February 2010

Today is Todd’s 30th birthday. To him, it doesn’t feel any different to be turning 30 and to no longer be 29, but it is a remarkable day for him.

Because 30 years ago today, the most important person in my life was born. And two years later, I was born and our lives moved forward to bring us to the point where we would meet.

Most of you don’t know Todd, but I want everyone to know that he truly is the kindest, smartest, wittiest, and most patient man I know. He has always been able to make me laugh and his quick wit never ceases to leave me amazed and saying, “how did he come up with that so quickly?”

His love for his family is the kind that you’d want any guy to use a model and his work ethic is admirable. Now, for the past 8 months, Todd has been an incredible father to our precious son.

Todd is a great example of what a loving husband and father should be. He is respectful to everyone he comes in contact with and loves his son unconditionally.

In fact, two nights ago, he got to show how unconditionally he loves his son when Hudson got sick when I was at choir practice and Todd had to clean it up all by himself. That’s a job for a mommy, but I was so proud of him for handling it.

But look at these two. Are they not the spitting image of each other? (It’s okay for some of you to say he looks just like me! Even though we know that’s not true.)

I’m so thankful to have such a great partner and best friend to walk with through life.

We celebrated on Tuesday night by going to the Jimmy Buffett concert and we’ll be celebrating tonight with dinner at Mr. Friendly’s and dessert at Garibaldi Cafe (almond basket- yes!).

We’re meeting Todd’s parents and grandmother for lunch today, so he’ll be surrounded by love all day long. Happy 30th, TC!

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Note: I’ve joined Formspring.me, so CLICK HERE to ask me anything and click back to view all of my answers. If you follow me on Twitter, some of the answers are there, too!

Thank you all so much for the amazing comments on yesterday’s post. I realize that I’m not alone, and no matter what big life events we’re looking forward to, we’ve all struggled with contentment issues.

Today’s post is a little lighter.

For years, I had a huge 5 inch binder that we filled with wedding inspiration. Things that I liked from Martha Stewart Weddings and InStyle Weddings starting in 1999 and going until 2008. I tore out my favorite ideas, gowns, shoes, flowers, cakes, stationery, put each page in a page protector and filed it in my binder. I still have the binder, but I don’t take it out and look at it nearly as often.

These days, I keep a home inspiration binder. I print off and tear things out of Elle Decor, Domino (still missing Domino), and Southern Living and file it away by room categories in a 5 inch notebook. I’ve posted some of my favorite dream rooms and ideas before, here’s the house I’m currently coveting.

It is the Southern Living 2009 Idea House in Hemlock Springs, Georgia. To me, it is just the right mix of bold and understated. Formal and livable. Beautiful and comfortable. Relaxing and show-stopping.

Hopefully, our next house will have a formal living room where I will not have a television, but I will have my mother’s baby grand piano. (Thanks, mom!) I’ve always shied away from bold prints, but this room gives me courage. Love it and it’s at the top of the list of room inspiration. I have furniture that I would just recover to achieve this look.

This next room was actually used as the master bedroom in Hemlock Springs, but I would take one of my guest beds and recover the headboard and go for this look. I love having a white, calming, hotel-like guest bedroom, but with two guest bedrooms (until another wee one comes along) we can do this. It’s so beautiful, happy, and serene.

And last, but not least, I want our master bathroom and our dining room to be done in a big, bold, graphic wallpaper. I’ve never been a huge wallpaper fan, but this changes my mind.

There are my current beautiful home obsessions. Any tips on other sources of beautiful homes?

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I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and hopefully I’m not the only one. For a few years, probably since I finished grad school, I’ve felt like I’ve been measuring and marking my life by certain events. As if every life needs to follow a scripted, mapped out plan. Writing this post doesn’t mean I want to change “the plan,” but more how I view the plan and how I let it dictate my thoughts and actions.

I kind of look at my life like a scrapbook and it needs to have certain pictures in it. Not for anyone else, but for me to feel like I “checked that box.” The scrapbook, in my mind, looks something like this: get a driver’s license, get a car (used, new doesn’t matter), graduate high school, go to college, turn 21, graduate college, go to grad school, finish grad school, start a job, meet “the one”, get engaged, get married, buy a house, have a baby, have another baby, have another baby…. Then what? What do you wait for and wish for next?

When Todd and I were serious and knew that we’d get married someday, I spent so many months waiting and wishing that we’d get engaged. I knew that we would someday and that he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. But I became obsessed with getting engaged and having the label to go with it. I think mostly so I could move onto the next exciting thing in my life with him.

Why do I put my life into such big milestones? Why can’t I live each day just for what it is and be happy with where I am right now? This was a recent Bible study topic in our girls study of Priscilla Shirer’s “Can We Talk?”

My current contentment issue is with our house situation. I just kind of feel like we’re waiting and praying and I’m becoming impatient. I don’t know why I want the change so badly. I mean, I know why I want to move, but I need to just wait and see what the Lord wants us to do while I sit back, pray, and enjoy my life.

My other thought that has recently begun creeping into my mind is the thought of having another baby. I’m definitely not ready for another baby, but I’ve always thought that I wanted my kids to be two years apart in age. Hudson will be a year old in June. I’d have to start thinking about getting pregnant soon after that in order to have a second baby by Hudson’s second birthday. It’s not something I really like to think about, so I don’t. But I do feel a little bit of pressure to think about the long run and what the best time frame to have a second child would be. And I have no idea if getting pregnant the second time around would be as easy as it was the first time. I don’t know what’s going to happen to my body after I have surgery in May. The thought of actually being pregnant just makes me tired, but I know that I want the precious reward at the end.

So why am I doing this? Why am I thinking and planning so much rather than just being still and content in my wonderful little life as it is?

After Hudson was born, my mom joked that I needed to take a break from big life events for a while. Actually, she wasn’t joking. Between ages 24 and 27, I got engaged, got married, and had a baby. That’s a lot to handle– and not just for me. It was a lot on the people that love me and helped take care of me, too.

People find their fulfillment through different things. I am a Christian and a child of God and find so much fulfillment from my relationship with Him. And I am very happy with my life. I can’t stress that enough. But I do feel like I’m always waiting for the next thing– and there may not be another “next big thing” for my life. There will be for my son’s life, but I’m hoping to not be one of those moms that lives her child’s life to find her happiness. I will be happy for him, but I don’t want his life events to become my identity.

And there are obviously the people, couples, and families that don’t want some of those milestones to happen in their lives. Not everyone wants kids or wants to get married. But maybe there’s something work-related that you’re waiting for.

Does anyone else do this? Do you feel like you’re constantly waiting for the next big thing to happen? What if there isn’t anything big that happens? Why isn’t the idea of waking up, living your daily life, and going to bed good enough?

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Oh my!

The weather in Columbia was pretty darn close to perfect this weekend. My dear husband despises the colder temperatures and as soon as there’s even a hint of Spring he gets so excited. He wants to come home early from work so we can take the baby and Boudreaux on a walk (no, Fiona still doesn’t come with us). Todd hates the rain and the cold, so a perfect day brings out the kid in him and he wants to do everything outside. Our little family had been apart for two weekends in a row, so we wanted to make the most of this weekend.

Columbia has a pretty great zoo. Todd and I had one of our very first dates there, and we return back to the zoo at Christmastime every year to commemorate the first zoo visiting occasion.

December 2006

On Saturday, we were so excited to take Hudson on his first Riverbanks Zoo experience. He loves being in the stroller and seeing new things. He loved being out of the stroller even more so he could really see the animals. His favorite part was the aquarium. The fish are so bright and easy for him to see. We all had a great time. We didn’t stay long because an 8 month old doesn’t have the longest attention span, but it was nice being outside and seeing the animals. It was even more fun watching Hudson see everything for the first time.

On an unrelated note, I had a great weekend, but ate my weight in ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, and anything else I could get my hands on. No weight gained– yet– but I definitely would like to keep losing it, so I need to get it together.

I hope you’re all having a great Monday!

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I’ve got a few pictures on my camera from our time in Dallas and some from this week that I wanted to share with you. And it’s Friday, so I can do what I want today, right?

Super Bowl Awesomeness

The Saints won the Super Bowl! And my parents, their friends, Hudson, and I got together to celebrate. And eat. Because that’s what people from Louisiana do. We had a boat load of king cakes, a huge pot of red beans and rice, and a huge pot of gumbo, and yummy bread pudding. I would have been fine not to ever eat again. But I did, of course!

Please look at the vast amounts of food here.

Seeing my besties on a Dallas snow day

My best friends from college live in Ft. Worth, so visiting Dallas is extra fun because I get to see them and they get to play with Hudson when we visit my parents. They came over the day that Dallas got slammed with 12 inches of snow and we had a blast just hanging out inside.

Valentine’s Day

Todd was out of town the week that Hudson and I went to Dallas (which was the whole purpose of us going to Dallas in the first place). We all returned to Columbia from our respective locations on Valentine’s Day. Todd’s parents were very generous and kept Hudson overnight so Todd and I could go on a fun Valentine’s Day date in Greenville, SC. But we exchanged Valentine’s Day presents before we left. Hudson got a lot of cards and some Karen Katz books. He also got an “I Love You Elmo” and a big red fluffy dog.

Todd and I made the drive to Greenville and checked into the Westin Poinsett Hotel (where we got married and stayed during our wedding) and then went to Soby’s for dinner. We love Soby’s! We didn’t have enough time to stay for dessert because we had to make a 7:30 show of Wicked! I had seen it once before, but Todd had never seen it. It’s definitely in my top 3 best musicals of all time. We’ve been singing the songs constantly ever since.

After the show, we went back to Soby’s to have white chocolate banana cream pie, which was used instead of groom’s cake at our wedding.

photo by Kelly Moore Photography

The next day we had lunch on Main Street and then drove home to get our precious boy. It was so nice to have a night away- just the two of us. We were able to rest and talk and enjoy each other’s company. We’re able to do all of those things with Hudson around, but it’s just nice to have an evening where you get to just be together.

Hudson on the go

Hudson got a new ride yesterday. We upgraded his car seat from the Graco SnugRide to the Britax Boulevard. He was actually 2 pounds heavier than the limit for the SnugRide, so it was time– way past time! The Britax is great and he loves it already! Pictures coming soon of Hudson in his new seat. But here are a couple that I took of him yesterday just hanging out at home.

Doesn’t he look guilty?

And I hope you’re not bothered by baby drool!

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When we were in Dallas, I had to make a trip to pick up all of Hudson’s necessities. I don’t like to travel with all of that stuff because it just means that we have to bring one more bag and it’s just as easy to pick it up when we get to Dallas. My mom had already picked up diapers, formula, baby food, and wipes, but I still needed a few things. So we went to Tom Thumb and I got Mylicon, baby Tylenol, Wet Ones, and a bulb syringe.

Now that he’s crawling, Hudson’s little hands are always so grubby, so as soon as we got home, I opened up the canister of Wet Ones to thread the wipes through the little toothed hole.

And what happened next sounded like this, “Help? HELP!”

My dad came running in to help me (because for all he knew I’d fallen or the baby had choked or something horrible had happened) and he saw something that looked like this…

This is NOT my finger. Image found via here. I wasn’t able to scream out in pain and whip out my Canon Rebel to capture this glorious moment at the same time.

I am happy to know that when searching for an image for this post I was able to find exactly what I needed– proving that I’m not the only idiot on the planet.

So we carefully got my finger out of that toothed, prongy hole while I screamed out that it felt like the tip of my finger might pop off or lose all circulation. That plastic? Oh, it just feels like it could chop your finger off.

Someone else took over the Wet Ones feeding the wipe through the hole process for me. And then I saw it. The warning label.

The warning level that helps prove that I’m not the only idiot on the planet and wasn’t the first one to do this, but it also proves that I’m even more of an idiot for doing it when there’s a perfectly legible warning label on the back.

Note: This is not an attack on Wet Ones. I love Wet Ones. This is an attack on me and my inability to see a dangerous situation disguised as a Wet Ones canister.

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…like son?

Everyone says that Hudson takes after his father, but I can show you two big areas where he takes after me.

Actually, I’m not going to show you the proof, but please look at the thighs on that kid!

He thinks it’s pretty funny!

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Hudson actually turned 8 months old on February 5, but things got a little crazy. We went out of town for over a week, and while I always vow to blog while I’m away, it’s rare when I actually follow through with that vow. It’s much easier to just enjoy the vacation from everything– including blogging.

Dearest Hudson,

I have to say that as your mommy, this month has been the most fun. You started sitting up at 5 months and then right after you turned 7 months you started crawling. You never army crawled. You just got up on your hands and knees and took off.

Crawling means lots of bumps and scrapes

You’re a heavy little booger and you want to crawl around and toward things that are dangerous and not for little boys. So I’m always on the ground picking you up or redirecting you. It has been so much fun to chase you around and watch you explore the house on your own. You still haven’t quite figured out that you can follow me when I leave a room.

But now that you’re crawling, it’s not enough. You want to stand on your own. So the pulling up started immediately after the crawling.

You are the sweetest little person I know. You light up a room and anytime someone new comes into the room you start jabbering and kicking your legs.  You want everyone to know that they’re welcome! And you want everyone to come talk to you. You’re kind of a little attention hog. But that’s because we shower you with lots of attention all the time.

Your daddy and I think you’re very funny. You’ve always got something to say (though no official words yet. We’ve heard “dada” and “baba” but they’re not in reference to anything specific) and you make new little sounds every day.

Hudson, you are a still an amazing sleeper and a great eater. Look at you! You’re a growing boy and growing boys need their food and their sleep. You still sleep 12 full uninterrupted hours at night and still take 3 naps every day. Not all of your naps are long, but you need them. You let us know when it’s time for you nap. You start rubbing your eyes and you put your little thumb in your mouth. We’re not too worried about you being a thumb sucker. You only do it at bedtime or when you’re upset, but you’ve never taken a pacifier. I figure we can correct the thumb issue later when it’s actually an issue.

You had your first stomach bug before we went to visit KK and Poppie. Mommy caught it, too, but that’s okay. I was so worried about you. I think you were worried about yourself. We went to see the doctor when you were sick and they weighed you at that appointment. You were 24 lbs and 14 ounces. Quite the big guy! You’re wearing all 12 and 18 months clothes now. Most of the 12 months things are a little snug.

We’re so proud of you and we’re so excited about every new day with you. You’ll be walking and talking so soon, but I’ve learned my lesson with the crawling. I won’t be wishing for the walking and talking to start any time soon!

You’re nearly as big as your monkey now!

I love you so much!

Mommy

8 months

7 months

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I decided to join in the simple pleasures post after Kelly from Kelly’s Korner posted hers the other day.

Hudson and I have had a rough week. He has been sick and I have been completely overwhelmed with keeping him happy and healthy and taking care of our looney tunes dog. We’re days away from getting out of town for a few days (while Todd is out of town on business), so there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

I thought it would help if I could just jot down the things in my life that make me the happiest.

1. A grin from this little fella.

2. A kiss “good morning” from this handsome fella.

3. A visit with these ladies.

4. An i-Chat with these two.

5. A diet vanilla cherry coke from Sonic. Yum.

6. The scale showing that I’ve lost 9 pounds since I started Weight Watchers three weeks ago! (Life has been too chaotic for a whole Weight Watchers Wednesday post, but I’m doing well and still losing!)

7. The best dessert in the world from Garibaldi Cafe in Columbia, the almond basket. Delicious!

8. A random, complete surprise gift

9. The smell of fresh laundry and warm chocolate chip cookies.

10. A walk with my family on a pleasant day.

11. A perfectly clean house with everything in its place.

12. A good talk with the Lord.

13. A night’s sleep that lasts longer than 8 hours.

What makes you happy when you’re having a bad day?

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