Organized...I Think Not

It's official...I am the MOST unorganized person ever! This might surprise some people BUT I have random clutter everywhere. I go in phases where I am very organized, but most of the time I am not. I am a paper hoarder, "I'll just put this here for now" person and then 2 weeks later I have stumble upon it covered by something else, and Ill buy all this organizational stuff to get me organized, but it collects dust. I am frustrated at myself! I was looking for my checkbook for an entire 2 days, I hardly ever use it, is my excuse, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Of course Marks are all lined up neatly and easily accessible. FINALLy I remember where it is...in one of my travel bags, under my bed...you know the perfect place for your checkbook. I don't know what is more pathetic, the fact it was under my bed, or the fact that I REMEMBERED it was under my bed. I know it is hard to change habits, but I have GOT to do something about this lack of organizational skills...time to go make an organized list of all the organizational tasks I need to complete. :) I'm sure I will complete it just as my sweet baby girl wakes up to begin her recent night owl party behaviors...AHH life!

Leah's Baptism

Leah celebrated her first sacrament this past Sunday. It was a very special day for our family. It was extra special for me to be surrounded by our family as my sweet baby girl was welcomed into the Catholic Church. I felt overcome with joy and praise as I watched Leah be baptized. We chose Mary Beth (my sister) and Dave (Mark's brother) to be Leah's Godparents.  We feel confident in their role in Leah's life of faith, love, encouragement and support. Leah wore the baptismal gown my Grandma Philly made for my dad, and all the other grand kids have worn. It was special to know that my dad was Baptised in that exact same outfit...hopefully Leah's babies will wear the same thing! We were surrounded by our immediate family and it was just a perfect day. Thanking God for the blessing of our little Leah.

The two loves of my life

Being Baptized

The Franklin Fam

The Bajorek Clan

Getting Dressed

Godparents, MB and Dave

Pretty girl in Dziadziu's Baptism Gown

Updates

We have been busy here in the Franklin household! We had Leah's Baptism this past weekend, so we were busy with lots of family and friends. I will post pictures when I get them! School has picked up in full force this week. I was in class for 8+ hours on Thursday. I have a night class Thursday and it was the first night since Leah was born that I have not put her to bed...killed me. Maybe it is a good thing to start learning to let go of control a bit, but I just don't want too. I love every second of our bedtime rituals together.  Hard to believe January is almost over, I have things I my "to do" list that I NEED to get too, but lack of sleeping through the night makes it tough. My blog is taking the back burner and I hate that, I love my blogging world. Time to get ready for work tomorrow... here are a few pics!

Good-Bye Fluff...

School has started for the semester...I am taking 2 classes, 8 credit hours and to put it nicely it is time to say goodbye to the "fluff" classes I took in previous semesters. I am currently in Pathophysiology and independent research study and I am scared..haha! I was not very good at Patho in my undergrad, so this will be interesting. Our first week of assignments is a "review" of basically the whole year of undergrad patho...awesome! I have really had to hone in on my previous study skills, it amazing how easy those are to forget, and I am beginning to remember. I know what works for me and what doesn't and having to tend to a 4month old doesn't. So I have been waiting until she is in bed at night to do a majority of my studying, so 7:30-10:30. This week it has worked out well, who knows about next week. In all of this, I am EXCITED! I am excited to learn, to begin getting into the meat of the program and what I will need to know when I am practicing. I am up for the challenge and the days I am not, I play with Leah a little more! I have my actually first day of class this Thursday, that is always a little nerve wrecking, but it will be nice to meet the PNP students. Another tidbit is that my professor for patho is a nurse I work with...time to start sucking up :)

Thickest book ever!

Green Machine

I found this Green Machine via Iowa Girl Eats and was a bit skeptical but willing to give it a try as I am always looking for ways to get more veggies in...this has 4 CUPS OF SPINACH in it...I couldn't taste it one bit...It was really good. I am going to look into ways to alter this and maybe decrease the caloric content a bit. But it was good and I will take the nutrition of the spinach.

Getting me through...

Exhausted is an understatement...Leah is not sleeping well. She has had a cold for over a week now and I think she is starting to teeth and with that the nights are fragments of sleep placed together, waking up in the chair a few hours later, and early mornings. I'm dreaming of 5+ hours of sleep uninterrupted. I'm lost as a mom as to whether she is hungry, doesn't feel good or just wants to be with me...I am debating some cry it out methods, but it just seems cruel when she is so young...any thoughts or suggestions?

So here is what gets my through my exhaustion...this sweet, talkative, little girl...I am so in love!

New Year- New Goals?!

I always love the new year, it feels good to be able to start over and fresh. I have made resolutions in the past, but only to break them. Last year I didn't set any specific goals for the year, but knew what I wanted to accomplish (start school, have a baby being the main ones :) and those were both accomplished. This year I have been exploring blogger land and found some motivating ideas for 2012.

The main one I have decided to participate in  is called One Little Word It is an idea with the thought of not picking resolutions for the year, but pick a WORD that you want to adopt and explore for the year. Then the author Ali Edwards, sends you journal prompts, there are message boards to discuss your word with others and each month you create a "workbook" page on how your word spoke to you or what you want to work on that month with your word. I think I have decided on my word and will be revealing later after I finish my first month's "assignments" I am really looking forward to this.

I also saw THIS on creative organizing website and think this would help me declutter a little bit!

The final idea I want to work on is called Project Life it is a simplified scrapbook. You order the scrapbook and they send the book and coordinating paper and designs...the idea is simple, just get some photos together and get some memories collected. I'm hoping to do a page a month as well as get started continue working on Leah's baby book!

Be a Star

 

One of the breastfeeding support groups I go to posted this...I cried. It is simple and beautiful. It reminded me what a wonderful thing I am doing by breastfeeding Leah. It made me feel good.

During my pregnancy the only thing I was set on the entire time was that of the decision to breastfeed. If everything else went wrong and I could still breastfeed it would be a success in my eyes. I was pretty open about my desires as well and people would ask me why I felt so strongly about it. First, the health benefits to your child are amazing. Here is some information on the benefits of breastfeeding it is astounding to me what a healthy choice for your baby and yourself breastfeeding is. Seeing the sickest babies every day I knew this was important for my baby.

I have always wanted to be a mom, growing up I have always said I want a lot of kids. When Mark and I were preparing to get married I told him that one of my main life callings is to be mom.  Being a mom was something I have always pictured myself doing. And with those visions I had it was always breastfeeding my baby. I would always imagine rocking my infant, nursing and putting the baby to sleep. I felt this inner urge to have this bond with my baby. Now that I have successfully breastfed for 4 months (yea :)) I feel so proud and even feel more strongly about the powers of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is hard, I underestimated how challenging it would be- but it is so worth it. I feel so bonded with Leah- that I can provide her sole source of nutrition all the while being able to comfort, calm and make her feel secure. It only seems fitting that I would have a baby that LOVES to nurse- and this is Leah. She becomes the sweetest little thing during our nursing sessions and after. She smiles, becomes calm and looks around. No matter how hard the day is, when I stop to nurse her I always feel this overwhelming gush of love for her. I am so happy I am able to give her this gift, as well as myself. It has been the best decision for our family. My goal is to breastfeed Leah until she is one... here is to 8 more months of nursing!

The Holiday's

Christmas happened so fast..it hit me out of no where. My thoughts pre-Christmas were preoccupied with my struggles of going back to work ( that is another post!) We spent the 23rd with Mark's family, had dinner and spent the night at his parents. We then traveled to Cincy on Christmas Eve to spend time with my family. We went to church, had our annual delicious polish food, and even got a special visit from Santa Claus that night. Christmas morning was fun with the boys...they were so excited to see their gifts from Santa...tooo much fun! Leah was in bed at 7:30 Christmas Eve and had no clue it was Christmas morning...but she was cute and giggly none the less.  I didn't even get a picture of her with Santa....worst mom ever! Christmas night was low key...I think we were in bed at 9:00pm...pathetic, but we were exhausted from traveling and Leah's sleep habits have been in the toilets.  So Merry First Christmas.... less then "perfect" but we will take it!

NYE we had a wedding of my best friend Kelli. It was in Columbus and it was a great time. I was the Matron of honor so it was a busy weekend attending to my duties to my friend and that of my daughter...Have I mentioned this kid thing is HARD! The wedding was a blast, it was fun to get all dressed up, dancing with friends and family and ringing in the new year with my dear hubby.

Leah and I came down with a cold, I had no voice at the wedding, and Leah has been less then fun this week. Poor baby is super snotty and I am thinking maybe she is starting to show some signs of teething. She has been waking every 1, 2, 3 hours give or take, not so much hungry but just fussy...it has been exhausting but my little baby is so sweet and somehow I can't get enough of her.

I start school next week...I am nervous...my load will be a bit heavier, no more fluff. My books are arriving and my Pathophysiology book is the largest book I have ever seen...So we will see how it goes...

Time for some sleep...

Drew and Leah (8 weeks apart)

Update and a continued break...

It has been a crazy couple of weeks with the holiday's and what not...so much traveling, family time, and trying to manage Leah'sfirst cold. I cant wait to have time to post about Christmas, our NYE wedding, work update, school update and Leah update. But for now I have no computer (using Mark's IPDAD) because I left mine in Columbus and it is currently in the mail and my baby is screaming her head off which seems to be her new theme as of late. Will it ever settle down?!?! I feel like I am sinking right now, but realize this is a normal part of having a baby, let alone a baby who is deemed "colic" and a mom who hasn't slept for a long period of time in 16 weeks, especially the laat 2 weeks and who is also suffering a terrible head cold...man I am feeling sorry for myself! ok time to go quiet my sweet baby and be thankful I have her to hold...hang tight....updates coming (I know you are dying!)