I really do love my life. I couldn't ask for a better husband than Matt. And Brooke has been so good recently... I'm one proud momma. Today, I laid her down for her nap, and I guess she wasn't quite ready to sleep. But instead of fussing, she played in her crib... for 45 minutes! Never a fuss; then silence. She's been sleeping now for over an hour. At night sometimes, she wakes up, plays for a few minutes, and then falls back asleep. Okay, I know some moms accomplish this by the time their babies are 6 months old. But Brooke was such a difficult baby that these little blessings are a big deal to me! And really, say what you want about being a SAH mom, but I find the job so rewarding. There's nothing more satisfying then being able to fully support my husband and raise my daughter. Sure sometimes it's boring (singing "This Old Man" 100 times in one day!) But it's so good to know that I get to invest so much time in my family. I get to cook homemade, healthy dinners for them and not have to rely on Stouffers. I get to see Brooke take her first steps (which should be coming any day now!) and I get to take Matt's car in for an oil change to make his life a little easier (okay, I complained about this one a bit, but, really, I'm happy to do it to make his crazy-busy life a little less stressful).  I admit, I'm still so self-centered. I don't spend enough time in prayer during the day, and I many times allow my thoughts to center around what would make ME happy. But there's nothing like being a SAH mom to learn how to become humble! I do miss nursing sometimes. I miss the adrenaline rush of critical care. I miss the companionship of other mature adults during the day (although it would be hard to classify many of my patients and even some of my coworkers as "mature." :) )  And someday I hope to go back to nursing part time. But I'm so happy with the opportunity God has given me to serve Him by serving my family at this stage of my life.

That was random... I had no plan to say any of that! I guess I truly use this blog to type whatever thoughts are rambling around my head! :)

I do not have a green thumb. I have a "killer plant" thumb. I could kill a fake plant. I think I have. There's an artificial flower arrangement in our master bath that's looking a little sad (the flowers keep falling off.. don't ask me why!) But I'm going to attempt to plant flowers in our front yard. Yes, real flowers. During the first hour of Brooke's nap, I pulled weeds out of the currently almost-empty plant bed in our yard. And either this afternoon or tomorrow morning, I'm going to buy myself some marigolds to plant (because my dad assures me that they are a low-maintenance summer flower). I was going to buy some new plants for the plant bed this year (as I've killed almost all the ones in there), but it's getting too late in the year, and I'm getting too pregnant to mess with that. So maybe I can build my confidence with some "simple" flowers this year (they couldn't be too expensive, right?) and next year I'll invest in some bigger plants. I guess keeping a yard, like everything else, takes practice. I REALLY want a pretty yard... I just don't know how to go about getting one. Okay, I get that I need to WATER the plants. I learned that lesson last year. (In my defense, I was so overwhelmed with being a new mother, that a couple of wilty plants was the least of my concerns!) But now it's time to LEARN how to make the outside of my house look nice. For my own personal satisfaction. And so my neighbors quit glaring at me when they drive by. (Incidentally, Matt could care less. He wants to tear out ALL the plants and put in a rock garden. Spoil sport!)

Well, sounds like my little one is awake, so I think I shall head to walmart and check out the supply of marigolds. Wish me luck!

P.S. Let me add (after reading this over a couple times) that I understand everyone has a different calling in life and I don't want to imply that being a SAH mom is best for every woman. God has unique roles for every one of His children. I was just rambling on about how glad I am that He's called me to the role that I am living right now! :)