It's Feb...

and I have a bunch of stuff to talk about:

Today is the first day of Black History Month. I remember being in grade school and having to do countless projects/papers/tests on the important contributions African Americans have made to the greater good of man kind. I honestly still remember all about the life and work of these people ( I guess repetition has paid off).

source

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This month brings the month that causes a leap year. I've always admired how special babies who are born on February 29 are and wonder how or if they choose a day to celebrate in lieu of the fact that their birthdate actually once comes once every 4 years. I mean honestly if my birthday falls on a random Thursday I may go to dinner or something on the Saturday closest to my birth date so I guess the same rules apply?

Speaking of which...

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Although my son is 8 days shy of turning 5 months old- I have already begun to plan his first birthday party. I know I am a bit premature but a) I am an incessant planner and I love to be organized and b) I want to throw him a champagne party on a beer budget. I have a few thoughts on birthday celebrations that I will share with you later. I'm hoping that with planning this far in advance I can get great deals on supplies that I need for decorations and such by combining coupons with holiday sales (like the upcoming president's day). I would love to share my ideas for his party with ya- but I think that might just have to wait.

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This month we also get to celebrate the super bowl, valentines day, presidents day, and the shortest month of the year. I'm pretty excited about all three events because a) I love get togethers and b) I love any reason for a paid day off work. Super bowl Sunday we are spending with good friends of my husband's. We have gone to their house every year for quite some time now and it is always fun. I want to make a few treats inspired by the occasion that I found via Pinterest but I am not sure If I'll have the time to do it.

Source: Uploaded by user via The Mrs. on Pinterest

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I also found a very cute money saving valentine's day gift for the hubby via Pinterest. We don't really go all out for Valentine's day but this year we MAY go to dinner. I got a really good Groupon deal and my parents have agreed to baby sit. Since we have a sitter we might actually just take a nap.

And then we have Presidents day. I don't 'celebrate' Presidents Day but I do get the day off from work so I will be enjoying it with two VIP's :)

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I'm feeling a bit uninspired about blogging. I have TONS to talk write about. I have quite a few posts in my drafts. They are mostly unfinished posts and I'm not inspired enough to finish them. I go through this quite often... less than a month after I began blogging I felt this way. Maybe I'll use the same remedy as before.

My blog anniversary is coming up! I've been trying to refocus my thoughts, intentions, and figure out what direction to take now. This has always been a mommy blog. A place to keep my family updated about my pregnancy (do you know how many times a pregnant woman gets asked how she feels, is she ready, and isn't she hot?) and I want to keep it that way. But I'm not just a mommy. It's a HUGE part of who I am now but I have much more substance than just being a mom. The other things keep me sane as middle of the night feedings drive me to insanity. My little guy kind of keeps me from having the time to do other things. It's not his fault- it's just that there aren't enough hours in a day- and I am a working mommy.

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Lastly, the groundhog saw it's shadow.

So yea... I clearly had a lot to talk about.

another random post

I have a whole bunch of things I want to blog about but have little to no time to do so. Here's a shortened version of what's going on in my head right now:

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I'm particularly saddened that I didn't get to blog about a recent significant holiday:

I want my son to know how important the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday is- it's not just an extra day off. I can't wait to take him to the King Center in Atlanta and I myself would LOVE to visit the King Memorial in D.C.- despite all of the controversy surrounding it.
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Today the Internet went black. Well sort of- and this is the thing: I kind of have no idea what's going on. I'd like to blame in on the fact that I'm a mom, but it's really more of the fact that I just don't have everything quite down pact yet. I'm still figuring out how to get everything done (or at least the essentials) and still spend time with my son and husband. I'm back to work now (more on this another day) and finding the balance between home and work has been elusive. I'm sure I'll get it- Noah didn't build the ark in one day. Needless to say- I have a DVR full of unwatched television shows (I'm sure it's at about 80% full or my husband has been sneaking and deleting my shows). So, I'm embarrassed to say type acknowledge that I have no idea what SOPA and PIPA is- I'm glad there is someone in this world concerned about our #firstworldproblems and protesting. And in case you've been living under baby poop, milk, and teething rings go to wikipedia (the English version) and google right now (January 18 is the only day they are doing it as far as I know). Yea- crazy. Even craigslist and Pinterest have joined in. I would sit here and think of random websites to go to but who has time for that?

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I'm a Beyonce fan... not quite a Stan. Well maybe. I used to think I was Beyonce on weekends. Okay, I know that sounds weird but whatever. I know there are a great deal of people who don't necessarily care for her, or her music, or celebrity- but I find most of her songs to be very catchy, I think she's quite fashionable and she gorgeous and gracious. I admire her drive. I remember in an interview she stated she wanted to be the first person to win a Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony- that's ambition. She's found a goal and is working toward it. I definitely think she can do it. We all know of her insane amount of Grammy's and she came so close to that Oscar- she will find another role that will take her to the top (although Dreamgirls may be the only movie I truly liked her as an actress. We won't bring up Obsessed). I also believe that like many other successful singers (Sheryl Lee Ralph) when she's done with the main stream spotlight- she can make it on Broadway.

So my point...

I'm kind of getting sick of the recent news of her giving birth. I mean I will read or watch legitimate news, good news. Every since she announced her pregnancy there has been so much gossip surrounding the ordeal that I actually at this point feel bad for her. She has been accused of wearing a fake baby bump and using a surrogate to avoid 'ruining her body', She's been ridiculed for continuing to wear heels throughout the pregnancy, there have been reports of giving birth in December to a 'Tiana May Carter' (although I think this was just a twitter rumor). It has been reported that her security caused some inconveniences to the parents of newborn babies in NICU. I have no idea what's true and what's not because I haven't been there to witness any of it. But I draw the line at going after newborn babies.

photo credit

Really?? Really?? Seriously???

If I new someone had said something so malicious about my little boy when he was born not only would I be extremely hurt and disgusted- but I might just flip my lid. I get that celebrities are targets of all sorts of craziness but this was just plain unnecessary. Especially because we are all born into sin (Psalm 51:5) singling out a child who has no idea of the life she was born into is just plain wrong. And an inappropriate jab at her parents nonetheless.

I really just want it all to stop. I really feel bad for baby Carter's family and if she ever googles her name in the distant future- how is her parents going to explain that, although I'm sure in her lifetime they will be explaining a lot due to their high profile lives. I wish them lots of love (which has already been expressed in Jay-Z's "Glory") and I hope they do decide to do an interview- in their own time- just to let their fans know how blessed they are ( I know they don't owe it to us) and let those who care share in their joy.

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I am obsessed with Pinterest right now. I could waste hours everyday pinning away.

Source

BEST. PIN.EVER.

I swear my son makes that face sometime.

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And if I can ever get my life together stay tuned for upcoming posts:

A day in the life of a working mom
Craving: Cheesecake
365 366 love letters: week 2
A day in the life: Weekend Edition
My New Year's resolutions (Yea I know)

Happy Halloween!!!

Although I typically do not celebrate Halloween- I did want to participate in the festivities for my baby's first Halloween and document it for him -of course. Hopefully I'll get to post about this experience. Until then...

PSA: August is...

Breastfeeding Awareness Month

I couldn't find any logos for the campaign :( But I did find this which I think is absolutely hilarious.

Breastfeeding is a truly personal decision that has to be made by a family based on what's best for all parties involved. While there are many benefits to breastfeeding your baby- I can see why some women still choose not to whether it's for work related reasons or otherwise. I personally plan to breast feed. My initial thoughts on this were "I'll do it if it works" then the more I researched, the more I found out that it will always work- you just can't give up. I remember a friend telling me that "her baby just didn't want it". well come to find out there are babies who are very fussy about it and often turn away from the breast- especially if they are uncomfortable. It's up to mom to find a way that will work for her and baby (perhaps changing a position will help). Attending the breastfeeding class was one of the better decisions I've made throughout this pregnancy. I think my husband has become more aware of what's involved with breastfeeding and this is important because I think often times men, because of the absence of boobs, just don't get certain things. Since he has learned all that goes into breastfeeding- I think he will be even more supportive. Don't get me wrong he supported my decision to breastfeed from the beginning but I think that if I we have a difficult start he will understand some of the issues that could arise and may be able to assist with trouble shooting.

My other decisions to breastfeed include cost savings, bonding with baby, and release of hormones that cause uterus to contract. My baby will benefits by receiving food that's easier to digest, good for baby antibodies, and larger IQ!*

I am arming myself with as much info as possible to make this a success. I get that it may not be easy at first but I am willing to make it successful. I still have a few qualms left to tackle regarding breastfeeding like when to switch baby to breast milk from the bottle so dad (and baby sitters) can get involved, being comfortable when pumping when I go back to work and determining when the time is right to start weaning.

Ahh the joys of motherhood.





*Benefits of breastfeeding info was compiled from a number of sources including www.breastfeeding.com, Women's Health, the La Leche League, and Kelly Mom

Happy Independence Day!

Summer, Summer, Summertime!

It's the first day of summer! Summer doesn't actually begin until 1:16 pm (who knew there was an exact start time??) but I'm ready for it. I've been ready. I'm actually considering switching professions to become a teacher for the sole benefit of summers off. Okay, not really but summers off would be nice.

I like to have lots of summer related things to do. Last year I was able to make that happen somewhat. It is my goal every year to have tons of pictures of summer fun. When I was much younger, we didn't really do much over the summer. While my brother and I were out of school my parents still had to work so most of the time we stayed with my grandma who spent her days watching soap opera's, the price is right, and sometimes cooking- that's not much fun for a 5 and 10 year old. Weekends were pretty much the mundane- grocery shopping, laundry, and housework...blah! The only constant was our August family reunion, which we looked forward to every year, but it also signalled the end of summer. One year we lived it up and went to Disney (I really need to tell you about our trip to Disney one day. No  one will EVER forget those antics!) So as soon as I got old enough I've made it a point to have fun during the summer. Last year I did most of the planning for summer fun. I choose day trips that don't require too much money (I've become a budgetnista!). Our trips last year included $1 night at the Meadowlands fair, a day trip to Philadelphia's Taste of Philly and while we were there we stopped at the Mint, and we visited with a few of my husband's friends who live out of state. Unfortunately, those two events are on the same day this year which happens to be this weekend and we can't go :( We can't go for good reason (I'll be sure to explain later) so I'm keeping my eyes peeled for more free/inexpensive day trip events in July.


What are your plans (big or small) for this summer?

Happy Memorial Day!

Thank you so much to all those serving our country- past, present, and future.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Work is so insanely busy for me right now that I feel like I've been neglecting you all :( Yesterday I was so tired I went home and fell asleep on the couch... but not before ordering Domino's for dinner. So, weekend rest is going to be very important for me for the next few weeks.

Friday mid day started my weekend :) We have half-day Friday's now... enough said!

Saturday morning I slept. I didn't wake up until 11am. What a lovely feeling. I hope to have a repeat performance this Saturday. Later that day we went apartment hunting and found some pretty good prospects. That night my husband and I attempted to have a date-night. We showed up at the movie theater where every.single.movie was sold out. Seriously?? And I know it's only going to be worse this weekend because the Hangover 2 is opening... So instead we had dinner at Panera bread. I haven't eaten there in ages and right now they have a lobster sandwich special.... I wish I could go grad one right now.

Early Sunday the hubby went to go see one of our apartment prospects while I went to Sunday school. When he showed up at church there was nothing good to report. In fact I don't think he even bothered to take pictures like he promised to do. After church we had three more apartment appointments and lordhavemercy! his car nearly broke down on the way there. This disappointment was compounded by the fact that we just spent $1,800 to get another problem fixed 2 weeks ago!

Really... can we catch a break? as of this afternoon we haven't heard back from the mechanic so we are back to carpooling again (I love riding home with my hubby from work- I get to vent all of my work frustrations in the car and not bring them into our house). Needless to say Friday at 12:30 can't get here fast enough (barbecue weekend!!!).

And FWIW after Harold Camping's big fat FAIL (I had no doubt) this has got to be the funniest thing I have seen in reference to the end of the world. And trust me I'm not buying his third prediction either. As a matter of fact, I'm going to email him the scripture in regards to false prophets!

P.S. After all the non-sense dies down, I promise to do a post with some substance and not complaints.

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the mama's, the mama-like's, and the mama-to-be's!

15 weeks!

I am so glad to have reached another week! And It's St. Patrick's Day! Despite being so tired, I am loving this! I forgot to take the Corned Beef out the freezer, so it looks like I'll be cooking that this weekend. Last year was my first year cooking corned beef and it came out very good- so I am looking forward to trying my luck again this year :) Although I'm not Irish- at all, in fact I am very far from it- my brother and I have red hair and freckles. Makes me wonder what my little one will have.

So on to my update...

Pregnancy: 15 weeks (still not ready to post the belly pics yet)

Weight Gain: I'm still going by the weight calculated at my docs appointment 3 weeks ago because my scale at home says something completely different- as in weight loss.

Sleep: Horrible! This has to do with many outside factors but it also takes me a long time to get comfy at night. I just recieved a few bed, bath, and beyond coupons so my weekend mission is the Snoogle.

Gender: Team Green

Name: not picked out yet- but we have narrowed down some names for each gender.

Feeling: Down right exhausted. Often, when I'm at work I can't pick myself up off my desk. I'm still feeling bloated too.

Health: The frequency of backaches has gone down and I think I've also pinpointed it to being anxiety related.

Movement: I think I felt flutters here and there but I can't be sure if it was baby movement. I can't wait until I am sure.

Belly: Still poking out! I still think I look more pregnant than I am, however my co workers did notice it the other day. Still no stretch marks and counting my blessings.

Next Appointment: 8 more days... goodness gracious. I can not wait to go see this little one again.


Here's what it's looking like on the inside...

... and I'll leave you with this:

It's National Pancake Day!

I didn't get to celebrate today, but you still have time to. IHOP is giving away free short stacks of pancakes until 10 pm. I'll continue sitting on my couch catching up on sleep while you all enjoy free pancakes.  Next Tuesday is fat Tuesday- the pregame to the lent season. I won't be fasting this season because I wouldn't be the only one fasting but the lent season is always interesting in my church.

In other news- Wendy Williams is going to be on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars! I love the show and am a fan of Wendy Williams.  There are a few others I'm interested to see this season- Romeo, Kendra, Kristie Alley, and Sugar Ray Leonard. I'm interested to see how everyone does. I really think this show is a popularity contest- but entertaining nonetheless.

Lastly, tomorrow is my one week blogiverssary!!! I know that's not much compared to the likes of those attending the blogher conferences but I'm proud of what I've accomplished thus far. I feel a lot better at times being able to vent. My husband has been great but I'm sure he's tired of all the baby related references. Thanks for being my outlet- even if it's only one of you so far :)

Love,

The Mrs.