Finally...an update....

I don't know...I guess I have some stuff to say. We've been back in Angola for almost two weeks now. Beni has *just* started to settle into some kind of a routine- but is still changing something up every day. I'm ok with that- I don't expect her to stick to a real schedule. Ask Joel, goodness knows I can barely stick to one myself (specifically, ask him what time we eat dinner. Ha ha ha...ranges anywhere from 7-9!). Anyway...so, yeah, I'm not expecting her to keep a schedule.

Of course, the difficulty arises in that when she doesn't keep a schedule, it is very hard for me to get things done. I had big ideas about setting a schedule for myself (which Joel fully supported!) about housework and exercise and cooking. So far, in these two weeks, I have come no where close to it! I haven't exercised once- although that is also because my chosen way to exercise (with the Wii) was taken away from me, when the power cord for it got fried the instant we plugged it in. We're waiting on a new one. Housework I have done here and there when I can. We bought a vacuum, and I do that every day. I have to. Can I just add in right here and say that if I ever get to CHOOSE, I will NEVER have white tile floors!!! NEVER! You can't even drip a drop of water on the floor while cleaning your vegetables for dinner without your floor turning into a dirty mess. It sucks. So, needless to say, I have mopped about every other day as well. Sigh. Stupid white floors.

Diapers have to get washed, and they do, and I keep up on other laundry too. For some reason, laundry seems very easy to me- I don't get why people don't have time for laundry and are always behind. It takes two seconds to put in a load, or put it in the dryer. Ok the folding takes longer, but, even I, with the baby, can get it done somehow. Anyway...

You all (who is you all? Does anyone even look here anymore since I so rarely post?) don't want to hear about me- you want to hear about the beautiful baby we're rearing!

Well, I'll tell you-

-she is such a drooler. She is definitely pre-teething. I'm super hoping we don't actually see any teeth for months and months, but, she's got all the signs of *something* going on under the surface- excessive drool, crankiness, rubbing on her ear, etc, etc. Oh, hello, of course, how could I forget, she also is constantly chewing/gumming on her hands if not whatever else she can get her hands on. She has hit the stage where if it gets into her hands, it goes straight into her mouth. She is such a BABY now! (As opposed to before when she was just a lump that I birthed, you know?)

-She recognizes her dad (of course) and always has a HUGE smile for him when he comes home from work for lunch or after work. It's very cute.

-She is so loud now! She is always talking. The noises she makes are quite funny sometimes- lots of guttural, groaning kind of stuff, lots of squealing and cooing and she often blows raspberries into thin air. That is always funny. :)

-She likes to get down on the floor now- I hardly even think of it as "tummy time" anymore. Tummy time implies that we are training her to spend time on her tummy. These days, she enjoys it, and does it willingly. I don't know how she does it, but she manages to scoot around a little when she is on the floor. You don't see it happen, but then all of a sudden, she's facing the opposite way of where she was before, or is a foot closer to the edge of the carpet. It can kind of freak me out!

-She is still just such an amazing little being. I love being her mom. I absolutely adore parenting her. I still am the happiest breast-feeding, cloth-diapering, baby-wearing, co-sleeping mamma out there. Well, one of em anyway. :) When we go to school sometimes- to visit Joel at the end of the day, anyone who sees me and thinks to talk to me, ends up commenting at some point, "Goodness, you really are happy to be a mom aren't you?" Apparently, it just shines through. People ask me if I miss work, or if I'm keeping busy at home and enjoying my time at home, and generally, they end up just answering their own question by saying something like, "Why am I even asking...look at you!" I am very happy- I love being a mom, I love that it's how I spend my days. I can't imagine leaving Beni to be taken care of by someone else...I never dreamed I would be able to afford to me a stay at home mom- but now that I am here, I can't imagine being anywhere else. I just keep thinking, "if it's a job someone has to do- why not me?" I'm pretty sure I'm the best person for it. :)

So anyway.... that's us. Joel is back at work, and I believe he's doing well. I know that in the last few days, he's gotten to sub in a few PE classes and that he has really enjoyed doing that. I really hope for him that he can get a PE position wherever we teach next!

Can you believe that Beni will be 4 months old in less than a week?? Time flies when you're having fun!!!














By the way...I have no idea what is going on with the formatting here. Pictures here, there and everywhere! Whatever! Deal!