idea on the cruel green that's making the world go round right now. It's my job to make sure she won't have to know prematurely. It's a tough job, and if I have to switch to a closer job in town versus where I am now then so be it. 

This really is my heart sitting outside my chest. She gives me a new sense of purpose.

Poopy Hands

I just had what was probably the most embarrassing trip ever in a long time. At the moment I am staying in my hometown with relatives to help out while I am on maternity leave. I also was running dangerously low on diapers. That meant my only option was really a Walmart trip. Not an easy task today. As soon as I parked, baby K let everyone know we were there. Multiple..... MULTIPLE people said they were coming over to make sure I wasn't beating my child. I wanted to crawl in a hole. I didn't even know it was possibly to get embarrassed in a walmart in the middle of nowhere, but it happened. The best part? Parking at the house with a peacefully sleeping baby and after rubbing my face out of frustration.... Seeing the poop I had all over my hands.
Happy Thursday!