All Kinds of Things: January 2013

January 23, 2013

This second time around...

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January 22, 2013

Confession Time for this At-Home Mom

It seems that when "mommies" get together, it is best to avoid certain topics - such as vaccines, breastfeeding, sleep routines, etc. - but there also seems to be another unspoken rule: "Moms who work outside the home are allowed to complain about their day-to-day; while stay-at-home moms (no matter how many children they have or what additional part-time work tasks they might be completing from home) must sit and smile sweetly and respond with something along the lines of, 'I just don't know how you do it!'."

I recently crossed paths with an acquaintance who said to me, "I can not wait to be a stay-at-home mom! It must give you a lot of time to work on Pinterest projects and cook great meals for your family!" Yes, folks, after that interaction, I truly believed I had encountered one of the most clueless people on the planet. The fact is - no matter what your life situation - whether you are single, a single parent, married without children, married with children and working outside the home, married with children and working within the home, an empty-nester, or widowed, your life is most likely busy and full. You have stressful days, difficult moments, thoughts/emotions that you battle with often, etc. and for someone to disregard that and act is if you "have it is easy" can often be a sign of their insecurities - so I've learned to not let it bother me, but it hasn't been until recently that I've learned that it is okay to ask for help.

What?! A stay-at-home mom asking for help?! Yes, dear readers. You have heard it here. It seems that so many at-home moms feel guilty about needing and asking for assistance - they feel they should be able to do it all on their own. Why do we put this pressure on ourselves? Why do we feel guilty if we aren't working on Pinterest projects and cooking gourmet meals - on top of everything else?

Recently, I have read a number of books that have provided great encouragement for me as a woman, a wife, and a mom. I am so thankful for Christian authors that write in a way that is a honest and real - in a way that infuses you with strength because they have lead you to the Word. In each of these books - at some point - the reader was urged to ask for help if/where they feel they need it, and while it took several whispers from the Father, I have come to the place where I admit that I can not do everything I long to do on my own. I need help. So, first of all, I've asked the Holy Spirit to fill me with His strength and His power - What a difference this prayer can make in the course of anyone's day - and secondly, I have started making some phone calls. I have taken the initiative to seek out assistance in the areas where I feel my personality and my family situation would benefit.

Are you tired of trying to do everything on our own?

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is impossible.

Seek the Father!

Then, make a few phone calls.

You'll be glad you did.

Curious about what has worked for our family?

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January 9, 2013

My Baby's First Haircut

In Caleb's short little life, I have grieved so many different stages of his development. I know this is wrong, but time has moved so quickly; and for the first several months of his life, it was a lot to absorb. (Hopefully, some of you will be able to relate to this insanity.) I'm doing much better about rejoicing when he grows and develops and being proud of him rather than sitting on the couch and sobbing because "my baby is getting so big".

With that being said, I will admit that it took quite some time for me to accept that a haircut was long overdue for my little man - like by months and months. However, his curls were just so stinkin' cute that I couldn't let them go. When they no longer bounced nicely on the back of his head and began to take on the form of a mullet, I realized that something must be done.

So, we headed to a hair salon designed just for kids, and he had a blast!

P.S. I did not cry - My insanity showed itself in another way - I was the crazy mom snapping 1,458 photos of "My Baby's First Haircut".

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January 7, 2013

Enjoying the Small Stuff

This week, as I jumped back in to blogging, I was so excited to tell you about our new little one on the way that I skipped right over telling you about our holidays! My goal this Christmas was to focus on the small things - the little things that make time with family so special. Here are the small moments that meant the most to me this year.

Enjoy the little things, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things.

Robert Brault

Last Christmas, Caleb was more alert for the holidays than I thought he would be, but this year, he had an especially great time! He loved ripping the paper off his gifts and playing with the boxes and bows! He really noticed Christmas lights this year, so we took him out to look at them a couple of different times. Christmas through the eyes of a little one truly is sweet.

I loved the time Caleb got to spend with his grandparents and great-grandparents. They adore him, and it means so much to me when we can be together with them. When your family lives out of town, you grow to cherish any time you get with them. Here are a few pictures of our celebration with family. Did I mention how much fun the holidays are with a little one?


Every year, my dad buys my mom the sweetest Christmas card!

The blur that you see is an old cell phone. Caleb is obsessed with phones, remotes, and keys.


He kept his keys with him all throughout the holidays. They are currently lost - I am in a panic...

I love listening to my mom play the piano! I remember one Christmas - one that was not as bright as usual - when she sat down and played "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - the sweet and sentimental way she played it was beautiful. That is one of my favorite Christmas songs, and when I heard her play it this year, I was thankful that we were all together celebrating a very bright Christmas 2012~

It was special to be with my brother and his wife this Christmas! God has brought my brother so far, and - as a family - we are truly thankful for Paul's life! Spending time with him was one of the best parts of my Christmas this year. He seemed to like the goofy gifts I picked out for him - To have his laughter back in our life is a gift that I will never again take for granted.

Christmas with David's family was somewhat bittersweet, because his sweet grandfather had passed away earlier in December. David's grandmother joined us for our Christmas Eve celebration, and it was so special having her there with us. I will never forget the look on her face when she realized another great-grandbaby was on the way.

(An excerpt from "Letters to Caleb" honoring his precious great-grandfather)

Dear Caleb,

...We named you after him, because he has always meant so much to your dad. When your dad and I first started dating, B. was one of the first relatives that your dad told me about - He had always served as such a great example to all who knew him. As I stood in the receiving line to greet funeral guests, I heard story after story of the generosity your great-grandfather had shown to people. Through the years, he consistently gave of his time and energy to help others, and I hope you will model that same behavior throughout your days. When your dad was a little boy, he wrecked one of B’s lawn mowers. Your daddy says that B never raised his voice or showed any anger over what had happened. He simply showed your dad how the lawnmower could be put back together. I am always so impressed by this story, and I have heard many others just like it. Your dad often says, “I wish you could’ve known B. the way he always was - cracking jokes, telling stories, etc.” I wish that, too, sweet Caleb. However, from the moment I met him, I saw a twinkle in his eye that showed me how much fun he could be; and I loved the smile he had on his face when we would come to visit - even on days when he wasn’t feeling well. Just a few days after Thanksgiving, you and I went to visit B. You walked back and forth from his bed to your great-grandma’s chair - jingling a set of car keys and stomping your cowboy boots on the floor. They loved watching you wander around the room. For a few minutes, though, you sat in a chair next to B’s bed. He watched you sit there next to him, and you even shared your keys with him. (You love keys and you won’t just share them with anyone.) We told him we would be back to visit him at Christmas. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it until Christmas, but I will never forget that one last visit we had with him. You had made his day! In his final year on this earth, you gave him something to celebrate! I pray you will honor his life and his name that we have passed on to you by modeling the qualities that made him such a special person...

I love you~

Mom

January 4, 2013

Happy 2013~ We are expecting!

So, it seems that once your child turns one, everyone is on "baby watch"! "When are you going to have another one?" is a question we have heard for a few months now - Well, we are happy to announce that we are expecting!

We met this sweet little baby on New Year's Eve, and we are 9 weeks along at this point. We "met" Caleb on Valentine's Day - What can I say? We are big into holiday ultrasounds! So far, I have been feeling very much like I did with Caleb - battling extreme exhaustion that comes and goes - but overall, doing okay! We are looking forward to meeting our newest addition around August 10th.

To the lady at church who - for the past 16 months - has asked about Caleb as well as how my pregnancy is going, I will quit giving you weird looks when you pat my empty belly.
I am actually pregnant now.

Let me tell you, no one knows how to ring in the New Year like a woman with child! Hubby and I are typically lame on New Year's Eve anyway - sitting on the couch with Dick Clark and a coffee table full of appetizers, but that's just our thing. This has some to do with the fact that we are homebodies and some to do with the fact that I don't like being on the road with a bunch of drunk party animals. Anywho, I could hardly make it til midnight; Dick Clark was missing from my evening; and few appetizers were present. Do peanut butter and crackers count as a party dish? I sat there dressed in a pajama/robe combination that looked like something off of "Mama's Family", and I celebrated the most at midnight because I knew I could finally go to sleep. Needless to say, I was not out on a dance floor somewhere wearing a glitzy New Year's dress - Who wears those things anyway? I see them in the stores. I see them on-line. However, are there really people going out dressed up like that and where are they going? These questions all point to the fact that I am getting old and I am not cool - I will embrace that. *smile*

Happy New Year, everyone!