A Friday Confessional

Well, I did it.

I wrote/blogged a little bit every day while we were at the beach. The posts are scheduled for over the next few weeks. Let's see if I can continue the trend...

I have a goal for posting 2-4 times a month for the rest of the year, but with a new little lady about to join our family, and a toddler who has recently been nicknamed #hurricaneEllie, we shall see how this goal goes.

Recent images as evidence of #hurricaneEllie

When trying to get back into the blogging swing, I find joining link-ups is really helpful for me. I love Lisa Jo's Five Minute Fridays, but our Friday mornings tend to be a bit busy, and I am not waiting up until midnight to see what the Word of the Day is. Although, lets face it, with 3rd trimester insomnia in full affect, I probably will still be awake. Anyway, I am turning to another one of my favorite link up's: Leslie, at A Blonde Ambition, Confessional Fridays. Blogs that post link up schedules are really helpful! Kelly's Korner, Show Us Your Life is another great link up opportunity!

Leslie's blog is a lot a fun. I love that she has remained true to her style throughout all the years I have read/followed her. I watched read along as she her met her husband, planned her wedding, experienced early married life, and now she is expecting her first baby, a sweet girlie, not long after Quinn Collins is due! She has awesome fashion and style tips, too. I really don't follow any fashion-y blogs, but I always enjoy Leslie's tips and tricks. As a former pediatric cardiology nurse, I love seeing people like Leslie thrive in adulthood after a "cardiac history."

So without further ado...

1. I always used to say, you need a vacation from/after your vacation. And that was when I was single and/or married... without kids... specifically a toddler. I had no idea what post-vacation exhaustion was until I was blessed enough (and for once I am not being sarcastic, I truly mean blessed) to go on vacation with a toddler, and big and pregnant! Overall, it went great, and everyone had a wonderful time. However, it was not without its challenges. Don't worry, there might be a few very embarrassing exposing posts coming up on said challenges.

The Face Off: aka the end of my parenting rope. I have a feeling this face off will be happening lots over the years 

2. Speaking of challenges, even though last week Ellie Faith pushed me to the end of my rope as a parent, looking back and reflecting over our 1.5+ yrs together so far, she has taught me way more then I am sure I am teaching her. This scares the cr-eez-ap out of me (anyone else out there speak Carnie? its way cooler then pig-latin, I promise! and I am fluent.) I mean, I have nearly 30 years of life experience on this kid - shouldn't I be pouring all kinds of knowledge into her?!?! One of the biggest things my daughter has taught me is to slow down, and enjoy the simple things in life. I always said I wanted to be an intentional parent. Being intentional requires time and effort, so I am learning... to slow down.

3. It has been well documented over the course of this blog that I just do not necessarily enjoy pregnancy. And this upsets me to no end. I do however love feeling my babies move inside me, and always get sad after those first few tickles and wiggles. All too soon I won't have them inside me continually, where I can be connected with them in the most intimate of ways. Its like its the beginning of the end. First kick - cue the tears. First sign that my babies are about to leave for college or walk down the aisle to their future spouse.

maybe its good Ellie is teaching me to slow down and enjoy life, before I start teaching her my bad habits.

However, this pregnancy I have gotten to experience nesting. OMG y'all, its like the best OCD-accomplishing EVER!!! Even thought I am exhausted these days, I can't sit on the couch or nap, because I have to do list, and I am flying through it. Of course, my husband tends to think 75% of the things on my WE HAVE TO GET THESE THINGS DONE NOW OR THE WORLD IS GOING TO END AND LIFE AS WE KNOW IT WILL BE OVER list, are unnecessary. Thankfully though, he is now pretty well aware of the craziness caused by pregnancy hormones, and goes along with it... or just sits silently on the couch and lets me run myself into the ground, because there is no stopping me. That way one of us is rested/functional when I eventually hit a wall.

Nesting... its almost solely enough to make me consider getting pregnant again...:) Why must you also experience nausea and vomiting the majority of you pregnancy in order to get to the nesting!?!?

4. UT's classes are back in full swing, and therefore our ministry schedule with the CSF is ramping back up. Its been a great summer off, but Jared and I are both really excited to start doing life with the college students again. I am not leading a bible study this year, with the new baby coming. But I definitely planning on being involved with our girls, helping plan socials, going out for coffee, having kids over to our house, etc...

My parents always maintained of "revolving front door" in our home growing up - we always had people in and out of our house, often times unplanned. I really like a lot of the things this taught me about living relationally with people and about hospitality. I hope Jared and I can maintain a similar type of home for our family.

Plus, I think its great for today's youth to be around a whole-intact families, as well as young kids. I know many of our kids really enjoy the family aspect the CSF provides their college days.

Even though I won't be able to be quite as involved in the same way I have been in past fall semesters, and I am praying that I will still be very prayerful and intentional about ways to reach out to these kids... even if it means having them over to our house on days I haven't showered, washed a dish, or folded any laundry. Or leaving the house and a to-do list a mile long to meet with a student in need of  listening ear.

5. I discovered HGTV while we were at the beach, during Ellie's nap time. How have I not experienced this channel before now?!?!? I am obsessed!! Its influence in my life, along with pintrest, could cause my husband to get rid of cable and internet all together. I love a good home project and some crafty goodness. Nothing could be less appealing to him.

Unfortunately, my child is more influenced by her father's choice of television then by my more highly refined taste, as she says "no Mommy, ball-ball." every time I turn HGTV on. She won't watch anything on TV with me. However, her dad can turn on football, basketball, tennis, even baseball and golf and she will sit there mesmerized for 30 minutes at at time.

But sports wise, I think I will still win the battle - girlfriend did her first front flip off the furniture months ago, has loved hanging upside down and being flipped since she was 3-4 months old. In addition, she recently has discovered her love of kicking ball-balls. And she is really good at it. Looks like she is taking after her mommy's gymnastic and soccer love.:) For anyone who knows Jared, you know what a bitter pill this is to swallow.

This why you never say things like, My child will never play soccer... God laughs, and says Oh really?

I think its safe to say he is wrapped around her little finger, or ever soccer kicking pinky toes:)