Exactly 2 years ago from this very moment I was strapped to a hospital bed, weeping from the most amazing joy while my OB was putting my uterus back in my body... My daughter was being cleaned up and I was still in awe. The moment I was waiting for, what I had waited so long for was finally happening.
Minutes Old....
Delaney in a word is sassy. She knows what she wants and shes not afraid to go for it. She loves to sing, dance and watch Spongebob. She is a girly girl and loves her jewelry and clothes.
Delaney on her first Birthday
Delaney is very sensitive and usually cries when she is being scolded for doing something not nice. Yet she always reminds other kids to "Be Nice!" Her vocabulary is growing everyday and she is polite while always saying "please and "thank you"
Delaney on her 2nd birthday (same shirt!)
I can honestly say that my life truly started 2 years ago. My life has more meaning than it ever has and my faith in everything was fulfilled. I understood the truest form of love you could ever imagine and I thank the highest power every single day for making my dream come true and giving me my daughter.
Delaney-
You are my everything. I wish you happiness, health and love. May all your dreams come true and you live happily ever after. I love you with all my being and its an honor to be your mom.
First off, I have a confession. Ive been sitting here for the last hour trying to get started on this post and before I knew it, I had successfully pinned 30+ pins on my pinterest board. It sucks me in and by the time I rip myself away I feel like Im freaking Martha Stewart and able to make anything my creative ass can imagine.
In reality I feel like my creative juices have stopped flowing long ago.
I used to love to write. And take photos. And design. And paint. And sometime in the last few years I lost that. I imagine it was after I first got married and felt I had to devote all of myself to being the perfect wife, taking care of any and every need my husband had. I became so devoted to everything BUT myself and became someone I didnt recognize.
I havent created anything worth sharing (creative-wise) in sometime now. I miss it. Im in a place now where Im much happier and more secure than before.
This would be me not long after graduation. With Lenny Kravitz. (Sort of)
Check em out, blogging 2 days in a row! Wha--?!?
I wanted to blog about this before I got all fired up about the Great SAHM/WM Debate of 2012 post. So, anyways....
Facebook has informed me that my 10 year high school reunion is this year. (Well, Facebook itself didnt tell me, it was some old classmates.... ON facebook. Ok, you get it. Moving on...) I find it completely ridiculous that its been 10 years already. TEN YEARS. Woah.
In many ways I still feel like the awkward dork that I was then. Yet, I feel old. (Did I mention I had to google a slang word the other day?!?) Like.... really old. Ill be 29 this year. Thats almost 30. MmmHmm.
Directly following graduation I had originally planned to join the Air Force, travel the world, fall madly in love with a man in uniform and live happily ever after. Reality had a different route for me. I stayed in my hometown (17701, yessa!) a few years, moved to New Mexico, met my (now ex) husband, moved back to PA, then moved to Indiana, got married, then moved back to New Mexico, back to Indiana, got divorced, met Joe, moved to Indianapolis, had a baby, got married and became a stepmom.
Whew!
Its kind of crazy to think about, all that's happened. I mean... you think so much happens in the 4 years you spend in high school and then you look back over the last 10 and those 4 years seemed like the blink of an eye. Does that make sense?
Anyway, that's coming up. Im going to try to make an effort to go. A lot of people I went to school with will be my lifelong friends. I havent seen some of them since graduation and I want to see what everyones been up to.
Oh, by the way.... Im still living happily ever after.
Just adding this to have a cute pic... adorable, right?!
So while Joe was out with his dad last night and Delaney had fallen asleep, I decided to attempt to watch some of the shows piling up on our dvr. After scanning a few episodes of Rachael Ray I settled on watching some Anderson. (Because seriously... hes adorable!)
I was getting comfy in the La-Z-Boy with a cup of Sprite when I heard the headline "Are Stay at Home Moms Lazy?"
Ugh. This cannot end well.
I was annoyed that they cut the first 15 minutes off (We live right outside of Indianapolis and the Colts got a new GM or something I guess?) and when it came back there was a woman talking about how SAHMs (That means stay at home mom) are lazy, fat and set bad examples for their kids.
Ok... I may be slightly lazy at times, and I may be fat, but I do NOT set a bad example for my kids.
The episode goes on in a sort of Bulldog/Chihuahua type fight. The working moms basically bashing the SAHMs and the latter trying to defend their decision to stay home.
Ooooh Child. Is this bitch for real?
Now. Ive been a stay at home mom for almost 2 years. Ive had 2 short term jobs in the last few months. I would never put anyone down for the decision they choose. If you choose to be a stay at home, thats great. I see so many benefits in that and its something I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to do. If you decide to work, thats great, too! Its very rewarding to earn money and have daily interaction with adults.
Some people just arent made to stay at home. Its just not what they want to do. That doesnt mean that they love their kids any less. Some moms need to work to make ends meet. Some people choose to work from home to get the best of both worlds.
I have loved every second of staying home with my kids. Im happy. Growing up I always wanted to be the mom who stayed home and had dinner ready at the same time everyday, had a spotless home and still had time to socialize and have a part time career. The reality is- Im not that kind of mom. I get everything done that needs done. I like to have playdates and get OUT of the house. Working was hard, even tho my youngest is almost 2 and is just fine without me right by her side 24/7.
Where we are right now, I would say the perfect situation would be for my husband (who is much more comfortable working OUTside of the home) to work fulltime and for me to get a part time job when he would be home.
I think that works for US, not for everyone. For someone to go on a national television show and talk so harshly on a group of people like that... How dare they. They only made themselves look foolish.
So at the risk of having this turn ugly, I really want your opinion. I want to know what YOU think. Are you a SAHM or do you work outside the home? Are you happy? Would you change anything?
(If youre having problems commenting please check out this post.)
Hey- look! Its me! Have I been a crappy blogger lately or what?! With the holidays and all Ive been occupied in the mind! Speaking of holidays...
I hope you all made wonderful memories and had the happiest holiday ever (whatever one you celebrate). We were really looking forward to this Christmas, and it did not disappoint. We kept up some traditions and probably started some new ones. The girls had a great time opening their gifts from Santa and Joe and I loved every minute of watching them and sharing in their excitement! (Yes, Im aware of how soccer mom-y that sounded)
It's now been 2 weeks since Christmas day.... Our tree is still up and the living room still looks like this when Delaney gets into all her things! Luckily (?) we live in a small enough area that clean up is relatively quick.
Along with the Christmas came the new year. We spent it quietly and at home. As we ushered in the new year I was nursing a toothache, Delaney was moody and Joe was ready for bed most of the night. But- it ended up being a pretty good night (many ibuprofen later).
In saying good-bye to 2011 and hello to 2012, it also got me thinking.... This is the time of year everyone goes on and on about their resolutions and then inevitably break them within days. I would like to say I made the resolution NOT to make a resolution this year.. and then I saw myself in the bathroom mirror in the middle of the night. And so Ive decided to become healthy this year. I cant use the "I just had a baby"excuse anymore because my "baby" will be 2 in a few weeks. Its time to change my bad habits and become accountable for everything that goes into my mouth.
Besides, Ive done pretty well with trying to get out of my "Mom Look" (at least make-up wise). This is just something else can prove to myself I can do.
So... this post has been about as scattered as my thoughts have been lately. Whatever. Y'all get the idea. Sooooo.... Ill try to get better at blogging, too. Because I cant keep all my loyal readers waiting. HAHA!
So... Im just going to start this off by saying it's December 7. I feel like in the time it took me to apply my face (Booyah- update to this post) it went from New Years day to December 7! Wicked!
A few weeks ago America celebrated Thanksgiving (And our great neighbors up north celebrated a month prior). To be honest, many people focus on the feast and football games rather than things they are actually thankful for. I'm not going to turn this post into one of the obnoxious posts on facebook that people will repost over and over and over (Dont get me started), instead Ill do what I love doing best: Talk about myself.
We've had a year full of ups and downs. But there were more ups. I took a few minutes while laying in bed one day to think... like, REALLY think. What am I thankful for? Its a pretty generic question, but making a mental list made me feel pretty fantastic about life.
Im thankful for the health and happiness of my family and friends. Not only my immediate family and the friends I see often. Rather ALL of my fantastic circle of amazing people. We're all blessed with our health, which is most important above all. Everything else is just icing on the cake.
Im thankful for the ability to have a place to live and food to eat. No matter what financial issues arise, we are still rich. (Just maybe not money rich... which would be awesome. But you know... the other kind of rich, y'know?)
Im thankful for the opportunity to speak whatever I feel like on this blog and have people actually read it. (You are reading... right?) When you think about people in foreign lands who dont have the freedom to say what they want or do what they want... it really makes you grateful for living in such a place where we have rights.
As I list these things that make my heart happy, I also feel sad for those who dont have the luxuries that I do. Im not talking about the iphones, ipads, computers and bajillions of toys and gadgets that littler my home.... (That kind of made me sound like an asshole, huh?) but instead of everything I just named.
Got me thinking.... I should express my gratitude EVERY day, not just the last Thursday of November.
Remember to reflect on the things that youve been blessed with. When you think times are tough.... they could always be tougher.
Let's be honest, readers.... The holidays are coming. Whether we want to admit it or not- they are full steam ahead and on their way. Usually I go about my business, forgetting what day it is half the time until I hear something on facebook or from a friend. It happened again this year- just yesterday.
Tabitha Fact #739: Tabitha LOVES the holidays. Despite the stress of shopping and financial issues and cooking and you name it.... I LOVE this time of year. The music and cheesy tv movies.... the family get togethers and traditions... I love it ALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!
So, I want to hear from YOU. Are you in the holiday spirit already or are you ready for them all to be over already? Are you finished shopping or are you doing everything homemade this year? Lets hear it, folks!
