Wow! This week has felt so incredibly busy, I don't even know where to begin or what to write about. Halloween is approaching which means now I'm starting to make my costume. I didn't realize just how much of a novice I am at sewing until it took me 3 hours just to decipher the instructions, pin the pattern to the fabric and cut it out without biting my tongue off. (Yep, I'm one of those people who sticks out their tongue while doing hard things. Just part of the charm!) I'm starting the actual sewing today so wish me luck! While waiting for the inevitable pictures to come, let me share my life lessons for the week.
Love and appreciation come in many forms. My husband has been wonderful about making sure we spend time just the two of us every day to check-in with each other and grow our own little family. He has also gone the extra 20 miles to treat me with all the pampering, love and respect any woman could dream of. We went out for family night (or for us, mini-date night) and while we were out, asked if there were any errands I wanted to run with him. Wherever we go, he makes sure his hand/arm is extended for me to grab so I don't feel like I have to walk alone. Wherever we drive, he makes sure to point out where we are in relation to areas he knows I've already become familiar with to help me learn the area quicker. When I break down and cry because I just can't be cheerful any more, he holds me close and whispers that everything will be okay. It's those times that I'm glad I married a man so much taller than myself so I can be totally enveloped in his arms. I know this is all cheesy and doesn't sound like much, but these little things have given me the strength to move forward with faith. His actions remind me that my Father in Heaven loves me.
Since moving into the house my husband grew up in, I've felt like more of an outsider than I ever did when we were just visiting. It's not anyone's fault. This is just a familiar place for everyone BUT me. I had some visitors the other day who kept asking about what was okay to do in my house and all I could think was, "I have no idea. This isn't my house." After a conversation with my mother-in-law and father-in-law, something clicked for me that gave me a lot of comfort. This may not be the house/home that my husband and I have built together, but our situation is still one that my husband and I build together. I may not be fully employed in running my own home right now, but I am fully employed in growing a baby, being a help meet to my husband, and being a light to those around me. This is a temporary situation with uncomfortable and hard facts, but it does not have to ruin the life my husband and I are building together.
Well, I hope that all made sense. Thank you for allowing me to share a little insight into my side of the changes going on in our lives.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Sometimes It's Hard
Sometimes it's hard to leave your bed. I wake up in the morning around the same time every day but it's been hard to motivate myself to get out of bed. I don't share this to garner more sympathy. Goodness knows I get enough of that just by being pregnant. I share this because I feel like feeling sad, unmotivated, or generally apathetic towards life is something that can be taken way out of context. Either these emotions are seen as definite signs of depression, or they are seen as signs of laziness. What about signs of being human? I doubt there is one person in this world who hasn't had, what I call, an apathy day. Those are the days when you have a lot of things that you could be doing, but what you end up actually doing is lying in bed until your own stink chases you out then doing your chores and counting down the hours until you get to go back to bed again.
It is also days like this that I have to remind myself of the truth of my situation. This is a temporary stop in my journey. Whether I'm living in my own place or living with family, it usually means I haven't been doing something for myself in a while. I was reading a blog post the other day from The Well Nourished Nest titled, "7 Habits of a Highly Happy Stay At Home Mom" where she talks about seven things all stay at home moms should do their best to keep in their routine. Now I'm not a stay at home mom yet, but I'm definitely training to be one. I have a unique circumstance where I get to discover and rediscover my hobbies and what being a stay at home means for me. So here's to new experiences and discovering my passion.
To give you an update on our lives in Vancouver, we've been doing really well. I, personally, have only had a couple of days that I felt were truly hard and those were the days that I didn't have much to do and no one to do nothing with. Those were the days where I felt helpless and pretty useless. One thing I'm learning about myself is I need to feel needed to feel comfortable. Right now, it's easy to feel like I'm just a growing baby factory where my body does all the work so my mind gets bored. I've been fighting this with extra time doing the things I love, like studying the scriptures in greater detail and playing the piano for more than just to practice hymns. I call my parents and siblings more often just to hear their voices and I send more "I love you" texts to my husband. These are the things that make me happy. Once we recover a little better from our move out here, I'll hopefully be able to get to a level where I feel comfortable cooking again too.
Well thanks for reading my rambling. Until next week!
It is also days like this that I have to remind myself of the truth of my situation. This is a temporary stop in my journey. Whether I'm living in my own place or living with family, it usually means I haven't been doing something for myself in a while. I was reading a blog post the other day from The Well Nourished Nest titled, "7 Habits of a Highly Happy Stay At Home Mom" where she talks about seven things all stay at home moms should do their best to keep in their routine. Now I'm not a stay at home mom yet, but I'm definitely training to be one. I have a unique circumstance where I get to discover and rediscover my hobbies and what being a stay at home means for me. So here's to new experiences and discovering my passion.
To give you an update on our lives in Vancouver, we've been doing really well. I, personally, have only had a couple of days that I felt were truly hard and those were the days that I didn't have much to do and no one to do nothing with. Those were the days where I felt helpless and pretty useless. One thing I'm learning about myself is I need to feel needed to feel comfortable. Right now, it's easy to feel like I'm just a growing baby factory where my body does all the work so my mind gets bored. I've been fighting this with extra time doing the things I love, like studying the scriptures in greater detail and playing the piano for more than just to practice hymns. I call my parents and siblings more often just to hear their voices and I send more "I love you" texts to my husband. These are the things that make me happy. Once we recover a little better from our move out here, I'll hopefully be able to get to a level where I feel comfortable cooking again too.
Well thanks for reading my rambling. Until next week!
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Maternity Pants!
Moving across the country twice in one year is not an experience I would like to repeat. That being said, we've made it to our new home in Vancouver, WA. I apologize for missing last week but in the midst of packing, moving, prenatal care and ultrasounds, I just couldn't quite find the time.
Most women I've spoken to or read their blogs have talked about the woes of maternity clothing. "It is not flattering," I was told. Well what if I were to tell you that I am wearing a brand spanking new pair of maternity pants and I love them!? That's right, I love my maternity clothes! Why do I love them? Well, let me tell you.
My husband and I drove from our home in Atlanta, GA to our new temporary home in Vancouver, WA. The route we took means my husband drove 2,850 miles. I got to sleep in the passenger seat the whole way. While sitting, I had lots of time to ponder on just how uncomfortable normal clothes are. My t-shirts no longer fit my growing girth. My pants don't even fit when they're unbuttoned. Lately all I've been able to wear are maternity shirts I bought and basketball shorts or sweats. Now, I know that might sound heavenly to some, but it gets really old after a while for me. I actually like dressing up to look nice. And I hadn't been able to do that. So these pants are my way back into looking like a normal, functioning human being again. It's feeling hard to describe and share but one that is so great, you just gotta try anyway.
All in all, making the transition from skinny college student to well-rounded almost mother has been a bit of a body image shock for me. I suppose that is why the pants fitting me so well had such an effect on me. If there's one thing I've learned, it's okay to let little things like a new pair of pants boost your confidence. It helps when they make you look good too.
Most women I've spoken to or read their blogs have talked about the woes of maternity clothing. "It is not flattering," I was told. Well what if I were to tell you that I am wearing a brand spanking new pair of maternity pants and I love them!? That's right, I love my maternity clothes! Why do I love them? Well, let me tell you.
My husband and I drove from our home in Atlanta, GA to our new temporary home in Vancouver, WA. The route we took means my husband drove 2,850 miles. I got to sleep in the passenger seat the whole way. While sitting, I had lots of time to ponder on just how uncomfortable normal clothes are. My t-shirts no longer fit my growing girth. My pants don't even fit when they're unbuttoned. Lately all I've been able to wear are maternity shirts I bought and basketball shorts or sweats. Now, I know that might sound heavenly to some, but it gets really old after a while for me. I actually like dressing up to look nice. And I hadn't been able to do that. So these pants are my way back into looking like a normal, functioning human being again. It's feeling hard to describe and share but one that is so great, you just gotta try anyway.
All in all, making the transition from skinny college student to well-rounded almost mother has been a bit of a body image shock for me. I suppose that is why the pants fitting me so well had such an effect on me. If there's one thing I've learned, it's okay to let little things like a new pair of pants boost your confidence. It helps when they make you look good too.
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