My Brown Eyed Girl

Constant  [Con-stent]:  person(s) in your life that may not be present everyday, you may not speak to every day, week or month.  But they are constantly there.  Whenever or whatever you need them for-  a cry, a laugh, a secret confession, it doesn't matter.  And it's as if no time has elapsed at all.


I've had many many friends throughout my life.  You've heard the saying:  Friends for a Reason, Friends for a Season.  
I've had friends let me down and pick me up;  Some have betrayed me and some surprised me.  People that made me think they were my friends and people that I didn't even know where friends until it really mattered.


I think people are like puzzles that take for ever to figure out- pieces go missing, more get added.  It takes  a while to forge a true friendship.  But when you do, it's a beautiful thing.


Page Turner... you are my forever constant.  You are my-soul-sista-from-anotha-generation.


It makes me sad SBR won't have a cute nickname for you.  I wish we would've joked about it, at least when could've.  If I wasn't so against the thought of having a baby... 
But he will  know you.  He will because I talk about you.  A lot.  Mr. Husband talks about you, too.  And when we're in IL, we will see you.  And eventually, you will visit him here.


My birthday wish for you today is that you change one thing about your life this year.  You don't have to open a coffee shop or  lose a ton of weight.  Just one small thing to get you back on your path to making YOU happy.  Deal?

You've been so much in my life, you've helped shape my adulthood, more than you will ever know.  You saw I wanted to be a better person and you have helped and continue to help make that happen. You deserve the same.

Happy Birthday, Page Turner!  We LoVe YoU!!

From across the country, we give hugs.

Monet

I enjoy going to our local paint-your-own-pottery place, As You Wish. 
When I learned we going to have a little chicken I was so excited about all the adorable gift ideas you can do with children's hand/feet/finger prints. 

Since, we have made a few, but I still have a ton of good ideas.  They aren't exactly cheap ideas, though. Plus, I have to hold some things over for SBRs siblings to do. 
I call it Family Planning.

I'm currently working on a piece.  I've done this one before, as a gift for a friend, and it took me 2 sittings & 9 hours.  I want this one to come out better than the last so I'm really trying to take my time, but my deadline is also fastly approaching. 
I decided to take SBR with me to see how much I could get done.  He had not napped this day, but was well fed.  I thought I may be able to get 2 hours in. 

After about an hour he became restless and I wasn't ready to leave yet, so I decided to see how he would do. 

He had a blast!  WE had a blast!  I can't wait to go back & make more with him!

For his first birthday, we are having a small (growing large) party at our house.  Mr. Husband is smoking a brisket, our good friend is doing face paintings & we are setting up our outdoor patio table for finger painting for the kiddos.

His birthday cake plate, for years to come.

What a perfect fit to go along with the theme!

Don't Quit Your Day Job

**unless you work for Blogger, then you can quit.

This is a re-post-

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be Usher when he was boo'd off stage in Germany?
or Maybe that cute, sweet young Idol contestent told abruptly to stop singing by Simon?

These aren't really 'put-yourself-in-their-shoes' situations.  It's more of- you momentarily feeling bad for the person & moving on.

Until you are that person.

When I strap SBR into his Cadillac carseat, sometimes he gets fussy.  He loves being sang to, so I will usually sing him a quick Itsy Bitsy Spider or Pop Goes the Weasel.  At the end of the song, in the most precious way, SBR will clap for you. 
He's such a fantastic audience.

Last night I had some extra time, Mr. Husband a few moments behind us, so as I strapped in the boy, I started singing Skinna-ma-rinky-dinky-dink...  It is a bit longer than the others.  As I've mentioned before, he loves my singing.

So you can imagine my feelings of dejection when SBR starts applauding midway through with a nervous kind of giggle. 

Um?  I wasn't done, Buddy. Thanks.

Yaaaay...

cute, but completely unrelated pic

Happy Mother's Day

The day I found out I was pregnant was not a magical one.  I was not giddy with excitement; I didn't think it was going to be beautiful or amazing.  I nervously smoked nearly a pack of cigarettes (sad they were probably my last). My great friend kept me company as I anxiously awaited Mr. Husband's late night arrival from work to take 'The Test.'

As soon as Mr. Husband walked in the door, I marched straight to the bathroom, as he tried to hide his beaming smile, & soft chuckles of anticipation (very poorly, I might add).  

On the box it says to wait 3 minutes for results... 3 minutes in pregnancy test time is like 20 minutes.  Or so I'm told.  Iiii wouldn't happen to know because once I saturated said stick, set it down & turned back around (seriously micro-seconds later) the little blue cross was BEAMING at me.  I immediately sat down & took test #2.  There's 3 in there for a reason right?

I took 3 tests with-in 20 minutes (I had to wait a little while after test #2 because I was out of pee.)

I cried and cried and cried.  For 3 days I cried.  I was so scared.  I had no idea what I was doing.  How could I let this happpen? (it was very much my fault.)  I didn't know the first thing about raising a child, how to hold a baby,  I had never changed a diaper, 'What do you even DO with a baby?'  And my biggest fear ever... feeding it. I just knew I would forget to feed it.  Ask my beloved pups, I forget... a lot!

About a month after taking the tests and the clouds were slowly starting to clear, it was brought to my attention that my first Mother's Day would be on my birthday this year.  This was the first thing that made me think This is going to be okay, I can do this, because I was meant to do this.

And I was right, I can do this.  I can love this baby like no other & and show him some cool things along the way (name that movie). And I do Love this.  I Love being SBR's Momma.

I say to him all the time: "Can you beliefs I was scared of you?  You're not scary at all, you are AH-maysing."

Because he is.  He's my beautiful little mini-me, my little Buck-a-roo, my little pill.

I love you, SBR, with all my heart. 

I am honored to be your Momma.

Sometimes you get discouraged

Because I am so small

And always leave dirty marks

On furniture and walls.

But every day I'm growing,

I'll be grown up some day

And all those little dirty marks

Will all have gone away.

 

As I grow, I'll change a lot,

The years will fly right by.

You'll wonder how I grew so quick

When and where and why?

I may still be very small

But this I'd like to say,

I love you very, very BIG

 Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms out there. 

YOU Are Amazing.