Thursday, January 9, 2014
Do you have a song?
I have had 2 boyfriends my whole life. I dated others, but can only call 2 of them boyfriends. I remember when I was a young teenager, maybe even still a pre-teen, I would hear how couples had "their song". I didn't really get it. How can a song be a couple's song? I didn't have a song with my first boyfriend, but with Chris we do. The first time we dated back in 2001 (for those of you who didn't know, we dated for about 3 months before his senior year of high school, but then broke up. It wasn't until May of 2006 that we dated again) we were watching The Exorcist (romantic, right?) and the VHS (yes, you read that right) went blank. So we took it out of the tape player and Train was performing "Drops of Jupiter" on the Tonight Show. It was my first time to hear that song and I fell in love with it. After the song was over we got in the car to return the movie to Blockbuster and we turned on the radio and it was playing again. Coincidence? Probably. Well, when we got to Blockbuster their music video was playing on the television. Another coincidence? I think not! We immediately knew that was our song, and it has been ever since. During the 5 years that I pined away for Chris, whenever I wanted to really picture him and me together, I would play that song and go to my happy place. To some that might be creepy, but I just love how a song can take you right back to what you were doing the first time you heard it. And for me, that was cuddling next to my, at the time, boyfriend, happier beyond words. Not long after we started dating again in 2006 I was headed over to his place and "Drops of Jupiter" came on the radio. I knew that would be "our song" forever. If we would have had a first dance at our wedding, it would have been to that song. I hope that every time I hear it, I am reminded of how much I love him (and some of our first kisses) and am so blessed that God brought us back together after 5 years apart.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Pregnancy
I finally uploaded all my pictures and videos from my phone to my computer. It had been almost 2 years. Oops. I love watching videos of when my babies were babies. I love babies. I love the sleepless nights, I love trying to figure out why they are crying, I love being one of two people who knows them best in the world, I love watching them discover their fingers and toes. I could go on and on. I am so excited to be Rocky's (I promise we are working on a real name) mama. It took us right at 6 months to get pregnant with him so sometimes it feels like I've been pregnant for over a year and I just can't wait until he's here.
That being said, I am one of the worst pregnant women you will ever meet. This pregnancy in particular has been rough. I was really sick for the first 22 weeks and didn't contribute much to helping around the house. I was extremely tired and made Chris let me sleep in on Saturdays. Then I had about 2 weeks of feeling great, so I went walking (running was a hilarious sight to see, so I stuck with the basics). Then I got the flu which I didn't take medicine for because I am one of those people who like for my body to heal itself. That took a good 2 weeks, which then turned into a sinus infection. Finally, as of 2 days ago, I am 100% better. I was sick for a solid 4 weeks. Miserable.
Rocky has decided to grow a whole bunch this week, and, Lord willing, will continue that for the next 9 weeks. My torso, on the other hand, is mad that it's stretching. I'm 5'4'', and my torso makes up about 7'' of that. I'm not kidding. It's tinier than tiny. In fact when I put both of my hands on my belly, they don't fit. Only 1 1/2 do. So I am feeling every bit of the stretching. I make the most absurd noises when I bend down to pick up anything, tie my shoes, sit on the floor, you name it. Most people ask me (if they are within ear shot) if I'm okay. I just tell them Rocky is in the way. I also maintain a horrible diet. I can't help it. I eat all my fruits and veggies, but I tend to over eat with the not so good food. I have a sweet tooth like you can't imagine and it gets the best of me during pregnancy. But, thank the Lord, Chris doesn't care how fat I get, so I keep eating and having him go on chocolate runs for me.
As soon as I deliver Rocky and get the thumbs up from my doctor I am going to do Shawn T's Focus T 25. That's about all the time I have to commit to working out... 25 minutes. I will make a huge effort to go on walks with kids and ride bikes and spend a lot of time outdoors so that I can exercise in other ways than just videos, but I am really excited to start Focus T 25.
I am so thankful I have a husband who has loved every form my body has taken in the last 6 years. I know there are women out there who can't say that. Sometimes I am convinced that he likes me a little meatier (I won't go into detail as to why because my mother reads this :)). I am truly truly blessed by my family.
That being said, I am one of the worst pregnant women you will ever meet. This pregnancy in particular has been rough. I was really sick for the first 22 weeks and didn't contribute much to helping around the house. I was extremely tired and made Chris let me sleep in on Saturdays. Then I had about 2 weeks of feeling great, so I went walking (running was a hilarious sight to see, so I stuck with the basics). Then I got the flu which I didn't take medicine for because I am one of those people who like for my body to heal itself. That took a good 2 weeks, which then turned into a sinus infection. Finally, as of 2 days ago, I am 100% better. I was sick for a solid 4 weeks. Miserable.
Rocky has decided to grow a whole bunch this week, and, Lord willing, will continue that for the next 9 weeks. My torso, on the other hand, is mad that it's stretching. I'm 5'4'', and my torso makes up about 7'' of that. I'm not kidding. It's tinier than tiny. In fact when I put both of my hands on my belly, they don't fit. Only 1 1/2 do. So I am feeling every bit of the stretching. I make the most absurd noises when I bend down to pick up anything, tie my shoes, sit on the floor, you name it. Most people ask me (if they are within ear shot) if I'm okay. I just tell them Rocky is in the way. I also maintain a horrible diet. I can't help it. I eat all my fruits and veggies, but I tend to over eat with the not so good food. I have a sweet tooth like you can't imagine and it gets the best of me during pregnancy. But, thank the Lord, Chris doesn't care how fat I get, so I keep eating and having him go on chocolate runs for me.
As soon as I deliver Rocky and get the thumbs up from my doctor I am going to do Shawn T's Focus T 25. That's about all the time I have to commit to working out... 25 minutes. I will make a huge effort to go on walks with kids and ride bikes and spend a lot of time outdoors so that I can exercise in other ways than just videos, but I am really excited to start Focus T 25.
I am so thankful I have a husband who has loved every form my body has taken in the last 6 years. I know there are women out there who can't say that. Sometimes I am convinced that he likes me a little meatier (I won't go into detail as to why because my mother reads this :)). I am truly truly blessed by my family.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Some photos for your enjoyment
Here's what we've been up to lately... at least through pictures
Our entire house caught the flu. It was miserable, but I got to spend quite a bit of time with this little love
Practicing washing a baby, and in the meantime falling in love with dolls
Getting new shoes for Christmas
Getting the rest of the Ninja Turtles collection
Spending time with "semi cousins"
Refusing to smile for mommy
Playing with friends at our new house
And falling in love with comic books, which makes daddy very happy
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
New Year's past
Flashback to New Year's Eve 2005. I was single and had a MAD crush on Chris Munselle. He had been dating a girl for almost 4 years, but I knew he was meant to marry me, not her. So, I did what all girls with crushes did. I threw a New Year's Eve party (Chris and my brother, Scotty, had been best friends for a long time so Chris was over whenever he was in town) in hopes he would come. Chris's band, Barefoot, had just gotten off tour with Ashlee Simpson so I knew he was home and I knew if I had a "joint" party with my brother, Chris would come. And I was right. However, he brought his girlfriend with him (like all good boyfriends should do). At midnight I just HAD to kiss Chris (because, like I said, I knew we were meant to be together) so I went around to every single guy at my parents house and kissed their cheek just so I could kiss Chris's cheek. I made his girlfriend mad, as I'm sure I would have been mad had some ex-girlfriend of my current boyfriend (confusing? yes) just kissed his cheek, but I didn't care. And you know what? 2 months later Chris and her broke up and 3 months after that Chris and I started dating. I was right all along :)
So long 2013
Hello 2014! I must say, I'm excited about 2014. First off, I don't really like odd ending numbers (I know, I'm weird). Secondly, I will be a mama to 3 awesome children! Obviously I'm most excited about that. I already know Josiah and Layla will be great with Rocky. Side note: we have been calling him Rocky since I was 10 weeks pregnant because when I showed Josiah a picture of the sonogram and told him that was his baby brother or sister he said, "that's not a baby, that's a rock". So my friend, Jen Joy, suggested we call him Rocky, which we have for almost 5 months. Every day, more than twice a day, Josiah asks how Rocky is doing and if he's laughing when Josiah tickles my belly. He kisses my belly, asks to lay on Rocky, rubs it, scratches it, pats it, hugs it. You name it, he does it. He genuinely cares for his little brother whom he does not know but already loves. Layla, too, expresses interest in Rocky by hugging and kissing my belly. I can't wait to see them in action with Rocky. We have not chosen a name yet. We like about 5 or 6 but just can't decide. I still have 10 more weeks, so maybe when it becomes crunch time we will choose.
Another reason 2014 is going to be so awesome is because I will almost be done with my pre-reqs for nursing school. I honestly can't wait to take Anatomy. I know it will be difficult, but there are so many things that I want to learn about the human body. If you didn't know, my desire is to become a labor and delivery nurse, so I must learn about where everything is! If all goes as planned, I should be done with nursing school in May 2017. I know that sounds far off, but it's really not. The reason it took me so long to actually start with my pre reqs for nursing school is because I knew it would take 5 full years until I could practice nursing, and in my mind I thought 35 was too old to start a new career. At 35 I will have been out of college for 13 years. When I was 18 years old I had no idea what I wanted to become when I "grew up" so I just picked something. And that something turned into a non career of bouncing from job to job trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Then, at 30, I knew what I wanted to be, but it seemed too late. Then I thought, why would I continue to have a job that takes me away from my children that I only half like and am definitely not making a difference in other people's lives? Even if I don't get done with nursing school until I am 37, that still puts me in a career that I will absolutely LOVE for 30 years... nothing compared to the 12 measly years I spent doing work that I didn't love. Anyways, there's that.
2014 will be the last full year Josiah isn't in school every day of the week. He currently goes to school 2 days a week while I work and I love being home with him the other days. I can't imagine not being with him all day long other than the weekends. That's going to be a hard adjustment, I can already tell.
Chris and I haven't made any New Years resolutions yet. We did last year and did pretty well with sticking to them, so this year we are going to think about how we want our family's life to make a difference in our community. So, when we have some, I may or may not write about it.
I will do another blog later this week on how great my children are and some adorable pictures of them, but I've already written enough and am impressed if you got this far. Cheers to 2014!
Another reason 2014 is going to be so awesome is because I will almost be done with my pre-reqs for nursing school. I honestly can't wait to take Anatomy. I know it will be difficult, but there are so many things that I want to learn about the human body. If you didn't know, my desire is to become a labor and delivery nurse, so I must learn about where everything is! If all goes as planned, I should be done with nursing school in May 2017. I know that sounds far off, but it's really not. The reason it took me so long to actually start with my pre reqs for nursing school is because I knew it would take 5 full years until I could practice nursing, and in my mind I thought 35 was too old to start a new career. At 35 I will have been out of college for 13 years. When I was 18 years old I had no idea what I wanted to become when I "grew up" so I just picked something. And that something turned into a non career of bouncing from job to job trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Then, at 30, I knew what I wanted to be, but it seemed too late. Then I thought, why would I continue to have a job that takes me away from my children that I only half like and am definitely not making a difference in other people's lives? Even if I don't get done with nursing school until I am 37, that still puts me in a career that I will absolutely LOVE for 30 years... nothing compared to the 12 measly years I spent doing work that I didn't love. Anyways, there's that.
2014 will be the last full year Josiah isn't in school every day of the week. He currently goes to school 2 days a week while I work and I love being home with him the other days. I can't imagine not being with him all day long other than the weekends. That's going to be a hard adjustment, I can already tell.
Chris and I haven't made any New Years resolutions yet. We did last year and did pretty well with sticking to them, so this year we are going to think about how we want our family's life to make a difference in our community. So, when we have some, I may or may not write about it.
I will do another blog later this week on how great my children are and some adorable pictures of them, but I've already written enough and am impressed if you got this far. Cheers to 2014!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Layla's getting older, yet I'm staying young
I cannot believe my BABY turned 2 on Thursday. I honestly do not know where the time has gone. She is one of a kind, I tell you. I figured that since we wanted to have so many children, one of them was bound to be a girl. I also knew that I would have no idea how to raise a girl since I am not your typical girl. I blow dry my hair about 2 times a year, I wear minimal makeup, I don't understand fashion, I prefer sports events over any other type of event, and the list goes on and on. For the first year or so of Layla's life she wasn't into girly things. In fact, she's always wanted to be like her big brother so if I put a doll in front of her she would choose to take Josiah's cars instead. Then around 15 months she REALLY started to like jewelry. The more the better. And the shinier the better. I was a little scared because I thought it was the beginning of her girly-ness. However, as the months passed she continued to want to be like her brother (she takes after her mama). When I looked in their playroom I saw little pink and MANY cars and sports balls. About a month or so ago she started liking Minnie Mouse. Now, this girl won't watch television to save her life, but she will watch about 5 minutes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. So immediately I bought her a couple of minnie mouse toys which she seemed to like.
When planning her 2nd birthday I decided on a Minnie Mouse theme. I was going to have a birthday party with all my friends who have little children, but quickly decided Layla wouldn't remember either way, so it was just our families who came. My mom and Aunt Judi did all the decorations and Judi made cute Minnie Mouse cupcakes and Rice Krispie treats. The only thing I did was make pigs n a blanket and that took all of 4 minutes. Let's just say my craftiness skills are below average. The party was super fun. Layla had a really good time and I loved having both our families together for a few hours. Aunt Mindy was even in town for it!! Layla got a lot of Minnie Mouse toys and her and Josiah have already had fun playing with them, and Aunt Mindy got Layla a 2 foot Minnie Mouse stuffed animal which Layla now sleeps with every night (and dances with!).
I'm sure you're wanting to know what Layla is like, right? Well, she's a little fireball! She is very independent. She won't let me put her in her car seat anymore. She insists on "climbing up" herself. If she doesn't like something she will let you know by either throwing a fit or scratching your face. Her vocabulary is huge and she talks all the time! Most of it I still can't understand, but I catch a few key words and we are good. She loves to sleep, and is not a morning person (like her father, unlike Josiah). She finally is getting her K9's in. She's a tattletale. She tells Chris if I spanked her (she reenacts the scene for him, spanking and all) and won't let Josiah get away with anything. She LOVES to dance to any music, but her favorite song it Ha la la (a children's Christian song from the 90s). If she's heard a song more than 3 times she knows most of the words and sings along. She doesn't like going to school. As soon as we pull up she says "I don't want teacher". This is the complete opposite of Josiah, as today he wanted me to leave him at the front steps so he could enter the building by himself (which of course did not happen, but as soon as his classroom was in eyesight he kissed me goodbye and didn't look back). She loves to share! She shares her food, her toys, my phone with anyone who wants it. If Josiah tells me he wants what she's playing with she will give it to him almost immediately without me even asking her to share. She loves her grandmothers! Sometimes she cries when I come to bring her home, which I don't like, but I'm glad she is attached to our mothers like that. She thinks that a bandaid and a kiss from mommy will cure almost anything. And lastly, she is a HUGE mama's girl. She will snuggle with me all day if I would let her. It can be an inconvenience at times, but I love my hugs and kisses from her! Oh, and for her actual birthday dinner we went to Sushi Naki because she LOVES raw salmon. She ate about 6 pieces and then had 2 pieces of a vegetable roll, followed by steamed broccoli. That's gonna be an expensive habit to feed!!
Yummy raw salmon
Light up Minnie Mouse shoes (this is the best I could get as she kept moving)
Layla, unlike her mother, is a dog lover
Munching on a delicious treat
I'm 2? Huh?
It's cool, mom. This yogurt will wipe right off
If you didn't know this, I'm obsessed with my children's feet. Look at those little things!
When planning her 2nd birthday I decided on a Minnie Mouse theme. I was going to have a birthday party with all my friends who have little children, but quickly decided Layla wouldn't remember either way, so it was just our families who came. My mom and Aunt Judi did all the decorations and Judi made cute Minnie Mouse cupcakes and Rice Krispie treats. The only thing I did was make pigs n a blanket and that took all of 4 minutes. Let's just say my craftiness skills are below average. The party was super fun. Layla had a really good time and I loved having both our families together for a few hours. Aunt Mindy was even in town for it!! Layla got a lot of Minnie Mouse toys and her and Josiah have already had fun playing with them, and Aunt Mindy got Layla a 2 foot Minnie Mouse stuffed animal which Layla now sleeps with every night (and dances with!).
I'm sure you're wanting to know what Layla is like, right? Well, she's a little fireball! She is very independent. She won't let me put her in her car seat anymore. She insists on "climbing up" herself. If she doesn't like something she will let you know by either throwing a fit or scratching your face. Her vocabulary is huge and she talks all the time! Most of it I still can't understand, but I catch a few key words and we are good. She loves to sleep, and is not a morning person (like her father, unlike Josiah). She finally is getting her K9's in. She's a tattletale. She tells Chris if I spanked her (she reenacts the scene for him, spanking and all) and won't let Josiah get away with anything. She LOVES to dance to any music, but her favorite song it Ha la la (a children's Christian song from the 90s). If she's heard a song more than 3 times she knows most of the words and sings along. She doesn't like going to school. As soon as we pull up she says "I don't want teacher". This is the complete opposite of Josiah, as today he wanted me to leave him at the front steps so he could enter the building by himself (which of course did not happen, but as soon as his classroom was in eyesight he kissed me goodbye and didn't look back). She loves to share! She shares her food, her toys, my phone with anyone who wants it. If Josiah tells me he wants what she's playing with she will give it to him almost immediately without me even asking her to share. She loves her grandmothers! Sometimes she cries when I come to bring her home, which I don't like, but I'm glad she is attached to our mothers like that. She thinks that a bandaid and a kiss from mommy will cure almost anything. And lastly, she is a HUGE mama's girl. She will snuggle with me all day if I would let her. It can be an inconvenience at times, but I love my hugs and kisses from her! Oh, and for her actual birthday dinner we went to Sushi Naki because she LOVES raw salmon. She ate about 6 pieces and then had 2 pieces of a vegetable roll, followed by steamed broccoli. That's gonna be an expensive habit to feed!!
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