WMW: Dear Husband [and Son]

After this entry, I'll blog about life lately - but this entry will focus on the two loves of my life.

Today's prompt said to write a letter to someone to express your gratitude, love, hopes and dreams etc. I decided to write two - one to my husband, J, and one to our son, JJ.

Dear Husband:

You are...just amazing. In the 6.5+ years we've been together, we've had our share of ups and downs. But through it all, you've continued to love me, support me and be there for me. For that, I'll forever be grateful.

I wish I could put into words how much I love and appreciate you. Even though we've spent a lot of our relationship in separate cities [and states], our love has continued to grow. When we first started dating [a month before I left for college], I thought we wouldn't make it. Now look at us. I'm pretty sure if we can make it through what we've been through the past 6.5 years, we can make it through anything.

What I want for you is to be happy. To advance in the Air Force. To never forget that I will always love you, always want the best for you, always be your No. 1 fan. I know it's not easy putting up with me, and thank you for doing that for so long. We have many, many years to go - and I'm excited to see what kinds of adventures our life together takes us on. I love you so, so much. Thank you for being you.

Love you always,
Wifey

Dear Son:

How did I get so lucky to become your mommy? When you were first born, I wasn't sure about motherhood - I was convinced I would screw it up every possible way. Now, 2.5 years later, you're a strong, happy little boy that keeps growing by the day. It's amazing, watching you grow.

I'll never be able to put into words the love I have for you. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you [not even your daddy, even though he's a close second], and my love for you continues to grow as you grow. I know that you and I already have our difference ["Pudding!" "No JJ - dinner first." "Pudding!"], but I think we're still learning the ropes of being mommy and son. I look forward to looking back on these days when you're older and sharing all these stories from your early years. Your ear problems, your love of being outside and car rides, your love of ice chips, your favorite blankie...I can't wait to tell you about them [and possibly embarrass you with them].

As you get older, I want you to know that I'm always going to be here for you - even when you think I'm not [and I know you will - I was a teenager not too long ago]. I don't ever want to pressure you to be perfect - I just want you to be YOU. I know that soon, you won't be my little boy anymore...but in my mind, you will ALWAYS be my little boy. And your happiness will ALWAYS be my No. 1 priority. I am so honored to be your mommy and look forward to many, many years of fun with you. I love you so much baby boy!

Love forever,
Mommy

WMW: Vacations before and after JJ

Ah...summer is fast approaching [with the unofficial start of summer occurring on Monday with the celebration of Memorial Day], and it's time for me to start thinking about vacations. My family [parents and sister] have taken a vacation the past two years, but I'm not sure if one is in the cards this year with my dad being overseas during our "normal" vacation time. Today's prompt got me thinking about how much vacations have changed since I became a mom.

My family pretty much quit going on vacations when my sister and I got to high school, and we were all super busy with work, school or extracurricular activities. The last vacation I went on before college was in 2004, when we went back to Hawaii to visit family - and while I was in college, we didn't go anywhere further than Texas because of summer school. Husband [then boyfriend] and I, however, took a couple of vacations on our own. One vacation was to visit his family in Maryland, DC and Florida, and the next was to Vegas after I graduated from college. Those were fun but definitely not family oriented...we just did those to have fun adult time.

The first family vacation we went on again after JJ was born was in July 2009, when we took our first of two trips to Orlando. We drove out there with my parents and sister, and JJ was 7 months old [and teething]. He did SO good though...I was pleasantly surprised at how well he handled the car ride. Sure, he got fussy and tired of sitting in a car seat the whole time, but we stopped plenty of times and stayed overnight at the halfway point to Florida so that he wasn't cooped up the entire time. We drove back last summer, and he did even better. He loves being in the car now, so he was easier to entertain and wasn't battling teeth or ear issues. We had the same routine - frequent stops and an overnight stay at the halfway point.

Both times, we stayed at a family-friendly resort and did family-friendly things [such as Universal Studios, DisneyWorld and Sea World]. My sister and I spent a lot of time on rides while my parents just enjoyed being with their grandson and took him around to the little kid exhibits and rides. I will admit that the first time we went to Florida, I was very nervous. Taking a teething seven-month-old on a week-long vacation did not seem like fun to me, and I'm not sure I could've done something like that on my own. I KNOW I couldn't have done something like that on my own. Now that JJ loves car rides and is getting older, I'm looking forward to taking him on more vacations and exposing him to different things in different places. I've obviously become more about him and his fun factor since he came into my life, so planning fun family vacations is where it's at nowadays.

Now, that doesn't mean I don't take adult vacations. I'm taking my sister to Vegas in August for her 24th birthday, and I'm planning a trip to Connecticut/NYC to visit my college roommate [who recently got married]. It's just that when I go somewhere, I want JJ to go - and I want him to have fun, no matter how little he is. It takes longer to pack, and we need more room for his things, but vacations with him are more fun than vacations without him. I'm excited about the possibilities as he gets older and can go to different places - for his 10th birthday, we've already talked about taking him to DisneyWorld.

The best part about family vacations? I get to be a kid again, too, right along with him.

WMW: Five Things on My To-Do List

I know, I know. Technically, it's Thursday. Wednesday was just way too busy to get this in [and i'm taking time away from packing up for a long weekend - my college roomie's getting married this weekend! - to write this], so I'm writing it now while I'm waiting for the washer to finish.

For yesterday's prompt, I chose what five things are always on my to-do list. No matter how much I clean up, I always feel like my apartment's dirty. It's never filthy, and the current condition it's in [i last cleaned over the weekend] would suffice if it was just me. But, it's not just me [obviously]...and I want this place to be as spotless as possible for JJ. I know it's impossible to keep this place completely clean, but I can at least keep it mostly clean, right?

In order to do that, these things are ALWAYS on my To-Do list:

1. Do the dishes. I cook at least three nights out of the week [most weeks], so there are always dishes that need to be washed. I hate letting them pile up and then having to do one big load at one time, so I usually wash dishes every 1-2 nights. Sometimes, if I know I'll be doing a lot of cooking and using a lot of dishes, I'll just load the dishwasher and run it...but for the most part, I hand wash. I know, I know - I probably waste more water washing than running the dishwasher. Most weeks though, I'd have to let dishes pile up ALL week in order to have a full load, and I just don't want to do that. I will admit, washing dishes isn't as tedious since I quit having to wash bottles last year.

2. Fold laundry. I do laundry 2-3 times a week...but I hate folding laundry. I'll do it, but I usually wait until it piles up and then fold all at once. I also iron JJ's clothes [personal preference], so I always have a pile waiting on me to iron and put up.

3. Clean up toys. JJ's toys are everywhere. For the most part, he'll put his toys away - but usually, only his favorite toys get put up by him. That leaves the rest for me to get. This doesn't usually take long, but I still have to do it every night until he figures out he needs to put ALL his toys away.

4. Prepare for the next day. I don't do this as often as I should, but I try to get things ready for the next day the night before. I usually bring breakfast with me [usually a piece of fruit or a breakfast bar], along with a coffee mug since my boss makes coffee just about every day. I also have to make sure JJ doesn't need anything for daycare, get our clothes ready and, if needed, pull our jackets out. This takes a good 5-7 minutes in the morning, which is when my time is most precious...so getting this done the night before is a huge help.

5. Wipe down the counters. JJ gets his hands on everything - and can now reach the counters on his tip toes. I do a lot on the counters [cook, organize etc.], so it's important that I keep them clean so that he doesn't catch anything. I usually do this after I wash dishes...but even on nights I don't wash dishes but do cook, I wipe the counters down.

I'm sure there are other things on my list, but these are the five that I always, always have to do just about every night. The job of a working mom - and a mom in general - never ends!

WMW: I woke up in the middle of the night and...

OK. So waking up in the middle of the night is a common occurrence for me. I think it started back in college - I used to fall asleep on my homework with the TV and lights on, and I'd wake up at like, 3am to shut everything off. I went from college to mommyhood in a matter of months, so waking up in the middle of the night [for feedings this time] stuck with me.

Now that JJ is a growing 2-year-old [he'll be 2 1/2 this summer! gah!], he doesn't wake up in the middle of the night anymore [for the most part]. I, however, still do. I usually wake up in the middle of the night and clean...mainly because I tend to fall asleep with JJ when I put him down, so I get almost nothing done. I can't tell you how many nights I've woken up at 2am with the TV still on, a light still on [this wastes energy, i know...i'm working on it], and the entire apartment a wreck. So, I usually stay up for 1-1.5 hours, cleaning and catching up on things I missed while I was asleep [like facebook statuses, sports and news]. This does not bode well in the morning - which is why I've started drinking coffee more often - but I just can't seem to break that habit.

I also wake up in the middle of the night to check on JJ. We've had breathing issues since he was a baby, and even though they're better, I'm still terrified I'll wake up in the middle of the night and he's struggling to breathe/not breathing...so I tend to wake up 4-5 times during the night to make sure he's OK. I think I'm going to be that way for quite some time, but it's OK. It gives me peace of mind to know that he's breathing and fine, so I don't mind waking up for that. The whole cleaning business though...I hate waking up for that. Once I wake up and know the apartment's a wreck, I can't go back to bed until I've cleaned up. Sigh.

I'm hoping that eventually, this whole waking up in the middle of the night stuff won't happen anymore - or happen as often. But, considering I'm still nervous about JJ's breathing at night and we plan on trying for another baby soon, I don't think that'll happen. Guess I'd better keep the coffee flowing.

WMW: But I'm the better parent! [yes, i made it up]

*steps on soapbox and clears throat*

So for today's WMW, we had the option to make up a prompt or follow one of the two that was suggested. And, since I couldn't think of anything remotely clever to blog about either topic, I picked one that's been bugging me for a little bit: the elitist parents.

More of my friends are becoming parents [or thinking about becoming parents]. This has made some of them turn into the "let me show you how a REAL parent operates" people, and it annoys the every-living snot out of me. Just because you do things differently from me does NOT make you a better parent [and, for the record, i am NOT talking about anyone who might read this blog or those whose blog i read - all of you are amazing parents].

I don't get why parenting has to be a competition. Can anyone answer that one for me? Is it because you want your kid to get into Harvard so you can shove it in other people's noses? Or because you want to claim the title of "Best Parent Ever" [even though such a title doesn't exist]? Parenting should be about focusing on your child[ren] and creating the best environment for your family, not trying to out-duel someone on how many veggies your kid ate or how many states he/she can name at the age of 3.

Even before JJ was born, I always told myself that I wanted to be involved in his school life. I wanted to be homeroom mom, a part of the PTA, one of the moms that provides snacks after soccer games...and I still want to do that. But growing up, I remember seeing the BS that my own mom put up with, and a ball of dread fell into my stomach. And parents wonder where their kids get their "Mean Girls" attitudes from... But I will NOT be that parent. I won't let another mom shove me around, but I won't carry this elitist crown with me, either. For crying out loud, my husband's in the military - no telling how long we'll be at a duty station anyway.

So, in short, my final thoughts are this: there IS no such thing as the perfect parent. You can be a great parent, but striving to be a perfect parent raising a perfect kid just doesn't exist. And clearly, our kids watch our every move, because most of them pick up this elitist attitude from their parents [at least, the peeps i grew up with did]. So let's all act like we're adults and focus on raising our kids and providing them with a positive environment, not how many "My kid is the greatest, which means I'm the greatest!" stickers are on the back of your car.

*steps off soapbox*

WMW: Words of advice for new mamas

My first big kid job came around when I was four months pregnant [we had literally just found out we were having a boy when I started working at my former job]. Maternity leave was the last thing on my mind - I needed to work, we needed the money, and I never considered maternity leave until a month or two after I started working. I - in my naive mommy-to-be state of mind - thought it'd be easy to go back to work after maternity leave.

Boy was I wrong.

It's true when they say you don't know unconditional love until you have kids. From the moment JJ entered the world, I was a completely changed woman. Going back to work after seven weeks of maternity leave was the hardest thing I ever did...it took me months to get adjusted to being a working [mostly single] mom. Now that I can look back on it, here's my advice for those new moms or moms-to-be worried about going back to work:

1. Don't be. If you have a great babysitter/daycare/stay-at-home grandparent or spouse, your baby will be fine. He/she won't remember that you weren't there at all times of the day. I know it'll be hard, but if your baby's in good hands, everything will be golden.

2. Start adjusting before you go back to work. About a week before I went back, I started figuring out our routine and had the hang of it before I went back. Made the adjustment a little easier.

3. Find a balance. At my old job, I was a recruiter - so I was on the road all the time. I'm one of those people who pushes the negative things [such as separation] out of my mind to keep going, so I tried not to think about how many days I spent away from my child during his first year. But by the time he was about 9 months old, I couldn't do it anymore and had to find a new job that kept me near him. Best decision I ever made in terms of my professional career as a mommy.

4. Don't be so hard on yourself. The first year went by in a blur, but I remember lots of nights crying because I felt guilty about working, because I missed my son, because I felt like I wasn't doing enough at my job...I was a hot mess [hormones didn't help, either]. Now that I'm in a less stressful job situation, I realize that I was being too hard on myself. You don't need to be perfect at everything to get the job done - you just need to remember that you can do it. Take it easy, take it slow, and everything will work out.

5. Time management is your friend. I was horrible at time management at first - all I wanted to do was cuddle with little man, then sleep. But, there are other things that need to be done - cleaning, cooking etc. Starting to get that routine down early will help make raising your little one easier. Now that JJ is 2 and needs dinner every night [and not baby food], our routine has changed - for him, at least. I was doing all the same things I do now when he was a baby, but he was usually asleep or in his jumper while I was doing it. Now, I just incorporate him into it, and nothing's changed for me. I need structure in my life to stay sane, so having the same structure for quite some time now has been nice.

6. Take help if you need it. My sister lived with me the first six months of JJ's life [and on/off for three more until she found her first big kid job and moved], and it was SO great to have that help. Other friends offered to make dinner, babysit, give me some time to myself...especially being a mostly single mother, that help was so great to have. If you need help, take it - it'll make your life so much easier. Don't feel guilty about it, either - just because we're moms doesn't mean we don't need some quiet time.

7. Speaking of quiet time, make time for yourself. Set aside an hour a night [or at least 30 minutes] to read, write in a journal, knit, watch a favorite TV program...something to create a special time for yourself. I never realized how important it is to have this time to yourself until after I had JJ...you take it for granted before kids. I did, at least.

8. Make yourself feel pretty. As your body adjusts to not being pregnant anymore, I know it can be hard to look at yourself in the mirror every day. But, I forced myself to do it and found one thing about myself every day that I liked. Start working out again, get your hair done, buy some new clothes that will fit your shape as it adjusts - don't give up on yourself because you don't feel pretty. You are.

That's all I got for now, but I think I've rambled on enough. Bottom line is, being a working mom isn't easy - but you can do it. :)

WMW: My Thoughts on Social Media

I know that Wednesday is almost over, but this is the first time [outside of work] I've really sat down and had time to focus on it. Work has been crazy busy with enrollment - only a few more days to go!

So, as I end my day [almost - I still have dishes to do, unfortunately], I'll focus on the prompt at hand: social media. I am amazed every single day at how far social media has come...and how fast it has advanced. I'll be 25 at the end of the month, and I NEVER thought that social media would be where it is now. For awhile, I couldn't imagine anything past MySpace and e-mail!

I think social media has a good side and a bad side. The good side is that it's SO much easier to keep in touch with family and friends. A lot of my extended family are on FB, and updating them on my life is as easy as uploading a picture of me and JJ, or updating my status. It's much easier to reconnect with people I've known for years but have lost touch with, too. My 10-year high school reunion is in three years, and I'm not sure there will be many surprises since a ton of my graduating class peeps are on FB.

In a way, social media has made my life easier, too. If I need to know something, I can probably hop online and find it by digging through Twitter or FB. A lot of breaking news, I can get from following news organizations on Twitter. Letting people know what's going on or that I need help with something is as easy as sending a Tweet - especially since my sister and I follow each other on Twitter and are FB friends. I can't tell you how many times I've found people who are willing to take me places when my car's died or have come over to help me with something. I don't even need to call or text people to get help.

Which leads to the bad sides of social media. I feel like we as a people have lost touch with one another. I can't remember the last time I got a physical card or physical letter. I really only talk to my family or husband on the phone - it's so easy to send a text that I usually just text. I don't text as often now that I have JJ, but I still text a lot. It's so easy to communicate with people without seeing them or really putting in a lot of effort that I feel like we're not personal with one another anymore.

It's easy to be someone you're not when you use social media, too. I'm always very wary when it comes to meeting people online and through social media sites because you never know if that person is a real person or not. I'm a frequent user of The Nest, and while I trust the girls on my local, anniversary and military boards, I'm not sure if others on the site are legit people or an alter ego they hide behind. It's hard to really trust people when you only know them through social media and not in real life.

The ugly side of social media can be seen in the stories of cyber bullying, of kidnapping due to someone meeting someone else online and meeting up in real life...I am so worried about what kind of social world JJ will grow up in. Will cyber bullying be a regular part of life instead of bullying in person? How will social media play a role in his developmental years? I mean, it's not like FB has been around forever - it was founded in '04, and when I joined in '05, it was only for college kids. In just seven years, that site has taken off to be something that many probably never thought would happen. I can't imagine how much more social media will advance over the next seven years.

While I do enjoy using social media and use it every single day, I can't imagine how engaging in this would've changed my high school years. Texting was still very new when I graduated high school, and FB was just starting to take off when I graduated college [and I'd never even heard of Twitter at that point]. It's easy to get wrapped up in it and expose yourself more than you realize, which is something I'm trying to keep tabs on. Even though social media has a hold on our lives, it's still important to keep as much private as you can [a lesson i've learned even more so now that my husband is in the military]. It will be very interesting to see how social media evolves as technology continues to advance at a very fast rate.

WMW: I'm really good at...

As I sit in my apartment through yet another snow day [three last week, one today and possibly one tomorrow if the snow doesn't stop anytime soon], I've had a chance to think about this week's prompt. What am I really good at...

It's hard for me to focus on what I'm good at, because I tend to dwell on what I'm bad at - but, I don't want to be negative today, so I'm going to focus on the good. Hm, where to start...

OK. One, I'm a good mom - and I'm not afraid to admit it, because I know I am. Raising JJ by myself has been difficult at times, but for the most part, it's a BLAST. He's with my parents right now while my dad's back from Afghanistan, and I've enjoyed my quiet time - but I miss my son. I miss our schedule, our play time, everything. It's been a life-changing experience, being a mom, and it's made me more patient, more loving and more caring. I never thought I'd get all that out of being a mom, but I have. I've never worked harder but have never enjoyed working so hard. I do everything I can for my son; he always comes first. Before he was born, I can't say that the important people in my life came first all the time.

Two, once I get going on something, I see it through. Sometimes, it takes me a bit to get going on a project...but once I do, watch out. I take off and can make it look like a million bucks. I'm more motivated than I look sometimes.

Three, I'm great at diffusing uncomfortable situations. I almost always try to look at things from both sides of the spectrum and try to bring peace. Of course, there are some topics that really fire me up [I'll blog about one of them later], but for the most part, I try to rationally look at a situation from two sides and figure out where the sides are coming from. I hate it when people get slammed for their opinion - it's called an opinion for a reason - so I try to reason it out.

Four, I can put together awesome parties. I haven't really thrown one in awhile, but I love throwing parties. I love coming up with themes, playing hostess...it's so fun for me. I wish I could throw more parties more often.

Five, I'm an awesome driver. Seriously. I'm the one that will drive four hours without batting an eye, who is a safe driver through and through, and tries not to speed too much [typically do 5 over, but much more than that makes me uncomfortable]. When we go places without my dad, I'm automatically the driver because I don't mind it at all. Maybe the nearly seven years I've spent going back and forth to my hometown [300 miles round trip...don't even wanna know how many miles I've put on my car in 4.5 years] has made me that way.

That's all I got for now - my mind keeps going to the pretty snow outside, so I think I'm going to go stare at it for awhile. I'd go out in it, but the temperature is currently 10 degrees with a wind chill of -8. I have NO intention of going out in it today. Stay warm loves!

WMW: 10 Things I Believe In...

Yay for WMW - and remembering to get to the prompt before 10pm!

Today's topic I chose was 10 Things I Believe In. Here's my list:

1. I believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost. I know I've been struggling with religion the past few years and am slowly finding my way back, but my faith in Them has not wavered.

2. I believe that JJ was put in my life to make it better. I am a better person because I am lucky enough to be his mommy.

3. I believe that you need a small circle of friends to be perfectly happy. My best friend has been in my life for more than 10 years now, and I've added very few friends to my small circle since. I trust them, I love them like family, and they're all I need.

4. I believe that sisters make fantastic partners-in-crime, confidants, sparring partners and ultimate best friends. My sister is that way, at least. She's amazing.

5. I believe I deserve to sleep in at least one day a week. Even if sleeping in means sleeping until 7am instead of 630am, I'll take it.

6. I believe that everyone should take one hour of the day to unplug from everything [technology especially] to enjoy the small things. Write in a journal, read a book, play with your kids...just spend an hour reconnecting with your inner self and the things that make you happy.

7. I believe that chocolate needs to be added to the food pyramid as another food group.

8. I believe that we all have a Calling in life - but not all of us take the time out to listen for it.

9. I believe that you don't realize how amazing your parents are until you're older. Looking back on my life, I'm not sure how my parents raised me and put up with me for so long...and to this day, they still continue to help, support and teach me things. And I'm almost 25. It's amazing how much of an impact your parents have on your lives...and how it took me so long to realize it.

10. I believe that 2011 will be an amazing year for me, my life and my family. :)

WMW: A Motherhood Confession

Phew. I've been off this blog train for a few days. A lot's been going on at the home front, so I'll update tonight [if I can get on the computer after JJ falls asleep]. But for now, I'll post with WMW. :)

Today's prompt that I'm writing on is motherhood confessions. Well, the prompt says confession [without the s], so I'll keep it to just one.

My confession for today: I let my kid watch sports. I know a lot of parents around me who don't let their kids watch TV or, if they do, they watch very little of it. I, however, almost always have some sort of sporting event going on. During college football season, Saturdays that I was at home were bad, because it was on either CBS, ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPNews, ABC or FoxSports all.day.long. Now that college football is over [besides the glorious bowl games that i can't wait to watch...i already miss college football, and it's only been 2.5 weeks since my last game], things will slow down on that end.

But then, here comes the second half of NBA season. After the All-Star break, I pretty much try to catch every game possible - the playoff chase is just too exciting to miss out on. So, I watch a lot of TV - but 95 percent of it is sports [the other five percent is cooking shows, ghost hunters, holiday movies or glee]. I know some people think that letting your kids watch TV is bad, but JJ really, really likes sports. We take him to all the Thunder games we go to, he had his own season ticket for OSU football this year, and I plan on taking him to other sporting events as he's growing up [next goal: nfl game since he loves football]. I've gotten the side eye from parents before for letting my kid watch sports, but...I really don't care.

His love of basketball has got him interested in it, and he likes "shooting hoops" with the goal I got him for his birthday. He'll take time out to watch some of the game, then he'll go run around for awhile and come back to the game. My kid is active, healthy and loves sports - and I don't feel guilty for it.

Now, I'm not one of those sports parents that, when my kid randomly shoots a basket, I flip out and dream of NBA aspirations. He's 2. I want him to be healthy and happy, and I achieved both of those growing up by playing sports. I'm hoping that one day, he'll follow in my footsteps and take up sports to have fun, stay healthy and make new friends. But for now, he just likes cheering on OSU and the Thunder. :)

WMW: 10 Reasons I Looooooove Christmas

Good heavens - is it already Wednesday?! Is it already the 9th of December?! Only 16 days 'til Christmas!

This year, I feel more connected to the holiday spirit. Ever since JJ was born in '08, I've been pretty distant, to be honest. I just haven't been feeling the holidays - my old job kept me too busy to really get into it, and raising JJ by myself really just kept me on my toes and away from the holidays. But this year, things are different. JJ's older, work isn't nearly as stressful, and I'm enjoying the Christmas cheer. I put up lights this year, have a [half-decorated] tree up, and I've actually listened to Christmas music and watched Christmas movies. It's nice to be reconnected with the holiday spirit [even if it is 62 degrees and sunny outside right now].

So, in the spirit of the holiday, I decided to do the WMW prompt that involves Christmas. Here's my list of 10 reasons why I adore the holiday:

1. I just love giving presents. Although Christmas shopping is stressful, I love spending money on other people. I think I actually got some good stuff for my family this year, and I'm so excited about it. Now, if only those gifts would arrive before I head home on the 23rd...

2. It's the only time of the year my mom really bakes. Granted, she hasn't baked anything this year [yet], but this is her time to shine. She makes the best almond cookies, sugar cookies, caramel popcorn balls...it's all so good...nom nom nom.

3. I love holiday movies! A Charlie Brown Christmas [a personal favorite of mine], Elf, The Holiday, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story...I really haven't found a holiday movie I'm not willing to watch at least once. They're the best.

4. I love Christmas music, too. I try not to go overboard with it, but I do love me some good Christmas tunes. My personal fave: The Carpenters' Christmas Portrait. It will ALWAYS be my favorite - it just puts you in the Christmas spirit. We used to listen to it while decorating the tree...good times.

5. The most special memories are created during the holidays. I got engaged on Thanksgiving 2007. JJ was born exactly three weeks before Christmas. It's the one time of the year we're all together for longer than just a weekend. I love that Christmas brings us all back together - and this year, it'll include J! I didn't think he'd get to come home this year because of his work schedule, but he got permission on Tuesday, and I bought his plane ticket yesterday. I'm so stoked.

6. The lights are just spectacular. There are two major light displays on my way home - one in Chickasha, and another in Lawton. Between that and all the pretty, decorated houses, I just love driving around and looking at them. So awesome.

7. I'm not gonna lie...I get some awesome gifts. As much as I love giving gifts, I also don't mind receiving them, too. Last year, I got a flat screen TV and Kevin Durant jersey. This year, I think I'm getting upgrades for my kitchen appliances [the only thing I really asked for]. I usually get spoiled at Christmas, and I'm looking forward to it. :)

8. I get to relax. For most of the year, I'm going, going, going. Christmas is the one time of the year I get off for more than a day or two [without using any vacation days], and I'm at home with my mom, so she spoils JJ while I catch up on sleep. I always feel super refreshed when I'm at home during that time - and, JJ gets time with Grandma. Bonus.

9. Holiday time = sports! Some of the biggest match-ups in sports happen during the holidays. This year, we're going to a Thunder game on Christmas Day. My beloved Pittsburgh Penguins [and Sidney Crosby, yum] are playing the Caps [and Ovechkin] on New Year's. Bowl games galore, NFL match-ups that'll make or break my fantasy season...it's all one big sports fest. My parents get annoyed because I'm connected to SportsCenter 24/7 during the holidays. Oops.

10. It's the most wonderful time of the year! I mean, come on. How can you NOT be happy during the Christmas season? It's rosy cheeks, cookies for Santa, movie nights in front of the fire and snowflakes [or wishes of snowflakes, if you're like me and live in a state that gets a White Christmas every bazillion years - and, we had one last year, so it'll be another bazillion years]. It is, hands down, my favorite time of the year. I wish it lasted longer, but I'd probably be broke if that was the case.

I know that life is busy and chaotic, but I hope you find some time to enjoy this time of year. I definitely am!

WMW: How do you do it?

So, since there wasn't really a prompt for WMW, I had to think of something to write about...wasn't sure if I'd come up with something, but it came to me while I was polishing off a bag of gummy bears [my second today...blasted Walgreens had them on sale]. Sugar does wonders for a fried brain.

Ever since I became a [pretty much single] mom, people ask me how I do it. "How do you raise JJ by yourself?" "How do you function off of four hours of sleep every day?!" "How do you do it?"

The answer is quite simple: I do it because I love it. I have a child who's depending on me to provide for him and be the best mother I possibly can be for him. I'm by no means perfect - I'm pretty far from it - but I try my best to provide the best for my little boy. And, when you have someone else depending on you for his well-being...you just do it.

How do I raise JJ by myself? I'm not completely alone. I have A LOT of help - my mom and sister are amazing and have been there for me whenever I need them. My sister's driven the hour north to watch JJ when I've been sick or had to work late or on a weekend. My mom's kept JJ for random weekends so I can catch my breath [and catch up on sleep]. During the week, it's just the two of us because I hate imposing on people and really don't need to do anything after work that doesn't involve him. I take him grocery shopping, can work out at home after he goes to sleep...he's pretty much attached to my hip after I pick him up, and I like it that way. But, I'm forever grateful for great family nearby who are willing to watch JJ when I need it.

It's not that hard raising a toddler. You keep an eye on him, keep as organized as possible, never leave for grocery shopping without a list, clean when he sleeps and enjoy the time you have with him. Yeah, it gets a little overwhelming to be alone when I'm trying to make dinner and he's trying to climb into the dryer, or I'm putting up dishes and he's digging in the fridge for yogurt. But I love the time we have alone, so I embrace it. We play, we color, we crawl around and run circles in the living room - it's the best time of my day. Always.

How do I live off of so little sleep? Um, hello. I've only been out of college 2.5 years - and you don't want to know the number of all-nighters I pulled. It's an insane number, trust me. Going from college to motherhood was a breeze in the sleep department because I was used to staying up late, catching cat naps and waking up early. And, I catch up on weekends when my mom gets up with JJ - I love her for doing that.

Do I miss being able to go hang out with friends or go to night meetings or sleep for 12 hours at a time? Sometimes, yeah - but JJ is completely worth it. I've never been a party animal, don't need a crowd to be entertained, and I like quiet/alone time...so I don't feel like I'm missing much. I'd much rather be at home with him anyway.

Now that I've gotten this out, I won't dwell on it as much. I think the more people ask me about it, the more I try to justify that it's a hard job. But in reality...it's not, because I enjoy it.

Now, will I be super excited when J and I are under the same roof and can raise JJ together? Absolutely. I'm counting the days. Until then...it's just me and JJ, and I'll enjoy every moment of it.

WMW: Sincerely, Your Co-Workers

Ah yes.  Time for another WMW.  I'll do a blog update after this, but this topic is fun.

Today's prompts were to either 1.) write a letter about you from the perspective of your boss or co-workers, or 2.) write about what your working lunch entails.  Since my lunch is pretty boring [either run home to clean house, Wal-Mart to grocery shop or sit at my desk and catch up on sports], I thought I'd do a letter from my co-workers.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dear E,

It's been a pleasure having you in our department since your move less than a year ago.  I know one of us is brand new, but we both appreciate the hard work and dedication you put into your job.

We love that you are so knowledgeable about this university and that we can turn to you to answer a wide range of questions.  Your previous experience as a recruiter has helped us answer questions for our students without having to dig around for the answer.  We also see how your students appreciate you and turn to you for advice, which is admirable.

We also really, really appreciate all your random baking days [such as the cupcakes AND brownies you brought to work yesterday] and our random conversations about life, books and Harry Potter.  You help make this environment fun, especially on the slow days when nothing's really going on.

Thanks for bringing a new perspective, set of skills and awesome goodies to this office.  Looking forward to working with you well into the future!

Your co-workers
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Now, granted, I would say the same things about them - my co-workers are awesome, and they're so fun to work with every single day.  They help break up the monotony of the job and make the slow days fly.  Just wanted to throw that out there. :)

Happy Wednesday everyone!  Halfway through another week!

[side note: did you know there are only 45 days until christmas? oh boy!]

WMW: Honest Confessions About Motherhood

After a week or two of not participating, I'm back on the train. I love WMW. :)
The alternate title to this post is "Confessions of a Tired, Working, Frazzled Mama"...or, as the real title says, honest confessions about motherhood.  So, let's be honest for a moment, shall we?
-- When I became a mom, it was a huge surprise.  I was not prepared to be a mom, didn't know the first thing about babies...and I am pleasantly surprised that my child, who is almost 2, is still in one piece.  He's taught me SO much more than any book on parenting could ever teach me.
-- My mom helps a lot [since i'm pretty much a single mom while j is away], and she takes JJ for weekends. While I like my space and can get things done, I miss him from the second I leave to the second I pick him up.
-- I have way more respect for moms now than I ever did.  I thought motherhood was easy...psht.
-- Now that I'm a mom, people who aren't parents who say ignorant things about parenting [such as, "Oh, I don't see how you can't get your child in the bath tub; baths are fun!" or "Your kid doesn't eat veggies? It isn't that hard to fee them veggies - just shove it in their mouths and call it a day" or "I don't know why you say parenting is hard - it's just a baby!"] make me mad.  And get the side eye from me.
-- Being a working mom is the most fulfilling thing I have EVER done in my life - but it's also the hardest.  And the funny thing is, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.  I want to do it again, soon.
-- I never fully realized the value of a life until I starting caring for one of my own.  I can't tell you how many sleepless nights I've had worrying about JJ.
-- I'm another one of those moms who tries to keep her cool, but it doesn't always work.  Sometimes, I let JJ play with things for longer than normal [like the pots and pans, or the laundry doors] just so I can take a few seconds to regroup.  Some days, I let him watch SportsCenter because it's the only thing that will calm him down.  That's just the way it is.  I'm not the perfect parent, but I try my best to make my little boy happy.
-- A lot of things that shouldn't be funny that JJ does...winds up being funny.  Which makes it hard to discipline him when I'm giggling on the outside and cracking up on the inside.  Being a parent may be a tough job, but it's also full of those hilarious moments that you look back on and smile.
-- I didn't breastfeed. After four weeks of frustration and dropping weight, I quit and just strictly formula fed.  I felt a little guilty about it, but the health of my child was at risk, so I stopped.  He's just as happy and healthy as the other kids [minus battles with ear infections], so everything is fine.
I think that's all I've got for now - feel free to add your own, mommies out there. :)

WMW: Little things I love

As I've gotten older, I've started to appreciate the little things more than before.  When you're a kid, the little things don't really matter - the bigger, the better. You want the BIG Barbie play house and the BIG birthday party with the BIGGEST group of friends ever. Everything had to be big, because you weren't cool if you didn't do it big.

When I got to college, the little things started to matter again. Like...naps. And homemade cookies that were waiting when I'd come home on weekends. And sweet cards J (now husband, then boyfriend) would get me for anniversaries and special holidays. I still liked the big things, like parties and road trips, but the little things started to matter more.

Now that I'm at the point in my life where the big things involve JJ growing developmentally and H getting promotions in the Air Force, I've realized that I don't really do it big anymore - I do it small. The smaller, the better. So, here's just a sampling of the little things I love:

-- JJ's baby pictures. Oh my goodness he was the most adorable baby. I mean, he's still adorable now, but I fell so in love with him from the very beginning. We have some awesome pics of him...like this:

I hope to finish his scrapbook of his first year before the holidays so that he can flip through it at Christmas. It won't mean much to him now, but I hope it does in the future.

-- That moment in the morning where you're the only one up. It's nice and quiet. You can do the dishes, watch the news, eat a bowl of cereal...in peace. It doesn't last long - maybe 10 minutes or so - but it's oh so glorious.

-- Picking JJ up from daycare. He gets this huge smile on his face, starts to laugh, then runs into my arms. Then he starts saying his version of "Go!" and points at the door. Picking him up every day is my most favorite part of the day, hands down.

-- Getting phone calls from my dad. They usually only last a couple of minutes since reception isn't the best where he's at, but they make my day. I miss him a lot.

-- Hearing my favorite songs on the radio. Even if I've played them a million times in my own car, hearing it on the radio is just so awesome. I turn it up and belt it like nobody else can.

-- Fitting back into old clothes. I've been bouncing back and forth with the scale since I had JJ, but I think I'm finally winning the battle. Slipping back into a pair of dress pants that button makes my day.

-- Sleeping in. Even if I only get to sleep an hour later, it makes my world so much better. I never, ever sleep in anymore, so on the rare Saturday that I get to...I cherish it. Then, I get out of bed, because JJ is usually my alarm clock. :P

-- Seeing OSU tags in my hometown. My hometown is dominated by OU - which is fine. But when I see that occasional tag that's orange and black, I smile.

--  The perfect snow cone. There's a place in Lawton that makes it just the way I like it - mango with light cream. They're getting ready to close for the winter, so I'd better get another snow cone while I can!

-- Getting a morning text from my husband. If he can swing it, he texts me every morning to say hi and that he loves me. Nice way to start the day.

-- Seeing my mom interact with JJ. I'm not close to my own grandparents because I live 1,298 miles from my dad's dad; 1,473 miles from my dad's mom; and more than 3,600 miles from my mom's parents. So, for JJ to be so close to his own grandmother is just awesome. He adores her, and she adores him - she's everything I wanted for my son.

That's quite the list, so I'll leave it there for now.  I hope you all find comfort and joy in the little things, and enjoy them!

WMW: Top Ten Reasons Why I Love My Life

I missed last week's WMW, so I promised myself that I'd do it this week. The prompts are:

#1. Top Ten _________ (give us a top ten list of anything!)

#2. Best afternoon pick-me-ups.

So, I decided to do the Top 10. I present to you, Top Ten Reasons Why I Love My Life.


1. I'm a wife and a mom! That fact alone stands out above the rest. I love being both more than I could've ever imagined.


2. I have a wonderful husband who loves me for me. No relationship is perfect - and my husband and I have had our share of ups and downs over the six years we've been together. But at the end of the day, I know that he loves me, and he knows that I love him. I'm blessed to be with a man that I can honestly say I want to spend the rest of my life with. 


3. I have a fabulous job that I love. When I graduated from college and didn't go the traditional public relations route, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. But then, I started working at my alma mater and fell in love with higher education. I hope to stay in this part of the working world forever.


4. I still have my independence. I've heard too many women say that once they got married, they lost their independence and became all about their husbands. I'm not that woman. Sure, I rely on my husband for a lot of things - but being a military life, I can't get too comfortable with that, because he'll be gone a lot. It's nice to be able to have control over things and to do my own things that my friends say their men do [like balancing finances, car maintenance etc.].


5. My family and I are closer than ever. I grew up in a tight-knit family...which isn't all too common when you grow up in the military. When I was a teenager, I kinda hit that phase where I didn't really want anything to do with my family - then, I left for college and missed them like crazy. Things have been on and off rocky the past few years, but at this point in my life, I'm closer to my parents and sister than ever before. It'll be hard to leave them when we move, but I know that our relationship will only continue to get stronger. I'm so grateful to have the support system that I have.


6. I have the most awesome son a mom could want. When we found out we were having a boy, I was freaked out. I'd only had experience with girls; I had no idea how I was going to raise a son! But he's been the best thing that ever, ever, EVER happened to me. It's been an absolute joy to watch him, to compare him to how I was as a child, and to help him grow. I think no mom likes seeing their babies grow up so fast, but they love to watch them grow at the same time - I feel that way about JJ. He's the most amazing little boy ever [but, of course, i'm biased].


7. My friends are fabulous. I know a lot of people but have a small group of those people that I consider my close friends. Those people have been another fantastic support system and are absolutely amazing. A lot of the time, I have no idea how in the world I got such amazing friends.


8. We're back in the military life. Being an Army brat was great. I loved watching my dad do all of his military stuff and was so proud of everything he accomplished while he served. Now that J is an Airman, I'm very, very excited to watch him grow and mature in the Air Force. I'm also excited to see just where this journey takes us - and I'm glad we can give JJ the opportunity to explore the world as he grows up. I know that the military life can be challenging, but I'm ready to face that challenge with J.


9. I've had opportunities to do things I never thought I would. Growing up, my family was clearly middle-class. We had money to do things, but we did have some struggle times. As I've gotten older, my parents have done everything they could to give my sister and I an awesome life - which we've had. The past couple of years have opened up new doors for us. We've taken some fabulous family vacations, have gone places I never thought I'd go, have made plans to do things in the future I never thought we'd be able to do...it's been amazing.


10. I'm growing up. I know a lot of people dread getting older, but I'm enjoying it. I love being 24, and I love that 25 will bring new challenges [moving to colorado, possibly a second child] and new things into my life. My life has been a roller coaster, but right now, I'm at the top and enjoying the view. I hope to stay here forever.