#iPPP-Thanksgiving Edition

Hello Blog friends!

I've missed you. In case you didn't know, I took the last week or so off to give birth. Last Tuesday we welcomed Baby Insomnia to the world and since we arrived home on Friday, things have been what I can only describe as perfect storm of chaos.

Yes, I am sleep deprived.
Yes, I feel some days like I've been hit by a truck. (because that's what happens when you are sleep deprived and forget to take your pain medications and you have a toddler who doesn't understand you just had surgery and likes to climb on you)

But I am loving every single second of it.

I have so much to be thankful for this year.

Because I believe in being grateful for all things big & small, here is the short list of little things I am grateful for. Things like:

*being able to enjoy a glass of wine or have a beer during football games again
*Nick at Nite programing to keep me entertained during 3 am feedings
*Coffee. Lots and Lots of Coffee
*Keebler Coconut Chocolate Chip cookies- seriously try them. Now.

But it's the big things I am truly thankful for.

Things like this man....

Who makes me laugh and knows how to take the edge off and make me feel at ease. Who held my hand through my c-section and made phone calls for me while I slept off the anesthesia. Who wheeled me to the NICU every few hours to hold my new baby boy.
Having kids tests a marriage sometimes, and I am so grateful to have someone that truly is my partner in crime through it all.

I am also thankful for this little man...

I am so proud of my little boy, who despite having his entire schedule turned upside down, was a good boy for grandma and grandpa which allowed daddy to be able to stay at the hospital with me the whole time. He was such a ray of sunshine for me when he came to visit, even if he did steal my pudding and get it all over my bed. I had one hell of a time explaining those stains to my nurses.

You know what makes you instantly feel better after having semi-major surgery??
A toddler doing the worm for you.


And last, but certainly not least, I am thankful for this little miracle...

via Instagram

Nolan Patrick (yes, we finally decided on a name!) arrived at 9:35am. I am grateful that I was able to stay awake and hear Nolan's first little cries. I am grateful for a stellar NICU team that took amazing care of my little boy in his first 24 hours. Nolan inhaled quite a bit of fluid and needed to be on oxygen to ensure his lungs and everything were working OK.  Though I would've preferred he didn't have to be there, I felt at ease with the staff there and trusted their decision to keep him there. They were wonderful and made sure that even though he was in the NICU that we still got to hold him,feed him and see him as much as we wanted too.

I am thankful that he only had to stay in the NICU for a short time and that he has been healthy and thriving since. He is a sweet little baby with his daddy's nose and mommy's eyes and I never knew my heart could be filled with so much love.

What are you thankful for this year??


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10 things

Tomorrow morning I'll be heading to the hospital to meet still unnamed Baby Insomnia.

Though there is a lot going on, I feel a bit of nostalgia about this pregnancy along with a sense of excitement about post pregnancy life.
I know these next few weeks will be busy and I'm not sure how much time and energy I'll have to blog, so I leave you, for now, with a top 10 list.
Or if you want to get technical about it  2 Top 5 lists....

Top 5 Things I'll Miss About Being Pregnant

5. Feeling the little kicks and flips in my belly. Especially at night or after drinking cold water.
4. Being able to live in yoga pants 24/7
3. My pregnant body. I actually feel sexy when I am pregnant. That may sound weird to some people, but for some reason my body rocks when I am pregnant. It's as if all the weight in my body just goes to my belly and I end up losing weight in my face, arms and legs and just grow this cute little round belly. I wish my regular post-baby body were as good.
2. The money. As a waitress and a bartender I can honestly say that the last 3 months of my pregnancy I made AMAZING money. I made my waddle work for me.
1. People being extra helpful./generous. People at work clean my tables for me, my husband brings me my meals on the couch, and the lady at the gas station never charges me for the cups of nugget ice I get on a daily basis.

Top 5 Things I Am Looking Forward To After Pregnancy

5. Wine. Enough Said.
4. Being able to walk more than 5 ft. or rolling over in bed without losing my breath. Or breaking a sweat.
3. Sleeping without getting up 32 times a night to pee.
2. Being able to eat something without instantly feeling a searing burning in my chest and throat.
1. Meeting my little boy. (And wine. I really miss wine)

I'll miss you all and I promise to post pics as soon as I can!!

(Say a little prayer, that we can name this little boy)

10 things to do before your toddler turns 2

10 things to do when your First Born turns 2


10.) Obsessively buy him anything and everything that you see because you know "this year he'll really GET it"

9.) Look back over pictures of the last 2 years and cry over how big your baby is getting.

8.) Go crazy because you've decided to try and make this cake for your 2 year old even though it is way out of your realm of cooking skills.

7.) Feel compelled to make this birthday extra special because you feel guilty that you are bringing a new baby into the world in 6 days and know that your first born's life will be turned upside down.

6.) Cry because of said guilt. & raging hormones.

5.) Go out and buy toddler more presents because of this.

4.) Find a super cute birthday outfit for the birthday boy to wear. Decide against it in the end because you realize it will not last 2 seconds without getting ruined.

3.) Go crazy planning out your toddler's birthday dinner only to realize that they will probably not eat any of it.

2.) Cry tears of happiness as you watch the smart and energetic boy before you.

1.) Smile and know that these last 2 years are just the beginning...

My little monster

Jack's Halloween costume this year really happened by chance. Last year, his 1st Halloween, I was immediately intent on him being a monkey.
This year, we were at a loss for what to dress him as.

Initially, we saw cute Elmo and Cat and the Hat costumes, but they were upwards of $49 and I just couldn't rationalize spending that much on something he'd only wear one day. (I'm getting cheap in my old age) Plus, I realize that someday soon, he'll be old enough to request what he wants to be, so I'd prefer to save my pennies for those days.

Then I thought maybe I'd dress him up as DJ Lance because the costume was hilarious, but my boy is way too fair skinned to pull off a bright orange costume. And as someone that used to work in the fashion world, stupid things like that mean more to me than the average person. I couldn't let my boy go out in something that washed him out.

So one day, strolling the asiles of my favorite store, Target, I found this little number...

My little monster

I'm pretty sure that the neighbors in our tiny subdivision don't care for us on Halloween. We NEVER give out candy nor do we go trick or treating in our neighborhood. It's nothing against our neighbors or anything, we just always worked before we had kids and now we take Jack over to our in laws to go trick or treating.

This year, per usual, we went to my mother and father in laws to pay Papa a visit before he went to work. Jackson LOVES his Papa, so much so that I'm pretty sure Papa takes the cake over even mommy and daddy somedays.  I could be jealous of this, but seeing the two of them together makes my heart melt.

Papa gets attacked before work!!

 Things I learned Trick or Treating this year:

*Toddlers that don't nap walk slower than usual.
*They also refuse to say "Trick or Treat" no matter how many times you prompt them to.
*A sleepy toddler and a 37 week old pregnant woman have pretty much the same stamina.
*My son's candy of choice: Kit Kat's. He actually dug through a bowl at one house just to find one.
*It only takes 3 Kit Kats to make a toddler bounce off the walls.

Enjoying his Treats!!

How did you spend your Halloween??

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The Climb

As you sit down and fasten your seat belt, your heart begins to race. You know the track. You've seen the twists and curves that lie ahead of you. Yet, there is still a sense of nervous anticipation in the pit of your belly.

As you begin your climb, you try to distract yourself. You admire the shrinking scenery around you as you get closer and closer to the top.

Suddenly you have reached the apex. For what seems like an eternity you are staring over the edge, knowing that in a split second you will be hurling towards a new adventure.

It's exhilarating.
It's terrifying.

It's life.


The roller coaster metaphor is applicable in many of life's moments. Anytime a big change is on the horizon, it's easy to liken it to that feeling of being on a coaster about to plummet into a free fall.

I'm on such a track right now.

As my pregnancy comes to an end and I prepare to bring Baby Boy #2-yes, we STILL can't decide on a name- into this family, I find myself caught up in a whirlwind of emotions.

Elation. I feel so blessed to be adding to our family and love the fact that Jack will have a brother to play with.

Guilt. I wonder if I've given Jack enough time as the only child. I sometimes fear he'll resent us for bringing a sibling into the mix so soon. I feel bad knowing that the days when it's "just us" are fleeting. I find myself constantly saying things like, "your my favorite little boy" and I know that soon I will not be able to say such things.

 Excitement. The thought of 2 little boys running around together always makes me smile. Watching them grow up and our family growing closer excites me!

Anxiety. My life and home are about to be turned upside down. I wonder how much the dynamic of our household will change. What will this baby's temperament be?  How will this newest change affect my marriage and relationship with my son??

I keep trying to tell this little voice inside me to shut up, to not worry so much about things I can't control. I know that many of the fears I have will never actually come to fruition and that there will be other "surprises" that I've never anticipated that will surely creep up on me. I understand that this anxiety is normal, yet I wish I could just push it all aside and savor these last few weeks as our close little family of 3.

Just breathe and enjoy the ride...

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