Crawling, New Job, Paying it Forward

The mobile has been converted into a mini fort for Weston to crawl through. We stuck him in here for the photo op because he can't get into a sitting position on his own yet, but he did crawl into the mini fort of his own accord and kick around for awhile.

He managed to get all the way across the living room so he could investigate the vent. I imagine his internal dialog would go something like this-

"What is this vent thing? Maybe if I stick my fingers in it....and then lick it... and OH! A power cord! These are great to chew on!"

Let the baby-proofing commence!

Our Twins/Yankees hybrid baby. Only time will reveal his true colors. Oh.... except the Twins and Yankees happen to use the same colors. I guess we'll have to dress him in navy pants and a white shirt and let him be an ambiguous fan!

I can't ever take enough sleeping baby pictures. And yet, a picture just doesn't capture the sweetness of a sleeping baby.

The best part of my weekend :)

Channel your innermost Elmo voice and repeat after me. "Weston is SSOOOO big!"

He was rolling his head on the carpet and received the above stylish hairdo as a result.

He's CRAWLING! It's official. The Westonator is on the move. Last night, Tom and I had the rare opportunity to go out without Weston because Aunt Lora came to visit for the night. I think we have only gone out twice without Weston since he was born. Though it felt a little odd at first, Tom and I both agreed that it was WONDERFUL to feel like a couple again. I didn't appreciate the time we spent as just a couple when Weston wasn't around. Sometimes it takes a baby to really appreciate a night out with your spouse. I foresee more date nights in our future. I know we have had plenty of people who have offered to babysit, so we'll have to start taking them up on those offers. Back to crawling... So Tom and I came home from our evening out and Weston crawled to us while we stood in the door after returning home. It was so sweet! He's a little slow and a little wobbly, but he's definitely crawling! I tried to get him to do it again so I could get video proof for you all, but he wouldn't humor me so you'll just have to take my word for it :)

In other big news, I received and accepted a job offer! The world seems to be a different color to me after the relief of finding a job. Many of you know how hard it has been for me to be out of work. It's been very stressful and I worried a lot about our financial situation, so this job-even though it was a pay cut from my last position- is a huge relief. There are a lot of positives to the position including the fact that it is down the street about 5 miles, daycare is on the way, the hours are traditional, and the tasks I will be doing should be manageable. I say 'should be' because you never really know how a job is going to go until you've been in it for a month or two. At any rate, it appears to be a great fit for where I am in my family life and I am just thankful to have a job when so many people out there are unable to find one.

One thing I have gained from the financial stress of being jobless is a better understanding for those people who are suffering through this. There is a lot of embarrassment, shame, and guilt associated with not being able to provide for your family and I feel like I have more compassion for those people out there that are in tough situations. We were lucky enough that Tom still had a job so we were able to limp by. But what about all those families who have no income after a layoff? What about a single mom who loses her job? It's tough to function in the world when your thoughts revolve around how you will pay for groceries this week. It's stinks to have to make tough decisions like cutting people out of your life just to save gas money. My heart goes out to all those people who are suffering through joblessness and I have a new sense of compassion for them. I've been trying to figure out how I'm going to put this new sense of compassion into action. I know I need to do something to pay my blessings forward.

I guess it is on to a new chapter for us as I start this new job. I'm excited about it. More than anything, I am thankful and relieved. Tom has been working 60 hour weeks and traveling A LOT, all while continuing grad school. I honestly don't know how he does it. Having me back at work is sure to present us with some new challenges (i.e. piles of dirty laundry and mounds of dirty dishes) BUT peace of mind is certainly worth this trade off!

Good-bye, stay at home mom stint. You were fun while you lasted!

Hello, world of working moms!