One Week

Seven short days from now, this angel will come to spend nearly two months with her Daddy, little sister and I.

Just another reason I am so pumped for Summer.  Can you argue with me?

I'm a Featured Blogger!

Well, when I started this whole blogging thing, it was nothing exciting.  Just pictures to share with my family and friends who live far away.  Now I've found this great community of bloggers out there that are simply amazing.  Alissa is one of them, and she created the D-List.

And today, I am one of their featured bloggers!  I had no idea!  I went over to the D-List this morning to find some new blogs to read and saw my badge there under "Featured Blogger."  I wish I was more prepared, but so is life, huh?

So if you found me on the D-List, welcome!  We're so glad you're here.  Hope you'll pull up a chair and stay a while.  Not sure what being a featured blogger is supposed to entail, but here goes.

Here is my post from the D-List Blog Party that pretty much sums up my life and my blog (a snipet- ok, alot of it- is below).  And this one is about my girls.  I do Thankful on a Thursday every week, so you should come back to check that out.  I am a couponing-diva, and you can read more about my Strategic Shopping.

This is just a bit about me and my family...

I'm Gini (aka: editor-in-chief of this here blog), and I'm the wife to Luke, mommy to Claire and step-momma to Bella. Our faith and our church is very important to our family. We're in Alabama so if I get real Southern on y'all, please excuse me. They're not a fan of proper grammar here, and try as I might, it's starting to rub off.

I am a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) kinda girl. I have a weakness for Coach purses and anything peanut butter. I love to cook but rarely make the time. And while being a wife and mommy will always rank number one in my book, I also work for a medical software company training physicians (smart, but not always the best students) on electronic medical records. And while I'm not pregnant right now, this was one of those "glowing pg" pictures of me that I thought was good.

This blog is just my life. (I know it says this is our "family" blog, but get real- my husband wouldn't be caught dead blogging- so it's really just me talking about my family.) Most of it is about my girls. They are our life.

Bella is almost 7 years old and lives in Hawaii with her mom and step-dad. We treasure every moment we have with her- which is about eight weeks a year (as a result of her step-dad's request to be transferred to a Navy base 5,000 miles away). It's a long story, but to sum it up, we have a very stressful relationship with Bella's mother.  And she is coming to spend the Summer with use next week!

But she is amazing. And beautiful, no? Even with chocolate on her face!

And Claire (known in our house as "Claire Bear") is our baby girl who was born last October. She and her big sister (affectionately referred to as "be-be" by the barely speaking younger sister) are two weeks shy of six years apart.

Claire is crawling backwards (or she was when I posted this for the party), though we are certain she'll go straight to walking and skip the whole forward crawl thing all together. Guess that's just her style. She now has four teeth, can muster up a few words, has blue eyes from Heaven (really from her daddy) and her belly laugh can make even the worst day seem brighter.

But every now and then, I'll post about the devilishly handsome man that made these girls. Luke is an amazing father and husband. He is truly my best friend and an answer to many sleepless and prayerful nights. Luke is a good and strong Christian man and always stands up for what he believes. He's a hard-cor conservative and watches way to much cable news.

He works in advertising, has an obsession with movies- especially oldies but goodies, loves jelly beans not just at Easter and hates smiling with his teeth. But here's a rare shot of those pearly whites...

So that's me.  I hope I have done some justice to the D-List Featured Bloggers, and I love new followers so if you like what you see, come back and see some more! 

I'm going on a another business trip the week of June 21st to 25th when Bella spends the week with her mom (yes, it worked out perfectly because I would have hated to be gone while she was here), so I'm looking for a few guest bloggers!  Email me if you are interested (ginimcglothin@hotmail.com) And Happy Friday!

And she's off...

::: insert the revving of car engine noises ::::

We officially have a crawler on our hands.  Evidenced by my placing her on the middle of the rug in our living room and then my looking up to find this...

Not sure -at all- how she got under there.  But she did.  Now I guess the babyproofing shall begin.  Any tips on how/ what to babyproof?  I've got outlet covers, but I think we need a baby gate for the stairs. 

I also need to figure out how to post videos so hopefully I can catch her in the act (it's like she won't crawl if she knows we're watching) and can post it for you guys!  (Any tips on that?  Please comment or email me.  Thanks!)

And can I please tell you about the time I had to pull a piece of plastic from her throat?  Again, not sure where she got it, but she did.  I just feel this whole new phase of life coming on- aka chasing Claire around & pulling things out of her mouth.  (Hopefully you won't report my inattentiveness to CPS.)

We're coming up on Memorial Day!  I am stoked for the three day weekend.  Lots of fun stuff planned.   Lots of sun to be had.  Lots of preparing for Bella to come!  Sorry for the short Friday post, and there probably won't be one on Monday since I'll spend the extra day off loving on my husband and baby, so please forgive me.  But have a fabulous and blessed weekend!

P.S.  Bella "asked" Claire on the phone last night to wait to crawl until she gets here next weekend, because Bella wants to teach her how.  Oops!  We never worked with Claire on crawling (if such a thing exists) but it has happened.  Any tips on unlearning/ unteaching (I know those aren't words but bear with me) crawling are much appreciated!

Thankful on a Thursday

I am more than pumped to introduce you to my new e-friend Alysha.  She's awesome and if she didn't live a few thousand miles away, I'm sure we'd be real friends (rather than simply over the interwebz).  But one of my favorite places to stop on Thursdays is with her over at The Tarr Pit. 

So we're linking up and bringing you along for the ride. Visit her here or click on the badge below to check out her always awesome Thankful on a Thursday posts. We simply desire to bring praise to God for all that He has blessed us with- because without Him- we would have nothing.

And since I made the badge (I do have a creative side every now and then), it of course has birds on it.  Did pictures of Claire's nursery or my new blog design clue you into the fact that I love birds? 

Now down to the nitty-gritty...  After weeks of being sick and on vacation, we were so glad to be in church last Sunday. I missed everything about it. And three years ago, I was the last person who would've said they were thrilled to be going to church, but that just goes to show you the power of God.

21. Worship Music. Walking in to the building (and that's all it is- a building- until people come to worship God and make the building a church) with the music already humming, my spirit was lifted immediately.

Turn your volume up (ok- not if you're at work- then put your headphones in) and take a look at this.  It will put you in a better mood right away.  I love the way they are literally jumping, worshiping the Lord.

22. Nursery Workers. I serve in the nursery, so it's kinda like saying I'm thankful for myself, but today I am thankful for the women who care for my girls so that Luke and I can enjoy the service. Claire was cutting another tooth last Sunday and pretty much inconsolable, but those ladies rocked her and sang to her as if she were their own sweet baby.

23. The Message.  You already know from yesterday's post about the message from last week, but really I am thankful for the message every week.  I was always someone who thought church was so boring and could never relate to my life.  But then we found Highlands, and things have never been the same.  Actually, the first few times we went there, I swore up and down they had someone following me. 

Pastor Chris was talking about situations that sounded like the story of my life.  Trials that we were facing.  Heartache we were experiencing.  The message each week gives us Biblical principles that we can apply to our life today.  Not just stories from 2,000 or so years ago.

24.  The Start of Small Groups.  Rather than Sunday School, Highlands focuses on Small Groups.  And with around 14,000 members, it's really the best way to connect with people.  They run on a semester system (Fall, Spring and Summer) and we've been MIA since Claire was born, so we are really excited about jumping into our Summer small group.  Some of our best friends are those whom we met though a small group.  They support us and pray for us, and we love them very much.

And wandering away from the church-theme I had going on today, I am thankful for...

25. Daddies who take care of poop-splosions.  The Great Poop-Splosion of May 21, 2010 really deserves a post of it's own, but here it is in a nutshell...  Claire hadn't pooped in days.  Daddy puts fiber in Claire's bottle.  Fiber agrees Claire should poop.  Claire poops.  EVERYWHERE! 

And this Daddy took care of it all.  While this Mommy proceeded to take pictures.  Not well received by Daddy since this is only picture that doesn't include our daughter's lady parts.

But Luke, I am thankful for you today and everyday.  You are an amazing husband and father!

And I'm also jumping in on Alysha's Link Share.  Now, it's your turn.  Link up with us so others can find your Thankful on a Thursday posts!

Contentment

I'm going to start this with a disclaimer.  Okay two.  First, my faith- our family's faith- is priority number one.  Hasn't always been the case, but it is now.  If you don't know it by now, we love our church.  Love is an understatement.  It is by far the best thing that has ever happened to me.  (Yes, my salvation is better than Luke and my girls.  You may disagree, but this disclaimer is getting long-winded- no surprise, huh?)  Second, I don't claim to be a money expert or a life coach.  If you have questions about this post, please leave a comment or find the link down to the right to email me.  Ok, here goes...

Don't we all wish we were content with our lives?  Sunday's message at church was the third in a Q&A series (which I love) where our pastors are addressing questions that the church had submitted over the past few months. One of those questions was about desiring to be rich.

Is it wrong? Doesn't everyone want to be more wealthy than they already are? Is it bad to want a nicer car or bigger house or live in the better part of town?  Doesn't the church want us to have more money so we can give more money? Here is the answer- and I love that it comes directly from God's word.

I Timothy 6: 6-10 (NIV) says...

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

So "godliness with contentment is great gain."  I think that is a great answer!  Those people who spend their paychecks on lottery tickets and gambling (I know this is a touchy subject in Alabama and I'll address it at some point if I have time) ... but don't those sound like the people "who want to get rich" and "fall into temptation" and "into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction" ??  I don't know about you, but I pray that I never desire wealth to the point of falling into temptation that will ruin my life.

And I love verse 10, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."  Isn't that so true.  How many homicides have you read about in the paper that were the result of robberies, some over as little as $10!  What is the leading cause of divorce in our country?  Money.  Money problems and money fights.  People desire money and wealth so much that their relationships and marriages suffer.

Have you seen the TLC show "The Lottery Changed My Life" ??  Very few of those stories come out with happy endings.  People no longer speak to their friends because they wouldn't share the winnings.  People killed by their family so as to inherit the winnings.  People losing their homes and everything they own because they weren't prepared to handle their winnings.

I'll admit we buy a scratch off ticket every now and then when we are driving through Tennessee or Georgia.  And while we wouldn't turn down any winnings that may result (which we would more than likely use to pay down our debt, not go crazy with a vacation or new car or anything), I think you know that's not what I'm talking about.

And for the part about the church wanting us to have more so we can give more, Highlands says... "We will never ask you to give.  We only ask you to ask God.  Follow His direction and give according to His will."

As for us, we do tithe.  And we tithe 10%.  It's what the Bible asks of us, and until we feel led to give differently, that's what we'll do.  Sometimes it's hard.  When I was laid off, it was really hard.  We weren't sure if we'd have enough money at the end of the month.  But we never doubted our continued decision to tithe.  We always knew that God would take care of us.  And there were times that we shouldn't have had any money left at the end of the month, but we did.  And we were content with no dates or dinners out to eat.  We knew that God's plan for us was greater than anything we could imagine.

Along those same lines of contentment, Pastor Billy Hornsby (who is Pastor Chris's father-in-law and an amazing communicator) spoke about being content with the season of life you are in. Don't be in a hurry to get married because all of your friends are engaged.  Don't rush into children just because you don't want to get left behind.  Be content in your season of life.  You may never be in this season again.

For Luke and I, we went from engaged straight to a family.  Literally.  We got married in June of 2007 and had Bella sleeping in between us for our first two months as husband and wife.  We never really had the "just us" time.  Hopefully we'll live long enough to see our children grown and creating their own lives and we may just get that "empty nest."

But being content doesn't mean that you can't want or pray for things.  The Bible says that we should be specific in our prayer.  Although the Lord knows the desires of your heart before you speak them, you can ask for things.

When we decided to ditch the birth control and try for a baby, it was a decision we made together and one we reached after much consideration and prayer.  Not because we weren't content with our lives.  But because we wanted to expand our family and raise godly children.  Thankfully, the Lord answered our prayers when He gave us Claire.

And we continue to pray for things.  Big and small.  But instead of praying for a pay raise or to come into some money, we pray to be provided for.  God is our provider, so ask Him to provide for your family.  That doesn't mean that you aren't content with your salary or the things you have.  But don't let those greater desires consume your life. 

If you feel like you have been worrying about money, make the decision to be content with that, knowing that God will take care of you, and pray for provision in the form of new friends or mentors.  Pray for more time to spend with people you love.  Pray for the opportunity to minister to someone and share the Gospel.  God provides many things to us, not just money or wealth.  Before you know it, your heart is lighter, free from that money worry.

Ever heard the saying "can't take it with you when you go" ??  That's how we are living.  Things we have now are just earthly things.  And our reward in Heaven is greater than anything here.  Focus on what's really important.

So I'll step down from my soap box.  (But I may get back up soon.  I'm letting a few things brew in my mind about debt, but we'll see.)  It was incredibly difficult for me to hit "publish" on this one, but I feel like it's something I needed to put out there.  What about you?  Do you feel content with your life and what you have?  What are content with but still praying for?

Can You Feel It?

Summer is almost here and I am about ready to burst with excitement.  I know Spring is when you are supposed to plant new flowers, but everything in our household runs a bit behind.  So it shouldn't surprise you that we are just now getting around to sprucing up the front yard.

A gift card to Home Depot from Luke's wonderful parentals allowed us to get moving in the right direction.  We bought all necessary supplies Sunday with intentions of taking care of business, but exhaustion set in and we put it off- telling ourselves Monday after work it wouldn't be so hot- but it was still 91 degrees at 5:30 yesterday.  And any working mom can tell you the last thing they want to do after a long day at the office is work in the yard.

But we trudge onwards.  Claire Bear just watching from the sidelines (but not to worry- Luke will have her mowing the lawn in no time).

But this planting flowers thing is no simple task in Alabama.  Why, you ask?  Because our "garden" is really just a bed of red clay.  Underneath this nice, moist, lush, really expensive garden soil is solid. red. Alabama. clay.  It's full of racks, and I hate it.

Please check out this cute blonde on the garden soil bag... She sitting in her lush, green grass with a smile on her face in jeans and sans sweat.  No pictures of me so you can just imagine that's what I looked like, ok?

But in the end, it was all worth it.  And in a few weeks, we will have an orange and white checkerboard of flowers- for my Tennessee Volunteers fan husband. 

And I was just telling Luke that if Claire were born during the Summer, I may have never gone back to work.  I would have been outside all day, teaching her to roll around in the grass and continually pull sticks from her mouth.  I would have been at the park and the playground, meeting other mommies and finding that adult interaction I was so desperate for.  No, if Claire was born during the Summer I may still be at home with her.

But as always, God has a plan- and it was for me to go back to work- so Claire was born in the middle of the coldest winter Alabama has seen in some time.  We spent 95% of our day inside, couped up with lousy daytime television and itching to get outside.

So, Summer- we are ready for you!  We will take walks with dogs and babies through neighborhoods, trails, and parks.  We will play in the sprinkler until our legs won't allow us to run any longer.  We will have picnics and play dates.  We will read books and have tea parties outside, just because we can.  There are many things in life that I am not ready for, but Summer- bring it on!

Claire Meet Puffs... Puffs, This is Claire

We tried puffs this weekend.  Or I say we, really Claire did.  Although Luke had to eat a few to show her what to do with this thing he had put in her hand.  Overall- big success & she loved them!

Not sure why these pics are so fuzzy, (see honey, I do need a new camera) but you can still see those sweet cheeks...

It was nice to let her snack as we ran errands without pulling out the spoon and baby food.  Her faves so far are blueberry and apple-strawberry.  But I can see some banana and sweet potato puffs in her future.  More to come from our wonderful weekend tomorrow!

Once Again... Ears Are Clear!

Six weeks post-tubes, Claire is sleeping through the night and her ears are still clear! 

To any mother who is fearfull of tubes, please don't be.  The procedure lasted less than ten minutes.  Really.   I didn't even have time to finish my one-year Bible reading before the nurse brought Claire back to me to feed her.  She was back to her normal self later that afternoon.  And it has made a world of difference!

Auntie Jessica took Claire for her post-op appointment yesterday, and the doc said her ears look great!  We are so thankful that our God is a healer.

We had a wonderful day in Tuscaloosa celebrating our birthdays with Luke's family, and then this evening Matt and Laura brought their beautiful baby Taylor Cate by our house while in the area.  Pictures coming soon.  Hoping your weekend is healthy, happy and full of love!

Change is a Good Thing

So I thought I might should acknowledge all of the changes taking place here at The McGlothin Family Nest.  (If you're stopping by from the D-List party or visiting the Nest, hi!  I guess it's all new to you :)  Obviously, we have a new design courtesy of Blogs by Jocelyn (thanks, babe- you're the best!).  The McGlothin Family Nest now has a badge right there to the left, so grab it!  And slowly but surely I've been adding some more pages to the blog as well. 

I have a page for Luke and I & one for Bella and Claire.  I'm still working on pictures and tickers for these but they're coming along.  I also made a page with all of the "Belly Bumps" pictures when I was pregnant with Claire.  This almost made me miss being pregnant, but not enough to try again (yet). 

Then there's one with all of my Strategic Shopping tricks.  If you live on a budget, you should really stop by.  During last night's grocery trip, I spent $14 and saved more than $30.  Really- it works people.  Give it a try.  And if you don't know anything about strategic shopping, just visit the page and give it a chance.  And this will always be a work in progress- I'll continue to add new things as I have time and as I learn new tricks.

I made a page with my pumping story, but it didn't fit across the top, so I put it on the side instead.  I did a guest blog over at The Happy Spitter and The Leaky Boob of my experience exclusively pumping.  It's personal, honest and a little funny.

And now, you can search the blog, I've made a place where one day I'll put links to my favorite posts and showed some linky love to some awesome mom-owned businesses.

So I guess this makes me a "mommy blogger."  I'm not sure what that actually means.  I am a mommy.  I have a blog.  I don't do product reviews, don't host giveaways.  Not knocking those that do, it's just not my style.  And I find it most important to remain true to who you are, and that's just who I am.  I like posting about my girls.  My balancing act as a working wife and mother.  My journey of faith. 

But I'll face it- I'm going to be labeled as a mommy blogger.  If you can't beat 'em, might as well join 'em, right?  So while I'll keep doing what I'm doing, I joined 'em.  The McGlothin Family Nest is now a part of a few wonderful blogging communities. 

* The D-List.  Alissa is an awesome WAHM (work-at-home-mom) who has started The D-List as a place for smaller mommy blogs to find and support other mommies.  I've found a number of great new blogs to read and new e-friends as well (:::waves hello to fellow D-Listers:::).  I am so happy for her- and her adorable little girl Molly- and the success that she's had.

* Theta Mom Community.  I have been following Theta Mom for quite some time now.  From what I read in those first few posts, I knew we'd probably be friends IRL (in real life).  She's created the Theta Mom Community, a place for people to connect, and it's pretty darn cool.  She is full of integrity, always strives to do things better than before and gives encouragement time and time again.

* Picket Fences.  I was weary about this one because people "vote" for you, and I don't put much stock in other people's opinion of me, my family or my blog.  But they say... "Here we strive not only to show you the most popular blogs, but also the blogs of the most talented writers." 

But if it brings one person to this blog, if I make one person smile, tell one person about the love of Christ, make one mom feel like she's not alone- then I'm ok with being a "mommy blogger." 

So -overall- change is a good thing!  I hope you'll agree.

And with that I say Happy Friday, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend with people you love!

Thankful on a Thursday

If your visiting from the D-List Blog Party or are new to Nest, welcome!  Copying Inspired by Nish at The Outdoor Wife, I have joined Thankful on a Thursday.  We're not some cool sort of club (although some of the bloggers who participate are pretty incredible) but just a group of women who feel that it is important to be thankful for all of God's blessings.



I only started a few weeks ago, but I honestly look forward to Thursdays now (which let's face it, stuck between hump day and Friday, Thursdays really got the short end of the stick) because I love waking up to reading these blogs and sit in awe of all we have to be thankful for.  In a world of Debbie Downers and 24 hour cable news of all that's wrong in the world, I can't think of anything more important than reflecting on all that is good. 

I go in list form, continuing from one week to the next, but you can find more Thankful on a Thursday posts here.

16. My Blog Redesign.  I now it's petty, but it was my Mother's Day and birthday presents and I am thrilled with the result.  I can't tell you how thankful I am for Jocelyn at Blogs by Jocelyn.  She worked with me every step of the way, and if you don't know me, I'm well.... a perfectionist.  I think we went through nine font changes and a number of other redos, but she stuck with me.  And it came out great! (You should be nodding your head in agreement.)  I really love everything about it!  And I'll post more about all of the other changes, pages, etc soon.

17. Grace, my future sister-in-law.  She is just fabulous.  I am so glad that my brother found someone like her to spend his life with.  She is smart, funny, kind and caring and she loves Jay.  That's really all I can ask for.  (And she's a Zeta Tau Alpha too!)  And... she took care of me when I really needed someone, so thanks hun!

18. Sleep. Now that Claire has slept through the night for going on a week now, I remember how much I loved my uninterrupted sleep. I think this one speaks for itself.  No further explanation needed.

19. Honeysuckle. I love the way it looks and smells, and it is all over my backyard.

It's just beautiful, and my niece Camille will pick some and leave in a glass on the counter for me!

20.  My Readers.  I started this blog as a way to keep my family up to date with pictures of my growing belly while baking Baby McGlothin.   I then opened it up to the world, and I even have some new "e-friends" that- since beginning to write more on the blog- have become an incredible stream of love and support. 

So today I want you to know that I am thankful for you, my readers and followers.  The fact that someone, somewhere in the world may read this today, be encouraged or even just laugh a little is so humbling and I am thankful that you have allowed me into your lives. 

And I am thankful for your comments!  I read each and every one and try to respond as quickly as I can.  It is like a validation of some kind that you know where I coming from or can identify with how I am feeling.  Makes me feel like I haven't fallen off my rocker!

My new e-friend Alysha over at The Tarr Pit does Thankful on a Thursday too!  As always, be sure to check out Nish and take in her always inspiring words and pictures.

Party Like It's 1999!

Because that's when I was 16 years old!  Sixteen!  And while my Sweet Sixteen party was totally rad, this party is pretty cool too.

Alissa over at Mommy and Molly and D-Listed Blogs is throwing a shin dig, and let's just say I was glad to be invited.  She and I chat it up on The Bump boards, but she's all cool and important now & I can say I knew her "back when."  And if you haven't seen her adorable girl Molly, bounce over and check her out.  She is seriously giving Claire a run for her money!

So if you are new or visiting, here is where I introduce you to my Nest.  I'm Gini (aka: editor-in-chief of this here blog), and I'm the wife to Luke, mommy to Claire and step-momma to Bella.  Our faith and our church is very important to our family.  We're in Alabama so if I get real Southern on y'all, please excuse me. They're not a fan of proper grammar here, and try as I might, it's starting to rub off.

I am a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) kinda girl.  I have a weakness for Coach purses and anything peanut butter.  I love to cook but rarely make the time.  And while being a wife and mommy will always rank number one in my book, I also work for a medical software company training physicians (smart, but not always the best students) on electronic medical records.   And while I'm not pregnant right now, this was one of those "glowing pg" pictures of me that I thought was good.

This blog is just my life. (I know it says this is our "family" blog, but get real- my husband wouldn't be caught dead blogging- so it's really just me talking about my family.)  Most of it is about my girls.  They are our life.

And if you stick around, you'll notice that I talk about the girls the same.  (You can read more about that here.)  Bella is almost 7 years old and lives in Hawaii with her mom and step-dad.  We treasure every moment we have with her- which is about eight weeks a year (as a result of her step-dad's request to be transferred to a Navy base 5,000 miles away).  It's a long story, but to sum it up, we have a very stressful relationship with Bella's mother.

You can read more about my sweet step-daughter here or here.  Or come back to see us, because I'll be posting lots about her very soon as she comes for the summer in a few weeks.

But she is amazing.  And beautiful, no?  Even with chocolate on her face!

And Claire is our baby girl who was born last October.  She and her big sister (affectionately referred to as "be-be" by the barely speaking younger sister) are two weeks shy of six years apart.  Tiffany over at Mom-Nom.Com can relate.  Her Bubs and Bubbette are about the same.  It can present challenges, but for now we are managing. 

Claire is crawling backwards, though we are certain she'll go straight to walking and skip the whole forward crawl thing all together.  Guess that's just her style.  She now has four teeth, can muster up a few words, has blue eyes from Heaven (really from her daddy) and her belly laugh can make even the worst day seem brighter.

But every now and then, I'll post about the devilishly handsome man that made these girls.  Luke is an amazing father and husband.  He is truly my best friend and an answer to many sleepless and prayerful nights.  Luke is a good and strong Christian man and always stands up for what he believes.  He's a hard-cor conservative and watches way to much cable news.

He works in advertising, has an obsession with movies- especially oldies but goodies, loves jelly beans not just at Easter and hates smiling with his teeth.  But here's a rare shot of those pearly whites...

When someone asked me to sum up my blog, these are the few sentences I could muster:

This is our Nest. Our love and laughter as we navigate through life. I’m a working wife and mom trying to balance it all. Lots of pictures of two beautiful girls and the daddy that fears the day they discover boys. Fly over to the Nest to say hello!

I know it's really generic and probably could describe most "mommy blogs" out there (sans the beautiful girls- mine really take the cake- if I do say so myself).  But sorry, that's all I got.

If you're here from the D-List par-tay, I'm so glad you dropped by.  If you've made it this far and like what you read, go ahead and follow me.  And make sure to leave a comment so I can find you too!

Here are a few favorite posts.  I guess they're all really my favorite because I don't post anything I don't love.  I figure if I'm going to share it with all of the interwebz, I might as well love it.
Making Homemade Baby Food
Claire turning Six Months
Memories and Milestones

And I will conclude with my apologies for being tardy to the party (it started Sunday and goes all week- my kind of party!) but I have no real excuses.  Just life got in the way.  Went out of town, tried to recuperate from vacation, getting over a cold, giving Luke the cold, catching up on work- you know the drill. 

But again, this is my life.  Not always as clean and organized as I would prefer, but here it is.

Birthday & Wedding: Part Two

The wedding was amazing!  I mean she spent more than two years planning it, and so well worth the wait!  I loaded up on Tylenol Cold & Sinus (and as I mentioned yesterday, not a good idea to drink heavily on that) and cough drops and made it through the reading without really being able to tell I had a cold.

And here I am with the beautiful bride...

And here are all the Zetas, Jay and Grace dancing a jig (they are so cute, I know), Miss Martha with Grace and I, and the happy couple...

So the father-daughter dance was to "I Loved Her First" by Heartland (which I also danced with my daddy to on my wedding day, tear) started like this...

But it ended like this!

It was really a great time, and we had a ball spending time with family and friends.  Claire had a bit of a fever and got pretty fussy, so Luke took her home early so I could stay and party (and party, I did).  I just feel blessed to have been a part of this wonderful day!  Hope your weekend was filled with love and laughter.

Birthday & Wedding: Part One

I feel overwhelmed just talking about the weekend, so I figured I better split it into two seperate posts.  But I can start by saying it was a wonderful weekend!  Granted, I felt like I was getting sick all of last week, and I was right.  (By the way, Tylenol Cold & Sinus and white wine are a bad combination!  I learned this first hand, so please trust me, mk?)

But the rehursal and dinner were great.  Claire was a trooper and made it through with no major meltdowns.  She even got her first kiss. True story. Little boy, about two-years old, came up to Claire and kissed her on the mouth. His parents were embarressed.  Luke got his first taste of daddy rage.  Overall, a good time by all.

The bridal luncheon was Saturday morning at the Swan Coach House in the Atlanta History Center.  Jackie wanted a hat theme, and so it was.  I wish I'd gotten a picture of the awesome garden hat cake Grace got and the great garden hat earings that mom had made as favors, but I didn't :(

It was beautiful, Southern and delicious, as were the bridesmaids...

Even Julia with her cute little belly.  And while she didn't feel like it was little anymore, I told her to just wait for the immense growth in those last few weeks.  I give you Exhibit A.

And here is me, mom, Grace and Auntie Em...

After the luncheon, my dad agreed to keep Claire while Luke and I attempted to celebrate our birthday.  We went over to the AMC Fork & Spoon, and if you've never experienced a movie/ restaurant, I highly reccomend it.  Not for those on a budget, but hey, it was our birthday.  We saw Iron Man 2 (I also highly reccomend it) and had a pitcher of beer with queso dip and a burger.

And can I just say that I'm really glad that Luke drug me out of the hotel room.  If it were up to me, I just wanted to chill, maybe nap, while I had someone else volunteering to care for my child.  But he wanted to go the movies and I figured I shouldn't let him spend his birthday alone, or mine for that matter.  And when we got back, it was straight to hair and makeup and before I knew it the shuttle wad there to bring us to the wedding.  So I didn't get a nap, and now I wouldn't have had it any other way.

More to come!

Weekend Celebration

I haven't been this excited about a weekend in a while.  I'll admit it, I've been down on myself, my mothering, my lack of a clean house or cooked meal.  Let's just face it- I'm not her...

And while I love Bree's dashing wit and of course, her pearls, I'm not her.  But now I have accepted that it's okay that I am not perfect, but that I am me.  And this weekend is just what I need!

First, I am getting off early today (which is well deserved, considering the 12 hour days I put in this week).  Next, I am headed to Atlanta- always a plus to see my bother and Grace.  Third, my parents will be there.  And it's FINALLY Jackie's wedding!  The girl has been engaged forever, it seems, and her big day is really here.

Oh, and Saturday is our birthday!  Yes, "ours."  Luke and I have the same birthday.  Not the day before or the day after, the same day.  We figured this out on the first date and knew it was fate from the get-go.  Most years it stinks.  We usually say "let's save money and not get each other anything" or "let's see what Honey and Pop give us."  (Sorry mom, again your gift-giving preceeds you.  Take it as a compliment.) 

But this year, I don't care.  We are spending the weekend with family and celebrating Jackie and David's wedding.  Don't get me wrong, I do love a good card. (Honey, if you're reading this- wink wink... Like the ones from Mother's Day- Yeah, they were awesome!)

I have new dresses that actually fit (and my hubs even said one looks a little big, which made me feel amazing since this baby weight is darn hard to drop).  The luncheon mom and I are throwing Satruday morning is going to be lovely & Southern & just plain incredible.  The cathedral will be beautiful (as will the bride ;).  And the reception will be a blast!  Actually any time with Auntie Em and Uncle Cliff is a blast.

I really can't think of a better way to spend a celebration of my birth Jackie's wedding.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend too!

Thankful on a Thursday

Well, I guess you can see this past week has made me reflect on all I have to be truly thankful for.  I have really incredible people in my life, and I should really tell them more often how much they mean to me.

11. My Grammie. I've never really thought about how it will be when she is gone, but I know the lessons I've learned from her will remain in my heart forever. I am thankful that she is comfortable and that I will see her again in Heaven.

12.  My Mom.  I know I was thankful for grandparents last week, but that's because they are so wonderful to my girls.  I am thankful for the wonderful mother she is to me.  She is so strong, inspiring, loving, thoughful, and while I could go on and on, I think you get the idea.  I love her more than words can say!

13. My Mother's Day flowers.  You remember when I posted this?  Yeah?  Well, they are still alive, and are so beautiful on my desk.  I am thankful that Luke knows when I need a little "pick-me-up" and that stargazer lillies are my favorite!

14. My Mother's Day cards. Although I was away from my sweet husband on Sunday, Luke sent me to New Orleans with two awesome cards. The one from Claire and Bella made my heart melt.  It had duckies on the front, and on the inside was Claire's hand print with the words "Best Mommy Ever, HANDS DOWN!" 

Luke's card said "I may not be completely trained, but I am completely in love with you."  He is so thoughtful! 

(side note: My Mother's Day gift was a blog redesign from Blogs by Jocelyn so look for that soon. We have our annual Customer Conference at work this week, so I will be slammed and probably not able to post or respond to your wonderful comments. So my new design may already be up when this is scheduled to post.)

15. My church.  I know I have blogged about Highlands before.  But two weeks ago I was sick and last Sunday I was in New Orleans, so I have really been missing my church.  The worship is amazing, Pastor Chris is an incredible communicator, and I just feel so blessed that we found a place like this.  I know that God led us here, and I look forward to the wonderful things He has in store for Highlands in the future.

What are you thankful for today?  Be sure to go visit Nish at The Outdoor Wife, too!

Burnt Carrots: A Homemade Baby Food Adventure

And it was an adventure to say the least.  I wish I could capture the smell of burnt steaming carrots on the blog, because that's what you got in my kitchen (really the whole downstairs) for two days last week.  It is fading and now smells like a mixture of spring flower mist and burnt carrots.  I just.can't.win.

There is Betty Crocker, Sara Lee, Suzy Homemaker.  And then there's me.  I often pretend I can cook, but in reality I only dream of the homemade buttermilk biscuits and pot roast my Grammie made before her stroke.  She was a divine cook, and one day I will master her vanilla pound cake.

Needless to say, I am the last person you would think is making her baby's food from scratch.  (And I was just told by my sorority sister Melissa that I was also the last person she thought would have kids.)  But I digress.

New batch of carrots steamed (successfully, not burned).  Pureed to perfection in the food processor.  Frozen in ice cube trays.  And we're stuck.

Because I am cheap and bought the cheapest three pack of ice cube trays I could find, the frozen cubes would not budge.  Twisting the tray in opposite directions did nothing but seem to create white creases where the plastic was bending and making my arms hurt.  So you can just picture me massaging the underside of the tray to help the cubes melt just enough to slide into the tupperware.  Only a few remained stubborn.

But the important part is... Claire loves carrots!  No sugar, no salt, just plain carrots.  This made my venture into the world of homemade baby food well worth it. 

Can you see where she was saving a little on her nose for later?  And I am going to continue and pretend she would have not loved store bought carrot baby food just as much, okay?

Not sure how many more times will attempt this adventure since we have a ton of baby food from little Liam (thanks, Sis).  And the kid is already trying to feed herself, to which I reply, "Claire, it's too soon!  You must stop growing up right this minute, young lady!"  (What's that about becoming our mothers?  Yeah, that is so happening to me.)

I hope you take a minute to breathe in the beauty that surrounds you, even if it smells like burnt carrots.

Seven Months

30 weeks
210 days
5,040 hours
302,400 minutes

...since you entered my life.  And things were never the same.

I didn't make a big deal about six months and the whole half-birthday thing, and now I regret it.  So I am just going to make a big deal about seven months instead.

Yesterday, Claire went for her six month (albeit late) check up.  She weighs 16.5 pounds (50th% percentile) and was 27 inches long (80th% percentile).  I am completely surprised that any child of my husband's is only in the 50% percentile since he's built so big, but maybe she's got a bit of me in her too.  And it appears she'll be tall like her Auntie Bethany and Auntie Kristin.  (Sorry Auntie Jessica, you and I got hit with the short stick!)

Claire also got all of her shots (yuck!) and her H1N1 vaccination.  She cried for a minute, but was happy again in no time.  Doctor said her ears look good, and the tubes are still in place.  (I had no idea they could fall out, but apparently it can happen.)

Things she is amazing me with...
* Backwards crawling (but she'll get the hang of going forward one day)
* If not crawling, she's rolling to her desired destination
* Smiling and laughing like crazy!  I have a great video of her deep belly laughing that I need to figure out how to post.
* New teeth each week- we now have two bottom and two top teeth
* Reaching for things (like me!)
* SHE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!  (I think you'll agree this deserves caps, bold and italics.  It probably deserves a whole post in itself, but I am super busy this week so we'll see.)  Finally, at seven months the kid finally didn't make me get up to feed her.  I let her whine about five minutes or so at 2am and 4am, but just about when I was going to get up, she put herself back to sleep!

Things she loves...
* Sweet potatoes, pears, peaches (like momma, hates peas and green beans)
* Carrots- which is a story in itself, hopefully coming soon
* Being held- and while we love her to death, I hope this is just a phase
* Her exersaucer and Jenny Jumper
* Playing outside in the grass and rolling around
* Daddy's silly songs (he has his own words to Oh My Darlin' and other lovely tunes)
* Nomming on everything!

Here we are on Mother's Day after a long day and plane ride home from New Orleans.

Seven months also means she is closer to her first birthday than her birth. This is scary, people. I feel like we just brought her home from the hospital a month or so ago. Not seven months! I just wish I would have beleived the people who said "they grow up so fast!"

To everything there is a season...

My trip to New Orleans this weekend has really hit this one home.  As I look into Claire's crystal blue eyes and then into the blue eyes of my Grammie, I see the circle of life. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (KJV)
“ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up."

Grammie is going into Hospice next week, and we just pray that she is comfortable until she goes home to be with Jesus.  I feel at peace with what is happening, but it breaks my heart that Claire will not know Gram and how much she enriched my life.  I will make it a point to tell the girls of my memories of Summers at her house as a kid, learning the difference between self-rising and all-purpose flour, creating the perfect ham glaze and how clothes dried on a line simply smell better.

But we did get to visit with my parents, Aunt Shirley and Casey, and Aunt Nancy...

We also got to go swimming with Claire in the pool for the first time.  She loves baths so I was sure she wouldn't mind the water.  I was right, she actually loved the water.  And since I was a lifeguard and swim team coach, I'm not sure why I was surprised.  I also got some video of her putting her face in (I think she was trying to drink the water?) and kicking her legs, that I'll have to figure out how to post.  Maybe she'll follow in momma's footsteps.

And then we had a wonderful Mother's Day lunch at the Harbor, our favorite seafood establishment.  I did what I always do... get so excited about my catfish basket that I dive right in and burn the roof of my mouth.  Hopefully, Claire will learn from her mistakes- unlike her momma.

Can you tell I just learned how to create a collage?  Maybe I should write more about how Claire has changed my life, and how this Mother's Day is especially special, but I think she knows.  But I will say that I am becoming my mother.  In every way that I swore I wouldn't- I am.  Guess that's one of life's little jokes.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend and Mother's Day!

The Title of Mom

I've been "celebrating" Mother's Day for two years now since Luke and I got married, and I hence became a step-mom to the most amazing little girl I have ever met.  No really, Bella is amazing.  She is so well-adjusted, especially given the six times she's moved in her less than seven years of life, and the back and forth that visitation spanning 5,000 miles can be.  She is loving, kind, caring, helpful, spirited...

And of course, ridiculously beautiful. I mean, she looks exactly like her daddy.  Except with longer hair and a dress.

But a co-worker said to me that this is actually the first Mother's Day that I "pushed" for.  It made me laugh.  I mean really hard.  I wasn't trying to be rude, but I have never thought of Bella in any different way than I do Claire.  Sure, Bella gets spoiled because we see her so rarely.  We eat popsicles in the bathtub and get extra chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream when she's already had dessert.  But whose to say I won't spoil Claire the same way.  Life's too short and one can never have too much ice cream.  They are equal in my eyes.

Now, don't get me wrong. Luke and I knew very well that welcoming Claire into our family would be very different than what we have with Bella.  I mean, we wouldn't be sending her to another family for 44 weeks out of the year.  But these girls are my world.

Yes, one calls me Momma Gigi and the other Mama, but I wished and prayed for both of my girls.  And yes, I call them my "girls" rather than my "daughters" just so Bella's mother doesn't have a fit.  But I think of them the same.  I love them the same.  So this Mother's Day is really no different to me, and some people don't understand why.

But all that matters is they love me.  They show me with kisses, snuggles, smiles and the beautiful blue eyes of their father.  But on Friday they showed me with these...

The picture I took of the note was too fuzzy (see honey, I really do need a new camera) so here's what it said: "Dear Mommy, Happy Mother's Day from your girls.  We love you! From Bella and Claire." 

And when I called Luke to thank him, he pretended he had no idea what I was talking about, that they really must have been from the girls because he certainly didn't order them.  I love you babe, but I'm on to you.

I cleared some room on my desk because when they first arrived, I was on the phone with a client (trying not to squee with delight and attention) and it looked like this...

And this is what it usually looks like.  Headset, check.  Diet coke, check.  Cell phone, highlighter, pink coupon binder, check.  Pictures of my girls, a Bella orginal coloring and my prized $0.03 Publix recepit for $45.39 worth of groceries, check.  This is my life.  They are my life.

So, no I do not think of this Mother's Day as my first.  And I can't wait for the many more to come.  It means I am a mom, and I love that title more than anything else.  Happy Mother's Day to my own wonderful mom, grandmothers, my mother-in-law and all of the other mommas out there!