First Day at Verizon

Well I did it! I left Raymond with Kristen, a new babysitter that we have for the first 2 weeks of my work until Reagan can come watch Raymond. And it went well. This week is more tough because she has him from 9:15 until 2:30 instead of my usual shift which will be 3:15 - 5 but they both still did well together. I'm so proud of him all the time. He's just such a good baby! :) He seemed to have a lot of fun - she couldn't get him to go to sleep except in the swing - but that's okay! :) It's tricky - every little one has their own routine and it's hard to duplicate it just like mommy & daddy do! :)

But I'm exhausted and this is only day 1!!! :) I just didn't sleep well with the anticipation I guess and Brandon and I switched sides of the bed so maybe that was it! :) BUT all in all the day was good and Brandon is headed to Raleigh tonight to be at his mortgage class tomorrow morning - so I'll go to sleep early tonight!! :)

We had our nightly walk before dinner so Lennox was happy about that. It was in the 60's today.

As far as the actual work day went - it was really good. There are 8 of us that got the position (all of which seem really nice and include my friend Natalie from Kohl's!) and 222 people applied externally and around 200 applied within the organization to transfer - so that is pretty impressive! It really seems to be a sought after department and location to work in! Activations where I'll be working is a great department in general but this Wilmington location was rated best in the company for 2006! So there will be high standards and challenges which I LOVE! :)

But really as far as today, as I sit through all these trainings - I can't help but feel 'bored' I guess is the word... I feel like I should be designing the core values or designing this teaching - not being the one that is being taught! With all the education and experiences I've had these last years - Marketing Classes, Disney Internship, BWW Leadership Training --- I really am far ahead of my peers. And it doesn't make me better than anybody - I simply have been extremely blessed and have made good decisions to continue working on myself through books and association. So anyway - I look forward to getting into the actual training and not so much these beginning days! :)

But it was another good day at the Rooks house. Now I have to go sit on the couch and just 'be' for a while. :)

Sunny Monday @ the Beach

The beach was really fun. It was really hard to drag the stroller and Raymond out to the water -- but it was a lesson learned - next time I know to just put him in the carrier and forget the stroller!!! I'm sure I gave a bunch of people a good laugh as they watched me trek across the beach so that's good to know I could make somebody's day haha. We went to the South End - "our"(me & B) spot.....

I don't think either of us had ANY idea what God would have in store for us the next 2 years and that pretty soon I'd be taking pictures of my SON in front of that house! :) WOW! :)

I finally found it was easiest to just drag the stroller behind me so I did --- we got down to the water, walked a bit and then just sat out there and I took off our shoes and socks and Raymond was just coo-ing like crazy with his feet in the sand. He was really mesmerized by the water and the waves and the sounds.

It was a great experience for all his senses I think! I was exhausted afterward but it was a great feeling!

Another crazy thing I just noticed was that Raymond's sweatshirt says, "Sunset Beach" - which is where Brandon and I were married of course!! :) Everything is connected! :)

When we came back to the house I felt bad we didn't take Lennox so I put Raymond in the front carrier and took Lennox & him for a walk down the street. The first time Lennox pulled I said no, the 2nd time I just made him sit and stay so he knew he wasn't allowed to pull and then the third time he did it I just beat his butt and embarassed him in front of his dog friends and he didn't do it the rest of the walk!! So I'll have to do that more often! Walk him I mean not beat his butt!! The walk was really fun. Raymond actually held the leash (but I held it too in case Lennox did pull) and Raymond just laughed - I don't know if that was from the bouncing or from the feel of Lennox tugging or just watching Lennox walk in front of us but Raymond thought it was FUN! :)

Now it's nap and shower time and then off to the grocery store when daddy gets home!

A wonderful day in sunny North Carolina!!!! :)

A Sunny Monday! :)

It's a BEAUTIFUL day in the neighborhood a beautiful day in the neigborhood. I can't express how much I love and need sunshine. I'm sure my mother and grandmother understand since they have the same sunshine-need as I do! The other day, I was just soo down and not feeling well and BLA and I was at work at Kohl's and text messaged Brandon and wrote, "I don't know what is wrong with me but I just feel so bla recently - I just feel down" and he always is the best comfort to me - he wrote me a beautiful email and one of the things he said was something like, "what do you expect, it's been gray and cold for a few days and now it's night time and it's dark out".

and I was like OH YEAH! That is what's wrong! I had been cooped up indoors without any sunshine! :) He knows me better than I know myself sometimes! What a great husband.

Raymond is napping right now and then we are headed to the beach! I don't know if we'll go on the beach or just walk the loop - we'll have to see how cold it is when we get down there. But I can't WAIT until it's warm enough to get Raymond in the water!! :) I can't wait to go swimming with my little man! :) Although I am terried to see myself in a bathing suit!!!! AHHHHH

Tomorrow I start work at Verizon - I just pray that this first week goes okay since the timing is weird - 10 until 2 I work so he'll be with the babysitter for quite a while - and since our babysitter can't do these times, I'm dropping him off at this girl Kristen's house. She is an experienced mom and babysitter so I'm sure they'll be fine - I'll just miss my little man! :) But I'm excited about the new opportunity and money! :)

A lazy Sunday

Raymond woke up early today (we think he's already cutting tooth number 5) - waking up early for him is 7:15... It's funny, I get all bent out of shape for having to wake up 30 minutes earlier when some parents only get 5 - 6 hours of sleep a night!! GEESH! I don't know how they do it! God knows how much we can take, He knows how much we can handle - and He knows that I enjoy my 8 hours of sleep a night! :)

and no I don't really get bent out of shape - but I would like that extra 30 minutes --- but then I think, shame on me! I am SOOO blessed with a wonderful happy baby that enjoys sleep and has a great sleep routine so I should just be happy with what I have -- and I am!!! I am BEYOND happy with my little miracle!

Then after breakfast we played the three of us (four of us when you include Lennox) and those are my favorite times - when we are ALL interacting just doing "nothing" - there is something about having the whole family together interacting that is so much fun and gives me such peace!

Then it was time to put Raymond back down early for a nap - so daddy and mommy could go back to sleep! hehe and then we all ended up sleeping for over 2 hours!! We missed church and everything!

But we did get to use the webcam and see Uncle Ry Ry, Aunt Roxie, MomMom, Papa, Cousin Hunter and even Baby Christian in Roxie's belly! Technology is so incredible! Raymond loved hearing their voices and seeing their faces - he really was staring at them! But then he started to eat the camera so we knew it was lunch time.

After his afternoon nap - Brandon went in and found him in there with his bear mobile on top of him - I can't believe how high he can reach! I want to see how he does it.

Most of the time he sleeps with his butt WAY up in the air, face smooshed to the side against the bed and arms folded and tucked underneath - what a silly!

He really is going to start crawling soon I think --- he is up on knees and hands all the time and just rocks back and forth - and gets so frustrated. It's like he knows he's supposed to move but doesn't know how! I am not rushing it!! because I have to baby proof the house (I was hoping I could just wait and just baby proof the NEW home) but we'll see!! :) He is sooo strong - I told Brandon I really am going to have a tough time unless we discipline him real good - I don't think I can physically restrain him when he really wants something - and he's only 7 MONTHS old!!

Right now Brandon is with Jeremy (his soon to be boss) working on mortgage things, Raymond is sleeping yet again (catching up from that lack of sleep this week because he was cutting hsi top 2 front teeth) and so it's mommy's reading, computer, and cleaning time. The laundry is done, the floor is vacuumed, the beds are made, the dishes are done, the candles are burning, The Bible has been read, grandma and MomMom have been called, it's a dark rainy day outside! soooo I guess I'll take another nap :) .... I am just making up for all those years I never cared about sleep. Pre-Brandon I really did not care to sleep - except those EARLY FREEZING COLD mornings in New Jersey when it was so dark and cold out and I had to go to high school and really did not want to :( ........ but really, growing up, I just don't remember treasursing sleep and relaxation as much as I do now. Brandon's phlegmatic personality has really taught me to appreciate stillness and quiet and relaxation. He has taught me we need to just sit and BE sometimes. Just sit and listen to the spirit or just relax and do nothing and NOT feel guilty about it. If we are to be our best - we need to take time out and sharpen our ax!

So here I go -- off to yet another guiltless trip down dream lane.