Helloo There!

I know! It has been a while, and I am terribly sorry. I know you’ve all missed me.

This month has been full of catching up on bills that we let slip around the holidays, adapting to new work schedules, a week of training to add aesthetics to my service tool belt, the unfortunate loss of Andrew’s incredible great grandmother, our home inspection to begin the foster care process and a tiniest Tomer who never likes to be put down!

Andrew was recently chosen for the Narcotics Unit for a six month assignment and put on first shift. I am loving having him home at night and he is loving not having to shave his face!! His days off are still rotating but we are able to have a little bit of life again and dinner is being eaten at out table, not on the couch. As amazing as this promotion is, it has come with its own set of challenges already. Politics always play a huge role in how police departments are run. Some tactics are warranted to keep things running as smooth as possible and others, well, should never be allowed to be said out loud let alone followed through. We are lucky to have the friends, who have become family, that we do within the department and out. Strong friendships are crucial and make this lifestyle much easier.

I am incredibly excited to share that I am now certified in Yonka Paris aesthetics and will soon be taking clients for facial services! I was away on retreat in New Jersey for a week, taking notes, smelling products, practicing hands on techniques and being pampered myself. I met some incredible women- we shared stories, tips, sushi and cocktails. I was lucky that my mom joined me for part of the week with the boys so I wasn’t away from them too long! We swam in the pool, Landon rode his Dusty helicopter down the elevator and all throughout the lobby (in his pjs) almost every morning and did a lot of bed jumping. Since I’ve had the boys, I have cut back my hours tremendously. In doing so, I have limited my opportunities to grow. Since I have always dreamed of expanding my talents and tapping into the aesthetics department of my cosmetology license, what better time than the present?!

On a sadder note, with extremely heavy hearts we said goodbye to Andrew’s Nana Bea last week. Beatrice was 97 years young and as sassy as could be! She loved lobster rolls and dessert. She hid candy in the freezer….. and hide it there for years… then would fill a ziplock bag for you to take home. I would take it. Even though I’d throw it away, i’d always take it. She’d smile her silly little smile and shuffle across the floor to her chair. Her giggle was my favorite thing about her. She adored her Andrew, her eyes lit up EVERY time she saw him and she always asked for him to be in uniform. When we’d leave visiting her, she say “come back soon” and would stand at her door until we pulled away, out of sight. She loved a good soup and making fudge. She loved to watch my grandmother make it because she “did it so fast” but I think eating it was her favorite!! Her hair was white as snow and she could rock a cardigan better than me! We may not be able to see her or touch her any more but she will be in our hearts forever!

 

The Tomer’s are adding to this amazing life, and we have begun the foster care process. Last week, we had our home inspection and passed with flying colors! We begin our 12 weeks of classes on Wednesday and are anxious to begin! The process is incredibly long and invasive but if we can help out one child (or more!), it is worth it! Classes are 3 months, weekly- sometimes twice a week- 3.5 hours, PACKED FULL of foster/adoption laws and guidelines. I will be posting more on this incredible adventure as it takes place and cannot wait to share it with you!

AS for my Mr. Owen, nope, he’s still not sleeping!  Some days are better than others but the pounding headache I woke up with this morning reminded me all day that last night was a doozy! Teeth are popping in on top and  bottom and he’s discovered how to grind them. EEK! That sound is worse than nails on a chalkboard! It literally makes me cringe and want to pick my eyeballs out with my toes. How do you even make an 8 month old stop? I just stick my finger in this mouth and hope he doesn’t bite it off.

Our pediatrician says the not sleeping it is fine and every babe is different but I say, isn’t a child 4 months shy of a year old supposed to be sleeping through the night?!?!? If not for himself but for the sanity of his parents? The kid eats like he’s 3 and is ready to walk any time now.  Crying it out does not work for him. There is no out. He just cries until he can’t breath. It’s all a very discouraging phase for a parent. I do know that this stage doesn’t last forever and I will someday long for the nights where the boys needed me to fall asleep. So for now, i’ll wake up to teeth, drool and runny poop while it lasts. (you’ll just have to read me complaining about it, over and over) This mama is very tired but overflowing with love and happy to comfort those baby blues as long as he’ll let me.

This post took me a week to write and was way over due! Thank you all for hanging in there while I let my crazy life come first this past month. Your subscriptions mean the world to me and I hope you share my page with your friends!

Keep Smiling! Xx