Random Thoughts from a Stay-At-Home Mom

So our days are finally settling into a routine here in Sarasota. We get about a month of stability before Ryder's birthday festivities begin and our move to Arizona happens. For the first time I feel like I know what it is like to be a stay-at-home mom even though i've been one for a little over ten months now. Our morning start a little after 8 in the morning. We get up, change Ryder's diaper, take Chloe potty, get our morning tv shows on, and give Daddy kisses good-bye as he heads off to the baseball field. Ryder then hopefully plays for about an hour (hopefully) before breakfast while mommy gets some of her work done. We then try a good mix of play, eating, and distraction while I continue to try to get work done. When Ryder goes down at about eleven, and I usually get about 2 1/2 - 3 hours of freedom to get stuff done. It's always a mad dash. Work is always a priority since it MUST get done, and then it's a toss up between laundry, dishes, bottles, vacuuming, a shower, and trying to convince myself not to browse random social networking sites (this usually wins!...i'm such a sucker!). Derrik usually gets home around 2 when we will go get done whatever needs to be done for the day. It is nice to finally have some kind of routine in our lives again, but i'm sometimes grateful for our crazy life because I think I could get bored of it very quickly!!!

Anyhow... All this stay-at-home time has given me lots of time to let my mind wander... which should lead to some pretty random posts...

Random Stuff:

1. Ryder is pointing now! Ryder points to the fan to show us it's spinning, to people when he wants their attention, to the animals, or to toys if he wants them. Pretty cute :)

2. TEETHING!! AHHH!! Where are you tooth #2?! We are ready for you to make you grand entrance... because we like our sleep and want our happy baby back!!! We had a night last night that consisted of four bottles, multiple pacifiers trips, two diapers, and a very sad baby! Today we went and got the disposable teething tablets (Thanks Aunt Sherri!) and the little man is taking his usual nap... fingers crossed these work!

3. Halloween in July?! Seriously what are retailers thinking? There is Halloween stuff out everywhere. I even saw a few random Christmas things the other day. It is July people! It is a thousand degrees outside! Who is thinking pumpkins and costumes? Any child who buys a costume now is bound to be completely over it by the time Halloween actually rolls around. BUT with seeing all the Halloween stuff out it has made me realize that for Ryder's first holiday season he might slightly grasp things we won't have our stuff! I am a HUGE holiday person that LOVES to decorate!!! This leaves me two options... Buy all new stuff and have it shipped back to our place with our stuff up in Cape Cod once we're done, or have our original stuff that we already own shipped to us and shipped back. I will NOT leave our place barren and empty of holiday decorations. I feel a serious argument in the making between my hubby and I over this!!!

4. Ryder's Birthday!!! Yes it is coming up very quickly. One month and ten days away! I have been all over the internet and am very happy with the stuff I have found... plan on ordering today :) We will be having Ryder's birthday down in Fort Myers so anyone close by let me know!!!

5. New Food... Found one Ryder loved yesterday. Raviolis!

6. GUM! SO yesterday, when Ryder was first showing signs of his fussiness, we had about an hour to blow before we should have put Ryder to bed so we deciding to head out in the thousand degree weather and go for a walk. Ryder loves them and I think Chloe has been on one since we left North Carolina (it is just TOO hot... trust me we miss them). We got downstairs, got the stroller out, and in the process of putting Ryder in realized Chloe had a huge clump of gym in her hair!!! Just our luck.... This picture is after I already ripped out a few huge chunks outside.

7. And last night but not least.... The Baby Gate!!! Got one :) We moved our kitty litter box into the kitchen and officially gated it off. What a relief that our two major issues are now no longer accessible to our little man!