crawlll.

Jude crawled two days ago for the first time! Emily and three of her sweet kiddies came to visit us before we left... they must have been just the motivation he needed to get moving! It's not a complete coordinated-hands-and-knees crawl yet, it's a little scoot-pull-crawl... and we love it. He can find Rocky Molasses and Mama all by himself!

We got back home to South Carolina yesterday and it feels so good to be home! It may have bare walls, unpacked boxes, sweltering heat until we got the air conditioner fixed yesterday, and no food or ice, but it's home. To my little family. We got the air conditioner fixed, a little food in our fridge, and a weed wacker and life is well again.

We got to the Las Vegas airport with plenty of time yesterday morning... or so we thought. Southwest's computers were down so they were having to do everything by hand. The line for the curbside check-in was literally a block long. It was insane. I dutifully went to the back of the line trying to figure out a way to get past this so we wouldn't miss our flight. It was SURE that we would, and so would everyone else! Two minutes later, my dad comes back and tells me to come with him. He had slipped the worker a little green and poof! there we were at the front of the line. You do what you have to do. It's true. Sometimes you have to make life fair or it won't be! Off we went for a long flight, stop in Houston, and a shorter nap-filled flight to GSP (Greenville/Spartanburg). Our sweet home teacher picked us up (the same one who was mowing our lawn when we first got into town). The airline lost one of our bags but thanks to a couple prayers they dropped it off at our house today, yay! We are busy bees weed wacking, unpacking, decorating, playing (Jude), getting drivers licenses, cleaning, etc. Some new friends invited us over to watch the Olympics tonight and I'm off to make my hubby some taco salad! He's dutifully mowing the lawn right now while I'm sitting on the deck with Jude.

:)

over the river &through the woods...

We spent a lovely weekend with Grandpa and Grandma Hickman in St. George. We watched the space station fly by, star/planet gazed, swam, hot tubbed, ate delicious meals, visited with Aunt Barb and Uncle Jerry, played with our little Jude, and talked and talked. Oh, and Jude and I took our fair share of naps.

june oh june.

Lots of fun was had in June. Between working, we visited Grandpa and Grandma Hickman, the Childs family stayed for the weekend, Jon and Gina and the sweet clan came to visit, and we celebrated the twenty-sixth birthday of my dear man!

Still loves to spend lots of time outside. He watches everything around him like a hawk!

Cuties.

Anddd... cuties.

We could only snag Sydney while en motion.

We had a Spanish night and went out for tacos then hit up Cardenas, the Mexican grocery store. It was so much fun! It was basically like a mini-vacation to Mexico/museum of funky meat. Best part was, we picked up some al pastor meat, freshly made tortillas, pineapples, and onions and there we have it....

the greatest tacos in the world. 

They were to die for. We ate them every night for days. We are bummed there is no Cardenas in Boiling Springs!

We celebrated Dan's birthday for several nights since I was working. The above dinner was part of his birthday, and the little celebration below!

The beautiful RR came to visit and we had the best talk. I love her and am so proud of her!

"smart, independent, and cute"

On my way to my last night of work! Pumping bag in hand. And hello, do you see that baby?!

I did it. 

I did it!

I am all done with my travel nursing assignment and I am so proud of myself! I definitely conquered a big one. I learned so much about myself and what I can do. I gained a lot of confidence just throwing myself into it after never having floated to another unit in my life and coming from a tiny hospital in Alabama. I worked at St. Rose DeLima ER holds and med surg, St Rose Siena ER holds (BIGGEST NIGHTMARE EVER), Sunrise RAU (Rapid Admission Unit), ER, the Med Surg Respiratory unit (worst night ever), Med surg renal unit, and rehab. 

I was at Mountainview on my last night and I got sent to be a tasker in the PCU. I got there and when the extremely flamboyant and vial charge nurse found out it was my first night there he said "You're useless then. Go home." I told him I was not useless, I could do it, and I was staying. An hour later when I finished my admission he realized he was wrong about me and told me I was "smart, independent, and cute." I felt good about that. :) I had some of the hardest nights I have ever had in my life but it was so worth it. I wanted to quit before I even started because it was such a nightmare getting compliant for about fifteen hospitals across Las Vegas. I wanted to quit so bad and really didn't think I could do it once I got started, but I did it! It was so worth it and I am thankful I could save up some money while we were down here. My parents were right, I can do anything I put my mind to.

You're looking at the face of the newest stay-at-home mama. GO GIRL.

RICE&OATMEAL!

What a wonderful welcome into the world of food! Single grain rice and oatmeal. Mixed with that hearty breast milk of course. Jude was strictly breastfed for his first six months and at six months and a few days he started rice cereal. He ate that once a day for a few days, then twice a day for a week. Then, oatmeal twice a day for a week. Then, oatmeal and rice cereal mixed together for a week!

 It was important to me to wait until six months to feed him solids, unless he was showing signs of unsatisfaction of course. Yes, he eats every couple hours around the clock but I do not mind. He is a growing boy and breast milk digests so fast he gets hungry more frequently but he has been satisfied with the frequent feedings. Research has shown it is beneficial to wait to feed your baby solids. Their stomachs are more developed and it can be hard on their little tummies to introduce food too soon. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding as the sole source of nutrition for your baby for about six months. I am glad, and proud, that we stuck it out after a rough start! By six months, he was ready and excited for that cereal! It was a sticky mess at first and he wasn't quite sure what the spoon was all about, but he is getting the hang of it and opens that mouth up wide!

Come on dad, I can feed myself!

Finger-lickin good.