Life Lesson Of The Day

For the record, don't ever, 

and I mean EVER, 

slice up jalapenos and then put your hands to your lips before washing them.

You will thank me, I promise.

My Kid Is So Weird - And I LOVE It!!!

Today Finley spent her morning licking the different textures of her touch-and-feel books.

I love that kid.

Just Another Mom Of The Year Moment. No Big Deal.

Last night my husband informed me that he would be leaving the DirecTV boxes outside in the morning because the post office would be picking them up. I thought, "Awesome, we can finally get them out of our entry way!" Easy, right? Hmmm.

This morning, I go about my business. Doing laundry, cleaning up cheerios, wiping up vomit (reflux, I HATE YOU!), hauling around a 22lb baby, making beds, dusting, etc. You know...the usual.

Around 12, I stuck Finley in her high chair and plopped the computer on the table so she could watch an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I made her lunch and threw in the last of the laundry. While I was in my bedroom, I heard a knock at the front door, buttttt, since I never answer the door if I'm not expecting someone, I just ignored it and went about my business.

Two minutes later, I heard a knock at the side door, which enters into the dining room. I thought to myself, "Wow, they are persistent...and now I have to answer the door because they can plainly see the baby through the window....

....sitting there by herself watching a video while I am nowhere to be found." Strike one.

I quickly get my buns to the door and whip it open. But, since I'm a SAHM who gets puked on at least twice a day, I am most definitely not put together. Not only am I still in my pajamas, they are the rattiest, nastiest, oldest pajamas I own. I mean, the sweatshirt was so old I had the entire collar ripped off and the shoulders slid halfway down my arms. The pants? Bleach-stained and hole-y. My hair was a rat's nest because of course I hadn't showered yet. And I was wearing fuzzy slippers.

Strike two.

Well, the postman tells me that my husband did not leave the boxes outside like he was supposed to. So I find them and haul them to the side door (I mean, these things were heavy, and there were four of them!), and I see him just eye-balling the room. I know he must be thinking what a disaster I am, but really, no big deal right?

Wrong.

As I close the door and turn around, I notice that the only thing on the table besides the computer (and right next to the computer, of course)...
.
...is the empty beer bottle from last night's dinner.

Awesome. He thinks I'm THAT MOM.

Just another day in paradise lol.

So Maybe God Does "Do" Signs

So, I've been watching this awesome, AWESOME parenting/relationship series by Andy Stanley of North Point Church Community Church (check it out, you won't be sorry), and it got me looking around for a new church in my area. 

Online, I found a little place I thought I might want to attend and they had a link to click so they could send me info. Of course I fill it out because I'm a freak and I LOVE reading material. 

Well,  wouldn't you know it - today in the mail I received Andy Stanley's How Good Is Good Enough from them! 

I think it was a sign!

There's Something To Be Said For Domesticity

**Let me start by saying that I almost didn't publish this post, because it makes me feel selfish and like I am a bad mom. But I decided if even ONE mom out there, who is struggling to find herself within the messy confines of wife and mommy-hood, reads this and realizes she's not alone (and that it does get better and it's worth it!!), then I'll take the heat from those who don't understand. 

The other day, a family member of mine wrote this blog post. As a new mother, one who has worked all her life up until her child was born and has a creative/impulsive streak not to be believed, I could completely relate. 

Some days, I wish I could pick up and run away - and be free from all constraints. No obligations, no schedule, no planning - just me doing what feels right, when it feels right. I'm a free-spirit. I'm a creative soul. And sometimes, I feel like a flower that is wilting because I can't quite reach the sunlight. 

Sometimes, I lay in bed at night over-whelmed with the monotony that faces me the next day.

But, I love my husband, I love my daughter, and I chose them - which means I chose the obligations, I chose the schedule, I chose the planning. So I do it (and, man, I do it WELL!). Is it right? Is it healthy? I'm not sure. But I pray on it every night and every morning that God will bring some balance into my life so I'm not ALL selfish and not ALL giving.

And he has.

Because then, there are days like this. When I am so in love with staying home. When I  realize how LUCKY I am to see every "first", to be her consistency, to know her every cry/laugh/whimper/hum and know exactly what it means. Days when I am simmering a stew in the slow cooker and I have all of my fall candles burning. Days when we are listening to Halloween music and dancing around the house, laughing until we can't breathe. These are the days I love, the days I cherish, the days I never - ever - want to let go of.

I try very, very hard to never take what I have for granted, because I know if it was ever taken from me I would be broken.

My sweet, sweet pumpkin :)

3D magic in Disney!

Tuckered out.

More pumpkins!

My happy, happy girl :)

Sleepy baby.

My faves :)

Just hanging out with my girl.

Feeling At PeaceThis Morning

First off - let me PLEASE apologize for my M.I.A. status lately. I accidentally stabbed myself with a carving fork (3 separate punctures) and couldn't use my hand for awhile, and then it all got away from me. And I've missed it.

But on to today!

Lately, I've been very envious of others. It's a trait I'm not proud of - one I've battled for most of my life, in fact. I tend to see others' good fortune as a slight to myself (ridiculous, I know!). Sometimes I feel like Geoff and I work so hard for every scrap of goodness we have...then to see others have things just handed to them - ugh, it just makes me so jealous. And that is an UGLY way to feel.

This morning, though, I feel renewed! As I sipped my coffee, I thought about how at peace I felt. Finally content. I have a blessed life. I have a wonderful husband who works so, so hard to provide for his family; a beautiful daughter whose laughs and smiles just make my heart melt; a new and profound relationship with the Lord; a crazy, funny, outrageous extended family, that I love to spend time with; a roof over my head...and the list continues!

Today I challenge you to think about all of the gifts and goodies you do have instead of focusing on those that you don't. I promise you that you will feel uplifted when you realize how full your life is!

Mom Of The Year Alert!

F loves when I "spray" her with my water bottle (it's makes a big POOF and blows air in her face). 

Well, I was trying to do it, but wasn't close enough, so she wasn't getting the poof. 

So, I get up nice and close, aim the water bottles, and then SPLASH! 

A big stream of ice cold water directly in her eye!

Poor kid! 

But I can't help cackling about it, because her expression was freaking priceless!

 And then she belly laughed, which made me feel a lot better, too!

Now, where's my award!?

Let Me Just Be Perfectly Clear...

Separating frozen hamburgers with one of those giant, super-sharp carving forks? 

Yeah, it won't end well.

Wounded.

Frazzled!

Little Miss F is driving me ba-nay-nay the last few days!

I have a cranky, clingy baby who is frustrated with not being completely mobile and has a mouth full of sore gums.

Poor goob.

Poor me. 

She won't nap, she won't play, she won't stop fussing. She just wants me to hold her.

And I can't just hold her and sit. I have to hold her and walk.

And walk. And walk. And walk.

Hey - maybe I'll finally lose the baby weight? Silver lining, and all that jazz, right? ;)

I Have A 9 Month Old - Yowza!

Nine months ago, little Miss F graced us with her presence. I can't believe how much she's grown!!! 

At her check-up yesterday, she weighed 17lbs, 15oz and was 27.5 inches long - WOW! 

11.5 lbs and 8 inches bigger than when she popped out!

How is that even possible?!

It has always amazed me how fast and how much babies change in their first year of life.

Never again will this much happen so quickly.

They are amazing little monsters, no?

F's 1st Day - what a peanut!

F taking control of the remote this week - such a big girl!

Just Gotta Trust

So, I'm lucky enough to be a SAHM. My husband provides so well for my daughter and I - we're truly blessed.

But that doesn't mean we don't have tough times. The cost of living is going up and up and up. We've cut back on the big things (bye-bye DirecTV...), and we budget like maniacs, but it's still stressful - I mean, our student loans are about as much as a mortgage!

On Monday night I was doing the bills and just thinking to myself how I really needed to go back to work to help support my family. I didn't want to put the whole burden on my husband, and even though it meant finding childcare for F (and the thought of that ripped my guts out), I thought I really needed to help.

I talked to G about it, and he said he wanted me home with F, and we would be alright. I didn't believe him.

That night I prayed. I told God I would do whatever he wanted me to do. If he wanted me home with F, I would stay home. If he wanted me to help support my family financially, I would get a job. I just needed him to make it clear what his desire was for me.

Yesterday, G calls out of the blue to tell me that he had his annual review (which was a bit late). He told me that he got a $2 an hour raise and, get this, it was going to be retroactive back to his DATE OF HIRE. Which was almost 18 months ago!

WHAT?! If that wasn't God telling me what he wanted, I don't know what would be!

I just gotta trust. I know God provides. 

So, Let's Get Real For A Second

(Don't mind the sweet potato-stained bib!)

How did you know you were ready for more babies (and by babies, I mean craziness)?

G and I have been talking more and more about baby numero dos. After I had Baby F, I thought that was it. I was in the love bubble and I was perfectly content to be a mom of one. No more for me - check, please!

But, now that she's going to be 9 months next week (ugh!!!! makes me so sad!!!), I've started thinking that maybe another isn't such a bad idea. It's not that I feel our family is incomplete - I'd be perfectly happy to have my one sweet baby - but I really want to give F a sibling. 

I have visions of Christmas 2 years from now - both kids are high off Christmas magic and egg nog, running around in matching holiday PJs, Mickey's Christmas Carol blaring in the background, and the air full of excited giggles ('cuz Santa's coming!!)... 

And that vision just makes my heart swell!

I'm fully aware my second child may be a beast. 

I know that two in diapers will be a challenge.

I'm positive there will be days I'm crying on the bathroom floor wondering why I had kids.

But, I also think all of the tough days will be worth it. 

I mean, think of the giggles!

Why Mondays Are The Worst:

1. Hubs is back at work, and he has to work a double. 

He left at 6a and won't be back until almost 9p.

2. It's pouring rain and thundering & lightening

 - and I have to drag the baby out to Target.

3. Baby won't nap. 'Nuff said.

4. I have a paper due in my history class tonight 

and I'm having trouble tweaking it due to reason #3.

5. I ate like a pig this weekend

and now I'm paying for it.

But Why Mondays Aren't So Bad:

Happy Baby :)

So Here's What I'm Thinking...

I like pictures. And I take lots of them.

I'm thinking Friday will be a dedicated "My Week In Pictures" Day. 

Thoughts?

It's just like...well, Fridays are TOUGH. Everyone is so anxious for their weekend that they don't want to read. They want to look. And laugh. And maybe have a margarita or two - I mean, it must be 5 o'clock somewhere, right? Friday is all about keeping it mellow. 

So now, without further adieu, I give you:

Our Week In Pictures

Unfortunately our life was a little boring this week! We are having a BIG cookout tomorrow, so we've been cleaning and stocking up on food this week. Pictures next Friday should be much more fun!

You Know You're A Mother When....

...the baby in the house behind yours is screaming, and even though you're sure the parents (probably) have it under control, you still want to run out of your house and storm troop the neighbor's. 

I am currently sitting next to the window, listening intently to make sure that baby is ok. 

I'm an all-inclusive mama-bear.

(Oh my GOD, this is stressing me out!)

Something Big Is About To Happen

I feel it. 

I don't know what it's going to be - but I just know that in the next 12 months, my life is going to change in a BIG way. I've been praying nonstop for the Big G-O-D to help me find my path - to help keep my eyes, ears, and heart open for the opportunity intended for me. 

I think He's listening :) 

And now, for your viewing pleasure - since, you know, this is a mommy blog, after all:

This was taken months ago, but it's my favorite picture of the two of us. 

She is so less than thrilled that I am loving on her LOL.

Sometimes I Just Want To Crawl Into The Crib And Snuggle With Her

Cuz she's just so dang cute. Can you blame me?

Oh, Did I Tell You About The Time I Leaned In Poop?

I didn't? Oh, that's right. It just happened.

So, I'm changing Baby F (who, p.s., is now doing this thing when I change her where she looks like an exorcism is being performed on her. She does a "bridge" and balances on her tippy toes and her noggin. Very safe, very safe...) and she starts to reach back for her baby lotion. I, being the very best mother in the world, lean forward to grab it, forgetting that there is an open diaper with a massive dump in it just resting there before my belly.

And I lean, no - squash, my stomach into the poop-filled diaper. To the point where I could feel it on my skin.

Sometimes, motherhood is...indescribable. :-P

Just Because I Miss The Guy

I think I want my husband to come home early from work.

In fact, I know I do. 

I miss his guts. That is all.

He's cute, right?

One thing I did not anticipate about parenthood was the fear.

The all-consuming, never-ending, paralyzing fear. And fear about everything.

It really first started during pregnancy. I worried about a miscarriage. I worried about if I was eating well enough, exercising enough, getting in enough water. I worried before every appointment that we wouldn't hear the heartbeat, and before every ultrasound that we'd see a defect. But then out she popped, perfectly healthy. Relief, right?

Wrong. After she was born I was paralyzed by the thought of SIDS. I worried that when I picked her up, I would snap her in half. I worried that she wasn't eating enough, that she was eating too much, that I was ruining her completely.

Now that's she's 8 months old, I finally let her sleep in her own room (I still check to make sure she's breathing every time I wake up, though) and I'm not afraid of snapping her like a twig anymore. She's pretty resilient and I've grown more confident in my abilities and decisions. Still, there is always that undercurrent terror. It's almost as if I'm constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Lately, I've been worrying about her development. She seems a bit behind others her age. And while I know that all babies develop at their own pace, some much faster than others, I can't help but feel she's delayed. And I don't know how to help her.

We have her 9-month check up at the end of next week. I'm anxious. I just want all to be well!

I'm 98% Sure I Was An Elf In My Last Life.

Yes, it was 90-something degrees today. And yes, I'm listening to the Disney Christmas station on Pandora. Because:


I. 


Live. 


FOR CHRISTMAS.


I'm so super-crazy-outrageously beyond excited for the Christmas season this year! The one thing I dreamt about my whole pregnancy was all of the holiday traditions I would start with my new little family. Cookies, decorating, Christmas music dance-fests - I can't wait for any of it! And look at these super cute ideas I've found on Pinterest:


Decorating ice cream cones like Christmas Trees?? Amazing! 
(courtesy of http://www.couponclippingcook.com)



Elf Donuts?? Love it!
(courtesy of http://unconfidentialcook.com)



Christmas Eve book mailed by the Big Man in Red HIMSELF??? Priceless!
(courtesy of http://www.bigdandme.com)





Seriously, can't it be Christmas NOW?!

I Am What I Am, And That's All That I Am

That Popeye was one smart fella, huh?

I hate these intro posts. They're so lame. But, it has to be done. Otherwise, how will you know who is talking with you?? So, here it goes:

Hi! I'm Megan, and really...I'm just your average mom. I cook decent meals, I clean a lot of spit up, and I wash/fold/put away an average of 10 loads of laundry a week (yes, there really is that much spit up...). I'm known as "Mamamamama" to my beautiful 8-month old daughter and as "Babe/Meg/Hey!" to my rockstar husband, G.

I'm writing this blog for all of you other average moms out there. We're not the Momstars that have every craft meticulously planned from now until Kindergarten. Sometimes our kids might get a cookie or two (gasp!). Maybe you believe that sometimes your kid just has to cry, because dammit, you had to pee!

We're the moms that do the best we can. It's messy. It's wild. But, damn if it isn't fun! We fly by the seat of our pants and love on our kids every chance we get.

I'm tired of feeling crappy for not being perfect. And I bet you do to. So let's rejoice in being ordinary!

(It's gotta be exhausting being perfect, no?)