Our Family of Three

I wrote a blog entry when James was almost a year old. It's interesting to go back and read it, and see how my life has changed even since I wrote it. When I was 37 weeks pregnant with James, I had no idea how different my life would be. I had all of the anticipation of a new baby and a new chapter in life, but I had no idea how I would become completely and utterly in love with this child...that I would lay down my life for him. What a priveledge that I've been given to even glimpse a small portion of the love our Heavenly Father has for us. And now to sit here, 37 weeks pregnant again, and wonder how that love can be multiplied to another? Do I have enough love to give to a second child? About eight months ago, I went to get James out of bed in the morning, and for a short moment felt I had betrayed him by becoming pregnant again. In a moment, his life as he knows it will be turned upside down. He will no longer be the baby. He is destined to a life of sharing and competing. Why couldn't I have left our perfect family perfect? In thirteen days I will have another little boy. And it is much different this time because I know what to expect. But I also have no idea what to expect. But I hope that every moment is better than I think and brings me as much joy and life as before.
Here is that blog entry:

Sunday, February 24, 2008
My grandmother from PA (having a baby changes everything)
I'm really fortunate that I've been able to visit with my grandmother over the past few weeks. She lives in PA, so I haven't spent a great deal of time with her in the recent years; I'm really glad to have been with her this month.

Its really neat to see her interact with my son. I'm sure its as thought provoking for her as it is for me, but in different ways that I won't understand until I'm older. She's been telling me stories about my dad when he was James' age: about how he used to ride his trike up and down the street, about how my grandfather was in the war, so she moved home to take care of her grandmother. There I sat, watching my son and my grandmother, as I listened to her tell me stories of her son and her grandmother. Did she ever sit, watching them, and consider that one day she would be the grandmother? Can I now even fathom James' daughter sitting with me and her son one day? I'm not even really sure how to think of something like that. I'm sure she would have said that it was millions of years away...but here it is now for her.

I watched a Johnson's commercial when I was pregnant and cried. It was the black and white one with the chubby baby taking a bath in the kitchen sink. The tag line at the end of the commerical said "Having a baby changes everything." I cried cause the baby was so cute, and I was hormonal. But I really had no clue what it meant. I knew that a baby would change everything: I wouldn't get as much sleep. I wouldn't just go to the movies anymore. I wouldn't have as much time for myself anymore. And all that was ok. But I was clueless. And I thought I was so smart. No, having a baby changes the way I see my parents. Having a baby changes the way I drive. Having a baby changes the way I look at work, play, the way I think about what music to listen to or what movies to watch. It makes me rethink the junk I eat and the exercise I put off. It makes me want to join MADD and find a cure for childhood cancer. It makes me love my husband a hundred million times more and has even more than before affirmed my belief in Almighty God. It makes me more thoughtful about everything, including my Grandmother from PA.

I haven't seen the Johnson's commercial since. I'm sure if I did, though, I would cry. Not because the baby's so cute (although he would still be). Not because I'm hormonal (well, we won't talk about that). But really because I understand the depth and meaning of the five simple words I thought I understood before. That's the irony of the statement, I guess.

1809 miles and 30 weeks pregnant

That's right. I'm not lying. I rode 1809 miles in the car in less than one week, all while 30 weeks pregnant. We first drove to Knoxville to pick up my parents, then headed to Philadelphia, PA for my cousin's wedding. Then we drove over to Alexandria, VA, where we toured DC for a couple of days. We headed south stopping overnight in Staunton, VA, then back to Knoxville, and home to Birmingham.

Here is my picture diary from the trip:

We had a great time. I'm glad to be home to rest, but I'm definitely glad we took the trip. Seeing my dad experience the Vietnam Wall was an incredible thing (he was front line artillery in Vietnam for 13 months and had friends on that wall). Letting James and my Mawmaw hang out with each another was another great memory. And after many family spats, 25+ hours in the car, three hotels in three cities (and packing and unpacking car at each), and being pushed around in a wheelchair at two museums, I can say that I am thankful that I was able to experience it, even at 30 weeks pregnant. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Summer recipes

For as long as I can remember, we've had a garden. Summer was always full of ripe tomatoes and cucumbers and other fresh fruits and veggies. This year, James even has his own tomato plant: he helped plant it and now can eat all the tomatoes he wants (this is really so he won't pick ours and eat them)!

So in honor of my home-grown tomato garden, here are some yummy recipes:

Corn Salad (great for grilling parties)
3 cans shoepeg corn (don't drain)
1 green bell pepper
2 medium tomatoes
1 large cucumber (or 3 pickling cucumbers), seeded
1 small sweet onion
1 tbsp mayo

chop the veggies so they are about the same size as the corn. mix in a bowl with the corn and juice, add mayo, stir, chill, then serve.

Macaroni Salad (my granny's recipe)
8 oz macaroni, cooked according to package
6 eggs, boiled and sliced
1 head romaine lettuce
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes
6-8 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 large or 3 pickling cucumbers, seeded and diced
mayo
salt

after cooking the macaroni, let cool, then add enough mayo to coat it well, and salt to taste. let stand in fridge while you chop and dice the other veggies. add lettuce, tomato, carrots, onion, and cucumber to the macaroni (you may add more mayo if you think it needs it...you want a thin layer on everything else). fold in the sliced egg. chill and serve!

Black Bean Salad (can be served on chips like salsa, on tacos, or as a side salad)
2 cans black beans, drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 cans shoepeg corn, drained
1 handful of cilantro, chopped
1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
lime juice (just a squeeze, to taste)
salt and pepper, to taste

in a medium saucepan over med-lo heat, combine ingredients. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. serve immediately, or place in fridge. can be eaten warm or cold.

Try them out this summer. Even if you don't have homegrown, you can always check your local roadside stand or farmer's market for fresh veggies. YUM!

Beach Bums (or, actually, living like Kings)

I love the beach. I love everything about it. I love the smell. I love the sand (call me crazy). I love the water and the sun. I love it during the day and late into the night. We grew up going to Pawley's Island for three weeks every summer in what was known as an "Arrogantly Shabby" vacation- no air conditioning, no tv, no pool. We showered under the house in an outdoor wooden shower and went to sleep with the breeze coming through the windows. Most people would call that roughing it, but I miss those days. We would stay on the beach all day long. We would come in, eat dinner, shower, and go back out. We would read dozens of books and play cards. But mostly, we learned to enjoy each other and the beach.
Our vacations now are much different. Last week, we enjoyed the high class living at the Beach Club in Gulf Shores on the 16th floor of a high rise condo. We froze in the air conditioning, we had beach chairs and umbrellas set up for us before we even had breakfast, and we watched movies at night. But I still enjoyed myself. Vacation is vacation, right?
The best part of the week was watching James experience the new, fun beach things. And watching my mom, dad, husband, and sister witness it was fun too!!!
So here is a short recap of our Beach Adventure:
cool breeze, hot sun, perfect weather, yummy coffee, independant toddler, outdoor breakfast, warm sand, good books, beach walks, late night swims, mid-day naps, fresh seafood, family game-night, ben and jerry's ice cream, crab hunts... can I go back right now??!?

The cheesy preg shot.

James, Lizzie, and Nana

James and Grandpa: just chillin'

Big Swimmer

James loved to jump down the sand hill...check out the concentration on his face!

so handsome

Family of 4!

I'm playing the pregnancy card on this one...

I know, I know!! I haven't updated this blog in FOREVER. And it's all because I'm pregnant...you know...tired, sick, etc. So while I can, I'm playing that card, cause its the only excuse I have.
And I'm going to try to be a better blogger.

Birthday Boy!

For James' second birthday, I had big plans for the two of us. We were going to eat lunch at Chic-Fil-A, followed by a trip to Target so he could pick out a toy. I even considered trying a movie (kiddo-type, you know). So we got dressed, got in the car, and the car wouldn't start! And looking back, I guess now we got to do what James wanted to do on his birthday, not what mommy wanted to do! Lesson learned...

swimming in the pool...the water was FREEZING!

eating lunch outside

taking a nap...this was mommy's favorite part!

yogurt and granola for a snack! yummy

dinnertime

and an elmo cupcake, of course!

and last but not least: big boys don't use paci's!

So maybe not the day I had planned, but the perfect birthday nonetheless. At least through the eyes of a toddler and his mommy.

Beach, Lulu's, and Airplanes

We had the opportunity to spend the last weekend in February at the beach at Gulf Shores. The weather was beautiful (72 degrees) and James could hardly stand the excitement. He wanted Daddy to build sandcastles (so he could destroy them); he drove his little yellow truck around and buried his Little People and threw sand everywhere. He was WILD!

We went to Lulu's for dinner, and our server was this beautiful girl named Anna. And James was in LOVE. He was acting so shy and coy; he was pulling on his sweatshirt and looking down at his feet! But when she would walk away, he would call "Anna! Anna!" It was sweet. Finally he really started flirting-giggling and talking...the whole bit. She finally brought him a little cup with whipped cream and a cherry from the bar. He loved it.

On Saturday, we drove to Pensacola and spent some time at the National Naval Aviation Museum. James loves airplanes, and was amazed the moment we stepped out of the car. We started looking around, and noticed that some of the airplanes' cockpits were open. Daddy asked a tourguide if we could sit in them. "Well, we figure if the Germans and Japanese couldn't hurt them, you can't either!" he said. So James had a great time sitting in the planes, and pretending to fly them. I hope we can make it back this summer, and take Grandpa with us.