SAHM

I may have mentioned...or not..but back in November, I quit my full time job to spend more time with our little princess.

Well, I am still at home with her and loving every moment. I am glad I went back to work for a little bit because at the time I really needed a break. Now, I cannot imagine all the things I would have missed out on. At this age, we still don't do a lot together, but sometimes I just watch her. Haha. I just sit and watch her play and explore and try to imagine what is going on inside her brilliant little mind. I never thought I could be a stay at home mom (SAHM) and sometimes I still get an itch to have a successful career, but for right now, we are enjoying this too much!

I cannot wait until she is a little older and we can go to museums, parks and play groups where she can play with other kids! For right now, I am happy being her bestest friend :) :)

Recently we went to a local Lego play place for a play date with our friend from swimming class! 

Home sweet home...

I know, I know..I am already failing at my New Years resolution! This is my second post for January, though, so I am doing better than before already :)

Last week, Makena and I spent time in Michigan with our family. It's always nice to go home, but when you have a baby it is even nicer to get to go home. I love sharing Makena with my friends in Virginia and they love her very much. But nothing is like a gramma or grampa's love. Makena got to meet my dad for the first time--I am not sure who was more smitten :). She got endless snuggles from my mom and also got to hang out with Ryan's mom more than ever before. Then...there are the great grandparents! I think it is safe to say Makena stole the hearts of everyone in our family and that makes me so happy and proud. She is such a happy baby and at the perfect stage for lots of laughs. I just love it! 

Although I have very, very few friends left at home, it is still nice to spend time in a place that has so many memories and be able to share those fun times with my baby!

Now, we are back to our normal "routine" which isn't anything crazy, but it sure is nice to want to come back to a "new" place. We are so comfortable in Virginia. It is great to go "home" and be with family, but it also feels amazing to return home to our apartment and our life.

Now if only I could get all my loved ones to move in next door...

Makena checking out the snow at gramma's!

2014

I cannot believe it is 2014. In fact, every time I have written the date so far, I have to actually think about whether or not that is the year we are in. It does not seem possible! This year we will be celebrating our 25th birthdays, our daughter's first birthday, 12 years together, 3 years married, 7 years graduated from high school and so many more milestones. 

So--I made a plan to blog once a week (at least) this whole year. By the end, I want to have at least 52 posts. I am already a week late, but that's why I have the overall goal of 52 as well as the weekly goal :)

If you are reading my blog for the first time--thanks for checking it out. I mostly post about our life, but this year I will post other interesting (to me, anyways) tidbits too!

Ryan and I got to go out for a bit on NYE (thanks to our friend, Lisa!). We got onion rings with our meal and they came garnished for the new year :). It will be a great year!

Slacker. Again!

I added a blog app to my phone so I would have no excuse not to blog more...and I still haven't been blogging! 

I vow to blog more in 2014...

My goal is to blog once every week for the whole year---52 blog posts for 2014!

Stay tuned!

ideas...

This blog is names Just Another Crazy Idea not only as a play on my name (JACI) but also because I feel like I have an endless supply of crazy ideas.  They keep getting crazier. Why can I not be happy doing one thing at a time? Currently, I am working on getting an Etsy shop set up (more to come on that later). I would like to make a little extra money for our family.  I have also thrown around the idea of starting a new blog and blogging for extra money.  I will definitely be looking into this as I become a stay-at-home mom! 

Do you ever wish there were twice as many hours in a day? I have so many ideas of things to do and not enough time to try them out!

Sleep?

sleep 
A natural periodic state of rest for the mind and body, in which the eyes usually close and consciousness is completely or partially lost, so that there is a decrease in bodily movement and responsiveness to external stimuli. 

A New Mom's Definition of SLEEP...
A natural VERY PERIODIC state of SEMI-REST for the mind AND/OR body (rarely both at once), in which the eye close and EVERYTHING IS DONE IN A ZOMBIE-LIKE FASHION.

sleep 
A period of this form of rest

Multiple short periods of partial rest mixed with jumping up to a baby crying in the crib across the room

sleep 
A state of inactivity resembling or suggesting sleep; unconsciousness, dormancy, hibernation, or death

Yeah right...death might be coming for this momma!

Everyone warns you about lack of sleep as a parent..but I never took it seriously! Now, I am struggling.  We were doing so great for weeks, but little girl has regressed in sleep patterns and this momma is on her last leg by the end of the week!

Hoping it gets better soon!!  In the meantime, at least she is cute?!

up, up, and away!

We did it! I got to check one more thing of my "25 things before 25" list. Ryan and I went on an awesome hot air balloon ride last week.  It was a blast.  We got to see how the hot air balloon goes from laying down to standing upright.  It was a laid back trip which was just what we needed.  We were celebrating our 11th dating anniversary and it was the first time we were away from Kena together since she was born!  We missed her, but had a great time together.

Life has been pretty routine lately.  We do not have much time during the week to do anything but work and get ready for the next day.  We are both trying to workout a few times a week.  The weekends are spent together running around like crazy! Ryan and I even did a "Color the Town 5k" race a couple weeks ago.

Makena is growing like mad and has new accomplishments almost daily.  She is starting to roll over, babbles constantly, has a little tooth coming in, and giggles when we tickle her! Obviously, we are very entertained by her!