This week....

Wow its been a week! Lots going on---but most is really good!
Shea rode the bike all week--with only one day of rain, thank goodness. He is really enjoying it but its almost a work out for him--all that gear, sitting hunched over and having to focus so hard on all thats going on around him. No cell phone talking or day dreaming--thats for sure!

Austin had quite a week too! Lets see on Wednesday he found his voice loud and clear
(in the middle of a staff meeting of course !) He realized he could do this screeching sound--and once he realized it was him, he just kept doing it. He has been doing it on and off for the past 3 days--its a little obnoxious when he does it over and over---but if you look past that part, its really sweet to hear and watch how he responds to him self doing it! Today he also realized that there was a canopy over his car seat and he was mesmerized by it. I definitely believe he is teething because he has had some rough evenings again. Drooling, chewing his hands and gums and gnawing on the some of the cold packs I have been giving him. He is still sleeping pretty well too ( except for last night when he woke about 4 times which is so unlike him.) Thats one thing I am thankful for---we have had some really tough times but he has been sleeping at least 4-6 hours stretches since he was about 3 weeks old. I dont know how I got blessed with that, but since we have had so many other challenges, I will take my night sleeper any day!

And lets see...as for me, well its been an interesting week. I finally approached my boss's with idea that I need to look at some other working options for me and Austin as this whole working full time with him is just about killing us.
I just realized I am missing out on our "good" time together because I am so exhausted from doing both jobs all day. I should have been loving the fact that he found his voice this week--instead it stressed me out because it was just one more thing I would need to keep quiet in the office---and I hate that!! I want to enjoy him and love all these mile stones--which means life needs to change. So today I submitted a proposal that included 3 options for what could happen over the next few weeks--the first preference being that I go to part time work, mostly from home. God is providing a way that I can work part time and us still be ok...if I can work from home and not have to put Austin in child care. So I ask for your prayers in this--I never in a million years believed that this could happen so soon for us, but God is providing the way financially, if my job will allow me to do it. We have had some other stuff come up at work which may put the decision for what I can do on hold--so I asked to work fewer hours next week until it's decided what I am going to do. I just really could not do one more full week the way we were doing it. And I told Shea that as I was driving home today, it was the first day that I felt I could see out of the dark tunnel--just knowing next week will be easier and that the following weeks could get even easier!!

I also scheduled a prenatal appointment with my first doula client I will work with since Austin has been born--and did a phone interview with another one--it made me feel "normal" again--like I am really back into my life again. I don't have a birth until November, so I still have some time to get ready and prepare for how Austin will be while I am gone at a birth.

Ok--well this was way longer than I planned--thats what I get for not posting all week! I am going to post a few pics too!