Intentional

I'll get back to my title in a minute...but I want to start by just saying a nice slow ahhh! Ella is tucked in her bed and eliza is nuzzled beside me in her bouncy chair and they are both asleep! One more time....ahhh!

I figured I'd take this minute to catch up on my blog reading and posting...which I do find somewhat relaxing and therapeutic. I have a lot to catch up on. Ella celebrated her 2nd birthday last Thursday and I am sad that I didn't get her a b-day post up yet. We had a really fun family day and I have some cute pics to post soon...hopefully later this week. She is two and acting every bit of it. I think the newness of her little sister is wearing off and she is realizing she is staying. She is still wanting to love on her little sis but I sense a little aggression in her love pats. Whew...we are having to watch her like a hawk. She loves to pinch eliza's little nose! I do agree that it is so cute that it would make you just want to give it a little pinch..but big sis doesn't know a lot about personal space yet. Especially when she says, "Oh, Titus I snuggle you!" and throws her whole head of luscious red hair covering eliza's face! If you're confused about why she is calling her Titus you can read the previous posts...and no it is still not getting better! We may just have two little Titus' in our family!

Eliza is the sweetest little thing. I love her more and more each day! She is really sleeping well. Last night she slept from 11:30 until 3:00 and then from 3:45-6:30. That was probably our best stretch so far. Thankfully she is going back to sleep easily after eating. She def. has a fussy time from around 8pm until bedtime...lots of crying! We are still trying to figure out her hair color. I am thinking she is going to be a Blondie like her daddy! At times I see hints of some red and there is def. some brown in the back too. It does appear to be getting lighter on the top! Oh and at her 2 week check-up she was up to 6lbs 10 oz. which was almost gaining 1lb in about a week. Woo Hoo!

Okay, now to my title. I told Kevin yesterday that Intentional is my word for the week. I am really trying hard to be intentional in the things I do.

I really need to be Intentional in what I eat this week. When you are tired and sleep deprived it is so easy to make unhealthy food choices that leave you feeling worse and not better. (ex. my peanut butter shake I got from sonic on Friday night because I felt stressed and tired...oh and I finished ella's too! Yeah..that is the way to lose those pregnancy pounds!) I really need to lose some more poundage before it cools off so I will have some jeans to fit. I also want to be intentional in working out. This is not something that comes easy for me and not generally a normal part of my day. I bought the workout video called The Shred. It is so easy to just not do it. I have to be focused and make the effort in my day so that I will get it done.

I also have neglected spending a personal quiet time with the Lord for many weeks now. Nothing will show you your need for the Lord faster than dealing with a 2 year old and a newborn while feeling like a hormonal mess! I cannot be the mommy and wife I need to be without being intentional in spending time with the Lord. I need time with Jesus to balance me, slow me down, help me to see what is really important in my life. I bought a new quiet time book for busy moms and so far it is really good. It is not an in depth study but just what I need at this season of my life.

A few other areas of where I have found I need to be intentionally focused is in getting mine and ella's showers at night. I know you are saying, Huh?? But I have found that if I will do this it helps me so much the next day. It makes getting out of the house seem like it might happen before two and I might actually get a chance to straighten my hair. I never feel like doing this but it makes my next day so much easier! I am also trying to get our clothes out the night before! It takes me only a minute or two but really helps to not be chasing ella from room to room as she is pulling out everything while I gather our clothes. These are just little things that I need to do in order to be the best me.

So that is where I am at and what I trying to do this week. I'll let you know how it goes.