Wednesday, October 31, 2012

So What Wednesday!

Today I'm saying "So what!" if....

  • I feel like a total slacker mom for basically ignoring a holiday. E's worn his costume once (and hated it). Due to weather I don't think we are going anywhere tonight and we haven't even gotten a pumpkin.
  • The major reason I'm concerned about missing Halloween is solely because it will be obvious in our annual photo book.
  • I think I might literally explode if I hear one more family member whine. I'm the only whiner allowed around these parts!
  • I ate half a roll of cookie dough last night while mindlessly watching TV.
  • I desperately need my hair dyed. Grey's are blatantly obvious annnnnd I don't even care....much.
  • I attempted to make my own cinnamon syrup because I am craving a Starbucks Caramel Apple Cider and the nearest Starbucks is an hour away.
  • I'm partially excited but mostly bummed that my husband and I are about to start Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover at the beginning of the year. Adios fun purchases right?
So What Wednesday

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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Life and a 32 Week Update

I had one of those mornings today where I had a mini mommy breakdown. There were no tears involved, but I was overly flustered. More than I should have been probably, but sometimes you just get to that point where enough is enough. 

I can't exactly say that things around here have been going badly, but things just haven't been smooth sailing. We finally conquered the stomach virus. Everyone but me got it (Praise the Lord for that one!). Even the dog was throwing up (which, if I'm being honest, isn't that abnormal). 

Sympathy pukies I guess?

How thoughtful.

Michael and I informed Ethan this weekend that he had one goal in life. That goal...was simply to make it to school today. He's missed 6 days in a row thanks to sickness and various other things. I'm surprised they aren't out for me for truancy! Low and behold he woke up yesterday from his nap screaming bloody murder pointing at his ear. 

Hello, first time ear infection. 

I should probably consider myself lucky for him making it this long without one. Part of me just wanted to scream though. I'm no nurse. That is for certain. Sickness is not my specialty. 

Thankfully ear infections do not require E to stay home from school. We both were ready for a break of being cooped up in the house together. Most importantly today was the Halloween Parade at school and I was determined for Ethan to wear his costume at least once this year. Thanks to this foul weather I doubt there will be any Pumpkin Patches or Trick-or-Treating in our future. 

My little ray of sunshine decided he was no longer interested in being the cow that we had been building up for months and months. It was an epic battle getting him in his costume this morning and obviously picture taking did not go well.



Even though the focus is horrible, I'm pretty sure you can read exactly what those eyes are saying to me.

I'm pretty sure I was the only crazy driving to school with the windows rolled down this morning in our beautiful 39 degree weather. 

Oh well. Toddlers right? What can you do?

Things have been crazy lately and I know I'm going to want to slap myself later for saying this, but I'm looking forward to having Jackson because it will be a reason to slow down. 

That's right. 

I said having a newborn meant things were going to slow down.

You can officially put me in the looney bin now.

We are now a mere 6.5 weeks away from delivery and still have a billion things to check off our Pre-Baby To-Do List.



Scarves make objects appear smaller than they actually are...

This pregnancy has been so much easier than my first. I'm not sure if it's just because I've been too busy to focus on it or if I'm just in better shape this time around. I'm still on track to gain near 40 pounds this go around much to my dismay. I think I'm at a 30 pound gain at this point and I'm just throwing my hands in the air. Apparently it's just my number.

I feel good though. This baby moves around like crazy (probably just to remind me that it's there). I'm emotionally ready to have this baby now. I'm ready for newborn cuddles. I'm ready for it to just be time. 






Wednesday, October 24, 2012

At The Moment...

I think we can officially label the 31 Day challenge as a complete fail. I really enjoyed it while it lasted, but there is no sense in playing catch up at this time. I think it's time to just get back to writing about the everyday rather than trying to squeeze all my posts into one little mold. Besides having to write everyday, sometimes twice a day is just plain exhausting.

To be honest, I've been feeling a little creatively drained lately. I still have about a billion projects on my To-Do list before we say adios to 2012 and hello to baby Jackson. They will get done, but I'm seriously living day to day at this point. Planning has been been all shot to hell and at this time I'm just trying to tackle what I can, when I can.

Today is furniture delivery day. Whoop, whoop! A new couch, chair, kitchen table (big enough to fit our ever growing family) and big boy mattresses will be arriving any moment now (or between the hours of 1 and 5 which probably means 6) and I cannot wait. It's been a long process, but the day is finally here and I'm hoping I still love it because frankly I can't even remember what we ordered at this point. This puts Ethan one step closer to officially being in a big boy room. Michael just lacks polyurethaning the beds and I suppose I should order some sort of device to make sure the kid doesn't fall out and then we will be off and running. Probably literally running as I have no idea how we will actually keep the kid in his big boy bed, but that's a problem for another day. 

At this point I'd like to officially state that moving and having a baby all in the same year is officially the dumbest thing anyone could ever do. When I say anyone, I specifically mean me and I've done it twice now. I feel like money and time is flying out the window left and right at this point and I seriously cannot wait until it's time to crawl into the cave known as the newborn days in just 2 short (and very busy) months. I'm just ready for projects to be put on hold and time to slow down to a crawl. 

Speaking of baby Jackson, his room is officially making progress and Ethan is now referring to the nursery as baby Jackson's room. I remember in the beginning of this pregnancy I really didn't think Ethan would grasp the baby idea until he was officially here, but as usual he proved me wrong. Within the last month or so something just clicked. He's been talking about babies, pointing out baby things and been very interested in baby Jackson. 

He's knows baby Jackson lives in mommy's belly at this point and never hesitates to show anyone who asks. He gets that kids who are smaller than him are usually referred to as babies and loves to point them out. He also loves to touch their faces which we are working on, but he at leasts knows to be gentle. Baby Jackson has officially made the nightly prayer list and I'm hoping once his room is done, excitement for his arrival will start to set in.

I should probably also mention that the sickies have left our home for the time being. I'm still hoping that I don't get it or my husband. It looks like it was just a 24 hour thing and now I can check 1st puking experience off my 1st time mommy list. How exciting.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Another Mommying Rite of Passage

I hit one of those fabulous parenting milestones today. More specifically, the one where the kid comes down with a crazy unexplained stomach virus and throws up on anything and everything. 

He's thrown up at least a dozen times and I've done at least half that many loads of laundry. Toddler puke is an uncontrollable beast.

I swear there is nothing sadder in this world than a sick kiddo. Ethan has definitely been a trooper though. He's one of those that doesn't complain until sickness is directly upon him and even then sometimes it's hard to tell he's sick.

Today and the mess that was brought with it definitely made me more thankful for my own mom (and microfiber couches). Sometimes there is a battle over the urge to throw the sheets in the laundry and hit that carpet with stain remover and wanting to just cuddle your kid. It's times like those that I wish there were two of me. 

I feel like poor Ethan is my little test baby. Both of us are fumbling through things at times trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation. I'm sure Jackson will bring on new situations of his own, but Ethan has certainly smoothed the road for him. 

I'll always be thankful for the fact that Ethan is so easy going. I think we will always have a special bond because he was my first baby. He made me a mommy, he's paved the roads for what my next babies will bring. 

Thankfully I think things are looking up for E. I'm hoping it was just a little 24 hour thing (fingers crossed). He's finally asleep and I think it's time for me to go try to save my rug! 

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Day 17: Making the Best of It

Can I tell you a secret? 

Sometimes I like to complain. In fact, I feel like sometimes there is nothing more fulfilling than releasing a good rant. There is something a little therapeutic about it to me I guess. 

I have to admit though that sometimes I don't know how to turn it off and that little bit of fulfillment turns into unhappiness. Complaining becomes annoying and before I know it everything in my life is one big problem. 

It's an issue I've been trying to keep under control a little bit more. I've decided to start rolling with the punches and making the best of things. Sure there are days that are bad, sure I might rant and rave about them, but it all has to be in moderation. 

Ethan's birthday week did not go smoothly. I forgot that last week was a school holiday (stupid Columbus Day) and then they cancelled Thursday as well due to illness. Needless to say I didn't get as much done as I had hoped and to top it all off Friday became a no nap day for Ethan which hardly ever happens. It was a rough start to a busy weekend.

We barley made it to my mom's without me having a mental flip out. Mr. Handsy in the backseat could hardly keep his hands off all his party decor. Things were getting ripped and crumpled and with each sound of paper tearing a little piece of my sanity bit the dust. I was trying my hardest to not flip out on my precious son who was extremely excited about his party. It took a lot of deep breathing to get through those 4.5 hours. I swear they teach you deep breathing in child birth class more for when you are raising the child than for the actual birthing. 

On party day, the weather decided to not cooperate either. We were suppose to have his party at the airport around planes that would have excited him to no end. We were suppose to surprise him with an actual plane ride that would have really blown his little mind and none of that was going to happen. 

I could have cried.

I could have flipped out.

But I didn't. 

Even though my plans weren't going to come through, I knew that Ethan would be just a thrilled with the last minute plan of having it at my mom's. I kept my cool and in turn, no one else flipped out either. The experience ended up being a good one where everyone came together and just made it happen. In the past, I would have completely ruined that with my pissy attitude. Nothing gets to me more than not having control over the situation. 

Things may not have turned out exactly as I had been envisioning for the last 5 months, but they turned out pretty great. Ethan was super excited. He had been talking about his party for months and I'm so glad I didn't let him down. 

I could have really ruined the day. I could have taken my dismay out on everyone around me, but I didn't. It might not be a big feat for some of you, but for me...it was a moment to be proud of. 




To read more of this 31 day series, click here.  To see Ethan's Flying High Party, click here

Flying High - Ethan's 2nd Birthday Party

After months of planning and many turbulent patches I can say that Ethan's 2nd birthday was a flying success!


The original flight (which was suppose to be at the actual airport) ended up being cancelled due to weather and was re-routed to my mom's house. I seriously have her to thank for saving the day. I probably could have used an oxygen mask to get through that day....that or a stiff drink, but it all worked out!


I sent out "tickets" in the old timey air-mail envelopes which everyone got a big kick out of. It was a simple touch that really set the mood for the party I think.

Last year, I crafted, cooked and baked everything myself for Ethan's first birthday party. I wised up a little this year and decided that between being 7 months pregnant and a move, it would probably be best to not make any of the food myself this go around.


I added plenty of special touches though to really keep the personal DIY look. I bought some cute take out boxes from a local restaurant and filled them with a sandwich, apples and chips. The perfect in-flight lunch if you will. I also used some cute printables to spice up little miniature chocolates, pretzels and Jet Fuel (aka water). 


I did end up baking the cookies myself. I quickly learned that I should probably never attempt anything more complicated than clouds in the future. At first I scoffed at the price tag of $30 for a dozen professionally decorated cookies. I now realize why the hell they cost that much.

The table above, as simple as it looks, was probably one of the biggest pains of the whole party. I'll explain...

Balloons: 

Simple right? 

I sent my husband out the morning of the party to get some. I didn't call ahead because really I didn't need but a couple. He arrived at the Dollar Tree to find out they didn't have latex balloons, only mylar and nothing in our theme. He went to Kroger where he discovered a helium shortage. Finally he went to hell on Earth..aka Wal-Mart...to discover after being told to purchase the balloons first, that there was no color option of string other than pink unless he made yet another purchase. Wild goose chase...I'd say so. 

Napkins:

I shamefully hang my head when I tell you it took me half an hour to figure out how to wrap a single fork in a semi decent way. I'm dedicated...and slow apparently.

Cones:

These were suppose to be cotton candy "clouds". Just a little tippity tip...pre-made cotton candy does not re-fluff. It's a crumbly, stiff mess. So Crunch and Munch cones they became. They serve popcorn at the airport right? Well at Sager Airlines they do!


Moving right along...


I remade those cute little boxes at least 3 times. Thank God I had ordered more than I needed. My precious toddler quickly learned that the red boxes contained airplane suckers and he just could not help himself. There is no pic of the inside, but they contained chocolate bars packaged on top of marshmallow clouds, a compass/whistle, a toy airplane and the ever so coveted airplane sucker.


We had a couple of party games. I wasn't quite sure what 2-4 year olds were actually capable of playing, but they loved the "Pin the Propeller" game I had my dad make. It was cute watching them cheat by lifting the blind fold up. They requested to play it several times over.


My personal favorite were the airplanes my husband made out of moving boxes. It didn't last long, but they had fun taking a quick run in them. My son was more interested in picking all the star stickers off them and then "parking" them all in a line.


Speaking of the birthday boy...he had an absolute blast. He had been talking about his party for months. He had seen bits and pieces of it being put together and he would know it was for him and say "party?". I don't know if he really knew what a party was, but he knew it was something to get excited about.


He loved having all of his favorite people around him and I could tell he felt special which was everything I wanted for him.  I know I could have done a lot less and him be just as happy, but as much as the party is a celebration for him, it is also a send off to another fabulous year as parents and a celebration of what's to come. To me, my children's birthdays will always be a big deal. All the work I put into it is my way of showing them love.


My favorite part of the party honestly happened after all the guests had left. Ethan decided he wanted to check out all the decorations. He proudly carried around his birthday banner and sampled all of the treats. 


My mom thought I was nuts for letting him have even more sugar than he had already consumed, but I knew he had been eyeing some of this stuff for months and who was I to deny him of that simple birthday pleasure? He ate marshmallows from the centerpiece, finally got an airplane sucker and nibbled one of the propeller roller pops. After he was sufficiently covered in sticky residue he was super ready for bath time. 

Despite all the turbulence, I think we had a successful flight. 


Happy 2nd birthday little man! 



Giving Credit where Credit is Due:

Printables: Simone Made It
Paper Products:Party at Lewis

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Day 16: A Recovery Day

So, no. I did not just disappear from the face of the Earth. I knew that blogging for 31 days straight would be a major challenge for me. I think we can basically chalk this up to a big fail, but that's alright. We are just going to turn our heads and pretend like this long lapse in posting never happened and continue on...

This past weekend was Ethan's 2nd birthday party. I'll post more on it later, but for now a sneak peek. A bribe to forgive me for the failure of my 31 days that we will never speak of again...



Today, I am forcing myself to take a recovery day. Or at least a recovery half day. My husband and I have been going, going, going for what feels like forever now and today...I just want to slow down, do a little catch up and then get back into the swing of things.

I think everyone needs a little forced time out every now and then. It seems life just gets faster and faster year after year and I continually feel more and more guilty for doing things for myself. 

One of the sucky sides of being an adult I guess? 

Today I just want to sit back and reflect on all that has been accomplished before I move onto the next big task list. I hate to admit this, but there are times I get caught up in seeking others approval to make me feel that happiness that comes with accomplishment, but I've finally figured out that the person in control of this happiness is really myself. 

It's okay to pat myself on the back every now and then. 

It's okay to be happy and content with the work I've done. 

It's okay to reward myself with a little break.

So please excuse me as I enjoy my pajama day (er, half day) and do my happy dance for getting one big accomplishment checked off my list before I go full force into my next project. 

Operation big boy room, here I come!

After I finish my second cup of coffee of course.



Just a little note....

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Friday, October 12, 2012

Day 11: Jackson - 30 Weeks in the Making

Yep. I'm a day behind again. I'll catch up, but at the moment I'm in the midst of birthday party madness and this circus is about to hit the road. We will be leaving town this afternoon to head back to middle TN to celebrate Ethan with family and friends. I can't wait!

You know what else I'm behind on???

Baby Jackson updates!!!

In fact, I don't think I've updated since...wait for it....AUGUST. 

Major mom fail right?

Let's just say...we've grown.


I'm combining this update with my 31 Days challenge because really this pregnancy has made me so incredibly happy. Yes, there are a lot of uncomfortable moments and some anxiety ridden ones as well, but honestly everything has been going really well. This pregnancy has flown by really. I passed my glucose test a couple of weeks ago, but I did find out that I had low iron. Ever since I started my iron supplements I have felt soooo re-energized. It's wonderful.

Pregnancy may not be my absolute favorite look or feeling in life, but feeling a baby move around inside is such a special feeling. We had to work a little bit to get to where we are, but I feel so blessed to be pregnant again.

See...pregnancy is happiness?


Onto the update...

Total Weight Gained: Do we really still have to talk about this? Ugh...28 pounds. My goal was to be under 40, with 9 more weeks to go that means I'd have to be pretty cautious to make it, but maybe I can...maybe. I do feel and look better than I did with E though, so that counts for something right?


Sleep: Night sweats, leg cramps and back and hip pain are here folks. It's officially time to break out the pillow cocoon. 

Best Moment of the Week: I think the best moment was yesterday when we scheduled baby Jackson's birthday!!!! Our little man should be here bright and early the morning of December 14th! Woohoo. Yay for even dates! Did you know I was weird about that? I am.

Belly Button: Still flattish. 

Labor Signs: Nope.

Movement: This kid is super active. I refer to him as my alien baby because sometimes it literally feels like he might kick his way out of my belly button. I've seen body parts slide across my stomach which is super strange and super cool all at the same time. Ethan was definitely not this much of a mover.

Food Craving: Nothing really specific. I guess I did have some burger cravings these past couple of weeks. The Hardee's #2 combo has definitely been a favorite. Hmm...probably not good for the weight gain problem.

What I Miss: Being skinny. 

What I'm Looking Forward to: Getting Jackson's room together! Things are semi in process although we still haven't kicked Ethan out yet. Stuff has been ordered, ideas are being formulated...hopefully it will come together quickly.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Day 10: Happiness Isn't Always Easy

Whether it's making a difficult decision or practicing forgiveness, sometimes being happy in life doesn't always mean taking the easy route. As mothers we are faced with this crossroads every day. Sure it would be easy for me to please my child in the moment by buying him one of those God forsaken colorful suckers that taunt us both in the checkout line. I wouldn't have to have the discussion of why it's not a good idea to get all sugared up before nap time or get the side eyed look from strangers when my two year old screams like I've just threatened to never feed him again. Yep, in that particular moment, I'm causing straight up un-happiness, but in the long run I know that discipline will give my baby a happy life.

Today...well, today was one of those "teaching" moments I guess you could say. I've been focusing on discipline lately and trying to figure out the best way to tackle that beast. I will thoroughly admit that I am to blame for most of my own child's ahem not so redeeming qualities. Between two moves and a pregnancy I got a tad lazy. I let things go that I shouldn't have and let's just say everything has culminated into this perfect little storm wrapped up in a two year old's body. The winds are changing though. Mama is learning to stick to her guns and be more consistent. And really, consistency is the key here. Sure it's a pain in the ass, but does it lead to more peaceful happy life? I believe it will. No pain, no gain right?

So today, we headed out of the house to do a little last minute birthday party shopping. I had to go to Hobby Lobby and Walmart which both typically produce demon child like behavior for whatever reason. Ok well there are reasons. I take waaaaaay too long in Hobby Lobby. I just can't help myself. And Walmart, well, no one likes Walmart. Even I start to feel demon like when I go there. So, I knew I was potentially in for a stressful trip. 

Ethan handled Hobby Lobby like a freaking champ. He was 90% a perfect angel so I decided we would walk down to the Dollar Tree to find one of the items that I couldn't find at Hobby Lobby. As soon as we walked in the door all hell broke loose. I forgot how tiny and overpacked the store was. I somehow always overlook the fact that they have buggies and stupidly try to let Ethan walk around the store holding my hand. Before you know it he's grabbing at every item he sees, refusing to hold my hand and having a toddler induced breakdown in the middle of the floor. I made it down one aisle before I was literally hauling him out like a sack of potatoes and feeling myself break out into one of those pregnancy induced hot flashes. 

I knew right then and there that I couldn't just throw him in the car and go home. It takes 25-30 minutes to get to that side of town and I'd be damned if I was going to have to drive it again tomorrow. I also knew that if I didn't reprimand him right then and there that this behavior would just continue. So I stuck him in timeout right outside the store. Strangers passed us by and surely gave us looks. I didn't care. I'm getting use to the side eye.

Afterwards, we calmly walked back to the car and I drove two parking lots over to Walmart. I got out and sat in the back seat with him and made him a deal. I told him if he could make it through Wal-Mart without screaming or throwing things I would take him to watch construction work at lunch time. I promised that I would do my best to get in and out as quickly as possible and we shook on it.

He was an angel. I held up my end of the bargain and didn't push my luck by trying to look for that one more thing. Sometimes, I'll admit, I am my own worst enemy. We got out of there, I picked us up lunch and we spent 30 minutes watching construction trucks in an empty restaurant parking lot. 

Disciplining may not feel like "happiness" in the moment, but it's a pathway to it. One day, we will get there.

Photobucket


Day 9: Creating Happy Memories

Lately, I've been trying to be more intentional about just being present with my son. When I was growing up, my sister and I would spend every other weekend with my dad and I loved it. Dad always seemed up to doing whatever it was we wanted to do and his focus was on us 100% when we were with him. 

There are so many times when I hear Ethan say "Mama, sit!" and I have to respond with "Sorry, mama's busy.". I always feel this twinge of regret. Although, I'm also well aware that if I played every time he wanted to play then we would be up to our eyeballs in filth with no clean clothes and nothing to eat. 

Obviously Ethan and I can't have things exactly like they were for me and my dad. I don't have specific allotted time with my son. Luckily I'm with him all the time. That does mean that I do have to do a little bit of a juggling act though. There are days where I really do have to get things done to keep our house running somewhat smoothly, but I do try to make special time for Ethan where it is all about him. I want him to remember times when he had my full focus. I want him to look back when he is older and say..."Mom always made time just for me and my interests.". 

For example, he's been very into cooking lately. Anytime I head into the kitchen he is running behind me pushing a stool saying "Cook! Cook! Mama cook?". I'll admit that it isn't always convenient. It's hard to keep a two year old from eating raw egg or being patient while mommy is using a knife. But, it's an interest that we both share and I'm finding that having boys, those shared interests are going to be hard to come by. So, I make the best of it.

I take deep breaths, I'm constantly thinking of ways he can help me and participate with me. I keep the scolding to a minimum and just have to be okay with the process taking three times as long as it would have if it were just me. Honestly? We both have a lot of fun. He loves messing around in the kitchen. He's getting better at following instructions and developing patience. And that picky eater problem? Totally resolved. Turns out he loves to eat anything he had a hand in preparing. 

I don't know how long his interest in cooking will last. I hope it's something we can do together forever. More importantly though, I hope it lasts long enough for him to create happy memories and remember sharing that special time with just me. 

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Monday, October 8, 2012

Day 8: Reflecting on Today

To be honest...I'm not feeling this whole happiness thing at the moment.

Nope.

I just want to turn the lights out and pull the covers up and kiss day 8 goodbye.

I say that, but really...today was a great day.

A pajama clad, cold, rainy do nothing kind of day. I enjoyed it. I got a couple of things done. Nothing monumental, but enough to not drown me in dirty dishes and laundry tomorrow. 

Ethan was in a fantastic mood. He was definitely loving him some mommy today and I will take all the kisses, cuddles, tickles and hugs he has to offer anytime. That...that, makes my heart happy.

Then I read this post, which really describes my life and feelings right now to a "T". (What does that saying mean anyways...what's so perfect about a "T"? I've always wondered.) And it reminded me yet again, that these sweet days are fleeting. One day I will not be the center of Ethan's world and it makes my heart hurt. It all goes too fast. I know everyone says it...but, seriously there is not a truer statement. 

The past couple of nights I've been going from having happy wonderful days to crabby pregnant lady at night. I think the pressures of everything I didn't get checked off my to-do list start to pile up on me at night when I start thinking about tomorrow. I've got half a dozen major projects going on right now, but I don't feel like doing any of them hence all the piling up. I honestly just want to sit back and enjoy my son and the stage he is in. 

Maybe him turning two is hitting me a little bit. I don't want to miss out on him because everything else in life is so hectic. You can't get time back right? It's just gone and by the time I finish blinking he will be three. 

This post really has no point. In fact, it's the second stream of consciousness post of today. Maybe that should have been my 31 day challenge. I just didn't have the energy to sit here and stare at a blank screen for an hour trying to come up with something half way inspiring.

If I was asked what brought me happiness today I'd simply say it was ignoring my to-do list and soaking up my sweet boy.



To read more substantial happiness posts click here.



Stream of Consciousness Monday

It's 7:22AM and still completely dark outside. I'm blaming that for my slow movement today...well the last several days really. I had big plans of things I needed to get done before I got Ethan up, but none of them happened. 

Mondays are hard. Seems like an obvious enough statement, but I get so overwhelmed from all the things that need to be done to catch up from the weekend. I love the weekend, but it gets me off schedule on things like cleaning dishes, laundry, picking up in general. By the time Monday rolls around the house looks likes a disaster area and I hate waking up to it. 

Ethan is sitting beside me in bed right now drinking his milk and watching Curious George. Pretty sure this is my favorite morning routine. It means I don't have to start off the day going 100mph. I'm hoping that this little routine continues when baby Jackson arrives so I can sneak in a few more zzz's. We shall see though.

I feel like I haven't done a pregnancy update in quite some time. I keep meaning to and then I forget to take a picture and decide to wait. You guys do remember that I'm still pregnant right? I'm pretty sure I haven't given an official update since August which is pretty ridiculous. Here's the quick update...sleeping sucks, I feel big as a house and I'm ready for the baby to just get here already.

Writing everyday, sometimes twice a day has been a good refresher course for me I think. Although I'm not quite sure everyone else is enjoying it. The last 4 Happiness posts have been way quiet and pretty overlooked. I guess they are more for me than my readers and that in itself is both the problem and the reason I enjoy it. Sometimes I feel myself getting caught up in trying to develop a post more for everyone else's enjoyment rather than just spewing my thoughts which is why I started this little space to begin with. And yes, I'm totally making a faux paus as I know it's not favorable to talk about blogging on the blog....

I still can't wake up.

I probably should drink a cup of coffee, but since I drink de-caff it's not really going to solve anything.

Currently Ethan is using my face as a roadway for his steam roller. Lots of things on my body could use flattening out these days, but I don't know about my face. 

Sometimes there are days where I miss going to a physical workplace. A time out from the home I guess you could say. There are times where I feel like I don't contribute much, but then there are also times when I feel like I do everything for our family besides making the money. I know though that no matter which path I walked down I'd be curious to know what the other is like. In the end, I'm happy where I'm at. I remember way too many days sitting at work wishing I was home taking care of my own families needs instead of others.

Well, the second episode of George is coming to an end so I think it's time for us to get moving around here. Time to pull back the covers and get to work right? I can't ignore Monday forever.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Day 7: Weekend Happiness

I feel like Sunday is a good day to reflect on the simple joys like...



Eating cookie dough straight out of the package.


Watching my little boy do all things boy with the biggest smile on his face.


 Having the whole family in bed for morning cuddles.


A hot caramel latte on our first cold fall day.


Being able to trust in the Lord.



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Saturday, October 6, 2012

Day 6: Happiness is...

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Happiness is...

Having girl time away from the husband and kid.

I love my family. Obviously. I love being a wife and a mom. I wouldn't trade either of those roles for absolutely anything in the world.

There are times though when I just want to be me. 

I want to make funny comments, have a good conversation and laugh my inappropriately loud laugh. 

Sometimes I want to be more than just the milk lady or butt wiper or personal chef and house cleaner.

Sometimes I just want to remember what it's like to be Laura.

Lately, I've been making sure I have a little more "Laura" time in my life and I like it.

You know what else is awesome?

Being missed.



Happiness is...

Coming home and seeing your kid run to the backdoor in anticipation of your arrival.

Hearing him happily scream "Mama! Mama!" while excitedly banging on the glass.

Walking into a house that smells like freshly made dinner.

Getting a kiss from my husband and watching my kid run happy circles around the house.



Happiness is....



Friday, October 5, 2012

Day 5: Finding Happiness in a Birthday

Personally, I always find my own birthdays awkward. In some ways I feel it should be as exciting as any other holiday, but to everyone else...it's just another day. So many times I've built things up only to be disappointed or told myself that it's no big deal...only to still feel disappointed.  

When it comes to my son's birthday though? You better believe I am rolling out the red carpet. As a mama it's my job to make my kids day a big deal. Especially at the ripe young age of two, I want to go out of my way to make sure he knows he's special. 




I've got big plans for his 2nd b-day party next weekend, but I also wanted to make sure that his actual b-day felt extra special so yesterday we kicked it all off by celebrating his last official day as a one year old! I sent mini cupcakes with him to Mother's Day Out and then invited a couple of his new little friends to play and have cake. I learned quickly that I probably should have bought him a smash cake for his party. He wanted nothing to do with a slice of cake. Oh no, he wanted the whole thing! 



I have to admit that I had a hard time putting him down last night. Not because of the crazy sugar high he was on, but because I knew that when he woke up the next morning...he would be officially two. It just doesn't even seem like it should be possible. 

Didn't he just turn 1? 

Wasn't he just a fresh newborn? 

This morning we continued on the tradition of waking up to balloons and presents. He was ecstatic this morning jumping in his crib and pointing to his gift saying "Down! Down! Down!"


I'd never seen him rip into a package so quickly. Last year, present unwrapping took an eternity. This year is obviously so different. 

We don't go over the top with presents on his b-day. In fact, we only do one small thing. His big gift is his party. This year as a present, we got him a truck...an excavator on a semi to be exact. I'm learning that being a boy mom means you gotta know all your stuff on trucks. Ethan can name pretty much everything we see on the road these days. He's truly obsessed.

And yes, there is baby Jackson...I'm a little behind in updating on the bump...it's obviously grown. Ironically this is the same shirt I wore the day I had Ethan. Not quite sure how that makes me feel, but it's symbolic, no?


Afterwards we all loaded up and headed to Cracker Barrel for pancakes. Thankfully Michael got to tag along with us for most of the morning which made things extra special for Ethan. E got his very first restaurant birthday singing experience and he handled it like a champ. Let's just say he ate more cake and ice cream for breakfast than he did pancakes. Not that one is really any healthier than the other, but your suppose to live on the edge on your b-day right? 


Our real reason for heading to Cracker Barrel wasn't truly for the pancakes. We actually chose to go there because they were having some road work done. Yes, we seek out road construction these days. Times have changed right? We got out and watched all the big trucks in action and Ethan was totally in awe! I could personally care less about trucks, but seeing the absolute joy in my little boy's face truly warms my heart and puts a smile on my face!


The middle of our day was filled with a long nap and outside play then we joined up with Michael again for dinner at Chick-Fil-A. Ethan loves the play place there and of course enjoys getting a balloon. As an extra special treat they even gave him a little plush cow. Why can't every restaurant be so kid friendly?? It's so wonderful. 

We headed off to the park after dinner and honestly all Ethan wanted to do was hold our hands and walk around. I think he truly appreciated all the special things that we did for him and I love that he showed his appreciation through affection. Lots of hugs and kisses were freely given and seriously...those are gold. 

We capped the night off with a quick stop at Sonic for ice cream. I'd say it's a pretty good day when you begin and end your day with dessert right? 


I don't think Ethan could have been any happier today which of course makes me one very happy mama. This little boy has been such a blessing in my life. Being a parent isn't always easy, but days like this remind me how awesome of an opportunity parenting truly is. 

I'm thankful for this little boy.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to be his mama.

I'm thankful for the happiness that he brings me.


Happy birthday baby! I love you to the moon and back!



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