And by swimming, I mean moving. We've finally figure out where we're going after this little jaunt at my parent's house. And it's not where I would've thought a month or so ago. We're heading about 100 miles south of Atlanta... to Macon! Bizarre turn of events, I know.
So it all started a few months ago. Maybe February. After the end of the sequester all of the United States Attorney offices in the country posted job announcements - all the offices needed lawyers and they wanted to fill the positions while they had money in their budgets. Being an assistant US attorney (a federal prosecutor for the United States for you non-law folks) has been one of Mr. Cob's goals for a few years now. So we talked and decided he should apply. He picked a few offices all over the country, sent in his resume, cover letter and writing samples, and then we sat back and waited. And waited some more.
Would fate bring us back to his home of Chicago or close to his parents in Grand Rapids? Maybe closer to my brother in San Diego? The US Virgin Islands would be a nice change of pace. Or perhaps our current home, Atlanta, would call and we could continue on with our regularly scheduled life while Mr. Cob put away the bad guys. We were open to any possibility, figuring we'd make a final decision once it was in front of us - no use cutting off potential jobs because of location before you're even offered something, right? Detroit was the only city I was really hesitant about even considering, but he assured me there are some upsides to the city? Admittedly, I secretly hoped someone else called before Detroit.
So for months we just waited and Mr. Cob continued applying as more jobs opened up.
Then he got a call from Savannah and we got all excited and hoped we'd be moving to the beach. Unfortunately that didn't work out. A month or so later, San Antonio called and I fell in love with the idea of canals and everything being bigger in Texas (margaritas included, right?). A great interview followed by a few weeks of waiting ended in another rejection. At this point, Mr. Cob was getting a bit down. It seemed his dream job wasn't going to happen. It'd been months since he sent out his initial batch of resumes. A few other "you were one of hundreds of well qualified applicants but unfortunately we cannot offer you an interview at this time" letters came in the mail. Hope was running out.
But the flip side of not getting a call was staying in Atlanta and continuing with our life here. We love our life here. We love our friends and I have a great job. We love the boys school and my parents are here. At the end of the day, we always knew we'd be happy to live the rest of our lives here in the A.
And then the Middle District of Georgia called. And an interview was scheduled. For my 33 birthday no less. So he went to Macon and thought the interview went well. A few weeks later they called back and asked him to come down for a second interview. He felt confident after the second interview, but wasn't ready to get excited. We'd done the excitement thing before and feared another round of rejection. I didn't even look at houses online this time (oh the restraint!). And then we found out they called his references, and we started to get excited. Then last Wednesday he got the call that has changed the course of our life: he got his dream job and I couldn't be prouder to be his wife!
He called me before formally accepting the offer and without even considering the alternative, I said yes. Of course, yes. This is a HUGE opportunity for him and there was no way we weren't going to take it. There were (and still are) a lot of unanswered questions, but I knew that we had to jump. It's what you do when you're married and your spouse needs your support. I'm not sure what this means yet for my job/career - I realize it means it will now be taking a back seat to his career, but that's OK. This decision is the best for our entire family. We'll figure out my job as we go. I know there are a lot of feminists who will think I am wrong for more or less walking away from a lucrative career, especially when you consider I'm leaving a few months before potentially being put up for partner. But like I said, it's not just about me. I'm in talks with my firm to try to work something out - part time or contract work, and hopefully that will work out. But maybe it won't and maybe that means another door will open. I no longer know the path my career will take, but I've decided that a fork in the road doesn't necessarily mean I'll hit a dead end.
I'm nervous about moving to a city where I know next to no one. I'm leaving a huge support network here of great friends, and even harder to leave are my parents. I know this won't be an easy transition. I know it will take time and effort for me to make friends. I know it could be isolating moving and staying home with two small children should that be my fate. I know I am going to be have to put myself out there, which is scary.
But I also know that everything is going to work out. I'm so excited for this adventure with my husband and our boys. I'm excited to find our next house and make it a home. I'm excited to explore a new town and hopefully fall in love with all it has to offer. But yes, I'm also scared as hell. Change is frightening, but change can also be amazing. So here's hoping this change is for the best!
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Julian's Birth Story
My littlest baby, Julian, turned 3 months old a few weeks ago. So I figure it's high time I jot down his birth story before I forget it....
So going back in time to Friday, July 12. I went to work that day expecting to go back to work the following Monday. I was only 39 weeks and 3 days at that point. Lukas was born at 40 weeks plus 3 days so I figured I might as well get comfortable. I even had Mr. Cob snap a picture of my growing belly that night.
And here's Mr. Cob...ha
At 6:30 the nurse came in to say my OB wanted to start me on pitocin since nothing was really progressing. I asked if we could give it 30 more minutes to see if things would pick up on their own. She agreed. Nothing progressed. So they started the pitocin. (Which, if you're keeping score, I'm now 2 for 2 on the pit front. Oh well.) Around this point someone checked me and I was like 3 cm, so not much progress.
My OB came in around 8:30 to check on things. The pitocin had made the contractions pick up in timing, but they still weren't of the painful variety. She checked me and said I was closer to 4cm. She then broke my water. Now, let's talk about this for a second. I had thought I felt some leaking before the big water breaking event, but chalked it up to wishful thinking. Well after the water breaking (the big gush variety), which took her some time (we think his head was really low and was preventing the water from breaking on its own), things started to pick up. As in I went from totally cool and in no pain to having to breathe through the contractions and really concentrate in the span of 30 minutes. By 9:30am I was in some serious pain, but still breathing through. By 9:45am I lost my mind and was screaming for drugs.
The anesthesiologist was called and on his way. This did not change the fact that I completely lost it from about 9:45am -10am. The pain was too intense. My nurse (Katherine Hill, who just happens to have the same name as my BFF) was INCREDIBLE. And so was Mr. Cob. If it wasn't for them I'm not sure I could've made it through that 30 minute span before the doc gave me the epidural. It was rough. The contractions were very intense and very close together. I do think the hypnobirthing techniques I learned with Lukas (and practiced during my nightly meditations before bed this go around) helped keep the pain at bay for as long as it did and helped me somewhat breathe through the really bad contractions.
Finally the doc with the goods arrived to get rid of the pain.
But I lost it again when he was there because the mere thought of a needle in my spine sends me over the edge. Thankfully he was quick and painless (seriously, the insertion of the epidural did NOT hurt). And within 5 minutes the pain was gone completely. BUT, the pressure started before the anesthesiologist even left the room. The pressure down there. You know, there there. I mentioned it to the nurse and the anesthesiologist and they just figured it was nothing.
Well it wasn't nothing. Thirty minutes later (about 11am) the nurse was back to check me. I looked at her like she was crazy because I knew nothing had happened since the last time I was checked. Wrong. Ten centimeters baby! It was time to go. (Sidenote: if there is a baby #3, and I'm not saying there will be, I will ask to be checked once more before getting the epidural. Looking back, I think I was probably in transition when I got the epidural. I am not crazy or against the epidural, but if I'd known the finish line was so close, I think I would have opted to skip the epidural ONLY because it took seemingly forever to wear off this time and I couldn't walk for hours after delivering J.) So at eleven am I was ready to go but my OB was not there. The nurse called to tell her it was time, like N.O.W.
So my OB arrived around 11:15 and got set up. And when she was ready I started pushing. (We need another sidenote at this point. There were only 4 people in the room for the pushing this time: my OB, Katie Hill the nurse, my hubby and me. With Lukas there was about 12 people in the room. Seriously. The was meconium when my water broke so the neonatal care team was brought in. I hadn't realized with Lukas that if there are no reasons to suspect complications, there are very few people in the room. I much preferred only having 3 spectators!) So back to the pushing. I pushed three, maybe four times and out he came.
It's true what they say, your heart simply expands and you truly can love another child as much as your first. I did not believe this until I saw Julian for the first time. We are truly blessed to have him in our lives and it's hard to think of our family before him. It simply feels like he has always been a part of it.
So going back in time to Friday, July 12. I went to work that day expecting to go back to work the following Monday. I was only 39 weeks and 3 days at that point. Lukas was born at 40 weeks plus 3 days so I figured I might as well get comfortable. I even had Mr. Cob snap a picture of my growing belly that night.
 |
| 39 weeks + 3 day belly |
We woke up Saturday morning and went about our day. We did something for breakfast, donuts maybe? (See I'm already forgetting). And then we went to the bank. I decided I should probably cook some food to freeze for after the baby arrived so we then headed off to the Farmers Market. I didn't really want to go but we'd already made the fatal mistake of mentioning the farmers market to Lukas so there was no way we weren't going after that. So off we went. It was at some point in the late morning that I noticed the contractions. Nothing painful. Nothing consistent. On we went with our day.
Our good friends' son was having his first birthday party that afternoon so after cooking a few meals in the early afternoon we headed over for the party. Sitting in the car I realized the contractions were somewhat timeable. About every 7-8 minutes. I was still unconvinced.
I spent all afternoon chatting with friends at the party and watching Lukas and his friends play, so I didn't really notice the contractions. But on the car ride home (around 6:30pm) they began again. Every 7 or so minutes again. We got home and put Lukas to bed and I figured I'd cook the rest of my freezer meals in an effort to distract myself. Finally around 9pm, with contractions hanging around every 7 minutes, we decided to call my parents to give them a heads up and said they could come over if they wanted. My mom said there's no way she could sleep now knowing the real thing might be happening, so they decided to head over.
They arrived a little after 10pm. Mom helped me finish making enchiladas while dad and Mr. Cob watched TV. Lukas continued snoozing away, unaware that anything was happening. The contractions were about 6 minutes apart but not painful. I took a bath at one point to relax and thought about laying down for a bit but everyone else was more concerned than I was and around midnight Mr. Cob convinced me to call my OB. My OB said that I could head to the hospital at any time, but it sounded to her like things were happening! I was still not convinced. (Sidenote, I LOVE my OB. As in, may have another baby just to hang out with her on a regular basis again. Even though I had clearly woken her up from a deep sleep, she chatted with me on the phone for 10 minutes, at midnight, about how excited she was that my little boy was finally coming. I mean, really, she is Fabulous!)
So at that point I decided to actually pack a hospital bag and we left around 2am for Northside. Eerily it was the same time we went to the hospital for Lukas' birth. I was convinced we were in for a long labor (remember Lukas wasn't born until almost 3pm the next day). And I still wasn't even uncomfortable. I thought we'd get to the hospital and be turned back for a false alarm. Before I go any further I need to make note of what has now become one of my favorite parts of being in labor - the car ride to the hospital with my husband. We are both so giddy and excited and we sing very loudly to fun music. It's just a burst of fun before the "labor" part of labor begins.
We arrive at the hospital and a sweet security guard asks if I need a wheelchair. I do not. (I'm still convinced this isn't happening). We check in and wait for the nurse to take us back to our room. We get in our room (one without a window) and I get hooked up to the fetal monitor. In case I didn't mention it with Lukas, the fetal monitor is one of the most uncomfortable parts about the whole thing. They wrap a band tightly around your gigantic belly and the thing is so tight it leaves marks. I hate it. Anyway, she checked my progress (about 2-3 cm) and confirmed that the contractions were about 6 minutes apart, so we were staying. The real deal had truly begun!
Then the nurse left and said she'd be back and to try to rest. Mr. Cob passed out on the "sofabed" and I got a little sleep myself. I could only get comfortable on my side though, and they lost the baby's heartbeat every time I laid on my side so eventually around 6am I had to turn back over. I was still in no pain at this point. I noticed the contractions but didn't have to breathe through them or anything.
Here I am after my night's "sleep"....
My OB came in around 8:30 to check on things. The pitocin had made the contractions pick up in timing, but they still weren't of the painful variety. She checked me and said I was closer to 4cm. She then broke my water. Now, let's talk about this for a second. I had thought I felt some leaking before the big water breaking event, but chalked it up to wishful thinking. Well after the water breaking (the big gush variety), which took her some time (we think his head was really low and was preventing the water from breaking on its own), things started to pick up. As in I went from totally cool and in no pain to having to breathe through the contractions and really concentrate in the span of 30 minutes. By 9:30am I was in some serious pain, but still breathing through. By 9:45am I lost my mind and was screaming for drugs.
The anesthesiologist was called and on his way. This did not change the fact that I completely lost it from about 9:45am -10am. The pain was too intense. My nurse (Katherine Hill, who just happens to have the same name as my BFF) was INCREDIBLE. And so was Mr. Cob. If it wasn't for them I'm not sure I could've made it through that 30 minute span before the doc gave me the epidural. It was rough. The contractions were very intense and very close together. I do think the hypnobirthing techniques I learned with Lukas (and practiced during my nightly meditations before bed this go around) helped keep the pain at bay for as long as it did and helped me somewhat breathe through the really bad contractions.
Finally the doc with the goods arrived to get rid of the pain.
But I lost it again when he was there because the mere thought of a needle in my spine sends me over the edge. Thankfully he was quick and painless (seriously, the insertion of the epidural did NOT hurt). And within 5 minutes the pain was gone completely. BUT, the pressure started before the anesthesiologist even left the room. The pressure down there. You know, there there. I mentioned it to the nurse and the anesthesiologist and they just figured it was nothing.
Well it wasn't nothing. Thirty minutes later (about 11am) the nurse was back to check me. I looked at her like she was crazy because I knew nothing had happened since the last time I was checked. Wrong. Ten centimeters baby! It was time to go. (Sidenote: if there is a baby #3, and I'm not saying there will be, I will ask to be checked once more before getting the epidural. Looking back, I think I was probably in transition when I got the epidural. I am not crazy or against the epidural, but if I'd known the finish line was so close, I think I would have opted to skip the epidural ONLY because it took seemingly forever to wear off this time and I couldn't walk for hours after delivering J.) So at eleven am I was ready to go but my OB was not there. The nurse called to tell her it was time, like N.O.W.
So my OB arrived around 11:15 and got set up. And when she was ready I started pushing. (We need another sidenote at this point. There were only 4 people in the room for the pushing this time: my OB, Katie Hill the nurse, my hubby and me. With Lukas there was about 12 people in the room. Seriously. The was meconium when my water broke so the neonatal care team was brought in. I hadn't realized with Lukas that if there are no reasons to suspect complications, there are very few people in the room. I much preferred only having 3 spectators!) So back to the pushing. I pushed three, maybe four times and out he came.
It's true what they say, your heart simply expands and you truly can love another child as much as your first. I did not believe this until I saw Julian for the first time. We are truly blessed to have him in our lives and it's hard to think of our family before him. It simply feels like he has always been a part of it.
 |
| Julian Rhys |
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
My Solemn Vow: 4 Years Later
Mr. Cob and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary this past week. It is possible that I deserted him on our actual day while in Boston visiting an old friend. The day came and went with little fanfare this year - we didn't even exchange cards. Mr. Cob wished me happy anniversary over my voicemail. Our gift to each other is a week long vacation sans the kiddo in October.
Even though we weren't physically together on our anniversary this year, my heart still smiled. I love August 31st each year because it's the date I committed myself to another person. Four years ago on August 31 Mr. Cob and I looked in each other's eyes and said "lets do this!" And each August 31st is a reminder to me of those vows I took and a time to recommit myself to our life together. We're in this for the long haul. There is no out. We're clear on that point.
But it's not always easy, this marriage thing. There are moments we don't like each other. There have been whole days we don't want to talk to one another. There are weeks we are tense around the house. And I'm sure in the future there will be rough months and perhaps even years. Sometimes we need a reminder that we love each other. We need to remember what it was that made us fall in love with one another. We need to recall those feelings we had when our love was still fresh and new.
Which is why I love August 31st. It brings me back to Pine Mountain, Georgia where I cried and stuttered my way through vows that I wrote myself. It reminds me that I promised to cherish this man. I promised to love him. I promised to support him. I promised to listen to him. For all the days of my life.
And he promised to make me laugh. He promised a whole bunch of other things too, but this promise is the one that I cling to. The one that ensures me that we can get through any rough patch. The promise that will be there once beauty and youth fades.
He has held tight to this promise and he has delivered. I am a lucky woman to be married to this man who makes me laugh. I am a lucky woman to be married to this man who approaches fatherhood with laughter (and the joy that cannot help but accompany laughter). I am a lucky woman who laughs often. I am a lucky woman.
Even though we weren't physically together on our anniversary this year, my heart still smiled. I love August 31st each year because it's the date I committed myself to another person. Four years ago on August 31 Mr. Cob and I looked in each other's eyes and said "lets do this!" And each August 31st is a reminder to me of those vows I took and a time to recommit myself to our life together. We're in this for the long haul. There is no out. We're clear on that point.
But it's not always easy, this marriage thing. There are moments we don't like each other. There have been whole days we don't want to talk to one another. There are weeks we are tense around the house. And I'm sure in the future there will be rough months and perhaps even years. Sometimes we need a reminder that we love each other. We need to remember what it was that made us fall in love with one another. We need to recall those feelings we had when our love was still fresh and new.
Which is why I love August 31st. It brings me back to Pine Mountain, Georgia where I cried and stuttered my way through vows that I wrote myself. It reminds me that I promised to cherish this man. I promised to love him. I promised to support him. I promised to listen to him. For all the days of my life.
And he promised to make me laugh. He promised a whole bunch of other things too, but this promise is the one that I cling to. The one that ensures me that we can get through any rough patch. The promise that will be there once beauty and youth fades.
He has held tight to this promise and he has delivered. I am a lucky woman to be married to this man who makes me laugh. I am a lucky woman to be married to this man who approaches fatherhood with laughter (and the joy that cannot help but accompany laughter). I am a lucky woman who laughs often. I am a lucky woman.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Up's Day
Today is a very special man's birthday. Today is Up's birthday. (And if you're a new reader, I should explain that UP is my dad. He now goes by Up because both of his grandsons call him Up. Lukas also raises his hands in the air (i.e. UP) when we talk about him. It's cute.)
Many years ago he told me that your age goes in reverse when you hit 50. It's always been our little joke. By this method of calculating age, daddy and I turn the same age this year - 31!
For his birthday, here are some of my favorite memories/factoids of my daddy (in totally random order):
1. When I was little and had a loose tooth, he would tie one end of the dental floss around the tooth and the other end around a door knob and then slam the door. I loved it.
2. He was my first date to a dance - the daddy daughter dance when I was in first grade. It was western themed.
3. He tried to teach me to parallel park when I was 15 and we didn't speak to each other on the car ride home. It did not go well.
4. He bought me a Barbie once I could juggle the soccer ball 5 times.
5. He may or may not have influenced my decision to go to UGA (where my tuition was free thanks to the Hope Scholarship) by promising me a car. And I may or may not have lured him to Carmax under the pretense that I wanted a 0% interest Mitsubishi only to fall in love with a used BMW when we got there.
6. When I graduated from high school he said he was proud of me since he hadn't actually graduated from high school himself and this made me laugh and smile. (He has a GED and an MBA!)
7. We share a mutual love of the movies Groundhog Day, Dirty Dancing and What about Bob. My mom does not share this feeling.
8. The morning of my wedding, we had breakfast together - just the two of us.
9. He has given me an angel figurine every year for years.
10. His other name, aside from daddy and Up, is Narf Erasec.
11. We sing a pretty mean version of Palisades Park.
12. He has always been my biggest supporter in everything I've done.
Happy Birthday daddy. I love you!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Love Notes
In honor of Valentine's Day, I wanted to spread some love.
To my husband, Mr. Cob: I love you with my whole heart. You take me for who I am and love me for all my flaws. I love laughing with you and learning how to parent with you. I love the person you are today and I adore the dad you are to our son. Thanks for being my valentine - 7 years and counting!
To my son, Lukas: I love your smile. You remind me to laugh and dance and enjoy the very moment I am in. You have brightened up my soul in ways I did not know where possible. I love teaching you new words and singing you silly songs. I love rocking you to sleep at night and snuggling with you each morning. I love being your momma.
To my momma: You are the best role model a woman could ask for. You have shown me how to be a mom and how to love unconditionally. I love the relationship we have developed. Thank you for all you do for me and my family and all those that you love.
To my daddy: I love watching you read with Lukas. It brings a smile to my face every time Lukas says "UP" and raises his hands in the air. I love that he runs up to you and asks you to pick him "up"! I love the way you've always supported me in everything I've ever done.
To my big brother: I love that I'm going to see you in just two and a half weeks!!! I love that you're following your dream of opening your own PT practice and that you're an amazing dad. You're the best big brother.
To my girlfriends (you know who you are): I love you girls. My life is better because I have you. Y'all make me feel sane and normal. I may not see some of you as often as I'd like, or talk to you as often as we should, but I love that I have so many amazing, loving, kind, thoughtful, strong and smart women in my life. I'm a lucky girl.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day filled with love. Be it romantic love, friend-love or family love. After all, love is all there is.
To my husband, Mr. Cob: I love you with my whole heart. You take me for who I am and love me for all my flaws. I love laughing with you and learning how to parent with you. I love the person you are today and I adore the dad you are to our son. Thanks for being my valentine - 7 years and counting!
To my son, Lukas: I love your smile. You remind me to laugh and dance and enjoy the very moment I am in. You have brightened up my soul in ways I did not know where possible. I love teaching you new words and singing you silly songs. I love rocking you to sleep at night and snuggling with you each morning. I love being your momma.
To my momma: You are the best role model a woman could ask for. You have shown me how to be a mom and how to love unconditionally. I love the relationship we have developed. Thank you for all you do for me and my family and all those that you love.
To my daddy: I love watching you read with Lukas. It brings a smile to my face every time Lukas says "UP" and raises his hands in the air. I love that he runs up to you and asks you to pick him "up"! I love the way you've always supported me in everything I've ever done.
To my big brother: I love that I'm going to see you in just two and a half weeks!!! I love that you're following your dream of opening your own PT practice and that you're an amazing dad. You're the best big brother.
To my girlfriends (you know who you are): I love you girls. My life is better because I have you. Y'all make me feel sane and normal. I may not see some of you as often as I'd like, or talk to you as often as we should, but I love that I have so many amazing, loving, kind, thoughtful, strong and smart women in my life. I'm a lucky girl.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day filled with love. Be it romantic love, friend-love or family love. After all, love is all there is.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Simply Unimaginable
I had prayed I wouldn't have to write this post. But sometimes the power of prayer just isn't enough. God has different plans.
My friends Emily and Chris lost their 9 month old son Marco this morning. Within a little over two weeks he first showed signs of being sick, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. It is not fair. He was such a sweet soul with a beautiful smile. He was just a little baby.
There are no words to make this "better" or spin this tragedy. I'm trying to stay positive, but that's very hard to do when you can't make sense of something. I like to believe that everything happens for a reason, but today I don't know what that reason is. God works in mysterious ways, but I'd like to ask him "why?" on this one.
I pray that Marco's momma and daddy have strength to get through unimaginable time. Please keep them in your prayers and thoughts and send them love.
Please hug and kiss on your family a little tighter and a little longer than usual tonight. Make that phone call to whoever it is you've been holding off calling for whatever reason. Say you're sorry to whoever you've wronged. Reach out to that friend you haven't been in touch with. Be kind to both neighbor and stranger alike. Call your momma just to tell her you love her.
Life is truly precious and too often we take it for granted.
Sweet Marco, I know you're an angel in Heaven now, safe in the arms of God. You will be missed by so many.
My friends Emily and Chris lost their 9 month old son Marco this morning. Within a little over two weeks he first showed signs of being sick, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. It is not fair. He was such a sweet soul with a beautiful smile. He was just a little baby.
There are no words to make this "better" or spin this tragedy. I'm trying to stay positive, but that's very hard to do when you can't make sense of something. I like to believe that everything happens for a reason, but today I don't know what that reason is. God works in mysterious ways, but I'd like to ask him "why?" on this one.
I pray that Marco's momma and daddy have strength to get through unimaginable time. Please keep them in your prayers and thoughts and send them love.
Please hug and kiss on your family a little tighter and a little longer than usual tonight. Make that phone call to whoever it is you've been holding off calling for whatever reason. Say you're sorry to whoever you've wronged. Reach out to that friend you haven't been in touch with. Be kind to both neighbor and stranger alike. Call your momma just to tell her you love her.
Life is truly precious and too often we take it for granted.
Sweet Marco, I know you're an angel in Heaven now, safe in the arms of God. You will be missed by so many.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
What Do I Say After That?
I've sat down to write a few posts in the past week since my last one, but nothing seemed "right". Every topic seemed cavalier compared to what my two friends were going through. It seemed almost rude to follow up a post about two babies in the hospital with a post about what my silly baby is doing. My heart goes out to these two families and I’ve also felt a tinge of guilt for having a healthy child myself. Which, I know, is silly. But I love these friends dearly and keep praying that both kiddos will be ok. Seeing these parents deal with what they have been has made me reevaluate what is important in life and spend as much time as possible with my loved ones.
The taller one and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary last week. Well, we had it. We're celebrating this week. Our usual babysitters were in California visiting my brother so we postponed our dinner out and gift-giving a few days. We stick with the traditional wedding gifts, so we'll see what leather gifts we each come up with this year...
Oh and we broke our anniversary tradition. (Can you call it a tradition if you've only done it two years?) We've watched our wedding video every year on our anniversary. But neither one of us remembered this year. At all. Until two days later, at which point it was too late. The tradition was broken. I think we'll pick it up again next year. Or not.
As for the shorter little dude. He will be TEN months old in a few days. Two days to be exact. (Where did the time go?) He decided he'd start walking this weekend! At first he'd just walk from the ottoman to the couch (2 steps). And by walk, I mean teeter. And then last night he definitely took 4 steps to give me a hug! I love my little man. And I love my big man. I'm a lucky girl having these two guys in my life. They make me smile.
Speaking of my loved ones – look at these two sweet guys:
Oh and we broke our anniversary tradition. (Can you call it a tradition if you've only done it two years?) We've watched our wedding video every year on our anniversary. But neither one of us remembered this year. At all. Until two days later, at which point it was too late. The tradition was broken. I think we'll pick it up again next year. Or not.
As for the shorter little dude. He will be TEN months old in a few days. Two days to be exact. (Where did the time go?) He decided he'd start walking this weekend! At first he'd just walk from the ottoman to the couch (2 steps). And by walk, I mean teeter. And then last night he definitely took 4 steps to give me a hug! I love my little man. And I love my big man. I'm a lucky girl having these two guys in my life. They make me smile.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Whoever Your God
I don't tend to get too religious or spiritual on here very often. I do need to update everyone on our Church Search, as I'm happy to report it has finally come to an end and we've found a church that both Mr. Cob and I are happy attending. But that is not what this post is about.
This post is about the power of prayer. Which I wholeheartedly believe in. And this post is about reaching as many people as I can to request your prayers for some friends. We have two different friends who have babies in the hospital right now. And they could both use some prayers and happy, love filled thoughts sent their way.
So whoever your God is, if you could add these two sweet souls and their families to your prayer list, it'd mean a lot.
Baby Ella was born last Friday a few weeks early (6.5 to be exact). She's a little thing and is in the NICU right now. Her mama is one of the strongest women I know, so I have no doubt that Ella is a fighter and will get to go home soon. Baby girl, we're all behind you, cheering you on! Her mama will likely get discharged from the hospital today and so I'm sending her love too as I know it will be hard to leave without her new baby.
Baby Marco is almost 9 months old and his mom and I became friends when we were pregnant (we actually met through Ella's mom). Marco and Lukas started daycare together and his parents have become good friends of ours over the past year. Marco has had some health scares in the past that were pinpointed to serious food allergies. But he's now in the hospital and the doctors don't know yet what is wrong, but they're working hard to figure it out.
I can't imagine what it is like to have your little baby in the hospital, but I know that the support of friends and family and even strangers can't hurt. So please send these two families some love.
And hold on tight to the ones you love a little longer than usual today. Life is so precious.
This post is about the power of prayer. Which I wholeheartedly believe in. And this post is about reaching as many people as I can to request your prayers for some friends. We have two different friends who have babies in the hospital right now. And they could both use some prayers and happy, love filled thoughts sent their way.
So whoever your God is, if you could add these two sweet souls and their families to your prayer list, it'd mean a lot.
Baby Ella was born last Friday a few weeks early (6.5 to be exact). She's a little thing and is in the NICU right now. Her mama is one of the strongest women I know, so I have no doubt that Ella is a fighter and will get to go home soon. Baby girl, we're all behind you, cheering you on! Her mama will likely get discharged from the hospital today and so I'm sending her love too as I know it will be hard to leave without her new baby.
Baby Marco is almost 9 months old and his mom and I became friends when we were pregnant (we actually met through Ella's mom). Marco and Lukas started daycare together and his parents have become good friends of ours over the past year. Marco has had some health scares in the past that were pinpointed to serious food allergies. But he's now in the hospital and the doctors don't know yet what is wrong, but they're working hard to figure it out.
I can't imagine what it is like to have your little baby in the hospital, but I know that the support of friends and family and even strangers can't hurt. So please send these two families some love.
And hold on tight to the ones you love a little longer than usual today. Life is so precious.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Back in Balance
Luckily my woe-is-me moment of last week was fleeting and I snapped back into seeing life with rosy glasses rather quickly. I'm blaming my slip into the blahs on the hormones. Yup, I'm still blaming the hormones. (I'm still breastfeeding, so the hormones that went insane while I was pregnant have yet to restablize. My new plan is to continue nursing until I get pregnant again so that I can continue blaming the hormones for any of my strange behavior for the next few years. I'm only half kidding...)
How can I not have a smile on my face with this silly dude in my life????
I was also reminded this weekend how great of friends and family I have. Friday night after work I spent a few hours with my parents, grandma and Lukas. I love that they are close and I really love that my grandma is staying in Georgia for the foreseeable future (I haven't told y'all this have I? Hum, Ok, well tack that on to the blog posts I need to write. Here's the would-be-title: "Grandma J is not going back, back to Cali, Cali!" (which is really a factually wrong title since she never lived in Cali, but you'll overlook that in the interest of a catchy blog title, right? Thanks.)). I also had a long talk with my brother this weekend and while he did move back, back to Cali, Cali (am I annoying you yet?), I'm glad we've stayed close, though I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish on a daily basis that he and Stuie lived around the corner. Maybe one day. Maybe I'll move back, back to Cali, Cali (yup, I've now annoyed myself. I'll stop now, I promise. And no, we have no current intention of moving across the country.) I love my family.
And my friends rock too. We caught up with a handful of friends this weekend and it was good for my soul. Everyone left our house after a cookout yesterday and I turned to Mr. Cob and said "We have some really good people here." And he agreed. I love my people. Thanks to all of you who are my people. You mean a lot to me!
How can I not have a smile on my face with this silly dude in my life????
I was also reminded this weekend how great of friends and family I have. Friday night after work I spent a few hours with my parents, grandma and Lukas. I love that they are close and I really love that my grandma is staying in Georgia for the foreseeable future (I haven't told y'all this have I? Hum, Ok, well tack that on to the blog posts I need to write. Here's the would-be-title: "Grandma J is not going back, back to Cali, Cali!" (which is really a factually wrong title since she never lived in Cali, but you'll overlook that in the interest of a catchy blog title, right? Thanks.)). I also had a long talk with my brother this weekend and while he did move back, back to Cali, Cali (am I annoying you yet?), I'm glad we've stayed close, though I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish on a daily basis that he and Stuie lived around the corner. Maybe one day. Maybe I'll move back, back to Cali, Cali (yup, I've now annoyed myself. I'll stop now, I promise. And no, we have no current intention of moving across the country.) I love my family.
And my friends rock too. We caught up with a handful of friends this weekend and it was good for my soul. Everyone left our house after a cookout yesterday and I turned to Mr. Cob and said "We have some really good people here." And he agreed. I love my people. Thanks to all of you who are my people. You mean a lot to me!
Friday, April 15, 2011
2 Parents, 2 Ways
The little man's fruncles are in town visiting. What's a fruncle you ask? A fruncle is an honorary uncle. A close male friend of a child's parents. Friend-Uncle = Fruncle. Get it? I don't know who coined the phrase, either Mr. Cob or one of the fruncles, but regardless, some one said it and it stuck.
Mr. Cob's two best childhood friends are the two fruncles who are visiting right now. Mr. Cob has been looking forward to their visit for months. And now they're here. Today they are home brewing cherry beer while I go to work. They decided to keep the little man at home for the day rather than send him to school. I asked Mr. Cob if he was sure he could handle watching him, brewing beer and doing whatever else guys do. He reassured me that they'd be fine by telling me there were three of them, and one of Lukas, so not to worry.
My first thought was to worry. The fruncles are both single and kid-less. Neither of them have spent too much time around a baby, so I don't know how much help they'll be in the "taking care of baby" part. But Mr. Cob will be home all day. Mr. Cob is Lukas' father. So I shouldn't be concerned at all about Lukas spending the whole day in his daddy's care. But a small part of me is. And I realized its because Mr. Cob has not spent an entire day with Lukas alone yet. I guess I fear he doesn't know what to do with him. But he's a smart man and what he doesn't know, he can figure out.
If I'm really being honest, the problem is that I know they'll be fine, but I'm pretty sure Mr. Cob won't do things with Lukas the way that I would do them. And I need to be OK with that. I need to realize that Mr. Cob is Lukas' daddy and he loves Lukas just as much as I do. He will do what he thinks is best for him. And while his parenting style may be different than mine, that's OK. (And yes, you can have a "parenting style" with a 5 month old. Really, you can.) Lukas won't be harmed or worse off if he naps in his swing rather than in his crib. And his belly will be full whether he eats his cereal at 10am or 11:30am. Or if he doesn't eat cereal at all and just has milk.
I need to relinquish control and give Mr. Cob the opportunity to take care of him. I don't think I do this enough. For instance in the middle of the night if Mr. Cob goes downstairs to try to soothe Lukas back to sleep, I can't help but stare at the monitor and eventually go down there and "help". I'm sure this is frustrating to Mr. Cob. He doesn't even have the chance to succeed. I guess I always think that I'm right and that I know what is best. But in reality, I don't. I'm just guessing most of the time.
But today is different. Today Mr. Cob is on his own. I'm not there even if he does need or want my help. I'm forced to stay away by virtue of distance. I can't step in if I think Mr. Cob isn't doing something "my way". I know they'll be fine, but oh what I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall!
Mr. Cob's two best childhood friends are the two fruncles who are visiting right now. Mr. Cob has been looking forward to their visit for months. And now they're here. Today they are home brewing cherry beer while I go to work. They decided to keep the little man at home for the day rather than send him to school. I asked Mr. Cob if he was sure he could handle watching him, brewing beer and doing whatever else guys do. He reassured me that they'd be fine by telling me there were three of them, and one of Lukas, so not to worry.
My first thought was to worry. The fruncles are both single and kid-less. Neither of them have spent too much time around a baby, so I don't know how much help they'll be in the "taking care of baby" part. But Mr. Cob will be home all day. Mr. Cob is Lukas' father. So I shouldn't be concerned at all about Lukas spending the whole day in his daddy's care. But a small part of me is. And I realized its because Mr. Cob has not spent an entire day with Lukas alone yet. I guess I fear he doesn't know what to do with him. But he's a smart man and what he doesn't know, he can figure out.
If I'm really being honest, the problem is that I know they'll be fine, but I'm pretty sure Mr. Cob won't do things with Lukas the way that I would do them. And I need to be OK with that. I need to realize that Mr. Cob is Lukas' daddy and he loves Lukas just as much as I do. He will do what he thinks is best for him. And while his parenting style may be different than mine, that's OK. (And yes, you can have a "parenting style" with a 5 month old. Really, you can.) Lukas won't be harmed or worse off if he naps in his swing rather than in his crib. And his belly will be full whether he eats his cereal at 10am or 11:30am. Or if he doesn't eat cereal at all and just has milk.
I need to relinquish control and give Mr. Cob the opportunity to take care of him. I don't think I do this enough. For instance in the middle of the night if Mr. Cob goes downstairs to try to soothe Lukas back to sleep, I can't help but stare at the monitor and eventually go down there and "help". I'm sure this is frustrating to Mr. Cob. He doesn't even have the chance to succeed. I guess I always think that I'm right and that I know what is best. But in reality, I don't. I'm just guessing most of the time.
But today is different. Today Mr. Cob is on his own. I'm not there even if he does need or want my help. I'm forced to stay away by virtue of distance. I can't step in if I think Mr. Cob isn't doing something "my way". I know they'll be fine, but oh what I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Baby Music
I am a sap. A total sap. I started crying on the way to take Lukas to "school" this morning as we were listening to his "baby music". I wasn't sad about taking him to school. I was just humbled by the whole baby thing. I have a baby. This child is mine. And it is the most amazing thing in the entire world.
And I have to be honest, I kind of enjoy listening to his baby music more than the radio these days. The songs are just so sweet and happy.
The two that got me this morning are by Renee & Jeremy
The first song is called "Night Manta" - its a simple little song, but it chokes me up every time. The lyrics are:
I will be your home
I will be your guide
I will be your friend
always on your side
sleep now in your room
quiet of the night
surrounded by the moon
till you see the light
You can listen to the song here. It is just so sweet and simple, yet says so much about how I feel being Lukas' mother. The one line: I will be your home, is really so powerful. I'm tearing up now just thinking about it.
The other song from their album It's a Big World that I love is called, Welcome to this World :
I don't mean to shake your slumber
Lying there you look so sweet
Before the birds begin to wonder
Rise my love and follow me
(Chorus)
Welcome to this world
Wether you are ready or not
Welcome to this world
Come give it all that you got
Before you know it you'll be
Singing right back to me
Welcome to this world
I'm sure you are happy in your safe haven
Where there is nothing that you dont know
But you could spend your whole life there waiting
So don't be afraid
Come on let's go
Future's knocking at your front door
So much for you to see
But if you are looking for something more
Come on baby
Breath this moment through your eyes
Treat each moment like a prize
(Chorus)
Oh Yeah, welcome to this world,
Welcome to this world
I just love it. If you have kiddos, especially a little baby, I highly recommend this cd. I also am loving the song Little Red Caboose by Lisa Loeb (yes, that Lisa Loeb).
Oh, and here's a gratuitous Friday picture of Lukas - his daddy is in Arizona watching the Cubs play in spring training, so we thought we'd cheer them on from afar! (Lukas wasn't quite awake yet....)
And I have to be honest, I kind of enjoy listening to his baby music more than the radio these days. The songs are just so sweet and happy.
The two that got me this morning are by Renee & Jeremy
The first song is called "Night Manta" - its a simple little song, but it chokes me up every time. The lyrics are:
I will be your home
I will be your guide
I will be your friend
always on your side
sleep now in your room
quiet of the night
surrounded by the moon
till you see the light
You can listen to the song here. It is just so sweet and simple, yet says so much about how I feel being Lukas' mother. The one line: I will be your home, is really so powerful. I'm tearing up now just thinking about it.
The other song from their album It's a Big World that I love is called, Welcome to this World :
I don't mean to shake your slumber
Lying there you look so sweet
Before the birds begin to wonder
Rise my love and follow me
(Chorus)
Welcome to this world
Wether you are ready or not
Welcome to this world
Come give it all that you got
Before you know it you'll be
Singing right back to me
Welcome to this world
I'm sure you are happy in your safe haven
Where there is nothing that you dont know
But you could spend your whole life there waiting
So don't be afraid
Come on let's go
Future's knocking at your front door
So much for you to see
But if you are looking for something more
Come on baby
Breath this moment through your eyes
Treat each moment like a prize
(Chorus)
Oh Yeah, welcome to this world,
Welcome to this world
I just love it. If you have kiddos, especially a little baby, I highly recommend this cd. I also am loving the song Little Red Caboose by Lisa Loeb (yes, that Lisa Loeb).
Oh, and here's a gratuitous Friday picture of Lukas - his daddy is in Arizona watching the Cubs play in spring training, so we thought we'd cheer them on from afar! (Lukas wasn't quite awake yet....)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Bro
There are many words I could use to describe myself at any given time. And the word changes often depending on my day or situation. But there is one word that has constantly applied to me since the day I was born: little sister. (Ok, that was two words.) I have just one sibling. My big brother B.
He is three years, three months and four days older than me. And since I can remember, I have looked up to my brother. Sure we had your normal sibling rivalry growing up, but I've always loved him.
B and I have been through a lot together over the years. When I was eight years old we moved across the country from California to Virginia. He was the only person I knew aside from my two cousins who lived in the town. He was my playmate, my friend, my protector. A few years later our family experienced a random, traumatic event (especially traumatic for a ten year old little girl). A construction worker building the house next door to ours burglarized our house, but my father returned home in the middle of the robbery. My dad, being the smart, quick-thinking man that he is, wrote down the license plate number of the car parked in the driveway. Luckily my dad was not hurt and the men just left the house and thanks to dad's quick thinking, the police were able to track the license plate number and find the men. The night before the trial for the burglary one of the men came back to our house and shot multiple gun shots at our house. One of the bullets penetrated the front wall of the house and stopped at the wall that lead into my bedroom, on the wall where I was sleeping in my bed. Again, luckily no one was injured, but I was traumatized. I couldn't sleep alone for months. So my big brother let me sleep in the extra twin bed in his room. He did all he could to make me feel safe again.
We then moved to Massachusetts before I began the sixth grade. Again, I knew no one and B was my only friend. As a freshman in high school, most big brothers wouldn't want anything to do with their little bratty sister, but not B. He was always there for me. He came to my swim meets to support me and drove me around when he got his license. But then in 1996 he graduated high school and moved to Richmond to attend college and I moved to Georgia, where I again knew no one. But this move was different because my big brother wasn't there with me. It was by far the hardest move we made. But we stayed in touch and have only grown closer over the years.
I was lucky enough to live in the same town with B for a few years after law school. And as I've already mentioned on here, he moved to California in June. This time he was the one to make a big move and it has been difficult in many ways. I wish I could have moved with him to be a friend and a support, like he has always been to me over the years. But my life is here, in Atlanta. So we'll have to settle for visits, which luckily we've been able to have multiple times since June.
I just returned from ten days in California visiting B with my mom and Lukas. For me, it was a wonderful trip. I was able to see where B lives (which is in a house with an amazing view of the ocean in a great town north of San Diego), see where Stu goes to school and even get a massage at the Chopra Center where B now works. He shared his new city with us - taking us for walks on the beach, to his favorite restaurants and stand-up paddle boarding, his new exercise. But mostly, we stayed at his house and talked and just spent time together. It was precious time and I truly now believe the your time is the best gift you can give anyone.
I wish he still lived close by. But I wish that for selfish reasons. He's pursuing his passion and career and I'm so proud of him for taking the steps to reach his dreams.
I love my big brother and am sad to have left him. But now I can look forward to our next trip together, whenever that may be. And while the two words "little sister" describe me, when I think of my big brother, I now also think of the word friend. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a close bond with their sibling. But I am blessed to have him as my brother, and as my friend.
He is three years, three months and four days older than me. And since I can remember, I have looked up to my brother. Sure we had your normal sibling rivalry growing up, but I've always loved him.
B and I have been through a lot together over the years. When I was eight years old we moved across the country from California to Virginia. He was the only person I knew aside from my two cousins who lived in the town. He was my playmate, my friend, my protector. A few years later our family experienced a random, traumatic event (especially traumatic for a ten year old little girl). A construction worker building the house next door to ours burglarized our house, but my father returned home in the middle of the robbery. My dad, being the smart, quick-thinking man that he is, wrote down the license plate number of the car parked in the driveway. Luckily my dad was not hurt and the men just left the house and thanks to dad's quick thinking, the police were able to track the license plate number and find the men. The night before the trial for the burglary one of the men came back to our house and shot multiple gun shots at our house. One of the bullets penetrated the front wall of the house and stopped at the wall that lead into my bedroom, on the wall where I was sleeping in my bed. Again, luckily no one was injured, but I was traumatized. I couldn't sleep alone for months. So my big brother let me sleep in the extra twin bed in his room. He did all he could to make me feel safe again.
We then moved to Massachusetts before I began the sixth grade. Again, I knew no one and B was my only friend. As a freshman in high school, most big brothers wouldn't want anything to do with their little bratty sister, but not B. He was always there for me. He came to my swim meets to support me and drove me around when he got his license. But then in 1996 he graduated high school and moved to Richmond to attend college and I moved to Georgia, where I again knew no one. But this move was different because my big brother wasn't there with me. It was by far the hardest move we made. But we stayed in touch and have only grown closer over the years.
I was lucky enough to live in the same town with B for a few years after law school. And as I've already mentioned on here, he moved to California in June. This time he was the one to make a big move and it has been difficult in many ways. I wish I could have moved with him to be a friend and a support, like he has always been to me over the years. But my life is here, in Atlanta. So we'll have to settle for visits, which luckily we've been able to have multiple times since June.
I just returned from ten days in California visiting B with my mom and Lukas. For me, it was a wonderful trip. I was able to see where B lives (which is in a house with an amazing view of the ocean in a great town north of San Diego), see where Stu goes to school and even get a massage at the Chopra Center where B now works. He shared his new city with us - taking us for walks on the beach, to his favorite restaurants and stand-up paddle boarding, his new exercise. But mostly, we stayed at his house and talked and just spent time together. It was precious time and I truly now believe the your time is the best gift you can give anyone.
I wish he still lived close by. But I wish that for selfish reasons. He's pursuing his passion and career and I'm so proud of him for taking the steps to reach his dreams.
I love my big brother and am sad to have left him. But now I can look forward to our next trip together, whenever that may be. And while the two words "little sister" describe me, when I think of my big brother, I now also think of the word friend. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a close bond with their sibling. But I am blessed to have him as my brother, and as my friend.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Learning to Parent
As I am just entering the world of parenthood I find myself observing other parents as they parent their children. My hope as a parent is to just be the best parent I can be to Lukas and any future children Mr. Cob and I may be blessed with. Lukas didn't come with an instruction manual, and as far as I know, no child does. So as a parent you do what you think is best at the time. You have to read your child and put their needs before your own and just have faith that you won't screw them up. At least that is how I feel as I begin this parenting adventure.
In my 9.5 weeks as a parent, I've already questioned most things I've done. Am I letting him swing in the lamb swing too often/too long? (One parenting book I read says you should only let your baby in the swing for 30 minutes twice a day max.) Am I feeding him often enough? Am I feeding him too much? Should I let him cry when I put him to bed or pick him up and rock him/feed him/sing to him until he falls asleep? Is it OK to take him out in public when he's so little? Should I let him use a pacifier? Is it OK to have the TV when Lukas is awake? What if he starts watching it? Surely he's too little and the TV is bad for a baby, right?
These are the questions I'm constantly asking myself. And I know that this is just the beginning of my journey parenting. Lukas is a baby and in the end I believe that as long as his basic needs are met (being fed, changed, loved, cuddled, etc.) he will be just fine. But as he grows, I'm sure my questions will grow with him.
This week I've been observing my older brother parent his two and a half year old son. I've learned some "tricks" to help outsmart a toddler. But mostly, I've seen that children really do just need to be loved and allowed to play. My brother is an amazing father. I've enjoyed watching him interact with his son and vice versa. My nephew loves his dadda. And dadda loves Stuie. I can definitely learn some things about parenting from my big brother. I'm lucky to have him in my life and have him a few steps ahead of me in this parenting game.
In my 9.5 weeks as a parent, I've already questioned most things I've done. Am I letting him swing in the lamb swing too often/too long? (One parenting book I read says you should only let your baby in the swing for 30 minutes twice a day max.) Am I feeding him often enough? Am I feeding him too much? Should I let him cry when I put him to bed or pick him up and rock him/feed him/sing to him until he falls asleep? Is it OK to take him out in public when he's so little? Should I let him use a pacifier? Is it OK to have the TV when Lukas is awake? What if he starts watching it? Surely he's too little and the TV is bad for a baby, right?
These are the questions I'm constantly asking myself. And I know that this is just the beginning of my journey parenting. Lukas is a baby and in the end I believe that as long as his basic needs are met (being fed, changed, loved, cuddled, etc.) he will be just fine. But as he grows, I'm sure my questions will grow with him.
This week I've been observing my older brother parent his two and a half year old son. I've learned some "tricks" to help outsmart a toddler. But mostly, I've seen that children really do just need to be loved and allowed to play. My brother is an amazing father. I've enjoyed watching him interact with his son and vice versa. My nephew loves his dadda. And dadda loves Stuie. I can definitely learn some things about parenting from my big brother. I'm lucky to have him in my life and have him a few steps ahead of me in this parenting game.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Christmas Card Preview
It is 4 days before Christmas and somehow we have mailed out close to 90 Christmas cards! By somehow, I mean Mr. Cob worked his butt off. He wrote our yearly letter with his signature footnotes, went out to the store to buy holiday paper to print the letter on, picked up the 40 extra pictures from Walmart (my mommy-brain underestimated how many cards we typically send out), folded the letters, bought the stamps, stuffed the envelopes and mailed the letters. What did I do? Designed the card and addressed the envelopes. We would not have gotten the cards out this year if it were left to me. Thanks Mr. Cob!
As a sneak peek at our card, here are the photo shoot picture rejects that didn't make the card this year. Thanks to my mom for her photography skills!!!
Oh, and I realize that there are folks out there who read the blog who don't get our Christmas card - I'm debating whehter or not to share it on here. I'll have to get permission from the author, but so long as he's OK, I'm leaning towards sharing...it doesn't seem right to not share Mr. Cob's humor with the world.
As a sneak peek at our card, here are the photo shoot picture rejects that didn't make the card this year. Thanks to my mom for her photography skills!!!
Oh, and I realize that there are folks out there who read the blog who don't get our Christmas card - I'm debating whehter or not to share it on here. I'll have to get permission from the author, but so long as he's OK, I'm leaning towards sharing...it doesn't seem right to not share Mr. Cob's humor with the world.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Operation Beautiful
My sister-in-law sent me a text tonight asking if I'd heard of Operation Beautiful, which I hadn't. Have you? If not, check it out - www.operationbeautiful.com - it made me smile and I hope this post makes you smile.
To everyone out there:
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!
And you are PERFECT just the way you are!
I realize this is ironic for me to be saying to the world when just earlier today I was complaining about my cankles and feeling not so beautiful. But I think its fitting because I clearly had lost sight of the forest for the trees and am thankful for being given a reminder that I am beautiful. I was reminded that negativity in general is toxic and thinking and speaking about my body negatively doesn't do anyone any good.
So I vow to stay positive for the rest of this pregnancy, especially when it comes to my changing body. It may not be my "normal". And I may have over 50 pounds of "extra" weight added to my usual frame right now, but I am beautiful and this baby is beautiful.
And you, YES YOU, are beautiful.
To everyone out there:
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!
And you are PERFECT just the way you are!
I realize this is ironic for me to be saying to the world when just earlier today I was complaining about my cankles and feeling not so beautiful. But I think its fitting because I clearly had lost sight of the forest for the trees and am thankful for being given a reminder that I am beautiful. I was reminded that negativity in general is toxic and thinking and speaking about my body negatively doesn't do anyone any good.
So I vow to stay positive for the rest of this pregnancy, especially when it comes to my changing body. It may not be my "normal". And I may have over 50 pounds of "extra" weight added to my usual frame right now, but I am beautiful and this baby is beautiful.
And you, YES YOU, are beautiful.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Year of Cotton
Happy Anniversary to my husband! Here are some of my favorite pictures from our engagement photo shoot and then our wedding, exactly 2 years ago today.
And as my MOH Katie hoped for us in her speech at the wedding, our wedding day was the day we loved each other the least...our love has only grown more with each day of marriage.
And as my MOH Katie hoped for us in her speech at the wedding, our wedding day was the day we loved each other the least...our love has only grown more with each day of marriage.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Lawyer Love - Part 5
[so we had kissed and then I brought him home for Thanksgiving...]
Mr. Cob came home with me for Thanksgiving in 2005. I was very vague in explaining to my family who was coming with me. A friend from school. I'm still not sure why my mom didn't ask me more questions about who he was and why he was coming to dinner. Then again, she loves a crowd and has a "the more the merrier" attitude. So the fam welcomed this mystery man.
He made an impression on them immediately. He's funny. Which helps. But then he didn't eat Thanksgiving day dinner with us, which was odd, but didn't seem to affect any one's opinion of him. Before we started doing this dating dance, an old friend from high school who lived in GA invited Mr. Cob to eat turkey dinner with her family, knowing he didn't have time to fly home to the Midwest for the holiday. He said yes, grateful for the invitation, and not knowing I was about to come around. Luckily her family lived ten minutes away from mine so he didn't have to go far. After I dropped him off, I came home and took a little nap. Afterwards, as I was walking downstairs, before anyone realized I was up, I heard my mom, brother's fiance and mom's best friend all talking in the kitchen. "Who was this boy? What was our relationship?" I sat and smiled as I heard them talk about how they liked him and hoped that maybe some sort of romance was brewing.
They were right.
Our romance took off from there. I realized I really, truly cared about him when he was home for over two weeks during Christmas and we could only talk on the phone. I missed him and finally saw that this the real thing.
The rest, as they say, is history. And tomorrow, we'll celebrate our second wedding anniversary. I am a lucky girl. I married a wonderful, loving and kind man. I'm forever grateful that I finally woke up and saw him for the amazing guy he is. I love you Mr. Cob. More than you'll ever know.
Mr. Cob came home with me for Thanksgiving in 2005. I was very vague in explaining to my family who was coming with me. A friend from school. I'm still not sure why my mom didn't ask me more questions about who he was and why he was coming to dinner. Then again, she loves a crowd and has a "the more the merrier" attitude. So the fam welcomed this mystery man.
He made an impression on them immediately. He's funny. Which helps. But then he didn't eat Thanksgiving day dinner with us, which was odd, but didn't seem to affect any one's opinion of him. Before we started doing this dating dance, an old friend from high school who lived in GA invited Mr. Cob to eat turkey dinner with her family, knowing he didn't have time to fly home to the Midwest for the holiday. He said yes, grateful for the invitation, and not knowing I was about to come around. Luckily her family lived ten minutes away from mine so he didn't have to go far. After I dropped him off, I came home and took a little nap. Afterwards, as I was walking downstairs, before anyone realized I was up, I heard my mom, brother's fiance and mom's best friend all talking in the kitchen. "Who was this boy? What was our relationship?" I sat and smiled as I heard them talk about how they liked him and hoped that maybe some sort of romance was brewing.
They were right.
Our romance took off from there. I realized I really, truly cared about him when he was home for over two weeks during Christmas and we could only talk on the phone. I missed him and finally saw that this the real thing.
The rest, as they say, is history. And tomorrow, we'll celebrate our second wedding anniversary. I am a lucky girl. I married a wonderful, loving and kind man. I'm forever grateful that I finally woke up and saw him for the amazing guy he is. I love you Mr. Cob. More than you'll ever know.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Lawyer Love - Part 4
[last time on lawyer love...After the Attempted Assassination, a day went by and then Mr. Cob had started to woo me again and we were hanging out, as friends...]
So we were friends. Life was grand. And then Mr. Cob went to jail.
Ok, I should back up. (And note that I got his permission before sharing this part of the story with the world...) Before school started in August, Mr. Cob was out with some friends enjoying some beverages. He drove home and was pulled over by a cop. He blew just over the legal limit and got a DUI. Anyone who knows Mr. Cob knows this is not in his character at all and this experience affected him in a serious way. He was, and still is, extremely embarrassed. And while Mr. Cob never thought he had been drunk while driving, the experience was a wake-up call to the fact that he could, and should, be safer in some situations. In short, it helped him grow up. But more than that, it turned out that this, one of the lowest points in his life, might just be the reason we are together today.
So in Georgia if you get a DUI you have to serve 24 hours in jail as part of your punishment, along with losing your license for a a few months. Mr. Cob was scheduled to finish out the remaining 20 hours or so of jail time (subtracting the couple he served that night) in early November. He went in on the Friday afternoon after assassination night and was supposed to be out around 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon. He told me he'd call me on Saturday when he was done in the afternoon and we'd made plans to do something fun to cheer him up. Well the afternoon rolled around and I didn't hear from him. Afternoon turned into early evening and still nothing. At this point I became concerned. I think I must have tried calling him every ten minutes until he eventually called me later in the evening. He ended up having to stay longer than he'd originally thought. Bad for him at the time, but good for him in the long run. It was during this two hour time period that I realized I really liked him. I was sincerely worried about him and it hit me that I cared more than as just the friend I kept insisting I remain.
Once he was free he met me and some friends at Chilis for dinner. We then went back to Katie's to watch a movie. A movie Mr. Cob picked. The movie: Swingers. Swingers is "This is a story about Mike, a guy who left his girl in New York when he came to LA to be a star. It's been six months since his girlfriend left him and he's not doing so good. So, his pal and some other friends try and get him back in the social scene and forget about his 6 year relationship." (thanks IMDB). Mr. Cob realizes as we are watching the movie, that this may not have been the best pick for me...i.e. "Mike" trying to get over an ex by getting back in the dating game. He claims he just loves the movie and didn't have any underlying motivation. And for what its worth, I didn't even make the connection when we were watching the movie.
I drove him home that night and we sat in my car talking for a while. But I continued to be coy. I think we hugged goodbye, lingered a bit longer, and then he left.
We spent more and more time together outside of class and the law library over the next few days. But still we were "just friends."
Until one night a few days later. We laid on my couch talking for hours and finally, I set all my ridiculous fears aside and kissed the man.
So in a span of ten days we went from my breaking up with him before we even began to kissing on my couch. But we didn't have "the talk". Instead I just brought him home for Thanksgiving to meet my family, without telling them anything more than "I'm bringing a friend from law school home for Thanksgiving." And then Mr. Cob didn't even eat Thanksgiving day dinner with us. It was a great first impression...
[TO BE CONTINUED]
So we were friends. Life was grand. And then Mr. Cob went to jail.
Ok, I should back up. (And note that I got his permission before sharing this part of the story with the world...) Before school started in August, Mr. Cob was out with some friends enjoying some beverages. He drove home and was pulled over by a cop. He blew just over the legal limit and got a DUI. Anyone who knows Mr. Cob knows this is not in his character at all and this experience affected him in a serious way. He was, and still is, extremely embarrassed. And while Mr. Cob never thought he had been drunk while driving, the experience was a wake-up call to the fact that he could, and should, be safer in some situations. In short, it helped him grow up. But more than that, it turned out that this, one of the lowest points in his life, might just be the reason we are together today.
So in Georgia if you get a DUI you have to serve 24 hours in jail as part of your punishment, along with losing your license for a a few months. Mr. Cob was scheduled to finish out the remaining 20 hours or so of jail time (subtracting the couple he served that night) in early November. He went in on the Friday afternoon after assassination night and was supposed to be out around 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon. He told me he'd call me on Saturday when he was done in the afternoon and we'd made plans to do something fun to cheer him up. Well the afternoon rolled around and I didn't hear from him. Afternoon turned into early evening and still nothing. At this point I became concerned. I think I must have tried calling him every ten minutes until he eventually called me later in the evening. He ended up having to stay longer than he'd originally thought. Bad for him at the time, but good for him in the long run. It was during this two hour time period that I realized I really liked him. I was sincerely worried about him and it hit me that I cared more than as just the friend I kept insisting I remain.
Once he was free he met me and some friends at Chilis for dinner. We then went back to Katie's to watch a movie. A movie Mr. Cob picked. The movie: Swingers. Swingers is "This is a story about Mike, a guy who left his girl in New York when he came to LA to be a star. It's been six months since his girlfriend left him and he's not doing so good. So, his pal and some other friends try and get him back in the social scene and forget about his 6 year relationship." (thanks IMDB). Mr. Cob realizes as we are watching the movie, that this may not have been the best pick for me...i.e. "Mike" trying to get over an ex by getting back in the dating game. He claims he just loves the movie and didn't have any underlying motivation. And for what its worth, I didn't even make the connection when we were watching the movie.
I drove him home that night and we sat in my car talking for a while. But I continued to be coy. I think we hugged goodbye, lingered a bit longer, and then he left.
We spent more and more time together outside of class and the law library over the next few days. But still we were "just friends."
Until one night a few days later. We laid on my couch talking for hours and finally, I set all my ridiculous fears aside and kissed the man.
So in a span of ten days we went from my breaking up with him before we even began to kissing on my couch. But we didn't have "the talk". Instead I just brought him home for Thanksgiving to meet my family, without telling them anything more than "I'm bringing a friend from law school home for Thanksgiving." And then Mr. Cob didn't even eat Thanksgiving day dinner with us. It was a great first impression...
[TO BE CONTINUED]
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Lawyer Love - Part 3
The continued story of my love life...
So Mr. Cob worked up the nerve to ask me out to dinner. I said yes. He must have breathed a sigh of relief as it is never easy to ask someone on a date. You'd think the hard part was behind him. You would be wrong.
I'm not sure how we picked the place, but our first real dinner date was at The Blind Pig Tavern in Athens. Oh, it's a "classy" establishment. A sports bar of sorts and stomping ground for drunken college kids. But it was right next to my apartment and in walking distance of the law school. I guess we went for convenience sake.
So after class one night (I think it was the Tuesday after our GA/FL weekend), off to dinner we went. I was nervous. Not nervous in the way a girl gets nervous when she's about to go on a date with a cute boy (which he was and which I should have been), but nervous because I knew what I "needed" to tell him at dinner.
I had convinced myself that letting myself be interested in Mr. Cob was a very bad idea. Less than three weeks prior I had ended a tumultuous year plus relationship and was not fully over it. I still talked to the ex (big mistake) and in the back of my mind, I'm sure I thought that maybe one day, things would work back out with him. You could say I had a hard time letting go. So I put up a huge wall and decided I couldn't fall for Mr. Cob and that I needed to end things before it got any further. And I decided I had to tell him all this at dinner. On our first official date.
Hence, the "The Attempted Assassination Night" as we now call it.
I still feel bad for doing this to him. Especially when I said I wanted us to be "friends." Which is like rubbing salt in the wound. He looked like I'd just told him someone ran over his puppy. But in my mind I was doing what I thought was best. I figured he was better off not getting involved with an emotionally unstable me.
After dinner he was cold towards me. Understandably so. He avoided me for a few days and I thought the friend path wasn't even going to be an option. But luckily he talked to one of his good buddies (who was later a groomsman in our wedding) about the whole situation. B told him to not be so upset and mad. Instead, he told him to keep hanging out with me and continue to flirt with me and continue to be the same charming guy I'd gotten to know the past couple of weeks. If I wanted to be friends, well great, Mr. Cob had a new friend. If I wanted to be friends with "benefits", even better. And if I wanted more, then we'd start dating. Thankfully for my future love life, Mr. Cob listened to B and he started appearing in my life again.
He'd send me songs to listen to. Not happy songs, but sad, meaningful songs, which for some reason was exactly what I wanted to hear. He'd flirt with me on AOL instant messenger. We'd go to lunch together and just kept hanging out. He even listened to me complain about the ex.
But I still wanted to be "just friends."
And then there was this whole bit involving "The Klink" and everything changed...
[TO BE CONTINUED]
So Mr. Cob worked up the nerve to ask me out to dinner. I said yes. He must have breathed a sigh of relief as it is never easy to ask someone on a date. You'd think the hard part was behind him. You would be wrong.
I'm not sure how we picked the place, but our first real dinner date was at The Blind Pig Tavern in Athens. Oh, it's a "classy" establishment. A sports bar of sorts and stomping ground for drunken college kids. But it was right next to my apartment and in walking distance of the law school. I guess we went for convenience sake.
So after class one night (I think it was the Tuesday after our GA/FL weekend), off to dinner we went. I was nervous. Not nervous in the way a girl gets nervous when she's about to go on a date with a cute boy (which he was and which I should have been), but nervous because I knew what I "needed" to tell him at dinner.
I had convinced myself that letting myself be interested in Mr. Cob was a very bad idea. Less than three weeks prior I had ended a tumultuous year plus relationship and was not fully over it. I still talked to the ex (big mistake) and in the back of my mind, I'm sure I thought that maybe one day, things would work back out with him. You could say I had a hard time letting go. So I put up a huge wall and decided I couldn't fall for Mr. Cob and that I needed to end things before it got any further. And I decided I had to tell him all this at dinner. On our first official date.
Hence, the "The Attempted Assassination Night" as we now call it.
I still feel bad for doing this to him. Especially when I said I wanted us to be "friends." Which is like rubbing salt in the wound. He looked like I'd just told him someone ran over his puppy. But in my mind I was doing what I thought was best. I figured he was better off not getting involved with an emotionally unstable me.
After dinner he was cold towards me. Understandably so. He avoided me for a few days and I thought the friend path wasn't even going to be an option. But luckily he talked to one of his good buddies (who was later a groomsman in our wedding) about the whole situation. B told him to not be so upset and mad. Instead, he told him to keep hanging out with me and continue to flirt with me and continue to be the same charming guy I'd gotten to know the past couple of weeks. If I wanted to be friends, well great, Mr. Cob had a new friend. If I wanted to be friends with "benefits", even better. And if I wanted more, then we'd start dating. Thankfully for my future love life, Mr. Cob listened to B and he started appearing in my life again.
He'd send me songs to listen to. Not happy songs, but sad, meaningful songs, which for some reason was exactly what I wanted to hear. He'd flirt with me on AOL instant messenger. We'd go to lunch together and just kept hanging out. He even listened to me complain about the ex.
But I still wanted to be "just friends."
And then there was this whole bit involving "The Klink" and everything changed...
[TO BE CONTINUED]
Friday, August 13, 2010
Lawyer Love - Part 2
So where was, I? Oh yes, whispering in his ear…
I tipsily leaned over and whispered to my knight, “I probably should be telling you this, but I have a little crush on you.”
I don’t remember his reaction and I don’t know what he thought (probably that I’d had a bit too much to drink and was just flirting and wanting attention – I supposed I should ask him what is initial thoughts were to my declaration). But we spent the rest of that evening chatting, but nothing more.
A few days later it was time for The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, also known as the Georgia/Florida football game weekend down in Jacksonville, FL. A large group of us were going down together and staying in a hotel, the King and Prince in St. Simons, GA. So Thursday after class my three girlfriends and I piled into one of our cars and followed Mr. Cob and three of the other guys down to the beach. At this point I knew Mr. Cob made me laugh, so I gravitated toward him. But I didn't think anything of it. I remember finding myself talking to him at every stop along the trip. At the first gas stop we sat on the curb eating chips together. Then once we got to St. Simons we stopped at a Wendy’s or Arby’s and I remember hoping he’d come sit next to me. Looking back, I was more interested than I realized at the time.
Once we checked in to our hotel we all got dressed and made our way to the bars. Mr. Cob and I found ourselves together yet again – sitting outside at a table talking. This was the first picture we have together. If you know me, this is one of my quintessential poses.
Well the talks must have been good, because once we returned to the hotel we continued our talk on the balcony of my room. We stayed up drinking and talking until very late in the evening (or I should say early in the morning). I’m still not sure how he put up with my constant smoking, as he hates cigarette smoke, but I guess he thought I was worth it. And sometime, late in the middle of the night, on the balcony listening to the waves crash along the beach, we shared our first kiss. And continued talking about any and everything. And finally we retired for the evening to our separate rooms, only for Mr. Cob to come knocking back on my door two minutes later asking if he could sleep on our couch since he’d locked himself out of his room. (sidenote: the man always loses his keys...)
In the morning we decided to go get breakfast together, along with our matchmaker Katie, and planned on relaxing by the beach all day with our friends.
This would continue to be a very romantic story, if I wasn’t such a superficial person. But I am, or I should say I was. (I’d like to think I’ve changed in the past five years). As Katie and I waited in her car for Mr. Cob to come out and get breakfast, I relayed the nights events to her, to which she was very surprised. Mr. Cob wasn’t exactly my “type” and I hadn’t really clued her in to my growing feelings. She just told me to have fun and was glad I was getting over the ex. But Mr. Cob isn’t the most fashionable person and when I saw him coming down the stairs to meet us for breakfast wearing his Hawaiian shirt, red swim trunks and “Jesus” sandals, my superficiality was in full effect and I suddenly wondered what I had gotten myself into. And as much as I hate to admit this, I wasn’t overly friendly to him for the rest of that day. I even remember Katie asking me if I thought this would go anywhere and I emphatically said “No way.”
Shows how much I know.
I did spend more time with him as the weekend went on. We have some great pictures from tailgating and I’m sure my flirt factor increased in connection with the number of mimosas I consumed. Looking back, I think I was just nervous to possibly "like" someone again, and so soon, so I pushed him away and confused him by my constant wavering and change my feelings towards him.
But he persisted once we were back in Athens and decided to ask me out on an actual date to dinner. To which I said yes.
And then the “Attempted Assassination Night” occurred...
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