I am looking for anyone who might live in, or know about Phoenix. DH's company has an opening there that he wants to apply. So I need general info on the area. I was hoping to get some inside info. You know more then what you can see in pictures or learn on line.

One other thing for today. (I guess I have a lot to say today.) I am feeling like I need more spirituality in my life. DH is Jewish & I am not. I live in the south & have found churches here to be...well, just not what I believe in. I would like to find some where to go to be more spiritual & have a sense of communtiy, without feeling like there is a lot of judgement. Any mamas know about or belong to the Unitarian faith? I would like to know more about it, & if it might be right for me.

So I am really sleep deprived right now & maybe a little extra emotional, but I just have to comment on how, dispite struggling to keep up, & dealing with dd having a fever every few weeks or so for the last few months, I am feeling really lucky right now. I know every mama feels like thier child is beautiful, but I am truly amazed by dd. She is more amazing every day & with evry new stage. And dispite the trouble dh & I have had, he truly loves me & dd & is trying very hard to do what's best for us. We just don't always agree on what providing for your family means. But we are both working really hard to figure it out.

Alright mamas help me out here. Lately, I feel like I am drownding. I work from home. Most of the time I work during naps &/or after dd goes to bed. The last few weeks I have been working several hours a day. Plus dd has had yet another fever (at least the 6th since Halloween). So when you figure in time to bathe, eat, and take care of 4 (yes 4) pets I am falling behind. I work from home because we can't afford day care. Likewise, we can't afford help with the cooking & cleaning. DH helps with what he can, but is not home for more than 3-4 waking hours most days. I feel like I can't afford to not do certain things, like cook, vacuum, laundry.

Ok question 2 for you...How do you view naps, both for the babes and for yourself?
Lately DH and I have been in disagreement on the subject. I feel strongly that DD stay on a fairly strict 2 a day nap schedule, and be in bed by 7 or 7:30 every night (Mostly, because if that does not happen I am the one stuck with the cranky baby, not him.) Not that I don't ever bend the rules and let her nap in the car, or go to bed a little late if we have something going on, but I try to limit how often that happens.
However, when it comes to myself or DH, I often burn the candle at both ends. I hate when he is home and takes a nap, or to take a nap myself when he is around. We don't get a lot of family, or couple time and I hate to waist it sleeping. Plus, I always feel like there are SO MANY other things I should be doing. He says that spending time together when we are both tired is pointless, because we are irritable and argumentative, and that sometimes you need to just take time to rest no mater how much there is to do. While I see his point, I just can't relax when I have a lot to get done. Lately, though I have been kind-a depressed. I have not been doing much for myself, or getting a lot of rest. I wonder if my lack of sleep is contributing to my mood. I know that sleep and depression are kind-of like the chicken or the egg. Am I tired because I am depressed or am I depressed because I am tired.

I have 2 questions for the hip mamas today. I will break them into 2 blogs, so here is the first...what do you feed a 10 month old? I really want to teach DD to have healthier eating habits then DH and I do. The problem is that I am so confused about what is healthy and what is not, and it seems to keep changing. I can't keep up with adult health, let alone infant/toddler. She loves to eat what we are eating, and climbs over me to get to whatever I have. But she still only has 2 teeth so my options are a bit limited. I feel like she is eating a ton of carbs and a ton of fruit & yellow veggies. Is that too much sugar? I do give her some cheese and beans; but otherwise, it is bananas, peaches, apples, cheerios, bread, rice things like that.

ok this is going to be a long one, but i need to get it out and i have no one else to vent to currently, so here goes... let's start with the holiday week. it was the longest most painful week i have had in a long time! it started with an 8 hour drive that turned into a 10 hour drive. we left our house at 4:30 in the afternoon and arrived at my parents at 2 in the morning. dh was there until mon. afternoon then he had to drive back to pick up the dogs at the kennel and be at work on tues. my grandmother was at my aunt's house and not coming home until the 28th. so dd and i stayed (w/ no car) until the 1st so we could see her.

First let me say after only 5 days at my parents’ house, I am TRILLED to have a little time to spend with the Hip Mamas!
Next I need some advice. DD seems to be getting sick A LOT! I did not bring our thermometer with us, but I am pretty sure she had a little fever tonight. And she is acting cranky, tired, and clingy like when she doesn't feel well. This will be like the 3rd or 4th fever she has had in about 3 months. (Defiantly her 2nd since Thanksgiving.) I keep thinking it is related to the teeth she has been working on for awhile, but they never seem to break through. I nurse her, she is not in day care, and I give her a vitamin. I don't understand why she keeps getting sick! I mentioned it to her Dr. and they just said some kids get sick often, which I am sure is true, but does that seem excessive to anyone else? Or can teething symptoms last for months? Or am I just first time Mama paranoid here? Any words of wisdom?

any one else have the christmas blahs? I just don't feel christmasie this year. maybe it is the pressure from my mom for it to be the perfect Norman Rockwell, angel babies first Christmas. or the whole schlep 8 hour up to my parents house with a 9 month old. or the fact that DH interviewed for a new job and got word (on our 6 year anniversary) that he did not get it, which of course put him in a crap mood for the rest of the anniversary day. or maybe it is that i live in the south now and they keep talking about how it is going to be a cold day here (it's 48 today) so it just does not feel wintry to me.

I just need some sympathy and maybe a little pat on the back. So we found out at 11:30 AM Fri. that DH was going to have a job interview on Mon. He decided to leave Sun morning and come home late last night. This would be my first 36 hours with DD by myself, ever. I felt a little nervous, but figured I would make it through. I would have to right? I should also mention at this point that in addition to DD (9 months old) we have 2 cats and 2 dogs I will be taking care of. Plus DD's 9 month check up, and swim classes to attend. Of course Sun morning DD also wakes up with a cold. (Again this is like her 3 cold in about 2 months.