Delilah's first trip to the zoo!

I love it when Ben has the day off of work.  I love it when we can all just spend time together as a family!

Today, I had the urge to go to the zoo.  We've lived here for 4 years, and have never been.  

At first, Lilah was asleep.  I thought she was going to miss the whole adventure!

But then she woke up!

My sweet happy girl!  (Don't worry, she was wearing sunscreen!)

Enjoying the view!

These guys walked right up to the fence to see us!

All in all, a very fun day.

In other news, I made some nursery letters for a friend back home.  She got them for her sister in law.

I've been using my ring sling more too.  It's so much easier than lugging around her carseat every time I have to go in somewhere.  Just plop her in the sling, and off we go!

Shopping with Daddy, getting stuff to make chili!

Excited.

Things I'm excited about:

1. New friends! 

2. Baby party (thinking about starting cloth diapers!)

3. Going back to MO for an extended period.

4. Crafting with my mom.

5. Hanging out poolside with friends.

6. Hunger Games tomorrow with Mira!

Hanging out with Delilah tonight.  Nothing exciting happening in Clovis (nothing I want to be a part of, anyway!). I think we'll watch a movie.  Breaking Dawn?  I do love that movie.

Bullying

Bullying is in the spotlight lately.  Ellen. Lady Gaga. etc.

Bullying has been around forever, but lately, there's been a trend of kids taking their lives over it. 

Here's the solution:

1. Stop treating kids like they are made out of egg shells.  Kids are resilient.  They can handle things.  We need to quit making excuses and dish out some responsibilities.  Stop giving kids rewards without also making sure that they've deserved it.  There has to be a balance of rewards and consequences.  If you let a kid go through life thinking that they can do no wrong, you're doing that child a great disservice.  

2. You're not going to stop people from bullying.  Some people are just MEAN.  They don't feel bad for what they're doing, and more often than not, you're not going to change their minds.  They grow up to be mean adults (military wives?).  90% of the time, their parents were bullies too.  Mean behavior is LEARNED.  Instead of trying to get these kids to stop bullying, we need to empower the bullied so that they can cope with  these awful people.  If they don't learn how to cope as kids, they're going to flounder as adults.  I'm 26 and have worked with bullies.  Like I said, you can't often get them to stop.

Getting some distance.

I'm getting some distance. 

First of all, I am distancing myself from the small group of people I have mostly associated with since living here. Nothing bad against any of them, but it's time for me to branch out and broaden my friendships with others.  I'm making friends from my breastfeeding group, doggie playdates, and neighbors.  I'm enjoying the new company and enjoying getting out of the very small circle I was in before.  I think I'm going to be happier. 

I had a great night with my friend Mira last Friday.  We ordered sushi, baked oreo peanut butter brownie bites, and watched Hugo (good movie, btw).  We also went for a 2 mile walk with the puppers and Delilah.  We're going to see The Hunger Games this weekend.  I'm pretty stoked.  I loved those books.

Another way I'm getting some distance is by going to Missouri for a month at the end of May.  Ben has a small TDY that he's going on, so instead of being stuck here in Clovis, I'm going to go back home to see family.  I'm really excited to see my friends and family.  I think it will really rejuvenate me and make coming back to Clovis (for however long) more bearable.  

I made curtains for Delilah's room!

For her big window

Up close detail!

And now, a rant.

Ok, so everyone has been getting all up in arms about Chick-fil-a...because of their ties with organizations that do not accept same sex marriages.
They've been harassed and made fun of.

My thoughts:
Don't the people that run Chick-fil-a have a right to have an opinion?  Why is it that they are being put under fire for simply disagreeing with what some are saying?  Isn't that kind of hypocritical?

Curtains

I made curtains for my living room yesterday!

Before...ugly blinds.

Washed the fabric I bought.

Pin down the hem.

Iron down the new sew hem.

Attach the curtain rod clips.

Have your tall husband help you hang them up.

AFTER-lovely handmade new sew curtains!

Now to tackle the bedroom!

My first big order!

Yesterday, I got to deliver my first BIG order!  I made 6 shirts for My Smart Hands.  It feels good to be crafting and doing things for other people!  I'm working on a birth announcement for someone else.  I have an order for nursery letters too!

I also got a big box of fresh produce from http://www.bountifulbaskets.org

potatoes, romaine, tomatoes, oranges, pears, kiwis, zucchini, cabbage, pineapple, and broccoli!

 Today is St. Patrick's Day.  Ben refuses to wear green, so I've been pinching him all day long.  He claims that he won't participate because he's not Irish.  Uhhhhh, who cares?  That's not the point...it's a holiday, and you wear green!

Obviously, Delilah and I wear green.  We look goooooooooooooooooooood in green.

Don't let that yawn fool you, she's not sleepy.

Ben and Lilah had a fun hang out time while I was shoe shopping.

Going to a Japanese restaurant tonight (my treat) for 2 friends' birthdays!  I love that place, Ben doesn't really.  I wanted to go there for my birthday, but I didn't get to go.  I'm happy to go now!

more more more

On Friday, I make my first BIG order.  The lady who runs a sign language class here in Clovis has ordered some shirts from me.  6 shirts!
I'm pretty stoked about that.

I'm trying to find a decent deal on flying back to MO for a week in May.  I need a break from Clovis.  Ben is going to Dallas for 2 days and I definitely don't want to be stuck here by myself.

Weather has been really nice here for the past 3 days.  Very unusual for Clovis, NM.  Yesterday and today we've gotten to go out and take nice long walks. Me, Lilah, and the pups.  We even went on 2 today!  Ben came with us and rucked (had his military backpack on with weights in it).  Saw people we knew and just enjoyed each other's company.

Funny story about our across the street neighbors.
The wife is really weird.  When I was working, I'd see her every morning in pjs...and she'd be saying goodbye to her husband.  That's not weird.  What's weird is she would hug him for several minutes.  Seriously.  Once, I sat in my car letting the windows de-ice, and she hugged him for 6 straight minutes.  In the afternoons, I'd see her out pacing the sidewalk in front of their house waiting for him to get home.  I just saw her standing in her garage and said hi and waved to her.  She looked at me and then looked away!  I came inside and took Lilah to her crib (she fell asleep during the walk)...and looked out Lilah's window and saw that the lady's husband had come home.  The lady was standing THISCLOSE to the driver's side door waiting for him to get out of the car.
WEIRD.

Here's Lilah on the last stretch:

Yeah, her shirt says, "Eat Brains"

That's all for now.  I'm going to go cruise the internet while I have a baby break!

Holy crow.

Things I want:
1. A trip home to KCMO
2. New living room furniture
3. Orders to: Omaha, Dover, or Maguire.
4. MAC makeup
5. To lose the pesky 5lbs and get back to my normal pre-baby weight
6. To be able to find some new cute clothes.

That's all I can think of right now.  That's not too much to ask, now is it?!

Lately:

Ok, Delilah...I think you're getting enough milk!

This is the first article of clothing I bought for her...at The Beatles LOVE show in Vegas!

Taking a nursing break in a parking lot...picture time!

I made that bow!

Out on a walk with the puppers today.  It was finally not windy!

Yesterday (3-11-12) Delilah turned 3 months.

Life is grand.  I'm trying to find a way to get to MO in May...so far, every place wants to charge an arm and a leg.

Heroes, baking, sewing, baby, life.

I'm exhausted today.  Could be the change in the weather today, gloomy and rainy (I love it though).  Could be because Delilah started kicking me at like 6am this morning.  (We need a king size bed)
Oh well, it's not like I have to go to work...I can rest when she rests...which is right now.
Yup, Lilah is sleeping in her crib.  Napping like a good little baby.  I'm not ready to have her move out of our bed yet (it's so easy to just pop a boob out and feed her while we both fall back asleep.  I love to sleep.), but if she naps in it and gets used to it, it might make the transition easier once we are ready.

I have more orders for some toddler shirts!  There is a lady in town who teaches parents how to do baby sign language.  She messaged me recently and asked me to make some shirts for her.  Pretty awesome!

I recently noticed that someone I know around here had been acting very standoffish towards me.  I finally wrote her a message and asked her what was going on.  

Here's our conversation:

Me: Hey, I was just writing to see if I had done something to upset you. The past few times I've seen you, it seems like there's some kind of animosity, and I just want to clear the air. If I've done something to hurt you, I want to know.

Danielle

Her:WIthout trying to sound like a cold-hearted b*tch, I noticed that there was a lack of equality in the friendship. When that happens, I generally accept the cards dealt and move on with my life instead of wasting energy pursuing people who have shown me where my place is in their life.

Now, I have no idea why she feels this way, and here's why:

1. I came over to her house and helped set up and cook for her surprise baby shower/birthday party.

2. When she left to have her baby, she stayed away for like a month, and then her parents were there helping with the baby.  I asked her when I'd be able to come over and see the baby, and she never replied. 

I honestly can't think of how I've made there be a "lack of equality".  

I think that someone that she hangs out with has told her some lie about me.  This wouldn't be the first time something like this happened to me.  

I am a happy person, and people around here aren't happy.  They want to bring people down.  It's happened to me several times.  I can't stop it, because I can't stop people from being jealous or hateful.  

It is what it is. 

My life lately:

*Delilah

*baby book

*ANTM

*sewing

*cooking in my crockpot