Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Graduate

 We have a graduate! 


Bo was returned to us yesterday and he is wowing us with his spectacular behavior! He learned several new commands and strengthened the few he already knew. 

He was also worn out! Tired little thing slept from 5:30 last night until morning so we know he’s been working hard. We’re happy he’s home and are promising to do all we can to reinforce his new habits and not bring back the old ones. 

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Homeownership At Its Finest

 How is your morning going? Here's mine...

Yes that is our dishwasher pulled out from the wall and all of the dishes from the above cabinets pulled out. Why you ask? Because apparently there is a leak that we (and by we, I mean my hubby and a plumber) have determined goes up behind our cabinets. 

So hubby is about to take down some cabinets so they can get behind it to repair the leak. Which they THINK is there but aren't positive of it's exact location. 

My silver lining is hoping that maybe our water bill will go down once we get this leak stopped- we'll see! 

Happy Tuesday, I hope yours is a little drier than ours! 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting!

Monday, March 28, 2022

Hey Third Trimester

We had a weekend away that began Thursday so my blog got away from me. I am not usually up and going so much for 4 days in a row so it wore me out, but was definitely worth it! In theory that's our last little getaway before we become a family of three, so it was good to make the most of it. I'll be writing about that trip later this week but for now I am due for a pregnancy update. As of Saturday I am officially 28 weeks which also means I am officially in my 3rd trimester. 

The home stretch people! Meeting our baby boy is on the horizon which is so exciting, and only a bit overwhelming when we think of the still to do items on our list. 

According to my pastry calculations this week baby boy is the size of a "Couronne Bread". I will save you the google and tell you it is a bread that has been shaped to look like a crown. If you're more into fruits and vegetables then baby boy is either a head of romaine lettuce or a coconut (assumably a pretty large one based on the other items). No matter which item you measure him with,  both hubby and I have determined that he is growing quickly and so it my belly! Whew, in the last week I've just started to feel extra large in the belly department. And a bit like a turtle that's stuck on its back when I try and get off the couch.  He was in the 61% at our last appointment and as always was moving all around. I can tell he is going to be a busy little guy. 


Symptoms: This months symptoms are a continuation of the acid reflux, although I seem to be getting that somewhat under control which is a huge blessing. And the general aches and pains of growing a human- some backaches and rib pain.  But again, with the chiropractic care I'm getting the pain has been manageable and for that I am grateful. As I move into the 3rd trimester I'm thinking some of my fatigue may show it's face again but I don't mind having an excuse to nap :) I still love being pregnant and am grateful on a daily basis that things have gone so smoothly for me so far. 

Funny Story of the Month: I don't really have any cravings at the moment, so I'm trading that section of my update for a funny story about the moment I realized my belly was bigger than I thought. As I mentioned we were away for the weekend- we spent a few days on the Bourbon Trail with my parents and my aunt and uncle. I realize that seems an odd place for a pregnant lady to vacation but it was great! I'm not a bourbon drinker anyways so I didn't mind having an excuse not to taste. One morning, the ladies were strolling through the downtown shops while the guys were at a tasting. We went in the cutest home boutique and looked at all of their beautiful things. I noticed there was a very large staircase in the middle and asked if they had a lot more upstairs, I wanted to know if it was worth climbing the staircase before heading up. The kind owner told me that they have a few things up there but not too much but that I was welcome to still climb the stairs if I thought it might help get labor going! What?! No thank you, I'm actually due in June not March so I definitely do not want labor to begin as much as my belly may disagree. I got quite the kick out of that. 

Favorite Moment of Week 25-28: We had our first baby shower which was so fun! We got so many lovely things and got to spend time with lots of our loved ones and it was overall just a glorious weekend celebrating our baby boy. And hitting the 3rd trimester! That feels huge and exciting and like a big milestone for sure. Oh an for those that read about my gestational diabetes test, I am thrilled to announce everything came back fine so it was worth the yucky experience of doing the test. 

What I'm Looking Forward to in Week 29-32: Starting to get things organized and ready for the baby! Our nursery is now full of all kinds of fun baby things and it's time to start nesting, sorting, organizing and getting everything ready for our little man. Hubby is helping me get a dresser set up and then we'll be ready to roll in terms of getting things organized. We obviously don't have everything yet but it will be so fun to make a dent in it and start to feel the reality of his arrival 

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

The Costco Effect

Am I the only one that is always surprised by the total when in the Costco checkout line? 

Here I am standing with my very reasonable amount of things, feeling proud of myself for having bypassed some tempting impulse buys. And I’m thinking what a great job I did and how proud hubby will be for not going overboard. Which lets be honest is easy to do in Costco. 

And then I see the total and am truly bewildered. Did I really buy that much stuff? That can’t be right. And as I walk to the exit to have my receipt checked I’m looking at each item confirming that I did in fact buy it. 

By the time I get things loaded in my car I’ve chalked it up to the Costco effect, a mystery I’ll never quite solve. 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting!


Tuesday, March 22, 2022

A Day at the Doctor

I've mentioned it a time or two on here but pregnancy has treated me very well so far and I've had pretty minimal complaints for the most part. But unfortunately last Thursday I did the 1 hour screening for gestational diabetes and did not pass...bummer. I knew it as soon as I saw my doctor's office phone number pop up on the screen, because my doctor had told me if all was good I would just get a patient portal notification with the results. Failing the 1 hour meant  I would need to complete the 3 hour screen. 

So that's where I spent my morning today and I have some thoughts.  

First of all, fasting. The one hour doesn't require any fasting but the three hour requires that you fast leading up to it. The actual requirement was fasting after midnight for my 8:45 appointment. However, I'm an early eater and I don't eat close to bed due to my reflux so my fast started when I finished dinner around 7pm. Spoiler alert, I did not get to eat lunch until almost 12:30. That's a long time for a pregnant lady not to eat. SO I think they should figure out a solution to this because boy was I feeling pretty hangry when I walked out of that doctors office today. 

The first step in the screening is a fasting blood draw- to get a baseline I suppose. Unfortunately, having had my blood drawn on Thursday, that arm/vein was still bruised and when she tried to use that vein she was unsuccessful. So I got a second stick in a different vein on my other arm- no big deal. Except as it turns out that would be the only vein that would cooperate for all 4 blood draws. I've never had repeated blood draws before but I've decided that veins don't care to be stuck over and over like that and by draw number three I was pretty uncomfortable. 

Now the gluco-crush you drink for this screening is basically hummingbird nectar. I mean honestly, it's probably too sweet for the hummingbirds even. But drinking it on an empty stomach? Not exactly pleasant. Oh and drinking it in only 5 minutes? For my 1 hour I had 15 whole minutes to drink it and even that felt like a lot of sugar in a short amount of time. But 5 minutes? I practically had to chug it. And again, I do not recommend chugging any beverage on an empty stomach particularly one that is practically pure sugar. But we power through. 

Following my drinking sprint, I was taken to the room where I would set up camp for the next few hours. And one of my oh so kind nurses brought me a Zofran for nausea. Because what would be worse than completing this long screening once? Getting sick in the middle of it, being sent home and having to complete it again! The hours passed and at 10, 11 and 12 I returned to the lab for my additional blood draws only to finally be released a little after that to satisfy my growling stomach and await my results. 

I'm always very grateful for modern medicine. I'm grateful there is a way to detect GD and address it if that's what my baby and I need. But I would just like someone to figure out a slightly more pleasant way to do it. Maybe one that involves less needles and  less tummy grumbling? 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting!

Monday, March 21, 2022

Monday

Monday. 

Car loading.

Errand Running.

Driving.

Quick Lunch.

More Driving. 

Car Unloading.

Porch Relaxing.

Takeout Dinner.

Couch Lounging.

Monday.

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting!

Sunday, March 20, 2022

Showered With Love

I missed another day of blogging but it was for a good reason. We had the most lovely day yesterday being showered with love by some of our family and friends. We were in my hubby’s hometown and had two special showers for our baby boy. His parents neighbor and her daughter hosted a lovely brunch in the morning for some of my mother-in-law’s friends. I hadn’t had the opportunity to meet many of them since we don’t live nearby so it was wonderful to get to meet everyone and see the excitement over our growing family.

My parents came in for the day as well so my mom was also able to attend! In the afternoon we made our way to the house of a high school friend of hubby’s that were hosting a couples shower for us. It was gorgeous weather and people were able to be outside enjoying the sunshine. It was a mix of some of our friends as well as some of our in-laws friends and again we were just blown away with people’s excitement for us. Since we don’t live that close, it’s always so special to have so many of our people in one spot.

I don’t have a ton of photos because I left my phone in my purse to just enjoy the moments but I think from the two shared here you can see the whole day was filled with joy and smiles and gushing over our  ewes addition. 

Friday, March 18, 2022

Bo on the Go

There weren't many things that came to mind when I was thinking of my slice for the day. So I decided today's slice would be a bit more photo heavy with an update on my little Bo. 


He's working on his modeling career while also learning some obedience. But seriously, his trainer uploads a bunch of pictures and videos for me each day and hubby and I are most impressed with her dog photo skills. 



He's learning new tricks!



And making new friends.


Enjoying smelling the flowers at Home Depot's garden center.


And definitely loving free play time. I'm pretty sure he's going to come home and be so sad that we don't have more dogs at home for him to play with. 

Apparently he is rocking his training, much to the surprise of his dad and I, and has become a favorite at the trainer's household getting all the snuggles from her family and playtime with her other pups. 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting!


Thursday, March 17, 2022

One Of Those Days

My favorite days...

Are the ones full of sunshine. 

The ones that include sleeping in a little later than usual (gotta take advantage while I can right?!)

Ones where packages come on time. 

The ones that include a riverside walk with a new friend.

Days complete with smiles and giggles from a sweet 2 year old.

The ones where you think it will be cool but as you walk in the sun you can feel it's warmth soaking into your skin.

Ones that involve seeing your baby boy on the ultrasound screen and hearing his little heartbeat. 

Days where dinner is going to be easy, because you don't have to cook it.

The kind of days that you know will leave you with a grateful smile on your face.

And this Thursday was one of those days. 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting!

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Delivery Woes

It is just not my day in the delivery department. I ordered a pair of shoes from Target to wear to my baby shower this weekend. They were due to be delivered yesterday originally. When I looked yesterday the date for delivery had been changed to today. No big deal. When I checked on it this morning, it still said today but I did not see the expected "Out for Delivery" notice. So I clicked the extra details button and I noticed in the detailed tracking that the only thing listed was "Shipping Label Created". Well all of us experienced online shoppers know that means it definitely isn't being delivered today and in all likelihood probably won't be here tomorrow or even the next day. 

But lo and behold when I looked in my Target app I see that they have these shoes in stock. Perfect, I'll just run over and grab them there and I can just return the online ones. So off I go to make a quick Target run. Did they have those shoes in the right color and size like they said they did? No they did not. But I persevered and found a pair that would work, checked out and made my way back towards my car. As I'm about to drive off my hubby calls me, which feels odd because he doesn't usually call me when he's at work. I pick up and I hear him say "The UPS guy is at the door, and he's about to leave with your package." 

You see we have a doorbell camera that alerts us on our phones when someone's at the door. My phone had been in my purse while I rummaged through the shoe section at Target but my hubby had seen the notification come through. So here would be the time to mention that we were also waiting on another package. One I thought they would just leave at the door but apparently need a signature for. A signature I cannot provide because I am in the Target parking lot. I'm pretty sure my hubby thought I was just ignoring the doorbell as I often do when home alone or when I know it's just the delivery man alerting me to the package on my porch. And I just know you could audibly hear the frustration in my voice and in his sigh when I told him I was actually not home. 

So now I'll be rearranging some plans for tomorrow in order to be home for the delivery. Home delivery- seems like it should be so convenient but I find it often comes with a few too many headaches. 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting!


Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Time for Training Camp

I just said goodbye to our little chihuahua mix Bo for 2 weeks as he heads off to training. He's a pretty good little guy most of the time. But he has a few bad habits that make him a bit more high maintenance than we'd like. And with a new baby coming we knew we wanted to make sure we had good control of his behavior and that he would be perfectly trustworthy when all the life changes start happening and he gets  a little less attention than he's used to. 

And let's be real, any of his bad habits are probably owner induced right? My hubby didn't do much/any training with him when he got him and he's been the center of attention for the last 5 years, aside from briefly sharing it with Gemma for about a year. So does it really surprise me that he's a jumper? Or a face licker? Or thinks there is always room in your lap and that of course you want him to sit there? Or that he barks at all of the other dogs he sees out the window? No it does not, but that doesn't mean we can't improve! 

Teachers know there is always room for growth :) 

So we found a company in our area that does a board and train program that we felt like would be best for us. They work on behavior as well as teaching your dog how to be "off-leash". I'm not sure I'll need that other skill as much, but it would be nice when we're sitting out in the yard if he didn't have to be tangling us up in the leash when we're trying to relax. And because the trainer knows we're expecting she's even going to work with him some on walking next to a stroller which will be great!

I was a little sad to say goodbye to him for 2 weeks since he keeps me company during the day and when hubby travels. Since moving down here, him and I have spent way more time together than in days past and I think it's spoiled him a bit (and me too!). Luckily hubby and I have a few fun things planned during his 2 week training time that will make the time go by fast! And we'll be back to snuggles in no time! 


This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting!


Monday, March 14, 2022

A Child's Reminder

Today I was out walking and came across some sidewalk chalk art outside of one of my neighbor's house. I didn't pay much attention to what the drawing was as I walked up to it, other than to reminisce on my own days of drawing with chalk with my sister and the neighbors out in our cul-de-sac. 

But as I walked by the content caught my attention. And it turned in to the most beautiful reminder that Easter is coming. 

I think the current state of the world makes me appreciate this year's lenten season even a little bit more. Eagerly anticipating the good news of Easter morning both this year and as an eternal promise. We can so often feel heavy and burdened with things that are ours to  carry as well as weary over carrying things we were never meant to take on. But the joy of Easter is a reminder that we are not alone, we are not forgotten. 

There is one who will take all of the world's burdens and make us new.

Kids are often the best at reminding me of some of the most foundational of truths. 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting!

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Sunday Seven Sequel

Whoops! Yesterday got away from me and I missed day 12. But I'm back at it today and doing a repeat of last Sunday's slice with a new edition of the Sunday Seven. 

Sunday Seven 

1. After a snowy day yesterday, the grass is back to being green and the temperature, while still cold, is on the rise. Snow in March...not what I was expecting when we moved from PA to TN. 

2. A delicious lunch out at one of our favorite restaurants is the perfect start to a Sunday afternoon. 

3. Lunch included the largest slice of quiche I have ever seen. Seriously. I'm not sure where they even managed to find a pan that would make a quiche of that depth. 

4. We said goodbye to my in-laws today after a lovely weekend visit with them. The weekend didn't quite go as planned- hubby and my FIL had planned to work on some outdoor projects but the snow got in the way and a call out to work for hubby meant they didn't get quite as much time with him as they had probably hoped but the three of us still had a great time checking out some local spots! 

 5. A perk of a cold Sunday means I don't feel guilty spending the day relaxing on the couch. After working overnight hubby definitely needs the rest and my pregnant self is always happy for down time. So a relaxing afternoon of our favorite shows and maybe a few cat naps on the couch will be perfect.  

6. Another perk of a lazy Sunday means time to start my next book. I have a couple to choose from so I'm not sure what that will be yet but I always love diving into a new read. 

7. The highlight of my weekend was getting the crib set up in the nursery! I did not actually help with this at all but my father in-law and hubby did a great job and I can't wait until there's a baby boy in there! 



This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting!

Friday, March 11, 2022

Breakfast Menu Rearranged

I opened the fridge to grab the bagels. As I reached back in to grab the plastic bowl of precut pineapple, my recently developed butterfingers (an odd pregnancy symptom I’ve noticed) kicked in and I lost control of the pineapple. 

The bowl slipped out of my hand and crashed onto the kitchen floor. The lid popped off and pineapple with all its juice went flying across the kitchen floor. 

Several paper towels and a wet swiffer later, we were back to good as new. Although I’ve now decided I don’t need to buy such sticky fruit anymore. 

I guess we aren’t having pineapple with our breakfast today…

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting! 



Thursday, March 10, 2022

To Stand or Not To Stand

I consider myself a rule follower by nature. I like rules, I like to follow them and I'm usually of the mindset that the rules are probably there for a reason so I like to be respectful of that. I also think that in being a teacher, the idea of following directions is just built into my DNA. 

Except one.

There is one direction that I don't think I've ever followed in my adult life. 

"Let it stand in microwave for 1-2 minutes."

I mean, come on, are people doing that? Am I the only one that throws caution to the wind and just pulls my microwaved goodness out when it is screaming hot rather than giving it a minute or two to stand? I feel confident I am not alone in this mini microwave rebellion. 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting! 

 

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Turning Heads at Publix

This morning I was wandering the grocery story aisles, doing a lot of back and forth to aisles I'd already passed because while I did come with a list, it was incomplete and not well thought out. So I had a slow leisurely stroll through the aisles of Publix trying to be sure not to miss anything, sipping the Starbucks I had treated myself to on the way to the store. 

And as I perused the wine aisle and placed a bottle in my cart, I couldn't help but notice a few questioning looks. You see between the coffee cup, the wine and the pregnant belly I was not the picture of responsible pregnant woman. It should be noted here that while I'm not exactly about to pop, I'm definitely visibly pregnant. People don't look at me and wonder if maybe I just had an extra large meal shortly before arriving to the store. 

And despite that fact that the coffee was decaf and the wine is for visitors we have coming this weekend (visitors who aren't on a 9 month hiatus from vino), I could feel the slightly judging or at the very least concerned eyes of the people I passed in that aisle. "Doesn't she know caffeine is bad for the baby?" "I sure hope that wine isn't for her!". 

I think people these days feel a sense of entitlement to judge others prematurely based on very little information and I think that becomes even more pronounced in pregnancy. People feel perfectly comfortable offering pregnancy and parenting advice (or criticism) to people they don't even know without ever having all the facts. And I know I'm guilty of the same, making a snap judgement about someone that probably reads all over my face when I don't have anything to base it on really. 

Today, I just laughed about the situation to myself, texted a fellow pregnant friend about it so we could laugh together and went about my day. But I think it was a reminder to me as well. To be gentle with people. Because we don't ever really know what's in their Starbucks cup so to speak. 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting! 

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Mindfulness

Over the last several weeks I have been working on some relaxation and mindfulness techniques using an app I downloaded on my phone. I haven't really ever done much in the way of mindfulness practice or intentional relaxation but it's becoming an important tool at this stage of my life. 

The particular app I use is geared towards pregnancy and birth but the reflections I've been having on my success with these practices I think translates to anyone who might be new to this type of practice. You see I decided these practices would be good in helping me remain calm and relaxed during pregnancy, help me prepare for labor and birth and also be a tool that I can rely on as I move into the newborn stage as well when I'm adjusting to a new schedule, or lack thereof, minimal sleep and other unfamiliar territory. The app assigns 3 or 4 "activities" for each day and these are a combination of breathing exercises, guided meditations for mindfulness, relaxation exercises (that they qualify as hypnobirthing sessions) and affirmations. 

Here's what I've found:

- I can rock the breathing exercises. 

- I love the hypnobirthing sessions- as I inevitably am so relaxed I fall asleep. 

- The affirmation sessions are always a great pick me up or great way to start the day. 

But the mindfulness ones? Those are much much trickier for me. And they're usually the shortest ones! Am I the only one that has a hard time staying in the moment? Not letting my mind drift? Certainly not. 

The woman who leads the meditation often reminds listeners that the mindfulness practices are a bit more challenging because unlike the relaxation sessions where you are welcome to let your mind drift, wander, or even shut off (ahem...take a nap), the mindfulness sessions require you to be relaxed but present. They require you to focus and make your brain do a bit of work that its just not used to do. The goal of these sessions is to remain focused on your breath and on the sensations in your body right at that moment. And as other thoughts/emotions/memories come into your brain,  just acknowledge them and then go back to your in the moment focus. 

I comically find that my brain never has more thoughts than when I'm trying to focus on not having thoughts. I think you often hear about how great women are at multitasking and I think teachers are particularly good at doing multiple things at once and having several scenarios working out in your head while also doing something completely different at the time. But I think in regards to mindfulness this does a disservice because it's such a hard habit to turn off. It's like my brain sees the relaxation and calm as an opportunity for more work. Oh look, her brain is quiet...what a perfect opportunity to remind her of x,y, and z rather than let her soak in the moment. 

No wonder so many adults are exhausted, burnt out, overly stressed and anxious. I think a lot of us have lost or never developed the ability to stop and rest. To focus on just this one moment in time without worrying about the next one. 

So I am definitely not an expert in this. As I said, its the hardest part of the practice. Sometimes I can't even finish them because my brain just won't cooperate. But each day I keep trying and keep practicing and I think that decision in itself is a mindful moment. 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting! 

Monday, March 7, 2022

At This Hour

I snagged this writing structure from a blog I read yesterday because I really enjoyed the simplicity of it that led to almost a poetic form. Thank you to Leigh Anne Eck for the inspiration- you can find her at "A Day in the Life".

At this hour...

I am planning out the weeks menu in my head and on my phone, a Monday routine.

The clouds are rolling in as a storm heads our way. 

The laundry machine is rumbling forming a rhythmic hum above me. 

Bo is curled up beside me, keeping guard or keeping me company- maybe both.

Baby gives a little kick reminding me to soak up the quiet while I eagerly await the newborn chaos. 


 
This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting! 

Sunday, March 6, 2022

Sunday Seven

So today's really the first day I've had a bit of writer's block for the challenge. And often when I get writer's block I find a list is a helpful way to get a few words down. So this is going to be my Sunday Seven. (I like alliteration almost as much as lists)

1. We enjoyed a delicious brunch at a spot we hadn't tried. Well we've been there for dinner a bunch but hadn't ever tested their brunch menu and we were not disappointed! 
2.  Another lovely day in the weather department here. I supposed talking about the weather seems boring but I can't help it when it is simply gorgeous! 
3. Because of said lovely weather, hubby and I (and Bo) spent a couple hours out on our patio soaking up the sun, listening to music and just talking. It is probably one of my favorite things. 
4. Our dog Bo is undergoing some training, hoping to get him is tip top shape before baby boy arrives and so being outside with a lot of distractions was a good time to practice staying calm and coming when called. He's been doing much better than either of us anticipated!
5. I had no acid reflux last night! If you've read any of my pregnancy updates, you'll know this has been pretty much my only negative pregnancy symptom.  So a night where it doesn't wake me up is magic! 
6. My parents are stopping by for the evening tonight :) They're headed home from my sister's and I'm about halfway so they have been able to stop on both ends for a visit with me as well which is great. I love being so much closer to them now that we're down in TN.
7. I finished my slice for the day! That always feels like an accomplishment. Happy Sunday everyone!

 
This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting! 

Saturday, March 5, 2022

Soak Up The Sun

Spring? Is that you?

Actually it would almost feel more accurate to call out for summer as we hit record warm March temps for the 3rd day in a row. And I am not complaining one bit. I have just loved being able to be outside more, getting to soak up the vitamin D on my daily walks and sitting on the porch with my husband on a Friday evening. 

I also think people underestimate the challenges of being pregnant in the cold weather. People always talk about how hard it is to be pregnant in the summer because you're so hot. But you know what they don't talk about? The challenge of squeezing yourself into leggings or jeans everyday, the even bigger challenge of always having to put on socks and real shoes as bending over starts to feel more and more like an athletic event. Or coats- coats that don't zip or button up over your belly! All I'm saying is give me a easy to slip on dress and some flip flops and I am much happier. 

I personally don't ever realize how much I've missed the warmth and the sun until it makes it's almost startling appearance in the spring. I consider myself a lover of sweaters, and am always delighted by snow. I don't spend the winter wishing it away, even though I do not tolerate the cold very well. But as soon as that first warm day hits I realize what I've been missing and my soul feels immediately refreshed just by standing in the driveway soaking in a few rays of sunshine. 

So even though on the forecast I can see that these temperatures aren't going to last and I'll probably be back in a sweater by the middle of next week, today I'm going to be thankful for a glimpse into the warmer days to come. 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting! 

Friday, March 4, 2022

Getting Closer

Yesterday afternoon I moved this into our bedroom. 




A small thing really. But my heart swells whenever I walk into our room and see it now. It has been in the room designated for the nursery for the last 2 months or so, as we try and contain all the baby things to that room until his arrival is more imminent. However our crib and mattress were delivered recently and will be getting set up this coming week so I decided I needed to clear some space. 

So I moved the bassinet into our room, over in the corner between our dresser and the window. This basket won't be filled with our precious boy for another few months. But in the meantime when I see it, I see so much more than just the spot where our baby will sleep when he's born. 

I see snuggles with my little man, late night nursing in a darkened bedroom, sleepy eyes but full hearts. I hear tiny baby coos and grunts of baby stretching. I see the strongest desire of my heart coming closer to reality. And that little glimpse into the future, the reminder that pregnancy isn't forever and soon their will be a tiny squishy baby instead of a rounded belly, is one of the sweetest parts of my day. 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting! 

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Mostly Proud Owners

My husband and I are the (mostly) proud owners of a chiuhuahua mix. I say mostly because sometimes he is not a shining star in terms of behavior but mostly he is adorable and cuddly and playful. An exception to this is when he gets himself all worked up because another dog is staying with us. I'm not sure if you know this but many chihuahuas have a hard time sharing the spotlight and can get a bit jealous of other dogs in their space, near their stuff, breathing the same air as their owners etc. 

Bo loves other dogs...when he's at their house. But I've come to discover that he becomes an anxiety ridden nutcase when my parents bring their dog to our house. The dogs get along fine, there isn't aggression but there is so much stress. Bo just can't relax because if he relaxes then their dog might go near one of his toys, or walk too close to his food and water bowls or heaven forbid someone might even pet their dog instead of him! 

All of this is mostly fine because it's short lived and just means he spends more time being held or in a lap than usual. Which is actually a lot because he already spends a fair amount of time in both of those locations. But most recently, as in yesterday, my little man distressed himself into throwing up. Now if you have dogs you know that sometimes this just happens and it's part of dog life that messes will be made and sometimes those messes will be in your house. I'm pretty sure he just ate too fast- so he could more quickly get back to keeping an eye on the houseguest. 

But unfortunately for me, he decided to make things a bit more complicated last night. Also, am I the only one who feels like dogs only get sick at night once you're already settled in bed? So sometimes at night he likes to crawl under the bed. I already don't like this because I have an irrational fear that the bed will break and fall on his tiny little self and crush him. So when I hear him, I start trying to call him to get out from under there. I then think to myself, hm that's weird he's alll the way up under the head of the bed (usually he hovers at the foot or just under one of the sides, never venturing all the way in). So I continue to call him and try to entice him out of his hiding spot to no avail. So I haul my pregnant self out of bed, untangling myself from my pregnancy pillow and the covers and onto the floor. 

This is when I peak under the bed to try and grab him and get him out and I'm greeted with the unpleasant surprise that he has been sick. Under the bed. And let me tell you, this would have been annoying under any circumstances. But add in a pregnant belly that I can't lay on to get a good arms reach in their to clean? It ups the difficulty. Now you might be thinking, why not just have your husband help you. I'm sure he would have had he been home but he was out of town for the evening so it was up to me! 

But wait there's more. He refuses to come out! I'm calling and calling him and trying to reach for him and he won't budge. So I decide to go ahead and try and clean the carpet- because obviously this happened on the carpeted part of the house and not those hardwood, easier to wipe down floors I mentioned yesterday. But in a weird turn of events when I try and start cleaning, my little guy growls at me as if I were trying to take his favorite toy. What in the world?! 

I pause my cleaning efforts and go back to trying to entice him out from under the bed, which I finally do. I then have to put him in puppy time out in the bathroom so I can contain him while I clean. As I finish up and release him from his puppy time out he just trots right on over to his dogbed and settles in like nothing happened and off to sleep. 

So I'll say it again, we are the (mostly) proud owners of a chihuahua mix but last night was not his proudest moment. 

This month I'm linking up daily with Two Writing Teachers as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for visiting! 


Wednesday, March 2, 2022

The Darker Side of Hardwoods

This past November we moved into a new house with some beautiful hardwood floors. They are the exact color I would have picked if I had been designing the house myself. They're a darker wood with some lighter patches mixed in- some coffee colors combined with cocoa if you will. Those are probably not terms professionals use to describe floors but hopefully you get the gist. 

In our previous home, I always felt like the color of our floors, combined with a few other factors, made it feel very dated and while they were great floors in terms of their condition they weren't my favorite. But fast forward to me seeing the new floors in the house hubby found once we knew we were moving and I was thrilled. 

I love watching design and renovation shows on HGTV. I don't consider design to be a skill of my own but I sure do love to watch other people do it. So as we moved into our new home, I found that the aesthetics reminded me so much of many of the homes I'd fallen in love with on HGTV and thought "Perfect! It's just what I wanted!"

But do you know what they don't mention on those shows when they show the clients their new beautiful dark hardwoods? That every single crumb, piece of dry grass, hair, dust particle etc is visible against that dark background. I mean seriously, I have never swept floors so often in my life and I am positive we are not making any more mess than we were at our old house. It's just now my eyes are forced to look at the mess until I can get a broom across the floor. 

I hadn't paid much attention to this fact upon our initial move in. Sure there was dust and debris but I thought surely that's just from moving and boxes and unpacking and so on. And then we had family in town the week after we moved in..because we're crazy like that. And my mom being the kind, thoughtful person she is was sweeping my floors for me. She commented how awesome it felt to sweep my floors because it was so satisfying to see all the things you were actually sweeping up. This peaked my attention and she continued on..."You'll want to sweep these pretty regularly because everything is going to show, but just look how satisfying it is to sweep up!".

She was very right and very wrong at the same time. Yes, you can see everything and yes I do need to sweep often but the satisfaction of how obvious the cleaning is as you go? That part fades when you're sweeping for the 3rd time in one day...

I still love my hardwoods, they are still exactly what I would have picked. They've just made me much more thankful that I registered for such a nice broom for our wedding! 

This month I am linking up every day with "Two Writing Teachers" as part of their Slice of Life Writing Challenge. Thanks for stopping by!


Tuesday, March 1, 2022

One Whole Year

On March 1, 2021 I opened up my blog after it being silent for almost 5 years. Several teachers at the school I was working in at the time, were going to be participating in the Slice of Life Writing Challenge hosted by Two Writing Teachers and I thought "why not?". 

My blog was metaphorically dusty and truthfully even when I'd written my blog previously, it hadn't really seemed to work for me. I could never quite get in the groove of writing consistently. But I decided it would be a fun challenge, get me out of my comfort zone and be a useful tool as a writing teacher as well. So I wrote this post and committed to finishing. And I did! And the next month, I completed the April A-Z challenge and in the months that followed, while I didn't write a post every day anymore, I kept writing. Some months more infrequent than others, some posts more content rich and others more random thoughts but I kept at it. And here we are exactly 1 year after I restarted my blogging adventure and I'm still here and that feels like a big deal. 

When a friend asked if I'd be slicing again this year, I was a little hesitant at first. Honestly, it hadn't been on my radar and I had kind of forgotten it was a thing. Also these days I don't always know what day it is and was shocked that March was just around the corner. Also, I'm not teaching right now and while the space in the challenge definitely welcomes former teachers as well as current I just wasn't sure I'd have the content to get me through 31 days of writing. But seeing as how one of my new years goals was to write more often, a challenge of writing everyday for 31 days seemed like something I couldn't really say no to. 

So I responded to my friend with a yes and signed up as a participant in the 2022 Slice of Life Challenge, which means you'll be seeing me here in this space for the next 31 days. Happy slicing! 

Today I'm linking up with Two Writing Teachers as part of the slice of life challenge.