In my last post I mentioned how I was ready to battle the hottest week of the summer being very pregnant. Well, wouldn't ya know it? You make plans and then God changes them for you. I was all content to wait for this baby past my due date. I was doing my best to enjoy the last weeks of having just one child. Lo and behold, however, I got quite a wonderful surprise.
Monday, July 18th my water broke at 10:40pm. At 8:34am on Tuesday, July 19th my beautiful baby boy was born. Everything went very well and he is a very healthy boy. Praise God!
Isn't that just how life goes? I find that it's when I feel fully content, surprises come and things change. I can impatiently ask for things to change but they never seem to on my time. It's only when I throw my hands in the air and admit that I am not the one in control of the universe that the craziest things happen.
I'm not trying to say that we can't change things in this world just by doing. There are many things that change because people take the initiative to change them. I'm talking about things that we wouldn't have ANY control over no matter what, things like the weather or babies coming.
Well, I can't control the weather and I definitely did not guess my baby would come eight days early, but looking back I am floored (can't believe I used that phrase) at how the timing of everything worked out perfectly. So if you think you're in complete control of your life, sorry to tell you that you're not. You still disagree with me? That's fine. It's not my goal to convince you, someone else will do that for me :)
Friday, July 29, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Can you beat the heat?
This is the stuff legends are made of. This is what separates the boys from the men. The survival of the fittest, natural selection. This is my Everest. This... is... the hottest week of the summer being 38/39 weeks pregnant. You dare to read on?
Don't give me this "stuck on desert island being filmed for Survivor" stuff. This is real life. I am about to attempt to make it through a week where the temperatures are set to reach the 90's with dew points in the 80's. This makes the heat index well into the 100's. As I tweeted earlier, I think I saw a fish swimming past our front door.
Heat like this normally would only be a small challenge for me. Back in the day, I worked outside all summer long. I loved it. The heat didn't bother me. In fact, going into AC would almost be too cold for me to handle. I miss those days. Now, I sit on the couch with a heat producing toddler asleep upstairs and a little furnace inside of me, not letting me know when he'll come out.
Those of you fellow parents know that little boys like to spend time outside, and parents like their boys to spend time outside. They play better, they sleep better, and everyone is happier. So how am I going to explain to a two year old that although the sun is shining, we can not go outside? I could just send him out to discover for himself but he does not hold the logical capability to come back in when he starts to get too warm. This is why there are parents in the world.
Now lets not forget about the fact that I resemble a beached whale more than a human being these days. I do my best to stay up and active but my little furnace keeps forcing me down. Normally I would fight my way back up but my swollen feet and hands have me wishing for more time to lay down. My poor sandals are wondering why I keep forcing my large feet to fit into their straps. They may not survive through the summer.
Well, tomorrow starts the war. We'll see how the battle of Monday goes. Will the heat win? Will I win against my boy? Will the television and Sesame Street win? Will baby #2 surprise us all and win? It'll be a tough one. I'll need lots of different strategy to pull this one off, and then I'll regroup and see what I have left for the battle of Tuesday. Wish me luck.
Don't give me this "stuck on desert island being filmed for Survivor" stuff. This is real life. I am about to attempt to make it through a week where the temperatures are set to reach the 90's with dew points in the 80's. This makes the heat index well into the 100's. As I tweeted earlier, I think I saw a fish swimming past our front door.
Heat like this normally would only be a small challenge for me. Back in the day, I worked outside all summer long. I loved it. The heat didn't bother me. In fact, going into AC would almost be too cold for me to handle. I miss those days. Now, I sit on the couch with a heat producing toddler asleep upstairs and a little furnace inside of me, not letting me know when he'll come out.
Those of you fellow parents know that little boys like to spend time outside, and parents like their boys to spend time outside. They play better, they sleep better, and everyone is happier. So how am I going to explain to a two year old that although the sun is shining, we can not go outside? I could just send him out to discover for himself but he does not hold the logical capability to come back in when he starts to get too warm. This is why there are parents in the world.
Now lets not forget about the fact that I resemble a beached whale more than a human being these days. I do my best to stay up and active but my little furnace keeps forcing me down. Normally I would fight my way back up but my swollen feet and hands have me wishing for more time to lay down. My poor sandals are wondering why I keep forcing my large feet to fit into their straps. They may not survive through the summer.
Well, tomorrow starts the war. We'll see how the battle of Monday goes. Will the heat win? Will I win against my boy? Will the television and Sesame Street win? Will baby #2 surprise us all and win? It'll be a tough one. I'll need lots of different strategy to pull this one off, and then I'll regroup and see what I have left for the battle of Tuesday. Wish me luck.
Friday, July 15, 2011
So typical
I haven't written for a bit. Not much has been happening around here lately besides getting ready for baby #2. I don't party every weekend. I don't travel the world. I don't have huge gatherings that I'm hosting. I'm leading a pretty simple life right now. By choice? Yes and no. I normally like to stay busy with a good balance of things but these days have brought me to a slowed down lifestyle.
So what is my typical day right now? Get ready for the most exciting post you will ever read. (sarcasm there if ya didn't catch that) Here we go.
6:30 am ish wake up time depending on when the toddler gets up
7:00 breakfast/shower/ start getting ready
8:00 husband leaves for work
8- 9:30ish son actually plays well by himself while I get some housework done
10:00 - 11:00ish run errands or go to a park, basically get out of the house
11:30/noon lunch
1:00-3:00 nap time, the angels sing while I rest or get more house work done
3:00 the angels stop singing and the countdown begins
3:15 I check the clock while "playing" with a boy who doesn't usually wake up too well
3:30 I wonder how to entertain a toddler without turning on the television
3:45 I pray my husband isn't late from work
4:00 I start looking for his car
4:15 Husband usually gets home
4:16 I talk his hear off
4:30 I finally take a breath from talking to let my husband relax
5:00 start supper
5:30 eat supper
6:00 family time of various activities
7:00 settle down time
7:30 bath and bed time for toddler
8:00 relax time with husband
10:00 bed time
There you go. My exciting life. The life of a SAHM. (Stay at home mom) Now, every day isn't the same. I have moms groups and other activities we attend. I get together with friends occasionally. But this is my job. It's not 9-5. I don't get paid vacation. I wouldn't change it for anything...except maybe a few more vacation days for my husband :) This is my life until baby #2 comes and changes everything.
I'm sure there are those of you who completely understand what I'm talking about. Those of you who also lead the structured life of a SAHM. To those of you, I nod and smile as you know what I'm talking about. I also know that there are those of you who think I'm nuts. Those of you who think only crazy people could lead such a boring life, giving up their "identity" to raise kids. To those of you, I smile and nod as well. It doesn't pay to get mad or try to explain myself. Anger does not make the world go round.
So I wait. I wait for this baby. I wait for tomorrow. I wait for whatever comes in my future. I have no other choice but to wait, to wait and pray and live my structured little life.
Sorry for more of a blah post today. I'm hoping for a more exciting one in the near future. Thanks for reading!
So what is my typical day right now? Get ready for the most exciting post you will ever read. (sarcasm there if ya didn't catch that) Here we go.
6:30 am ish wake up time depending on when the toddler gets up
7:00 breakfast/shower/ start getting ready
8:00 husband leaves for work
8- 9:30ish son actually plays well by himself while I get some housework done
10:00 - 11:00ish run errands or go to a park, basically get out of the house
11:30/noon lunch
1:00-3:00 nap time, the angels sing while I rest or get more house work done
3:00 the angels stop singing and the countdown begins
3:15 I check the clock while "playing" with a boy who doesn't usually wake up too well
3:30 I wonder how to entertain a toddler without turning on the television
3:45 I pray my husband isn't late from work
4:00 I start looking for his car
4:15 Husband usually gets home
4:16 I talk his hear off
4:30 I finally take a breath from talking to let my husband relax
5:00 start supper
5:30 eat supper
6:00 family time of various activities
7:00 settle down time
7:30 bath and bed time for toddler
8:00 relax time with husband
10:00 bed time
There you go. My exciting life. The life of a SAHM. (Stay at home mom) Now, every day isn't the same. I have moms groups and other activities we attend. I get together with friends occasionally. But this is my job. It's not 9-5. I don't get paid vacation. I wouldn't change it for anything...except maybe a few more vacation days for my husband :) This is my life until baby #2 comes and changes everything.
I'm sure there are those of you who completely understand what I'm talking about. Those of you who also lead the structured life of a SAHM. To those of you, I nod and smile as you know what I'm talking about. I also know that there are those of you who think I'm nuts. Those of you who think only crazy people could lead such a boring life, giving up their "identity" to raise kids. To those of you, I smile and nod as well. It doesn't pay to get mad or try to explain myself. Anger does not make the world go round.
So I wait. I wait for this baby. I wait for tomorrow. I wait for whatever comes in my future. I have no other choice but to wait, to wait and pray and live my structured little life.
Sorry for more of a blah post today. I'm hoping for a more exciting one in the near future. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
I have an itch
I caught the bug. No, no the black spider that lives in our basement. I caught a much more dangerous bug. The home decorating and improvement bug. (insert high pitch scream) It hit me and it hit me hard.
Blame this bug on the fact that I may be "nesting" as they put it. I feel the need to clean, organize, and decorate everything in our house. Not that I am, mind you, I just feel the need to. Blame the fact that I have always loved to decorate and organize my room/house. Blame the fact that it drives me crazy when our house is a mess. I don't know, but I do know that I want to take a shopping trip to Menards and Hobby Lobby to cure this disease.
Sadly, the cure for this disease involves two things that I am short on. Time and money. I feel like I could get a lot done right now but soon my world will be turned upside down for a while. Although, I'm feeling optimistic today and I want to say that even with baby #2 on the way I could still do some small projects after I recover from delivery and everything. So although time will be a challenge I don't see it as a complete road block.
So now about the money. Shoot. I would LOVE to go on a shopping spree and buy an actual matching bedroom set for us or beautiful paintings to put on our large white walls. I would even be thrifty to find a nice patio set for our deck but even thrifty shopping requires some money. We're not broke or living in poverty but our current budget doesn't exactly have the flexibility that I am dreaming of for this sort of shopping spree. Getting another job is way out of the question at the moment. My #1 job is raising my children right now. That's worth way more than a nicely decorated house.
So what can I do? How will I ever be cured of this bug? Thankfully, I have a medicine that takes longer to act but is just as effective as the real thing. Growing up, I watched my mom "suffer" with the same disease. She, however, learned to work with what she had. She became and still is very good at rearranging the same thing six times before she finds the PERFECT way it should be. She is good at using things that are free from nature to decorate. Not even Martha Stewart could arrange a vase of sticks to make it look the way my mom does. Then, slowly over time, she would accumulate new things as the money came in. Now, their house is beautiful and she doesn't have little kids anymore to destroy it :)
So I too shall take this medicine. I will work with what I have. I will be on the look out for things that are free or super cheap. I will take my time to make things the exact way I want. Perhaps, by the time my children are old enough to know not to put that picture frame in their mouth, my house will look like a picture from a magazine.
Blame this bug on the fact that I may be "nesting" as they put it. I feel the need to clean, organize, and decorate everything in our house. Not that I am, mind you, I just feel the need to. Blame the fact that I have always loved to decorate and organize my room/house. Blame the fact that it drives me crazy when our house is a mess. I don't know, but I do know that I want to take a shopping trip to Menards and Hobby Lobby to cure this disease.
Sadly, the cure for this disease involves two things that I am short on. Time and money. I feel like I could get a lot done right now but soon my world will be turned upside down for a while. Although, I'm feeling optimistic today and I want to say that even with baby #2 on the way I could still do some small projects after I recover from delivery and everything. So although time will be a challenge I don't see it as a complete road block.
So now about the money. Shoot. I would LOVE to go on a shopping spree and buy an actual matching bedroom set for us or beautiful paintings to put on our large white walls. I would even be thrifty to find a nice patio set for our deck but even thrifty shopping requires some money. We're not broke or living in poverty but our current budget doesn't exactly have the flexibility that I am dreaming of for this sort of shopping spree. Getting another job is way out of the question at the moment. My #1 job is raising my children right now. That's worth way more than a nicely decorated house.
So what can I do? How will I ever be cured of this bug? Thankfully, I have a medicine that takes longer to act but is just as effective as the real thing. Growing up, I watched my mom "suffer" with the same disease. She, however, learned to work with what she had. She became and still is very good at rearranging the same thing six times before she finds the PERFECT way it should be. She is good at using things that are free from nature to decorate. Not even Martha Stewart could arrange a vase of sticks to make it look the way my mom does. Then, slowly over time, she would accumulate new things as the money came in. Now, their house is beautiful and she doesn't have little kids anymore to destroy it :)
So I too shall take this medicine. I will work with what I have. I will be on the look out for things that are free or super cheap. I will take my time to make things the exact way I want. Perhaps, by the time my children are old enough to know not to put that picture frame in their mouth, my house will look like a picture from a magazine.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
I'll cheer for you
This post is dedicated to anyone who ever said the phrase "I'm not a runner" only to become one later in life.
I have a love/hate relationship with running. I love the fact that I can run. I hate how tired I am while I'm running. I love how I feel after a good run. I hate getting up early to go run. I love being in good shape. I hate having to limit the sweets and fast food. I love that I get to run to lose weight after this pregnancy. I hate that I can't start right now. I love to proudly wear my t-shirts from the races I'm run. I hate running for 30 minutes to get the shirt.
Are you one of those people? The ones who went through school thinking that the cross country team was insane? Did you hit your 20's and realize that your high school metabolism doesn't stick with you forever? Did your spouse, friend, or family member encourage you to train for a 5K or another race? I am, did, have done, and am being one of those people.
I am very proud of my husband. He too was one of the "I'm just not a runner" type of people. He has proven himself and others wrong. He will be running his first race on the 4th of July. I can not wait to cheer him on! I only wish I could run it with him. Was I his inspiration? Eh, probably not. Did I force him to start running since I'm the overbearing wife type who needs a trophy husband? I hope not! He actually decided to do this himself and I merely encouraged as best as I could. As I said before, I'm very proud of him.
No, this is not a mind blowing, deep blog that will change your beliefs about religion and the world. It is just an encouragement to those of you out there who were just like me. Don't tell me that you're not a runner. I used the same excuse. If you have two legs and can walk (without other health complications) you can train for your first race too. I will be happy to cheer you on.
I have a love/hate relationship with running. I love the fact that I can run. I hate how tired I am while I'm running. I love how I feel after a good run. I hate getting up early to go run. I love being in good shape. I hate having to limit the sweets and fast food. I love that I get to run to lose weight after this pregnancy. I hate that I can't start right now. I love to proudly wear my t-shirts from the races I'm run. I hate running for 30 minutes to get the shirt.
Are you one of those people? The ones who went through school thinking that the cross country team was insane? Did you hit your 20's and realize that your high school metabolism doesn't stick with you forever? Did your spouse, friend, or family member encourage you to train for a 5K or another race? I am, did, have done, and am being one of those people.
I am very proud of my husband. He too was one of the "I'm just not a runner" type of people. He has proven himself and others wrong. He will be running his first race on the 4th of July. I can not wait to cheer him on! I only wish I could run it with him. Was I his inspiration? Eh, probably not. Did I force him to start running since I'm the overbearing wife type who needs a trophy husband? I hope not! He actually decided to do this himself and I merely encouraged as best as I could. As I said before, I'm very proud of him.
No, this is not a mind blowing, deep blog that will change your beliefs about religion and the world. It is just an encouragement to those of you out there who were just like me. Don't tell me that you're not a runner. I used the same excuse. If you have two legs and can walk (without other health complications) you can train for your first race too. I will be happy to cheer you on.
Monday, June 27, 2011
The Honey Man
I'm back! I took a long weekend off from blogging as my husband and I were traveling but now it's back to the daily grind. Lucky for me, the weekend gave me some more ideas for posts. Today's post is dedicated to The Honey Man.
This past weekend my mom and I were able to visit our favorite farmer's market. It's right on Lake Michigan by the harbor. The weather was beautiful and everyone was in a good mood. We walked past all the different stands of fresh vegetables, herbs, bakeries, cheeses, salsas, etc... We walked up to the stand of The Honey Man.
The Honey Man looks just like how you'd imagine a honey man to look. He's older with white hair and a white beard. He wears glasses that you can only find in the grandpa section of a glasses store. He round, jolly, and has an accent that we're not quite sure of. It could be German but we're not positive. He wears a yellow apron to match his honey and sometimes wears a black hat that once again only grandpa's can pull off. He makes you smile when you see him.
My mom approached the honey stand with the purpose of buying a jar of honey along with some bees wax candles. I came along to admire all the different items on the stand. The Honey Man was more than happy to help my mom out with her purchase and joked around that he'd "lend" her some money to buy more. It was a typical and pleasant encounter at the farmer's market, but when he began talking to me, he made my day a little extra special.
It's quite obvious that I'm very pregnant. I am just entering my 9th month of this pregnancy. I often feel the stares of people as I walk by. I'm not sure if they've never seen a pregnant woman before or if we're just a more rare breed to find these days. Anyway, the fact that he noticed my expanding belly was no big surprise. What he did next, was.
The Honey Man looked at me, smiled, and said that he had something special for me. He reached into his basket of candies for sale and handed me a bag. Then he told me this. "These are for you, to celebrate your new child. Children are one of the greatest blessings that God gives and you will be very happy because of them. May God bless you and your little one."
Wow. Did that just happen? Did someone just say something 100% positive to me about the fact that I'm having children? Where was the sarcastic remark? Where was the look of "why in the world would you want children"? I didn't doubt his sincerity for a second, but how sad that it surprise me so much.
Oh society, how many things are wrong with you? Let me count the ways. Well, I wont count the ways but I will say that something is wrong when children are considered one of the lowest blessings you can have on this earth. I wont get into why that is because then I'd be writing for a week. It's no secret that money, looks, cars, one's individuality, and so on are held on pedestals. It's all about me me me in today's world. Again, that's no secret. But thank you to "The Honey Men/Women" out there. Those of you who understand that there's more to life than the vain things and especially to those of you who aren't afraid to say it. Don't let the outspoken people silence you. Don't be afraid to say positive things to people and to encourage them. Your comments are appreciated.
Thank you, Honey Man. Thank you for your blessing and thank you for the candies :)
This past weekend my mom and I were able to visit our favorite farmer's market. It's right on Lake Michigan by the harbor. The weather was beautiful and everyone was in a good mood. We walked past all the different stands of fresh vegetables, herbs, bakeries, cheeses, salsas, etc... We walked up to the stand of The Honey Man.
The Honey Man looks just like how you'd imagine a honey man to look. He's older with white hair and a white beard. He wears glasses that you can only find in the grandpa section of a glasses store. He round, jolly, and has an accent that we're not quite sure of. It could be German but we're not positive. He wears a yellow apron to match his honey and sometimes wears a black hat that once again only grandpa's can pull off. He makes you smile when you see him.
My mom approached the honey stand with the purpose of buying a jar of honey along with some bees wax candles. I came along to admire all the different items on the stand. The Honey Man was more than happy to help my mom out with her purchase and joked around that he'd "lend" her some money to buy more. It was a typical and pleasant encounter at the farmer's market, but when he began talking to me, he made my day a little extra special.
It's quite obvious that I'm very pregnant. I am just entering my 9th month of this pregnancy. I often feel the stares of people as I walk by. I'm not sure if they've never seen a pregnant woman before or if we're just a more rare breed to find these days. Anyway, the fact that he noticed my expanding belly was no big surprise. What he did next, was.
The Honey Man looked at me, smiled, and said that he had something special for me. He reached into his basket of candies for sale and handed me a bag. Then he told me this. "These are for you, to celebrate your new child. Children are one of the greatest blessings that God gives and you will be very happy because of them. May God bless you and your little one."
Wow. Did that just happen? Did someone just say something 100% positive to me about the fact that I'm having children? Where was the sarcastic remark? Where was the look of "why in the world would you want children"? I didn't doubt his sincerity for a second, but how sad that it surprise me so much.
Oh society, how many things are wrong with you? Let me count the ways. Well, I wont count the ways but I will say that something is wrong when children are considered one of the lowest blessings you can have on this earth. I wont get into why that is because then I'd be writing for a week. It's no secret that money, looks, cars, one's individuality, and so on are held on pedestals. It's all about me me me in today's world. Again, that's no secret. But thank you to "The Honey Men/Women" out there. Those of you who understand that there's more to life than the vain things and especially to those of you who aren't afraid to say it. Don't let the outspoken people silence you. Don't be afraid to say positive things to people and to encourage them. Your comments are appreciated.
Thank you, Honey Man. Thank you for your blessing and thank you for the candies :)
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Big Black Spider!
Here I am at day three of my blogging excursion! So what's on my mind today? Lots of stuff about this and that but one thought that comes screaming back into my head every time I pass the basement door is BIG BLACK SPIDER.
That's right. This morning I had an encounter with a giant and hairy black spider. The worst part is, it was in the shower. Ahhh!!! There I was, minding my own business when I looked up and saw him creeping along the ceiling right above the shower. Thankfully, I was not in the shower yet or my scream would have been louder, but the sight of him was enough for me to call for my knight in shining armor.
That's right. I am a huge scared-y cat when it comes to bugs. I can handle a lot of things. I consider myself a fairly independent and confident woman who can roll with the punches pretty well but bugs...NO. In fact, anything with more than four legs is not welcome in my house. (Even some four legged creatures are questionable) Don't try to tell me that I'm 1,000,000,000 times their size. It doesn't help. I hate bugs.
Back to the spider in the shower. Like I said, I called for my husband, who was already on his way after hearing my scream. Together we entered the danger zone where I was ready to point out the evil creature that had broken its way into our home. But he was gone. Shoot. Where did he go? I was now on high alert as I stood in the room behind my husband. My eyes peeled on any and every movement. How could he have escaped so fast? He was hiding. Waiting for me to be alone again. I wouldn't let him get away with it.
I then convinced my husband to get our son and stay in the bathroom with me while I showered so that he could save me in case the spider returned for another round of scare the poor pregnant lady. My wonderful and very caring husband agreed and kept watch as I quickly showered. As caring as my husband was to help me, I know he figured I was crazy. I tried to explain to him that the spider was so big it had a shadow! He then tried to explain to me that everything has a shadow despite how big it is. I can never win a argument of logic with him.
Anyway, I've made more trips down to the crime scene today but haven't seen my enemy crawling around. I still fear of another attack only this time no one will be around to hear my scream. The war is on. BIG BLACK SPIDER may have won the first battle, but the war is not over until my husband squishes and flushes him down the toilet. Beware black spider...beware.
That's right. This morning I had an encounter with a giant and hairy black spider. The worst part is, it was in the shower. Ahhh!!! There I was, minding my own business when I looked up and saw him creeping along the ceiling right above the shower. Thankfully, I was not in the shower yet or my scream would have been louder, but the sight of him was enough for me to call for my knight in shining armor.
That's right. I am a huge scared-y cat when it comes to bugs. I can handle a lot of things. I consider myself a fairly independent and confident woman who can roll with the punches pretty well but bugs...NO. In fact, anything with more than four legs is not welcome in my house. (Even some four legged creatures are questionable) Don't try to tell me that I'm 1,000,000,000 times their size. It doesn't help. I hate bugs.
Back to the spider in the shower. Like I said, I called for my husband, who was already on his way after hearing my scream. Together we entered the danger zone where I was ready to point out the evil creature that had broken its way into our home. But he was gone. Shoot. Where did he go? I was now on high alert as I stood in the room behind my husband. My eyes peeled on any and every movement. How could he have escaped so fast? He was hiding. Waiting for me to be alone again. I wouldn't let him get away with it.
I then convinced my husband to get our son and stay in the bathroom with me while I showered so that he could save me in case the spider returned for another round of scare the poor pregnant lady. My wonderful and very caring husband agreed and kept watch as I quickly showered. As caring as my husband was to help me, I know he figured I was crazy. I tried to explain to him that the spider was so big it had a shadow! He then tried to explain to me that everything has a shadow despite how big it is. I can never win a argument of logic with him.
Anyway, I've made more trips down to the crime scene today but haven't seen my enemy crawling around. I still fear of another attack only this time no one will be around to hear my scream. The war is on. BIG BLACK SPIDER may have won the first battle, but the war is not over until my husband squishes and flushes him down the toilet. Beware black spider...beware.
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