Life.

I'm not sure exactly what I want to get out of this post today. I want to post something, but I don't have a specific direction my thoughts are heading. With the beginning of September, I feel like I have a lot coming up in our lives in the next few weeks... but I'm trying to enjoy my last two weeks at home full-time with my babies. =)

Returning to work. I return to work this month - on the 15th. This makes me sad although I'm going to be returning to a much better schedule. I discovered that my schedule in the ER did not make for a very good home life for our family. I was too tired, worked too many bedtimes in a row and was frustrated a lot. I am going back to a schedule of two-10 hour shifts a week with no more than two days in a row. Although I am wishing I didn't have to go back at all.... I am thankful for the fact that I have a job and can provide benefits to my family.

Moving. We are moving this month. We had only planned to live in our current house for six months. It is a temporary place since the house we lived in before was going to be sold fairly quickly. We've finally - after 8 months - found another place that we can afford. I am very excited to move to a place with a backyard for Malachi to play in. The place we live now has a tiny backyard that is all landscaped and there is not one spec of grass. Where we're moving is also an older home... and it will be less stressful on me to keep it "perfect".

Surgery. My husband is having knee surgery two days before I return to work. He has had this same surgery on his other knee about 10 years ago, so he knows what to expect - kinda. He won't be able to take care of the kids alone for a week or so or do any work for a few weeks... and then he'll probably try to do some light duty. When you own your business, you can't really afford to take off too much time.

Our train creation!

Malachi. Age three is hard. My child swings from sweet and loving to defiant and difficult in a minute. I have always tried to enjoy every moment of his life because I know it will go by so fast... but can I be honest?... I want to get past this phase as fast as possible. I do not enjoy it. I am mad frequently, giving punishments constantly and feeling like a failure too often. We fight about using the potty. We fight about meal times. We really fight when we go to a store about him not running away or having to be in the cart. I've completely given up on nap time because I just can't take another fight everyday.
I try to remember that in the last year he's moved, his parents have both worked different schedules than he's used too and we had a baby. I'm hoping this next move will be a positive for him, since I think we'll be more relaxed about the house.

Zachary. This little boy is so precious. I am enjoying every minute of him at the moment. He laughs and smiles and coos at us all the time. No colic, not very fussy, he's a genuinely happy guy. At his two-month check-up he was 13.2lbs. As I'm writing his he's staring at me at just laughing and laughing. =) I am thankful that he is such an easy baby. I'm thankful that Malachi loves him so much. And I'm thankful that going from one-to-two kids has been a fairly easy transition. I heard lots of horror stories and ours has been very peaceful. Zachary just arrived into our lives and we just can't imagine him not being here.