Disney!

I'm sitting outside writing this blog because 1) the weather is beautifu instead of stifling hot for once and 2) Allies schedule got royally messed with while we were in Disney (it was vacation after all) so she doesn't go down to sleep very easily anymore and she's screaming and I couldn't take it anymore. But believe me, I'm not a bad mom, sometimes you just have to let them "cry it out" because if it was up to her she would run around playing until she fell to the ground and passed out. But anyway, Disney was great. Bill's parents took us and we had a blast. We went to the Magic Kingdom first last Saturday and saw Mickey and Minnie right away and while you could tell Allie was a bit nervous, she didn't scream or run away so I consider that a success. Someone also told me that I was "the most excited mom they'd seen in a while" so that made me happy. I really wanted her to enjoy her time there and share my enthusiasm which I think she did. She absolutely loved the Country Bear Jamboree, and the aquarium exhibit at Epcot that followed the Finding Nemo ride. She actually went on a lot of rides and did great. She napped at the park for a little bit which I was surprised she even did but getting her down at night was quite the hassle. By the end of the trip you could tell she was exhausted and just needed a good nights sleep in her own crib with her toys and "sound spa". I have to say though that I think one of her favorite places was Blizzard Beach. She adores being in the water and they had a nice wading area there so she could walk around and play but I didn't have to worry about her falling in. She went down some slides (she even got stuck on one!) and liked it when I pushed her on a tube in the lazy river. Seeing her have so much fun made me wish we had a nice kiddie pool here so she could hang out in it and I could sit in it and not have to constantly be on edge but we have a pool at the complex so we'll take it! I definitely wish Bill could have come with us to see how much fun she had and how she would light up at certain characters or get up and start dancing at shows we went to see but since he's the only one working, he couldn't afford to take time off. Hopefully we can go back soon though and he can be there to take her on rides and be part of the enjoyment.

But now it's back to reality and the reality is, I need to find a job! We found out that when Bill goes to the academy for 12 weeks we lose the break on rent we got for him being the Courtesy Officer for the complex so now I absolutely have to work so we can make ends meet and maybe have some money left over. I've been applying for jobs left and right and am just praying I hear from someone. It puts a pit in my stomach to think about having to put Allie back in daycare but it may be for the best. Her attachment to me is becoming very intense so it may be beneficial for her to be away from me for a bit each day. At this point I will take anything though so I'm on the hunt. Here we go!

One Month!

I have officially been in SC one month today! It's gone by very quickly and so far things are going well. I finally got my license today after hunting down 101 different documents the DMV needed so all I really have left to do to be officially "relocated" is register the two cars. I can register the Kia next week when our new insurance starts, and I'm waiting to do the Mazda until October when our insurance is up and I set up new insurance that is valid in SC. The Mazda's lease is up in October too but I think I am just going to keep it because it is a good car, I kept it in great condition, and I don't really have the money for a down payment, or an excise tax or any of that nonsense. I was able to find Bill and I a new doctor, and Allie had her 15 month (we were a little bit late, she was 16 months yesterday!) wellness check last week and we really like her new pediatrician. They really took their time going over safety reminders with us and what we should be working with her on. The doctor seemed impressed with how many words she said and how well she mimicked us so that made us feel good. She's growing like a weed too. She's now 31 inches tall, and weighs in at a whopping 24.4 lbs! And she's getting smarter by the day. She repeats everything, knows to throw things away when I ask her too, says "please" if she wants to get up on the chair, chases Flopsy around and tries so hard to give him a hug, and just does so much that make me think "Where did she learn that?!" I wish I could tape her every move because she's just too funny. But enough about my wonderful child! Onto other things...

Allie and I leave for Disney on Friday and we're very excited. We're going with Bills parents and Bills youngest brother Jeff. It was initially going to be a trip for the whole family (Bills parents, Bill and Allie and I, and Bills 3 brothers) but because of work schedules, Bill and his brothers Brian and Tommy can't get the time off so they can't go. I really wish they could but I know they have to work to support themselves. We're getting Park Hopper passes and I know Bills mom and dad will love to take care of Allie and give me some much needed relaxation and time away from her. It's going to be hot as anything in Florida but since it's 110* here in Myrtle Beach today, I think we can take it.

Lets see, what else? Bills job is going great. He's really adjusting well and his partner thinks he is doing a great job and will have a great career. Yesterday he had to go help rescue 6 puppies! There were of course other, more serious calls he responded too, but that's the one I like to tell people. :) I'm still unemployed but I am enjoying being a SAHM so much! Being able to see Allie every morning and when she wakes up from her naps and how smiley and happy she is, is just the best. She's napping right now and I just went in to see her and she's sleeping just like Bill. It's scary how much she does that's like him. I would love to stay at home with her always but that is in no way financially possible. Maybe if I keep working now and we save I will have the chance to stay home later on when we have more kids and they need rides to 100 different sporting events and friends houses, like my mom did for us. :)

I guess that's it for now. I really like living down here and hope that the coming weeks bring more people that we meet and some new friends. Allie and I went to church yesterday and she did great. It was my third week going and I think I am going to attend regularly and really get back into my faith and raise Allie like that too. I think it's important and in the past few months when I was very stressed and uncertain about this move, having my faith and being able to talk to God really helped. I know it's not for everyone but it works for me so I am going to stick with it.

So I guess that's all. Until next time...

Thoughts.

Casey Anthony was found "not guilty" today. It was a shock to most of the country to say the least. I think the majority of people felt she was guilty of not only murder, but of being a disgraceful mother. I mean who doesn't report their child missing for 31 days?! And not only that, but is seen out partyin during that time period. If Allie was missing 10 minutes I would be on the horn asking for all the help I gcould. And that's only if I let her out of my sight for that long! But anyway, whether she is guilty or not, she is going to walk out of court on Thursday with time served and be back out on the street. The jury did their job of putting their personal feelings aside and not letting the media hype get to them. And the bottom line is, the Prosecution didn't do theirs. It was their job to prove she killed her baby, and they couldn't. No one knows when or how that child died, and the prosecution only had a theory of what happened and the defense did do their job of putting reasonable doubt in the mind of the jurors. That's what it comes down too, and that's the justice system whether we like it or not. It's over now and all we can do is hope Caylee rests in peace, and if Casey did do it, she gets what is coming to her. A couple of minutes after the verdict was read, when I was sitting on the couch with my mouth hanging open, I heard Allie wake up from her nap and start babbling away in her crib. As soon as I walked in her room, she was standing up smiling so big with her hair going in about 100 different directions. I actually got tears in my eyes because all I could think was "who could ever hurt their child?!" Allie is my everything, and when I see her I beam with pride. Caylee Anthony was a gorgeous little girl and she deserved a hell of a lot better than she got. Whether her mom did kill her, or didn't, she shouldn't have been discarded like trash, and I will pray for that little girl to rest in peace. She didn't ask to be born into that clearly dysfunctional family, but maybe now Casey will provide some answers because at this point, if she does confess, the state can't charge her again...

Happy 4th of July!

Well, today celebrates Americas independence so I hope everyone had a great day and was able to get out and enjoy themselves. Allie and I were on our own because Bill had to work and we had a very low key day. We woke up and played, had lunch, took a nap, played some more down at the pool, had dinner, played some more, and now she's in bed. So as you can see, our days are pretty hectic! Haha. But really, being home with her is great and as much as I want to go back to work because I want a paycheck to be able to support and provide for my family, I am really going to hate putting her back in daycare and leaving her. She cracks me up all day and sometimes she does things that I can't believe and that I just don't know where she got it from. She's talking a lot now and says a lot of words. The clearest words she says are "hi, bye, Elmo, all done, up, peeze (please), allright, no, Ernie, Flops (for our bunny Flopsy), night night, baby, and my favorite is when she goes OH NO!" She says it with such feeling and it's so funny. She's great at mimicking too so she will try to say anything and repeat it a few times. I wish my family was here to see her because everyday she does something else new and it's amazing watching her grow. She's really into her books lately and when she's really quiet I worry she's getting into something but most of the time I go into her room and she's just sitting on her floor flipping through a book and babbling away to herself as she flips the pages. She also loves to follow our bunny Flopsy around when I let him out to get some "rec time" and she just chases him and tries so hard to catch him to pet him. It's like everytime I let Flopsy out she gets so excited like it's the first time it's happened. Flopsy will sometimes lay down and Allie does go over and sit next to him and go "niiice" as she pets him so I'm glad Flopsy is so gentle and lets her. He's never once tried to nip or bite at her. She's doing great here and I must say, she's quite popular at the pool. Other little kids love her and Allie just loves to sit on the top step and play with her bucket and shovel while the other kids come to her and hang out. We've started to talk to more people and try to make friends but it's going slow. I guess I never really thought about making friends because I've had the same group of friends for years and years so I haven't been in the "get out there and make friends" mode since middle school it seems! But I met another SAHM today with two little boys and I got her phone number so hopefully we can take our little ones out soon together!

Bills job is going well. He's still training with a partner when they go out on the road and he leaves for the academy on July 31st and it goes for 12 weeks. He will be gone for that Monday thru Friday and home on weekends. It will be hard again with him gone but we've come this far and made the major step, which was obviously the move so we will get through this too. My biggest fear now is that he just stays safe while out on patrol and comes home to us safely each night. I keep applying for jobs that seem to peak my interest and hopefully I will hear from one soon. Allie and I are going to Disney as originally planned with Bills parents and Uncle Jeff next week for a week which is going to be HOT, but I'm excited to see Allie have fun on some rides and hopefully enjoy the characters. I know she's a little young to remember but it will be enjoyable nonetheless.

As far as us getting settled here though it's coming slowly but surely. I found Allie a Pediatrician and she has her first appointment Wednesday which will be for her 15 month wellness check even though she is almost 16 months. I'm sure she will do fine and they will say she's doing great, except that she's a little short! I also found Bill and I a Primary Care Doctor and set us up appointments. I am waiting on my license and I got us new car insurance so we can register the cars soon. We have a bank account here so we are pretty close to being real residents. It's weird to think that because today is supposedly the busiest day of the year in Myrtle Beach because of all the tourists coming into town and this time, I'm the "local", not the tourist. I hear the traffic from now until September is going to be a nightmare so that's a main reason why we stayed in tonight and didn't bother going out for fireworks. But since we're tight on money, the traffic just gives us another reason to stay home and not go out and spend unnecessarilly. But other than that, we're doing great and hopefully we can get some family or friends to come visit with us soon! :)