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!