Friday Follow & Happy Birthday to me!

WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME! I'm so glad you stopped by. Take a minute,  look around, leave a comment. I LOVE comments. If you feel so inclined click on that little follow button to the right, OR on the facebook follow button just below it. And if your blog is looking for some new bling, please feel free to grab my button :)


Today I have lived a quarter of a century. A year ago  I was dreading this birthday. I didn't feel as if I had accomplished something worthy of a quarter century celebration. I had checked off one of the big things on my life list, I was married, and while that is wonderful, it wasn't enough. Then, 1 week after my 24th birthday, I poas and got a BIG FAT POSITIVE. We were pregnant.This year, I celebrate my birthday as a mommy, and it feels right.

Last night I went out with two of my besties. We went on a mommie's night out WITH the children. 3 mommies, 3 strollers, 4 kiddos. We hit up Burlington looking for a bday outfit for me and I walked away with a pair of comfy play pants, seemingly momish but that makes me happy too. Then we went to Steak-n-Shake, for burgers, fries, and the most wonderful shakes. I gave myself the birthday present of locking my keys in the car and was very happy that I had made Sean put the extra set to my car on his key chain so he knew just where they were. I love my girls who weren't put out at all having to wait in the parking lot with kiddies who were getting beyond tired but instead laughed and chatted and made me not feel like such a duns by regaling me we stories of silly things they have done instead.

Today I am off to breakfast and a movie with my mommy and my daughter. We'll see how Ella Grace handles the Matinée. Haha.

Have a great day!

Thankful Thursaday- Quarter Century Edition

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
~ Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

You might have noticed that this is a special Thankful Thursay post. A quarter century post. Tomorrow I turn 25 so I though I would list 25 things I'm thankful for.

1. I am thankful for parents who raised me to see God in the world around me and to seek Him in all things.

2. I am thankful for life long girl friends. I love you Gracie &  Renee.

3. I am thankful for the love and laughter I share with my husband. I love you Sean.

4. I am thankful for my beautiful daughter Ella Grace. The best present I ever received. I loved you before you were even an embryo in my womb and I love you more and more each day.

5. I am thankful for a little brother who comes over to hold the baby when I need to take care of something and who I can still laugh with. You were my first friend and I will love you always bug.

6. I am thankful for music. Loud music to sing with the windows down, soft music to lull my daughter to sleep, and slow music to dance to in the rain.

7. I am thankful for creative outlets. Photograph, sewing, writing, baking. Ways I show who I am.

8. I am thankful for God's providing hand. I may not have things the way I want them, but he makes sure we are taken care of.

9. I am thankful for laughter in my marriage.

10. I am thankful for new friends.

11. I am thankful for baby smiles that make my whole life have new meaning.

12. I am thankful for Elmo. Song or tv he stops my babies crying and gives me a minute to go to the bathroom.

13. I am thankful for my grandparents who are here to love my my daughter and be a part of her life.

14. I am thankful for rice pudding. It's not helping my weight loss, but it does seem to help my sanity.

15. I am thankful for the hour that my daughter spends paying alone in the morning while I doze on the floor next to her.

16. I am thankful for my daughter, did I say that already? Oh well I'm doubly thankful for her.

17. I am thankful for in-laws who love me and help more than they should.

18. I am thankful that God has helped me to gain control over my anxiety without the daily use of medication.

19. I am thankful for friends who tell me I look good. I mean really, those are great friends.

20. I am thankful that my daughters father loves her and me and wants to be with us forever. I love you Sean.

21. I am thankful for Godly people who pray for my family. All of my family.

22. I am thankful that I haven't sat on the floor crying and overwhelmed with mommy-hood in 3 months.

23. I am thankful for the sun shining and the rain falling. I love them both, even more when they are at the same time.

24. I am thankful for baby laughs when I want to cry.

25. I am thankful that God has brought me through 25 years and is still molding me into who he wants me to be.

Mommy to the rescue! or not?

I read an article on PBS.com this morning about running to your children's rescue when they forget things like lunches, homework, and other items they might need while at school. It posed the question of when NOT helping sends the wrong message. The writer was a you forgot it you have to live with it kind of mommy. She wanted to instill responsibility for oneself in her children. But watching her daughters unwillingness to help out those around her made her wonder if she had gone too far.

I know that I called my parents plenty with "I forgot." And be it homework, shorts for soccer practice, or my lunch, they rarely said no. Did this harm me? There are times that I still forget things, but I do not expect others to break their backs to help me. I do try and help those around me and with compassion I hope. I can't wait for Ella Grace to call me and need me to help her. That is something I consider to be the roll of a mommy, or daddy.

I have a running joke with my dad. I call and ask for "daddy rescue" when I really need help, and in return, he racks up "life credits." Now, I am an adult, and married with a child of my own, but every now and then I still need daddy's help. But more frequently he is calling and cashing in those life credits. Now,  I don't know that I will ever be able to re-pay all of his help, but I don't think he really ever expected me too.

what do you think?


ARTICLE ON PBS

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...it's nearly 90 today but I am thankful for the sun!
I am thinking...of how much I need to do so we can move at the end of July.
I am thankful for...my father.
From the kitchen...spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic toast...mmmm.
I am wearing...yoga pants and a nursing tank.
I am creating...a family notebook, tye-dye onesies, and blankies for my pregnant girls.
I am going...to try and sleep very soon.
I am reading...a bunch of really great blogs, my new Women's Daily, and a vampire book.
I am hoping... for healing.
I am hearing... Ella Grace's swing.
Around the house... things are in relative order, but as always I still see a lot that need to be done.
One of my favorite things... lavender, the smell and the color.
A few plans for the rest of the week: babysitting, sewing, and MY BIRTHDAY!
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

The First Four Months In Photographs

Friday Follow!

I have not participated in Friday Follow the past two weeks during my computer vaca, and I've missed reading new blogs and meeting new bloggers. I'm excited for today! Please read through my blog and comment. I LOVE comments. Who doesn't love comments?

Mommy Moments

There are moments everyday where I look at Ella Grace and think, "wow, that's my daugter." Sometimes I feel like her mommy, other times I say it out loud because it still doesn't fell like part of who I am. Then there are the moments, that I feel it, and anyone around would easily say, "she's a mom."

I'm not talking about when I'm nursing or something as equally obviously mommy. But moments where I'm caught off guard and surprise myself with the mommy finesse I have acquired some where during my 9 months of pregnancy and 4 months of mommy hood.

Today, I had a mommy moment of epic proportions. In the morning we wake up around 7am. Ella Grace nurses and then we doze and/or play in bed until around 8:30 or 9:00. When we come down Ella Grace plays either in her swing or on her floor mat while I get my own food, check my email, go to the bathroom. Whatever it is that I need 15 minutes to do. Today, it was the swing, and Ella Grace used her 15 minutes of alone time very constructively. Creating a huge poopy mess. I smelled it before I saw it. And I unfortunately felt it before I saw it as well. Up her back, down her legs, all over the swing. Sweet, ripe, smelly, baby poo. I unbuckled her and warmed at the wonderful smile she gave me, little did I know that behind that smile was a huge "ha ha mommy, you're gonna say eww in a minute." As I picked her up from the swing I felt it, slippery moisture on her back. I didn't even need to look to know what it was, but i turned her to survey the damage none the less. Wow! Her entire back up to between  her shoulder blades was a giant mess of poo.

With my mommy hat firmly in place, I set to the task of cleaning her up. I put her on her belly in the pnp (pack-n-play) and worked at getting her onesie off without getting baby poop all over the place. I cleaned her back before I even took off the diaper and had just rolled her over to start the task of removing the diaper when there was  knock on the door. UPS. Ugh. So, knowing that I had the messy parts cleaned up I ran to the door. I'm sure I looked frazzled when I opened the door. I hadn't showered yet, and I realized as I stood there that I still had  wipes in my hand. He asked me to sign and I looked down at my hands, looked back at him, and said "give me a minute I need to go wash my hands." There was no way I was going to take his pen when I knew good and well there was at least a little poo on me. He looked at the wipes in my hand and said not to worry about it and have a good day.

As I walked back to Ella, I smiled. I'm a mommy.