Could this be our answer?

This entire time Mike has been unable to find a job I have been scratching my head trying to figure out WHY??? What on earth could possibly be the purpose?

The "plan" (haha) was for him to get the bailiff job and be able to finish his degree part time. He applied for financial aid for Spring/Summer of 2010 because we knew it'd be difficult starting a new job, going to school AND have a newborn baby at home.

He has 4 classes until he gets his A.S. degree. Once he gets that degree he can apply for the bachelor's program through the community college. We planned on him applying next September for that program and he could take 2 classes in the spring and 2 in the summer.

He looked at his award summery yesterday and for some reason they awarded him his grants for Fall/Spring and his loans for Spring/Summer. We specifically filled out the FAFSA stating he'd be going Spring/Summer. The grants are a "use it or lose it" kind of thing so we would lose nearly $3500 in grants if he didn't register for classes this semester.

Turns out, 3 of the 4 classes were wide open, all with great professors (gotta love ratemyprofessor.com!). He was able to pull some strings with the head of the Criminal Justice Department at FCCJ and get approved for the 4th closed class.

So now he can apply for the bachelor's program two full semesters early and he'll have his A.S. by the end of December. We'll have a little money left over from his grants this semester and more than enough next semester and summer to make ends meet.

Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe he just needs to get school finished (he is 31) and with the bachelors he'll have a much better chance of getting a job as an officer.

8 more days

I know it's a day late on the picture...but I'm convinced that the only person who really cares about seeing my enormous tummy is my mom...and she's not even home...



If it looks like I'm tired...it's because I am. And yes...those are my sweats - and me with no makeup. Don't judge me. I have eight more days left!

You'll get a picture on Sunday...

I'm 37 weeks and 4 days along...only 12 more uncomfortable nights! Then we'll be on to a countless number of sleepless nights - but at least I'll be able to be on my stomach!

I've heard of this thing some call a "nesting instinct" where you realize all that needs to be done before the baby gets here and suddenly get a burst of energy and drive to get it done...yeah - I didn't get that. I didn't get it with Hayden either. Thank goodness my husband is home all day (silver lining to the unemployment, eh?) and he can help me get things done.

So...I made a HUGE list of things that need accomplished and set him to work! I'll join him as soon as I'm done blogging about it :)

And thanks to some friends and family - we will be able to do it HAYDEN FREE!!!

My next appointment is next Thursday and then my c-section is scheduled for August 4th. At 7:30am. Meaning I have to be there at 5:30am. I'm pretty sure someone is trying to kill me. But the plus to all of this is I get to get up, shower, do my hair and makeup, wander into the hospital, lie down on a table and be eating lunch by noon. I'd much rather NOT have a c-section, but this will be much better than last time, which included 14 hours of labor.

36 Weeks, 2 Days - and "No Poo"

I look miserable in this picture...because - I'm miserable! It's hot, I'm huge and I was out the door to work. Thankfully tomorrow is my last day.

As far as the "No Poo"...today is day 15. I co-washed today, but (like an absent minded pregnant lady) I didn't rinse it all out! I let it sit in my hair while I finished with other things in the shower and forgot to rinse! So it felt awful after blow drying it! I'll rinse it tomorrow and take another picture...but so far, I'm loving it!

4th of July

Better late than never, right? Mike and I both had to work but we were off early enough to enjoy some fireworks with Nikki and Madison. We just drove up to the Jaguar's Stadium parking lot, sat and enjoyed some Wendy's and then called it a night. Thank goodness it wasn't too hot! It took nearly an hour to get home.

My "No Poo" Journey

Several of my friends have become "No Pooers" and have convinced me to try it. Now, I know what you're thinking...that can't be healthy and why on earth is Rebecca sharing this fact on a public blog for all the world to see? I'm talking about not using shampoo. Ever again.

Sounds greasy and oily at first, right? But just because I wont be shampooing my hair doesn't mean I wont be cleaning my hair.

And since Jenna said it better than I can:

The idea is, shampoo strips the hair of its natural oils. This is because it has sulfates in it. So, the hair and scalp become dry, sending the message to the oil glands to produce more! Which is why your hair becomes greasy easily if you shampoo it frequently.

Cones are bad because they are ionic (charged) and cannot be removed from the hair shaft with water and soap alone. A sulfate must be used. And as I mentioned before, sulfates are BAD. Cones block the hair shaft from receiving proper moisture.

I started day one by washing with baking soda, rinsing with apple cider vinegar and then Co-washing (washing with a cone free conditioner)

Day One:
BS/V Wash and CoWash

Day Three:
Haven't done a thing to it since! I'll be CoWashing tomorrow...

Not such a peanut afterall

We just got back from Hayden's 3 year old well checkup and here are the stats:

39.25 inches - 80th percentile
32.5 lbs - 50th percentile

WOOHOO!!!! I think last year he was in the 10th percentile for both!

And here is a picture of my big strong healthy boy playing in his "playhouse".

So ideas for Christmas gifts: Big giant boxes :)

We are so blessed

Lately it’s felt like nothing has gone right in our lives. A year ago Mike lost his job and hasn’t been able to find a full time job since. I got pregnant at a very un-ideal time. I am always uncomfortable because I am enormously pregnant in the middle of a hot, humid, Florida Summer. I had to spend a very nerve racking night in the hospital. Mike didn’t get the bailiff job that we were really hoping and praying for. Our air conditioning went out and we need new tires for our only car. I’m not feeling like the best wife or mother lately because my patience is wearing very thin. I feel like all I do is complain…so how’s this for the world’s biggest one-hundred-and-eighty-degree flip flop:

Wednesday (also Mike’s birthday) we got the news that Mike didn’t get the bailiff position that we so desperately needed. We felt nothing but gloom and doom and had no idea what our next move was going to be. (We still don’t!) I posted the news on an LDS Families Bulletin Board on Babycenter.com where I’ve been posting for nearly four years. After a very long, emotional day and a meeting with our Bishop, I received an email from a perfect stranger. I “know” her through Babycenter, but we’ve not ever actually had a conversation. Just ‘seen’ her in passing while posting on Babycenter. She saw my post and wanted to do something to help. She said she felt inspired by my situation to share her abundance and offered to send me a gift card for something that we needed. After a long humbling moment I gratefully accepted her very generous offer and told her that at this point a Babies R Us gift card would help us most since we needed a new stroller and car seat and I had no idea where that money was going to come from. The very next day at 10am we received a package from her that included a $200 gift card to Babies R Us (more than enough to cover the stroller) as well as a gift card for Subway with enough to cover our family for at least two meals.

That same afternoon I received a letter from my Grandma and Grandpa saying they saw my previous post on my blog about my hospital stay and thought we could use some extra help. Enclosed was a check for $100.00. Talk about perfect timing.

Then there’s my mom. Like I said before, Wednesday was Mike’s birthday, and she was a little late getting him a card. That day at lunch (before she heard about the job) she felt prompted to put some extra money in his birthday card. She said she somewhat pushed that thought aside and was going to think about it. After she received the text message from me with our news she knew why she was prompted to slip in some extra cash.

While Mike still doesn’t have a job…we are able to buy a new stroller and car seat, pay for our air conditioning to be fixed and get the tires that are so needed for our car.

I am so amazed at the generosity of my family and strangers. It’s so wonderful to know that there are people out there who really do listen to promptings from our Heavenly Father and act on them. It’s been very humbling to go from being angry with Heavenly Father for our situation to overcoming those feelings. How wonderful it is to have a small glimmer of hope. Hope is something that I have not felt in a very very long time…but in the last couple of days I have learned that my Father in Heaven knows me. He knows what trials I need in order to grow. He also knows my limits. Once I feel like I can’t take anymore He lets me know in His very perfect way that I am loved and that He is very aware of me.

Thank you to everyone who has offered help to our family…whether it be kind and encouraging words, prayers, meals, money or a listening ear and shoulder to cry on. We are so blessed.

Still in the thick of it...

Sorry for all of the 'downer' posts...but this is my blog - which is also my journal so here we go...

Mike didn't get the Bailiff position we were hoping for. It would have been perfect for us with the "regular" schedule that it offers. He'd have been able to finish school and also still work part time at night to help pay off debt. This was a HUGE blow to us (especially since we found out on his birthday). I have spent all day yesterday and a good part of today just sobbing over it.

He had an interview with the Department of Agriculture a couple of days ago so we'll find out how that went in a couple of weeks, and then proceed with their long, drawn out hiring process. He also has an interview set up with Clay County, so hopefully something will work out sooner than later. In the mean time we're submitting applications for anything and everything. He just needs a full time job...and with me having a baby in less than six weeks, he needs one SOON!

We are so grateful for all of the love and support of our friends and family. Please continue to keep our little family in your prayers.

Girls Night Out

We had such a fun girls night out! We went to see "The Proposal" and then finished the night off with some ice cream from Sonic!