My daughter has been taking 1 nap per day now and I just got used to it. She goes down anywhere between 1 and 2 PM and wakes up anywhere between 3:30 and 4:30 PM. Today however she was a bit cranky so I put her down around 11 AM to see if she would go to sleep. It’s now 11:30 AM and I think she is finally sleeping. Who knows maybe I will get the good old 2 naps in today. (Doubtful but one can dream). I really was getting to like the 1 nap per day because it let us go out and about in the morning then she was ready to eat lunch or a snack and go down for a solid 2-3 hrs and I could relax. It’s tough though on days like today when we don’t have anywhere to go and when I am trying not to go out for no reason. Staying home she tends to get more cranky because we run out of things to play. LOL She is an amazingly well behaved baby and we are so lucky and blessed. She is the BEST! Well, now it’s time for my coffee treat.

I am super excited for my Uncle’s pancake breakfast on Sunday. He is the fire chief and every year his department has a pancake breakfast and afterwards it was always tradition for my family to take a trip to the cidermill. We continued that tradition last year even after my Mom had passed away just weeks before. She had always wanted to keep our family close so that’s what I am going to try my best to do. Weather permitting, after the pancake breakfast, we will be headed out to the cider mill, missing my Mom but adding my beautiful daughter. Life is weird isn’t it?

As much as I go back and forth I have finally realized that the only people you can REALLY depend on is your family. Whether it is your immediate family or an Aunt, Uncle, or Cousin, family is so muchmore dependable than friends. I am so damn sick of selfish people who are supposed to be good friends. Don’t get me wrong I still consider these people amazing friends but I think that’s why it hurts so much when they take that friendship for granted or when they act selfishly and cancel plans at the last minute for reasons that are not serious. Or send you a text with a “tentative” answer and expect you to wait around for them while they wait for a better offer. I am so done with all that. I know now that friends are nice to have and in my heart I really do wish I had ONE girl friend that was a lot like me and I could count on no matter what. My best friend truly is a great best friend and if ever I needed her or was upset or anything she ould come running. People have their own lives and it’s the little things that count sometimes. I am perfectly happy with my husband and rest of my family to be there for me and us. I love my family so much and I am so glad we are a close bunch! I am even close with my cousins, we grew up together hanging out and doing whatever. Family is always there for you when you need them the most.

I am so excited to be staying on with my husband and daughter on this cold and rainy Friday! It’s going to be so cozy. I have beef enchiladas in the crock pot and it’s making my house smell so homey! I love to cook for my family and relax at night with them. My Halloween decor is up so we will be able to enjoy it while watching a movie tonight. I can’t wait for a movie and treats with my love!

We live in a condo complex and all Summer long the lawn people would start at 7 AM every Friday which undoubtedly disturbed my little bug. Then again at her 10:30 AM nap time they just so happen to start again. Then again at her 3:30 PM nap time they decided it would be cool to start yet again. I couldn’t win and this was ongoing every Friday. Now that she is on a new nap schedule, she only naps from about 1:30 PM or 2 PM til about 4 PM. So today, Friday, somehow these lawn people have adapted to my daughter’s nap schedule yet again!!! LOL Go figure? I went to put her down at 1:30 PM and guess what starts up? The ginormous, heinous sounding lawn equiptment! I never thought there would be any good side to Michigan Winters… but at least my daughter will be able to nap! Haha.

Since I am a first time Mom with a child that is under one year, most would think that if I were to have sleepless nights it would be because of my baby. This however is not the case. My daughter is an amazing sleeper and has been sleeping through the night since she was about 3 1/2 months old. My dog however is who keeps us up at night once in a while. She is 16 1/2 years old, and is a spunky little thing! She gets hot in our bedroom and night so we used to keep her water in our room. She would drink in the middle of the night and then have to go pee. Also, she and our other dog sleep pretty much all day and then when it’s time to go to bed around 11 PM they want to play. So my husband came up with the idea of keeping our bedroom door closed most of the day (where they like to nap) so that they are forced to walk around the house and stay active most of the day. I must say it has been working the last few days since we have started this. Now I open the bedroom door when my daughter naps so that my whole house is quiet at once. The nap when she does and I am free to relax and do whatever. Tippy lies on her blanket (that used to be ours, lol) and Stitch sleeps in his usual spot -under our night stand. They are so dang cute and are such amazing pets. My daughter loves them too. <3

Today is October 1st and I have busted out my little Halloween decorations. I have a small tree that used to be my Mom’s. It is garnished with orangle lights and I had my own string of pumpkin lights that I wrapped around the tree as well. I also have a fiberoptic witch that used to be my Mom’s and she is sitting on top of my entertainment center tower. I really love my end table covers and my light up pumpkin lamp. I have a few other small nick nacks such as a ceramic spook house with a spot for a candle. I love Halloween and am so happy to be able to share it now with my little daughter.

The Quick Oats oatmeal by Quaker has an amazing recipe for oatmeal cookies. Of course it calls for raisins but I add chocolate chips instead! They are so delicious and I make them about once a month. I have made them many times in the normal cookie form and once in the pan version. I cannot decide which way I like them better. Both versions are very yummy and I really like to bake. Oatmeal is an excellent food, it makes for an extremely healthy breakfast and also serves as a very satisfying dessert.

So I found my dream house, in my dream location and with dream amenities. Not only is it MY dream house but my husbands as well. It has so many postive aspects such as it is only a few years old, it is owned by a doctor and kept immaculately clean, it had a pool in the subdivision, the basement is partially finished and plumbed for a bathroom, there are three bedrooms and two and a half baths. The landscaping is absolutely gorgeous and the price is just as nice. However, there are huge downfalls as to why we cannot have this house right now. First off we own the condo we are in. Things are not selling right now and if by some miracle it did sell, they are going for half the price of what my husband bought it for about four years ago. Secondly, even if we were to rent it out or let it go to the bank, banks are much more strict about mortgages these days and there is no way we’d get approved for a second mortgage. If I was working, well getting paid for my hard work of being a stay at home Mommy, then things woul dbe easier. I could be on th emortgage, but since that isn’t the case it seems like we are stuck. I have a gut feeling about this and really think if there is a will there is a way. I can’t let this house and opportunity to have a better life for my family so I am committed to doing whatever we can to make this work, starting with saving better for a down payment. I know I will think of a plan, I just hope it happens before the house is off the market. I don’t wanna be stuck in the condo (although it is lovely just small) forever.

Soon I will be getting a new tattoo. I have decided what I want and where. I want a tiny star and a tiny heart (in black) in my left wrist. When I was little and I didn’t want my Mom to leave my room I would always kiss her on the cheek and each time I’d say “star” then kiss her again and say “heart.” I have NO CLUE why! I was just a crazy little kid. Some kids say they gotta go potty, some want a glass of water, and some want a snack. I just didn’t want my Mom to leave the room so I kept giving her goodnight kisses. I will never forget my Mom but I figure this is a permanent reminder of how close we really were. I am very excited for my new tattoo. The place I go to is very reputable and up scale. Their artists have amazing talent I wouldn’t trust getting a tattoo anywhere else. Ink Slingers and Eternal Tattoos are a joke! LOL