Happiness in my hugeness

I think it's easy, as a pregnant woman, to get caught up in all the negative aspects of offering your body up as an incubator for nine months. I have had plenty of un-funness so far this pregnancy (I love that my computer didn't even try to tell me that un-funness isn't a word. So glad it's getting to know me.) but  I don't really care. Now, if I were puking the entire nine months, that might be a different story. As it is, I'm still in a state of awe at what my body is doing. I am making a human being.

So while the ever-swelling belly may get in the way a lot, I feel privileged that I get to experience such a thing. Too many women don't. And the joy from feeling all these little popcorn kicks overshadows the annoyances. By a lot. Plus maternity jeans are sooooooo comfy.

Baby Number Two

Remember how I had PPD after I had Ava? No? Well, you can read about it here.

Thankfully, Heavenly Father totally slipped some forgetfulness into my morning smoothie like I was hoping he would. We are having baby number two at the end of September and I am SO! EXCITED!

It feels good to be excited about another baby. It's feels right.
As far as PPD goes, I'm hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

Until then, I will spend the summer on the beach. Resembling a whale. I will be a beached whale. And it will be awesome.

Spring Break?

Welp.

It's spring break. That wouldn't normally mean anything to me since my husband is done with all schooling forever and my kid is not old enough for school but this year, spring break means I don't teach my music class this week (Let's Play Music!). For some reason that makes me feel like I have a ton of time on my hands.

Secondly, the continuous cloud cover that hangs over these here parts for most of November-March is finally dissipating. We've had sunshine like, five days in a row and it is miraculous. (The cloud cover reminds me a lot of Ghostbusters 2. It's like pink slime over the entire midwest.)

Thirdly, I am into my second trimester of pregnancy with baby number dos (yay for babies!!!!) and I am FINALLY feeling like eating and living again. I have energy!

So. Let's recap.

TONS of extra time + sunshine that motivates my soul and gives energy to all living things + second trimester =

We'll see how this goes.....

On Being a Curmudgeon

I have been feeling this post bouncing around in my head for quite some time.

My name is Tiffany and I am curmudgeon. Specifically, a holiday curmudgeon.

Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, 4th of July, and Halloween so much I might even Celine-Dion-LURVE it. But. I take issue with all the other "holidays" and "holiday traditions" that keep popping up, aided no doubt by Pinterest and blogland and this ever-increasing need to appear to be the best parent ever who does all! the fun! things!

I read this blog post this morning and it basically summed up my feelings about all these extra holiday goings-on. I know the pressure will only grow as Ava gets older and enters elementary school but I hope I can just stick to my guns like this mom.

In summation: the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Thank you, Stephen Covey, for saying something so obvious and so often forgotten.

Kid art is favorite art

 Ava's new favorite way to pass her time is drawing. She's getting pretty good at it too.

 "A sun, a flower, and lots of rainbows!"

My new bed with lots of pillows:

a whale!

Annnnnd a doggy (my favorite).

 Not bad. In fact, this is slightly better than my drawing.

Today.

I handed Ava "The Friend" magazine this morning. She freaked out and said, "it made my dreams come true!"

Then, throughout our errand running session this morning, she started picking up leaves and rocks and such and insisting that she needed to keep them for her "collection".

I think we need to lessen the amount of Little Mermaid that gets watched around here.

Or not. Because it's kind of awesome.

Also? This:

The time has come

So Ava and I were at the doctor's office this week. We were sitting there talking to the nurse when she just pipes in and says, "my dad leaves his hair in the tub." I tried to make the awkward moment a little better by saying that he shaves his face in the shower and we cleaned it out and it's okay but she just shook her head lightly and said, "he's a gross man."

The nurse and I were dying. I guess we've gotten to that age when nothing is a secret and our dirty laundry will be aired at inappropriate times to inappropriate people. Yaaaaaay.....