It's a...BABY!

So we announced our Big News about Baby on Facebook on Sunday. It was exciting to see how many people were excited for us and shared congratulatory wishes and such. 

And yet...

Part of me still is conflicted about putting it out there. I know - it's weird. But life is bigger than anything social media can truly capture so why spend so much time and effort living life through there instead of enjoying it? 

I chose not to put it on there for so long because there's an odd amount of stress involved in making sure the announcement was "cute" enough without being over-the-top or obnoxious. At first I thought I wanted to do something with the dogs, but that made me cringe just imagining the effort of getting all three of them to cooperate for something of that magnitude. I definitely wanted it to be something fitting for Tim and I, not just an idea copied from Pinterest or a picture of our ultrasound. Hard to pinpoint something to blast out to the public when you are a couple of introverts like us, though, who aren't keen on being the center of attention. 

The whole ultrasound photo thing works for some people, but not for me. Sharing some of the first precious photos we have of our baby - and the insides of my uterus - somehow made me sad. We've shared them with family and friends, of course, but I don't feel the need to project Baby (or aforementioned uterus) to the world. I mean, if you want to see the pics, by all means ask me because my baby is stinking adorable already. I'm just not going to be making it a Facebook thing. It's right for some people, but not for me. 

There's something to be said for experiencing the joy of our first child. We're never going to have a first child again, and I don't regret savoring the experience. We took a little bit of time before we even shared with anyone that we were having a baby, and we took a day after finding out if it's a boy or girl before we told our family. We're so thankful for the way our family has been supportive of us and those choices even when some of the waiting has been downright torture for them. Tim and I having some of that time to celebrate just the two of us has been special. It's such a blessing to be a mommy and a daddy, and it's been special to have some time to celebrate being parents without the world stepping into our bubble all the time. I imagine that's how it's going to be for the rest of our lives with this kid, really.

I'm sure I'll share some pictures of our little one along the way because I'm already a proud dog momma that subjects everyone to how adorable my dogs are - and I didn't even have to grow them for nine months! But at the same time, I'm not going to stress if I don't get pictures on Facebook, and I'm not going to be offended if people ask me for pictures if I don't put them up. I'm just going to savor my (growing) family and try to bask in blessings of being a wife and a mommy. 

Some days it seems like September is coming way too quickly while other days it's not coming fast enough. We're so excited, and we're excited for the people who are excited with and for us. We're excited for the adventures and stories to come and rock our world. 

Um, is this thing on?

via GIPHY

I confess, Mrs. Doubtfire is one of my all-time favorite movies, and this is one of my all-time favorite parts. If you could see how often this part pops into my head, well, you'd see it's there a lot. 

Anyways. 

It's been over a year, my friends. 

A YEAR. 

That seems hideous coming from the same person who once blogged (almost) every day for a whole year. Atrocious, even. But here we are. Back again. Older and (maybe) wiser. The beginning of a new decade is upon me, and new adventures await. 

Truth: I still like coming back to read through the old bloggy blog now and then. It helps me remember life's twists and turns that have brought me to Here and Now. It's full of little things I'd long forgotten. Sure, some of the things I'd love to go back and smack some sense into myself for, but they still helped shape me. Other things I completely forgot about until I read them again. I captured a lot of memories here and am so grateful for that. 

Truth: I feel like in letting myself get away from blogging that I've lost some of those moments forever that would bring me joy and thanksgiving to come back and read about down the road. That makes me really sad. Sure, some things I write about in my actual journal, but not always. I approach a journal differently than my blog in that I'm more of a chronicler in my blog (read: less of an emotional mess person). 

Truth: There are many things that are happening that I don't want to miss later. I want to savor the magic that's happening Here and Now. Maybe some people want to enjoy that magic with me and follow along on my blog. Great! May nobody wants to read it. That's cool too! But I don't want to stop recording these things completely. 

So here I am. 

I can't promise I'll stick with this. I can't promise I'll even stay blogging here instead of moving somewhere else to blog. But I can promise to make more of an effort. 

My twenties are done and over with. My thirties are here, and I hear they'll stick around for a bit. I'm only five days in, but it feels good here. I think we'll get along, the thirties and me. Why not capture some of the awesomeness so that way later I can marvel over this decade as I welcome the next one? Sounds like a plan to me. 

So here we go. Let's see where this journey leads. 

Old Man Dog's Special Adventures

The slight humidity in the air partners with the light breeze to take away the boiling heat of the past few days. I roll all the windows down and open the sunroof to soak it in, smiling as my sweet pup sprawls out on the passenger seat and savors it, too. We're on the way to the park for an adventure. I can't remember the last time we took a just-the-two-of-us walk. I feel a tinge of guilt, but I remind myself that it's okay to be over-cautious to protect his heart.

Tonight I'm throwing caution to the wind and letting Old Man Dog live it up. Tomorrow will be a stressful day for us both: he'll endure dental surgery, I'll endure the wait. We'll let tomorrow's worries wait while we enjoy our adventures together.

I refuse to rush him. I let him lead the way, sniffing every post, tree, and blade of grass along the way. Okay, maybe not every blade of grass, but I'm not keeping track. I take pictures of his curious face as his nose guides our steps. I smile as I think back to our early walks together and my brave little guy prancing his way ahead to explore. We've temporarily traveled back to our younger days.

"I love sniffering all da things. Every single thing. Dis, dis, and dat one, and dat, too, and dis.."

"Do I haz something on my nose?"

 Half an hour passes before I have to lead him back to the car. The mosquitoes are getting the better of me, and I'm sure they are biting Squirt, too. He finds a few more spots to sniff along the way, and we linger just a little bit.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Old Man mode sets back in as soon as his paws hit the seat, and he curls up for a nap. It's been a while since he's walked and sniffed that much without a break.

Back at home Scout and Danny run around while Squirt gets a partial Doggy Spa treatment: a good brushing, a mani/pedi (nail trim), and a good belly scratch. Danny squeezes his way in for a brushing, too, because he can't resist an opportunity to get his handsomeness to its full potential. Squirt doesn't mind, though, because he knows even Dannys need some extra love sometimes.

As the sun slips away I know it's time to start winding down our adventures. The only thing that could end this perfectly is puppy ice cream, so I split the pup cup between the three bowls. This will be Squirt's last bit of food before tomorrow's surgery, so I amp it up with a little whipped cream for the boys. Carpe diem, right?

nom nom nom.

All three boys devour their peanut buttery frozen goodness, and lick every speck from their bowls and the floor. They double-check they've gotten it all, then dutifully double-check each other's bowls.

"But why is all da ice cream gone?"

Squirt follows me to the living room. He's ready to snuggle up and doze on the couch. I feel his little toes tapping my leg and glance down to see his eyes beckoning me to pick him up. We both know his accuracy for jumping up has decreased, and this makes me his personal elevator. And he snuggles in, satisfied once he's touching my leg. His tiny Old Man snores come just minutes afterwards. This is my cue to cover him up with a blanket so no chills interrupt his rest. After all, Old Man Dog had many adventures today.

My heart is full of joy, and it keeps the worries out of this dog momma's heart. I'm thankful for this peaceful evening and the peace within me. It won't be long before I snuggle up on the couch, too. We'll sleep here tonight, my Old Man Dog and me, instead of him sleeping in his crate like usual. I tell myself it's so he doesn't have to be alone, but it's really due to my selfish desire to get all the snuggles I can before the morning. That 7:30 check in time at the vet will come too soon. Until then it's time for us to recharge for whatever tomorrow many bring.

Thankful Thursday

I was MIA for a during a little bit of a funk, then life was happening super-fast, and now I'm here to get back to it.

I'm thankful for...
support and prayer of family and friends.
strength and perseverance from God.
new opportunities.
affirmations for these chances and choices.
silly kiddo sayings overheard -- including my new favorite phrase "I'm a hungry Marvin!".
technology that allows me to shameless stream animals from around the world at any given time - particularly during a phase of insomnia.
coffee.
coffee.
coffee.
the new windshield wipers my husband put on my car.
Gilmore Girls.
painting.
church.
Lent services.
a God whose unfailing love and grace surround me every day, hour, minute despite my unworthiness.
singing with friends.
fresh air and sunshine.
long conversations.
being surrounded by dog snoring.
laughter.

Another Must-See Destination for My Bucket List!!!

Getting ready to celebrate one of the most legendary children's authors of all time this week -- DR. SEUSS!!! -- and came across this gem:

There's a sculpture garden in Springfield, Massachusetts that has Dr. Seuss and a bunch of his characters.

Um, WHAT?!?

Let's pack our bags and go RIGHT NOW.

Furthermore, they are building a museum right by the garden that will be all about Dr. Seuss. It's set to open this June. 

Guys, this is magical.

I must visit there someday.

Here's where I found all of this lovely information in case you, too, are interested.

Thankful Thursday #5: a day late, but it's here.

I've been getting home and just dropping on the couch after teaching all day while sick so no post last night.

Late start = time for a post today. 

(Hoping it will get change to no school because it's a MESS out there.)

This week I'm thankful for....

Dr. Seuss. 

We're prepping to celebrate his birthday next week and I am SO excited. What an awesome proponent of not letting critics stop you from doing what you love and to let your imagination run wild. 

Painting.

I've picked up a paintbrush a few times lately for the first time in a while and love how calming it is. More than that, it's fun to create things on paper. 

Blasts from the past.

Our school hosted my former school in basketball a few days ago, and it was fun to see some of my FIRST students out there playing. It was great to catch up with some of the families and the students, too, and have them come into my classroom to graffiti my board. :P How awesome to see where God is guiding them. 

Warmth.

Earlier this week it was over 70 degrees and broke some record highs for our city. It was glorious. We celebrated one day by taking Danny and Scout to the dog park. (Old Man Squirt stayed home because getting super-excited or over-exerted is bad for his heart.) They even got in the water - yes, even Danny, but he just wanted a drink. Scout just may be our water lovin' boy after all! I've been holding out hope that we'd have a swimmer.

Scout doing what Scouts do best.

Partners in crime.

He likes it! He really likes it!

And pup cups after the park because warm days NEED ice cream.

Random laughs. 

Like these turkeys casually strolling across the street in the middle of the city that stopped us on the way to church.

Oh, hey, turkeys.

Thankful Thursday #4: music & more

I've decided I'm going to shake up the Gratitude Challenge - sometimes I'll follow the prompts, sometimes I won't. Sometimes prompts can be so constricting.

This week I've been especially thankful for:

-a husband who is very handy and can fix things (even when I did something stupid that made them break to begin with)

-friends who can laugh off my embarrassing moments better than I can

-Spotify. Yes, I'm a little late to jump on that bandwagon since I have been a loyal Pandora listener, but I love getting to create playlists and listen to them repeatedly. Nothing says "Good morning!" like some good coffee and good tunes. This one's been on repeat most of the week.

-Sunrises. Even being able to travel in the daylight again has been delightful as we gain a few minutes of daylight back each day, but this week the colors have been stellar.

-Time to create fun things with the Cricut, like this: