You Might Be a 25 Year Old if.....

~You can rent a car all by yourself.

~You wish on your birthday for health, safety, and sleep.

~You spend your birthday money on a high chair and outdoor swing. And you are really excited to make these purchases.

~You would rather carry out then dine in.

~You see a drop in your car insurance. Loved this too!

~You get your fill of drama from Desperate Housewives of New Jersey rather than in your own life.

~You have found that birthdays are great reminders of how blessed you are.

~Your husband tells you to sit down and do nothing on your special day.....and only on that day....but so awesome!

Thank you to everyone who wished me well on my birthday. It was a wonderful day! I am so blessed!

....to Jesus

This song just completely spoke to me. It seems that God just really gets to me through music.....I just open myself up so much to music and I am sure God knows that.

This song is BEAUTIFUL! And with all that is going on in my life, it just spoke volumes. From Death to Hurt to Deceit to Joy and Love, it says one thing.....give it to Jesus. God never wanted us to go through tough times alone or hurt without someone to lean on. God also wants to dance when we dance and be happy with us when we are happy. He wants to be part of ALL of us and be there for us no matter what.

People tend to lean on Him more in times of need...but we need to praise Him at all times! Praise Him for our blessings and our burdens.....He does everything for a reason.

So Sing to Jesus, Dance for Jesus, Fall on Jesus, Cry to Jesus.....and Fly to Jesus!

We Have a Tooth

and lots and lots of POOP! Poor little Zoe....ever since her tooth came in last week, it has been endless pooping....

I have heard that once the tooth breaks through it can make her siliva more acidic but HELLO DIAPER RASH! Having never had an issue with this girl....ever....It breaks my heart to see her tiny hinny hurt so much. She just whimpers. So, we have been sporting lots and lots of cream and changing her every five minutes it seems.....So much for BEING CHEAP!

But on a really exciting note! I have been trying to figure out how to upload videos to the blog because when I hit the button at the top....it never works! So here is the video from Zoe's Birth Day.....this is Zach announcing to everyone that our little girl was here!

Zoe's Announcement from rebecca phillips on Vimeo.

Heavenly

We have been SO busy and I must say......I am exhausted! And I have thrown in the towel on trying to get through the day without caffeine. A Cup of Joe will be in my routine from now on.

Zach and I had an absolutely amazing weekend! On Friday night, we had our monthly game night which was an absolute BLAST! I love getting together and being a social butterfly....and Zach has been enjoying all my friend's husbands so much...which makes everything that much better.

Saturday, we had a first! Our first night without Zoe Jane. So bittersweet. Zach planned for Zoe to spend the night with Aunt Kimberly and Uncle Cory so we could have a night alone to celebrate my birthday. It was such an enjoyable time. We went to this restaurant....

which was started by this Top Chef runner up.....

And it was to die for! Everything that touched our lips was loved and I would love to go back! Nothing beats great food......except maybe GREAT SLEEP! We topped off the night with this

That "HOT NOW" sign just screams at you!

And we went home and had a full nights rest.....unheard of for the last 7 months....longer actually because we all know it is impossible to sleep comfortably pregnant. I slept until 9:30 AM! Heavenly. But I sure did miss that face. So we picked Zoe up right after breakfast and I couldn't be happier to see her. I don't know if I could go for more than one night....right now at least.

We celebrated Zach on Sunday with my family and more great food....My Mom is a huge Food Network Foodie....and she loves to cook all the recipes....and I love to eat them!

Such a great times with great people and great food and GREAT donuts!

Cheap

I love the radio station I listen to. I can relate so much to the hosts. So…the segment the other day that I caught was Kevin and Taylor asking people how they were cheap…..in a very nice….very humorous way.

Taylor talked about how her mom would always wash out zip lock bags and reuse them….not sure how I feel about that. Kevin talked about how he didn’t use toothpaste at night, only in the morning. And a dental hygienist even called in and said that that was fine and in now way unhealthy. Not sure how I feel about that either to save a penny. I love that peppermint fresh feeling in my mouth after brushing!

So I got to thinking about how I am cheap. And when I say cheap….I do not mean it negatively. I think we all, in our own way, try to pinch a penny when we can.

The first thing that came to mind was how I am cheap with diapers. Now that Zoe Jane is eating solids….well….her poops are solid. And as I am sure all you mothers know….you can totally tell when your child is pooping. Zoe makes a really funny face. So when I see the face….we go straight to the changing table and when she is done….and only if her diaper is not wet too….I take the turd out, flush it, and put the diaper back on. Cheap….it screams CHEAP….I know. But with girls, you can’t leave poop in their diaper. And most of the time, Zoe has 4 or 5 little turds until she is done….spaced out over an hour. That is 5 diapers in an HOUR if I were to give her a new one every turd….Sorry….not happening.

So....how are you Cheap?

7 Months Old

Every month…Zach and I encounter more and more changes in our little girl….more and more evidence that my baby is getting closer and closer to becoming a toddler and is acting less and less like a baby. Reality is setting in. But I would not go back because I love who my Baby Girl is turning into. Zoe Jane is so great….I may be biased….but she is. So let’s see what has been going on this past month.

• Zoe is about 15 pounds and in size 2 diapers, almost size 3, and in 3-6 or 6 months clothes.
• Zoe has 5-6 ounces every 4 hours and eats 3 meals in between.
• Zoe eats pears, mangoes, yogurt, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, apples, applesauce, blueberries, cantaloupe, bananas, breads, carrots, oatmeal, cauliflower, broccoli and loved them all. She hated…and I mean hated….peas.
• Zoe has blonde hair but it definitely has a reddish tint to it.
• Zoe goes to sleep between 6:30 and 7:00 at night. She wakes up to eat between 5:30 and 6:00, goes back to sleep. And is up for good by 7:30….just in time for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!
• Zoe can sit up all by herself, but doesn’t like to sit still anymore.
• Zoe has loved being in the pool. She splashes like crazy and doesn’t mind water in her face at all.
• Zoe goes from sitting to laying down or to her tummy very gracefully.
• Zoe has mastered drinking from her sippy cup. She just can’t hold it by herself yet.
• Zoe moves all over the place in her crib. She is never in the same position as we laid her down in. Due to this…her bumpers will be staying.
• Zoe shows very obvious signs when she is ready to sleep. She tugs at her ear. She rubs her eyes. She scratches. And she sucks her thumb.
• Zoe naps for an hour to an hour and a half and is awake about 2 hours in between naps.
• Zoe talks A LOT! She makes the da, ba, na, ti, ma, pa and di sounds. She squeals and screams.
• Zoe loves to blow air through her lips and spits everywhere.
• Zoe loves to curl her lips in.
• Zoe loves when you blow air in her face or her air.
• Zoe hates sleeping with us. All she wants to do is play when she is with us. So all sleeping is in her crib.
• Zoe grunts….lots.
• Zoe loves to watch her hands. She waves them back and forth and is just mesmerized.
• Zoe smiles at everyone. I love taking her in public and everyone just says how adorable she is and they can’t believe how much she smiles.
• Zoe hates wearing hats.
• Zoe sits up in a high chair at a restaurant and in the shopping cart.
• Zoe raises her arms when you put your hands out to pick her up.
• Zoe loves to play peek-a-boo and loves when you clap for her.
• Zoe loves puffs!
• Zoe loves being outside…for any reason. She loves to go for walks and swing.
• Zoe and I sat outside during a storm and she loved the rain and hearing the thunder. She wasn’t scared at all.
• Zoe is so close to having her first tooth….I can feel the bump. We will see when it decides to make its debut.
• Zoe screams when she sees me getting her food ready….she has grown to LOVE food and gets so excited!
• Zoe sucks her thumb….all the time. And I hate to say it…but it is so cute.
• Zoe traveled to New York City and North Carolina this month.
• Zoe can turn herself around while sitting.
• Zoe's legs have gotten really strong and she likes to stand up.
• Zoe can hold her bottle by herself.
• Zoe loves remotes.
• Zoe entertains herself and it is so funny to just watch her. She loves a sound book that Grandma and Grandaddy gave her. She opens and closes it constantly!
• Zoe naps so great….when we are at home. Not so good in public.
• Zoe hears you laugh and she starts to laugh too.
• Zoe loves it when you sing to her.
• Zoe is just turning into such a personality and I love it!

Things that have helped me survive this month:

• To be really honest, this month has been really easy. I am paying more and more attention to what Zoe is trying to communicate through her actions. Can you imagine not being able to get your point across? And I have found that I have really gotten to know her and it has totally paid off. By paying such close attention to her....it is hard not to....we are together all day long....but by paying attention to her, every thing that I had struggled with in past months is so easy now. Zoe goes to sleep with ease, she sleeps through the night, we are on an awesome schedule that helps me so much to plan our days! She is predictable now....and that may just be something that happens naturally. Zoe is eats amazing! And I think this really helps with her sleeping. Zoe is just happy! Which makes this Mommy really happy.
• Traveling long distances with a baby can be really difficult. At times, it was with Zoe, but you have to do what you have to do. We were in the car for about 13 1/2 hours straight at one point....and lets just be honest....there was no way I was going to make Zoe sit in her carseat the whole trip. As a Mommy, you try to do what is best for your baby....and I definitely did not like taking Zoe out of her carseat while driving....but I also didn't like hearing her cry because she was so uncomfortable. Advice: Do what is best for you and your baby. Don't worry about others judgement!
• I am big on surrounding myself with positivity. I know it can be really easy to be negative, to gossip, to find things wrong with other people, to feed into your own insecurities....especially when you surround yourself with others who are negative too who do the same....it just rubs off. But, I am set on making a point to surround myself with people who are positive....because that rubs off too. There are too many other bad things going on in this world that you can't change or you don't have any control over.....I do have control over who is in my life and I do have control over my own attitude and I want it to be a good, healthy, fun, loving attitude! And for good reason....I want loving people to also be in Zoe's life!

Just Average

“Make Average Great….and All your dreams will come true!”

I have been wrapping my brain around this statement for a couple weeks now. I was watching Oprah and the episode was on celebrities going back to their first jobs. Susie Orman, the money specialist as I know her, was on and she said the above statement. I found it to be very powerful….and that I could apply it to my life….heck….that is my life.

I am average….I am the definition of average. Yet…….I love my life…..I love being Average! I have an average home….that I believe is great. My husband and I have average cars….that work great. I have average clothes that do their job...well great….We eat at average restaurants….We have average jobs….we are average.

I have everything I need! Why does society make me feel that my Average is not enough? Why does society make me feel that I need a bigger house, a newer car, the coolest new gadget, or tons of toys for my baby? Why does society bear down on me and make me feel like my Average is not good enough? Why do I let society affect me so much?

Don’t get me wrong….there are so many things I want for my family and me. So many things I have to be patient for and work for. But I am making what we have….making our average….GREAT! And believe it or not…..every day….more and more of my dreams come true….by being just average.

I have struggled...well as long as I can remember...with being comfortable with my finances. I have never been without...but I also have never been the one who never had to worry. I have dedicated myself to living within my means....SO HARD sometimes. But, society, I feel, and by society meaning sometimes peers, sometimes family, sometimes people at church or in a social group, adds pressure. Not always on purpose, but I am sure you know what I am saying. Why do I let this affect me so often?

BIG goal of mine is to not let it! To love my AVERAGE, beautiful life. To be grateful for the things I have each and every day....not the things I can't have. To love what I am blessed with and be happy for others and their blessings. To be comfortable with my financial situation and realize that we are beyond blessed!

To realize that being Average is making all my dreams come True!

Let's Get Caught Up

What a week it has been! It has been crazy here and I missed blogging oh so much......so here is a quick one to get all caught up!

Last Monday, we headed to NY after news of my Pop Pop's passing.....It was so quick, it was hard to even believe it was happening....like a bad dream! But he went without suffering and that is such a blessing. We made a pit stop to pick up my sister in NC, so I got to see all my nieces which was great. And I finally got to see her new home!

Thursday was the wake. I have never really experienced death before and I have never been to a wake.....so this was REALLY difficult. But I got to shed many, many tears and say goodbye to my Pop Pop. And send him off with many kisses...hershey kisses that is....his favorite!

Friday was the funeral and then THE PARTY. If any of you have ever met my Pop Pop, then this makes sense. All he wanted was a party, not a funeral, but a party. And that is what we did. It was great!

We got back on Sunday and the most HORRIBLE smell EVER greeted us at the door. Our refrigerator completely busted while we were gone. DISGUSTING!!!! We found out the compressor is shot. And hopefully it will get fixed soon!!!

So overall, it has been an exhausting, emotional, bitter sweet week. We are happy to be back home, getting back into the swing of things.

As for Zoe Jane....she traveled great! Her new favorite hobby is eating...it is all she does! She has tried carrots, mango, pears, sweet potatoes, breads, apple sauce, bananas, yogurt, potatoes and loved it all. I do believe she is packing on the pounds!

Hope you all had a good week!