Thanksgiving!

We had a great day. I was absolutely miserable the entire day. I'm already researching cleanse's for next week. We still have two more days of it this weekend too. So come Monday I'll be ready to get back on the wagon of healthy eating and exercising, at least until Christmas.

Back to scrubbing this house before baby girl wakes up. Going on hour #3 on her nap. I'm trying to decide what we'll do when she wakes up.

I barely got any pictures but here are a few. One is of her and Tucker eating at the little kid table, then one of her and Jared's Uncle Doug Inman--Gene's brother, and one of her and my dad (Papa Glenn).

Re-Coop Time

Well my Christmas is up but my house is a disaster. Macy is here with us today until her sister comes to pick her up. We have never really done the one nap a day thing in our house. Kathy does it to get a nice long afternoon nap from all the kids, but usually Rubes loves going down morning and afternoon. I didn't put her down this morning and boy could you tell. She was pooped. Have a great weekend everyone!

**Happy Thanksgiving**

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you out there. I hope your homes and hearts are warm and full.

I have so much to be thankful for. I can't even count all of my blessings.

Most of all though, my sweet family. Jared and Ruby are the lights of my life. I can't imagine being anywhere else in the world than cuddled up in this bed with him waiting for her to wake up.

We usually never put any Christmas out before Thanksgiving but we got a head start last night. Jared is using his "all day free" that I got him for Father's Day tomorrow to go to the LSU/AR GAME so I will just be doing a LITTLE online shopping and putting our Christmas up. It's a lot more work with a toddler running around. :) I like my house to be spotless before I put out my decor.

Then Saturday and Sunday we have more family to see for Thanksgiving. Hope you all have a wonderful and blessed holiday. We are so blessed!

Love,

Sarah

Elf On The Shelf

For the past couple Christmas' I have seen pictures of friends of mine "elves on the shelf". I had definitely made up my mind that this would be a tradition for us. I contemplated getting one this year because I know Ruby won't fully comprehend it, but yesterday I told Jared I definitely want one. We get home from school/work today and what does he have? An Elf On The Shelf!!!!

It is just the cutest idea. I read her the book about it while she played with her toys. She loved that thing. You name them and sign them up at the north pole. I swear she was calling her Sarah! Ha! But Jared said we can't name her after me. I want to wait until next year anyway when Ruby can actually call her something she makes up. I'm so excited about this! I think Ruby is too!

Change of plans..

Well Ruby ended up staying with Aunt B, Nana, and Tucker instead of my mom this weekend. She had lots of fun. I could tell because she was exhausted. :)

Jared and I also had a blast with our friends at Amber's wedding. It's always nice to get out and dress fancy but we sure do miss our sweet girl when she's away.

I think I told her a million times today how much I loved her and how beautiful she is. I seriously sometimes sit and stare in awe of her.... We made that precious little face.

Exhausted!

Well, this has been the most stressful and exhausting week ever. I can not tell anyone enough how happy I am that Ruby is napping and I'm laying on my couch doing nothing. Well, besides blogging of course.

At my job I schedule for two surgeons along with the dentist I work for. The oral surgeon I schedule for is there twice a month. The periodontist, every other week on Tuesday and Thursday. It can be very draining. I work alongside two other girls--one who schedules for 3 of our other dentists and the other schedules for our 7 hygienists. HUGE office. We all 3 help each other out of course but try not to do much on each other's schedules. Everyone we schedule for has their own quirks and demands. We do not believe in "sending to voicemail" (we don't even have voicemail) so every single phone call gets answered in a very timely manner and every patient is served. We pride ourselves in treating our patients equally and wonderfully.

That being said, it is so exhausting! I work for probably the most laid back doctors in Arkansas. I'm very lucky considering there are 19 women and very rarely any drama. I love my job. But I think I got to my breaking point this week. I can't go into details but there is a certain something going on and I'm right smack dab in the middle
of it. I've been the witness of a huge case that's going on and I'm the middle man sending e-mails along with all the other admin work that needs to be done. It has seriously taken up 2 1/2 weeks of my work time. We can barely get by with just two people when the other is off so when the 3rd person is there and unavailable because of ONE PATIENT (who does not even deserve our time at this point) it is very stressful.

I am so happy it's the weekend and that we only work 2 1/2 days next week. Thank God.

We have a wedding of one of my co-workers and great friend tomorrow night so Ruby will be going to my mom's early tomorrow morning until Sunday. I'm already sad and missing her but I know it will be good for all of us and I will have 4 1/2 days with her next week! Not getting to be with her all week makes me really appreciate and look forward to the extra time I do get with her.

So that was my rant for the week. I needed to get that off my chest.

Ruby is doing great! I will hopefully be posting a 17 month post (ALREADY) but if not, not much has changed. She's just a growing healthy girl! I think she's going through a growth spurt right now. She has been sleeping A LOT!

I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Love,

Sarah

"Friends"

Poor Ruby is still fighting the cold symptoms. I know I said I love winter but having a sick baby has made me re-think that several times now. We are drugging her up real good though. Not really. But at bed time we have a serious ritual going on that really seems to be helping. Delsym with Zyrtec, humidifier, saline and snot sucker (I do that throughout the day), Vicks on the chest and feet, and aquaphor on her little chapped face. I feel so bad for her when I hear that little cough when she's trying to sleep then the moan that comes after. So sad. I too am fighting it so I know how she feels. This morning we were both hacking and Jared just said "you girls"... I think we're seeing the end of it though thank goodness!

Onto a happy note. She's just the smartest little thing. She is saying "thank you" clear as day and at the right time. That makes me so proud. She's RUNNING everywhere. I have to tell her constantly to slow down. She absolutely loves playing on our bed, which she now knows how to get on by herself (scares me to death).

My stepmom, her Glamma, came over a couple weeks ago and brought her some very serious items. One was a purple stool with diamonds on it. It's very light so she can carry it anywhere and she knows exactly what it's used for. It sits by our bed but it also gets moved to the light switches a lot. She is obsessed with turning the lights on/off. The fans too. When we get home or leave I have to hold her to let her "do it". Another phrase (is that a phrase?) she's saying. Another is "get it". Tonight she threw the tennis ball under her changing table and told me to "get it". Ha!

The other thing Glamma brought was a little blanket doll. She was immediately obsessed with it. So now it's not just "awesome possum" it's "baby" too. I've just been calling them her "friends". She takes them along with her lovie everywhere in this house and they sleep with her. Tonight before bath time I told her "go put your 'friends' to bed"... While we were getting ready I noticed her possum was in the living room floor but her lovie and baby were in her bed. I asked Jared if he put them there and he said no. She must've dropped possum on the way. But smart girl.

She catches on very quickly to things. I started time out this weekend and she knows exactly what's going on. When I go to talk to her about it and ask if she's sorry she hugs me.

She loves to help me fold laundry. She'll do her best at folding something, lay it in the pile then clap for herself. Ha! She also loves to help unload the dishwasher. She hands me dishes so I can dry them. I hope she always loves it. ;)

Just a few pictures from the past week or so... Not in order. I wish I could figure out how to caption them and post video. Dangit.

Have a good week!