Life lately

Hey Ladies! 

I have no idea why I haven't blogged in so long. Life has been awesomesomely mundane. I am loving my daily routine with my dude. I am going to try and start working 3 Saturday's a month so that I don't have to worry about the hours for keeping up my license. 

My days look like this. Every day, and I am ok with that. 

5:45 The whole family wakes, Paul gets ready for work while I nurse Eli

6:15 Eli helps Paul back the car out of the garage

8-9:30 Eli naps

10-11:30 Eli and I go to the gym

11:30-1 Errands or play time

1-2:30 Eli takes second nap

2:30-5 hang out with friends, park time, play time

5-6 Dinner, bath, nursing, and bed for Eli

6  Paul gets home from work and we eat dinner and just chill together

I was talking to a friend who has a 11 month old today and she has absolutely no routine. Baby goes to bed at different times every day, has no specific nap times, random work schedule where she takes baby with her to two different jobs, and does a ton of house projects where baby just has to try and be patient and watch. All of this made me realize how much I crave routine.  I know Eli craves it as well. We didn't go to the gym today because we were hanging out with said friend.  It was the only time she could get together so I sacrificed the schedule. Lately I have been thinking a lot about my brothers church mission. Love God, Love People, Change the world. I have always loved helping others, but often when I could make it convenient for myself and my schedule.  I am trying to break out of this and help others even when it isn't easy, when it is hard and time consuming. I won't sacrifice my family but I can make my day slightly more inconvenient to benefit others. My last few weeks have been better because of this. 

My last few weeks have also been hard. Paul is now a store manager and has been working a ton. He only sees Eli for a few minutes in the morning, and even then I am there helping because Paul is trying to get ready for work. Paul has been going into work on all of his days off as well. This leaves me taking care of Eli by myself 98% of the time. Paul is also super exhausted on his days off and I want him to chill so we either do things as a family (my very favorite) or sometimes I send Paul off to ride his motorcycle or do something he wants to do and to enjoy some alone time, or some man time with friends. I am just so so thankful we didn't have to move for this store manager position (North Bend) because it has been wonderful having Kathy so close to watch Eli when I need a few hours to get things done as well as being able to continue going to the gym every weekday, something that wouldn't have been possible the other two places Paul applied since they didn't have gyms with pools, which means no gym daycare, which means no swimming for this mama. 

My photography class has been over for about a month but I am still having a ton of fun. I don't use my camera daily but I do use it at least a few times a week to capture the beauty of the mundane. 

Paul snapped this one on auto. I love that since I have my camera out more it means Paul takes more pictures as well! 

Eli never used a pacifier till around his first birthday. So silly but man I love the peace and calm that silly thing brings. He will lay in his crib chilling and sucking on it for a half hour after he wakes up. It makes him so quiet when we are on errands or car trips. Long live the pacifier. Haha, not really, but for now it is amazing. 

Little cheese snatcher.

I was so excited to get Eli's hair cut at the barber. The back of his hair had gotten so thick and was going to turn into a bull cut/mullet/not cute looking hair style. Well, the barber lady had a sign saying she would be right back, 15 minutes and a non returned phone call later we left. She returned my call 7 hours later. I wanted Paul there so he could hold Eli while I took pictures.  Well we went to Salem a few weeks later for my grandpas funeral and my cousin showed me how she cut's her boys hair. She gave me the courage to try again with scissors (Eli moved way too much the previous time I tried).  It actually turned out super cute and I am pretty proud of myself, I will try and get a good picture someday soon. :) I left the top and just trimmed all around the sides and bottom, he looks so grown up! 

We walked to the school that's a little farther away than the one we usually go to and Eli loved it. There is a super tall steep slide that Eli thought was pretty amazing. I had to lower him half way down so he didn't fly off the end before Paul had the chance to catch him. 

This kid is such a faker. He was fussing because he wanted to be the one to push the remote. I let him have it eventually and we took some pretty cute pictures together. 

Hope all is well with you ladies. Miss you!