I think I'm not going to do a whole lot more on xanga. I'm jumping on the Woolard bandwagon and moving to a blog here: http://ourwoolardstory.blogspot.com/ 

Maybe I'll keep a copy on here whenever I post, but I'm not sure. I've posted there a few times and it is easy and I can load video. I want to personalize it more, but I'm still learning. So, see you there if you want to keep up with our family going ons. 

Well, I'm 26 now. Don't feel any different. Never really do. Oh well. Yesterday was nice though. I got lots of birthday wishes from friends. Mom came down (though I don't think remembered my birthday until she got home) and watched Ariel so I could go to RBC to do some office work and then grocery shopping. It was super good of her. Apparently, Ariel had really bad gas bubbles while I grocery shopped, so she basically fussed the whole time. She was happy when I got home though. :) 

...break in writing for crying baby...

Okay, now I have a few minutes to write. My new parent tip for the day is to have an exercise ball! Ours has helped up SO much in the last week or so. It's an amazing soother. It lets us bounce to varying degrees, roll side to side or back and forth, and tone core muscles all at the same time. Plus, when she is gassy, we lay her on the ball on her tummy and roll around a little to massage her tummy. Awesome! Further, it is an exercise ball, so it has all those uses and it can triple as a birthing ball to get through painful contractions. So there is my tip.

As I said, yesterday I went grocery shopping. I planned for a week for this trip - planning meals, making the list, finding store deals, clipping coupons - and I went to three shops (one more today), so hopefully these groceries will last for a couple of months (maybe more) with just a couple trips to the store for veggies, milk, bread, and such. The people in line behind me at the store did not enjoy my planning as it made their way quite long, but we chatted and laughed at me a lot!

Ariel is doing really well. She is 10 weeks old. She smiles all the time and I think a big ole giggle is just welling up in her. I can't wait for it! One of my friends suggested touching her feet to her face during play time to get the giggle, but it won't work for us. Her belly is too big to get both of her feet up that high - in a cute way. I guess we'll have to try other techniques. This week she found herself in a mirror. During her diaper changes, she usually cries a lot! Grandma gave her a mirror toy for Christmas that plays music and I put it on the corner of the table and she just looks at herself and smiles at the music - she is so cute. I love it! She is also starting to swat at toys a lot and even seems to be catching on a tiny bit that she is the reason they move. The swats are pretty unintentional, but she is starting to react to them pretty good. Today, she is wearing her first cloth diaper. I hope I put it on right. We'll see. Practice makes perfect, right? I will get plenty of practice. We are hoping to do the cloth diaper thing to save money. I think we can get started with it for about the same amount of money we would spend to use disposables for 2 months, but then these may last all the way! Of course, we'll have to buy some more stuff occasionally, but still thats a huge savings. We'll see how it goes. As long as we use them for several months, we will save good money, so no loss. Ariel is sleeping so well! Last night she went to bed at 10:00, really fell asleep at 10:30 (Jason went in to sooth two or three times), and woke this morning about 7:45 - but just laid there looking around until 8:15. She's pretty consistent with this! Awesome! Plus she is so happy in the morning. We have a lot of fun. We might watch The Little Mermaid today. I think she'll enjoy hearing the songs. We gave her the movie for Christmas this year - I don't think she knows yet (hee hee).

Well, I think she is getting ready to eat, so I'll end here.

I'm tired. I have found that adjusting to life with a completely dependent person is exhausting. She is a really good baby. We both really need our structure though. Whenever our schedule is different (like weekends and holidays) - we all sleep much less. I have found that I now look forward to Mondays like never before.

Jason is the most awesome husband and daddy. He is always willing to jump up in the middle of the night when I have reached exhaustion. This happened a lot last week as I was fighting a cold - but it is gone now yippee! I feel bad sometimes when he does this and stays up a couple of hours in the middle of the night and then needs to go to work in the morning. He often reminds me that she is "our" baby - it is okay for him to do the tiring stuff too. Plus, I try to remind myself that I am at home all day taking care of her - not at home doing nothing - just like he is at work. We both have busy, tiring days. Although, when he goes to work he almost always know what he is doing and does it well. Whereas, I spend a reasonable amount of my day doing things that I'm not sure are right or good - like trying to console an inconsolable baby - which is exhausting is a whole other way. Not everyday or even all day (usually), but enough to be tiring. Please don't think this is me complaining.

We are all very happy with our new life, but it is a new life. A few of the things that have changed: jumping in the car to go to VA, leaving the house, running to the store, making last minute plans, staying overnight somewhere, taking a shower, sleeping, going to church (we help with set-up, the service, breakdown, and live an hour away), eating, playing with the dogs. I do find it amazing how the body and mind are able to adjust to less sleep and consistenly broken sleep. I thing we both are actually getting kinda used to this...although we can't wait for "sleeping through the night." I have been able to do enough to keep the house pretty decent and we've been eating home-cooked dinners regularly and some other little projects like making curtains for the nursery and cushions for the rocking chair (in progress), posting pictures online, thinking about our new budget, etc. I'm really glad we're trying things out with me staying at home. I have found that I wish we lived closer to family though. We really haven't connected to anyone in Elizabeth City except RBC - no family here, don't go to church here, didn't grow up here - it can get a little lonely when life is so different.

Ariel's Progress Report: she rolled over from her tummy to her back to the right and left, she responds to toys (today she even seemed to reach for one), she lifts her head really well (still not great at holding it up consistently or steadily) - so smart and strong!