I'm Back!

Hello, again!

It has been some time, but I am ready to get back into blogging again. We've had a great summer with Sister's arrival (she's 5 months old already!!! - I can't believe it!!!) and some other things going on, and hopefully, I'll be able to get some new posts going. Please have some patience as I get back into the swing of things, make some changes to the blog and as I try to find time to put it all in writing.

Getting Ready

With three weeks until Sister's debut, Hubby and I have been trying to get some of the last minute things completed for her arrival. This week, we're working on getting my car - i.e. The Family Car - cleaned up and car seats moved around and installed. Hubby laughs at me and tells everyone I'm nesting! My mother and mother-in-law are throwing me a shower this weekend, so next week Hubby and I will be working on finishing up Sister's room. All these final preparations have got me to thinking. Am I mentally prepared for Sister's arrival?

I'm a pragmatic, logical person who isn't into histrionics or drama or making things out to be more than they really are. Part of me says, "Well, she's coming whether you're ready or not. So you might as well relax and enjoy not only these final weeks before her birth, but the weeks after as well when she's finally here." But part of me is a little nervous and wondering how it will all work out and fall together with two little ones in our family. Will I be able to handle a 2 year old and a newborn at the same time when Hubby is on duty? Yikes!

So, dear readers, what were your anxieties before the birth of your children?

Sadness

The Fire Department for The Big City sadly suffered the loss of a brother last night. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and his Brothers in Service as they deal with this loss.

Newbie on the Block

Yes, I'm a newbie to the blogging world. With that being said, I beg your patience and forgiveness as I work my way around finding time to blog, what to write about, and learning what to do. Right now I have a couple of questions for anyone willing to answer: 1) How do I create a link to another website? And, 2) How do I upload quality pictures to my blog? The picture I uploaded for my last post is not near the quality I had expected for the file size the picture actually is. The result is rather undesirable in my opinion - the picture appears grainy or out of focus.

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts and suggestions! I hope to have a few posts up soon as much has been going on in our household over the last few weeks.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: My Heart, My Soul, My WORLD!

Why the Title?

I figured I should explain the reason for the title of my blog. "Living Life on Fire" best explains what my life is like right now. In many ways, I feel like my life is upside down, topsy-turvy, spinning, or "on fire." Here's a few:

First, we are a fire family. As previously mentioned I'm married to a firefighter/paramedic. Our lives are very much entwined with all things fire related - primarily in regards to our schedule. Our family's schedule revolves around Hubby's fire schedule. His schedule with The Big City is 24 hours on and 72 hours off. He's eligible to work overtime shifts on the middle of the three days off. Often times, he chooses to work that overtime shift (when overtime is available). So, sometimes we literally only see him every other day, and part of that day is often spent sleeping. I work a full time job, and Brother goes to daycare during the day, so we may have one night together every other day for several weeks at a time! This schedule is tough on Hubby due to the stress and fatigue of working a paramedic schedule, and it is tough on me because basically I become a single mom every other day. But, when overtime is not available, well, we get to enjoy Hubby's 3 days off! This inconsistency sometimes makes me feel as if we live our lives in a whirlwind. We can go from the relaxed schedule of Hubby having 3 days off and having more family time to the hustle of Hubby working every other day for several weeks and vise versa. Stop, Go, STOP, GO. Plus on top of that, Hubby helps out with the local fire department in Our Small Town. He carries a pager which could call him out anytime of the day or night on his days off. I think you get the picture.

Second, being in the real estate industry has had it's up and downs over the years. I feel (and Hubby agrees) that I am at a point in my career that I have to evolve in order to maintain this career for the long run - not only for myself but for my family. This change is very exciting and a little daunting at the same time. I've always enjoyed broadening my horizons, but I fear the loss of income that may (and probably will occur) while I pursue the next level.

Third, with a new baby on the way in two months, well who wouldn't have a feeling of their lives being turned upside down?!

Lastly, both Hubby and I have our families in very close proximity to us. We all bascially live in the same area. While having our families close is a blessing in so many ways, making sure Brother spends equal time with both families also contributes to the topsy-turviness of our lives. What little free time I can wrangle out of our schedule is usually spent with our families.

Would I change any this for a more peaceful life? Absolutely not! Fire/medic life is Hubby's passion. It's what he lives and breathes for (well, second only to our family). It's his calling - he was born for fire service. It's what makes him who he is, and I wouldn't change a single thing about that. I have the opportunity to expand and grow in my career, and it would be rather stupid of me not to do it. As for babies, having a second child will change our family dynamics in so many ways, but I wouldn't dream of changing that either. In two months, Hubby, Brother, and I will have a beautiful baby girl who will be the next piece in our family puzzle! Having family so close is stressful, and I sometimes wish we lived far, far away. But I want my children to grow up with the benefits of having family so close and knowing that family is important. In so many ways, God has blessed us, and although it may be hectic I wouldn't change it. "Living Life on Fire" is a way (I hope) for me to put thoughts in writing to help make sense of all the craziness in my life - a way to mentally wade through my roller coaster way of life. Things aren't always easy, but they aren't always hard either!

FIRSTS: First Big Boy Bed

With a new baby on the way, we have had several discussions about what to do with sleeping arrangements for the kiddos. The crib we originally purchased for Brother was convertible. Our hopes were for it to transition with him as he grew. During these discussions, I had wanted Brother to keep his bed and just change it to the next stage, the toddler bed stage, and to buy a new crib for Sister. Hubby wanted Brother to get a new bed and leave the crib for Sister. I should mention here that Hubby wanted Brother to have a fire truck bed. I think Hubby just wanted him to have a fire truck bed because A) well, all things fire department are just our life and B) he saw one at a friend's house that he really liked. I wasn't really keen on the idea because we were planning to keep the kiddos in the same room since we didn't have the space for each to have their own room, and I wanted the furniture to match. I was afraid a fire truck in the midst of other coordinated furniture would just stand out like a sore thumb.

Well, things changed when we moved (I will dedicate a whole post to our move at another time). With a new house came more space and separate bedrooms for the kiddos. So, finally, with our situation changed, I agreed. The crib would be Sister's and Brother would get a new fire truck bed. My parents purchased Brother's fire truck bed as a gift to him (Thanks, Mom & Dad!). Two weekends ago, I got the extra boxes and stuff out of Brother's new room and got his big boy bed setup and ready to sleep in. We showed Brother his new bed and new room, and, boy was he excited!

When he crawled into it, the first thing he said was, "Hat," and he pointed to his closet. (I bought him a play bunker gear set with a helmet for Christmas - how he knew that was in the closet, I'll never know!) So, I retrieved his helmet from the closet and gave it to him. He just knew he was supposed to wear his helmet to go with his fire truck bed! My heart was full with joy seeing how happy he was!

Good night, sleep tight, Brother! I hope you're enjoying your big boy bed!

I love the way little ones sleep with their bottoms up in the air!

*Disclaimer: Sorry, the pictures aren't the greatest because they were taken with my phone since my real camera was still packed away.