Spring is in the Air

The weather is changing, and with it comes colds and allergies. I'm not sure exactly what we picked up this year, but it made for an exhausting and difficult 2+ weeks; runny and stuffy noses turned into really bad sore throats, eventually leading to sinus infections and scratchy voices. Thankfully, the worst of it is over and no one had to go to the hospital. All of this mess reminded me of last year when Samantha got the flu and she ended up in the ER with an IV drip to replenish her fluids. Although it was one of the worst experiences of my Parental life, it made me grateful that we live in an era where doctors know what they are doing (for the most part) and are easy to access. Although it damages the pocketbook a little bit, I can honestly say that I would much rather have an empty one than a child who died from something as simple as dehydration. I count my blessings every day.
I did notice something different about this last "sick" season. My children were way better off than Ben and I. The girls seemed to go through it pretty quick, but Ben and I are still battling sore throats and sinus infections. I hate to sound like a whiner, but normally the girls get sick and stay sick for a while while us adults never even get touched by whatever germs they are covered in. So why was it so different this time? I don't know...but I have a theory. I had been cleaning and sanitizing my house like crazy the months before. Maybe we were too clean, and we didn't let our bodies build up our immune systems for this years germs. Alright....lesson learned! Sanitize in moderation!!

I also have a confession to make, which is a little off topic. I've never been good with transitioning my text to make it fluid and flowy and all those other good words and english jargon writers use to make their writing more beautiful.
Haha, that was not my confession by the way.
I already want another baby. 
Why? Why would I want to torment myself?! Two is definitely enough for now. Maybe I just want another one because I know I can't have one. If I had the choice to get pregnant right now, I would probably say no...and for good reason. I promised myself that school is most important right now. My goal is to be able to walk in June of 2015. In order to do that, I have to follow my graduation plan to the T. I can't get pregnant because preggo brain makes school miserable, and because I would rather not deal with those kind of complications. Also, work experience needs to happen. Who in their right mind would hire a pregnant lady right out of college? Maybe I am over thinking it. After all, it's quite illegal for an employer to discriminate like that. But also, why would I want to work full time to get work experience with a newborn? It's already hard enough spending enough time with my children as it is, and I'm not even gone more than 20 hours a week (I think).

And off on to a tangent...

I really admire those mothers who work full time. I really do. If that's what they want to do, then they have every right to do it. I am not passing judgments onto others. But I know that for myself, I couldn't do it. I keep getting this idea stuck in my head that we need a nice house, fancy furniture, an awesome car, a big backyard...etc etc. And yes, all those things are wonderful and CAN happen. I just don't need to have them right this very minute or even right after I graduate. For years I've been telling myself that we can be happy with just one income. This is true. It has it's moments when it really sucks, but for the most part it's quite rewarding when you make a budget for the family and it ends up working out perfectly.

So why am I going to school? I think that education is mostly for my personal benefit. Women need and DESERVE to gain knowledge and opportunities. It is also an opportunity to contribute to my family. With the more education I have, the more I can share with my kids. I can hardly wait for the day when I can sit down and help them with their math and english assignments. Surprisingly enough, school has made me incredibly more well rounded of a person. I think that I view people differently in a more positive way. I strive to learn new things more than I ever have in my life. It also makes me fear for my kids futures, because life gets even more tough out in the real world where people are deceiving and things are rarely ever fair.
I am also going to school to secure my life. Bad things happen, and I want to be ready in case if I have to deal with them. I've also been "non-traditional" and preferred having my own independence. It also helps to contribute to the income. There is something about  contributing to the family resources that is quite satisfying.

So next topic. Let's talk about my kids a little bit.
Penelope started crawling several weeks ago. She was about 7 months old when she started...well...hobbling around. It was a glorious day when she nailed it. Her crying sessions were more than cut in half. All of her frustration was gone when she could crawl over to me. I could see the pride of her accomplishment on her face every time she made it into my arms. Now she crawls back and forth between furniture.  She'll stand up to the couch, sit back down, crawl over to the chair and stand up, sit back down, go back to the couch and stand up...
Her little personality amazes me every day. I LOVE LOVE LOVE how much she loves me and needs me. It's frustrating sometimes for Ben when she cries for me and I'm not home. Although she cries for Ben too sometimes. But Samantha rarely cried like Penelope does. She was always so interested in toys and snacks that half the time she barely remembered that I was even around. Don't get me wrong, Samantha and I spent plenty of time together. And maybe she was different because I wasn't gone half the day when she was Penelope's age. 
Penelope has been using her voice a lot. It's so cute when I hear her wake up from her nap by talking to herself. "naaaaaa na. awwwwweeeee. aaaaaaahhhhhhhh." Her bottom lip is still crooked too. It's not nearly as noticeable as it used to be, but it sure sticks out far when she is crying her sad cry.
Samantha is just over 2 years old! I cannot believe how much she continues to change. It still takes a trained ear to understand what she says half the time, but she is starting to put full sentences together. It's pretty exciting to hear her say "yes" sometimes instead of  repeating my question back to me. I'm also very proud of how polite she can be. She still needs to practice on saying "please" by herself without being prompted, but she definitely knows "thank you" and "I love you."  She also loves to say "Mommy!!" when I come home after school. My favorite part of the day is when she talks to Penny. They interact so well together. Penny is only 8 months right now so they haven't had a whole lot of practice sharing toys, but they both play with toys together and neither one ever gets upset. I hope it lasts a while longer. It will be fun to watch them play hide and seek or something similar. When Penny is crawling around the apartment, I will hear Samantha say "Penny! Where are you? Penny! Where are you?" She is growing like a weed too. her 2 T clothes still fit, but if she keeps growing this fast, we are going to have to start investing in some 3 T stuff in a handful of months. Of course for some parents, she isn't technically growing fast, but I just can't believe how fast time flies. I am doing my very best to enjoy the time I have with her at this age because I know I won't ever get to experience it with her like this ever again.
When the time comes to have a third, I am just going to die with LOVE OVERLOAD.