Beautiful babywearing around the World

I came across this slide show of international babywearers today.... The photos are absolutely beautiful! I love all the rich colors and cultures represented. I also love the variety in the ages of the wearers and those being worn. You see pictures of sibilings wearing siblings and lots of grandparents wearing grandchildren. You see infants and toddlers and older kids alike in different ethnic carriers. Babywearing really is for everyone. Check it out and enjoy.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/ethnicbabycarriers/pool/show/

Our week in pictures...

I have been a bit bloggy-absent the last week or so, as my dear friend Lisa Marie so gently reminded me. :) It is both because so much is going on in life and in my head that I don't have much time or energy for blogging, or anything appropriate to put on "paper." It isn't that I don't have a million thoughts in my head. I just don't have many that I should or could burden y'all with that you haven't heard before.
So to get back in the groove, I will catch you up a bit on me by sharing these photos-

Last week we went to this awesome kids art studio with our friends. Lucas took "finger painting" very literally as you can see. The kids had a blast being creative and we didn't have to deal with any of the mess.... perfect!!

Easter morning- Lucas woke us up by barging in our room (he sleeps in a toddler bed now so he can get up when he's ready- both a blessing and a curse) "requesting" his Easter bucket that he had been told the easter bunny was bringing him. Hubby looks happy to be starting his day at 6am, doesn't he? :)

Easter Sunday was also Lucas' 2nd birthday! What a little man he has become!! The bow-tie is just the icing on the cake. My sweet little baby is 2!!! (More on that later...)

And speaking of cake, I took a gamble and made a dino cake just as Lucas had requested. Hubby had little faith in my "cake-shaping" abilities but it actually turned out pretty cute. At least the guest of honor was satisfied.

Although I thought we both had colds, Lucas and I both tested positive for influenza on Tuesday. I just cannot catch a break. We are even now isolated in our house so as not to contaminate everyone and trying to stay positive and warm. It is snowing outside as I write this and it is the end of March. Enough of winter already! Maybe God is waiting for next week to bring Spring, in so many ways. Blessings to you all. I need to nap now. The flu is a b****!!

"Date Night"

I am over here today talking about date nights.... Do you have them? How often and where do you go? Read my latest story/adventure and give me your advice... we really seem to need it. :)

Flutters of new life

This week we had our first truly warm spring-like day. This is Lucas early in the week, aching for some outdoor play time. We ventured into the cold and flurries just for a change of pace. (Notice the dusting of snow and the snowsuit...it was NOT warm enough to play outside. But we couldn't wait any longer!) And then, Friday we had temperatures in the 50's and the plants and the kids (and mommies too) couldn't wait to scream "SPRING is HERE!"

The promise of spring and warmer weather has not only brought signs of new life outdoors. Yes, the trees are budding and green is beginning to emerge from the gray. But this week also brought a different kind of "new-life fluttering" for me. I have started feeling the baby move. Just flutters, you know that feeling like your insides are moving around and your organs have all just had a chinese fire drill, but movement none-the-less. It is reassuring and scary all at the same time. Up to this point, even through the nausea and throwing up and the slowly expanded belly, I could attribute those sypmtoms to something other than pregnancy in my head. But feeling this new life start to make himself or herself known makes this seem unignorable.

Our ultrasound is in less than three weeks but I wish it were tomorrow. I have been waiting all winter for this... both spring and the answers about this pregnancy that I desperately need.

For now, the waiting time will hopefully be filled with more days like this one.... beautiful, warm and refreshing to the soul.

Muddy hands...a true sign of spring.

Enjoying the warm weather and time together outside. See the smiles... we SO missed the sun!

Thankfulness

In this challenging season of my life, there are so many thoughts that occupy my mind. Thoughts of things in the past, thoughts of what may be in the future. Lots of thoughts. So many, in fact, that I can't sleep much of the time. But after reading this post by one of my dearest friends, I am humbled and reminded of what thoughts are supposed to occupy my mind during this time of year.
So just as my friend, I am choosing to put aside the thoughts that naturally plague my mind these days and focus at least in this moment on higher things.
It is during this Lenten season that we remember Christ's work of redemption on our behalf. I am not a theologian and have never been comfortable talking about such things with those who really know what they are talking about. But from the depth of my anxious and humble heart, I speak as a girl who knows I am broken and in need of His grace and love. So here is my Lenten exercise in thankfulness.

I give thanks for the Cross and Christ's ulitmate sacrifice on my behalf. I give thanks that in the midst of his suffering, He knew I would fail him with my disobediance and negligence and yet He chose to die for me. I give thanks that from the beginning of all things, He has known me and the life path He has for me. Not only me, my children and my grandchildren and great-grandchildren too. I give thanks for my sons that He gave me to hold, one for a only a short time. I give thanks that when I could no longer hold my first, and if the day comes that I cannot hold my second, His arms are there to comfort and hold us both. I give thanks because He gives me the freedom and ability to think and make decisions, but also has ways and plans that are higher than mine and are ultimately always for my good.

I give thanks for moments of quiet when Lucas is playing on his own. I also give thanks for the moment when he realizes he has been playing on his own and runs to find me and give me a hug. I give thanks for the priceless moments when he breaks into song or wakes up singing "Father Abraham" or says "He is risen" in his sweet little toddler voice. I give thanks for times like today when he brings me a stack of books and plops down in my lap saying "Mommy, read these to you." I give thanks for those rare mornings when he sleeps past 6am and for the precious moments when he gets "cozy" in bed with us to watch "T-U."

I give thanks for the beautiful beach and the peace it always brings to my soul. I give thanks for the serenity I feel when sitting in a warm house watching the snow blanket the ground in white.

I do have so much to be thankful for. And while challenged and in the midst of a lot of drama right now, it doesn't change the abundance of grace and blessing I have been given. I need to change my perspective and this is the time of year when that is a bit easier to do.


One more thing....

I am thankful to my friend Two Square Meals for her sweet words and for giving me this award.

I am honored that she choose me, especially since I would consider myself an unlikely candidate in this category. I often feel purpose is something I need a bit more of. But, I am grateful that she seems to think I have some and maybe that means I have more than I realize. Thank You!!

I would like to pass this on to my bloggy friend Heather at Not a DIY Life for her posts about parenting and thankfulness and for always reminding me of where my thoughts ought to be focused. You truly blog with purpose.

Also to my friend Marcie at My Two Boys for her vigilence in educating us all about the joys and challenges of adoption. She is passionate about her boys (all three of them) and inspires me in her never-ending quest to be the mom/wife that they need her to be no matter how difficult that is.

And I just want to also mention my bestfriend Cath at Everyday Life as Lyric Poetry. (There are no strings or blogging expectations associated with this mention- hehe!!) She lives her whole life with purpose and her blog is a natural outflow of that. She tackles the challenge of learning about her world and its ecclectic beauty with grace and truth and challenges those around her to do the same.

Take a moment to shift your perspective today and let the things you are thankful for permeate your thoughts. I hope it touches your soul and speaks to you heart as it has mine.

Come back...PLEASE!!

As a big fan of HBO's series Sex and the City, I can almost always think of an episode that has some relevance to my current situation, however obscure and random the connection may be. There is an episode in season 3 where Samantha thinks she is "drying up" and begins to mourn the loss of her sexual youth. This episode came to my mind today as I lay in bed trying to.... nap (get your minds out of the gutter people.) I have lost my ability to nap!! Such tragedy!!

I have always loved to nap. In college, in nursing school, any sunday afternoon... I am a big fan of naps. Some of the greatest, most relaxing moments of my life have been spent laying on the beach with the sun warming my skin and my eyes closed as I drift off with the sound of the ocean in my ears. I can't confirm this, but I am pretty sure I was the only kindergartner who cherished that mid-day rest. But naps take on a whole new importance once you are a mom. They are vital to our mental and physical health. I still try to nap when Lucas naps. I depend on it. And now that I am pregnant, I really can't make it through the day with a high-maintenance 2yr. old and very active Beagle without my mid-day recharging. But, for several days in a row now, I have laid down when Lucas is asleep only to lay there for over an hour, not being able to shut down, and I feel more tired when I finally get up than when I started. What is wrong with me? Where did my nap go?!?!

It is not that I am not tired. I am exhausted. I can't shut my mind off. Or the phone rings just as I am drifting off and then it is over. Today, it was hubby snoring in the recliner, thoroughly enjoying his nap, that kept me from napping bliss of my own. I have tried turning off the phone and turning on the TV softly in the background to provide some background noise. Nothing seems to be working. My brain is in over-drive mode with all the current drama in my life and I can't turn it off long enough to let my body relax and get some rest. The best sleep I get during the entire day is from 9-11pm when I am over-spent from the day and I crash on the couch. But because I sleep then, when I get upstairs to bed I cannot go back to sleep and I spend half the night awake, thinking and planning and reliving the past and rehearsing the future. This makes my nap even more crucial and it is gone!!

Please nap...come back! I need you!!

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How do I get my nap back?

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P.S.~As a side note for any fellow SATC fans out there.... are you pumped for the movie coming this spring? :) May 30!!! Can't wait!!

It's a Party!!

The ladies at 5minutes for Mom are hosting a bloggy party- a chance for you to get your blog noticed and maybe find some new blogs that you enjoy. So, welcome to all of you who found me through the party. Be sure to leave a comment so I can visit you too. :)

Here is a little bit about me-

I am southern girl transplanted to the midwest, a nurse part time and a mom full time. I blog here about my babywearing adventures with my two year old son who always keeps me on my toes. I started wearing my son when he was an infant and I just can't stop! It is so comforting and convenient to have him close but be able to do other things at the same time. I am also expecting my next baby in August so stay tuned for more about this pregnancy journey. My journey to motherhood thus far has been a bumpy road filled with questions and grief. And this pregnancy has its own challenges but we are grateful for God's provision and trust His plan.

Besides nursing and being a mom, my other hat is business woman, kind of. I have a very small business out of my home making and selling ring sling baby carriers and other baby-related items. It is a fun creative outlet for me and a way to make a little extra money so I can stay home with my son. My little business is nearly a year old and just starting to take off, a little. Visit my website, if you have an interest and a spare moment.

I also just became a contributor for the Chicago Moms Blog and am super excited to be joining such a great group of ladies over there.

As for a party game, leave a comment with a babywearing question or your best advice for being a multi-tasking mother of two kids..... I am going to need all the help I can get! :)

And don't forget to check all the fabulous mommy blogs at 5minutes for Mom and their Ultimate Blog Party '08. They also have over 100 amazing prizes that you can attempt to win so check it out.

Thanks y'all for visiting. Please let me know you were here and come back soon! :) Blessings!!

Coping with the Unknown

Coping with illness, either yours or a loved one's, is hard enough when you know what you are facing. But when the hardship you are fighting won't show its face and be named, it is a whole other battle. So many women have stories like this, but here is bit of mine.

It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving 2003 when my husband and I went in for our 20wk. ultrasound with our first child. Our anticipation and excitement was burst like a balloon when we were told that there were significant issues with the baby including a diaphragmatic hernia and we should consider termination. This wasn't an option for us so we started to research other potential treatments on our own. Tragically, when our son was born at 41weeks, his problems were more severe than we had anticipated and no one was able to help him. We had him for three days and then he went to be with Jesus. But this was not the end of our battle. It was really only the beginning of the testing and endless consults to try and figure out what happened to my little boy. We got very mixed messages. "It was random." "It is genetic." "Get pregnant right away." "Never have children." What is a grieving mama supposed to do?

Due to the lack of consistent messages and the severity of my son's problems, we felt stuck. We wanted more kids but didn't know what risk we would be taking by getting pregnant again. I would describe it to people this way: If someone handed you a pair of dice and said you can roll these and you may win the jackpot but you may also die, would you roll them? Lucky for me, God took that decision out of my hands and I got pregnant again in July 2005. I lived in fear for the first 20wks., waiting for that ultrasound when we would know what our fate held. Joyfully, my now two year old son is healthy and rambunctious as the next kid. But fatefully, I now find myself pregnant again. Definitely not in my plan, but true non-the-less. And the fear is no less real now that I have one healthy child. Now 16weeks, I have a month to go until we can better know what path we are on this time.

Maybe my husband and I are carriers for a rare and fatal genetic illness that multiple rounds of genetic testing have not been able to find. And maybe it was one of those horrible random things that sometimes happen but can never be explained. No one knows, much less me. So I live my life coping with the unknown. And much like with other illnesses, known and unknown, the medical community sits baffled. I have a friend who is waiting to hear if the mysterious tingling and numbness in her toes is Lupus or anxiety or just toddler-induced-sleep-deprivation related. That is a wide array of explanations. You would think the experts would be able to narrow it down a bit for her. And maybe they will eventually. But for now she sits, coping with the symptoms and the anxiety of her unknown illness. And much like in this story, many of us find ourselves having to learn to cope on our own because the doctors and specialists have left us here. They can't help because they don't know what we are dealing with. The truly unfortunate thing about unknown illness is that even if the diagnosis and the treatment are a mystery, the symptoms are no less real and life-altering.

Coping with unknown illness brings anxiety and lots of uncertainty. Do your own research, don't be afraid to ask questions, don't necessarily accept all medical advice you are given, trust your own instincts.... but if all that leaves you right where you started, try not to get discouraged. The only way I have found to truly cope is to lean on my friends and family and trust that no matter the outcome they will be there to walk through it with me. And boy am I grateful for them this time around more than ever before.

This is a bit of my story. What is yours?

Original Chicago Moms Blog post.

Electronics soup

I hunted around the entire house for almost 45min today, wasting precious naptime, for the phone and the TV remote. I thought I was loosing my mind. They were just here. Lucas must have stashed them somewhere. Well, indeed he did.... That's my boy.