Oh, how long it has been.....

Almost a month has gone by. I cannot believe it. Time flys when you are having....fun? Not exactly the word I would choose but alot of fun things have happened, really fast in short bursts of wonderful. I try to spend at least five minutes a day just looking at Lila, trying to actually see her grow. Her skins is so pretty and cheeks so kissable. She rarely cries. She screams in the car, does a coughy thing when hungry and squeals when she hits herself (or Lucie hits her). I weighed her yesterday, 14.5 lbs and 25 inches long. She seems very happy, smiling alot and looking into my eyes. She especially loves Lucie. Lu will sing and dance in front of her. It is super cute.

Lucie has been getting into alot of trouble. It has been mostly me and her the past couple of weeks. MacKenzie came over quite a bit over the weekend, but in general she is stuck with me. Of course she wants to 'do art', play outside, watch cartoons with me, but I am trying to work, tend Lila, keep house, and keep my sanity all at the same time. Potty training has been going pretty well, she did poop in her panties twice today, ergh! I think she has been getting too much "yeah you went potty candy" and not enough food, so her bowel schedule is all messed up. She had a big weekend with all kinds of people coming in and out.

I had the girls over this weekend. A bunch of homebirth mommas/supporters. I thought just one friend was coming, but several more came. We usually get together for an hour or two, but everyone stayed all afternoon. I would say we talked, but MacKenzie (who listened in) would probably say it was more like "a bunch of crazed moms yelling over each other while laughing, cussing, and eating". It probably was not what MacKenzie envisioned a Saturday Mom get together to be like. It was pretty wild at times. I dont know that I have ever had so much fun since I moved into this house. Everyone was so happy to be there and happy to be talking to a grownup, and to be talking about something that each of us is very passionate about. I havent had that much fun in so long. My stomach hurt the next day from laughing. It really did me good. This homebirth thing has really gotten inside my head. Something has changed, for the better it seems to me, much better.

Jarred's daddy is going to need surgery again. Whether or not it is indeed cancer again will depend on how quickly. Hopefully we will be able to have Thanksgiving as planned, but if not, we will all go to Alexandria/Jena for the holiday to be with him. He loves having the little girls there. If we do go to Aunt Connie's, Lucie is going to stay over with Joe and Melba in the hotel with Aunt Brandi/Clay/Ella Grace. Lila Jarred and I will go ahead home. I am going to get up early and put up the Christmas decorations to surprise 'big girl'.

Jarred and I are working so hard on the business right now. I thought about trying to find another job, but paying for the childcare would make that a wash and I dont know that I could find a job now anyway. So, Lila may have to start daycare after the new year. Seems the election has dried up some of our proposed residential jobs that we expected for this month, as well as some of our biggest contractors ability to pay their bills. We did land a BIG irrigation job so hopefully that will get us through the tough winter season. I am bidding jobs at 'drastically reduced prices" just to get the jobs for the cash flow. If we survive this time, we will be one of the last ones standing. Already we are one of the last ones standing. I may need to start working the shovel. Thats okay though, unlike some people I have never been scared of a hard days labor (no birth pun intended...okay, I did intend that). I do hate to think of leaving my little Lila with anyone but myself, but this hard money time cannot last forever and hopefully it would only be for a few days a week. We are trying to find some local labor to get by until the amigos come back in the spring, but finding a working man in BR who wants to actually work is not an easy find. I have heard though that the guardsmen will start returning soon and there will be a glut onto the system of men/women looking for work and employers who may not be hiring. Poor MacKenz has been trying to find a part time job in BR for three months if that says anything. So, maybe we will be able to find another ex-military gringo who is willing to work the hours b/c he wants a job, even the unglamorous landscaping job where you have to get up before the sun and god forbid sweat.

Anyway, we are going to make it. I think it is like only 2/3 of new businesses survive 2 years, and we will be one of the 4/10 that makes it to 4 years.....as long as everything goes just a little bit better, haha. maybe the cash scare will end soon, at least I hope so.