Funny is a Must Read Right Now

With a bit of a crazy life  of working, toddler-world, and getting-ready-for #2 - I somehow managed to read another book.

God Bless the person who invented the Kindle.

I'm still making my way through The Happiness Project, but needed a time-out for some laughter.

And by laughter, I mean - serious laughter.

Like - maybe wet your pants if you're 7 months pregnant kind of laughter.

I cannot confirm or deny this happened.

More than once.

I digress from my first world problems.

Mindy Kaling is hilarious.

Special thanks to Sis-in-Law Melanie for saying how good this book was.

If you need a light-hearted, laugh-inducing read - this is it.  

Celebrating Kirk with a Hole in One Birthday Party!

We recently par-tayed with this lively crew for the big occasion of Kirk turning one!

Honestly, one-year-old?

Where does the time go?

Mrs. Carroll did a super cute "Hole in One" themed party - check out her creativity with the food!

H graciously lent "Baby Turk" his jump house for the par-tay.

Even Mr. Smith - Baby Whisperer - got in on the fun.

As well as the grandparents. 

Mrs. Carroll's cupcakes were a huge hit - 

have I mentioned my Little Guy loves anything cake-related?

Big Man Kirk got lots of cute presents for his par-tay...

And then it was time for the Big Smash Cake and Birthday Song.

Treading cautiously - what is this new thing you want me to eat?

Sometimes it helps when Mommy puts the icing on your mouth for you.

New love of cake?  Maybe not so much this first time around.

Mommy jumps in for the rescue.

And... proof that I was actually there!  Just hiding behind the camera until I remembered to get one snapped at the end with H.

Snowmaggedon 2014

I'm sure most of you know (because you live here), we experienced a bit of a Snowmaggedon a couple of weeks ago here in Birmingham.

Thankfully, Mr. Smith and I were only "mildly inconvenienced" by all of this, as we are saying.  Hearing the stories of co-workers and friends trapped on interstates for over 10 hours with their kiddos, without food or diapers, make us feel very thankful about the whole thing.

And for those of you not living here and thinking we are all crazy for reacting this way, let me tell you how it all went down.

Monday night, I was watching the weather while getting this preggers body as comfortable as possible in the bed.  The meterologist said we'd be lucky to see a few flurries, so my wool pants, light black turleneck and black heels seemed fine with a peacoat.  No need to worry.  

I went into a meeting at 10am, glimpsed some light flurries out the window, and didn't think anything else about it.  When we got out at 11am, the city was covered in snow.  

Right about that time, every school in the area and most business mass-closed.  Including H's school, which said they were closing and to have your child picked up by 12:30pm.  

This mass exodus led to complete madness.  It took me an hour to get to my parking deck and make my way down 3 levels due to the gridlock of packed streets.  My practical side screamed to just wait it out inside, back in my office, for a couple of hours since I hadn't eaten lunch yet and already needed to relieve a pregnant bladder.  

I parked at the inside deck and walked myself back into my office, where I ended up staying for the next 30 hours.  That's right - I had to spend the night at the office, with a handful of co-workers.  As the afternoon progressed, I kept waiting for things to die down, only the opposite.  More and more stories of car accidents, people trapped in cars, and people abandoning their cars to walk to their home or kids' school surfaced.  I looked around my office - there was my gym bag with tennis shoes, t-shirt, and yoga pants to sleep in.  There was my snack drawer.  There was heat.  There was a loveseat and blanket being offered to me by protective, sweet co-workers.  Sold.

Mr. Smith took the same approach and after us deciding that no school would just kick a 2-year-old to the curb and that we weren't the only parents stuck, he stayed at work until that evening, finally reaching H's school around 9pm.  He decided to stay there overnight, since H was asleep and everything was completely iced over.  Plus, the sweet ladies there fed him dinner.  

Mr. Smith and H made it back to our house that Wednesday morning, while I waited until Wednesday afternoon to make my home slowly home.  The normally 20-minute drive took 3 hours due to ice, snow, crowding, and dodging the deserted cars.  

Was it a pain?  Yes, but we were lucky.

I was lucky that I had a gym bag and extra clothes, food, full tank of gas, and new tires.

Mr. Smith had a 4-wheel drive truck and hunting gear.

Compared to everyone else, we got off very, very easy.  

And enjoyed a free "Snow Day" at home with H on Thursday!

Pregnancy 1 and Pregnancy 2

No that they're in a battle or anything... but you can't help but make your own mental notes/memories comparison between pregnancies.  

And there are already distinct differences between H's pregnancy and Baby Boy #2, even here at 22 weeks.

Obviously, we were delighted to find out we were expecting again.  

Our game plan was to hop the ol' baby train again when H turned 2, and after a few months, we were excited to find out that we were expecting again!

At first, it looked like an almost identical pregnancy only 3 weeks behind H's pregnancy.

Which, in my mind, worked out great - same seasons for maternity clothes and delivery (which meant avoiding those hot summer months).  

Beautiful timing by our Heavenly Father.

I didn't really realize I was expecting again - I had been traveling a lot for work and was naturally feeling a little tired and rundown between that and running around after H.

And then, at some point in St. Louis, I realized my schedule was off and promptly confirmed with a trusty test upon arrival home.

Major differences so far:

I carried H with an anterior placenta, meaning that he implanted on the side of my abdomen.  Baby #2 is the opposite - posterior placenta.  No major difference so far, just a heads up from this one that it wouldn't exactly be an identical 9 months!

With H, I was never sick or nauseous, I can distinctly remember the 3 times I did get sick, and they were for other reasons than morning sickness.

This one, however, has had me sprinting to the bathroom more than a handful of times.  More nauseous than really sick, but still.  Not cool. (Also why we thought it was initially a girl!)

I didn't feel H until around 20 weeks (partially because of the whole anterior placenta thing); this one I felt distinctly at 14 weeks.  Yep, 14 weeks.  It was faint but distinct - and they've been getting stronger every week.  I've even told Mr. Smith this has a whole lot more energy than H ever did.  (I may have said this nervously as well).  

Overall?  You learn with the second pregnancy to breathe.  

No, really.  Breathe, in and out, and relax enough to appreciate God's decision to chose you for his newest addition.  You know not to be seized with panic at every turn.

And although there are differences, it is still a miraculous act to play a part of.  And a joyful reminder that each one is created with a unique and special purpose from our Heavenly Father.  

Celebrating Mrs. Searson

I had the chance to help celebrate Mrs. Searson, a much beloved pal, with her Baby Shower recently.

Mrs. Searson has gone through her pregnancy like the champ she always is, plus she looks amazing.  

We can't wait to welcome Baby Boy Searson in just a few weeks!

Phi Mu sisters

Proud and excited Daddy!

Sweet nieces

Hostesses with the Mamacita

Mr. Smith Turns 30

Yes, it's happened.

My younger husband (by 11 months, let me emphasize) has joined me in the Third Decade Club.

To celebrate, we did a few special things for Mr. Smith:

Shipley Donuts for Birthday Breakfast

Dinner with moi at Satterfield's, one of his favorite restaurants

Gifts that were both hilarious and useful:  a new duck call from Duck Dynasty's Duck Commander, as well as a newly bought share of Dollar General stock (inside joke, maybe I'll tell you later), along with ones from family and friends.

And...  a little surprise for Mr. Smith from family!  After our dinner, we had several special guests waiting with an Edgar's caramel cake and boisterous singing as we walked in the door.

As someone who has always said he hated surprise parties... you're welcome, Mr. Smith. 

Parents and siblings, along with Mr. and Mrs. Carroll (& Baby Kirk) joined in on the fun.  

Official Cake Tester

He's mobile, folks.  Watch out.

Attitude.  

I'm trying to eat cake, Mom!

Future Prom Dates

Obviously, the above mentioned Mr. Attitude would not join in on the Baby Group Picture.  

The Happiness Project - What I'm Reading Right Now

I'm making my way through "The Happiness Project" right now, by Gretchen Rubin.

And by "making my way" I mean trying to catch 30 minutes of reading while shoveling in some lunch at work. 

So far, so good.  

I like what I see.

Gretchen sums up what we all find ourselves doing in those "off moments" - I have all the ingredients of what is suppose to make me happy, but am I?  Or why am I not happier with life?

She takes an initiative, pairs it with a month's time, then devotes a chapter to it. 

I'm about half-way through it, so I'll come back and chat later, but here's some of what has stuck with me:

"Act the way you want to feel."

And... I'm trying to take this and her other suggestions as actionable items for my own life:

I'm singing in the morning to wake up H, albeit badly.

I'm taking the time to be silly.

I de-cluttered some areas around the house that I had been avoiding eye contact with.

I'm pumped about her other chapters, as well.

As she quotes in the book, 'The days are long, but the years are short."

Amen, Sista. 

Let's start appreciating and enjoying it more.