Yes, Yes .......Two posts in one day.
Today is a rainy, gloomy, cold April day in the Ozarks. It's almost 3 p.m. and I'm still in my pajamas. I really have not done this since the first week we came home from the hospital. I try to take a shower and put on make-up and get dressed every day even I don't go anywhere. But Harper was so sweet and fun this morning and I wanted to spend time with her. She was giggling this morning and it's like the best medicine in the world. I want to eat her up.
And I've gotten a lot done. I have cleaned the whole house. I just finished mopping the floors. I'm baking a pecan pie because my parents are coming over for the day tomorrow and I thought I'd make us lunch and dessert. And now I'm sitting down to look up recipes for salmon to cook for dinner tonight. I have to say - one nice thing about me being home is I really have cooked dinner (and lunch) pretty much every day. We ate out SO much when I worked. It's just so hard to get home at 6 and try to get something cooked - especially when I always had somewhere to go. I like this slowed down life.
Some times it gets a little lonely. Scott is a man of few words and I think I talk his ear off when he gets home each night. Sometimes the days get long. But today I am LOVING my new job. It's the life I have always dreamed of. I knew I should have been born in the 1950's. I just need some pearls and I make a great Mrs. Cleaver. :-)
It's a change......I got up and went to work every day for the last 14 years. It feels strange not to be doing that. But I wouldn't want to be doing anything else. I know staying home is not for every mom and there are lots of moms who would like to but just can't right now. I thank Scott and God every day that I have the chance to do this. Three years ago when we started trying for a family - I would constantly do the math in my head and the numbers just weren't there. I don't think there was any way I could have quit work. But God's timing was perfect for our family and He has provided and I can't stop thanking Him. No matter what your situation - we all do the best we can to be good mothers. It's a hard job no matter how you do it and no way is the "better" way. We all love our children and that's the most important thing.
This blog post was brought to you by this little cupcake napping peacefully in her bouncy seat.
(and before I get a bunch of comments - I know she shouldn't sleep with blankets and she doesn't but she is holding her softy and I'm sitting next to her to know she's okay)
151 comments:
Love that picture of Harper. So precious. I am glad you are loving your new job! Enjoy every minute of it!
cal has the same blanket and is the same way with it. she loves it. glad you are enjoying being at home. what a blessing.
She is just too cute and i'm so thankful as well that you are able to stay at home with her.
I am also glad that you are making Easter Sunday her 1st Sunday out! What a great testimony to our God. ISn't He great??
So happy for you and the whole family! Been praying for you often.
Michelle
I was a stay-at-home mommy for 3 years and while it was lonely at times, it was the best job in the world. It's so much better than having to juggle whether to go to work and beg a grandparent to watch your sick child or stay at home and get in trouble at work. You are doing a terrific job!
Thanks for the reminder Kelly--You have great perspective! So far you've snowed me at getting things done with an infant in the house :)
I haven't posted before, but I've read your blog since Harper's birth.
That pic is so cute! My girls are 3 and 5 1/2 and still crazy about their blankets like that. :) You have a precious baby girl!
My son will only sleep with a blanket over his head! I usually have to wait until he falls asleep and then go pull it off! I know, sounds crazy right...but how can I tell the poor boy he can't sleep that way!
Haha i love days like that. It is such a blessing to be able to cook dinner, mop the floors, do the WORK all the while wearing your PJ's. Bliss. Just pray that no one comes knocking at the front door.
Must be a day for two posts in one day. It is a rainy gloomy day in Australia as well today. :)
Nothing is more beautiful than our sleeping children! (except maybe laughing/smiling children!) I too love my new role as Mommy!
I love that you added your own disclaimer at the end! :) She's so precious! And it's gloomy here in central AR as well! At least we have the beautiful weather to look forward to this weekend!
Kelly...That's Funny, Most of us wives talk our husband's ear's off. I call Paul and I the "babbling brook" and the "dead sea"! Of course I am the babbling brook and he is the dead sea. They say opposite's attract. Harper is growing and getting prettier everyday! See you soon!
Hey Kelly
I know how you feel when you talk about it being lonely sometimes!!! My husband is a man of few words to and when he gets home at night I talk his ear off for the 1st Hour and a Half he is home.....LOL
I love being home with my 3, 2 and 1yr old but I miss the adult conversations and the many lunches I would have with my co workers during the week. My job is where I would always meet and make new friends and well since moving to NWA I have been a stay at home mommy so I havent had the chance to make many new friends.
When I started this there were 2, when I finished ther were 8 ahead of me!!! Your little Harper is so cute, and I too am a stay at home mama with a husband of few words!!! I understand the talking his ear off part. :). I am glad you are loving your new job and co-worker too!!! Have a great day!
Babies can't sleep with blankets? I guess I have a lot to learn. She is just precious there - I love your blog and your pictures of Harper! I hope and pray to God that when my time comes to be a mommy, I can stay home too. It would be such a blessing and a dream come true.
She is adorable in her seat!
Harper is so precious! I am jealous you are still in your jammies! It is a cold and windy day in Kansas too and I would love to be right where you are. Pecan pie sounds fab too! Enjoy!~
Chele, KS
Thank you for a lovely rebuff to the "mommy wars" that supposedly rage between SAHMs and WOHMs. You said it: we all love our babies (3 months or 30 years) as best we can. For some of us, this means staying home, for others it means working, full time, part time, whatever is needed for the family to function.
Enjoy these days! Love them and Harper for all that they are worth.
Wow I need some of your motivation! Ive been a SAHM with my boys for 5 years now and I am lucky if I have accomplished as much since Monday as you have today alone!!
My kiddos love their softies too!!
So I think I do the same thing everyday by talking my honey's ear off!! hehe I just can't help it! I have much to say! Then he thinks something is wrong when I'm not talking! lol
I'm glad you are loving your new job. It is the best ever!
Now let's get some pearls! ;)
Those wearable blankets are great because they stay on, but I have to admit - all three of my kids have slept with a blanket (all ALL the labels scream "breathable fabric!!!") and if you took any of them away, well, you'd have WWIII on your hands. :)
Ha...I love how we have to explain things we put in posts before people comment...because we KNOW someone will!!
What a little SWEETIE! I absolutely LOVE being a stay at home mom too. I love cooking and keeping house too, so it's perfect. When we were first married I didn't have a job and my hubby called me his stay-at-home wife. I LOVED it, but, I have to say, being a stay-at-home mommy is WAY better!
Just had to comment. Usually there are so many, I just don't do it. Wanted to let you know I really like reading your blog. It is really well written and interesting. Harper is adorable! I love all the pink and brown! Thanks for all the encouraging thoughts. I'm glad you get to stay home. I quit when my daughter was 9 mths old and have never regretted it. I have worked part time some. My daughter (who is adopted because we had a preemie that died after 2 days...she is meant to be ours:))is 13 and our son is 11. I homeschool them also. Interesting experiance!) Have a wonderful spring!
Girl, you have beat my socks off in your accomplishments today. Way to go!! :)
Some days are just meant to be PJ days. I think rainy days are those type of days. It's been like that here today. I would have gladly stayed in pj pants all day, but I'm not sure our neighbors at the elementary school bus stop would have liked seeing me in those. LOL!
That picture of your sleeping doll is just too precious!
Kelly! You are so cute. Thanks for the 2nd post today.
I'm a total Corporate Gal, but I do long to be a Mom and even a stay-at-home Mom someday. Enjoy every moment of it!
I hear ya about the numbers not adding up. But my husband and I have decided to trust that God will provide. I know it may mean that we will have to live on a little less but it will be worth, especially if I feel like I am called to stay home!
You go girl!:)
That's funny that you had to do a preemtive strike on the blanket comments! Did you find a salmon recipe? I have two very good easy ones from Cooking Light if you need them. One is made with maple syrup and is SO good. You definitely have the best gig in the world Kelly!
What a beautiful picture of little miss Harper. And don't worry about that blanket!! I have four little kiddos and they all slept with blankets and they all slept on their bellies.
I am so glad today has made you so thankful for the opportunity you have at home. I LOVE being a SAHM and I thank my hubby and God daily for allowing it. Yes...there are days when 6 and under conversation is quite lonely, but that will change soon enough. They will be teenagers before I know it.
I love your blog and enjoy reading it daily. Thanks for the second post today!!
Jenn
What a doll! It is such an adjustment to stay home, but it sounds like you are doing an awesome job. Harper is so blessed to have you as her momma! You go girl!
I love the disclaimer you put in!
You are so right. Being a stay at home mom is great. And, we are all doing what is best for our own families, whether that is working, or being a SAHM. I am a stay at home mom, and you are right, it does get lonely sometimes, and it is hard. But we get through, don't we!?
I know exactly how you feel!! My girl is 15 months old now and I have been so gratful to be home with her. It is hard and lonely sometimes. But isn't it amazing? I definitely found my niche in cooking and baking once I was a stay-at-homer! It does get easier - soon she will be running all over and taking you with her! And I'm glad you stayed in your pj's. I miss those days with my girl!
isnt' that funny that you have to put a disclaimer about the blanket!!
congratulations to you and your new job. there is no other job that has the responsibility and eternal impact than the one you have right this minute.
celebrate each day. she'll be grown up in the blink of an eye. trust me, i heard a million times when mine were little and it seems impossible that my little girl is headed off to alabama (now no hatin' on the tide, you little razorback!! i feel it too, since our blood is orange, through and through!!) in the fall, and my son is finishing up his freshman year in college.
i wish we could have managed me staying at home (if we had been believers back then, i bet we would have figured out any way we could have!!) but i was able to juggle it as best as i could.
harper is lucky to have a mommy like you. and as the CEO of your house, you can deem today CASUAL thursday, or jammie day at the "office"
blessings to you from tennessee
I love reading your posts! You have the job that I dream/hope/pray to have one day! Harper is absolutely precious! Love the pic!
you said that so well... about how we all just do the best we can, regardless of the situation. and i thought it was interesting what you said about before when you would "run the numbers" and staying home seemed impossible. that's where i am. so did you just say, here God, i'm quitting! or did your financial situation change? i don't know if i should just give it to God and worry about paying the bills later, or wait for something to change. and really, i truly LOVE my job, i would just want to cut back to 2 or 3 days a week from the 4 i'm at now. (i'm a hygienist) anyway, you can keep having "conversations" with us until harper is old enough to talk! we're your new coworkers!!!
You do have the very best job in the world. I pray that one day I will be able to be a SAHM as well!
This is my first time to stay home with my little ones for an extended period of time. With the first baby I was in nursing school and returned to school 1 week after giving birth...I will never do that again. But I got through it. Then with the second, I went back to work when she was three months old. It was hard but needed to be done at the time. Now I am home with my third. She is 7 months and I am loving every minute. I know I will go back to work again someday in the not so far future but I am taking advantage of each day I have with them at home. Thanks for the lovely post.
So utterly, adorably, stinkin' PRECIOUS and CUTE as a BUTTON!!!
I still love her, there is NO doubt about that!! :)
Love you, too, Kelly!
P.S. Gotta love those comfy cozy days! They rock!
I'm actually using your recipe site tonight! i love them :) thank you for sharing
I have been reading your blog ( and praying for Harper) since she was born, and I feel like I know you in real life! Thanks for all the great posts! Since you are cooking more often, check out my newest post on grocery shopping tips, I saved $99 last time! Keep posting about being a SAHM... Its something I never thought I'd be able to do, but the Lord is slowly encouraging me to think about it. :)
I would love to be a full time SAHM, but a PTSAHM (part time stay at home mom) will have to work for now:) My baby boy LOVES hims bankies...it scares me sometimes, but that is the only way he will sleep.
the best salmon ever is from allrecipes and its called maple salmon. the recipe says to marinate is bit i never do and its soooo good! i serve it with rice and broccolli :)
I, like you, wouldn't trade my job for anything in the world. It's the best!! Our sweet gifts are only little ONCE!! Thrilled that you are enjoying being at home.
My husband was laid off in February, and while we were very sad at first, it was a blessing in disguise. We are able to make ends meet with his unemployment, he has decided to go back to school this fall to get his degree, and it able to be a stay at home DADDY! He and my daughter are bonding in a way that makes me so happy!
BTW - my daughter is 6 mos old and has been swaddled or used a blanket since day one! :)
I too should have been born in the 50s. My favorite show growing up was Donna Reed(reruns of course). Being a stay at home home is the greatest job in the world. It is definitely not as easy as many people think, but it's worth it. So rewarding!!
Harper gets more beautiful every day!
being at home is the best job ever!!! :) addelyn has that same blankie too-so fun! she ALWAYS has slept with blankets...thank goodness for video monitors! harper is getting more and more precious every day! so fun!
I good salmon marinade: brown sugar, soy sauce and oil....it is yummy! Grill it! I love being stay-at-home mom too, it's hard most day but well worth it!
You need to find some other SAHM's and have a regular "play day" scheduled. We used to meet at the park every Thursday morning (even if we didn't have the kids for some reason!) and those ladies are now some of my best friends! Now that my kids are bigger (11, 9, 8) I miss our thursday play days. It was good for the kids but GREAT for my sanity!
I just think you are the absolute cutest thing ever!!!! and Harper of course is all doll... i love all of her clothes... i too am a "momogram lover"... i found your blog about the time harper was born and i had to go allll the way back and read it from the beginning.... so fun! Thanks for a great, fun and light hearted blog.
PS I thought about you the other day when i found two cute dress at Wal Mart. :)
XOXO shelly from b'ham alabama
There is something so encouraging knowing there are others out there feeling similar things. I'm a new momma, too (he's almost 10 months) and some days being at home is not easy, but I couldn't be anywhere else. Thank you for sharing your heart.
Kelly
awww, isn't being a stay at home mom great. It can have it's challenges, but it is the best job ever.
It's a rainy, yucky day at the coast of SC for this SAHM today, too...so I've been doing some housework as well. Got some linens washed, ironing done, bathrooms cleaned, and loved on my kiddos! A nice, calm, rainy day! But, here's hoping for SUNSHINE tomorrow. :)
Such a cute picture!! I love this post because it is so true. I work from home and sometimes it is so hard to get things done and have 4 little hands all over everything!! But when I sit back, I really realize how thankful I am to be able to be here for them, even with the sometimes chaotic days!!
My baby girl loves to sleep with her face all covered like that! I'm glad you are enjoying your new job. I'd give anything to be able to stay home with mine, but that's just not what the Lord has in store for me right now. I'm just thankful to have a job in this economy.
Hi Kelly, I rarely comment but I am a new SAHM mom to a little girl too (born 9/10). It was a VERY tough adjustment for me. Something I never even considered. I had very lonely days and may have been mildly depressed for a few weeks. What really got me through it was joining a Moms Group. I know you can't take Harper out right now, but I would highly recommend a moms group when you can. It helped me tremendously and I didn't feel alone then. I love your blog and all your pics!
haha...the disclaimer made me laugh out loud. ;)
Your post today struck a chord with me. One of my biggest peeves is the ongoing "fight" about whether it's best to stay at home, work away from home, etc., etc., etc. As if we, as mothers, don't have enough to worry and stress about. We need to acknowledge that EVERY mother considers all options very careful and then makes the best decision for HER FAMILY -- and we need to respect and support each other in that decision, because mothering is never an easy job! So here, here, sister! :)
On another note: here's my favorite way to eat salmon (and you may have just given me dinner inspiration for tonight -- at 6pm after a day of work with a hungry husband and 2 kids). :)
Take the salmon steaks from Sam's that you buy in the big bag and thaw them out -- however many you want to eat.
Tear tin foil enough to individually wrap each steak -- you'll end up with 4-5 squares of tin foil.
Spread mayonaise (not Miracle Whip) on each sheet of tin foil -- a thin layer, but enough so that mayo touches all sides of the salmon when you wrap it up.
Sprinkle the following on each layer of mayo (to your taste preference -- I don't use a lot): pepper, season salt, garlic salt.
Wrap each salmon steak in the foil sheets.
Grill on the grill (medium heat, I guess) for about 6-8 minutes per side, doing the side with a double layer of foil twice.
These taste AWESOME (and I hate fish of all kinds) -- and they taste just as good the second day as they do the first.
If you're concerned about the fat in the mayo, most of it comes off with the foil as you unwrap them -- but the flavor and moistness stays with the salmon. Delish -- AND easy!
Sarah
You should post some of your favorite crock pot recipes for us working mama's out there. I only work part time and I can't imagine how full time working mama's do it. I am truly happy for you that you are able to stay home with your precious munchkin.
Comment about the blanket issue...Brody ONLY slept with a blanket or luvie. He refuesd a pacifier and I had to sleep! It was nerve wracking at first but he's fifteen months now and still sleeps that way.
It is the best job in the world, and I know what you mean about needing adult conversation. When Harper is OK to get out, you'll be in the world of Women's Bible Study, MOPS, and lunch with friends (like me!) :) Love you!
Jennifer
I love this job too! Somedays I wonder why I have been given the gift to stay home, because I feel like I do a terrible job alot of the time. It can be tough at times but so rewarding and you have inspired me to go mop my floors!!
Harper looks so sweet in that picture! Precious!
I love your post!!!! So fun! I want to stay home SO bad. I have recently been feeling as if this may be what God wants for me and Chad, but as you said in your blog, I don't know that there is a way we can afford it. The numbers just aren't matching up! But, I think it would be SUCH a blessing from God. I am beginning to pray these desires to God now, hopeing a door will open. Please keep us in your prayers as well. I don't want to just go back to work and find a job to "work"- I would much rather stay with miss Avery and work hard on being a good wife and mommy! Thinking about you, we still need to meet and go to Belly Buttons and lunch! ;)
I too, should have been born in the 1950's...minus all of the cooking. :) Still not a huge fan of that. Maybe it is the 3 kids thing. Hmmmm....:)
Enjoy your sweet little blessing! She is a doll!! Oh...and all three of mine have "softies". Or "beebee's", as we call them. :)
Kelly - Harper is so precious. I have been following your blog since early in your pregnancy - I think I came across it from "bring the rain" - anyrate, I am totally hooked on your blog and check it almost daily. I apprecaite all the great recipes, fashion tips but most of all the uplifting encouragement from your faith. I think it is great you are a SAHM - wish I could have, but am thankful for all that God has provided in my life.
Those softies are the best; Hannah got one as a gift. My first child got a bunny with a music box for a brain. Bunny literally went all over the world with us, traveling to 21 countries in 2 years. Bunny used to be a soft lovely pink and now is gray. Bunny has a scarf. Bunny has a hot pink tutu. Bunny, I'm told, is a boy. And Bunny is loved- seriously, he may just be REAL. But what a pain to wash! I had to tie a string around his neck and let the rest of him agitate in the machine last time he was washed and we had TEARS. So in conclusion, my brief thought has turned into a dissertation and I would just like to say, "I support softies!"
Just wait until that little cupcake starts talking. She will talk you silly and you will be lonley no more! My daughter is 8 and we home school so we are together a LOT! There are days when I would love to have 30 minutes of not talking but my sweet mother in-law keeps reminding me that there will be a time when she doesn't talk to me. I only have one child and didn't have her until I was 40 so I had plenty of time to my self before she was born. I thought when I first put away her 0-3 months clothes I was going to die. But you know what I have found as much as I LOVED having an infant, I love having an 8 year old even more. What I'm trying to say is you will cherish each stage of her life. I'll bet you already cherish those oh so hard first few weeks. Just needed to babble for a little while. Thanks for sharing your life and Harper's.
Kelly, thanks so much for the encouragement. It truly is the best job in the world, and it easy to forget when you haven't showered all day, nor slept a wink. What a great gift to stay home. I thank my husband and the Lord that it works out for us too. Harper is beautiful and such a miracle. Glad you got to see your bf. Friends are so important, for this job can get lonely. Thank you for sharing your life with us.
Awe, I love that photo! She looks so peaceful!
cute pic!
we, too, are trying to work the #s so i can start staying home with our boys. it will be hard for me to be home everyday. i don't think i'm cut out for it, but my boys (11yrs and 15mos) need me to be home. we'll make it work somehow.
btw, my youngest has had a blanket since the day he was born and started sleeping on his stomach at 5 weeks. he won't even thing about going to sleep w/o a blanket. it was a hard choice to make b/c i knew the "rules", but he would grunt all during his sleep - it just was not good sleep (for any of us). so we made the choice to put him on his tummy - only for naps 1st and i would stay right by the crib and read or whatever. then after several weeks we started at night. he slept so much better that way.
all that to say, you're her mom and if you want to let her sleep with a lovie...you can.
love reading your posts and seeing pics of your sweet girl.
stacey in missippi
I am SO thankful to be a stay-at-home-mom too. When I was pregnant with Ava, I kept looking for a sitter because I didn't see the numbers either, but God worked it out!!! He is so good!
And it is nice to be at home to have time to cook. I'm so glad you're still in your jammies. I wish I was in mine!!!
You shouldn't need to explain about the blanket. I think blankets are okay. My children slept with blankets every night from the time they came home from the hospital. They even slept in their own room from day one at home. I think that is why they sleep so good because they are used to sleeping in a quiet room by themselves. And no it was not always quiet when they slept because its hard to have a three year old be quiet when his baby sister is sleeping. they are 19 and 16 now.
So sweet! I also LOVE being at home. I wouldn't trade it for anything (except maybe Kelly Ripa's job - but she only works an hour a day, right?! )! :)P
Thank you for your post. I am dying to stay at home with my 5 1/2 month old, but it is not feasible now. I can't get enough of him when I am home, AND we are eating out more and more - UGH.
AND, my little munchkin naps with a blanket - with my eyes close by!!
Loved the post. While we took a break from American life and went to China for 5 years, I got to stay at home and follow my passion of working with orphan children. Now we are back in the USA and I am back in the corporate world. It is a nice paycheck but I wish I was home again--and able to spend more time advocating for children and have more time for my teenage daughter. They never get too old to want Mama home.
what a sweet baby girl! And I let my son sleep with his lovey (only under my supervision, of course) all of the time! He drags it around now like Pigpen.
Hopefully your new gig won't stay lonely for long. You'll be able to get out and about soon and that will help. My SAHM friends all do mom's groups and stuff and host themed playgroups each week at different houses so they all have something to look forward to. I, myself, do not stay at home. I'm pretty ok with it, too! I've finally broken through the ceiling and am making great strides in my career, and I love it. I know my boys are proud of me, too! There isn't a "right" way - just the right way for your family!
harper is just too cute for words!!
ps. its beautiful in canada today, sunny and warm (well warm to us canadians haha)
-all the way from ontario, canada!
I'm so glad you are getting to stay home. You are so right...it is not for everyone, but I LOVE it and I, too, wish I would have been a mom in the 50's. I tell Derek that all the time and my all-time favorite show is Leave it to Beaver! Seriously!
HI Kelly
I came accross your blog last month and its a pleasure to read. Your daughter is absolutly adorable. I just wanted to say that I stay at home as well. Its been 8 years now and its the best. I can relate the the loneliness too. My husband works most days from 8am-9pm. So, when the kids were babies, I too, would talk his ear off when he got home. When my son was about 18months old we started going to mops, which was great for the both of us.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Karin
I have been a stay at home mom for now 24 years. and we have adopted 2 year old, with our youngest of our birth 16 at home. So it is hard, and sometimes lonely. I would not trade the days that were hard for nothing.
Many, many blessings to you Kelly and your family. Enjoy her, they do grow fast.
Hi Kelly, I am a long time follower of your blog and I have to say that Harper is the most adorable little girl I have ever seen!
I have to tell you... I am from Washington where we do not have a Sonic anywhere close. I had never been to one until I was in Arizona this past week. We drove past a Sonic and I quickly made a u-turn because I wanted to try a Vanilla Diet Coke! It was amazing!
Thank you so much for your wonderful blog, it is a blessing to all of us.
Katie
You comments about talking your husbands ear off make me laugh. I am going on 3 1/2 years of being a stay at home mom, and in just a few weeks expecting baby #2. Every night when my husband comes home I feel like i just CANT STOP TALKING. Even now, 3 years later. But I am longing for the days when staying home with a little baby was easy! 3 year olds are a handful! :) But SO worth it. BTW Harper looks beautiful and so peaceful as she naps.
Amen sister!! Girl my babies all slept with blankets and baby rayne now 4 still sleeps with her "pinky"!!! she is such a sweet little thing!
It is all in personal choice! Both my boys love their blankets! My oldest is 5 now and goes to bed with probably 5 every night one of which he stole from his dad at Christmas. My little bit who is 3 has three. When he was a month old he received a little Barefoot Dreams blankie and never let go of it so for his first Christmas we bought a back up that now is "baby" blankie number 2. So much for the backup and he has a big blue minky and satin blankie he stole from his big brother.Hmmm seems to be alot of blankie stealing over here. Beware blankie lovers!
I remember not too long ago having to take ALL three everywhere we went. Now if we stay at a Hotel he will not leave them in the room nor his pillow. They all have to come with us!:) So I say go for that special lovey! There is nothing sweeter than seeing your kids with one.
Also Kuddos on staying home. Lonely it does get at times and my hubby looses his ears almost every day too!:) But so well worth it. Enjoy every minute and thanx for sharing your recipes! We are getting ready to try the swiss chicken this weekend.
I'm a SAHM too...I was an RN before, and we had four years of infertility before having twins. God's timing was PERFECT (as always) because I could have never stayed home in the years prior to having our babies. It takes some work to be able to live on one income, but it is so worth it. I'd rather due without some things then not be able to do it. I don't need a bunch of clothes and expensive vacations, and other things that I used to spend our money on. I'm thankful every day for my husband supporting us and God providing his job. :)
Enjoy every minute!
What a sweet picture!
I agree about should have been born in the 50's! I would have loved to wear those dresses everyday :-)
Lauren kelly has the MOST delicious Parmesean Salmon recipe! I made it and it was a hit!!! You should ask her for it!!
So precious!!
I am so glad that you get to have your dream job. I am still working on mine....one day I will have it.
Kelly! I was just thinking this morning that I might post about June Cleaver today. She pops into my head all the time (e.g., I wonder what meals she made? How did they manage with just one car? She was always wearing a dress and makeup...). Ha ha! Too funny.
I'm glad you're loving your new jobs. There will definitely be lonely and difficult days. Just keep in touch with your girlfriends and don't expect Scott to fill the void that's now there. That's for God and friends to do. I had to learn that the HARD way!
Enjoy every minute you have at home. Let me know if you end up deciding to homeschool one day!
Kelly - for many years I too described my husband as a man of few words and felt like I probably talked his ears off when he got home from work. Four years ago he retired and I discovered my husband is NOT a man of few words. He's a man of MANY words - apparently before he retired he simply used them all at work. GRIN Now I can't shut him up! And, who'd want to anyhow! After 44 years of marriage it's a trip to discover your husband is the original Chatty Cathy. ROFL
Glad to see your new job is going well! She is absolutely precious and is lucky to have such a great mom!
I stay at home, as well. It is a very lonely job, and I look fwd to my husband coming home each night to have someone to talk to as well! But it is SO worth it. I"ve been doing it for 13 months..and still 'getting used to' not going to "work" everyday. Getting dressed and made up is a good idea, bc it gets irritating finding yourself in your pajamas at 3pm more days than not!
Harper is adorable, and I LOVE her name!
What a gift! To know the blessing of this job and to love it. That's my favorite kind of savoring!!
BTW, mine all sleep/ slept with blankets at that age and they still do. 11, 9, 5 and 2! I just ask God to watch the door for them.
Hi Kelly,
I am so happy that you are loving being a SAHM. It is a the hardest job ever. I was an elementary teacher for 12 years before I had my little man. We moved 2 weeks after he was born because my husband got a great job in CA. Before that, he was going to stay at home and I would work. I had prayed for him for so long, and you are right about God's timing. This great job landed in our laps and I suddenly became a SAHM. It can be lonely, but enjoy this time now. Before too long, she will be mobile and very active. I use to cook A LOT when he was little but now I barely have time to get dressed. I get up at 6 am so I can just feel normal before he awakens. I thank you for having such a great blog, and bringing so many of us together through you. You have brought me closer to God, and I pray every morning for the sweet people on your prayer blog...including myself! :) I keep hoping for another little one soon. God will answer in his time I know.
Claire
I must admit, I was SO JEALOUS when you told us about your new job, but I think it's just wonderful. You are very blessed to be in a position to be with Harper all day long. My oldest is 12, my youngest is 3, and we've been in daycare for almost 13 years now. I'm very lucky as my hubby and I own a business so I can take time off if I need to (for example this week when "Things 3 and 4" (our third and fourth) were sick.
I finally signed up for a google account so I can sign your posts. I could when Harper was in the NICU, but haven't been able to for awhile. So hello again! :) I can't wait to see pictures of Harper in her Easter dress. She'll be the cutest thing in the Easter Bonnet Parade. LOL
Blessings to you today!
I've been following your blog since Harper's birth. My daughter, Sara, was born just a few weeks before Harper, and I held her so close as I read about your struggles in the hospital. I'm so happy that Harper is now a thriving little girl!
I LOVE being a mom to my sweet girl, but I also LOVE my very full-time job as a middle school administrator. So often I am made to feel like I'm not doing the "right thing" by working while my baby is at daycare ... thank you for your openmindedness and your acknowledgement that we all do what's best for our families. I'm glad that your new job is fulfilling for you. You inspire me!
Don't you love the perks of your job. I was able to stay home with my son until he was 3 and it was the best 3 years. We did everything together. Enjoy her.
Kelly,
I love your blog and discovering it inspired me to start my own. Harper is so beautiful! My boys always had a favorite stuffed animal they slept with and would rub it all over their face and sometimes fall asleep with it on their face. Reading about how much you love your new job makes me homesick for those days when my kids were babies. I hope your salmon turned out yummy!
God honors your desire to do the job He has called you to do!
Dear Kelly,
Harper look so precious. And you sound so happy.
On the babbling thing, every time we move to a new city and all the madness of get a new job, make new friends starts, it is always the same. I talk way too much with my husband when he gets home ; )
Fabiola
I am glad for you and Harper that you get to stay home.
It is a time you can never get back and they grow up way too fast.
God bless..
PLEASE tell me how you manage to do all that with your little one!? I am a full-time working Mom but when I was home for 2 months on maternity leave I could not have imagined all of that! I did have a VERY colicky baby but still! I am simply amazed. I aspire to that but just can't come close.
Don't you just LOVE it?!?!? I have been staying home with Connor-boo for almost three years now and I still thank Todd and God every single day. I really do. It is the biggest blessing! I had to go back to work the year Connor was born (after 3 months) so I am so very thankful and looking forward to being home for Avery Kate's first year!
So glad you are liking it so much. I know you are a wonderful mother!
With all the "rules" for raising babies these days... it's a wonder children from my era ever lived past infancy! Ha!
So glad you're enjoying being a SAHM.
I thank God and John every day I can stay home also Kelly! That is so great you can too! Just wait, it only gets better... the older they get the more things they are doing and pretty soon you will be running all over the county just for your little girl... her friends, her sports, her dance, etc etc. etc... It is awesome being able to be a SAHM and to be able to experience it all with them! Take care,
Janine
I love that picture of Harper. She looks so sweet wrapped up in all that pink. I only work part time, so I get a little idea of what it would be like to be a SAHM and I love being home with my baby. We are planning to let me be a SAHM after the birth of our next baby (that we have not even conceived yet!) That way we wont have to worry about sitters and someone to take them here and there or watch them when they are ill. You are a fabulous mom and Harper is so lucky she got you! (And I am sure you feel the same about her ;)
I've let my girls sleep with their softies since they were a few months old. I first put one over my face and saw that I could breathe easily through it so I felt okay with that.
As far as other blankets go though, I stuck to the "wearable" style until they were 10-12 months old. But napping right next to you is a different story!
So glad you're enjoying staying at home!
oh sometimes they like to sleep with loveys! i'm so glad you're enjoying your time at home..you're right somedays are long,stressful and lonely but overall it's more than worth it especially when you see a smile on your babys face!
So glad you're enjoying your new "job"! I used to have June Cleaver aspirations too- but after nearly 9 years of marriage I'm not there yet- but I'm still working on it! Things are wonderfully chaotic here in Australia. I homeschool my 7 and 5 year old girls, and we've been blessed with 4 month old twin boys. I can feel your joy with the arrival of sweet Harper. I found your blog after the crisis was over,but went back through all the Harper posts. God is soooo good isn't he.
Claire
I love that you are enjoying your new job. I know for me its the best job I have ever had.
Kelly! I have not read in a while but I am so glad you are all home and doing well! You look fabulous!
Wow... you sound EXACTLY like me... only 3 years ago. Those first 6 months of being a stay-at-home mom are sort of loney... but it gets SO SO much better. Before you know if you wont remember the last day you truly stayed at home all day. I love those days!! Anyway, glad you are enjoying her. She is precious. OH and both my girls sleep with loveys... pretty much have since they were tiny!
I AGREE! God has also Blessed me to be able to stay home and I am FOREVER thankful. I love it. I also live in the Ozarks. We live in Thayer, 1 mile north of the Arkanasa border!
My baby who just turned six months old yesterday LOVES to sleep with a little bit of blanket right up against his cheek. What can we do other than try our best to keep them happy right?
The first few months were so isolating... I didn't know anyone and didn't know what my daughter's "mood" was going to be at any given moment... I found a Mom's League in my area and they made all the difference in the world! Now we have playdates, playgroups, classes and outings everyday... hang in there! I remember the first few events I went to feeling like I didn't remember how to even hold a conversation!
You are so blessed to be able to stay with Harper each and every day. I'm also blessed to be able to take my little girl to work with me each and every day. Don't make your day seem so easy, because a stay at home mom is soooo hard as well.
Do you have a MOPS group around there? I joined one when I had my first baby and it has been great as a stay at home mom!
I just started following your blog after Harper was born. She's adorable!! I have 3 girls myself. Aren't they the best?!?!
Anyway, have you ever tried cooking salmon in the dishwasher? My mom goes to cooking school and the instructor does this quite often. I can give you details if you want!
balbert1205 (at) gmail . com
I have to agree with you on so many things in this posts, others too but this one hits home. After my first daughter was born I was fresh out of grad school and never dreamed I would stay at home. Four years later God has provided for us in a way we never dreamed of and I am still home with my 4 year old and one year old. I really didn't think staying at home was for me but it is right now. It is truly the hardest job I have ever loved. I will never get this time with them back and I am so grateful that He has blessed us with this life!! I will admit that I am not so good about the getting up everyday,showered with makeup and full outfit...but I just aim for the shower!! LOL
I feel the same way - I would've loved to be a mom in the 50's. But the only fallback would be - no blogging! :( Not sure if I could handle that part, because I meet so many people this way that I otherwise would've never known!
Here is a great salmon dish for you. It is really good.
Here are the basics:
Cook half an onion or a little less, bunch of mushrooms (maybe a half pack) and one garlic minced in butter. This will be your base.
Steam in a pan with water one entree sized portion of salmon covered for about 12-15 minutes, let cool and crumble into bite sized chucks.
In your uncooked pie crust layer ingredients with a 2 1/2 cup package of pre-shredded Swiss cheese:
1/2 pack of cheese first, then mushroom mix, then salmon chucks, then the other 1/2 pack of cheese again.
Pour in your egg mixture on top, being about 5 - 6 eggs (depending on the size you purchase) mixed with a cup of heavy cream (yum!), DO NOT USE MILK OR HALF AND HALF
On the top sprinkle with about one tablespoon of chopped dill weed. This is the messy part. Pat the dill weed into the egg with your fingers.
You don't want the dill to burn or char so it needs to be on the top surface but just under the egg mixture.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Just keep checking every 8-10 minutes after 45 minutes you want it to be a golden brown on top, and not crazy jiggly in the middle, because you want all the cheese to melt inside. You can always test the middle with a toothpick like a cake. You may want to wrap tin foil around the crust before putting it in the oven and then remove it 15 minutes before it finishes baking, otherwise the crust may be overcooked. However some people love dark and extra crispy crust.
If you buy store bought crust try to get a larger size like 9 inches or above. Or just cut down the portions. I always just wing it. If you have all the right ingredients you can't go wrong.
I've been following your blogs since Harper's birth but I've never commented before -- until now. You hit the nail on the head when you said there's no "better" way. That's so true. We all do what needs to be done for our families. I dreamed of being a SAHM all my life. My husband fought and won a battle with cancer 4 years ago. Our daughter just turned 2 in February. I am not able to stay home because we need the health insurance through my job because of my husband's pre-existing condition. I am completely fine with being a working mom, because it means that GOD has blessed us with my husband's continued cancer free checkups and also with our daughter.
Harper is so adorable. I try to check in on you everyday. You have been so blessed.
Prayers from one southern mom to another(from me in South Louisiana)
Kelly I could not agree with you more about needing your friends now home with baby. I have been home with my newborn since October it feels so lonely at times. It is also very wonderful too. I have been working in the professional world for the past 10 years prior to baby. It was quite a shift in responsibilities and identity after my little guy was born.
It has been the most life changing event in my life. I feel blessed everyday and pray for it to continue each night when I tuck my little guy into bed. However, I do miss my friends at times who are working and wrapped up in their own lives. I really hope you have some SAHM's around you. I am not close to any here in town and the ones I do know never follow through with plans. My best friend lives 3 hours away. SHe has been great over the phone.
I hope you get a good balance with spending time with other adults once Harper can get out and socialize more. Girlfriends are like medicine for the heart and mind. BTW, so happy for you to be able to be at home with Harper. Loved her pic yesterday with the leopard background. What a sweet blessing you have! Enjoy
Anneliese
I know exactly how you feel and I am so happy for you xxx
Awww...I love this post and your sweet cupcake! Adorable! What a blessing to be home with her and enjoy all her giggles and sweet moments. So happy for you!
I can certainly relate to the "talking your hubby's ear off"...I have my own business so I work from home and cannot wait for him to get home to tell him about things. Sometimes he just wants to read the paper...w/o me chatting the whole time. haha Glad to know I'm not the only one! Truth be known though...they would be sad if we didn't want to share things with them! :) lol
I am so thankful that you get to be at home with her! I stay home too..and I love it, my girls are all in school now but I LOVE having the house all clean and the laundry all done and dinner cooking when they get home!
*and lots of days my hubby and i go out for lunch! Sometimes my 16 year old will call and ask me to come help with something at school or drive for a field trip-I always say yes!!!
Kelly, my little guy grabs a blanket and puts it straight over his face to fall asleep. I give him the holey kind, so it's safe, but that is his sleep medicine!!!
That lonely feeling? I had it too!! But it goes away super quick and by the time they start talking, you'll be praying for some quiet time.
My 2-1/2 yr old talks my ear off all day long. I love to talk to him too, but I also value the silence when he naps.
The loneliness should get better once you are able to take Harper out more. I HIGHLY recommend joining some social groups that are for SAHMs like Mothers Of Pre Schoolers (MOPS), a mommy & me fitness class like Stroller Stiders, or even a Le Leche League group if there are any of these (or similar) things available in your area. I have really enjoyed doing these things and then I am not about to EXPLODE with words by the time my husband comes home.
Two of my three boys have been big "softy" lovers. A been-there-done-that tip: Get two or three of the same softy and rotate through them frequently, before any differences develop between them. That way if one is in the wash at naptime or (heaven forbid) gets lost, you are still OK!
You would like this blog, if you don't already read it!
http://warmpiehappyhome.blogspot.com/
Kelly,
There is nothing wrong with a baby sleeping with a blanket! They need them sometimes!
-Ginny
Oh Kelly,you are so right. Corey and I have been trying for almost 2years now and have lost 4 to sweet babies to miscarriage. I have always wanted to stay at home and it would not have been possible with any of those previous pregnancies. He will provide when he knows the timming is right, I just have to believe that. He knew when the time was right for you!!!
God is good!!!!!
I am a stay at home mom to two girls. Soon there will be a third child joining the group. It was very difficult for my husband and I to decide for me to stay at home but once we decided to God has blessed us in so many ways. It is hard for me because I don't have any friends to talk to or that come over. I pretty much sit in my house all day and play with my girls. So, I am glad you have friends to talk to.
Hi Kelly! I love Harper's daily pictures! Adorable! Oh, the first giggles....melts your heart! (Our little boy, Henry, is a few weeeks older than Harper, and he is almost ready to giggle! Yeah!) I am a SAHM and just love it. Some days are a bit lonely, but I have many mommy blogs that I visit (like yours). They help me feel very connected to other women. I also try to keep a "project" on, just to have something to look forward to. Tomorrow is our Johnson annual Easter Egg Hunt! This will be our 4th year and we are up to 25 kids! How eggciting! :) LOVE your blog!
I am so glad you have been blessed to stay home with her. I stay at home, too, and it does get a little lonely, but I can take the loneliness over having my kids in daycare. She is such a sweetheart and I know you are enjoying it. Is everything good with her health? What about her heart? Everything okay there? I am so thankful for God for your little miracle.
I faithfully read your blog everyday, because I just love your attitude and outlook on life! I have wanted to post a comment several times but I always chicken out. Your trials and miracles have made me reevaluate my life and my faith and I really appreciate you for that. I truly DO agree with the saying, "We would so be friends if we met!" I have a 9 month old, Marlie Grace, and she loves her silkys like Harpers! She sucks on them, cramming as much in her mouth as she can!
i could not agree more! i have been on both sides of the mommy-working spectrum and both have their pros and cons! both are equally (in my opinion) HARD and rewarding!!!
harper is a doll! i love that she is loving her lovey! both of my boys have comfort items that are a MUST!
Kelly,
I have been following you since Harper was born and I'm sorry that I rarely comment, but you get so many comments every day! I just wanted to tell you that Harper is absolutely beautiful and seeing her little face everyday reminds me of God's grace and His perfection. He is the Creator and when I look at my children and all other children, I see the love of Christ. Your faith inspires me and I feel so blessed to be invited into your life through this blog! Always know that our family is praying for your family!
Cary
PS: I'm a Preacher's Kid, too!
Harper is just too cute. I know you probably get tons and tons of requests, but I am having a giveaway on my blog to benefit Relay for Life. If you aren't familiar with R4L its a branch of the American Cancer Society. Anyway I am giving away a brand new set of Paula Deen's 10 piece cookware. I was wondering if you could add my link and just a tid bit of the info to one of your posts. You can say no and I will perfectly understand. Its just that you have a huge reader base and cancer affects us all so I thought you may be able to help. Thanks Tiff
Hi Kelly! I know you have so many comments but I really hope you read this one. I am a mother of two kids ages 26 & 24. I made the decision to stay at home with my kids when my first child was born. Times were lean and the budget was tight but the decision to stay home was the BEST decision I ever made!!! When my youngest child started kindergarten I worked part-time & went back to college. I worked part-time until they were in high school and then I started working full time but only with understanding bosses who let me attend their sporting and band events. Thank God for such a blessing in my life. I have the most amazing relationship with my children and I think it is from all those moments that we were able to share when we were together at home. They don't remember that we were broke back then. They only remember that I was there for them!! Enjoy every moment for they will pass quickly!! I love your blog and your baby is beautiful. Shower your husband with gratitude and praise. It looks like you have a keeper!!
Hi Kelly! I know you have so many comments but I really hope you read this one. I am a mother of two kids ages 26 & 24. I made the decision to stay at home with my kids when my first child was born. Times were lean and the budget was tight but the decision to stay home was the BEST decision I ever made!!! When my youngest child started kindergarten I worked part-time & went back to college. I worked part-time until they were in high school and then I started working full time but only with understanding bosses who let me attend their sporting and band events. Thank God for such a blessing in my life. I have the most amazing relationship with my children and I think it is from all those moments that we were able to share when we were together at home. They don't remember that we were broke back then. They only remember that I was there for them!! Enjoy every moment for they will pass quickly!! I love your blog and your baby is beautiful. Shower your husband with gratitude and praise. It looks like you have a keeper!!
Girl I'm with you on needing a friend when you are a SAHM. I love my job so very much, wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! But there are days when I would just like conversation with someone other than a toddler! haha! I think I annoy my husband when he gets home from work. He always just looks at me, I wonder if he is thinking, "Is this girl ever gonna stop talking?"
Harper is such a cutie!! Her blankie is so sweet also. You have the cutest things for her.
Just curious...what did you do at your last job? Before becoming a full-time mommy?
She's adorable, by the way!
Oh, how I love to hear another mom admit it's a privilege to be a SAHM ... music to my ears! Motherhood is a PROUD profession. I've been blessed for almost 15 years! And my regrets, you ask??? Not being able to keep them little forever! ;o)
Your blog has become a favorite of mine for so many reasons. I feel we could be the best of friends, we have so much in common ... even the same kind of "canine companion"!
Enjoy today.
~Michelle from Cincinnati, Ohio
micheller@cinci.rr.com
You are super woman!
I keep the house pretty clean, and I do cook lunch and dinner (most days) but Josh sees make-up on my face on Sundays!! Hahaha!!
Jill called me the day I had those pics made of me and Brody for Josh's bday and told me I needed to put workout clothes back on before Josh got home or he would know something was up if I was dressed nice!! Haha!! I seriously spend all day in my workout clothes!
Hey Kelly,
Thanks for your comment on my blog. I look forward to sharing the makeup tips with everyone! I am glad that you are enjoying them. I have heard of your blog through shannon and look forward to keeping up with it! Your kiddos are absolutely precious!
I love the picture of Harper, there is nothing better than a sleeping baby!
Hi Kelly!
I started following your blog when you were in the hospital with Harper.. and I want to say I am so so so happy for you all that she pulled through everything and is a healthy baby girl! She is just beautiful! I have really enjoyed following along as you blog about your new life as a mom! I think its so wonderful that you get to be a stay at home Mom, too! What a dream come true! God IS so good! :)
Best wishes to you and your little family and I look forward to many more fun Mommy posts!
I know just the place you can get those new pearls to go with your new job ;) www.PurePearls.com Mother's Day is just around the corner. I continue to follow your blog everyday. I'm off to go do a mini-photoshoot of my little one for Easter.
Hi Kelly,
I meant to leave this comment yesterday, but I didn't blog much cause I was having kind of a hard day. Just wanted to say I had a little laught when I read your post and you talked about talking Scott's ear off when he gets home from work. My hubby is also a man of few words and sometimes when he gets home I just go on and on.
Just wanted to say thanks so much again for everything. Sorry it's taken me so long, but I am finally putting Harper's new hat in the mail tonight. Enjoy your weekend with your family!
Love,
Veronica
I'm so glad that you are loving your new Job! I had no doubts that you would'nt be enjoying it!
A lot of times I feel like I talk my hubbys ears of too at night when he comes home. We both work but I'm usually just so happy to see him!!
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