the blizzard of 2014

I can count on one hand the number of days I've had off due to weather.  Not anymore, though, because tomorrow will be day three of this week.  It's a little mind boggling.  Equally so when I walk by the window and catch the white abyss that is still our snow covered yard.  We live in Alabama, y'all.  This is nuts.

 I was sitting in my principal's office Monday {not in trouble!} when she got the news that Tuesday we'd be taking a snow day.  I squealed just like my kiddos did when I told them the news.  Not because I actually thought there'd be snow-- I didn't, just because I really enjoy a day off.  I stopped by the grocery store to grab a few onions and a hunk of cheese for tomato soup and laughed at the hoards of silly people buying milk, bread, batteries and beer.

Monday night, after watching the news, it became apparent we'd be experiencing some type of winter weather.  I still wasn't overly concerned.  We've heard those forecasts before and seen nothing.  I did, however, negotiate an earlier hair appointment for Reese.  Because I have priorities and he looked like Albert Einstein.

Tuesday morning Lofton headed to work and I lounged around until Reese and I needed to leave to get his hair cut.  It was cold and raining, but again nothing alarming.  The alarm began when I came out thirty minutes later and my car was frozen solid and it was still raining. Only now it was frozen rain. I did what any smart girl would do and called my husband and asked him to come home.

The day unfolded from there.  More and more icy rain, a husband that couldn't come home from work, and a little panic starting to creep in.

Obviously we're fine.  And finally the rain turned to snow, which was happily welcomed by a certain five year old. We are, though, counting our blessings that we have two furnaces.  The one in the back of the house isn't working and it's a brisk fifty degrees back there.  Reese piled in for a slumber party last night, which as you can imagine meant Lofton and I got very little sleep.  It appears we will be suffering a similar fate tonight.

All this to say, Winter Storm Leon is certainly one we won't forget.

16 weeks

As I read back over my blog I feel a little guilty.  I'm neglecting to capture this second pregnancy and now here we are -- four weeks shy of halfway through!

Let's get to the big news first.  It's a...

Truthfully, we would have been happy either way.  I do think I'm a pretty jam up boy mama, though.  Reese would agree.  He also really wanted a brother.  All afternoon he's bounced around talking about all the things he can teach his "little brother."  I'm a puddle.

The only reason we thought it might be a girl is because this pregnancy has been really different.  It's hard to know why-- I surmise it's the increase in age {31 as opposed to a spry 25, yikes!}, but I also know our lives are a lot fuller now with work and church and a five year old.

The sickness has been brutal, but this week I seemed to have turned a corner.  I'm so thankful for that.  The exhaustion has passed as well.  Although I'm definitely tired at night and go to sleep easily, my pregnancy insomnia is the real deal.  I had it with Reese, too.  I'm awake most nights between 1:00 and 3:00, sometimes earlier. The headaches aren't as frequent, but they still hit me about once a week.  If I'm at work I take two tylenol, turn off the overhead lights, and drink a diet dr. pepper.  It's not a perfect fix, but I can function.  At home, I take the medicine my OB gave me and go to bed.

As far as weight, I started tenish pounds lighter this pregnancy and then lost a few in the first two months.  I'd be willing to bet my first born that I've gained them back in the last month, as my pants are getting a little snug.

The strangest thing to me about this pregnancy is really the lack of time I spend thinking about it.  It's not that I forget I'm pregnant, but it isn't our sole focus like it was the first time.  Lofton and I are both really excited, but also a little anxious about the change in our family dynamic.

And finally, the room is in progress.  We have walls and a closet, plus the fireplace is gone.  The fireplace is being replaced with a custom bookshelf.  That husband, he's a talented one.  The green paint will not be staying.  We also have a crib {thanks Emo!} and a rug.  Reese's old glider is going to be reupholstered and we need to find a dresser. We may use Reese's dresser because it's the right height for a changing pad and then find him something new.

Obviously the best part of it all is this --

A healthy, growing LONG legged little boy. Now for a name...

gratitude

Reese and I spent New Year's Eve morning at the dentist.  The hygienist, a friend, always schedules our next appointments while we are there.  Let's be honest, she knows I'll forget to call.  Six months out, she said, is the last week in June... and then she stopped and laughed.  I guess you won't be coming in the last week of June!

Six months out?  The last week in June?  No time for a dentist appointment, I'll be having a baby.  Crazy right?  We picked a random day at a random time the last week of July.  It's weird to think I have no idea what our schedule will be like.  I have no idea what a lot of things in our life will look like, to be honest.  That probably explains the lack of sleep I've had the past week or so.  Pregnancy insomnia is real, people.  The vortex of worry is also real.

In case you haven't picked up on it, I'm a worrier.  {ha. ha}

That's why my word for 2014 is gratitude.  The past two years I picked present and intentional.  Both similar in motivating me to soak up more of my life with the boys and be more thoughtful and direct with my words.  I'd like to think I did both of those things pretty well.  I enjoy picking a word to guide my year because I do well with focus.  It centers my thoughts and gives me a purpose.  So gratitude it is and I'm going to start now...

Gratitude for my sweet five year old boy.  He challenges me daily with his words.  I feel like I say constantly, "watch your tone" because he genuinely forgets he's five.  He also mirrors his mama :) But he is so sweet and he loves us so much.  Yesterday was a shower of hugs and kisses all day long as he bounced from toy to toy.  It's easy to forget those things when I'm tired and he won't eat anything but yogurt and peanut butter.

Gratitude for my husband.  The one who washed his own clothes with a three musketeers candy bar in his pocket.  What a surprise when I opened the drier Monday.  Seriously though, he takes such good care of us.  He brings me coffee every morning {and crackers from weeks 4-10}, makes the bed, takes care of making Reese's lunch, and so much more.  He is my very best friend.

And finally gratitude for my job.  My fourteen kiddos can exhaust me like no other and they are quite an eclectic group this year.  But there are only fourteen of them.  And they are sweet, at least to me, almost all the time.  I'm also grateful for a boss who is compassionate and understanding, who listens and is thoughtful.  I was super apprehensive about working for a woman, but so far so good.  Obviously the beginning of the school year is going to bring some challenges-- namely that I won't be there.  But I'm going to try not to worry about that right now.  Maybe March?

extra merry

I intended to blog about Disney. I have lots of cute pictures and stories to tell because it was truly a magical trip. But it's probably not going to happen.  At least not anytime soon.  I'm exhausted, friends.

Because apparently growing a human is really hard for me.

We've known since October so sorry you're a bit late to the party.  Reese is over the moon about "our baby."  And every single time he says our baby I get weepy.  I blame the hormones.

Also blaming the hormones for the all day nausea which turns into hours of vomiting each night.  And the splitting headaches.  Ouch.  I was sick with Reese, but it has been nothing compared to this go round.  I'm on my second medicine regime and these meds basically knock me out.  So yeah, my options are either vomit or sleep.  I'm a lot of fun to hang out with.

We are most certainly not complaining, though.  This pregnancy didn't come as easy as Reese, so we are going to happily vomit as long as it lasts.  I think Lofton would agree it was a longer and harder journey than we anticipated, but also a really great one for us.  We've learned so much in the last year about God's timing and God's plan.  Let's just say sometimes it's different than ours.

Right now I'm trying to balance work with rest with being a mama and a wife and oh yeah Christmas.  I'm overwhelmed and ready for this week to be over.  I need some Reese time.  I'm increasingly aware that our days as a duo are coming to an end and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anxious.  But he really is so excited. He told me tonight that he's going to practice his ballet because if our baby is a girl she'll need me to teach her.

So I'm going to leave you with that.  My five year old teaching himself ballet on the off-chance he has a sister!  Happy news and happy holidays!

soccer and pumpkins

We leave for Disney in a few days.  I knew that would be a blog worthy post, so I thought I might should get to recapping the last month before I get too far behind.

Our October has been dominated by soccer.

With Lofton as the coach I am, by default, team mom.  I take my role very seriously.  Just kidding. I do attend all the games, though.

And I also got in a minor {okay, major} verbal altercation with an opposing team's coach.  She was cheating. And insulting my husband.  It was ugly. I may have used the phrase "pot calling the kettle black" and told her to get back on her side of the field.  Not my finest moment.  But funny in hindsight.

Tomorrow night we play our last game and I am not sad.  Not one bit.  Although the kiddos are pretty adorable.  They are also unbeaten.  See that blond little boy on the left?  That's Warner.  He's a beast on the soccer field.

Last weekend we carved our pumpkin.  Reese was so excited... until he realized what is actually inside the pumpkin.  Evidently pumpkin guts aren't his thing.

So basically Lofton and I spent two hours carving pumpkins while Reese played football in the yard.  They looked phenomenal-- mine had polka dots and Lofton carved a Mickey Mouse vampire into the other-- but I didn't get a picture because the heat got them after approximately one night.  Bummer.  Wednesday was the big trick or treating night in Opelika.  Reese went to five houses.  At the first house {friends of ours we attend church with} Reese burst into tears when he got four feet from the door.  The pressure of ringing the doorbell was too much.  So we did it together.  And after five houses, all people we knew, he was done.  Lesson learned?  Halloween is not our jam.

And with that November has arrived and Mickey Mouse awaits.  

We are beyond excited.

happenings

We had Reese's birthday party the Saturday before last.

It was perfect weather for jumping in the bounce house and celebrating our favorite boy.

We surprised Reese before the party with a little gift...  A trip to DISNEY!  It's hard to say who's more excited-- him or me.  We've been planning the trip since the Spring, so it's nice to be able to actually talk about it now.  There's been a lot of spelling of d-i-s-n-e-y.  Our trip is in early November and the countdown calendar is displayed prominently on the fridge.

I'm literally giddy with excitement.  My parents are going to join us if my dad will go to the doctor and get his knee examined.  Hi Daddy-- I know you read my blog.  Take your tail to the doctor because we aren't wheeling you around Disney in a wheelchair.  Love you! I actually received our Magic Bands in the mail from Disney today.  We are testing them as part of a new program for Disney World.  Awesome?  Umm, yes.  

In other happenings, Reese came home with a horribly high fever Tuesday afternoon.  We wasted an hour of our time {and forty dollars} at the pediatric clinic before coming home to snuggle on the couch.  Wednesday was spent doing the same.  Unfortunately for Reese it was his birthday.  Luckily he loves watching movies on the couch with his mama.  And me?  Perfectly content to stay home and snuggle with my baby on his actual birthday.  I still can't believe he's five.  And evidently neither can he because he says that all the time.  He also asked if he could go ahead and start kindergarten.  Like Thursday.  Oh the disappointment when I explained he would have to finish the year in preschool first.

Friday we sent him to school fever free for his pumpkin patch field trip.  I was leery as our first trip to the pumpkin patch didn't go so well.  Petting zoos are not Reese's jam.  He was also nervous about riding a school bus.  I was equally as nervous about him riding a school bus, but off he went.  When I picked him up from school he was full of stories.  The best of which involved him explaining the pumpkin patch rules.

Let me just tell you the punkin patch rules, Mama.  Rule one: Whatever punkin you pick, you have to carry.  So if you pick the giant punkin you have to carry it all day long until we get back to the school bus.  And so my punkin is small Mama, because there was no way I was going to carry a big ole punkin around all day.

Small it is.  Tiny, in fact.  Well worth the eight dollars I paid.

From school we headed to get our flu shot.  Let me just tell you, I will not be taking him alone next year.  It took two nurses to hold him down.  Lovely.

And that about sums up our first week of being five.

five

Dear Reese,

Today you are five.  FIVE.  It sounds so big and so old.  My heart just can't comprehend that five years ago today we welcomed you into our arms.

You are the perfect combination of funny and smart, sassy and sweet. You asked me recently if I would marry you and move to Canada.  Without hesitation I said yes.

Watching you grow into a little boy with questions and ideas of your own fascinates me.  I love seeing your mind at work-- processing life in your brain and reasoning all on your own.  Recently we were talking about heaven and you said that you were so happy Granny, Mrs. Krista's dad, and Deuce {Mamie and Paw Paw's dog} could all be together as friends.  I pray you hold on to that childlike faith for many more years.

Speaking of prayers we have so many for you. I pray for you more than anyone, or anything else, because growing up is hard.  But above all we are just thankful to God for creating you just as you are.  You are our greatest blessing and your Daddy and I love you so much.  To the moon and back again and again.

Happy 5th Birthday, baby boy,
love, Mama