Confessions of a Working Mom

Ok, so I wasn’t planning on taking this long of a break from blogging… but I did. Anyway, life has been whizzing by and I can’t believe it’s been over two months since I last posted. But as you can imagine, life is very busy now…. especially with a 6month old.

As a working momma, life can be quite challenging at times and there seems to be very little time to sit down and relax. Since going back to work in January, I have struggled with balancing or making time for my many roles, such as, balancing housework, feeling guilty when I leave Caleb at daycare, making time for myself, cooking meals, sleeping, and so and so on! If you don’t know me or haven’t read any previous posts, you may not know that I’m a girl who likes routine, lists, organization, and of course, being able to check things off my list! So, figuring out how to be a working mom has, at times, worn me down. As time has slipped by, I am continually learning to keep placing everything back into God’s hands and forever asking God for wisdom!!! And just let me tell ya… when you ask God for wisdom, he definitely gives it! He helps me to put things back into perspective and reminds me that I don’t have to do it all. I don’t have to be perfect….”Whew”. Just knowing this gives me peace and takes weight off my shoulders. I don’t know if anyone else feels this way at times but it is definitely something I struggle with. I’m so thankful I serve a God who is not asking me to be perfect, to do all the right “things”. He desires me to seek after Him with all my heart, to be available to be used by Him. I’m reminded in scripture to be like Mary and not Martha. (By the way, a good book that I’ve read on this topic is Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver.) Now that I’m four months into this working mom thing, I can look back and see how God has given me strength, given direction, and has shown me how to balance this life he’s given me.

One thing for sure, my husband and I are a team. I could not do this without him. Many times since I’ve had Caleb and when Trevor was sick, I’ve thought about some friends I know who have raised their kids as a single parent and I must say, I should have prayed for them more. It’s a tough but rewarding role that can be challenging even with two parents sharing the load. Trevor and I have divided some of our household chores so that one person isn’t doing it all and to keep us on the same page. Since we both work, this is so helpful.

Another thing we’ve decided to do is turn off the TV. Several years ago, I worked at daycare taking care of 2 year olds. One family in particular made a huge impression on me. Of this family, both mom and dad worked but yet they were not the typical working family. As I observed their son, I noticed just how much he was content with little things. Even at Christmas, when I asked him what his favorite gifts were, he said, “Thomas the Train underwear and pajamas.”:) I finally asked the mom how they made it work. How do you foster family time when you both work? She said that they had decided weekday evenings were to be focused on family. They weren’t going to be a family that came home each evening and plopped down in front of the TV and not spend time with their son. She said they ate dinner together and they played with toys, games, and read books until bed time. They did not turn on the TV until after their child had gone to bed. For over 8 years, what she said has stuck with me. That family was proof to me that it was possible to create a strong family even while both parents work. So, we’re trying to keep the TV off in the evenings until Caleb has gone to bed. We haven’t been doing this every night but we’ve found that we enjoy our evenings so much more when it is off. We don’t let Caleb watch TV anyway, at least until he’s 2.

Some other things I do to help the mornings run smoothly are pack Caleb’s daycare bag and my school bag the night before. I hang out our clothes the night before. Ok, so I try to do as much as possible the night before. I sometimes even set out Caleb’s bowl, spoon, and bib for his breakfast for the next morning. It just makes the mornings less hectic. I hate rushing to get ready and there have been days I’ve had to do this.

I’m still a work in progress. I don’t have it all together (as much as I would like to say I do). As I have a desire to try and do it all…. I know it’s not possible and that some days things will be hectic and not flow the way I want it to. But I’m learning to keep my feet rooted in God’s Word and let Him lead the way. There’s no other place as comforting and peaceful as being in the hands of God.

Well, that sums up my last umm.. four months! Ok, well, while I’ve been learning the ropes of motherhood, I have been having fun along the way. Caleb is 6months old now!!!!!! He’s halfway to a year, ahhh! So, I am trying to soak up every little minute with him. He is SO much fun and such a good baby.

We went to the doctor for his 6mo. check up and he weighed 16lbs and 3oz, and 26 and a half inches long! He loves his jumper, rolling around on the floor, and anything to chew on. He also loves to listen to us sing to him and he has started this squealing phase. Bath time has become a favorite for him because he like to kick his legs and splash the water. I also love the way he raises his eyebrows up as if he is intently listening to me. He is content most of the time and smiles all the time. He also has his two bottom teeth in. He also is doing great with eating solids. His favorite food is apples. He seems to like most any fruit! Of course he’s saying “da da” and that just melts Trevor’s heart. I’m still working on him saying “momma”. He’s formed his lips like he was going to say it a few times but he never has. And who knows, maybe he was wanting to say “monkey”!! We celebrated his first Easter with Trevor's family. We had a great day despite the "blah" weather. He even got to find three eggs with daddy. He’s growing like crazy and in just a couple of weeks we’ll be looking at a seven month old!?!

I have 24 days of school left until summer and I just can’t wait!!!!!!!!

he found a water toy in his egg!

decorating cupcakes at Easter

We also have a lot going on this month that I’m looking forward to… visiting family, planting my garden, maybe strawberry picking (okay, Anna Ruth?!), and Caleb’s baby dedication at the end of the month. Hopefully, I’ll post on some of these events, but, if not… you know what I’m doing…. Heehee!!

Have a blessed weekend!!

Monthly Adventures

Our past monthly adventures has been somewhat, not so adventurous… heehee. We started the month off with Trevor having the dreaded Norovirus… yuck! This was a total surprise because Trevor NEVER gets sick, especially with a stomach bug. Apparently, this virus is a new strand of the stomach bug and is highly contagious. With a three month old in the house, I was focused on keeping him well. So, if you can imagine, I was the Clorox Queen for several days and gave strict orders for my husband to only stay in the bedroom or bathroom! Caleb and I camped out in the guest room at nights. Then, within the past couple of weeks, Caleb has had RSV, thankfully he is doing much better but still has a little cough. This worried momma didn’t sleep but just a few hours a night just checking on baby boy which made for some tiresome days. But thankfully the Lord is my strength because I would’ve made it no other way. Well, I also found out that if your baby has RSV adults can get cold like symptoms and we did! Yay! So to say I’m ready for spring is such an understatement. We’ve never had a winter with this much sickness in our house.

Over the past month it hasn’t been all bad, there have been some good things that have happened. My parents came to visit a couple of weekends ago and at the beginning of the month we traveled an hour away to spend time with Trevor’s family at his great uncle’s surprise birthday party. On another positive note, we have missed school every Friday since Jan. 4!!!! -Which gives me more time with my boy! It seems this year we’ve had more ice than snow… which obviously is more dangerous and pretty much guarantees a day off. I feel like I work a job where I only work four days a week… although, this week I only worked three days because we had a scheduled day off for President’s Day.  WHOO HOO!! I know reality will set in real soon. The countdown to spring break is on!!!

We celebrated Valentine’s Day a little differently this year due to Caleb being sick but nevertheless, it was great and we enjoyed a relaxed evening at home! Of course I celebrated Valentine’s Day with my students and one thing I do with my class every year is visit a local nursing home. We team up with a few other classes, make Valentines, practice some songs, poems, and Bible Verses to present to the residents. I love this! Each year I’m amazed at the responses I get from my students. Of course we discuss what a nursing home is and why the people may have to live there and we discuss how we are being the hands and feet of Christ by sharing his love. As with any class, there are some students who have been to a nursing home before but others have not. This year I was surprised by a particular student who is typically shy. He ended up being the one who was double checking with the residents to make sure everyone had a valentine. As we were taking the elevator back down to the lobby, he would say “we didn’t give that person one”. He seemed to be on the lookout for people who might not have received a valentine. LOVE IT!!  I also love to see the responses of the residents. They completely light up and sing the songs with us. This year in particular, one lady touched my heart. She said she had a Valentine from a child and with tears in her eyes she said she just couldn’t believe that they had made a valentine just for her. As we left the nursing home, in my heart I was completely thanking God for using us and for teaching these students how be servants and how important it is to think about others- not just yourself or people like you. Now that I have a child, this has really made me think about how I want to do this with Caleb as he gets older. As we live in a world that is so self-absorbed, I pray that God will give me the wisdom to teach him how to love and care for others, to think of  “the least of these”. Even though I know through child development that it is natural for young children to be self-focused, I don’t want him to stay at this stage.   I see WAY too many children who seem to be all about themselves and have never been taught differently- even in Christian School!!I pray that I will lead him by example so that when he is old enough to make these decisions on his own, it will not be made through a self-focused lens.

Well, speaking of the cutie, he turned 4 months old this past Monday. He received a good report from his doctor. He is weighing in at 13lbs, 10oz., 25” long. She gave us the go ahead to eat baby foods! Yay! I can’t believe how much he is changing. He loves to sleep with his hands behind his head, which really cracks me up. He still loves his bouncy seat and musical gym. He loves putting anything in his mouth… we guess he’s teething but haven’t felt any teeth coming in yet. He loves mornings, which has really helped me to change- I’m not a morning person!! But, when I hear him wake up with his cute little coos and squeals, I can’t want to get up and see his sweet face! He loves tummy time and although I practice with him turning over, he seems he would rather try to scoot forward. When I read to him, he now really looks at the pictures and tries to hold or turn the page. He is SO much fun and I can’t wait until summer when I get to be with him everyday!! In the past, since Trevor is off on Fridays, we would deem Friday as “fun Friday” and try to spend the day together doing whatever. Now that we have little boy, it’s going to be “fun family Friday”… heehee, I know it may sound silly but I’m looking forward to it!!  Here are some pics of the past month:

(Thanks to Pinterest... my attempt at making "mini" king cakes. Since we used to live in New Orleans, for Mardi Gras, I fixed red beans and rice and these mini king cakes.  Unfortunately,  they are not all nice and pretty but tasted yummy!)

tummy time

fun play time in the morning... 

as the nurses said when he was born... just "chilled", although, I've learned from this pose it means I'm getting sleepy!

happy baby

getting ready to eat.... apples, YUM!

He did a great job and LOVED it!

Have a blessed week!!!!!!

Reflection of 2012

The year 2012 will forever be another “pillar” or “stone” in my spiritual walk that will be a constant reminder of who God is. This past year has been a reminder of His faithfulness and that His power and will are greater than all others! As 2012 began, I never dreamed that by the end of the year I would become a proud momma of a sweet little boy. After being married 12 years and wishing and praying for a child for more than half of this time, God answered our prayer. At the beginning of last year, I had focused all of my attention on my job, husband, and home. I had given my desires over to the Lord and was content with life. I had really convinced myself that God had other plans for me. I’m so thankful that His plans are better than mine and His ways are higher than my ways. What an amazing year!

On to 2013… what does God have in store for this year? As I give this year over to the Lord and make my plans, I ask that His will be done. For I know that His plans far exceed my dreams and desires. Thinking on a new year, there has been a song that God keeps bringing to my heart. It's by Matt Redmond and the title of the song is Never Once. As I look back over the past year and the challenges and blessings we experienced, God is always faithful! The chorus of this song says, " Never once did we ever walk alone. Never once did You leave us on our own. You are faithful, God you are faithful." There is nothing more comforting or fulfilling than knowing that I'm being held in His hands. He is a God who loves and cares. So be encouraged today! Whatever situation you're going through, God is WAY bigger and asks us only to trust Him. 

On a lighter note, our little cutie just turned 3 months old and I can't believe how fast he is changing. He's starting to have so much personality.

He jabbers away and laughed for the first time this past Monday. He melts my heart every time he smiles at me. Even the other night I was feeding him his bottle and all of a sudden he stops and just smiles. I wanna just eat'em up! Although, he may be working me now as if it will pay off later... this momma's gotta work on her "soft" heart!! He started daycare on January 7, and I must say that was such a difficult day for me. Caleb did great but my heart was broken. It is comforting to know he is in the same building where I work and it does help that I'm able to see him usually once throughout the day. This past Wednesday, I had my lunch/ recess break and was able to be with him and feed him. Fridays are the easiest because I know he's at home with daddy! God is truly helping me as each day gets a little easier. I know that God has called me to teach for now and that He'll provide everything needed to do His will- including taking care of Caleb... and me! -And He even provides snow days which allowed me a 4 day weekend!!! One night this past week I was sharing with God my heart on this issue and He reminded me that this is just a season. So for now I'm going to do my best "as unto the Lord" at my job, being a mommy, and a wife. I'm choosing to enjoy this time of my life instead of complain because I know God has it under control.

The Best Birthday Present EVER!!

Introducing.... Caleb Warren

Caleb was born on October 18, two days after my 35 birthday! He weighed 7lbs 15oz and was 21 inches long.... be still my heart!!!! :) 

The past two months have been a whirlwind. We survived the first two weeks, which was quite an adjustment. I think the biggest adjustment was learning to live on 3-4 hours a sleep at night, and not consecutively.  If you know me personally, I LOVE my sleep. I wouldn't consider myself a morning person or a night owl. I just like to sleep, take naps, etc. I know this makes me sound lazy :) but I'm really not... I just really enjoy sleep! I'm now use to my new normal and wouldn't change a thing. But...my whole labor experience started off without sleep. I went into labor on Wednesday night the 17th, at 10pm. We waited until 1am to go to the hospital when my contractions were 5-7min. apart. I had dialated 4-5 centimeters. The hospital admitted me and I was finally able to get a room around 3am. While waiting on a room, the nurse wanted me to walk the hallways. Trevor and I walked for a while until I was tired and ready to lay back down. When we went back to the triage room, they had cleaned it up and told me I could go to my room. Unfortunately, they were cleaning the room and I could not go in yet. So, we kept walking. Boy, was I ever glad to lay down. I was able to make it to 7am until I asked for an epidural. Can I just stop and say... thank you Lord for epidurals!! After the doctor broke my water around 9:30am, things really progressed. After pushing for an hour and a half, Caleb was born at 5:08pm. Unfortunately, from the doctors breaking my water, I received an infection that also affected Caleb. I had them lay him on my chest and then we weren't able to see him again until 10pm. The nurses had trouble giving him an IV. So, by the time he came back to the room, I couldn't rest because I just wanted to hold him and stare at him the whole time. We sent him back to the nursery at about 3am for three hours. So, no rest Wednesday night and only 3 hours Thursday night. Needless to say... I was already exhausted when we came home from the hospital. Now that Caleb is almost two months old, he gets up a couple of times a night and easily goes right back to sleep of which I'm very thankful. 

I can't express into words how much I love being Caleb's mommy. He brings so much joy to my heart! He had his first Halloween spent at our friends Scotty and Nancy's house, we spent his first Thanksgiving visiting Trevor's family out of town and survived our first nights stay in a hotel. We're looking forward to his first Christmas and all the memories that will be made. We're also looking forward to our photo session this coming week with a photographer at the Hotel Roanoke. 

Caleb's tree with colored lights, items from the showers, his first ornaments, and some of mommy and daddy's ornaments!

Opening his first present

a Pooh ornament for his tree from Nanny

I'm down to my last few weeks with him before I go back to work. I must say I can't believe how fast time has gone and I'm not exactly super excited about going back to work. I know God has it under control and I just need to rest in him. Until then, I'm savoring everyday and taking time to just sit and hold my little one knowing that this season doesn't last forever.  

Waiting, Patiently!

Well, I had every intention of writing a post last month. I actually even had one saved that I never published.... oh, well. Anyway, these past two months have flown by and I would love to be able to introduce my sweet baby boy, but unfortunately, he seems to be very comfortable right where he is. So, we wait... Can I tell you how HARD it has been to wait. I mean, I've been preparing for this little boy for nine months now and I'm completely ready to see his face and hold him in my arms. Should I also mention the years we've prayed for and never really thought this time would come. When the doc said I had made progress and she would like to wait until next Monday to see if he would just come on his own, I was thankful for her wisdom but at the same time my heart sank, "one more week?". As I have been learning to wait, God has reminded me of how my situation relates to the anticipation I should have for his return. Our bags are in the car, the cameras are charged, his room is completely ready, and we've even washed and cleaned out the car! We've done this knowing that any day he could come, so we've made preparations and are ready to go at any minute.  As we've prepared, we continue to do our daily tasks. All this preparation, anticipation that I've put into my son's arrival, do I do the same in my preparation for Christ's return. Am I living my life daily prepared  for His return, knowing that He may come at any minute. Am I filling myself with His word daily, and relying on Him, knowing that any second He may return. Am I preparing myself to be used by Him and allowing Him to guide me to share the gospel with those He puts in my path. It seems through this waiting period God has been speaking to my heart and I'm thankful. I'm thankful that God continues to help me, teach me, and guide me. I know that one day I'll look back and cherish this time God had me to wait. I'm so thankful God's ways are better than my ways. 

As I finished up with my students last week for my maternity leave, I must say I've enjoyed the time I've been able to have with my hubby these past few days. Last week, we celebrated his birthday and tomorrow we'll be celebrating mine. Yes, we're six days apart and I LOVE that! We usually celebrate all week together and this year we were hoping to include our little guy into the celebrations. It's crazy to think that our birthdays will all be in October. Trevor and I use to joke that if we ever did have children we would like their birthday to be in October and the same week as ours, that way we could just extend our celebration. When we found out we were pregnant and that our baby's due date was exactly in between our birthdays, I had to laugh and then be amazed at God's timing. So, who knows, I may get my birthday present tomorrow?! 

Well, I also have to play catch up of what else has happened over the past two months. Yes, I started back to school and I love my group of students this year. They were so sweet to me and made me cards and some even made cards for Caleb. Every morning when we would pray, the students would take turns praying and it was so sweet to hear them pray for me and Caleb. I'm SO thankful that I teach at a school where the students can learn about the power of prayer! Here is a picture of my classroom this year....

My co-workers gave me a surprise shower after work one day. I do believe I shed a few tears. So many of my co-workers have journeyed with us through our desire to have children and have seen how God has worked through the ups and downs. They went in together to buy us the swing we registered for and few other little goodies. They had even called Trevor to come, so I was completely shocked when I saw his cute face enter the room! It was a very special time. My church also gave us a shower. Again, it was lots of fun. I was trying to remember to take it all in and treasure every minute. Some people from the last church we were on staff at also came which made it that more special. Here are some pics from that day....

                                                                                                         

We also completely finished baby boy's room... well, almost. We have one more pic to put up that was made by my friend Anna Ruth, but we're waiting on his arrival so she can finish the date!! But, everything else is done. I LOVE his room. Some days I just go in and sit in the rocker and stare at everything and at night I pick out a book off of the shelf to read to him. I can't wait til he comes and we can actually start putting these sweet little items to use! So here's his room.....

                                     Ok, so I was going for a story book theme in
                                     his room. I framed some old golden books that I
                                     found at the Good Will. I think they turned out cute.
                                    The ABC book from Richard Scarey is one that Trevor
                                    had as a child.

                                     The Poky Little Puppy, which goes along with
                                     the wall hanging my mom put together!

                                 This is his cute, little, jammed packed closet!!!!

                                           And of course, we already have lots 
                                           of books! I'm praying he likes reading 
                                           and books just as much as his mommy does!!



Other random activities over the past few weeks......Trevor and I did make it to the apple orchard this year but we didn't pick apples. We just bought the apples already picked. I've enjoyed several craft shows, yard sales, and fun times with friends, especially our trip to the White Oak Tea Tavern!!! Love that place. 

I feel blessed beyond measure! Although everyday is not perfect and I have my struggles, God is in control and everyday I choose to see the blessings and live in the joy of the Lord!!

Have a blessed week!!

Busy Times

Over the past few weeks, we've had a lot of fun visiting family, traveling, and experiencing our first baby shower! 

While Trevor was gone on the mission trip, I traveled to stay with my parents. For the past two years, I've stayed with them for about three days while Trevor was gone, but this year I decided to stay the whole week. I figured this will be the last time I get to travel and stay with them by myself. This year I met up with them at a nearby state park and enjoyed shopping and eating at a craft fair. I bought this cute little homemade "pee pee tee pee", of which I couldn't pass up. Although I'm not sure if it will truly keep me dry during diaper changes, I thought it was too funny and cute to not buy. 

pee-pee tee-pee

Mom and I also bought fabric and started working on Caleb's wall hanging for his room. Every year, mom and I usually come up with a craft and cooking project to do together. This year Caleb kinda took all the focus. We didn't really cook, well, we did cook dinner together but we didn't try anything new. 

On Wednesday, my dad took a day off from work and we traveled to Mt. Airy, NC, to visit the Andy Griffith Museum and the places from the show. We had a lot of fun. Mt. Airy is such a neat little town. 

Barney's Cafe'

Opie's Candy Store

We enjoyed walking down main street and visiting the museum. There were so many cute shops on main street. I really enjoyed the day, although very hot!

An old-fashioned soda shop

Also over the past few weeks, Trevor and I celebrated our 12th  wedding anniversary! I can't believe it's been 12 years. It doesn't seem like it's been that long. I was looking at our scrapbooks and it's so cool to see all the fun times we've had, the different anniversary celebrations, and also the reminder of how God has brought us through so much. We celebrated our 12th by eating at Red Lobster, our favorite restaurant, and stopping by Red Box on the way home. It was a very relaxing celebration! I'm looking forward to many, many more years and celebrations to come.

Then, Trevor and I started our vacation by traveling to visit his family. We stopped in Madison and ate at the Pig and Steak. Yeah, I know the name does not do justice to this great bbq place. Actually, I had never been there, but for the 12 years we've been married and passed by this place, Trevor would always say how good it was and that he should take me sometime. Well, the sometime finally happened. The food was really good. I always think it's special when Trevor wants to share something from his "growing up" years with me, even if it took 12 years.... heehee. Then, that night, his parents sent us to a local Italian restaurant called Lucios for dinner for our anniversary. It was very nice and the food was delicious but I must say... I ate more on this day than I had for a very long time. 

The next day we celebrated Caleb's upcoming arrival with our first baby shower. My sister-in-law did an amazing job putting it together. It was great getting to be with family!! As we arrived, I was still in amazement that I was at a baby shower for me and my son.... I didn't think I was ever going to experience this. As I had become content with my life without children, I am very grateful and humbled that it was part of God's plan for me to be Caleb's mom. I just pray that He will mold me and continue to teach me and guide me to be the mother that pleases and honors Him.

This year for our vacation, I knew that I would not feel like going somewhere where there is whole lot to do. So, we decided on going to Boone, NC for rest and relaxation. I must say, this was one of the most relaxing vacations we've been on in awhile. I'm normally one who likes to go, go, go when visiting a new or different place. This year, not so much. We did enjoy the Tanger Outlets, visiting The Blowing Rock, watching a movie, mini- golf, and also naps! After we would be out for a few hours, I would ask Trevor if we could go back to the hotel and rest... ha! But it was enjoyable, slow paced, and I totally feel refreshed to finish some projects before I go back to work. Oh yeah, on this trip, we were also able to visit Elevation Church. It was much different than I'm use to but very worshipful. I really enjoyed it and most importantly, God was speaking to my heart!! I'm thankful that God calls different pastors to plant and lead churches in different ways.Who are we to put down or judge when the Word of God is being preached, lives are being changed, and Jesus Christ is receiving the glory. Our methods may be different, but our goals and mission are the same. I really enjoy visiting and worshiping with other believers in different worship settings, from the country, suburban, and city church. Ok, off my soapbox... lately, this is just something God has been dealing with me about. 

Finally, we've almost got baby boy's room put together... well, we don't have all of the furniture yet but we've finally got the room ready to be able to put these items in. Well, I guess I should give Trevor the credit because, umm, I haven't really done anything except to hang up a few clothes in the closet, and wash the windows. But I've been a really good cheerleader.... heehee! Anyway, so thankful for my man! I'll post pics when we finish setting it up. 

Well, I guess that's it for now.... I only have a little over a week before I go back to work. I've got a few things to cram into these last few days but I honestly can say I'm looking forward to going back to work. I love "back to school" time. 

Be blessed!