Housekeeping and Baby Updates

It's 8:30 on a Wednesday night. The house is spotless, laundry is done and sink is clean. I sent Colton off to work with a full stomach-mashed potatoes and chicken fried steak.

MaTai is in his swing fast asleep about two feet away from me, And I am enjoying a hot relaxing bath with my iPhone. If you are judging me, you are obviously not the mother of an infant. So I don't care.

Our house has been a lot more organized lately. The house stays spotless, which I love. Colton comes home and does his chore list before going to the gym-and having a spotless kitchen motivates me to cook. So it's been working out really well.

Part of the reason is we invested in a 4 bag laundry sorter. So when clothes are dirty they go directly into their color pile. Any clean clothes go into a fifth basket-which keeps them off the floor/bed/couch/wherever Colton sheds them. It also motivates him to wear clothes longer-since it's just as convenient to put them in a clean basket as a dirty one. Every two days his job is to hang them up. It's been amazingly clean and less laundry. Plus when I see a basket is full of say, darks, I send it down with him and don't have to worry about if there is enough for a load or his sorting abilities. That way we don't end up with 8 loads at once because it piles up. Im lovin it.

Tai also has a spray and wash station-I keep the spray by his changing station so all Colton has to do is spray and throw it in Tai's laundry basket. Life simplified.

Tai is 3 months old and has become really fun lately. He responds to my voice and will look directly at me if I call him. He sucks on his hands viciously-and is constantly covered in drool. He is learning to grab his own bottle-and recognizes it when I put it in front of him. He is even at the point where he tries lifting his body to sit. He is becoming very vocal, and will make noises when I talk to him-or at least mimic my mouth movements. He is starting to enjoy toys, like his play gym and his jumper. He is a clinger. If he is napping he has to hold my hand or be against me, and then he is perfectly content.

We love him and are loving every new stage (even if I miss the limp cuddly stage.) :(

A few pictures of our mad house :)

Falling asleep in moms laundry.

The drooling has started,,,and he is getting so big!

The classic pouty lip.

Officially asleep in the warm laundry.

Starting to hold his own bottle.

Mom and Tai snuggling.

Money money money

Colton and I went ring shopping today after work. It was completely depressing. I want a ring sooo badly for my birthday, but it is really not in the budget. The frustrating thing is, I would be fine with a small diamond and a small band. Super tiny and easy.

Well we will find a ring, and then by the time we get it sized and priced it goes up 400 dollars. My 900 dollar ring was 1530 after sizing. Ugh.

Apparently gold is so expensive and my hobbit fingers are so wide, that it costs hundreds extra to put a ring on it.

We have finally decided on a date, and I am so so excited, but that won't be announced until we are "officially" engaged-which won't happen until we can afford a ring.

We both are ready to get married, but again, it's all about budget constraints. Since we are "out on our own," I don't think it's traditional for parents to help with wedding costs. So that makes things even harder, but I'm trying the best I can.

Every time we get extra money, it seems like it immediately disappears.

I got our auto insurance lowered by a hundred dollars, and then Colton got a ticket 5 hours later.

I cried. I literally couldn't look at him for hours after that.

That was 2 years of a perfect record down the drain for going 5 miles over. I was so furious with him-especially since right before he left I said "DO NOT SPEED, it is the end of the month and cops are out!" We were one month away from having our policy drop another $500.00

Its a full time job making our budget stretch.

I know I could work, and I have applied in several places, but I would worry about how much attention Tai was getting. I would never leave him in daycare. I just can't sacrifice my babies upbringing to have more "things."

Obviously I get frustrated. But I love him dearly and I know he does the best he can. Even if I just want to shake him.

They are so alike...haha.