Fridays Letters

Dear Friday:  I'm surprised at how fast you came this week. It was my first full week of being back at work and it went awesome. Dear Memorial Day Weekend:  I'm super excited for you!  The husband said he would cooks ribs and make homemade ice cream...and I can't wait to eat you all.  We've got family coming in so that should make the festivities even better. Dear new workouts:  You're kicking my butt.  I pretty much hurt all over today. Dear non-existent ab muscles from pregnancy:  I miss you.  Please come back so my husband can stop laughing at me when I can barely do ab exercises.  Dear Husband: It's still surreal to have you back home again.  Watching you with our daughter always puts a smile on my face, that and having you do laundry again!  Dear Baby Girl:  It's amazing how much you change and grow each week. I love you more than words can say little one!

Happy Friday!

Baby Aislynn: Week 18

Weight:  I’m assuming still in the 13 lbs. range.

Health:  Still a little eczema that we treat with Hydrocortisone cream.

Social:  Still soaking up precious time with your Daddy.  I went back to work as a Nanny this week and you love being able to watch O run around and you find him quite entertaining.

Diet: Breast feeding and getting a bottle of pumped milk a few times a week.  You are back in your phase of screaming on and off until the milk lets down and then screaming when it is gone again.  You also like to be looking around the whole time and “talk with your mouth full”.

Clothes: 3-6 month sized clothes and size 2 diapers.  We bought our most recent diapers from Costco and they are the Huggies snug and dry.  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss those Pampers Swaddlers.  They were so much softer and looked more comfortable on your waist.  However, Huggies looks more comfortable on your thighs and did contain a HUGE poop where it would have usually turned into a blowout.  My least favorite thing is that the Huggies leaves indents on your skin where the tight elastic runs.

Mama’s Favorites:  Your doorway jumper has been your new favorite and we love any soft cloth books.  We have only a few but there are lots at work that you love to play with.  (Hint Hint Grandmas!)

Crying:  You have developed a real cry this week.  Not your usual fussing that you’ve had for the last four months.  I’m talking break your heart with tears kind of cry.  It makes us both so sad.

Sleep:  Nowhere near a full night of sleep this week.  I just keep hoping it’s this sleep regression at four months I’ve been hearing about.  My nights consist of me staying up till 10:30-11 to give you your dream feed.  Then you are up between 1:30-3:30 to eat.  And then you are up for the day somewhere from 4:30-6.  So this mama isn’t getting too much sleep.  I used to be able to give you your pacifier and slip out of the room but you are waking up hungry!

This Week:  Being back at work, we are trying to figure out your nap schedule again.  You rise for the day at 6, I get to work at 8 and you go down around 9.  But this prevents us from going to any baby classes because you sleep through the morning.  It’s tricky with a screaming toddler running around in the mornings to get you to stay asleep at all.  Managing two schedules and attempting to make it somewhere at a certain time is just not working for us right now. 

Baby Likes:  All of your toys this week.  It’s like we hit a boom with your understanding that your toys are there to be played with.  When you see something you want, you get this wide O/duck face mouth and your hands start going crazy.  You’re actually pretty good at getting what you want and bring it straight to your mouth.

Postpartum:  No new changes, completely dreading bathing suit season.  I think I miss my old body.  I’m still working on toning it back up.

Milestones:  You came back to work with mama and now have a permanent friend you get to see all week long. Started doing a "real" cry.  

Best of times:  I have figured out how to get you to laugh out loud every time.  We do Peek a boo but I come really fast at your face.  It scares you a little and then you give a laugh.  But the cutest thing this week was when you were getting your diaper changed and I laughed out loud.  You turned to me and almost mimicked my laugh.  It was the cutest and sweetest laugh I have ever heard.  LOVED IT. 

Worst of times:  You are so exhausted from your messed up nap schedule at my work that you now have a fussy period at night and about one melt down in there.  Breaks my heart and I’m trying everything to fix your naps so that they work for everyone.  

Guest Post: Help for Military to Civilian

link

Military careers offer rich experience and great training. When the time comes to transition into a non-military job, however, the process can seem overwhelming in the least.  With so many changes occurring during the transition, securing a civilian job doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Many myths about private-sector jobs and employment do a disservice to those facing this transition. By debunking these myths, you can take the challenge head on and find the job of your dreams!

Myth #1: Employers don’t care about applicants.

Truth: Of course, many companies receive large quantities of applications and job inquiries on a regular basis, especially in today’s economy. However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t understand the importance of recruiting the best talent possible. In order to attract the best candidates for open positions, many companies have recently taken steps to simplify the application process. Some Fortune-500 Companies, such as GM and AT&T use a platform from JIBE, a company that specializes in mobile recruiting, that allows applicants to upload their resume and other documents right on-the-go from their smartphone or tablet!

Myth #2: The types of jobs accessible to military veterans are limited and hard to find.

Truth: Your military career has provided you with a wide array of marketable skills. Programs such as the 100,000 Jobs Mission are available to help you find employment after you leave the military, and several of the nation’s leading companies have joined forces to make this program a success. At the 100,000 Jobs Mission, you can get information about open positions in a wide range of fields as well as learn about projected growth rates of various industries, median annual salaries, required education for each field and more.

Myth #3: While unemployed, you should only focus on applying to jobs.

Truth: During your transition, focus on volunteering and enjoying your hobbies. Many employers search for individuals who are active in their communities, and regular volunteer work will indicate that you are a reliable worker with marketable skills. Additionally, volunteering and getting involved in local organizations is a great way to network with others who might be able to assist you in finding employment – sometimes all you need is a foot in the door!

Myth #4: The time you spend in active duty during your military career will cause employers looking for “consistent” workers to overlook you.

Truth:  There is no good reason for an employer to expect that your time in active duty will result in absences or other inconsistencies in your daily work. In fact, the very fact that you were in the military should show dedication, loyalty, and persistence! Furthermore, companies are forbidden by law to deny employment to anyone solely based on their combat experience. Some federal laws actually provide incentives to companies that hire veterans who sustained injuries in combat or served during specific time periods.

The transition from military to civilian life can be stressful and overwhelming as many things are changing all at once. The job search and application process does not have to be one of these stressful changes. Reflect upon all of the skills you learned while in the military and use them to your advantage. Thank you for serving our country – now take your freedom and pursue any job you can dream of!

Emma is a mid 20-something year old with a passion for life, love, fitness, and helping others. She loves to be active and get involved in as many sport and community activities as possible. Emma is currently studying to become a Career & Life Coach, and loves to network with people from around the world! Check out Emma’s blog at http://smileasithappens.blogspot.com/! 

My First Mother's Day

I got THE best gift for Mother's Day, my husband coming home.  It was so amazing to wake up that Sunday morning and have him go rush to get the baby.  They came into greet me and my heart just melted.  My little family of three.  
The night before he ran out to get me a card and flowers.  He'd only been home for a day and was still jet lagged.  Yet, he still thought of the small things to make me happy.  
I had originally asked for an indoor herb garden, Basil to be specific, but there wasn't any at the store when he ran out.  So he came back with the next best thing, Garden Tomato and Basil potato chips.  I'm telling ya, you have GOT to give the man points for trying.  And yes, potato chips may be one of my weaknesses.  
The one thing I always knew that I wanted to do when it was my own turn for Mother's Day was to go out for Brunch.  
So we went out to Magnolia's, which is a breakfast/brunch place downtown.  We got there a little late and there was a huge wait.  BUT they could sit us immediately outside on the patio.  It was probably only 58 degrees and windy.  I had not dressed for the outside weather.  I was in a dress, cardigan and heels.  But really, who wants to wait forever to eat with a baby?
So we ended up taking the outside table.  I bundled the baby up in two blankets and had my husband hold her to make sure she was warm.  After we got used to the temperature, it was really nice.  Doesn't take us Vermonters long to think 50 degrees feels warm.  I drank lots of hot coffee and had Rhubarb French Toast.  It was divine.
Afterwards, I was rewarded with a shopping trip to get some new spring clothes.  We spent the rest of the day relaxing and just enjoying each other's company.  
I couldn't have asked for a better day.

Back to Work

After four wonderful months of being a SAHM and spending time with my family, I am officially back to work. But I have the coolest job ever so I don't mind. I'm a nanny for the sweetest two year old. And the best part of the job is that I get to bring Aislynn with me. Like I said, coolest job ever. 

I had plenty of worries over having two to care for. How would O adjust to a baby and would Aislynn's naps get completely thrown off. 

Most importantly, a baby who doesn't nap can be a nightmare. So I worried about how to get this to work. Wish I would have saved myself the trouble and known that I'm good at what I do. I'll figure it out. And I did. I turned on a movie for O and told him we had to be quiet because the baby was sleeping. I easily rocked her to sleep since it was an hour past her usual nap time and then laid her down in the other room. She slept for 25 mins. She woke up and quietly looked around, just taking it all in. I eventually went and got her, swaddled her and sat in the rocking chair and held her while watching the movie. I pretty much expected short nap times due to the movie, squeaky floors and the shrills of a toddler. What I didn't expect was for O to sit and watch the whole movie relatively quietly and fall asleep on the couch at the end. Two sleeping babies at one time. Mind blown. 

I knew even if the rest of the day was rough, it was okay. My first morning back was so amazing that it would completely make up for it. 

Now do I expect all my days to go this smoothly?  Absolutely not. But it was what I needed to get this whole work thing kicked off to a good start. 

On a side note, I was one of those bloggers who thought it was a great idea to do the Google Plus merge with my blog...until I realized that it meant that if you wanted to comment on my blog, you had to have a google plus account!  So I undid the merge, and it still stayed that way =meltdown at eleven at night.  Apparently it is a major complaint of some bloggers and completely inconvenient to all of my favs who like to comment that don't have google.  So I apologize but I have NO idea on how to fix it.  Oh you sneaky Google Plus, I'm hating you right now. 
I no longer get emails from each comment and can't email you directly back, which may have had me in tears last night.  I'm still confused on this point.  So if you comment and you don't hear back from me in 24 hours, I promise, I have responded but not sure how it is getting back to you.  (Some people's Google Plus accounts don't allow for response to their comments so they aren't getting my responses insert devastation on my part here).  So PLEASE make sure you check in your notifications section to get emailed from all responses!!  
But if you do have a google plus account and link it up to your blog, it is pretty cool.  You get comments from your google plus to show up on your blog and you can reply to your comments many different ways.  
I think I'm having my old blogger withdrawls but plenty of people seem to really like it, so we'll see.  

Edited:  Seems my awesome husband fixed my comments so everyone can comment again and not need google plus. Thanks babe!

Mommy Moments Blog Hop

Hey mamas!

Welcome back for another great week of Mommy Moments Link Ups! Thank you for linking up and for spreading the word! We love all of the great posts! 


The most viewed link from last week's Mommy Moments was the post titled Parenting Mistake from This Too Shall Pass!

I'm loving on this mug she posted. I know we all can relate!





She is looking for some advice on how to get her sweet baby to crib sleep! Head over and offer your suggestions if you haven't already!

This week I'm excited to introduce a new co-host!

Meet Alli from Beautiful Family Affairs





The fun part about having Alli on our team is that now all of the co-hosts have baby girls very close in age! We need to plan a get together so they can all meet. Wouldn't that be fun!


This week we are welcoming Ashley from Love and Lighthouses as our guest host! You must stop by and meet Ashley and her adorable baby boy!





Now it's time to link up your posts! All you have to do is...

1. Follow Host: The Life Of Faith 

 Co-Hosts: The Not Quite Military Wife, Beautiful Family Affairs and The Mrs. 

Guest host: Love and Lighthouses

2. Link up your post!

Post can include anything related to mommy-hood, children, homemaking, pregnancy etc. If you aren't a mom yet, feel free to link up your preparation for motherhood, your journey as you try to conceive, or even a post that would be encouraging to the other moms in the party!

3. Add the Mommy Moments button to your post or blog so everyone knows where you are linking up!

4. Explore some of the other posts in the link-up and say hello to some new blog friends! 

5. Tweet or Share the link up on Facebook so we can all make even more friends!

Tweet

<div align="center"><a href="http://the-life-of-faith.blogspot.com//search/label/baby" title="The Life Of Faith"><img src="http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k537/faithkonrath/mommymomentsbutton.jpg" alt="The Life Of Faith" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

P.S. We will be having a new guest host every week! Want to be a guest host of the Mommy Moments Blog Hop? Send Faith a message at farmprincess14{at}gmail{dot}com. We would love to have you!

Friday Letters

Dear Friday:  Am I ever glad to see you!  I went back to work this week. And while it has been a smooth transition, I'm exhausted!  Dear baby girl:  You honestly light up my life. We are so in love with you. But you are killing me with your sleep regression and growth spurt at the same time. My eyes are so blood shot that I have forgotten what the whites of my eyes look like. Dear Husband:  Having you home is so awesome. Watching you with our baby girl brings tears to my eyes. I love you so much and hope there are no deployments in my future. Dear sleep:  I miss you!  I'm handing the baby over this weekend and taking as many naps as I can get!

Happy Friday!