Currently (8-6-12)

Currently I am...

Listening to the sound of NPR playing on Gus's radio upstairs. We had been using his iPod but he kept playing with it and sleeping with it (so odd). So while we figure out what's going on with the iPod, Steve set up the radio so Gus has something to listen to before drifting off into dreamland. He's been lulled to sleep by NPR for the last two nights. Yeah Gus, NPR puts me to sleep too.  :-)


Daydreaming  about our trip north at the end of the month. We won't know for sure when we're going until my brother knows for sure when he'll be in MI, but it'll either be the week before Labor Day, or the week after Labor Day. We'll see. Anyway, I'm eager to get back north and see my family and friends. And hopefully it'll be cooler up there than it has been down here.


Wanting a crystal ball so I can see the future and know how things are going to pan-out. There's a lot going on around the Walker household and amongst the buzzing is a lot of anxiety and a bit of stress. I'm wanting to know that it'll all be okay.


Looking forward to Chuck E. Cheese tomorrow with my MOMS Club. We're going at 9:30 (when they open) and it should be pretty empty at that time. Gus has never been, and it'll be my first time taking my child there (I took some of my 3rd graders when I taught 3rd). I always wanted to go when I was a kid and we never went. I'm glad to take Gus and let him play and have fun... where "a kid can be a kid."  :-)

Writing not as frequently on my blog. Not sure why-- just too busy I suppose. I am behind on things and should get back focused. I'm being sucked into SongPop... have you played it yet? It's an app and game through FB and it's totally awesome and VERY addictive!!!

Currently... (7-26-12)

Currently I am...

Enjoying the new show Beverly Hills Nannies. It's fascinating. I can't believe that people hire someone to raise their kids... and they're HOME while the nanny is there. I seriously don't understand why some people have children if they're not going to raise them!

Indulging in too much. I need to get back on track with keeping track of what I'm consuming. Lose It helped me lose ten pounds... and I need to start using it again.

Learning about how hot Atlanta is in the summer. No wonder it's called "Hotlanta." Seriously... our first summer here is proving to be a scorcher and it doesn't look like August will be any cooler- if anything, it'll be even hotter!

Inspired by others. I am not going to go into details on here, but I am inspired by the actions and considerations of others.

Becoming a better cook each day. I feel like the feedback given by Steve only helps me want to cook more. My ex-husband used to bitch and complain about my cooking and made me feel pretty worthless in the kitchen. Steve compliments my cooking and has said so many times that he never knew I was such a great cook. It makes me want to keep up the effort and keep finding creative meals that'll make him happy.

He takes left-overs to work for lunch and I love it when he tells me that his co-workers were complimenting his lunch. He said it always smells good and looks good and they ask where he got his lunch and he's proud to tell them that I made it for dinner the night before.

Currently (7-19-12)...

Currently I am...

Cooking more and eating out less. I just made the MOST delicious chicken last night. It's so easy and it's four ingredients: chicken breasts (thawed), brown sugar, maple flavored bacon, and garlic. You use PAM and spray a casserole dish, then you put the chicken in the dish and put one piece of raw bacon (maple is the best flavor to buy) on each piece of chicken. In a small pan, sautee 2 cloves of minced garlic and add 3 TBS of brown sugar. It'll kinda melt and carmalize. Then you pour the mixture over the chicken (there won't be a lot). Then sprinkle brown sugar over the rest of the chicken and put in the over at 500 (yes-- very high temp) and bake for 25 minutes. You can thank me after you make it.  ;-)

Making folders of pictures of Gus. I'm going through EVERY. SINGLE. PICTURE. Then I'm adding them to "Favorite Pictures of Gus" "Gus and Us" "Gus and Grandparents" and "Gus and Birth Family" folders. It'll hopefully make it easier for me to locate the right pictures for various projects.

Working on  MOMS Club® stuff like crazy. There's a lot to go through and read and familiarize myself with, so that's what I'm doing. It's not a job, but sometimes it feels like one!!!

 

Reading nothing. I pre-ordered Emily Giffin's new book and I do believe it comes out tomorrow!! I'll be reading that this weekend!!

Listening to Songza (www.songza.com) still. I love it- what can I say??

Currently (7-12-12)

Currently I am...

Missing my family. I know I just saw my parents for a week, but it only made me miss them more. And don't even get me started on my brothers and their families. I'm eagerly awaiting our next trip north when I'll get to spend time with all of them together! It's going to be phenomenal!!

Dreaming of baby Walker #2. There are some days when it doesn't seem like it's ever going to happen, and then there are so many MORE times that I realize how perfect it is right now with just us and Gus. The dynamics change so much when you have a second (and third and fourth) child. Am I crazy to be a bit sad to think of how it'll change things? I absolutely love Gus and can't fathom having to divide my love and attention between him and a sibling. Yet, on the other hand, I am starting to get itchy for another baby. Gus is going to be such a great big brother and I'm eager to start the process because who knows how long it'll take before we are matched and able to become parents again. It could be really quick (like with Gus), or could take years. With adoption, you just never know.

Loving that we FINALLY got an offer on our house in NC!! It's lower than we had hoped, but we've accepted and signed the paperwork tonight. I'm so thankful to be done with the selling of this house. I hope we don't have to sell another house EVER. It's been the longest, hardest seven months. It'll be nice to NOT have two mortgage payments, to pay back some personal loans, and to finally start building up our savings again!!

Laughing at how funny Gus is. He's such a turkey and has such a fantastic personality. I truly enjoy him and think he's so hilarious. Today, he decided that he wanted popcorn for his snack. So, he went to the pantry and asked me to open it, then he pulled out a bag of popcorn and handed it to me to open. I said, "You want popcorn for your snack?" He replied, "Co" (his way of saying popcorn I guess). I opened the package and lifted him up to open the microwave (his favorite part) and then let him press the POPCORN button. Then I put him down and he ran to the cabinet where Steve keeps his popcorn bowl. Gus waited for me to open the lock, then he grabbed his daddy's popcorn bowl, and then closed the door and tried to put the lock back on it. It was so funny!

Wishing that God grant me patience with everything. I tend to get crazy focused on things until they happen. It drives Steve crazy. I ask for patience with starting the adoption process again. I ask for patience with planning our November trip to Disney, and I ask for patience when it comes to my weight-loss and exercise routine.

Currently (7-9-12)

Currently I am...

Inspired by my son. Every day he is making more and more strides with his language. We were concerned about his language because he doesn't say  a lot that's really understandable. He DOES talk, but it's not always anything that we understand. For a while, he wasn't repeating words either, but that's all changed. He's doing REALLY WELL and I'm so proud of him.

Devouring Sudafed after Sudafed. I have a summer cold and it stinks. I'm pretty sure my parents brought it down with them and passed it on to me while they were here. They said it's only a two or three day cold and by the third day they felt over it (I'm on day two). I hope they're right.

Thankful for an incredible week-long visit with my parents. Not only was it so great to see them and spend quality time with them, but Gus is finally at a stage where he recognizes them and was very affectionate with them. He was all about crawling up on their laps, eating breakfast with them, and snuggling with them before bed. It was so sweet to see them with him, and I am thankful that we've reached this time in his life.

Watching Parenthood season 1 on Netflix. I just started watching this past season (season 3) and I instantly fell in love with the whole Braverman clan. Now I can't get enough of them and Netflix is helping with my addiction. Do you watch Parenthood?? If not, why not??? It's such a GREAT show!!

Starting to feel healthier (though this past week was not a good week at all). I've been running and logging everything that I consume. It's been hard, but definitely a life-long change. I've lost ten pounds so far and I'm able to run for five minutes at a time (versus the thirty seconds that I was doing when I started back in April). I'm going on three months of changing my ways, and I've realized that my #1 enemy is sugar. I need to reduce the amount of sugar that I consume, and my BIGGEST problem is pop (soda). I seriously have a problem and while I've done great by trying to reduce it to one pop a day, it's still too much. I am vowing to not buy any more pop (Steve, please hold me to this).

Currently (6-21-12)

Currently I am...

Making plans to run my first 5k. Since The Color Run (Charlotte) is happening while we'll be in Disney, I am looking for something else. I'm still waking up at 5:30 twice a week and running and I'm getting to where I miss running after a few days off. My endurance is building and I am so proud of myself for staying motivated and keeping up my running. I've come too far to stop now.

Listening to "Today's Pop Hits" on Songza. I absolutely love this website/app. I have it on my iPhone, iPad and computer. Basically it's a free website (and app) that lets you find music based on the day of the week, time of day, and mood. Here's how the website describes what it is: Songza is a music startup based in New York City. Our team is composed of music experts, software engineers, and absurdly talented dancers. Our goal in life is to play you the right music at the right time.

Craving Longhorn Steakhouse's Flo's Filet, loaded baked potato and strawberry pecan signature starter salad. YUMMMMM and it's been so long. So. Delicious.

Writing four blogs. I have started blogging daily again, but on Gus's Blog. I've been posting a picture from that day from 2010, 2011 and 2012. It's amazing to see how he's grown from being a month old, 13 months old, and now 25 months. I also blog at least twice a week on my running blog "I'm Not A Runner (Yet)!" Then there's our adoption blog, and I haven't posted on there much, but when I think about baby #2, I usually go on and write something. Lastly, I'm trying to write more on my Cat's Litterbox (the one you're reading). I was doing a post a day and then I fell behind while on vacation. Now I am trying to get back on more often.

Laughing at episodes of My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding on TLC. This show is unreal to me.These girls are like 14 and 15 and 16 and looking to get married. They drop out of high school so they can stay home to cook and clean their mobile homes and become housewives. It's insanity and like watching a train wreck... it's horrible but you can't take your eyes off it. Steve and I laugh and laugh when we watch because the dresses, the people, and the way they talk... hilarious.