How Do You Do It?

Dear SAHMs,

How do you do it?  The thought of going to a single salary at our house has us both in a tizzy.  And, mind you, I certainly am not bringing home the dough. But we have realized that losing my salary ~ were I to stay home with Miss Molly ~ is a BIG deal.  A much bigger deal than I've ever felt my salary is around these parts.

So, back to the question at hand.  Seriously, how do you do it?  Now accepting any tips, thoughts, ideas and "this works for us" tidbits.

Sincerely,
A Wannabe

16 Weeks Pregnant

Wow, what a weekend we've had!  Saturday I was 16 weeks pregnant, so we went to this great little place in town called First Glimpse.  They do 2D gender determination sonograms, 3D and 4D sonograms, prenatal massages, and classes.  They've got a great thing going in that place, so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity and do one of the 2D gender sonograms.

Here we are waiting in the lobby.  I was as giddy as a little school girl.  Tim looks way more nervous than me, doesn't he?

Here is a 16 weeks belly shot.  I wish my shirt wasn't so frumpy looking.  I'm definitely growing, huh?!?

We finally went back to the room, and we were all piled in there for sure!  Tim and I also had our mothers and my sister there with us!  That was so special; I'm so thankful they came and are as excited as we are about this new baby.

This is everyone except my momma who was taking the picture; I sure do wish we'd asked the sonographer to snap a picture of all of us. 

So, the sonographer came in, and as you can tell, I was so stinkin' excited!  Check out my hands, which were obviously in perpetual motion!

The first few seconds the baby's profile was on the screen were amazing.  I was so overcome with emotion that I just about could've sobbed.  I think Tim was the only one in the room not crying, and he and I were holding hands so tightly that I think we both may have lost some circulation for a minute!

The sonographer saw just about immediately what sex the baby is.  It took us a little longer, though.  This baby?  Was moving and shaking, that's for sure!  Someone had recommended I drink some caffeine before the appointment to ensure the baby was active.  Not. Necessary!  Goodness, when I can begin to feel this baby move, it's going to be constant!  That little bit was constantly kicking and stretching!  It was precious!

And. . . . .  then, Baby decided to give in and show us all its glory. And there's no doubt about it, y'all!

 we're having a GIRL!!!  And to say we're tickled pink is an understatement!  Esctatic is what we are! 

We left First Glimpse and stopped in this precious little baby store just up the street called Giggle Moon.  Tim's parents live in Columbia, so I wanted his mom to see this precious little store.  On the way there, she called Tim's dad to tell him it's a girl.  He's an avid hunter, and he's already in the market for a pink shotgun.  Which makes this momma VERY nervous!!! 

Y'all, my emotions were out of control yesterday!  We walked into Giggle Moon, and it was really like all of the girl stuff took on a new life!  I stood in the middle of that precious store and just cried tears of joy!  It was awesome!  And it really hasn't stopped!  I get teary eyed now, just writing about it!  We did get a sweet sign at the store, which I'll try to snap a picture of an post next time.  I want to do a post on the sweet gifts we've already gotten for Molly.

That's right, I need to tell you all:  Molly Miller Slocum will be her name!  And she's the most beautiful little thing I think I've ever seen! 

"For this child, I have prayed" ~ 1 Samual 1:27

Working Out and Worshiping

Well hello there, long lost bloggy-buds! So very sorry I’ve been MIA. The holidays were just crazy-busy for us, and I let blogging duties slip. Errr, for weeks. And I’m sorry!


And now, I feel like there’s so much to catch up on and blog about that I don’t even know where to start. And while I definitely want to share some Christmas pictures with all of you, today is Tuesday. Which typically means Titus 2 Tuesdays around here.

But today, I don’t have a Titus 2 post. Instead, I want to blog a little about my workout from this morning. It was just really cool, so listen up!

We hit the gym around 6:30 this morning. It’s freezing (for us, at least) here with the temperature this morning around 21 degrees. That’s brrrrrrr. . . .cooollllddd to southern bells like myself! And in true B-fashion when we parked, I said, “1-2-3! GO!” and raced to the front door of the gym. Tim walked in like a normal adult. He just shook his head and said, “I love playing games with you I never signed up for!” We laughed about that because I do that often (which is another reason my sister calls us the gayest couple ever.)

Anywho. . . . we went on and started our own workouts. I need to say here that while Tim is definitely God’s Best for me in sooo many ways, our taste in music is a little very different when it comes to working out. I love me some jammin’ praise music. I have a Run n Worship CD that I’ve loaded into iTunes and my ipod. I love listening to Third Day’s Revelation CD while I exercise. I’ll even listen to a sermon sometimes. I don’t know; it just helps me get my mind off of running, stairmastering, ellipticalling, weight lifting. You get the drift. Right? Tim isn’t a big praise music fan; I mean he loves God, don’t get me wrong. But praise music just isn’t his thing! He is over there listening to the latest rap and gangsta tunes.  It’s quite funny how different our workout playlists are, really!

Ahh, I digress. . .

So, I’m on the elliptical, listening to my Jesus music, and I started what ended up being a really amazing time of prayer, worship, and reflection. In. the. Gym... On. The. Elliptical. It was great! Have you ever prayed to God, thanking him for someone who you can see right then but who has no idea you’re praying for them? Thanking God for them? Tim is still clueless about all this, but while he was doing his own working out, I was over there lifting him in prayer, thanking God for the AMAZING man he’s given to me as my husband. I’m astounded every single day at the incredible marriage God’s blessed us with. It was really fun watching him work out while I was praying for him. And he had no clue.

And then, I ended my workout session on the stairmaster, listening to Mandisa’s Broken Hallelujah. Ah, how I love that song. See, just a few weeks ago*, while on the stairmaster, I heard that song. And I totally felt like God was prompting me to pray for someone who was heartbroken and had their own broken hallelujah. I thought of some dear friends of ours who’d experienced miscarriages and unsuccessful infertility treatments. But something kept telling me, “No, they’re okay. It’s not them.” Later that day, I read a very heart-wrenching blog by Holly, and I knew immediately she was who I’d prayed for on the stairmaster that morning. And if you read her blog, you know she sings a wonderful, beautiful broken hallelujah to our King every day of her life.

So, today, I again spent that time asking God to always fill me with hallelujahs, with true thankfulness and honor to Him, regardless of my situation. All while exercising. It was just such a great way to start what’s been a great day!

Of course, hearing the pitter-patter of Baby S’s heartbeat helped the day, too!

Tell me; what random, out-of-the-ordinary times do you find yourself having the best conversations with God? I’d love to hear about it!

*Another interesting piece of that morning on the stairmaster: that evening, I got a phone call from our friends telling us they’re pregnant! And everything so far was looking good. Still is! Praising God for that every single day!

Merry Merry Christmas!

I just can’t believe it’s already here. I mean, today is the Eve of Christmas Eve for goodness sake! The shopping is done, the cooking is underway, the parties have definitely begun! And it’s all wonderful!


I’ve alluded to it a few times here and if you know me personally, you probably know that I’ve really been thinking this year especially WHY we celebrate Christmas. WHY we celebrate the birth of Christ. I get it that Jesus probably wasn’t born on December 25. I understand that in order for shepherds to have been in the fields watching over their flocks that it probably wasn’t the middle of December. And I’ve really been challenged this year especially on why we celebrate Christmas.

Here’s what I know to be true:

We’re told in Luke 2 that “ there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’”

And we all know that the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

Now, here’s my thing. If the shepherds could go and “see” Jesus, if they could go to worship the Savior of the world, then why can’t we? So, I choose to celebrate Christmas with my dear friends and family, with you, my blog-buddies, and with the world. I personally find myself praising God in amazingly special ways during this season as I’m reminded of the incredible, eternal gift we were given in Jesus Christ.

We’re also told in Luke 2:20 that “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

And that’s exactly what I’m doing this Christmas, y’all. With all of my heart, I’m praising God for all that I’ve heard and seen, for I know my salvation is just as I’ve been told.

Can I get an Amen?

These words are from my favorite Christmas song of 2009, Chris Thomlin's "Emmanual"

What hope we hold this starlit night

A King is born in Bethlehem

Our journey long, we seek the light

That leads to the hallowed manger ground

What fear we felt in silent age

Four hundred years can he be found

But broken by a baby's cry

Rejoice in the hallowed manger ground

Emmanuel, Emmanuel,

God incarnate here to dwell

Emmanuel, Emmanuel

Praise his name Emmanuel

The son of God, here born to bleed

A crown of thorns would pierce his brow

And we beheld this offering

Exalted nowt the King of kings

Praise God for the hallowed manger ground

 Emmanual, Emmanuel

God incarnate here to dwell

Emmanuel, Emmanuel

Praise his name Emmanuel

Merry Merry Christmas, y’all!

Happy Anniversary!

Two years ago seems like just yesterday.  A brief period of time, really.  December 15, 2007.  It rained cats and dogs.  Four inches of rain in that one day. 

But I didn't care.  Rain or not, I was marrying the love of my life.  In this church.

Tim walked up the aisle to get me.  This was the first we'd seen each other all day.

We prayed together

We shared the Lord's Supper together

And we laughed together!  See, we'd turned to face the congregation, and as our pastor was pronouncing us, I was as giddy as a little school girl.  Tim was as solemn as could be.  God love him, he was so nervous.  So, Steve, the pastor, stops whatever he was saying and says, "I don't know what's going on on the other side, but y'all aren't listening to a word I'm saying!"  The congregation laughed!!

We danced!  Oh, boy did we dance! "Everything" by Michael Buble was the song we danced to! 

So much fun!! 

And we began this journey of marriage together.  Two years ago day.  And I couldn't be happier with the amazing blessing this gift has been. 

Tim, the day I met you I knew something was different about you.  You know this, but I told my friend, "I'm going to get to know that Tim guy."  Our second date, I went home and told my momma this was one different.  I just knew I'd marry you.  Shortly thereafter, I was head over heels in love with you.  And I couldn't imagine falling deeper in love with you.  But I did.  When you proposed to me, sitting on a swing at the King & Prince in St. Simons, I couldn't imagine loving you more than I did that very second.  Eight months later, when I married you, I loved you more than I ever dreamed imaginable.  And today, two years later, I'm absolutely, 150%, no-doubt-about-it, head over heels, madly, deeply, forever in love with you.  You're God's Best for me. 

Happy Anniversary!!  The Best is Surely Yet to Come!

~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~~ 

"Everything" ~ Michael Buble

You're a falling star, you're the get away car.

You're the line in the sand when I go too far.

You're the swimming pool, on an August day.

And you're the perfect thing to say.

And you play it coy but it's kinda cute.

Ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do.

Baby don't pretend that you don't know it's true.

'cause you can see it when I look at you.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times

It's you, it's you, you make me sing.

You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,

And you light me up, when you ring my bell.

You're a mystery, you're from outer space,

You're every minute of my everyday.

And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,

And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.

Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,

And you know that's what our love can do.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times

It's you, it's you, you make me sing.

You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're every song, and I sing along.

'Cause you're my everything.

Yeah, yeah

Titus 2 Tuesday: YOU

Today, I'm honoring you, and you, and you.  See, last week, I posted this crazy emotional post.  Silly me.  I didn't even realize at the time that all my emotions were due to the hormones of pregnancy.  No, instead, I honestly was wondering what in the world was wrong with me!  Why did I cry at the end of The Price is Right ~ and not because I was happy with the winner but because the loser's price estimate was waaaayyy off and made me sad!

So, I stepped out on a limb.  Well, at least for me.  I'm intentionally careful of what I post because I realize it's on the internet for goodness sake and there's no telling who might see it.  I mean, my word, when I wrote the post on the 15th anniversary of my Daddy's death, 2 weeks later, the CEO of my bank called me to tell me he'd just read it and how he still missed my Daddy.  Not only was I touched beyond words, but that right there reminded me that I have no idea who's reading.  And that's great!  But I must choose my words wisely.

So, anyway, I stepped out on a limb and wrote a very transparent post about my emotions, my frustrations, and my thoughts.  And you?  You pulled through!  I seriously felt like I was being hugged and encouraged over and over again with all of your comments!  Thank you! 

While most of you hit the nail on the head by reminding me that it's totally par for the course with pregnancy, many of you reminded me that you're here for me.  You shared with me that you'd just cried when putting away sippy cups because you realized you'll soon be washing bottles all over again.  You promised me it's all worth it!  You reminded me of the incredible miracle I am carrying!  You assured me my every-so-often Diet Coke splurge is okay.  You gave me other medicinal advices and secrets. 

And I. am. So. Thankful for YOU.  I really am.  I'm amazed at the community of women I know and love here in this ole' blogosphere!  And I love you each for what you have said to me, how you've encouraged me, and how you're praying with me.  Thank you so much!

So, who's encouraged you this week?  What woman has taught you a Godly lesson?  Link up and share it with us!

A Plethora of Emotions, Thoughts, and Actions

- I’m tired. Tired physically. This pregnancy tired is truly like none other!

- Frustrated. With people who don’t celebrate Christmas and are making it their mission to question every one of the reasons we Christians celebrate the season. You know what I wanna say? Get your hiney off your high horse, leave us Christians alone, and let us worship our Savior as we see fit. Thankyouverymuch. And, while I’m on it, please stop judging and assuming my heart’s focused on worshipping a Christmas tree in my house and buying gifts and Santa. Because it’s not.

- Anxious about tomorrow morning’s doctor appointment. Is it normal before every appointment to get a little anxious and worry that something is going to be wrong?

- Feeling like we’re living in Kansas and the big ole’ tornado is on its way. What’s with this crazy wind and rain? Gee Whiz!

- Feeling pudgy. I swear I feel like I blew up and swallowed a kids’ inner-tube and it’s settled right on my waistline. Apparently it looks that way, too, as two different women have commented on my “pudgy belly”. Thanks, y’all. Pregnant or not, I don’t want be “pudgy”.

- Worried that I’ve done, eaten, or taken something that could’ve harmed this baby. I’ve only had a handful of diet cokes in the last couple of months, and I’m limiting my Sprite Zero intake (thanks to aspartame) and hardly drinking coffee at all (decaf regardless) because I like Splenda in my coffee. But have I done enough?

- Looking forward to a 5K on Saturday. It’s the Children’s Hospital’s Reindeer Run, one of my favorite 5Ks of the year. Sure, I won’t break any of my time records as I’ve hardly exercised lately, but I’m looking forward to running / walking a great route through a beautiful downtown and college campus and seeing lots of friends.

- Competitive! Tim’s decided to run in a half in March. And it’s driving me batty that I can’t do it, too. I know I have no business trying to run a half marathon in March, when I’d be 6 months pregnant. And he certainly doesn’t expect me to. But why does it bother me?

- Wishing this sinus headache would go away! Not taking anything for it and just hoping it’ll pass is no fun!

- Tired. But I think I’ve mentioned that one!

- Thinking our tree needs some pizzazz this season. It just seems dinky. Bare. Not sure why. . . .

- Wondering how Belle is escaping from the back yard and we have yet to find the first hole.

- Hopeful. I realize this entire list is pretty down-and-out and whiney. I’m sorry, but it’s just my emotions right now and I need to get them out! But, regardless of all these worries, I’m hopeful. I’m choosing hope and remembering that God is always with me. Zephaniah 3:17. How can I complain with that knowledge?