Contest!!

Over at Book Mosaic on Livejournal, they are having a CONTEST to win a signed or unsigned copy of MATCHED! Check it out here!

Second Chances

Forget it, I just about lost my mind
I’m headed, for a safe place to hide
What if I’m wrong, I don’t wanna miss it all
So where do I go from here

Will I make it, if I jump right in
Can I take it, if the rope begins to give
But I’ve got no choice, cause I hear your voice
I must find hope, I must find joy, the joy….

Of a second chance at life, with happiness inside
Joy in the morning, and a peace of mind
Because love forgets no one
And it’s reaching out to us
And no one gets left behind
Without a second chance at life

Second Chance by Noah Cleveland

We don't always get things right the first time. Sometimes God allows us a second chance to get it right, to make things work. That's what God's love is all about... second chances. He gives us a second try to make the right decisions and to follow the path he's laid out for us in life.

The lyrics I added above this post are from a song that Noah Cleveland sang at church on August 21st. Hearing this song broke me down emotionally. I felt like the lyrics of this song were talking right to me, that God was using this artist and this song to let me know that things were going to be okay in the end. I thought I'd already used up my second chance when I met Wesley, fell in love and started a family. When I got out of an emotionally terrible relationship and started a new one that made me realize that relationships shouldn't be as hard as that one was.

This song taught me that love forgets no one and that God will always pull through in the end, because that's what he's promised us. I will get my second chance at life and nothing on this earth matters more than that. I am promised eternity with him in heaven and that is so special! So, these financial woes and broke down cars are just the 'for now'. They won't last forever because once I enter God's kingdom, I won't need to worry about any of that, so why worry about it now.

This song and the past two sermons about 'I Quit' have truly meant a lot to me, and have completely turned my way of thinking around! I quit making excuses, and I quit complaining! (:

Book Review: A Little Bit Wicked

Kristin Chenoweth is one of my most favorite women in today's celebrity society. I bought this book on sale at Books-a-Million a few years ago and just got around to reading it for the first time. I'm kicking myself for not picking it up earlier.

In this book, she shares personal things about her life and her relationships, but what really struck and what I didn't know was how much she believed in God and how much she relied on her faith to get through all those hard times before making it to Broadway. This book really restored my faith in some of today's actors/actresses. I will continue to support KC because of her faith and because she's so truthful and honest about her life and her beliefs. I want one day to see her on stage, in person.

I recommend this book to anyone that loves theater, God, or KC themselves. She has a great sense of humor and her jokes in this book make reading non-fiction worth it!

Weekend Warriors 8/26-8/28

This weekend has been fun! On friday I got my hair colored, had lunch with my husband and visited all the wonderful people at Bennett, then went to my Mama's house for the rest of the day. I got to help Ashley get her wedding invites printed and tied on some ribbons... and go to play with the oh so adorable Bradyn, my little cousin! I'm so excited for this wedding - I'm happy to welcome her to our family! Also, Renee, Mom and I decided to throw her a lingerie party... so I'm brainstorming that a lot lately! The party is on a Sunday in September.

Today I met up with a friend from high school that I haven't seen since graduation! I can't believe how much of the same she is - even though she's a married Mom of two now! It was great catching up and I really hope that the friendship sticks again... she's a great woman and I admire her! Her kids are so cute... and I am excited that I had time to spend with her. After that I went to Target to shop around until time for my eye exam - Mom came down to see us, and hang out with Ry while I was at the doctor's office. We had a fun visit and I got my contacts and new Vera Bradley glasses ordered! (:

Tomorrow is church and a lazy day at the house - and hopefully a movie with my best friend, Marlena! Have a good week everyone! It's almost Labor day weekend!!

Ryan playing with Mom & Mimi!

Visit from Mimi!

This weekend Ryan got to meet his 3rd Great Grandmother, my Mom's Mom. This was the first chance that she had been able to travel through GA to see him, and I'm so glad that she did. We had a wonderful visit. I had not seen her since my baby shower back in April. We visited, she loved on Ryan, I cooked dinner... it was overall a good time! I'm glad that she came!



Also, a shout out today for my Aunt Carol... HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (:

3 Months!

This weekend my baby turned 3 months old! I can't believe it!



These past three months have FLOWN by me... and I look forward to all the ones to come, but this baby is growing up way to fast. Are there any secrets on how to slow it down?! Before I know it he's going to be walking, talking, going to school, graduating, getting married and giving me grand babies.... whew, what a scary thought!

Tonight as I sit here listening to the storm brew outside, I ponder all the days, months and years to come. What kind of person will my Ryan be? Will he grow up to be more like me or more like his daddy? I'm sure he will have a good mix of us both, because we are a lot a like - Wesley and I. I hope that our son shares a love for books, movies, and music with us. I hope that he wants to play outside with me, get out and do things... but also love to cuddle on the couch and watch a good movie or tv show like his daddy. It's amazing to me to think about these things, make my predictions on what he will be like.

I guess I should really concern myself with things like what his first words will be or what he's going to be allergic to at this point... but those aren't really all that fun to think about!

Dear Ryan,

Three months and you are still growing like a weed!! Your favorite thing to do now is talk to me - well, it's more of cooing noises, but they are sweet words either way! Cullen is hanging around the house now, and you like to watch him run circles around you every day. You get fixated on the cartoons he watches too. Your second favorite thing to do is bath time. You really enjoy kicking those feet and splashing me. You look up at me and imitate my smile! I love to see that gummy grin!

You aren't too fond of evening time lately - too exhausted to even drink a bottle sometimes. You love going out of the house and you are seriously the BEST baby when we do go out! I get so many compliments on how good of a baby you are!

This month had a lot of firsts... you went to your first birthday celebration, Cullen's second birthday party; you met some more people for the first time; you stayed with Nana for a whole day (and let me tell you that was hard on Mommy); and you also went on your first few walks around the block in your stroller!

It's been a fun month, but I look forward to the next few... seeing how you develop. You are not a huge fan of tummy time yet, but we're working on it! I love you baby boy!

Love, Momma

New Nail Looks to Try!

Thoughts of the Week

• I'm currently addicted to the Disney Junior cartoon, Little Einstein's. This show is extremely educational when it comes to art and music, I love that!! I look forward to Ry watching this show. On a side note, I ordered a Baby Einstein DVD about baby words and sign language... I have always wanted to teach my kids how to sign some words and the alphabet so they can talk to me before they can actually talk. I've read many studies about how it keeps kids from getting frustrated when they can't tell you what they want. Also, I think it's good for my kids to know a second language, and I don't want to teach them Spanish, although that would be a smarter idea. LOL
• Every night when my head hits my pillow and I am exhausted from the day I just had, watching two kiddos, and keeping up with the house. Every morning I wake up refreshed and realize I have forgotten all the stress from the day before and I'm ready to do it again! I love my job! (:
• Dunkin Turbo coffee is YUM! I had a sample that I threw in the freezer months ago... I just brewed it today and it's really tasty!
  
• I've had my sewing machine for about a month now and still haven't MADE anything! I feel like I'm neglecting what I want to do, but I just don't have time, nor have I made time to do it. I will eventually... I am going to make my Christmas gifts this year, I hope!
  
• I'm currently reading Kristin Chenoweth's book 'A Little Bit Wicked', and it's very refreshing. She has a very down to earth sense of humor and I love her little antidotes for life! Such as 'No Calories Left Behind Peanut Butter Pie'. There is a recipe in the book! (: She has a very good attitude, even when things don't work out so well!
  
• My husband has been BEGGING me to read the fantasy book series that he loves so much by Jim Butcher. So I am going to give the first book a shot next... it sounds really interesting.
  
• Looking forward to this weekend. On Saturday I have a baby shower to go to and then my sisters are staying over with me. If I'd had the money, I was going to go with some friends to celebrate another friend's birthday. It sucks being BROKE! I wish Kelly the best this weekend and hope she has a GREAT time!
  

What's my Favorite Color? All of them!

Eye Candy: Joe Manganiello

Before I was a Mom...

All of my Mom friends can relate... this poem just made me BURST into tears! (: So beautiful and so true!

Before I was a Mom I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom I slept as late as I wanted.
And never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was Mom I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to lullabies.

Before I was a Mom I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, peed on, or pinched by tiny fingers.
Before I was a Mom I had complete control of my mind, my thoughts, my body and all my feelings.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a Mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was OK.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much......
......before I was a Mom.

Find Out Fridays

You: How old are you? 26
When is your birthday? January 12th
Are you looking forward to it? Yes
Why? I love celebrating the only day that I can call MINE! (:
Are you happy? Extremely!
What makes you happiest? My son's smiles, and my husband's kisses!
Are you afraid of something? Losing my family.
Do you live alone, or with someone else? With others.
Who? My husband, and son.
Do you have any pets? Yes, a Maltese named Larson.
What is your favorite cartoon? Currently, Little Einsteins.
Have you ever hit a deer? Not while I was driving, but I've been in the car when someone else was driving.
Do you drink? Occasionally.
Do you prefer beer or liquor? I prefer wine.
What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink? Sweet tea.
What kind of cell phone do you have? HTC Droid Incredible
Do you like it? It's alright... I wouldn't mind getting a Verizon Iphone.
What is the funniest word you ever heard? Canoodle.
Do you hate it when people call you "dear"? Doesn't bother me. I don't like being called ma'am - I'm too young for that still!
To whom have you sent the most text messages? My two besties and my sister in law all come in equal!
What did you do for new year's eve? We went bowling.
Were there lots of pictures? Yes.
What is your favorite movie? Ever? Beauty and the Beast
What is your favorite song? Ever? Currently, You Lie by The Band Perry.
What concerts do you want to see in 2008? None that I know of!
Do you have any tattoos? No, but I want one!
What is your favorite place to chill out? On the couch, with a good book and a cup of coffee.
What is your favorite song to play on guitar hero? Message in a Bottle by The Police
Do you work out? Yes, I walk/jog on a semi-regular basis.
Do you wear any jewelry? My wedding rings always - a necklace most of the time and a watch.
What is your favorite memory of the past couple of years? My wedding and the day I gave birth.
What is your goal for the year? To learn to sew with a machine!
What do you think about when you first wake up? Changing and feeding Ryan.
Do you shower daily? Yes.
....alone? Yes.
Have you ever eaten sushi? I've tried it, not a huge fan.
Did you like it? Nope.
List three things you can't live without: My phone, My family, Chocolate!
What is your best physical feature? Currently, my legs!
What is your middle name? Smith (Maiden Name)
Do you get choked up during dramatic movies? Yes, I'm a girl. It's kind of expected!
What is your biggest pet peeve? When someone leave no TP on the roll... when it's empty you REPLACE it!
Have you ever liked someone that all of your friends hate? Sure.
Is there anything that you regret? Not really. I wouldn't be where I am today if I did.
Do you want children? Already have one, I do want more.
How many? Total, 3ish.
Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket? Of course.
What is your favorite number? 7.
What is your favorite sports team? UGA Bulldogs & Atlanta Falcons
What is your most over-used phrase? "That's hilarious".
What do you not say enough? To the ones I love, "I love you".
You and your other half:
Did you get over your ex, or are you over him/her? Yes, way over it.
Are you currently with someone? Yes.
Do you love him/her? Yes.
Who said "I love you" first? He did.
Where? I don't honestly remember.
Would you date your ex again? Heck no - too much drama!
What is your longest relationship? So far, with my ex it was 5 years. Going for a record with my husband!
What is your most significant relationship? The one I am in now.
What is the most romantic thing a significant other can do? Little surprises. For me, it's notes on my FB or on the mirror in the bathroom.
Do you like pet names? Yes. (:
Do you have any? Sure! *wink*
Is there anything that you won't tolerate in a relationship? Cheating, Abuse
Do you believe in living together before engagement/marriage? Yes.
Where did you meet your significant other? At Bennett, where I used to work and he still does!
Have you ever broken up? No.
Have you ever had your heart broken? Yes, hasn't everyone at least once?
Have you ever broken someone's heart? Sure.
What is your significant other's birthday? August 15th
What is your anniversary? March 20th
Does this person know you better than anyone else? Yes!
Is this person younger than you? No.
Where was your first date? Olive Garden.
Would you marry this person? Yes, I already DID!
Are you happy with your sex life? (:
who is "Your" band? Probably Unknown Hinson or Weezer.
What is "Your" song? We don't really have one... we have A LOT! Currently my song for him is "All Your Life" by The Band Perry
Do you think you'll be together for a long time? We better be!
Do you lay in bed and cuddle a lot? We are not really the cuddly type!
Where was the last place you went together? My parent's house.

Scorpio Races!

I can't wait!! Comes out in October!!

Pre-Order a signed copy here: http://www.fountainbookstore.com/autograph-maggie

Trailer...

Tummy Time

Currently, we are trying to make sure that Ryan gets lots of tummy time - so he learns to push up, lift his head and all that jazz. Apparently, this is also supposed to help him roll over and sit up eventually. So far, he's not a huge fan. But we had fun with him the other night... and had him sitting up with support from his own arms! He's learning and growing so fast!

Here are some photos!

Summer Lovin'

Couch to 5K Update

I am currently at a 17 minute mile.

It takes me about 21 minutes to do the mile and a half block near the house right now. I'm trying to shorten that and sustain myself to do the block twice to get to my three miles. I hope to have the three miles down so I can do a 5K in the evening on August 20th with my sister in law. I also am registered for a 5K in October in honor of my nephew, Elijah.

Please feel free to make any donations to the JDRF walk in October at www.jdrf.org, we are TEAM ELIJAH. We need all the help, hope, and support we can get to find a cure for juvenile diabetes.

Will update more soon! I'm not currently keeping up with my weight loss, but hopefully I am losing! (:

What's my Favorite Color? All of them! (Food Edition)

MommyLand

Stumbled across this blog, CLEVER GIRL GOES BLOG... and I can relate to this recent post...

AUGUST 1, 2011
The shit that no one tells you: Volume 2.

I didn’t become an ACTUAL crazy person until 12 hours after GG was born.

All kidding aside, I know the exact time and date that I truly let my sanity slip through my fingers.

(Like sand through the hourglass…these are the Days of Our Lives.)

To better explain this, lemme backtrack a little.

Hubs and I took a couple of classes while I was pregnant: infant CPR and breastfeeding. We thought we were covered. Feeding and resuscitation. What else do you need? Done. Check and check.

(Yes, Hubs went with me to a breastfeeding class. No, no one whipped their boob out. But there was an 80′s-tastic video.)

Of course, as the birth got closer and closer, I thought maybe we weren’t prepared enough. So I asked the nurse practitioner at my OBGYN if she thought we should take the Baby Care class. ”Nah,” she said. ”Have you read any parenting books? All the stuff they cover in the class is pretty self-explanatory, and if you’ve done your reading you probably don’t need it. It’s kind of for younger parents.”

(Okay, first of all, I’m ONLY 30, for God’s sake. But thanks for not thinking I’m a teen mom. And that I have enough common sense not to leave my baby in the car or dangle her off a balcony or something.)

“However, you should probably take one of the childbirth classes.” Ahem. No.

I left the office feeling very superior and as though I CLEARLY already had all of the information I would need to not only physically care for this baby (don’t get me started on emotional/mental, that’s a story for another day), but breeze through it with flying colors. And in fact, I worried WAY less about caring for her POST-delivery than I did while she was still inside. She’s just a very small person, right? How hard could it be? Just get her out and I can do it! WE ALL HAVE THE SAME BASIC NEEDS.

This confident and serene feeling continued until 11:40 pm on the day GG was born. It continued until she started HACKING UP AMNIOTIC FLUID AND CHOKING ON IT.

Yes. That can happen. Did you know that? Because I did not.

Hubs and I had decided that he would not stay overnight with me in the hospital, depending on the time of day GG arrived. We reasoned that we had the pets at home to care for, plus Hubs would be better help to me if he got at least 5 or 6 hours of sleep in an actual bed. I knew I’d have the nurses coming in all night to check on us, and let’s face it, Hubs’ wildebeest-esque snoring is not exactly conducive to a restful and peaceful night for a tired mommy and a newborn.

So at about 11:30 that evening, almost 12 hours after GG was born, Hubs was preparing to go home for the night. The nurse was in our room checking on me and the baby when all of a sudden, from the bassinet, comes a choking sound. GG was coughing up amniotic fluid and since she was laying on her back, swaddled and cozy, she started to choke on it.

That’s when I lost my mind. Bye bye.

The nurse calmly strode over to her, picked her up, grabbed a little blue squeegee (hereafter known as the Squeegee of Life) out of the drawer, and sucked out some fluid from her mouth.

I don’t think I was producing actual words at that point, probably more like the sound your dog makes when you step on its paw combined with a rusty foghorn. It went something like this “EEEEEEEwhaaaaaaaaaaaaaEEEEEEEEEEnooooooooo!”

Hubs did a bit better. He said something like “WHAT THE FUCK?” Concise. To the point.

“Oh, she’s just coughing up some amniotic fluid,” the nurse said. ”It can happen up to 24 hours after their birth. No one told you that?”

UHM NO. NO ONE TOLD US THAT. I think I’d remember if someone said “Your baby might choke before she’s even eaten anything.”

It was at that point that I wished in vain for the carelessly dismissed Baby Care class. Should I have read more books? Did the teen moms know things that I did not? Was I a cocky fool for thinking I had this shit in the bag?

(The answer to all of those questions was yes.)

Needless to say, I kept the Squeegee of Life tightly clutched in my sweaty, nervous fist for the rest of the night because GG coughed up fluid TWICE more before she decided to finally stop scaring the crap out of her new parents. Hubs and I didn’t sleep a wink. Baby Care Class 1, Tia 0.

(And even after we got home the Squeegee of Life had a comfy home within arms reach, right on my bedside table.)

So, the moral of the story is this: even when you think you know, you don’t know.

Sub-moral: Babies be crazy, yo. It’s always applicable.

Book Review: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

I honestly thought this was the best book in the trilogy and it ties up the story into a nice little low at the end! Without being too spoilerish - it made me laugh out loud, and it made me cry. It made me want Maggie to write a #4 book in the series, that's how good I thought it was.

When I finish a book and smile with I put it down, thinking "that was great".... that means it was a seriously good book and an favorite of mine. I would recommend this series to anyone that liked the Twilight series. If you are anything like me, you will like these better. I can relate to these characters to much better! (: That's all I'm going to write because I have friends that haven't finished the book yet!

Thoughts of the Week

• I'm going to enjoy keeping two boys this school year - having Cullen around makes things more fun and interesting. It will be really exciting to see all the things Cullen will teach him as he gets older every day!
  
• My son is very picky about his sleeping habits. Every few weeks he gets a wild hair and won't sleep on his stomach like normal. Yes, I know everyone says to put him on his back, well he just doesn't stay asleep like that. Tonight, for example, he was restless laying on his belly, so I put him on his back, and he instantly went to sleep. It's weird! Once he falls asleep, I will roll him over so he won't wake - he tends to get startled more easily on his back.
  
• Fair season is so CLOSE! I can't wait to take Ryan to the fair in Perry this year! I think even though he'll only be 4.5 months old, that he will enjoy it! He loves animals already... and I love getting to spend that day with my family (In-laws).
  
• I really want a Kindle for Christmas. I've considered it a lot this past year because Mom almost got me one last year. I love my books - holding them in my hand, smelling the pages (yes I know that is a bit freaky), etc. But having a kindle would be VERY convenient, don't you think??
• My best friend (and cousin) finally announced this week publicly that she is pregnant with twins. I can NOT explain in words how excited I am for her - and to be planning her baby shower is the icing on the cake! I already have a theme in mind - time to start planning! (:
• Financial woes SUCK! Seriously... nothing in life is free and things have never came easily to me, ever. I'm lucky that I have such an awesome best friend that trusts me to watch her precious boy while she works for the next year -its providing us with a little money to sustain the bills that keep piling up on us.
  
• I am looking forward to my husband's birthday in about a week! He's going to be 33 this year and I am so lucky to have such a loving and amazing man in my life! I seriously don't know what I would do without him!
  
• Just finished reading FOREVER by Maggie Stievfater and it was an amazing end to the trilogy. I seriously have not read a much better series for young adults in a while. This series is better than Twilight for me - but about the same as The Hunger Games. Maggie has a new book coming out in October called THE SCORPIO RACES... it's supposed to be a fight to the death, on horseback. That's about all I know! I can't wait to get it!
  
• Folding laundry and vacuuming are my least favorite chores!
• I am craving a coke float...
  

Eye Candy: Alexander Skarsgard

This Weekend in Collage

this weekend in collage 7/29 by megabyte8709 featuring iron fist boots

Miss Selfridge owl necklace
£14 - missselfridge.com

Amazon.com: Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Cookie Kiss Lip Gloss:...
$9.98 - amazon.com

Carried Away - Fragrance - Bath & Body Works
$11 - bathandbodyworks.com

Yellow and White Daisies Flower Arrangement
$40 - kcflorist.com

Teen Mom (Season 2)
$5 - mtv.com