the last few weeks.

well hey there old friend, its been a minute!

so when we last left off, we had found a home but it didn't work out, right? Well lets start there.

First, we're both thankful the home didn't work out. We were blown away by the size and price, not really looking closely at the actual house. We were under the impression we wouldn't find what we wanted, and what we could afford, in Lilburn- which is where we wanted to be. It was a blessing that the home failed inspection!

We ended up deciding to put things on hold, because we didn't want to rush or settle. However, one home came on the market and caught our eye! Pictures online and the actual home can be two different things so I didn't get my hopes up too high. To save ourselves some money on inspection (sucks to pay all that money for it to fail, then have to do it all over again) we brought my brother along since he has years of experience in construction. Long story short, we fell in love. It had everything we wanted! It had only been on the market a couple days, and we knew it would go fast- so we put in an offer right away.

We closed on the Loganville home, and man it was more emotional than I thought it would be! It was very bitter sweet. We actually became friends with the lady who bought our home, which just makes it easier- and awesome that we got a friend out of it :) We've been keeping in touch with her, and I know she'll love the home as much as we did for the last four years.

Our two closing dates were about a week apart so we threw everything in to storage and moved in with my in-laws till we could move in to the new home. During all of this a lot happened: Adelynn started a new daycare, Grandma Brown passed away, Joey threw out his dang back & got a borderline hernia, and our baby girl was having a difficult time...and still is.

We finally made it to closing day on 10/18! Turns out the people we bought the home from moved right near my Dad and met him at his garage sale, ha! Their daughter and son-in-law both went to YHC! Small world, so meant to be!! We went straight from closing to the house, one because we were excited but also so we could paint Adelynn's room right away. It was important to me her room be as familiar as possible so she could get comfortable right away. We actually went ahead and started moving stuff in which was great- we got a ton done!

Saturday we moved everything else with the help of a moving company, and I unpacked in record speed. As they brought boxes in, I was unpacking and putting everything in its place. We got everything all finished up, and we spent our first night in the home.

we are about a mile from my dad, brother, neices, etc. We are IN the same neighborhood as one of my SILs, her husband and our three nephews. AND just a few miles from my in-laws. We also managed to cut our commutes more than in half- which is awesome. My hour long drive is now only 15 minutes!

All awesome right? Should be. We were thrilled to finally make this happen, we've been working toward it for a long time and we adore this house.

Adelynn started having a hard time while we were still at my in-laws. She was screaming crying, inconsolable ALL night long. It was awful. We started thinking maybe she had an ear infection. She did it again our first night in the new home, and by 8pm I knew we couldn't do it again. So we loaded up and drove to the ER. We were there for what felt like forever, with her screaming away. At one point I went in to a room off to the side of the lobby, and just started sobbing. We were all exhausted, and I couldn't handle the screaming anymore. I was sure it was an ear infection- it had to be- cause this was not my child. They checked her out finally around 11pm and she was just fine. We were so confused. We got home a little after midnight, and shockingly she went right to sleep no fuss, and slept till 8am!

Wake up Sunday morning and realize we have no coffee-- really, no groceries-- so joey went to go run out and get some stuff...and discovered my window shattered. Welcome to the neighborhood right? What else could happen??

Whoever did it left a pair of shoes, a brick, and a screw driver. We heard later a teen was arrested for minor in possession of alcohol, burglary, and breaking/entering in to vehicles all up and down the main road- so we're pretty sure thats our guy. We're still working on getting in touch with the detective to try and link the case- in the mean time my window is fixed, thank goodness. Initially we thought he didn't take anything- there was still a purse in there, my GPS, iPod, joey's amp, etc. But after searching for my purse I realized he must have taken it. We had all kinds of stuff in my car from moving, so I saw a purse and just assumed...not really thinking- the purse I was actually using with all my stuff in it was gone. Thankfully my wallet was in the diaper bag inside from the ER the night before. But my glasses (over $200) I'd just gotten were in there, and it was the purse Joey got for me ($60)back around Mothers Day. Super bummed. Paid $100 to fix the window too. Shit head. Hopefully we can get something back...we'll see.

You'd think that would be the end of our bad luck...but its not.

After the weekend we were still dealing with a very unhappy baby. Followed up with the pediatrician and he is pretty confident its due to all the changes: new daycare, dropping down to one nap a day, moving from the old house to my in-laws, then again in to the new house, etc. He said at this age she doesn't know how to express herself, and she feels unstable with her routine being SO shaken up. So, hence the screaming and crying. Basically, time will heal her. She needs to feel safe, secure, and back to her routine again. Get used to the new normal. I was worried the change would be hard for her- which we why we moved in SO quickly, and I wanted her room set up/painted right away. She seems to be doing better- shes not screaming and crying all night. But when we first put her to bed, she screams for a few minutes- the doctor said let her get it out and scream....even if it lasts for an hour. ugh. She is doing awesome at daycare but still struggling at home. It has been rough.

Now rewind a bit. My in-laws are allergic to cats, so we had to take Moose to my bosses house for the week until we moved in. We got him back Sunday (after the night in the ER and discovering the break in), and knew right away something wasn't right. We chalked it up to all the change, cats don't do well with stress/change. So I decided to give it a couple days and if he didn't get better we'd take him to the vet. He wasn't eating or drinking, litter box was empty, he was throwing up all over the place, and you could feel every bone in his body. Wedns morning I decided it was time to take him to the vet, so I got an appointment for that afternoon. I got off work and took him in. Let me just start with, I was only there for about 45 minutes...

As soon as they started examining him I could see it all over their face it wasn't good. I started getting a little upset but was trying to keep it together, I figured we'd give him an IV and some meds, and he'd be just fine. There was a lot of talking going on and I finally just looked at the vet and said " Are you trying to tell me we need to put him to sleep?" and she shook her head yes. Then, I just started sobbing. Full blown, moaning, sobbing. She said he was too far gone. That it was his intestines, and even if we tried surgery her honest opinion was that it wouldn't do any good, and would cost us thousands of dollars. I said I'd go home and talk to my husband, and call them if we decided to put him to sleep. She kinda smiled at me, sadly, and said " I wouldn't recommend you take him home, he is clearly suffering." So not only was I losing my cat, they wanted to but him to sleep RIGHT then. They left the room so I could call Joey, and as soon as he answered the phone I just cried and cried in to the phone, while holding Moose. I couldn't even get the words out. He immediatley left work. The next phone call was to my dad- without even thinking I called my dad and told him what was happening, and that I wanted to bury him next to my cat Shadow (who I had from middle school till I was about 23) at his house.

The vet came in a few times to see if I was ready, and I wasn't. I knew they were getting ready to close, I just couldn't make myself hand him over. I wanted to be with him but she said it may be hard to see- that since he was so dehydrated he may have some seizures and it may be hard to find a vein,etc. I selfishly decided not to go with him, and I've been kicking myself for it ever since.

Kissing him and hugging him one last time, and handing him over to her- was hands down, the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I am heart broken over it. He was the perfect cat, my little buddy. Always with me, sleeping in between Joey and I every single night- I adored this kitty.

(paw print the vet made me)

(burying him next to Shadow at my dads)

(last picture of my guy, at the vet)

I walked out the door, with my dead cat in a box. Crying all across the parking lot not caring who saw me or what I looked like. I have no doubt I was ugly crying, Kim K style. Heartbroken. I drove straight to my Dads, and Joey was already there. He and my Dad dug his grave, we buried him, and then went home.

I've cried every single time I think about him. The whole vet visit was traumatic. I've never had to put an animal to sleep, ever. I keep replaying it over and over in my mind. I wish I had taken 5 more minutes with him, whether they were closing or not. I wish I had been unselfish and gone in the room with him when they gave him the shot. The house feels so different without him here. I immediately printed pictures of him to put up so we could see him everyday, and every time I stop and remember what happened- I get choked up.

I could go on, but I'll stop there.

The very next day we realized our gas wasn't on. (again, really? what else??) I spent the day battling with the gas company, crying my eyes out over Moose, and feeling so very low. This was not the amazing, celebratory first week I expected in our new home we worked so hard for and love so much.

It got a little brighter when we got the gas turned on that day instead of 6 days later- thank GOD (its cold!). The shelter we got Moose from reached out and I had been filling them in on what happened. They offered me another kitty, and I just couldn't resist. Joey quickly agreed, and bam: meet Baxter.

part of me felt guilty, it was SO FAST after Moose. but the stronger, more selfish part of me did it anyway. I wanted to fill that void, I didn't want to be sad, I needed this cat. He is very sweet, VERY playful, and a beautiful kitty. He isn't Moose- he just isn't. He isn't as cuddly and he is still having a hard time with the dogs. Moose was SUCH a cuddler, and played with the dogs almost right away! But I know its not fair to keep comparing them. We both keep catching ourselves calling Baxter Moose, just out of habit. He has definitely helped lift the spirits in this house- and Adelynn doesn't seem to know whats going on. Which I'm thankful for and was worried about. She LOVED Moose-- but when she saw Baxter she laughed and said "Kitty!!" so I think we're good as far as she goes. I was scared to death about ONE MORE change for that baby girl, she can't handle anymore change.

Needless to say, I think I'm a tad depressed. and I have no shame admitting that- I mean shit, we have had a very rough two weeks. Moose is what gets me the most- it just hurts my heart so badly. That and Adelynn having such a hard time. I look at this child and don't know who she is! We were so spoiled with our happy, laid back baby. I'm looking forward to her getting more comfortable, calming down, and getting back to her normal self.

I'm just exhausted, and sad. Period. BUT...we love our home. And despite everything we're glad we made this happen, and very proud of ourselves for what we've accomplished. Nothing Joey and I have done has ever been easy, but in the end it makes it that much more sweet. We've worked our asses off for everything we have, and we take serious pride in that.

so there it is. an update on life.

WELCOME to the world, our third nephew Bryson Monroe Rogers <3 p="">

RIP Grandma Brown, we love you so very much <3 p="">

RIP Moose, you are loved so much more than you ever knew <3 p="">

whirlwind.

whirlwind is an understatement ya'll. life has been cray-cray lately.

a little over a week ago we accepted an offer to sell our house! ever since, it has been insane around our house.

we started the house hunt right away, we close on 10/4 so from the time of accepting our offer we had about 4 weeks. panic kelly..thats what has been happening ever since. our plan B if we didn't find a house before then was to move in with my in-laws and throw our stuff in storage.

we did find a house we loved, but the inspection was a flop. we are crushed. so, time to start the hunt-again. we're both exhausted, stressed, and so over it. joey is in class, but when we gets home we're figuring out what we want to do from here. i know there is no way we'll find a home, close, move by 10/14- and we of course don't want to rush anything either.we're pumping the brakes a bit. we'll make arrangements/plans to move in with my in-laws for the time being until we find something we love.

so frustrating. i thought selling would be the hard part! i am thankful we sold and got such a great offer. i know we'll find something eventually. trying to focus on the blessings and be thankful.

but man, feelin' low tonight.

stay tuned...

keepin' the faith.

ok folks, pity party over. sorry bout that....

had a rough week, and it took me a bit to snap out of it. the biggest help was starting back at the dental office.

so grateful to be welcomed back with open arms. i stopped by a couple days before i started back and was welcomed with lots of hugs, smiles, and love. it seriously feels awesome to feel wanted, to feel like i'm coming back to family. it makes me feel even more that this is where i need to be. i did feel like a huge failure that working at home didn't work out after i'd worked so hard for it-- but, i'm more calm and clear headed now. it was nice to sit down on my first day back and just slip right back in to it, like i'd never left. great feeling!

i do miss seeing baby and joey in the mornings. i leave the house around 6:30 and joey gets up for work around 7:30 and baby doesn't get up till about 8. i miss seeing her every morning. it truly is my most favorite part of the day-- flippin' her light on, she pops up with a huge smile and gets so excited to see you! my happy girl. i love all the morning snuggles and smiles! so i'll miss that. but getting off at 3 gets me home about 3:30 so gives me time in the afternoon with her and to get some dinner ready.

overall i'm thankful. very very grateful.

we're still chuggin' along on selling the house. we MAY have hit a speed bump with the new home, me changing jobs...not the best timing. but we'll hear this week sometime if its going to be an issue. hopefully not, i want to move forward with it. so close to making it happen! hopefully all goes well, and we're able to sell our home!

so lately its been adjusting to changes, and focusing on the house. but tonight relaxin' on the couch i just kinda thought to myself 'man, i'm a lucky girl'

glad i finally snapped outta that funk.

insomnia.

ya'll. i can't sleep-- again. this is becoming a habit. and not the good kind. i'm so tired, then i lay down and my mind just goes to work.

i don't even know what to do with myself right now.

i feel lost.

when did i get so emo? we all know i'm on the emotional side but i feel like a lost, hot mess lately.

i feel like a failure, like i don't even know where to go from here. i had goals. one of them, probably the biggest most important one to me- is gone. the others, are in the works.

so now i lay in bed at night, sad. and just re-assessing the shit out of everything. what now?

i have so much to be grateful for, and i know it. i am blessed in many ways, have a lot that some don't. my needs are met. so what is my problem?

i guess, i just....don't know what to do now. like, struggling to even get my thoughts down right here and now. thats how jumbled up it is in my head.

i guess, i'm thinking i don't want to just go through the motions of life. i don't want to settle. i'm a determined and motivated person and i lost that a few days ago. i had/have all these goals i was constantly striving for- it was forever in the fore front of my mind. and now i'm low, so low that i'm just drawing a blank on all of it.


all i know is, the first priority is survival. taking care of my family in every way- so that i guess, is what i will focus on right now. don't get me wrong, that is always and will always be my TOP priority-- but i was always striving to do more than 'just survive'. more than going through the motions. more than just treading water. living life, achieving goals, REALLY LIVING and succeeding.


probably the lamest, most boring blog i've ever written in the 5 years i've been blogging. figures.

hopes crushed.

i can't sleep. i am so tired, but my mind will not shut up.

ya'll, this is me. officially giving up on having adelynn home with me. that is really hard for me to say, and makes me cry so easily. today has been a very very rough day.

i know it seems crazy, i mean i just shouted from the roof tops not too long ago about how my dreams finally came true. theres a lot to it, and for now it is just too private to lay it all out in such a public place. but there it is.

its done.

i've worked for this for so long. this has been my motivation, my drive, my goal- every single day since i was pregnant. to NOT have this goal/thought in my head is going to be so weird. my heart literally hurts. i feel like a big fat failure.

by the way, if you didn't realize, you've all been invited to my pity party.

baby girl will be back in daycare full time (again) tomorrow. so much for that. this bothers me for many reasons:

- i want to raise my child
- i don't want to miss a thing
- if/when we move we have to think about daycare. if we move too far she can't go where she is now, and i don't want her anywhere else. if she is in daycare at all, i want her where she is. but i also don't want daycare location to dictate where we move. make sense? vicious cycle.
- i just want to be a mommy and spend time with my child
- i want to save the money

being a mommy, is what i want. i worked hard, non stop, determined, motivated and finally achieved it. and now its gone.

so whats next?

hopefully sleep.

Official Listing

You can now find our house listed on various real estate sites, facebook, craigslist, and our agent's site as well!

SO EXCITING!

Heres' hoping we get some bites, and ultimately a great offer so we can move on up and outta here! we've worked really hard on the house, our realtor took some awesome pictures, and we're just patiently (or...impatiently on my part) waiting to start have some showings!


Fingers crossed all goes well!

http://www.lambrosrealtyllc.com/index.html

Project: Sell Our House

well, we're officially on the market ya'll!

we've been wanting to sell our home for about a year and we're finally doing it.

we bought this house and moved in when joey got home from army, we were 22, no kids, and newly married. perfect starter home for us. i love this house, we've put a lot of work in to it! but its time to move on to bigger and better things! the official listing with listing pictures from our realtor isn't up yet but will be sometime this week.

yesterday we spent 7 hours doing yard work  (and we're both feeling it today!). We accomplished almost everything we wanted to: weed pulling, digging up trees, weed whacking the front/back, cutting the grass front/back, pressure washing the sidewalk driveway, screened in porch, and ENTIRE house, hedge trimming front and back, and last night we rearranged our furniture to get the house 'show' ready. All that is left is some general cleaning & decluttering, and sometime this week I'm getting flowers to plant and pinestraw to put down. But we got all the hard time consuming stuff knocked out- proud of us!

we're looking to move to a 4-5 bedroom home, preferably in Lilburn. Most of our family lives out there, its where we grew up, and a good area too. We'll also look in Loganville (where we are now), Snellville, and Grayson. But before we can do that we gotta sell our house! Quite a few homes have sold in our neighborhood this summer, for great prices, and pretty quickly- I'd say in 6 weeks or less. One of our neighbors (with a home identical to ours) listed, sold, and moved out in about 3 weeks! So I hope we get that lucky and it happens quickly for us. we're excited to start looking at potential new homes, and get into something soon :) fingers crossed all goes well- we've worked our asses off to get here, so i really hope it all pays off.

I took a bunch of pictures, put all the home stats, list price, and our realtor's contact information up on FB, and up on a couple For Sale sites on FB too- just to spread the word and get some eyes on it. Our realtor will be over this week sometime to take the pictures once we finish everything, and then we'll hopefully get our home on other realtor's radars who are looking for homes for their buyers. I really hope it goes well.

we're working with Lambros Realty LLC and so far it has been an awesome experience-- they are bending over backwards to answer all our questions, and my million emails! Every step of the way they've been there for us. I have no doubt they'll help us achieve our goal!

Lambros Realty LLC

(770) 500-7386

lambrosrealty@gmail.com

http://lambrosrealty.weebly.com/

 

Hopefully we can start booking some showings and get it sold. I'm excited for whats to come in the future. prayers all goes well for us!

officially a work at home mom.

ya'll. it is happening.

as of now, i am officially a work-at-home mommy.

whoa.

anyone who knows me, reads this little blog, or puts up with me on FB knows loud & clear this is what i've been working for. in my perfect world joey will make millions and i can quit work totally to be a full time mommy & wife, but this is the real world- that just ain't happenin'. since coming to terms with that i've worked hard to find a way to provide for my family financially, while also finding the balance of work/mom/wife.

i did a trial week last week having adelynn home with me since daycare was closed. overall, it went REALLY well. i absolutely loved having her here, and felt way more like a mama then i had in a while. with her in daycare and me working- i really only got to see her for a few minutes in the morning, then when she got home we had an hour (maybe 2) of playtime/dinner/bath and then bed. so i felt like we had no quality time. after last week, it is now weird to be sitting here all alone without my girl. (she is in daycare right now).

i spoke to my bosses, joey, my mommy, my bff, etc. decision has finally been made- we're getting her out of daycare and home with me. exciting & scary! Exciting because i finally get to be a full time mommy and raise my baby. We will be saving a really good chunk of money which will help a TON. Scary cause i'm nervous about being able to really do this. yes last week went well, but i know there will be days/weeks that will just be hard and overwhelming, every day will be different and i'll face different challenges. i'm not a big fan of change, it makes me anxious! and i have a big fear of the unknown! thats just my normal kelly-ness. plus i know her spot at daycare will go quick, so we won't have that safety net of 'oh if it doesn't work out we'll just put her back in daycare'. we love and adore our daycare provider, she has quickly become part of the family.

i've also got to learn to let go a bit. let the house be a mess, realize i can't do it all, go with the flow and just take it a day at a time- figure out what works and what doesn't.

overall, this is a win.

nervous, excited, but overall ecstatic that this is finally happening. in two weeks, my girl will be by my side-always.

Thank you, God.

on the good ship, lollipop....

i have no idea who first showed me a Shirley Temple movie, but it is by far one of my favorite childhood traditions/memories.

i remember on christmas every year being so excited when my parents (or santa) got me a new Shirley Temple movie. i have quite the collection, all on VHS ha. There are still a lot i haven't seen yet though, which i'm dying to see!

and yes, i do know most of the songs from her movies- no shame.

i was looking for something to put on for baby to watch so i can work, and came across Bright Eyes on HBO! holy moly it took me back, and its in black & white too! so cool. baby climbed up on the couch and sat there watching silently with her cheerios in hand, before any singing even started. i would love for her to love these movies, i know i did. i'll have to get some to play for her when she is a little older.

in the mean time, i found out (thanks google) Shirley Temple actually wrote an autobiography! i know what i'm spending my birthday money on... ;)

my new assistant.

i hired a new assistant this week to help me with work...

ok, not really. but baby girl is here all week!

she goes to an in-home daycare in our neighborhood and the lady who watches her is on vacation this week. this kind forces me to do a trial run with having her home with me while i work. yes, this has been my goal. i think i've been scared to pull the trigger and try it out! i've been wanting it for so long i've been afraid it wouldn't work out, i've hyped it up in my mind where i was nervous. she is awesome, don't get me wrong. but i work a full 8 hour work day like i would if i worked outside of the home so i just wasn't sure if this was truly possible.

she is pretty independent for the most part, i can sit in the living room with my laptop and work/keep an eye on her. she still naps twice a day, and her lunch time falls during my regular lunch hour- so it works! i had her home a couple weeks ago when she was sick with HFM but didn't really consider that a true trial run. a sick baby is totally different than a non-sick one, i know mamas can attest to that! but during that week, i was (for the most part) able to work normally. the only difference was not working the phones at all that week. i think if i wasn't on the phone it wouldn't even be a worry or issue in my mind. but this week, i'm on the phones for 3 days out of the 5 day work week...so we shall see how it goes.

you might be wondering why being on the phone is a big deal? well, i have a very vocal and loud baby girl! she talks up a storm and babbles away, she runs around squealing in delight- which is music to my ears! but some people i speak to may find that unprofessional, and i don't want to lose business. so thats my biggest worry, being able to work the phones normally.

i pray it works out. having her home with me is the entire reason i have been pursuing at home work since i was pregnant. i mean, whats the point of working from home if she is still in daycare and we're paying all that money?

i just gotta keep chugging along, i've been working towards this goal since July 2011 when i learned i was pregnant. thats TWO YEARS. and here it is, here is my chance.

tomorrow is day one of three this week i'm on phones. pray it goes well!

you work from home? riiiiiight.

so ever since i started working from home, people are very curious about what i do. and my inbox has blown up with questions like "is it legit?" or "are you sure its not a scam?" and mostly "so what do you DO?". most often i get people asking if i can get them a job or if we're hiring- which i totally understand, that was me not long ago!

i totally understand the curiosity. it seems rare to find legit at home work that you don't have to pay some money in to, or work on a contract/1099 basis. i'd been looking for at home work for over a year. i've wanted to be a SAHM, full time mommy, but financially we can't afford for me to not work. my goal has been to find a way to be home with adelynn while still contributing to my family financially- kinda like the best of both worlds. i came across MANY scams and bogus job openings. many times i all but gave up because i was getting so discouraged. i needed not only work with a legitimate company, but wanted an hourly/salary job with consistent pay i could count on. i was approached many times about joining Mary Kay, Premier Jewelry, Pampered Chef, etc. while some of those did catch my interest, i didn't trust it to provide a consistent paycheck for me that we needed to stay on budget, pay bills, and just live.

i emailed everyone i could think of, facebooked people, got on LinkedIn, etc. i did everything i could to network and get my name out- let it be known by everyone what i was trying to achieve. probably borderline annoying, but i was determined. i poured over job openings on craigslist, monster, and various job websites. everything i thought was legit turned out not to be. it was frustrating. i cried many tears over it. but i kept on trying, i didn't give up!

finally. i got an email from a cousin of ours, that they had heard of a job opening through a friend. i didn't get my hopes up, but sent in my resume' anyway to check it out. pretty quickly i got an email back, and a couple phone calls. next thing i know i have a handful of phone interviews, webcam interviews, and started doing my research. i wanted to know everything about this company, do my homework! thank ya jesus, it is a legitimate company and legitimate work! and, even better? it looked like they were actually interested in ME!

not long after i was offered the job. holy moly, my prayers were answered. i was ECSTATIC.best feeling ever. i was so nervous, excited, scared, thankful- all of the above. this was way out of my comfort zone and so different than anything i'd ever done. but i HAD to try it. this was what i'd been working for! joey & i decided to take a leap of faith and try this out. we'd give it a few months and if all went well then we'd work on bringing adelynn home to be with me. i wanted to get all my training for the new job under my belt, get comfortable, and see how it all worked before just bringing her home right away.

so, what do i do? i'm a career consultant for Adjuster Pro! (www.adjusterpro.com ) the way i describe it to people is this: i'm kinda like a college advisor- i help students figure out the best path to take in obtaining licensing in states throughout the country to become a licensed Insurance Adjuster. we offer exam prep courses, software training, CE credits, etc etc etc the list goes on. we help license, certify, and train adjusters all over the country. we have online classes, live classroom courses, and my job is to help people figure out what they need/want and how to do it. i answer questions along the way, and basically just help however i can. i talk to them on the phone, email, and live chat through our website! all of this i do from home and work an 8 hour day just like i would if i commuted to an office everyday. our entire company is virtual, so everyone works from home. we have employees all over the country! its pretty dang cool. we have meetings on conference calls, webcam meetings, and IM each other all day long.

i've also started doing some work with our social media. i expressed an interest and they've been supportive in me pursuing that side of things. we have a social network, facebook, twitter, linkedin, etc. so i've been working to ramp those things up and be more active. LOVE IT.

so in a nut shell, thats what i do! i had adelynn home with me a couple weeks ago when she had HFM and they were very understanding and supportive. for the most part, i was able to get work done normally- granted i wasn't on the phone so that made a huge difference. next week daycare is closed so i'll have her home with me, and this will be a sort of 'trial run' to see how it goes with a non-sick baby and me working on the phone. fingers crossed it works out, i would love love love to have her home with me full time. we'd save so much money, and aside from that- i just want to be the one to raise my baby! i hate being away from her, and missing out. ever since i got pregnant with her i've been trying to find a way to do this. and i hope this is it. many prayers hoping this works how we want it to. could make things a lot easier/better for our family in many ways!


www.adjusterpro.com  --website

www.facebook.com/adjusterpro --facebook

www.twitter.com/AdjusterPros --twitter

http://www.adjusterspace.org/ -- our very own social network

http://www.adjusterpro.com/insurance-adjuster-blog/  -- our blog

litter box watch: day 4.

who knew something so cuddly and cute could stress me out so much? and no, i'm not talking about the baby.

we got Moose on Tuesday and i'm so excited to have him here! i've been wanting a kitty for over 5 years and hubs got him for me for my birthday!

i was told it may be overwhelming for him to roam the house since he's not used to having so much space, and he's been through A LOT in the last week. so we've been keeping him in the guest room so slowly let him adjust to life here. his food and water is in there, i put two blankets from the dogs in there to get used to their smell, and of course the litter box.

that damn litter box. i remember telling hubs "cats are so easy! and litter box training is so natural it just won't even take any effort." wow, i am so eating my words now. today is day 4 and he has YET to use the litter box. instead he is using the futon. every single time. holy moly.

i've reached out to various friends & family who are cat people, Facebook, coworkers, google, asking for advice and reading everything i can. this boggles me. from what i've been told we should leave him in the guest room alone until he can calm down and get adjusted. that it'll take 3-4 days but then he'll be just fine. well....as i said, today is day 4. and he is still using the futon. i made sure the litter box was full enough, the litter didnt smell too strong, it was in a 'private' place, not too close to his food, etc. when he pooped on the futon i put it in the box, and held him while i showed him covering it with litter and moving it around. i place him in the box and he hops right back out. nothing is working.

i'm trying to be patient and not stress, but i'm sorry- have you met me? hey there, i'm kelly-- and i stress a lot. nice to meet you.

we have a 'mattress' cover on the futon to protect it, i lined it with garbage bags, and put the sheets back on. i'm not going to keep washing them every dang day twice a day till we get this under control. no point in my eyes. he meows at the door which makes me think he wants out- everytime we open the door he escapes. so i'm starting to wonder if he is upset for being cooped up and left alone so much? i have no idea.

i'm truly boggled.

i tried calling the shelter to see if they had suggestions, to see how he did with it there, and to see what kind of litter they use. no answer- so i'm hoping they'll call me back. cause i am at a loss.

feeling defeated. and frustrated. and stressed.

stay tuned, hopefully we get this worked out ASAP!


*UPDATE* 6/18/13
shelter called me back and spent lots of time on the phone with me to figure this out. they even said they would call me on Monday to check in and see how things are going. they rock! they suggested moving him to an even smaller room so we settled on the guest bathroom. this may help him adjust, since he's not used to having so much room, and maybe motivate him to "find" and use the litter box. then we can let him out and start roaming the house and getting used to the dogs,etc. PLUS if there are accidents its a tile floor so MUCH easier to clean up. *needless to say he is already in there, and i've already cleaned up the guest room. futon mess is in the washer as we speak!

they also suggested a bigger box. we got a smaller one cause we'd heard if they had one too big it may put them off from using it. the shelter told me he had a regular sized one there, so the smaller one MAY be throwing him off. and finally, they recommended a different litter. luckily i was able to exchange everything at petsmart so i got a bigger box,and a different litter. they (and some friends) recommended Cat Attract. the lady at the shelter told me she had fostered a cat who had issues using the litter box, and after putting that litter down the cat was using it within 4 hours. fingers crossed we have the same success.


*UPDATE 2* 7/3/2013
success! within an hour of making those changes on Friday he was using the litter box like a champ. thank goodness! we've had no problems since then, and he is already a part of this family. he sleeps with joey & i, is getting along with the dogs, loves adelynn (and is so patient with her dragging him around ha). he is awesome. he follows us around and if he can't get to where we are just sits at the door meowing his little heart out. he sits with me all day while i work too :) i adore him, we got a good one!

attitude.

i remember after i got pregnant my mom smiling and saying to me, "i hope you have a girl, so you get all that attitude you gave me." oh, we had a good laugh!

i'm not laughing anymore.

lord have mercy this baby girl is no longer a baby i suppose. granted, she will ALWAYS be my baby, and i still affectionately call her 'baby'. but she is becoming more and more toddler like. i've said it a million times before, we got blessed with a very laid back/happy/easy baby. and i wasn't lyin'!

the last couple days we've experienced our first, of what i'm sure will be many- meltdowns.

well, not really melt downs. i've seen some good melt downs and thats not really what we're dealing with. she's more fussy, testing us. when we tell her no, or "no ma'am", take something away, or pick her up to move her from whatever shes doing...we get the picture above. it usually only lasts a couple minutes and then shes up and running, smiling, and forgotten all about it.

we've been using redirection thus far. "you can't have this... but hey look at THIS!"

i feel like at 14 months old, there isn't a ton you CAN do. i don't want her to be spoiled, or melt down central. but theres just not a ton of options at this point. i don't think she'd understand a time out. spanking isn't an option (at least till shes older, don't judge), and words only get so far. so we've been relying on redirection.

i've gotten her to where she understands "no ma'am" because i use it consistently. she KNOWS when i say that to stop what shes doing. she normally either listens, and moves on. or she cuts her eyes at me with this sneaky little smile and keeps slowly reaching for/climbing on/touching/doing whatever i'm telling her not to. (sometimes, it IS really cute....and it makes me laugh...but i do my best not to show her that)

i've been reading a ton of things online (gotta love Dr.Google) and thus far it looks like redirection is the top pick for this age. granted, people have all kinds of different advice- stick her in the crib for "time out" and walk away....slap her hands, swat her butt, tone of voice, etc.

i think, for now at least- we'll stick with redirection.

regardless, i adore this child- and she truly is 'easy' and happy, ALL THE DANG TIME. well...as long as she naps ;)

i mean, just look at this face!

(this is when she was itty bitty, just days old!)

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

call me cat lady.

patience is key.

I grew up with cats,we always had at least two at a time.

then, i got married. ha.

joey had zero interest. and some of his family members are allergic. so he won that battle quickly- cause i do love me some in-laws! (seriously, i actually love my in-laws).

fast forward 5 years later. it came up again, he didn't seem repulsed by the idea.... those family members i mentioned being allergic never come over here, so that wasn't really a valid argument anymore.

and so, the dance began!

fast forward to now. i read a blog that Athens Humane Society had an over flow of cats/kittens they had saved from animal control, and were running a 'Name Your Own Price' adoption fee. (this includes spay/neuter, and up to date on shots). i told joey about it and he just kinda rolled his eyes and said 'well, i was planning to surprise you for your birthday..'

so the search began!

we finally settled on this little guy up above. we had three we were interested in but we kept going back to this guy. he is so dang handsome! we get to meet him on sunday, and pick him up next week after he gets snipped. i can hardly wait to bring him home!!

then we played the name game. he kinda looks like charlie chaplain, so we threw out Chaps or Charlie. but it still didn't seem right. hubs said Adolph but i wouldn't let that happen...and then it happened- the perfect name for our kitty with a mustache...

Moose Stash Rickels 

i know, right?

perfect.

i cannot wait to bring this little guy home!

stay tuned friends!!

p.s. the name your price promo is still going for the humane society in athens, if anyone local is interested go take a gander at all the fluffy creatures that need homes!

http://www.athenshumanesociety.org/

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30 days of stuff.

Well hi there blog, been a while! Lord have things been busy this last month. Its hard to believe May is almost gone!

Mothers Day was awesome, but bitter sweet. I had to leave that evening for a week in VA for work (will get to that!) but daddy & baby gave me the sweetest gift ever!

I have it sitting on my desk in my home office, and I love it. We spent the Saturday before Mother's Day visiting all the mamas in our lives, so we could hang out as a family of 3 the next day before I left. We visited with my Dad and his wife at their house for a while and baby had a ball running around. Then we went to my in-laws for dinner and hanging out. The next day we were lazy at home, playing and snuggling with baby as long as possible till I had to leave!

I spent a week in VA for work. I really can't complain since I work from home now- oh hey...did I mention I worked from home now?! ;) Anyway, I went for training and it was great. It was SO HARD being away from Adelynn, I was pretty hardcore home sick. But they spoiled us rotten, fed us well, and did everything they could to make sure we all had a great time.

Blessed to work with/for such an awesome company. It was a great week, exhausting, and long. I skyped with baby and Joey a few times. It reminded me of when Joey was in the Army- that was our go-to form of communication for a long time! It was bitter sweet, I was so happy to see baby but every time I logged off I had a huge lump in my throat. I played peek-a-boo with her over webcam and she laughed SO hard. You could tell she was wondering why Mommy was in this box? Ha, too funny. 

But she was GREAT for Daddy all week long, and he is a champ for being a single parent for a whole week! I couldn't wait to get home to them. My flight was already a late one, but then was delayed by a few hours- by the time we finally landed in ATL it was almost 2am! I was so exhausted. Adelynn was having a sleep over so Joey could come get me. When I woke up the next morning, I woke up to a bag I'd been drooling over/coffee/donuts/and my BABY GIRL! I was so dang excited. Hugging her for the first time in a week was the best feeling ever, I never wanted to let go!.

When I got home from VA, I had three days of work before it was time to travel again! But this time, not for work. My SIL Anna's wedding! Thursday was spent running errands, getting nails done, and packing for the weekend. The wedding was at The Farm in Rome,GA and it was so beautiful. SO perfect for Anna and Troy who, after 10 years, were finally getting married. I couldn't be more happy for them. There was a cluster of cabins/cottages on the 60+ acres there, so the family all stayed on site. It was so cool! I could've sat outside in the quiet all day long just looking at the surrounding mountains and enjoying the breeze! We spent the entire Memorial Day weekend there, and it was a blast. I was a bridesmaid, and Adelynn was a flower girl. She was amazing all weekend-- slept great, our happy girl, running all over the place just loving it. She even performed her flower girl duties amazingly! We weren't sure how she would do, but sure enough she walked right down the aisle to her daddy's arms. When she finished everyone started clapping- she looked around, smiled, and started clapping! It was the cutest thing ever! I hope the wedding photographer got some pictures of it cause no one else did, and it was the most precious thing ever. It was an amazing weekend all around, and I am so happy to have Troy as my BIL! They are currently honeymooning in the Bahamas, and lord knows I wish I was there too ;)

Thats been life lately! I'm still adjusting to the new job, learning a ton, and enjoying working from home. Joey just started school last week through the GI Bill and I couldn't be more proud. He is going 4 days a week and still working full time. Its a lot but I know he can do it. He started pursuing the EMS program- and I think he'd be great at that! So hopefully it means a brighter future for our family.

Thrilled to death summer is here cause it means lots of cook outs, corn hole, beer, hangin' with friends outside, and just more sunshine!

Sure do love my little family of 3 :)

ONE YEAR.

12 months, ONE YEAR. it finally came.

holy moly!

Friday 4/12 was baby's birthday, so I took off work and spent the whole day with my girl. she was a bit fussy from teething so we spent the day at home, being lazy and playing! I of course cried a few times through out the day, ha. I woke her up in the morning by singing happy birthday to her, and she stood there in her crib justa smilin' away at me!

Saturday 4/13 was her birthday party! we had it at my in-laws house cause they have a little more room than we do at our house. we wanted to keep it small and low key- cause its just more inexpensive (lets keep it real!), and we wanted it to be very chill. I think it went well, but I hate to say it-I spent most of the day stressed out. The normal stress that comes along with any party,but on top of it my granny ended up in the hospital very randomly- so my mom was with her, and I was getting phone calls/texts on that. With that in the back of my mind, chasing baby, and trying to play a good host-it was stressful (for me at least).
But overall it was awesome. We had perfect weather! Decorations were all hand made by my SILs, Vik, and myself. I also used a lot of sentimental things for decor-- hung a clothesline with all her monthly tutu pictures, another clothesline with the outfit we brought her home from the hospital in, her baby book was out along with some photo books I'd made, photo albums, 'On the night you were born' for everyone to sign/write in, her "first sunglasses" (aka her NICU goggles), first tutu, etc. I wanted it to be special, sentimental- so all of those things were far better decorations in my book! My SIL of course made the cake and it was awesome, Joey grilled all the food and it was delicious, and overall I think everyone had a good time!
Baby got spoiled rotten with gifts- lots of clothes, which was perfect since we had NO 12 month clothes! She was a little party girl too- not shy at all, our normal happy girl, and ended up skipping her second nap AND staying up two hours past bedtime! She had a blast, and a full day--we all slept hard that night! Heres some pictures from the party:

And what better way to celebrate her first year of birth than good news all around?? Joey was accepted in to Gwinnett Tech and will start in May! So proud of him for bettering himself, and things for our family!

I also was offered (and accepted!) a job with AdjusterPro! I'm now a Career Consultant for them, and so far am loving it. Coworkers are awesome people to work with. But the coolest part? Its 100% from home! After over a year of me crying about this (ha) it has finally happened! I now work totally from home, full time, and they are totally supportive of me having Adelynn home with me! For now she will stay at daycare, I wanted to get through all my training first, get a good feel for my work flow/demand, and get in to a routine before I bring her in to the mix. This is my first week, and its very cool so far. I get up and showered in the morning, and get to see Joey & Adelynn- which is a great way to start my day! He leaves for work/to take her to daycare, and I sip my coffee on the couch till my work day starts. At the moment my brain is mush from all the new information, but I'm really enjoying it so far and feel SO BLESSED to have this opportunity. This has been a long time coming, and I've been determined for SO LONG to make this happen.

Its amazing the difference a year can make! And thanks to my baby girl, it has only gotten better everyday. Joey and I were laying in bed last night talking about how awesome she is, how lucky we are, the day she was born-- and then we both just wanted to go grab her and snuggle her. We both adore her, and dont underestimate or under-appreciate how lucky we are to have her. I can hardly remember life without her, and I never want to. I am one weepy mama about the fact that I have a one year old, but I am SO proud of her.

We took her to her one year check up last week! She is 21 Ibs and 30in. She has almost 14 teeth, has been walking for two months, and is just all over the dang place! She is SO MUCH fun! I love her personality. Such a happy, silly little baby. and yes, I will always call her baby!