A Look Back - Part 2 - or not

I have decided that as much as I wanted to make the first few posts a "catch-up" from the last 2 years, a journal of sorts, something I can look back on with my kids someday and remember the important moments of my life... I kind of want to move on to other things. I'm already bored with typing/reading about my own life!

 

I will jump ahead to now...this is where my story gets really fun...in my opinion anyway

 

Our son

 

Makes your heart melt, right? These amazing pictures were taken by one of our very good friends, Courtney Rose.

 

His name is Brody Ray Lowder

(aka, "Boog"...not as in booger, just boog. The hubs started calling him that and it stuck...poor kid)

 

He was two weeks old when we had these pictures taken. I was still brand new at the whole mom thing. I'm still new at it, but it is MUCH easier a few months in. That first month or two was hard(understatement of the year). So very, very worth it, but also hard.

 

It was extremely scary, because I didn't know the first thing about newborns! Sure, I've held one or two in my life, but I handed them back, usually when they started crying. This time, I'M the one the baby gets handed back to when it cries...
I don't know what to do!! Why are you giving him to me?!?!
 

 

As the weeks went on, I became more relaxed (aka, less hormonal) I began to learn my baby. What he likes, doesn't like, his schedule, etc. It became a challenge for me to figure him out. Kind of a game. I Googled everything you can imagine. I found that the "mom chat sites" were my favorite place to go when I had a question. I didn't sign up for them, I would just ask Google a question like "why does my baby spit up so much" or "when will my 3 month old stop spitting up!" and it would pull up tons of links. Usually the first few were mom chat sites and this same question had been asked by a women (or man) and all of these moms would respond with their advice and experiences.
 

 

I know some moms don't want to hear the advice of random women, but I found it very comforting to read all of the responses to a question. Even if there wasn't a clear answer from any of them (which there usually was), I still found comfort in knowing all of these women had gone, or were going through the same exact thing.

I wasn't alone in this.
Also, there are some very interesting people out there, with some very interesting parenting techniques, so it can be a form of entertainment if not educational. (warning: it can also be very frustrating at times. Sometimes you just want to reach through the computer and slap people)

 

Anyway, I Googled, I read books (I highly recommend "Baby Wise" and "Solve You Child's Sleep Problems" we are strong believers in the "cry it out" method) I did far more "research" in the first 2 months of his life, than I've ever done in my 28...ok, 31 years. It became kind of an addiction. I now have a head full of random knowledge, but it comes in handy at times.

 

I would like to do a post in the next couple of weeks on some of the details of my experience so far.

I absolutely LOVED reading blogs of other moms, what they did, what worked, didn't work, etc. Maybe it will be helpful to someone.

 

 

I'm loving every minute of being a mom. Even the hard moments are wonderful in one way or another. I know this is what I was called to be. There will be other things I do in life, but this is by far the tops. Right up there with being a wife to the hubs. Anything else I do or become, will be second to this (and God of course ; )

 

This may become more of a mom blog...

 

Who knows what this will become!

 

Kisses for Mimi

The whole fam!

 

 

 

A look back - Part 1

I feel like I should have started this blog 2 years ago, because that's when life, for me, started to become so very special. I want to share the last two years in this blog, so that in the future, when I read back through it, I will have some of the most important moments documented. So in the next few posts, I will be playing catch-up.

This post will be an introduction to "the hubs".

This guy..

Handsome, right?! Sexy, yes?!

He is the love of my life. He is God's way of showing me His grace is sufficient, that no matter what failures are in our past, with repentance, He will wipe them away and give you a second, third, fourth (you get the point) chance. He is amazing that way.

I thank God for this man every day. He is the perfect balance to my craziness. I am emotional, he is even keel. I am impulsive, he is thoughtful and will take his time to make decisions...sometimes he will take so much time that my impulsive nature wants to choke him out!!!

Its funny, cause I need him to be my opposite, but because he is opposite, he drives me SO CRAZY! I believe this is God's way of sharpening us; giving us someone who challenges us to be a little less, "ourselves" and a little more of what He wants us to be. In my case, patient. Ugh!

Anyway, I'll quit preaching and get on with it.

Todd and I met in a young adults ministry at our church. There is much more to this story, but that is for another time. It will be a much longer post and one I'm not sure I'm ready to get into. Once Todd and I started dating, I pretty much knew this was the man I wanted to spend forever with. I didnt feel worthy of someone like him. I didnt feel like I deserved him, but God thought differently. Makes my heart beat faster just thinking about it. God loves us so much.

I'm so grateful for the life I have with this man. I take advantage of it some days, but today, as I type this out, I'm reminded of how very blessed I am. Nicolas Sparks couldn't have written a better story than the one I live with my husband. Not many people can say that. Its not because we live this ridiculously romantic, flowers and flying doves over our head, perfect love song music playing in the background, kind of story. Its real, hard, wonderful, and perfect, for us.

I know that it will take work to maintain the relationship we have. I know that I will have to, for the rest of my life, continue to better myself, not just expect him to be better. I also know we are both committed to this story, and I feel that we will both work at this for the rest of our lives. I see us being the old couple who still holds hands while walking in the park...or the mall in our case. Its to dang hot here in Phoenix to walk outside!! Especially when you're old!!!

Anyway, we met, fell in love, broke up, got back together (typical), fell even more in love, then, on March 18th (my bests birthday...she's so sweet for sharing her day with us) he asked me to marry him!! On a billboard...yup...a billboard.

I was in a hurry to be married before I turned 30 (don't ask) which was in May... 2 months away!! So, me, my mom, sis and the best, got busy and planned a wedding in 2 months. The best wedding I've ever been to if you ask me.


Some pictures from one of the best days of my life.

 

 

                                                               My gorgeous mom... I know, right!?

My father in law praying over our marriage

 

My sweet little mother in law

Sisters

My best

Oops, put this picture in twice and cant figure out how to delete it...

Ugh...this one too. I need to figure this blogging thing out!

This is how its done!!

=)

I've decided to start a blog...

As I sit here eating my just out of the oven chocolate chip cookies, I am starting my very first blog and having a bit of writers block. I have a feeling this will be common for me, as I am not much of a writer. I decided though, that what I love most about blogs is that they are kind of like a diary, only one that anyone and everyone has access too... Its a place I can write my day to day experiences. The good, the bad... all of it.

What I also love about blogging is that just by simply reading the first line in the previous paragraph, you have most likely concluded that I am one of those, crafty, cook savvy, organized, scrapbooking, super moms who bakes...from scratch!!..........

I'm so not.

As my best friend said, this will be a "what to do, in reverse" blog.

I will blog about my attempts to cook, mostly using a crockpot. I will refurbish furniture to the best of my ability, most likely using a tutorial found on one of those crafty, cook savvy, organized, scrapbooking, supermom's blogs, and I will blog about my experiences as a wife to my practically perfect hubs, and brand new amazingly handsome wonderful son, Brody.

So, here I go! The start to my very own blog/journal/diary.


Now, how do I post pictures on this thing...........

 

P.S. Toll House cookie dough in a tub makes THE best cookies.