Welcome back?

Well, it's been quite awhile since I have been over to this part of the blogosphere. Since I last wrote, I have had an entire pregnancy and gave birth to our daughter last week. There are a few reasons as to why I haven't really been writing here, but the honest truth is that the last nine months have been hard. Really hard. Like, probably the hardest that I have experienced as a grownup. I have some thinking to do as to how much, if any of that I want to share on here. Perhaps others can learn from the hard times that I have experienced? I know that I have learned a lot.

I do want to say that things are in a much better place now. I feel like along with giving birth to our child, a new life was also given birth to. It was a pretty close call as to how things would work out even pretty close to the baby coming, but so far everything has been falling into place. There are still a few uncertainties, but that's just life... right?

I'm not quite sure of the timeline, but I am so lucky and grateful to be home with my kiddos right now. I guess I'm back here trying to sort out stay-at-home-mom life, take some time to reflect on the last nine months, and create another path for social interaction as I'm figuring out life with three littles.

So, for now this is a start. I guess we'll see who is even looking here anymore! If you are- let me know- and hey! It's been awhile!

Happy New Year

Hey guys! We made it to 2013 without the world imploding. I guess that now it's time to actually start making something of ourselves, huh? Scary!

This last month has been pretty insane around these parts, which is why things have been super quiet in this particular space. In December we moved, had the holidays, Logan was really sick for a week, and had lots of family in town. We are still pretty surrounded by boxes, but are slowly creating a new space for ourselves- including a yard for the littles to run around in.

I am so grateful for everything that 2012 contained. Lots of love from family and friends, getting to watch our tiny men grow into slightly bigger tiny men with much larger personalities than their stature shows at first glance. Logan and I have both been working our butts off at work. I couldn't be happier that at every moment we had a roof over our heads, food on the table, and diapers on the baby's bottom. We had amazing (and free!) childcare which allowed us to grow in our careers and trust that our children were being taken care of. My mom moved to town. I ran my first 5K. Logan got to roast coffee. We took a mini (two night) vacation to San Antonio san kiddos together.

I got a little frustrated because I've apparently reached my photo limit here (which means I need to start doing it through a website or something, right?! Internet pals? Halp!) so with that and all the craziness that was December, I wasn't around here. But hopefully that will change and I'll get back into the groove because I really like having this space to look back to see where our lives have come from in the last four years.

Been missing ya'll!

Disappear

It's been awhile. I haven't posted since before Kieran's birthday. I just... couldn't.

I've done a bit of a disappearing act from a lot of the world. Partially because I've been engulfing myself with being the best mom, wife, employee- that I possibly could, and partially because there was just something not right within myself and I needed to figure it out before pouring my confused heart out into the world.

I'm back to (mostly) normal and will get back to posting and getting my camera back out shortly. I need to post about Kieran turning 1 (!!!), weaning, Dex's handsome new duds he has been sporting, working hard and finding a balance and working on a four year strong relationship.

But for now I'm going to just leave you with pictures that you have probably seen on Instagram and get some relaxing in before the work week starts tomorrow (who am I kidding- laundry, organizing, mama-stuff since Logan is working nonstop stuff done).

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

So if you will, please. Take a minute to glance upward and notice...

The blog has a NEW NAME! While there really isn't much nesting going on around here yet, I figured now is as good a time as any to incorporate new baby (who, yes, does have a name. but no, we will not tell you) even more!

While we may only be three and a half-ish for right now, I think we're close enough to call it. (Though I have heard that close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.)

That's all. I will do a more substantial post soon, but thought I would share our new look.

Random

If I had a ton of money (or really any at all) I would buy everything off this site.

So cute.


In other news. Declan has been flip-flopping between so cute I want to kiss his face off and so annoying I want to go and live under a rock forever. Luckily the cute thing makes me mostly forget about the annoying thing. I guess that's the life of a toddler? It has been super hard getting pictures of him recently. Every time I get the camera or my phone out and say "Cheese" he gets really grumpy and wants to grab it out of my hand. Not making it so easy to get a cheerful picture. I just need to get my camera back out more to get him used to it again. I miss my little ham!

Man, I am beat. I really wish I could write a poetic entry about how looking at Dec's little tummy covered in suds in the bathtub makes my heart aflutter. I would talk about the growing reality of becoming parents to TWO children. I would write my unborn baby a letter. I would discuss my excitement over the possibility of one of my closest friends coming and visiting for Declan's second birthday. I would write about how my heart breaks a little when I think of my baby becoming two.

However, I am beat. So I'm going to go and try to clean our room a little. (Since Logan started today when he put together our new bed. Thanks J! We don't just sleep on a mattress on the floor anymore. We're on the way to becoming real grownups again!) But the reality is... I'm probably just going to put on some trashy tv, eat some ice cream, and pass out. So happy tomorrow is Friday.

Happy New Year!

The last couple weeks have been pretty crazy. Dex and I traveled cross country to go visit our friends and family back on the East Coast. It was my first time flying with him by myself (yikes!) and despite the double ear infection and croup... we ended up having a good time and getting to see lots of people.

I'll do a longer post later, but I just wanted to check back in with the blogging world since it's been so long. Logan and I have the day off together to try to get as many errands done as possible while Dex reorients himself with school. Which I'm super sad about. I wish I didn't have to go back to the school/work life. I loved getting to spend so much time with him.

So I suppose I should be off to do things like fold laundry and get ready for our ever-so-exciting trip to the DMV that must be made. But more later.

Happy New Year!!

Day 2- Something you love about yourself

Wow. Sorry to leave this blog on such a negative note. Although we don’t have internet I figured that I would have more time to get posts up. With the job and getting Declan used to his new place and schedule, I have been pretty busy. I’ll give a life update in another post, but let’s get this back to a more positive place first.

Something I love about myself. I have been so focused on others recently (cough cough Declan cough) that I haven’t had a whole lot of introspective time. I suppose that something I love about myself is my ability to work hard. I know a lot of people that don’t understand the concept of work. I feel as though a lot of this generation expects life to be handed to them on a silver platter while they sit around and watch tv. I was instilled with a strong work ethic from a young age. I was expected to do chores in order to get my allowance. As I got older and stopped getting an allowance I was expected to do yard work to earn money.

For me, painting a fence wasn’t just slopping some paint around and going on my merry way. I had to scrape, cover every inch in primer, two coats of paint, and keep the area around me and my materials clean. I was picked up from the SATs and then had to seed and hay an entire field that afternoon. I was a good worker. I enjoy hard work. Sure I resented having to do work sometimes when people I knew could just ask their parents for money and have it handed over, but this is what got me where I am today.

I found out I was pregnant as I was planning on being in grad school. I entered grad school in my first trimester. I worked full time, took three classes and threw up every day. Being able to work hard allowed for me to have an 18 month old and my M.S. Sometimes it’s hard for me to slow down, and when I have down time I don’t quite know what to do. But I love knowing that I will always be able to provide for myself and my family because I know how to.

30 Days of All About Me

I've never done this before, but I saw this blog prompt and thought it might be a way for me to shake it up and talk about something different than job hunting and being in love with my child. While those things are fine to talk about... I figured it might be nice for those of you that read this to understand that I'm more than just the situation I'm in. 

Join me if you would like, on this journey of discovery. I found this fun blog prompt (or series of prompts, is more accurate) on Marine Wife Unplugged's blog. These are the prompts for the different days:

Day 01 → Something you hate about yourself.
Day 02 → Something you love about yourself.
Day 03 → Something you have to forgive yourself for.
Day 04 → Something you have to forgive someone for.
Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.
Day 06 → Something you hope you never have to do.
Day 07 → Someone who has made your life worth living for.
Day 08 → Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.
Day 09 → Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.
Day 10 → Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.
Day 11 → Something people seem to compliment you the most on.
Day 12 → Something you never get compliments on.
Day 13 → A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)
Day 14 → A hero that has let you down. (letter)
Day 15 → Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.
Day 16 → Someone or something you definitely could live without.
Day 17 → A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.
Day 18 → Your views on gay marriage.
Day 19 → What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?
Day 20 → Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 21 → (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?
Day 22 → Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.
Day 23 → Something you wish you had done in your life.
Day 24 → Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)
Day 25 → The reason you believe you’re still alive today.
Day 26 → Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?
Day 27 → What’s the best thing going for you right now?
Day 28 → What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?
Day 29 → Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.
Day 30 → A letter to yourself, tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself

Thirty days of truth and getting to know me. Even in just looking at this list I have put mental blocks in front of some of the answers. It's hard to be completely honest, especially in a public situation. So we'll see what happens. You will get to know me better and maybe I'll get to know myself better in the end.

My First Blog Award

My first Blog Award! Thanks to Nicole at Marine Wife Unplugged!

(Since this is the first time I'm receiving an award... I hope I'm doing this right)

The rules of this award are

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award to other bloggers who inspire you (It's supposed to be 9, but that makes it seem a little chain-maily to me... so I'll leave it with whoever inspires you)

4. Let them know about the award.

Sooooo... 7 things about myself

1. If you actually read this then you are well aware that I recently moved to Austin, TX. You may not be aware that while this is my farthest move, it is far from my first. I have moved around 20 times, and my last house was the only place I had lived in for over a year (13 months) since I was a Junior in high school.

2. I had a dog for almost the first half of my life, Timber. He was a brown mutt dog. However, he always seemed like my dad's dog, and not my dog so I almost don't feel as though I ever had a dog.

3. I wish I was more artistic that I actually am.

4. When I became pregnant, I started to be obsessed with any TV show having to do with babies. I watched a lot of Jon and Kate Plus 8 (but have given that up due to all the drama) and love Teen Mom. I like following the girls from the first season (16 and Pregnant) but really hate that they did more than one season because it makes me feel as though girls will get pregnant just to be on the show.

5. Logan was my first real, serious boyfriend. Pretty much everyone else was a mess in the time when my life was a big mess.

6. I spent 6 years of my life getting a degree in something that I'm not sure I want to do anymore.

7. I can say the states in alphabetical order, the alphabet backwards, have a birthmark just below my right knee, and I think my hair is getting more red in the sun.

Bloggers Who Inspire Me

1. My lovely friend Lauren at Before I was a Mom. A dear friend before, during, and after pregnancy.

2. Enjoying the Small Things. I save this for last because reading it is like a bit of dessert.

3. Lullabies to Terrorize. Keeping Mamahood real.

4. Just By Living. Her birth story is unreal.

That's all for now.