She's just a stay at home mom.

I recently read a post regarding the task of being a stay at home mother (SAHM) and I decided to add my thoughts on this topic here so that I may revisit them later after our first child is born and decide whether I feel the same way!

I'm mad. I'll just say it.

The particular post I referred to told of a time when the blogger's "friend" on facebook sent her a nasty message saying how disappointed she was in what the blogger's life had become. The friend suggested that instead of using her education in the workforce, she was wasting it staying at home with her two children. You can imagine how this person felt while reading this message. Livid. Hurt. Anger. Confusion. Her misfortune sparked these SAHM thoughts in my own brain. What's my opinion on all this?

I've told you all before that I never imagined this is the path my life would take. After graduating college, my next step was graduate school. Having a family was in the back of my mind, but I knew that could wait until after I had established myself in a good counseling job. I couldn't even imagine getting married and having children. Then, BAM! I met Captain J and all of my goals in life started to shift. I wanted something other than a career.

Now, I've heard people suggest to me in not so many words that if I think motherhood is difficult already just imagine what it would be like having a job on top of all that. Maybe they're right. I'm not one to compare tragedies, but I will say that this particular opinion doesn't really sit well with me.

I'm not even a mother yet and I'm offended by the suggestions of others that "so and so doesn't have a job. She's just another stay at home mom". Baloney! I won't suggest that either the working mom or the one who stays home has a more difficult job because each has perks and trials of their own. Their "jobs" are most definitely equal, though. I'll stand by that!

I was speaking to my aunt on this very topic a few weeks ago. She is a wise woman who I admire very much and I always enjoy soaking up any advice she offers me. She asked me my plans for this baby in regard to care taking. Would I find a daycare and return to school or work? Or would I care for the child myself while J brought home the bacon? My response was that I would likely stay at home with the child until they are able to start kindergarten and then I would focus on me for awhile. My aunt is a hardworking woman! With a degree in law and teaching, she smiled and said, "I wish that was something I could have done." And that's what it comes down to right there. I feel blessed beyond belief to be able to afford to not work and stay at home with our child(ren)! Like my aunt, I look at it as a positive. Hearing that I am likely to be written off in others' eyes because "that's all (I) do" really is a slap in the face and, I might add, the epitome of ignorance.

What better job do we have as human beings than to raise up a child? With each little person, our futures are shaped. Spending day in and day out with my child will allow me a better understanding of what's going on in his or her own little life. What went into that mouth today? What words came out of it? What could he or she have overheard that might get repeated at the worst possible time? What are the struggles? What triumphs happened in this little life today? Hopefully, I'll be able to answer these questions extensively each day. THAT makes me glad.

My background in psychology will most definitely not be wasted on my child.

And who knows? I might just use my degree again when the school bell rings and little feet skip off to class. Or I might take a different avenue. Either way, I will take pride in knowing that I tried my very best at parenting, the most difficult job in the world!

In Ezekiel 16:44, Jesus says:

"People will use this proverb about you- 'like mother, like daughter.' "

If people are to say that then I want to be the best possible mother I can be to this child. If anything, I'd wish for my child to be a better Christian example than me, but because this verse hints that most will compare mother and child one in the same then I want to make sure to better myself before this child arrives so I can do the very best I can for them in this life. If children are no better than we are, what does the future of this world look like? It's just something to ponder. I truly think my diligence in parenting will be supported by my staying home. I know this isn't a setup that works for all parents nor do I believe that is what is best for every family. I'm only stating that the flames of this 'lazy mother stereotype' need to be stomped out.

*I'd love to hear your respectful thoughts on the matter. Are you a working mom? Are you a SAHM? Do you enjoy your role? How do you make it work for your family?

(Mil)ing It Over: Cookbook Edition

Howdy partners! It's (Mil)ing It Over time. This week the  topic is cookbooks. Before I get to that, though, I wanted to fill you in with why I might not post as much this week. I'm one busy gal! Between researching online schools, finishing up my essays for a book I was asked to help with, and writing a special for ABC scheduled to post this Friday, I'm running around like a chicken with its head chopped off. Too much? Sorry, I'll just get to the point. I'm glad you're here. Please feel free to participate in (Mil)ing It Over by heading to Jenn's page and linking up. If you don't want to vlog it, don't fret! A written post is fine, too.



Thanks for watching! And don't forget to come back on Friday to see the big reveal for my thoughts on a new show that is airing on ABC very soon!

Happies!

I cannot take credit for this term. It was coined by my sister and her loving husband. But I am going to define it so that I can proceed with bragging on my own husband this afternoon. "Happies" can be used as a noun or verb and refers to items or thoughtful tasks done to create happiness in and for your spouse. Got it?

There are some things that my husband just isn't good at (doing dishes, laundry, hanging up clothes), but there's no need to point out faults! ;) Captain J is good at so many things, though. Among these, I must mention that he's pretty darn good at making me feel loved.

He left me with happies as he walked out the door this morning and greeted me with another as he came home from work today. I got breakfast in bed which is significantly more thoughtful now that I'm expecting our child. 2nd trimester or not, I still feel a little wonky if I don't eat as soon as I wake up. In case you're wondering, Millies, he did this after PT and before work- otherwise, I might have had to fight him.

I cleaned all day long. I cleaned all afternoon long. You wouldn't believe how much this lazy lady accomplished. Spring cleaning fever (or early signs of nesting?)  kicked me in high gear and I accumulated four and a half bags of clothes to donate to goodwill, straightened and organized our entire closet, and cleaned all the dirty rooms in our house.

What better way to wind down is there than what happened next-

My handsome man in uniform walks through the door with one of those miniature glass bottle cokes in hand and asks me to join him on our front porch swing. We recently discussed how much better coke seems to be out of the old school glass bottles. What a wonderful "happies" for me!



Oh, and please spare me from the "You shouldn't be having coke because you're pregnant" spiel. I've got plenty of people who would love to tell me what to do already :) Besides, this is my first coke in a long, long time. It's not usually something I drink- pregnant or not. It was such a nice treat today, though!

I'm just so thankful for my husband. What made you happy today?

(Mil)ing It Over: 1950's Housewife?

Head over to Chances I'm Taking to link up!

(Terrifying screen freeze. Thanks, YouTube.)

This porch of mine...

I have a new, not-so-secret dwelling place. With the weather in the mid seventies and lower eighties recently, I've been longing to be outside. Yesterday, I dressed up our winter stricken porch and made it into an early spring hiatus. It's easily my favorite place to be in this house! Forget the craft room! Just give me a good book and that swing and I'm good to go. Yesterday, I swayed in the breeze (not in a weird way...I was on the swing people!) as I listened to my favorites from Otis Redding.

Today, I'm looking forward to it again because now I have someone to share it with! I'm meeting up with Jenn for the first time ever today- woo hoo! I can't wait to meet her. More later...

(P.S. Bonus points to whoever sang the title to the tune of "These Arms of Mine".

Life is good.

Life is good. Life is good. Life is good. If I just keep repeating it in my mind then I'll be reminded that it's true. The last couple days have been interesting and brought about some dreadful, awful pretty exciting changes. As is true for most things Army, what I'm about to tell you isn't definite yet. We don't have orders, but we were told to pack our bags after his class is up- we're headed to Louisiana. The post we're supposedly going to is often considered the "armpit of all Army posts". Oh, joy.

I'm going to give it a chance, though. People complain that it's hot and there's nothing to do there, but ya know what? People complained that it was dreadfully cold at Ft. Wainwright and there was nothing to do there, either but that ended up being our favorite duty station thus far. We aren't city mice anyway- we're definitely the country kind so I'm confident we can make it in that tiny, little, humid, swampy town.

My only complaint now is that I'll be traveling while 8 months pregnant, attempting to get settled in a new house a month before the baby arrives, and frantically searching for my new doctor who will be taking over where B. Arthur (don't you just love his name?) will leave off. This, for lack of a better word- sucks.

That is life in the Army, though. You roll with the punches!

Instead of focusing on that negative, I'm trying to hold on to life here in Georgia and enjoying every moment. Just yesterday, I sat on the front porch for hours enjoying a good book. The porch swing swayed to my own rhythm and every now and then, I'd close my eyes and listen to my husband playing his guitar. With music drifting through our home, I realized my life is good. It's very, very good.

We had an 80 degree day yesterday! Around town, girls were donning cute springy dresses and flip flops. The breeze felt amazing and to top it off, I looked over to see flowers blooming all over the bush by my front porch. We picked up our silly, little mutts and brought them into the backyard to play. I sure missed them!

It's moments like these that I know I'll be just fine in Louisiana. My husband, my babe, and my dogs are more than enough happiness to last me through our years stationed there. J and I thrived being far away from family in Alaska. Sure, we had rough spots, but for the most part we had to only rely on ourselves. There's an attractiveness in that to only truly have each other in driving distance. I can't run off to Mom when Captain J makes me mad, instead of talking it out with him. No one is stopping by to help out with the baby, which will help us in the long run to be good parents. I'm sure we'll learn really quickly how our lives  will have done a 180 when the baby arrives! Relying on each other will bond any marriage and is just a reminder that we are a family now- Just J, me, and our little baby.

I'm thankful when military life can teach me something new. In this case, it's just a reminder, though. I must remember to slow down, enjoy every moment, be thankful for the life inside me, and realize that I have all that I've ever wanted in life. My family is growing and I am thrilled about it! So our little fetus didn't get Germany or Hawaii or any of the other fabulous places we put on our list- We'll work with what we've got to make that child the happiest, most well adjusted baby we possibly can. Isn't that what parents do for their children?

Life is good.

14 Week Update

It has been awhile since I've updated you on my pregnancy progress. I'm at 14 weeks now and feeling so much better as of late.

Size of Baby: Lemon

Total Weight Gain: 4lbs

Maternity Clothes: Not yet, but as you can see clothes are fitting much differently!

Gender: Still unsure. We might get to find out at our next appointment on March 1. That's a big IF, though.

Movement: Too soon, I think.

Sleep: I'm sleeping a lot better now. Sometimes I convince J to sleep on my glorious mattress from college that is ever so soft and comfortable; that helps a lot. The one we have in our Master Bedroom is hard because Captain J's back is shot from all that lugging army crap around in Iraq so he needs a firmer mattress.

What I Miss: coffee, sushi, herbal tea, feeling cute in my clothes

Cravings: cereal and corn dogs (just not together!)

Symptoms: back aches, exhaustion

Baby Center says this about Week 14:

Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

I just love learning about my little fetus! My biggest fear now that I've moved into the 2nd Trimester is that I don't feel pregnant anymore. I'm not getting sick. I'm not feeling dizzy or squeamish. I may look more pregnant now, but I can't tell that I am unless I pee on a stick (I may or may not have done that) :) I'm just really looking forward to my next appointment so I can see my little man or princess again and know that all is going well. Thanks for checkin' in on us! ;)

Savannah On My Mind

As you may have heard, J and I had a great time visiting Savannah, Georgia last weekend. We didn't want to leave. One weekend just wasn't enough time to do all that we wanted to do! He didn't get off work till rather late on Friday so we had a four hour drive ahead of us in the dark. It's unfortunate that we missed all of Friday there, but we were glad to check in around 11:30 pm.

Our bed and breakfast, the Eliza Thompson House, was perfect! It was a beautiful old building with very gracious employees and gorgeous atmosphere. It wasn't without perks either! There were designated wine/cheese times, a dessert hour, and complimentary sherry available 24 hours a day. Most of which this pregnant gal didn't partake in, but I still enjoyed sitting in this old room, chatting with my man-

Honestly, we collapsed into bed when we arrived, too tired to explore the city at all. In the morning when we awoke, it was a beautiful, sunny day. The shaded parts of the city were windy and sort of chilly (sorry Alaskans. I became one of them!) but for the most part we were able to enjoy the sun on our faces. After a good breakfast at the inn, we headed toward the trolley station to purchase informative tours.

The trolley ride was interesting because of all the deep rooted history tied to Savannah. I would definitely recommend informative trolley, horse carriage, or walking tours during your stay in this city. It's much better to know what you're staring at, right!? It's something we will probably do each time we visit Savannah because there's so much more to learn that the guide could teach us in a 90 minute tour.

The above is Mercer House. I was disappointed that we didn't have time to tour this old home because I had been learning so much about the happenings inside from the book I'm reading, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. We will definitely go tour this one next time.

By the close of the tour, Baby and I were starving! We walked over to Paula Deen's restaurant to see what it was all about, but we, of course, didn't get in. This was true for both days we were there. You wouldn't believe the line that the place attracts! We just wanted to say that we had been there, done that, so we weren't too disappointed that we couldn't get in. I mean, I like Paula Deen, but we're in the south, baby! My grandmother can make fried chicken just as tasty, I'm sure! ;) I took a photo in front of the joint for good measure.

We found ourselves eating at the Six Pence Pub for lunch, which was very good. Reminiscent of European pubs, the atmosphere was fun and talkative. We both had sandwhiches and talked about what we would do the rest of the day, as I tried to focus on our conversation. I was in full alert mode because I'm pretty sure we had been dining near Derek Dooley (Go Vols)! Anyway, there's some Hollywood connections at the famous bar (aside from ole Dooley) that make the place definitely worth a peek inside.

We walked down by the water after lunch to watch the boats sail in and soak up the talent of the local artists in the area. After seeing the pretty blue water, we decided that it was the beach we were actually craving. We found the car and drove to nearby Tybee Island for a midday nap in the sand. It was a nice day for it. We strolled around, holding hands, and talking excitedly about how likely it was that the next time we were at a beach that we'd have a little one in tow. It's pretty crazy to think about!

After that, we went back to the hotel to get ready for our Valentine's celebration dinner. How appropriate that we went to the Olde Pink House.

Picture courtesy of Daniel Mayer

 I can't believe we got in! I called a week in advance, but our butler told us that it's usually booked months in advance. I understood why when we arrived. Inside the house is gorgeous! The service was exellent, too. Our waitress saw that I was in a delicate condition and offered to trick me with a fruit drink of punch instead of an alcoholic beverage. It was yummy! The food was good and it wasn't one of those places that try to rush you out. The appetizer came well before the meal and dessert wasn't rushed afterwards. We spent a couple of hours there and enjoyed every second of it. A lovely black lady meandered through the tables in her huge hoop skirt and sang in a soulful voice, Georgia on My Mind.

Here are a few photos of us getting ready to eat that night:

Ok, so maybe it was just me getting ready!

We had many other adventures during our stay, too. We toured churches, homes, and gardens. We listened as people regaled us with tales of ghosts! We looked up at the huge trees with their spanish moss draping down and silently begged to not have to go home just yet.

Until next time, Savannah!

Love,

I love.

While I attempt to come back down from that cloud labeled "nine" that was our trip to Savannah, I thought I'd grace all you love birds with an update on this St. Valentine's Day. Our weekend get-away was fabulous. Perfect. Splendid. I'll tell you all about it at a later date because I don't have time to write a post that would do it justice.

For now, I'm going to link up with Jenn for another edition of (Mil)ing It Over. Todays topic? Love, of course!



I've always loved Valentine's Day. It didn't matter if I had a boyfriend of not. It's just fun to show love and receive love from all those special people in life. My parents were those who went all out on such holidays- A card, some candy, just a simple gesture to let me know they were thinking of me. I remember one year, in fifth grade,  I was hoping that I was one of those lucky students who got a balloon sent to the office with their name on it. Walking by the office, I could see it was sprinkled with reds and pinks, flowers, and countless balloons. Then, I saw it! I was face to face with a life-sized Mickey Mouse balloon. He had arms and legs and was at my eye level! I thought that whoever got that was the luckiest girl/boy in the world. The time came for students to pick up what was waiting for them in the front office. My name was called! I felt so blessed as I walked down the hallway. I walked in and the secretary handed me the hand of Mickey Mouse- that balloon was mine!

I know this all sounds so cheesy, but isn't that an integral part of Valentine's Day? I was so happy to get that gift from my dad. Of course, it isn't about the gifts that my parents showered me with. It just felt good to know they care about me and wanted me to be happy. Now, to this day, I can't recall a Valentine's Day when my dad failed to call me and ask me to be his Valentine.

V-Day is about telling all those people in your life that you love em! And I love that we have a day to celebrate that. All those bah-humbugs are missing out! Just because there's a day set aside for us to remind our loved ones what they mean to us, doesn't mean that we shouldn't do it the rest of the year, as well. There's no need to rain on the parades of those of us who do get downright obnoxious with our pinks and reds this time of year.

With all that said, Mom(and Joe), Dad (and Julie)- I love you bunches. Thank you for all the things you've done over the years to make me feel loved and special. :)

I also love my friends, my family, my Jesus, my husband, my dogs, my little baby growing inside, and so many other things-

Like.... blog awards! The other day, I got two of them in one day so I was pretty pumped! One is from Nina, a lady I envy from a far. This girl has got it all together! She lives in Anchorage, Alaska and stays busy working on a degree in Psychology, keeping physically fit, and exploring God's green earth with her hubby. If you enjoy reading about outdoor fun in Alaska then check her out here: Adventures of a Lifetime

I received the Versatile Blogger award from her, but because I've already received it once or twice I'm going to skip all the rules. I still love getting blog awards so thank you very much, Nina!

The other one I landed was from the lovely, Lydia!



She is a newlywed Navy Wife so go over to her page and congratulate her! Thank you so much for the award, dear! As for the rules, I must share 7 things about myself-

1. I organized a gigantic box of greeting cards today.

2. I love the feeling ghost stories gives me.

3. Chocolate is a major food group in my world.

4. I come from a blended family, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

5. I love to scare my husband.

6. My 2nd trimester rocks thus far!

7. I just got a lovely bouquet of roses from Captain J that made my heart melt.



Now, I'm supposed to pass it on. I choose (drumroll please...)

Consider the Lillies.

Thanks for checking in with me on this beautiful, Georgia day. I hope you have all had a really swell day.

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

5 Question Friday 2.11.11

You can link up with Mama M. here.

Spread the Love

I got a couple of emails asking for creative date and gift ideas for Valentine's Day. I was drawing a blank for the longest time. It's difficult to come up with something fun and new when I follow this amazing blog that does all the thinking for me - The Dating Divas.

At their blog, you may find cute ways to make your man feel special- like this:



If you're into card making (and who isn't on Valentine's Day?!), here's a super cute idea-



Or browse around their Romantic Rendezvous section to find a perfect date night for you and your hubby. The divas provide printouts for a lot of the dates and crafts so you really don't have to spend much time making what you'll need. These are quick and easy!

Like I said, I was just drawing blanks. I'm not feeling very creative! I stressed over what I would do for Captain J. He really is so hard to buy for because if he wants something- he just gets it himself. I really have to concentrate to be thoughtful! ha. Anyway, as I mentioned yesterday, Captain J and I are spending a romantic weekend in Savannah for Valentine's Day so we didn't want to spend too much on gifts. I decided I would get him a few small things to let him know I was thinking of him:





This, he'll love. Because our Alaska fishing supplies won't really be efficient here in the south, I decided to update his tackle box. I bought a cheap container and filled it with lures that I thought might be helpful. Now, he might be headed back to the store for something totally different, but it's the thought that counts, right? I don't know what happened to using live bait or food, but whatever! I included the receipt in case he might want to exchange.



I used rubber stamps on a lot of these gifts because my cricut bit the dust. I'm really annoyed with it! It just stopped cutting. Has this happened to any of you? It goes through the motions but the blade doesn't extend. What a time for it not to work! Hmf!

The next crafty idea I cannot take credit for.



I got ideas from this "Bottle of Love" project found here:



For Captain J's bottle, I used pink and red starbursts and pink and red kisses. He's not into sweets so I'm guessing he'll share the chocolate with me and he'll take over the chewy fruity treats!

I also wrapped up a few other treats-



The kiss me package is cherry chapstick. I provided a ring (pop) because I know he's going to want me to marry him all over again after I give him fishing supplies for Valentine's Day.



And there you have it! I plan on buying a few other practical items to slip into the bag (Isn't that bag too cute? I got it on clearance for 77 cents!) and also making his Valentine card, but I haven't done that yet. This is all I've got so far. Anyone have any bag stuffer suggestions? I'd be all ears.



For more tutorials visit Erratically Elizabeth's post Tutorial Tuesdays.

Thanks for viewing! I hope these links help. Spread the love!

XOXO,

What cha wearin' this Wednesday?

Wednesdays are when I drag my pregnant butt off the couch and put on something nice, there's No Model Lady to thank for that. Otherwise, my husband might never see anything but sweatpants and t-shirts. We have a lovely weekend in Savannah planned so I am promising myself that I'll look good (or as good as a knocked up gal can) for him for Valentine's Day weekend.

Did you dress up today, too? If so, go link up here!





Sparkly top: Express Undershirt: Motherhood Maternity (lol)





Cross Necklace: Body Shop



Bracelets by Jenn

I would just like to add that taking pictures by my lonesome, without a clue as to how to work the automatic function, is very difficult. Just when you think everything is in its place, then snap-



The hair looks a mess! I'll figure it out one day.

Tune in tomorrow for Valentine gift ideas, date ideas, and more! Ok, maybe not so much the "more" part, but it sounded good.

What's On My Tele?

I haven't really kept you in the loop about what is going on in my life due to my other projects so I thought I'd participate in- What's On My Phone

I have quite a few funny photos to share- some old, some new, some borrowed, some blue. Ok, there's no wedding pictures on here, but my mom did send me a few the other night as she walked down memory lane and I saved them to my phone because I want to keep them forever.

Where shall I start?

How bout here? My brother went on his first real date:

Aren't they cute? He was cute here, too but clearly more trouble-

It makes me feel old, in a way, to hear that he is actually dating. I remember the chubby cheeked little toddler who would run as fast as he could to get to mine and my sister's rooms just in time for a door to the face. Adolescent girls do not want to hang with snotty nose little brothers! But as I got older and he did, too- I've realized he is the best brother a girl could ask for. He really is a good kid and I know he'll go far in life...because, well, he's awesome and that's just what we do in my family ;)

Here's a photo of the 3 siblings. I'll give you one guess which one I am-

No, I'm not the cute little diva in blue- that's my sister. I would be the awkward California Raisin on the right. I told you I've always loved Halloween!

I've also always loved to check myself with cameras instead of mirrors. Cameras, for me, always give the worst possible image back. I could start the day feeling pretty good about myself and then I snap a photo and the little facade ends. Cameras portray what everyone else sees while a mirror just shows me what I see- that's why I like to check myself before I leave the house. Here are two pictures that I never deleted where I am doing just that:

I never claimed to not be weird. The above picture was taken just before our trip to Calloway Gardens this past weekend. We had a nice time, but are looking forward to going back in the spring when all is in full bloom!

Another sweet moment from this past week was when my dearie played his guitar for me and sang a bit-

I'm one lucky gal. One of these days, I'll post a 13 week photo for you to show my progress, but taking pictures of my ever growing belly isn't high on my list of favorite things to do. In fact, I'm already dreaming of when that sweet baby is in my arms and I can start working towards this goal:

Hot Mama! haha :) This is my mom awhile back. I just can't wait to feel skinny again! Well, that's about all I've got for you today, but I'll leave you with a video I took on my phone of Drifter. He was very confused about the sound J's marker was making. I love his little head tilt!