Spicy Magnolia

Shenanigans

The clock says 8:15 p.m. The kids are in bed and the house is quiet for the first time since 4:42 a.m. this morning. The past week I’ve taken a stroll down memory lane, which always leaves me in a nostalgic coma, kinda weepy and a lot grateful.

Today, five of the girls I lived with my senior year in college, some of my bestest and lifelong friends, are partying up in Chicago for our ten year college reunion. Ten years. Holy cow! Rather than sit around sulking that I’m not in my favorite city, with some of my favorite peeps, eating some of my favorite pizza, and laughing until my ribs hurt, I thought I’d drag you down memory lane with me.

1999-2000. One of the best years of my life. Did I meet the man of my dreams? Well, sorta yes and sorta no. “Scullz”, as Matt was known among his bunch of nine other guy buddies, was pretty funny and made me laugh a lot. Despite being a great friend, I regularly wished to myself over and over, “I hope he doesn’t like me. I hope he doesn’t like me.” And he didn’t. Not in that kinda way. Yet.

I don’t remember what precipitated it, but I was caught up in a prank war of gargantuan proportions with “Scullz”, my future husband and love of my life. So much so that people began asking each of us individually if we wanted to be more than just pals. The prank wars certainly had a level of flirtation, but I was emphatic about Matt not being the guy for me.

I was the designated house mom to this group of ten fellas who took up residence in a college house called “Graham House”, named after an infamous Wheaton College alum named Billy Graham. I have to chuckle thinking about the house’s namesake, because if Billy Graham stepped foot in that should-have-been-condemned structure, I think he’d want to keel over. More because of the stench, stains, and grotesqueness of its upkeep than the actual edifice. Ten guys under one roof. I’m sure most of you can only imagine. Or maybe you don’t want to; I won’t blame you one bit.

One night, I perpetuated the biggest prank of all by throwing two huge glasses of cold water onto Matt, who went to bed unusually early that night while the rest of us were downstairs hanging out. Granted, I wasn’t thinking about how the ensuing scenario would play out. My adrenaline overtook any rational thought, not giving the slightest forethought as to the awkward state of dress (or lack thereof) that my buddy would have chosen to sleep in that evening. All I knew was that this prank was gonna top all the others.

Those two large glasses of ice water awakened a 6’5” man out of bed so fast as he pursued his trespasser that all I could do was run for my life. Come to find out, the other thing I didn’t consider in this oh-so-great-idea of mine was if this would bring an hibernating grizzly bear out of the man I assumed to not have an ounce of grizzly in him. But he flew at me down the stairs as if that beast was just waiting to be aroused by a foolish twenty year old. I’ve never run so fast in my life, bounding down the stairs two or three at a time, fleeing behind someone I hoped would protect me.

I think Matt took one look at me and realized that I had the girl thing going for me and didn’t lash out (and I can attest to this day that the man doesn’t have one iota of grizzly in him). Thankfully, he was moderately dressed because my cockamamie plan left him half ‘nekked’ in the middle of his living room for dozens of eyes to see. I shudder to think about how catastrophic and compromising it could have turned out to be.

Fast forward several weeks. The wheels were turning in that brain of Scullz’s as he devised a plan of revenge so sweet that it officially ended the prank war because it was the topper. Every so often, I’d get a note in my mail threatening me, warning me of my imminent demise.

After heading up to Wisconsin for a camping trip with a campus ministry I was involved in (whereupon I dropped my keys in the feces filled outhouse pit…that’s a whole other story), I returned back to my apartment and noticed my bag of dirty laundry had disappeared. Kindly thanking my roommate for her thoughtfulness in doing my laundry, she sheepishly replied, “Meg, I didn’t do any of your laundry.” At that, my eyes took a wander at my closet and each of my drawers only to discover that every item of clothing I had at school was gone. All of it!

The only item left behind by such a conniving thief was a hideous, psychedelic, full-length 70s-looking dress that I would never, ever wear of my own accord. On top of it sat a hand-written note saying that I had to wear that dress all day the next day (even to my night class) in order to have my confiscated clothes returned to me. It was dreadful looking. And itchy.

If I had to cave into these ransom demands, I wanted to do it up right. I borrowed a set of platform heels (also something I’ve never since worn), put on thick makeup, painted my toenails, and played the part full on. The shoes ended up being the humdinger; by 10 p.m. that night, my feet were frozen and achy. It was a Chicago winter after all.

Bless him. Looking at this aged picture, Matt looks like a very agreeable sort alongside my outlandish attire <grin>.

While it took me another six months or so to be convinced that there might be something more to this goofy guy than what met my eye, those shenanigans are some of our fondest memories of college and each other. I think both of us are afraid to start up any kind of prank since we’ve been married. At least I am; I know firsthand they can go in a dangerous direction. But I have some time this weekend to muster some courage and brainstorm (I’m all ears, by the way).

Who woulda thunk it? The man who I caused to stand half ‘nekked’ in the middle of his living room drenched in freezing cold water and who left me sans clothes, holding them ransom, is my hubby, the man of my dreams. Oh, the irony.

Favorite Fotos Friday

No, it’s not Friday, it’s Monday. But I wanted to post this last Friday and make this theme a mainstay for Fridays every now and then. And posting pictures of my angels makes it feel more like Friday. Here are some of my favorite ‘fotos’ over the last two weeks.

Kensington has such dark, blue eyes, they almost look either dark brown or black.

I quickly snapped this for my Daddy, and while there is a lot of busyness in the picture, if you focus on their faces, you’ll notice they’re gazing admirably at each other.

I didn’t think I’d be a fan of big bows, but oh, they’re a lot of fun! Many of the pictures are to savor the cute outfits in which I’m dressing my doll.

Matt took this. I’m not sure what Brennan is saying, but I love his bed head. Thankfully, Kensington can sleep through anything, including her brother’s hugs and kisses.

The first and only picture thus far of me and my children (besides in the hospital). This was taken before a Round Rock Express baseball game that Matt and Brennan went to together. Brennan is holding a bag of cookies to take as a small dessert. We’re having to curb the “Cookie Monster” style of eating around our home ever since Sesame Street has been a regular viewing favorite.

Even at four weeks old, Kensington can still wear this cute newborn outfit that our friends, Sara and Abby, shared with her. I am conscious of the fact that my daughter is dressing better than I. Maybe I’ll ask for a shopping spree for Christmas <grin>.

My angel boy is very into baseball right now. Since I’m not a huge lover of the sport, I’m thrilled that football season is starting this week to expand his horizons <grin>. In fact, we might take him to his first live football game this Friday.

He loves Spike, the Express mascot, and even had a real baseball given to him by a kind usher autographed by Spike.

She is pure sweetness.

Hangin’ out at the pool with me and Brennan.

Thanks to Aunt Melissa for this adorable tutu dress Kensington wore to her debut at church yesterday! Thankfully, the HUGE diaper explosion that occurred while Skyping with Mac and Julie last night didn’t stain her dress, because I hope to dress her in it as much as possible.

And the photo that trumps all others the last two weeks:

Hope y’all are having a good Monday!

Simply trusting,

Latest Happenings in Picture Form

There are a few memorable moments captured on film I want to remember, and maybe, just maybe, you’d like to see a few of our latest happenings.

Way back in May, these two precious gals, Cassie and Leah, threw me a surprise baby shower at one of my favorite restaurants, Z Tejas. It was so much fun and very yummy! I never anticipated having a closet full of girl clothes before Skittles’ birth. What a gift to have a colorful and girly assortment of clothes ready to go. Matt’s gotta lot of work cut out for him learning how to dress her in the appropriate, matching clothes.

I dipped my toes in the world of bows, and it is quite the world! I had no idea where to start and it was overwhelming. Every website was a whirlwind of complicated choices. I found a sweet bow maker on Etsy who took the time to answer my long list of questions; I was grateful for her response of instruction and advice. She also makes some great bows! Kelly also posted another wonderful website that sells $1 bows, so I took advantage of the deal and purchased a variety of colors and sizes. Receiving these bows in the mail was the first reality check that we are having a girl, and I got super giddy about it.

 

I mentioned in this post about Brennan’s love for muffins. This was our breakfast picnic to the park the next morning with the blueberry muffins. He’s a pretty cute date.

We have no words <grin>.

In late June, I spent a few days in San Antonio with my momma while my boys enjoyed bonding. Brennan varies his role-playing between Woody and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger, but consistently, I have the pleasure of being his “Jessie girl”.

I once again had my socks blessed off my feet when these two ladies, Sabra and Jan, from our church small group, asked me earlier this month if they could co-host a dessert baby shower for me with a few of our small group and Bible study ladies. It was a lovely evening, and the first of four very full nights out in a row.

My second night out was with these two boys at a Round Rock Express baseball game. I love them so!

The third night out was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner for my good friend, Lizzie. She was gettin’ hitched and it was quite the celebration for this precious lady in waiting!

I was honored to be a bridesmaid and the weekend was full of wedding festivities. Let me bless you with a picturesque moment of me fanning myself trying to stay cool the night of the wedding (note the strategic fan placement on the armpits). I won’t gross you out with the details of the sweat I felt dripping down my arms and legs at the altar. Oh no, that wouldn’t be lady-like.

A glimpse at the wedding party getting ready to pose for a picture. My picture taking that night was pretty limited, but I mostly wanted to show you how beautiful the bride was! For some more great shots of the stunning girl, check out Rosanna’s blog.

This man. This man is something else. He stood by my side the entire afternoon and evening, making sure I was ok and drinking enough water. His eye was the only one I wanted to catch standing up at the altar.

We’re nearing the end folks. I’m just about 38 weeks. After Mees’ visit last Thursday, Brennan’s wish to “go to Mees’ house,” that he’s been requesting for the last two months came to fruition when he gallivanted off with her without looking back. I gladly received the big hug and, “I love you, Momma,” before he left though. He has since not taken much time to talk to me on the phone other than the, “No, no want to go home”, and the “I moving to Mees’ house.” I’m anticipating the need for a full Mees detox when he returns.

Matt and I gratefully received the long weekend to ourselves to enjoy extra sleep and to get a jumpstart on major house cleaning, the last big thing to accomplish on our to-do list.

Despite my doctor telling me I will likely go the full 40 weeks (if not longer like I did with Brennan), because my certain measurable birthing body part is the only rock solid part of my body, these intense Braxton Hicks contractions are somethin’ else. Surely they’re doin’ something, right?!

Please ignore the deodorant marks on the bottom of my shirt. Classy, huh?

Hope y’all had a great weekend!

Simply trusting,

Don’t Even

Don’t even get me started on how it’s June 9th already and the baby countdown widget on the right-hand sidebar is flashing in what seems like neon lights that we only have 54 more days left until blast off <hyperventilating>!

While being MIA the past few weeks, it’s not because I’ve been short on blog post ideas or in labor. Here’s a run down of the last few weeks:

• Three weeks ago, right before our family vacation, Matt had a crazy amount of work to accomplish, and we had a special visit from our friends, Eric and Kim from Colorado. These are some good, life-long, salt-of-the-earth, kinda friends. Luke is a few months younger than Brennan, and Ellie is now 6 months old. We stayed up late like the youngin’s and then crashed hard over the following days like the oldies.

• Look what my little guy left me with after plummeting his thick head into my eye as he was laying down in his bed and I was next to him. I really think I saw tweety birds. Sorry, it’s a dreadful close-up shot.

• We drove 14 hours each way (not including meal breaks) to Panama City, FL for a week at the beach with Matt’s family to celebrate his parents’ 60th birthdays. The white, soft sandy beaches with the vibrant turquoise waters have forever nixed the idea of wanting to visit the Texas Gulf Coast again. Whomever claims that Texas has a beach is seriously diminishing the value of what a beach can really live up to. Let me just say I didn’t end up with a tar-stained bathing suit after this trip.

Suffice it to say, we wouldn’t hesitate in the least to take this guy on another long road trip. We’ll see what it’s like once Skittles comes along, adding the sibling rivalry to the mix.

At first he was cautious about the ocean waters, but he braved the waves and ended up loving to jump them with his Daddy. His favorite part in both the ocean and the awesome resort-sized pool we had access to was watching Daddy imitate a dolphin. (Hopefully a separate beach post will follow shortly).

• We made it home safe and sound, welcoming the solid night’s sleep that only one’s own comfy bed can provide. And guess who came into town also from Florida? POPS! He and Mees delivered Miss Molly to us after taking care of her for the week, and what is the first kinda food any true Texan must partake of getting home? Mexican food! Chuy’s hit the spot and so did some frozen custard from Shake’s. Brennan feasted on his first hot fudge sundae.

• Before we left for Florida, we were faced with the unexpected purchase of needing to get a new car. Not only did we go looking for a “new” car the weekend we got back, our home A/C went out. We are now keenly aware that one should have two A/C units if you have a 2-story house, but ours only has one. So our home heated up to a pleasant <ahem> 90 degrees for three nights and three days. No one is counting though. It took that long to get fixed because the A/C company was so backed up over Memorial Day weekend. I didn’t know I could play the, “I have a little child and I’m pregnant” cards to get them to come out sooner.

It certainly makes you all the more thankful for A/C as the majority of the world is hotter than we are and doesn’t have it! It is a luxury. And we are beyond thankful that at the same time of purchasing a car, the A/C was only a relatively minor repair compared to the $7k we might have had to fork over for a new unit! While it was a wild few days with late nights at the dealership, we have a working A/C and a “new” mommy car! It could not have gone more smoothly, and we are so grateful.

• My birthday and Mother’s Day gift came to fruition: Matt and I had an awesome date night for dinner and the Michael Buble concert. It was one of the most entertaining concerts I’ve been to, and I think Matt would say the same thing. In fact, upon leaving, he admitted there were a number of things about Michael that helped him gain more respect in Matt’s eyes such that he would stop calling him Michael “Bubble”.

• While a lot of our summer will be spent with this cool dude at the pool,

I am trying to plan extra-fun and memorable things for the two of us to do together before Skittles’ arrival. I am a floodgate of tears and emotion when I think about the change that is about ready to pummel us. “Pummel” is a strong word, but that’s what it feels like these days. I’m. Not. Ready.

One such special event we attended last week was Thomas on Stage. He sat mesmerized through the whole thing, and I had the endearing pleasure of holding him.

• My dear friends, Leah and Cassie, threw me a surprise baby shower at Z-Tejas last week! I never expected to have a closet full of pink before Skittles’ arrival, but some precious friends who were there made sure that our little girl would be decked out with pink, purple, bows, and matchy-matchy shoes!

• This past Saturday, Brennan and I drove up to Celina to visit our good buddies, Chris, Jill, Harrison, Haddie and meet baby Hays! He’s already six weeks old, and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet him while we had the chance. It was a low-key, perfectly relaxing weekend, and I was gifted with a TON of fresh green beans, squash, zucchini, onions, and broccoli from the garden. Look at this gift:

• Before leaving Dallas, Brennan and I stopped into visit one of my dearest childhood friends, Lauren, and meet her three-week old baby girl, Charlotte. Lauren’s sister, Debbie, a professional wedding photographer in the Austin area, whom I’d highly recommend, was there and shot some pictures of us that I hope to see soon.

In the meantime, let me tell any of you out there who think Brennan is a “perfect” child that he is like any other normal two-year old out there! For the first 30-45 minutes of our visit, he was in a rotten mood, wouldn’t listen to me, and I’m sure made my cheeks flush red a number of times. I finally succumbed to handing him a movie on my iPhone in a desperate attempt to visit with my gracious hosts who fixed a lovely brunch for us (Lauren’s hubby can cook!). I’m so thankful I got to see Lauren and her little girl before they move to Connecticut this summer.

Tuesday afternoon, Brennan and I rolled back into town. After one week of vacation where I intentionally tried to be off-line, and an additional week and a half of having something every night, I am finally caught up on all of our household business items and can get back to such things as blogging.

Well, don’t even get me started on the lengthy to-do list that needs to be tackled over the next fifty-four days or the emotional wreck that I am. Just let me relish the moment that I actually wrote something.

Simply trusting,

 

A Bunch of Good Stuff

The alarm blared a little too early this morning. At 3:50 a.m. Dazed and confused, all three of us somehow made it intact to the airport where I said, “See ya later,” to my loves. They jetted off to Canada this morning and should land in about an hour whereupon Brennan will receive the first of hopefully many stamps in his passport. Little did we know that we were supposed to pay an international tax for Brennan’s travel and it nearly jeopardized the boys’ final leg of the trip across the border. But I happen to think that blondie simply captured the hearts of the flight crew that they had no choice but to transport him to his final destination.

I mean, really. Who can resist this face?

 

Matt’s dad runs a school for children with learning disabilities in Canada. He’s commuted 20+ years to Canada from Virginia and this is the first time any of his kids have been able to see first-hand the school he’s directed with passion all these years. For Matt’s birthday and Christmas last year, my parents helped Matt with a ticket to visit his dad. And a few months ago, we thought it would be great to take advantage of Brennan flying free (well, aside from the international travel tax or whatever it is) and make the trip my boys’ first Daddy/son trip. Even at 4 a.m., “Da Da” was repeated over and over and over. I think he knew he was gonna get some good testosterone time. Everything is about “Da Da” these days. He’ll see a car that looks like Matt’s car and it spurs a number of “Da Da”s. He’ll walk into the closet and see Matt’s clothes and out comes the “Da Da”. I haven’t heard “Momma” in quite awhile unless coaxed out of him. That’s alright. My man child has a great man to look up to!

Speaking of clothes, I had some slight jealousy in me yesterday of Matt who will get to see Brennan wearing some of his new fall outfits for the first time this season along with his jacket, hat and mittens. Matt endured a 10 minute schpeal about all of the outfits: what socks go with what, what outfits were for what days, when to wear the tennies and when to wear the brown shoes. And as a courtesy, I even threw into Matt’s pile of clothes a nice shirt that I encouraged him to wear when Brennan wears his nice outfit as they meet Ed’s staff for the first time. I almost tied bows around each of the respective outfits so there was no chance taken in a pair of socks being paired with the wrong outfit. I know my hubby’s weaknesses. Matching is one of them, bless him. And I’m no fashionista!

What will I do while they’ve run off to Canada? Give some TLC to Molly who has surgery tomorrow. Plant my behind on the couch to rest and watch some movies. Maybe pick up the new Francine Rivers’ book, Her Daughter’s Dream. Start on my third round of antibiotics and new steroids to kick this lingering bronchitis (I’m on week #4) to the curb. Hopefully it’ll kick the sinus infection I’ve had the past week to the curb, too. I’m desperate to feel better, so if making sure I stay on the couch all weekend is part of the plan, then so be it. I’ll happily oblige! I’ll meet my momma for lunch on Saturday. And I have the honor of treating my friend, Courtney, to a nice lunch tomorrow in thanks for the many lunches she braves eating with me and Brennan at Chick-fil-A! As a woman who doesn’t have children, that says a lot about her character, people! I’m aiming for peace and quiet. That’s what my body and my soul need. If only I’d be brave enough to turn off the TV and sit in total silence.

Last week, I recorded a bit of Brennan and a new routine we’re working on. I’m no Julie Andrews, just warnin’ ya! And I’m not sure where all the facial expressions came from. Maybe he wants to be the next Jim Carrey.

 

I hope to catch you sometime this weekend, friends! And before I sign off, if you want some good, albeit challenging, reads, I highly recommend these:

J.R. Briggs wrote a post regarding the possible Quran burning a few weeks ago. If you’re tired of the whole topic, this is not the same old stuff! J.R. actually called Terry Jones and you need to read about it!

Lysa TerKuerst on marriage and parenting. This post gave me some great prayers to pray for Brennan. How counter-cultural is it to pray that he’d get caught when he makes wrong choices!? Good stuff! And this one made me reflect more on the cost of my choices.

What do you think of the American church? That topic can open up a can of worms. Kathy Escobar wrote a letter to the American church that is some great food for thought. And potentially, some powerful encouragement for transformation.

And this post over at Nothings and Notions from my Noodle broke it down in a way I could totally relate to wanting to live for the glory of God in our daily lives. My daily life that looks like cleaning peanut butter and honey off the booster chair every morning. My daily life that includes giving thanks for the family bathroom at the mall that offered some privacy where I could run to to discipline and instruct Brennan when he was having the FIT OF HIS LIFE yesterday. Yes, it was a great post to remind me I have ample opportunity to bring glory to God in my daily life that doesn’t necessarily mean me hopping on the next jet plane overseas. But I’d like that, too!

A Glimpse into a Gal’s Mind

A few weeks ago, me and my hubby left Brennan with my folks for an extended weekend getaway to the Lost Pines Resort, where we got to enjoy the niceties of not having a baby around, with extra sleep being at the top of the list!  Other pluses included relaxing by the pool, floating down the Crooked River Pool, reading (I finished my first book in who knows how long—I couldn’t put it down!), roasting marshmallows for S’mores by the campfire, and simply reconnecting away from the hustle, bustle and daily pressures of life amid scenes like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t we look relaxed?  That’s the first of three pairs of sunglasses I’ve bought in three weeks.  Gone are the days when I was able to keep a pair of sunglasses for at least five years, to no fault of my son.  It’s all on me.

We were also able to feast like kings and queens!  The food was a-maz-ing!  Look at that dessert bar.  My plate wasn’t big enough!

Brennan was treated like a prince himself, and I’m happy to report that his momma did pretty good leaving him.  It helped that I called about three times a day.  When surrounded by families who brought their kiddos with them, it pulled my heart strings just a tad to see little boys running around, and it beckoned my lips to say countless times, “I can’t wait to bring Brennan here one day; he would have so much fun!”  Somehow, this getaway already feels like months ago.

One of the books Matt started reading was For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn, “a straightforward guide to the inner lives of women”.  On a number of occasions, the two of us talk about an illustration we once heard a speaker use of a waffle and a plate of spaghetti to describe male and female communication styles, respectively.  A waffle, being very compartmentalized, is used to illustrate how a man has to stay on one topic of discussion and thinking before moving onto the next, whereas a woman’s is more like a plate of spaghetti where each noodle criss-crosses with the other noodles and maneuvers itself all over the plate.  While it looks like a mangled mess, it is in fact, cohesive and intricate. 

Despite having that helpful image to understand each other better, it was shocking to my hubby when he read that many women said they “thought their thought lives were almost like busy computers with multiple windows open and running all at once, unwanted pop-ups intruding all the time, and little ability to close out or ignore any of that mental or emotional activity until a more convenient time.”  He was even more overwhelmed when he read a specific conversational illustration the authors provided to prove such a point.  After asking, “Okay, hon, what is in your brain right now?”, she proceeded to list off at least eight different things that she was mulling over at that very moment.  Like the author’s sudden realization, Matt finally came to grasp how my female ability to multitask both thoughts and emotions impacts how I relate to him every single day.  He was baffled that I thought like that, which came to a huge surprise to me because, well, isn’t that the first thing guys should know about girls?  <grin>  For being married nearly seven years, he surely circumnavigated through that very well without giving me any indication that he knew otherwise.

So I thought I’d give my hubby (and you, dear Internet peeps), a peek into my thoughts and emotions yesterday morning (yesterday, because that’s when I started this post) that ran all over the place.  I’ll save you the grief of too many details though.  So within a course of a few minutes, this was the rollercoaster ride:

• How is it that a girl from Texas has more winter clothes than summer ones?  My closet is no indication of our locale.  Thanks for the wonderful and unusually long Fall, Lord, but please bring on the 50-60 degree temp so I can wear clothes I love, clothes that “cover a multitude of sins”, as Jill wittingly says.
• I want to blog so badly.  But what do I blog about?  I’m in a big-time rut.
• Stellan, Stellan, Stellan*.  Jesus, please carry Stellan through today.  Bring him through surgery successfully, safely.  After being land blasted by friend after friend battling the clinching jaws of death through cancer, and aching for other friends going through so much, it would sure be nice to have a sweet victory here, Lord.
• How can I get Brennan to better understand “no touch”?  He keeps going after those awful outlets.
• Gotta make Matt’s lunch.  Everyone’s eaten breakfast but me, and I’m hungry.  Matt’s lunch first though, he’s leaving soon.
• Should I go to Sprouts and then the Target on Louis Henna, or should I go to the Super Target on 1431 to nail two birds with one stone?  The latter, because then we might be able to hit Hobby Lobby on our way home.
• Stellan.  Stellan.  Stellan.  I gotta check Twitter to see if there are any updates.
• Brennan needs a haircut.  Should I try to do it on my own?**
• Why haven’t I packed yet?  We’re visiting Pops and Meems in just a couple of days, why didn’t I start to lay out clothes earlier?
• Thanksgiving is just two weeks away.  THANKSGIVING IS JUST TWO WEEKS AWAY!!???
• Do I have a cold or a sinus infection?  I don’t want to go to the doctor again, so please just let it go away.  I’m really complaining about a measly little sickness?  Get a grip.  I have so much to be thankful for and our health is a huge one!
• What do I need to do before we leave town?  Water plants.  Laundry.  Pack.  Grocery shopping.  Blog.  Will I be able to blog?
• Matt and I need help and wisdom in how to be on the same page with teaching Brennan.  How are we going to do this parenting thing together well?
• Brennan’s first birthday is just two months away.  That girl whose pictures I just saw of her son’s first birthday looked awesome and so creative.  How can I do that?  Do I want to do that?  How can I make it simple and special?  I wonder what so-and-so did for her son’s first birthday.  I’d wanna do it like she did. 
• I need to start sacrificing sleep to get things done.  There’s too much to do.
• I hope Brennan takes good naps today.***
• Stellan.  Stellan. Stellan.  Jesus, please!
• Gotta cancel Molly’s reservations at Dog Boy's.  Don’t forget to email so-and-so about a package delivery.
• Does the post office have a postage meter or can you only buy stamps?****
• Does my shirt go with my pants?  What will I look like to other people if we go out?  Makeup day or no makeup day?  Itty bitty makeup day it is.
• What bagel do I want this morning?  Hmmm, breakfast.  I’m hungry.

Suffice it to say, I could go on.  And on and on.  But I think hubby will get the picture, don’t you think?  Only God in His wisdom could have designed a woman’s mind and emotions to work the way they do.  And thank God that He gives us the peace and wisdom we need because goodness, He sure knows we need it!

* I’m sure most of you all know about Stellan, but if you don’t you absolutely must read this.  If you need to be encouraged to see the power of prayer like I have been lately, you really must catch up on baby Stellan.  It indeed is a miracle I hope to remember the rest of my life, and to God be the glory! 

**Today I tried to trim Brennan’s hair on my own, and it was the biggest mistake ever.  I was in tears.  It messed up our morning entirely until we asked Matt if we could stop by for a pick-me-up and visit him at work.  I butchered my son’s precious golden locks, taking a chunk of hair next to his ear.  His bangs are cut above his hair line, all crooked, and it just looks horrible!  He just laughed and has no idea, but I know!  Big mistake.  Big!  Huge!

***That “today” was yesterday, and no, good naps were not to be had.  I’ll blame it on the 6th tooth that popped out…that makes 3 in the last week and a half!

****The post office only offers stamps, no meter.  And the guy who helped me laughed at me saying, “You’re out of breath?” when I walked in, having not seen the 25 pound baby/carrier I just lugged inside with a box of letters.  Clearly, I need to lift weights more regularly. 

Gettin' It In Gear

If you read the post from last Friday, or at least viewed the video, you have a good idea of what we did this weekend:  watched some good ol' American basketball!  The yard work didn't happen since it ended up being pretty cool on Saturday.  But we caught a few good games.  Surprisingly, flipping the coin for my sister-in-law's bracket didn't hurt us much at all.  We're tied for 7th place out of 30.  And as far as BooMama's bracket I participated in, well, I used my good ol' noggin for that one and it ain't worth even mentioning what I'm ranked it's so pathetic.

Look what I got in the mail yesterday from Lands' End (forgive me, I'm no photographer but so wanna be):

These pictures certainly don't do them justice, so if you'd rather see them on a professional model, you can click here for the solid ruffle tank and here for the original sport tankini.

I know I'm crazy thinking about swimsuits already, but I want to have one on hand and ready for whenever we take Brennan swimming for the first time.  I mustered enough courage to actually try them on this morning, surprisingly.  While having lost all but three pounds of the baby weight I'd gained, I've survived (unhealthily, I know) on chocolate milk, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and chocolate chip cookie dough to give me a bit of a boost during the day.  It's a pick-me-up and a substitute for coffee.  But,  I.  Must.  Stop.  It.  My body has taken on a whole new shape since being pregnant and the pick-me-ups are adding to the problem!  Maybe I should leave these swimsuits out on the kitchen table as a constant reminder to avoid partaking in those wonderful things that ultimately will lead to my demise, literally and "figure"-atively.  ha ha! 

The solid ruffle tank is a great swimsuit:  very flattering and pretty.  I think I would keep it except for the fact that I'm dealing with some major changes to my body figure, particularly the upper parts of my body, if you get my drift.  I've never worn a tankini for a bathing suit, but it was quite comfortable; I didn't want to take it off.  And seeing as how I'll be trying to keep up with an exploring little boy while wearing a bathing suit, I should probably go with the one that offers more coverage when I bend over.  Or maybe hubby will let me keep both of them if he dangles a little hubby/wife getaway to the beach my way???

So yep, Internet peeps, as far as feeling good in a bathing suit goes, I gotta get in in gear!  I guess my title is a bit misleading:  I haven't "gotten" it in gear quite yet...I'm working up the motivation to make it an action verb.  I bought this before Brennan came along and I finally drug it out of the closet last week:

Oh, it's out of the closet, but not out of its wrapper, mind you.  I heard it was good.  Dadgummit, it's gotta be good.  Just look at the girl on the cover!  Why do they do that?  Is it supposed to be motivational?  They should have in big bold letters across the top, "RESULTS NOT TYPICAL" to alleviate any frustration or depression over not looking like this gal after months of sweatin' it out. 

I'm thinking I should not do it in front of Brennan, at least for the first few weeks until I get to the point where I don't look like a complete exercise-phobic, worn-out momma who can't catch her breath.  Mark it now:  it would be the first time ever he'd be embarrassed by his momma!  Then when I look like the gal in the picture, or at least 15% somewhat, I'll bring him out and show him what his momma can do.  All other areas of my life he can see my fallibility blatantly on a daily basis, so why subject him to one more area when I can improve upon it a bit before he witnesses it?  <grin>

Ok, just gotta share one more thing that's on my brain.  Tomorrow is the month of April.  Tomorrow marks the first day of the month in which I turn 30 years old.  I'm not really all that bothered about turning 30; hubby preceded the way for me and that's all that matters.  ha ha!  But I've been thinking a lot about it.  So much so, I recently bought wrinkle treatment and Olay's Pro-X Restoration Eye Complex.  (By the way, cool rebate plan for Olay Professional products here.)  I've heard it too many times recently that it's never too early to start with the face products.  With hearing about it as many times as I have in recent days, I'd be a foolish gal to neglect such advice.  <grin> 

Call me crazy, but I think turning 30 has gotta be a dang good reason to start gettin' it in gear, Internet peeps!  Brennan is sleeping right now, so you'd think I'd get off the computer and pop in the workout video.  Maybe I'll just unwrap it.  That's a step. 

Three Days Late...and Counting

UPDATE

Hey, Internet peeps!  So our appointment this morning wasn't quite what we expected, only because our doctor ended up not being there.  So we weren't able to get a good read on what the week might hold.  Polka was moving like crazy and so it was hard to get a good read on the non-stress test, but from what it looked like, Polka is still a happy camper.  I haven't made any progress whatsoever; I'm still 1 cm dilated and 40% effaced.  I go back in Wednesday afternoon for another exam and non-stress test.  We do know, however, that on Wednesday we're looking at likely scheduling something by the end of the week, if not early next week:  either an induction if I'm at least 3-4 cm dilated and have made some significant progression, or a c-section if I haven't made much progression.  I'm still processing everything right now...I'm not sure what to think about it all.  No contractions today yet...just lots of Polka moving and stretching.  Thanks for all the comments of love, encouragement, and cheering on!  As for tonight, we'll be catching some more 24 and maybe some spicy Mexican food from Chuy's!

Any of you catch 24 last night?  Oh.  My.  Word.  Jack Bauer is back, baby!  He's sure been missed.  And if watching the second half of the intense season premiere tonight doesn't send me into labor, then I don't know what will! 

It's been AWESOME having extra days with the hubby and puppy before Polka comes.  And the puppy has sure been spoiled.  We've played, walked, brought her up into bed with us to watch a movie, and she's been smothered with lovies.  

Hubby and I made it out to go baby clothes shopping!  Thanks to the recommendation of my dear friend, Lindsey, Matt and I each picked out one outfit for each gender.  We first ventured out to find some outfits on Friday night and it ended rather dastardly with me in tears and nothing bought.  What was to be a fun date turned into a night of overwhelming pressure that carried through until mid-day Saturday.  It was a typical "Meghan" thing to have happen.  I was simply gripped by fear, comparison, and the pressure to have everything figured out...yes, about the baby clothes because I had NO idea what I was doing, as well as parenting itself.  After Lindsey's sweet, encouraging email in response to my outpouring of emotion, Matt and I felt like we should give it another go, and it turned out much better! 

Janie and Jack was having an awesome sale and had a great selection of little girl clothes!  I must say, both me and hubby are much more excited about the little girl clothes we bought than we are the boy ones.  We ventured over to Baby Gap for the boy clothes.  They didn't have that great of a selection, but we still found some cute things.  I kept inadvertently saying to Matt, "I can't wait to go shopping for an Easter dress!"  But I don't know if I'm gonna go Easter dress shopping yet!  I might be shopping for a little Easter suit!

So I'm off to a doctor's appointment later this morning to have another non-stress test and to see how we're progressing.  For the past several days, I'll have an hour's worth of regular contractions and then they fade out.  Polka's a little tease...just like his/her Mommy!  I'll post an update later this afternoon.  In the meantime, I sent Matt off to work, which was the last place he thought he'd be today and where he'll get slammed with questions like, "Where's the baby??".  I, on the other hand, am enjoying a glass of chocolate, chocolate, chocolate milk in the quiet stillness of my home before getting ready for the day and walking Moos.  She's just too irresistible not to! 

Due Date=Shopping Spree

UPDATE

Thank you for all of your baby clothes suggestions; they have been so much fun to read, and I'm thoroughly enjoying perusing the websites you suggested as well.  Hubby better be ready to hit the stores tomorrow!  My doctor's appointment went really well today.  I've made a little progression:  I'm now 40% effaced and 1 (whoopin') cm dilated.  Oh, I still have a long way to go!  The results of the non-stress test (NST) turned out well.  With some cramping and contractions taking place during the test, the doctor said it could be likely Polka could come this weekend, but I have a feeling he/she will hold out until next week.  But guess what...I know nothing!  If nothing takes place this weekend, I have another NST scheduled for Monday and we might be able to determine a day to induce then.  Until then, me and hubby are sleeping, relaxing, going on dates...and SHOPPIN'!  Have a blessed weekend, Internet peeps!

Today is our due date!  I am officially 40 weeks; the "Polka" counter has stopped counting down; the baby in the pea pod is about ready to be unseen; and I wonder if the ticker starts keeping track of a baby's tardiness.  <grin>

It's a good morning here, ya'll.  I am going to eat breakfast, get ready for the day, and walk Molly before heading to my doctor's appointment for my non-stress test.  I've gotta run some errands afterward, but when I get home, I'll post a little update for you about our status.  I asked hubby out on a little date tonight to do one of his most favorite things:  hang out at a bookstore, like Barnes & Nobles.  BUT, I wittingly came up with a date night I'd rather go on.  Hee hee!  He'd be so bummed if I didn't take him out on his date, so we'll stick with that game plan tonight, but maybe I've showed enough enthusiasm about my date idea that he'll take me up on it tomorrow.

You see, it has been most fun and exciting for us to wait to find out whether Polka is a boy or a girl!  Sure, there were moments of sheer temptation to find out, but around 30 weeks, we got over that hump.  And now, we just can't wait to know!!  But I am DYING to go baby clothes shopping!  For awhile, I felt rather nonchalant about the baby clothes because of not knowing boy or girl and not wanting to get too carried away.  But my excitement is bursting forth at this point!  So I want to go on a mini baby clothes shopping spree this weekend.  We'll buy a few cute little outfits for each gender and then return the ones we won't need.  So, here is where YOU all, dear Internet peeps, come in:

Where are your favorite places to buy baby clothes?  For any reason whatsoever (i.e. cost, quality, cuteness), where would you go on a mini baby clothes shopping spree?  Even give me Internet suggestions.  Ooo, I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one!

Will catch you later, and thank you for sharing in the excitement with me!  Just be sure to do one thing for me:  you gotta hold me accountable to not do this again!

Stepping into the Mommy World

A good Friday morning to you (or afternoon if you're in Jordan, or night if you're in Thailand) <grin>!  Yesterday was a full but very fun day meeting with 3 different friends, one of which is a fellow blogging buddy, Emily.  Her 4 month old son, Parker, joined us and he was as giddy as could be!  Such a good little fella he is.  I progressively made the rounds from Starbucks to Mozart's Coffee to Panera while enjoying a tasty bite of tortilla soup at Central Market for lunch.  If Central Market was closer, I'd seriously jump in my car right now and go get some more of that soup!  Why is it that restaurant food excites me so much more than my own cooking!?

I'm making a huge jump into mommy-world this afternoon by going to a city-wide "Mommy and Me Consignment Sale" that lasts all weekend.  Since I'm an expectant first-time mommy, however, I got to sign up for a special VIP Shower and Presale that is this afternoon.  My friend, Jill, passed along the info to me, so she gets to be my VIP guest this afternoon.  She's been a huge helper to me by giving me tips on baby registries and birth plans!  Truly, I don't know what I'd do without her, 'cause Internet peeps, I know nothin'!  She probably knows more than she ever, ever thought she would about me!  I'm not planning on buying anything at this point (Matt would be so pleased if I stuck with that plan), but the VIP invitation mentioned giveaways and freebies, and I'm totally all about that!  Hopefully I won't get too overwhelmed with this new aspect of mommy-world.  I'm stretchin' myself here by steppin' out for this thing, you understand?  The rest of the weekend we'll be working in the yard and doing yet again, some household maintenance chores.  We're whittling down that to-do list folks, and it feels great!

Have you noticed the Polka tracker lately?  Internet peeps, we are now into the double-digit days left as opposed to triple!  We're twenty-six weeks today and a week away from heading into the final lap (the final trimester) and my 7th month.  Oh, golly!  I finally found a chart that shows how the weeks, months and trimesters break down into each other.  I can be at peace now and not so confused, and I'm sure Matt is relieved to not have to explain it to me for the umpteenth time!  Check it out here. 

Here's a picture we took this morning.  I have weird hair up in a pony tail, no make up, and am in my work-out clothes.  This is how I normally look during the week <grin>.  Speaking of work-out clothes, my friend Lindsey posted a blog entry yesterday called Do you look good to work out or work out to look good?, and I like how she humorously asks a question I myself have often wondered these days.  I obviously fit into the camp that goes all-nat-ur-al not just at the gym, but all day nearly every day!

What are you all doing this weekend?  I hope it's a good one for ya'll, and just want to let you know that I appreciate you, Internet peeps!  Thanks for popping by and reading!