Category Archives: Musings

Snips, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails

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Baby Peebles is a boy!

boy

Unless he takes after his father, who was an abnormally cleanly child.

The ultrasound was an amazing experience for so many reasons. (1) He is healthy. (2) We found out the sex. (3) We got to watch him squirming around for a good 20 minutes. Seeing those fingers and toes was so precious, but the most interesting part was seeing the networks already formed in his brain and all the vertebrae lined up perfectly in his spine. Score one for technology!

I truly can’t wait to be a mommy to this sweet little boy, but I have to admit some trepidation. I have very little experience with boys. My only sibling is a girl. I went to an all-girls high school and a women’s college. Out of the dozen or so little children I have known since birth, only 3 or 4 are boys.

To be honest, part of me secretly believed it would be easier to raise a girl since I know a thing or two about being a girl. That’s some shoddy logic, I know, but I think new parents will take any reassurance they can get!

The unconditional love is already there, growing deeper each day and with every kick I feel. But it takes more than love to be a good parent. Obviously, I’ll be doing lots of web-browsing and book-shopping on parenting advice and how to raise boys. Plus, I have some great resources between the family and friends I know who have done/are doing an outstanding job raising their sons.

For now, I am reassuring myself with this half-formed philosophy: my child is not defined by his sex or gender. I will be raising an individual and unique human being. And my job is not to help him become a man, but a good person.

Hopefully, I can scrounge up a non-baby related post sometime soon. Hang in there! 🙂 And thanks for all the love, congratulations, and support we have received! ❤

The Love We Believe We Deserve

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It’s the day after Valentine’s Day. Bring on the discount chocolates! 😉

The hubs and I didn’t do anything special this year, what with a baby on the way and our anniversary right around the corner. As we munched on fast food and searched for a semi-romantic movie on Netflix, I found myself thinking about my Valentine’s Days growing up.

My very first Valentine was my father. In fact, every Valentine’s Day, my sister and I would wake up to chocolates, flowers, and a sweet card from our daddy. And he wasn’t just great at Valentine’s Day. My dad was a rockstar all year long.

Every birthday, we each got a dozen roses in our favorite color. When he went away on business trips, he would always come back with a small treat or toy. Hugs, kisses, and I love you‘s were given daily. The poor man endured endless Disney movie marathons, and even let us paint his nails!

Most importantly, he was actively engaged and interested in our lives:  a shoulder to cry on, a debate partner to test our ideas, a friend to laugh and joke with, and a man we respected.

He was by no means wrapped around our fingers; the rules didn’t bend if we just asked daddy sweetly. And though he rarely spoiled us, he always made sure we knew we were loved — especially on Valentine’s Day, when so many women feel inadequate if they are not in a relationship.

What is it about this holiday that reduces accomplished and successful individuals to a single facet? Disregard all their unique talents and achievements. On Valentine’s Day, they are defined by one thing: their dating status. It’s such an easy trap to fall into, especially when we let our value as a person be determined from outside ourselves, instead of within.

All those sweet little things my daddy did were part of my parents’ larger plan to make sure we grew up with an unshakable sense of self-worth. What they both did so very well was teach us that we are always worthy of love and respect, no matter what.

“We accept the love we believe we deserve.”

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky

Playing at Predictions

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Today was the big day! Our ultrasound and anatomy scan. We were scheduled for an 8:00 a.m. appointment. Apparently, mother nature had other plans. Snow, sleet, and icy rain make for dangerous driving conditions anywhere, and when you live in the South, even a little bit of snow means everything closes down.

So, we have to wait a little longer to see the baby and find out the gender. I will admit to tears and excessive pouting … and blame them on the pregnancy hormones! 😉

Hopefully, we can reschedule our appointment quickly, but until then I am taking the great advice of a family member and distracting myself with some home gender predictions while stuck inside for the Snow Day!

There are tons of different “tests” and old wives tales out there. I have picked 10 of the most popular that don’t involve embarrassing details like changes to my breasts.

Disclaimer: not my picture. It's all over the Internetz.

1) Chinese Gender Chart: This test is based on the mother’s Chinese lunar age at the time she got pregnant, and the Chinese lunar month in which she conceived. Our result? BOY

2) Mayan Gender Test: Combine the mother’s age at conception and the year of conception. Even number means girl. Odd number means boy. Our result? BOY

3) Baking Soda: Put baking soda into a cup. Pee into another cup, and then combine. If the baking soda fizzes, it’s a boy. No reaction? You’re having a girl. Our result? GIRL

4) Heartbeat: If the baby’s heart rate is 140 beats-per-minute or above, it’s a girl. Below 140, a boy. At our appointment in December, the heart rate was 162. Our result? GIRL

5) Cravings: An old wives tale says craving salty foods while pregnant means boy, and sweet cravings means girl. I have also seen one that says craving sweet means boy, while craving sour means girl. Either way, I have craved pickles and apple turnovers in equal measure. Our result? N/A

7) Carrying: Supposedly, if you are carrying your baby high, it’s a girl. If you are carrying low, it’s a boy. Since I barely have a bump at all, I would also consider this test inconclusive. Our result? N/A

6) Clumsy vs. Graceful: If you remain graceful throughout your pregnancy (assuming you’re graceful to begin with), then it’s a girl. If you become clumsy, it’s a boy. I have always been clumsy, but I will say it has gotten much worse! Our result? BOY

8) Morning Sickness: If you have mild morning sickness, it’s a boy. If you have extreme morning sickness, you are having a girl. Interestingly enough, there’s some truth to this one … according to WedMD. 😉 “Levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG, which triggers morning sickness, tend to be higher in mothers who are pregnant with female babies.” Our result? BOY

9) How You Rest: If you prefer to lay on your left side during pregnancy, it’s a boy. Right side? It’s a girl. I used to sleep on my stomach all the time, but no longer. Our result? GIRL

10) The Ring Test: Put your wedding ring on a string. Have someone hold the ring over your belly. If it starts to swing in a circle, it’s a girl. Side to side like a pendulum means a boy. I made sure to not tell the hubby what the results meant before I had him do this test. Our results? BOY

BOY = 5               GIRL = 3              INCONCLUSIVE = 2

Based on these tests, it’s a boy! I haven’t had any strong “mother’s intuition” one way or the other. Both the hubby and my mother have had dreams that it’s a girl … which apparently means it will be a boy based on another old wives tale.

We shall see what the ultrasound says!

Preggo’s Best Friend

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Confession: I am a cat person. I grew up with three cats: Rajah, Jasmine, and Minnie. I am now the mother of two cats, brother and sister tabbies named Oliver Twist and Penny Lane. And I believe with absolute certainty that I will always have a cat in my life.

Many people claim that cats make poor pets. They say cats are cold, unaffectionate, selfish, and aloof — and they cannot match the loyalty and unconditional love of a dog. While that may be true of some felines, it has certainly not been my personal experience!

As a child, I could always count on Rajah to snuggle me when I needed it most — like when I got to the part of Little Women where Beth died. He knew my voice, only let me rub his belly, and loved to be cradled like a baby. His favorite spot to sleep was on my pillow, wrapped around my head. He may have been the runt of the litter, but for 15 long years he was the best pet a girl could want.

As an adult woman, expecting a child of her own, I still consider my cats dear and true companions. We’ve had Penny and Oliver since they were just two months old. They groom us, talk to us (and back at us), and they consider anywhere we sit or sleep or eat to be communal property.

They are both bursting with personality, and attitude, but I know our lives would be incomplete without them. During my pregnancy, these two have been a constant source of comfort amidst the nausea, exhaustion, and days when I could barely function.

Pregnant ladies take lots of cat naps.

Pregnant ladies take lots of cat naps.

She does love attention.

She does love attention.

Does that look aloof to you?

A common pregnancy “myth” you hear is that animals can sense when you are pregnant. I like to think all the extra snuggles I’ve received the past few months prove the truth of that old wives tale! 🙂

Regardless of where you fall on the cat vs. dog argument, it is hard to deny the true value a pet adds to your life. All the care and bills are totally worth the laughter and friendship a pet offers. Not only do they become part of your family, they become part of your heart.

Great Expectations

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I’ve been working on something big these last few months … hence the absence of posts. Got a bun in the oven, folks! Come end of June, I’ll be a first time momma. 🙂

Baby's first selfie.

Baby’s first selfie.

When we first found out we were preggers, I figured I’d have TONS of inspiration for the blog, but it hasn’t quite turned out that way.

First trimester symptoms kinda suck the creativity and motivation out of you. Total exhaustion. Nausea. Food aversions. Super smell that picks up everything gross within a 5-mile radius.

Plus, there’s the symptom they don’t tell you to expect: an overwhelming anxiety bred from WAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION. Thank you, What to Expect When You Are Expecting! In my opinion, if you are pregnant or planning on getting pregnant, you should stay away from this book.

Along with all the great illustrations and cute produce analogies for your growing baby, they include the most awful, worst case scenario things that can go wrong with your pregnancy. I’m not saying this isn’t valid, useful information. Just put that crap in the back of the book — not mixed in with all the normal milestones. Pregnant women don’t need any help with over-thinking and worrying!

So, second trimester. I’m feeling better. Feeling great, actually! So great that sometimes I forget I’m pregnant … which makes me very jealous of all the other mommas with butterfly flutters in the tummy, weird/funny cravings, and budding baby bumps.

I’m 19 weeks, and other than a teeny-tiny bladder and a tendency to spill things, I got bupkis. I have tried documenting my pregnancy with those oh-so-popular weekly belly pictures.  Seeing as I have lost 7 pounds since I got pregnant and am still wearing my regular clothes, my week-to-week progression is pitiful. Haven’t felt the baby move yet. Haven’t wanted to dip pickles in my ice cream. No bump. Oh, the unrealistic expectations!

More than anything, my pregnancy has reminded me to step back and re-evaluate the way I measure my life. At every age, we take on new and different roles — friend, student, employee, husband or wife, mother or father. Often, we judge our performance in these roles based on cookie-cutter preconceptions of how things should be. Cue the disappointment and feelings of inadequacy!

Everyone’s journey is different. We are all doing the best we can with the circumstances we’re handed. And we are each uniquely gifted with our own talents and beliefs. We just have to let go of the shoulds and focus on living authentically.

My pregnancy has not been what I expected. I gave up on my “pregnancy journal” after 2 weeks. We haven’t started the baby registry. I don’t know if we will use disposable or cloth diapers. And I have no idea if I will opt for a natural birth or demand my IV of happy juice after the first contraction.

Many of my choices will likely be different from the mothers I know in real life, and from the mothers I’ve envied over the internet. Doesn’t make one of us right, or the other wrong. At the end of it all, I will still be a happy momma who will do the very best she can to raise her baby into a shiny, happy Peebles.

Happy Halloween!

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Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! 🙂

I love the drama and theatre of decorating your home. I love the creativity and escapism of dressing up in costume. I love the irreverance, the silliness, the candy. But most of all, I love how Halloween brings people together. It sounds strange, I know, but think about it:  even more than Christmas, Halloween encourages people to interact.

Neighborhoods become a giant mix and mingle for children and their parents. Schools throw Fall Festivals. Offices have costume competitions. Families and friends go to pumpkin patches and corn mazes. And once you age out of trick-or-treating, there are Halloween parties galore.

I really believe that holidays help us lead meaningful and intentional lives. They are milestones in our year, markers of the seasons, and a reminder to celebrate with those we love. At its core, each holiday reminds us about an important value:  faith, gratitude, freedom, heritage, love, family, joy … and yes, even silliness. 🙂

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Owl I Need

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I don’t share a whole lot about my personal life, but I have to brag … I mean, share this story. 😉

Let me begin by explaining that I am about as patient as a kid at Christmas. Pining, peeking, fidgeting, whining, heavy sighs … you get the picture. Once I see something I love, I want it NAO!

Well, at the end of summer, Kroger debuted these adorable clay owl lanterns . So adorable that I didn’t even care they were already promoting Fall merchandise in August! My life would not be complete without an owl lantern!

Clay Owl Lantern

Clay Owl Lantern

My sweet, sweet husband, however, cannot stand that kind of pushy commercialism.

“Just wait a few weeks. It’s still summer!”

“We’ll get them next trip. We don’t have room,” he said a few weeks later.

Two weeks go by. We need groceries again. My excitement level is off the charts! We park the car and walk to the front of the store where the owls had been cutely displayed amidst wood crates and corn husks.

Bum, bum, buuuuum! They are ALL GONE except for two sad owls missing their feet. 😦 I don’t know who felt worse, me for this great disappointment, or my husband for the miserable shopping trip that followed. Even though the manager said they would try to order more, there was not a single owl on the next trip.

The autumn solstice passes. It’s Fall now. Kroger has a brand new batch of pumpkin lanterns. No owls. I’ve pouted my fill by now, and I decide it’s time to get over it.

Fast forward to this weekend. We walk up to Kroger, and a dozen beautiful owl lanterns are waiting for me!!! I pick out the very best one, no scratches or cracks or missing feet. Oh, the joy! I cannot wait to get home and place my owl at the bottom of our front steps.

We pull up into the driveway, and my door is open before the car is even in park! I lift out my owl, squealing with glee, only to realize one of his feet is missing. Somewhere between loading him into the grocery cart and unloading him from the car, his foot has been amputated. 😦

Well, the look on my face must be pretty pitiful because my husband spends the next 15 minutes searching the car for that tiny, clay owl foot. When he comes inside, he looks sadder than I do. I ask him what’s wrong.

“It made you so happy to finally get one. Now it’s broken. And now you’re sad.” My heart melts into a sappy puddle at his feet.

“I’ll take it back on my way to tennis practice and exchange it for a new one that has feet.” And he really did go get a new one! He even wrapped up the owl and put it in the passenger’s side of the car to protect it!

At the end of it all, I’m glad I had to wait to get the owl. And I’m glad that the owl broke. It was all worth it for that little reminder that I have the most amazing husband in the world.

And that is owl I need. 😉