30 Days: Day 28, Day 29, and Day 30

I will admit that I am feeling a little relieved to be done with 30 Days of Thankfulness, only because writing the blog post felt like an extra thing to do every night (which makes sense, since it was just that).  Since I didn't get a ton of feedback, writing the post seemed kind of unnecessary, since I had noted to myself certain things I was thankful for each day.  However, I am glad that I took the time to do it, and here are my final three days.

Day 28 - I'm so thankful for marriage.  I'm thankful to have someone who helps me, who shares responsibility, who always has my back and cares for me.  I am so thankful to be a part of a partnership like this!

Day 29 - I'm thankful for all of the Christmas decorations that brighten my day!  I love seeing our tree, seeing gifts underneath it, and thinking about spending the holidays with loved ones.  I drank some hot chocolate out of a Santa mug and got a kick out of Gwen pointing to it, saying, "Santa's coffee!"

Day 30 - I'm thankful for the wonderful life I have - a fantastic husband, an amazing daughter, my health, a house (with all its goodies!), and the many blessings that we have.  We are a part of a great church community, we have fantastic friends who support us, and we are often encouraged by our family.  We are so blessed!  There's so much to be thankful for every day!

30 Days: Day 27 - Followers

It's simple, but I'm so thankful for true followers of Christ.

These are people who hear God's call and follow it, setting aside their own desires, their comforts, their familiarity, their money, their wishes.  They go where He wants, do what He wants, and answer the call.  They seek Him by praying earnestly, opening their hearts to His will.  They cling to His Word and desire nothing but to follow where He leads.

I am thankful for the followers that I am blessed to call my friends, who are truly like brothers and sisters.  You are an inspiration and an example of the follower I long to be.

30 Days: Day 24, Day 25, and Day 26 - My Mom, My Faithful God, and My Pen-Gwen

I needed a blogging break yesterday, so I decided to do another double post!  When I went to post yesterday, I discovered that we had some technical difficulties, so it'll be a triple post today!

Day 24 - I have a friend who lost her mom a few years ago, when we were freshmen in college.  Her mom died rather suddenly and she came to my mind (and my dreams!) on Friday night.  Thinking about her made me think about how awful it would be if I didn't have my mom to share all of those wonderful moments of life with - my wedding day, the birth of Aynsley, holidays.  I can't imagine her not being here, and my heart aches for those who have lost parents.

If you don't know my family situation, you are welcome to ask me about it sometime, but I won't go into the whole long story here.  I don't necessarily have a happy or stable or picture-perfect childhood (not by a long shot), but my mom was the rock in our family.  I always knew that I was loved and cared for by my mom, no matter what the other circumstances.  I don't think I ever doubted her love; I knew that there was nothing that I could do to lose it.

My mom has continued to be one of my biggest supporters, encouraging and loving me through difficult circumstances and helping me in more ways than one.  I'm so thankful for my mom and glad to have such a wonderful example of how to be a mother.  I am so thankful for my mom!

Day 25 - After a little bit of a rough day on Saturday, I walked into church today with a heavy heart.  I was encouraged and lifted up by the rest of our worship team and was grateful for the opportunity to worship Christ with my church family.  My stomach had been in knots for most of Saturday, my heart had been aching, and my spirit was crushed.  I was reminded that God is bigger than my problems, bigger than my circumstances, and able to do anything.  I prayed about the situation and searched my heart for my wrongdoing.  I found much hope during my time in prayer on Sunday morning and I continue to pray that God will answer soon.

So I'm also thankful that, no matter what the circumstances, the God I serve is alive and cares for me.  The silly things that take up so much of my time and effort will not matter in eternity.  I will do my best to live up to what Christ calls me to and I will have to leave it in His hands.

I am so thankful for my God!

Day 26 - I have been so blessed to be able to care for Gwen!  I'll never forget holding her in the hospital, baby-sitting her when she was still little, and then getting to spend all of my weekdays with her starting when she was about four months old!  Now she is nearly two and a ball of fun.

I am glad to be able to be home with Aynsley, and watching Gwen makes that possible.  I love watching her learn new skills, listening to her talk, and playing with her.  Matt and I get a kick out of some (almost all of) the things she says, and I love to see her with "Baby Ayn-see."

I could go on and on about Gwennie (I talk about her like she's my daughter sometimes), but I'll try to keep it brief.  She's a blast to be with and I love seeing her as she experiences new things.  Being with her has been amazing preparation for my own little baby and her parents are so wonderful for letting me care for her!

I am thankful for my Pen-Gwen!

30 Days: Day 22 and Day 23 - Aynsley Fans and Home

We were in Illinois yesterday and away from the computer, so this post should serve for two days' worth of thankfulness!

Thanksgiving always makes me thankful for family, but I'm even more thankful that Aynsley has so many people who love her so much!  It's a blessing to have so many people anxious to see her and to spend time with her.

After driving about 500 miles in less than 48 hours (with our two dogs), I'm also so thankful to be home!  It's nice to be gone but it's wonderful to be home.

30 Days: Day 21 - Easy(ish) Travel

I'm thankful for our ability to (fairly easily) travel to see family.  Despite the major stuff involved with packing for two adults, two dogs, and one baby, we can load up and drive a few hours to visit family and spend the holiday with loved ones!

We are blessed to have family within driving distance!

30 Days: Day 20 - All the Things I Do Without Thinking

I'll try to keep this brief, but I'm so thankful for the way that God created our bodies!

I breathe without thinking about it, I digest food without thinking about it, I can even heal without thinking about it!

I'm praising God today for the miracle that is our wonderful bodies!  Thankful that mine is working well!

30 Days: Day 19 - My Mateo

I am so thankful for my husband.

Here's that other post I'd obviously write!  Matt and I have been together for almost eight years now and it has truly been a wonderful journey.  He has been so supportive of me and continues to amaze me with his patience and thoughtfulness.

I won't tell you the whole long story of our relationship or all the things we've done together over the last eight years, but I've always felt loved, protected, and taken care of by the man who has been my friend, my boyfriend, my fiance, and my husband (not to mention the father of my child!).

Matt works hard, takes care of us in more ways than one, and continues to aspire to bigger and better things for himself and for our family.  I hope that I can be as supportive of him as he has been of me.

To be his wife and to have a family together - this is what I wished for.

30 Days: Day 18 - BFFs

I'm so thankful for friends, especially the friends that I consider BFFs!

Those are friends who really are friends forever - no matter how far apart you are, no matter how long you've gone without seeing each other, no matter what changes life brings.  My heart thinks of those friends often and I was so blessed to see one today!  I'm especially blessed that she has a little baby on the way for me to love on the next time we are together.

I love my BFFs; I think you know who you are!

30 Days: Day 17 - Starry Nights

I'm so thankful to live in southern Indiana/Kentuckiana, where it's easy to see the stars on a clear night.  It just about makes standing outside with two dogs, waiting for them to do their business worth it!

I'm sure that there are places where the sky is even clearer, and I've lived where the stars aren't as visible, but I'm thankful for the beautiful sky I get to see thanks to where we live!

30 Days: Day 16 - Modern Conveniences

Today, I am so thankful for modern conveniences!

Friday is laundry day at our house, but I only opted to do three loads today (saving a few loads for the day before we leave to visit family for Thanksgiving).  As I listened to the washer and dryer hum and whir and make other noises, I was truly grateful for those machines.

And I've loaded the dishwasher with a bunch of dirty dishes we've used today and I'm happy to know that they'll be sparkling clean when I get up in the morning!

Of course, there are plenty of other conveniences today, but those are the two that made my life easier today!

30 Days: Day 15 - Morning Cup of Coffee

I'm so thankful for my morning cup of coffee.

During pregnancy, I had a long stretch during which coffee wasn't appealing at all (apparently, baby Aynsley isn't crazy about it) but I knew I'd need it to get through a day with Gwen.

Of course, being pregnant and nursing hasn't stopped me from drinking one cup of coffee a day (and it's instant, so it has less caffeine than if I brewed it).  Actually, I remember ordering coffee with breakfast in the hospital and thinking that the food lady might judge me, but she didn't seem to do so.

This morning was a little more hectic than usual.  After Aynsley was fed, I had to get her dressed and ready to run an errand.  The dogs were running around, Gwen was running around, and Matt was busily tapping away on the computer.  We had to go to the library and the BMV with the girls, and I was getting mildly stressed about the fact that our errand was going to interfere with Aynsley's morning nap.

Instead of getting flustered, I just sat down on the couch with my coffee.  I smiled at Aynsley, I talked to Gwen, and I enjoyed a few moments of a heavenly cup of wonderfulness.  Ah.

30 Days: Day 14 - Old/New Car

Today, I'm thankful for our new (to us) car and the fact that we were able to pay cash for it.  We may not be stylin' in our old/new car, but we were able to afford it and we can continue to focus on paying off debt!

Now, we just need to come up with a name for our new car.  I've owned Jonah Mapple, Crystal, Vicky, and we've owned Chuck and Glenn (and we still have Estelle) together.  Hmm...

30 Days: Day 13 - Military

Only after yesterday's post did I remember what yesterday was...Not that I can't be thankful for veterans today!

Truly, I am so grateful for this wonderful country that we live in and for the men and women who have made huge sacrifices so that we can enjoy our freedoms and be safe.  Words can't express how thankful I am for all that our military personnel do.

30 Days: Day 12 - Chocolate

Today, I'm thankful for chocolate.

Two pieces of leftover Halloween candy after dinner may have made my day!

30 Days: Day 11 - Our House

Today, I'm thankful for our house!  Sometimes it seems too big (usually when I deep-clean) and sometimes it seems too small (usually when I think about how many kids we want to have), but, really, it's just right.  I spent a little time cleaning the downstairs today and I thought about how thankful I am for our beautiful home!  Matt often says to me, "I love our house."

Me, too!

30 Days: Day 10 - My Baby

It's finally arrived - the one about my baby.

I knew she would be the subject of one of the posts, and I could go on and on about how awesome she is, but I'll try to keep it brief.

I've always (always) wanted kids (except for a little stretch due to a potty-training incident with a Lonberger boy), and I always said that I wanted to have a little mother hen, much like myself, as my firstborn - a Type A girl.  I would almost think that my wish has come true except that Aynsley is nothing like her Type A mother.  True, she does well with routine and functions beautifully within it, but she's very laid-back and flexible and, well, unlike me.  Since she was six weeks old, she's been an AMAZING sleeper and has pretty much always been a very happy and alert baby, usually smiling and content.

Oops, sorry, I'm going on and on...Anyway, I'm so grateful for our sweet daughter, who usually has plenty of smiles to go around and is pretty easygoing.  She is such a wonderful blessing to us and I am honored that I get to be her mommy!  Each and every day with her, truly, is a huge blessing.

30 Days: Day 9 - A Day with Matt

There are so many things that I'm thankful for today; I had trouble deciding what today's subject would be.  Finishing up a big chunk of the fence?  A happy baby?  Mexican food?

I think I'm most thankful for a day spent with my husband, starting our car-shopping adventure and working on our fence.  Our times with our beautiful baby girl are one of our favorite things - we love our family!

30 Days: Day 8 - Beautiful Fall Days

Today, I'm so thankful for beautiful fall days.  We spent much of today working on our fence (mostly with one or two little girls in tow) in the sunshine, and I think I might enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate to top the day off right!

30 Days: Day 7 - Our Sweet Pups

Today, I am thankful for our sweet pups.

Matt and I are both dog people, and we always looked so forward to the day that we would be able to get a dog.  After we bought our house in 2010, we knew it would only be a matter of time before we got a furry pet.  That summer, we went to the local shelter (with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law) intending to get a dog but it wasn't long before I was begging Matt to take two dogs home.

We sort of decided that we would each pick one.  We had been looking at the shelter's dogs online earlier in the week, and I remember thinking that the German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix (Tangelo) would probably not stay at the shelter long.  I was surprised to see that he was still there; in fact, he was in a meeting room with a family when we got there.  I figured that the family would get him and I'd have to find another dog, but one of the volunteers let us see him and I fell in love.  Tangelo was big and scary but as sweet as pie.  He had been brought in as the leader of a local group of strays, and his "wife" (Clementine) and "baby" (Kumquat) wouldn't be up for adoption for a few more weeks.  We still talk about how it would have been to have the whole family!

Matt picked a cute little English Springer Spaniel/Australian Shepherd mix (Tumbler) that I wasn't crazy about, but I let it be "his dog."  Really, it took me a few weeks to warm up to Tumbler; he has way too much energy for a dog.  He had been adopted and returned to the shelter.

When I told the volunteers at the shelter the names of the dogs we wanted to adopt, I was told that we couldn't adopt another dog with Tangelo.  I really wanted to say, "Well, I'm the one with the checkbook, so I think you'll give me whichever dogs I want," but we opted for putting the dogs together and seeing what happened.  The dogs did fine together - they probably sniffed each other and lost interest, so we moved forward and took both of them home.

There are so many funny and silly and ridiculous stories I could write about both of our dogs, but I won't (at least not right now).  We kept the names that the shelter gave them, adding an apostrophe (making it T'Angelo - a little gangsta, as I always say, since he spent so much time on the street).  Tumbler has calmed down a lot and they both love kids.  They are sweet and wonderful and sometimes annoying but most of the time awesome.

30 Days: Day 6 - Voting in Peace

I am so glad that I was able to go vote without feeling any fear, intimidation, or concern for my safety.  I know that, in other places, the privilege of being able to vote is not enjoyed.

So no matter what the outcome today, I am grateful for my chance to be a part of the process!

30 Days: Day 5 - Nights with Nothing on the Agenda

I'm so thankful for nights with nothing on the agenda!  We got a movie and enjoyed it with our sleeping little one :)  I had housework and other tasks on my to-do list, but I decided that they can wait until tomorrow.

I love our family and I LOVE our nights "in!"

30 Days: Day 4: Cupcakes

Today's post will be short but sweet...Exactly like my subject!

I'm so thankful for cupcakes - they are cute, yummy, and the perfect late-night snack!

30 Days: Day 3 - Children

I'm going to try to keep this post brief, as I have cloth diapers in the washer, a living room that needs to be vacuumed, a kitchen and hallway that needs to be swept, dogs that need to be taken out, baby shower preparations that need to be taken care of, and a tummy that needs to be fed (my own right now but also Aynsley's in a little over an hour).

Today, I'm thankful for children.  I'm not even talking about my own amazing daughter when I think about this, I'm particularly thankful for the children of others.  One of my best friends, Kristen, has four AMAZING boys (one who is extra-special to me because I was able to be there when he was born) and I love being a part of their lives.  Also, I get to spend my weekdays with sweet Gwen whose wonderful parents, Jimmy and Jessica, are a wealth of knowledge (well, more Jess than Jimmy ;) and a blessing to us.

It's no secret that I love kids; I've been serving in children's ministry in some way, shape, or form since I graduated from junior high.  I just love spending time with kids, so I often volunteer to baby-sit (sometimes I even get kids for trips and sleepovers!).  I love so much about kids - their innocence, the hilarious things they say, the way they mispronounce things, the way that each and every kid is so different.

I am so blessed to be trusted with the children at my church and the children that I get to "steal" from friends, and I'm so grateful for all of the wonderful children in my life!

30 Days: Day 2 - Church Family

Last night, I attended a prayer service held at our church.  During the service, I was pretty sure that my church was going to be day 2...And I was right!  Tonight's prayer service made me sure that my church family is what I'm thankful for today.

This prayer summit has become something wonderful.  Last year, it wasn't a priority for me to attend, so I was only a part of the typical Sunday morning service.  This year, Matt and I planned to attend the evening services (in addition to our regular Sunday morning service) and I'm so glad that we made that decision.

Last night, I took Aynsley (Matt was still asleep after his first night back at work and a morning in court) and was blessed to have one of my best friends keep her while I was a part of the worship team.  The worship was, in a word, wonderful, and tonight's worship time was the same.  Due to Aynsley's current feeding schedule, I'm not able to stay for the whole service, but even those brief moments of worship have helped to encourage me.

Our church family is such a blessing to us, and I could go on and on about the wonderful community that we get to be a part of (and I did so here), but I'll try to keep it brief and let you know how much I appreciate the amazingness that is our church.

We have a fantastic pastoral staff, and I am so glad to be a part of a church led by such godly men and women.  Our church spreads generational lines - we have brand-new babies and we have members in their nineties (I'm pretty sure...).  We have people that remind us frequently that they pray daily for Matt, people who brought us meals during those first tiring weeks as new parents, people who lift us up and support us and encourage us in every way possible.

Just sitting in the pews these last few nights, I realized how thankful I am for so many members of my church family.  We are close with Pastor Carlos and Kristen Lonberger and so blessed by their friendship and their four wonderful boys.  I truly look forward to seeing Sarah Warren each Sunday morning and, although our chats are often pretty brief, she's sarcastic and fun and I love her.  I got to hear a beautiful song from Sarah Smith last night and her beautiful voice matches her beautiful heart - she is one of the most caring people I know.  Pastor Joy is an encouragement to me and I love spending time with her - I feel blessed to be a part of the children's ministry that she leads.  Joy Schroeder has been through such an ordeal with cancer but I always see her with a smile and an encouraging word.  Lindsay Fulda is a beautiful, talented teen that I adore - I can't wait to see what God has planned for her future.

Really, I could go on and on and on and on and on about all of the wonderful people at church (really, I could), but those are a few people who stuck out to me over the last two nights of the prayer services.  My heart is full as I think of these wonderful people and the wonderful place that we get to be a part of here.  I am so grateful for my church family!

30 Days: Day 1 - Sight

I've seen a few bloggers do 30 or 31 days of thankfulness or holiday preparation and I thought a fall blog project might be fun.  We have a lot of computer drama going on at the McDaniel house, so it's a pretty big commitment.  I'm not 100% sure I'll be able to post every day, but I'm going to try.

For a "30 Days of Thankfulness" project, I've decided to write a post each day during the month of November.  Once I decided to do this, I immediately struggled with what kinds of things would warrant blog posts.  Big, important things, like family?  Salvation?  Or small, less important things, like chocolate and picture frames?  I decided that I wasn't going to worry about it or plan it out.  So each day's post will be unplanned (although I have the feeling that Thanksgiving's post might still be family...You know how it goes).  And I'll try not to make the posts too long or boring,  but they might involve a story.  Today's post does!

Most days, I have a good half-hour to an hour stretch of time to myself - everyone in the house (Matt, Gwen, and Aynsley) are asleep at the same time.  I usually take a shower, get ready for the day, eat lunch if I haven't already done so, and relax for a few minutes.

Today, Aynsley woke up early and, as I put Gwen down for her nap, I got Aynsley up from hers.  After I fed her, I grabbed her bouncy seat and a teething toy and set her up in our bathroom.  I took my shower and, once I got out, I started to talk to her (saying really, really cheesy things that I say to her, like "sunshine baby" and "sunshine pie" and other cheesy things that I call her).  I didn't have my contacts in, so I had to squint to see that she was smiling at me.

Thankfully, I put my contacts in within a few minutes and was able to see her bright, beautiful smile.  If you know me well, you know that I have terrible eyesight and need glasses or contacts to function.  I am so, so grateful for my (corrected!) sight.  It's one thing I'm thankful for today.

Without my sight, I would never see the way the wind moves through the leaves in a tree.  I wouldn't see a gorgeous sunset as I'm watering my flowers or the beautiful color of my husband's eyes.  I wouldn't see Aynsley's sweet smile or the incredible blue of the sky when it's that unbelievable color on a clear day.

I am so thankful that I get to see all of these amazing, wonderful things, and so, today, I'm thankful for my sight.

Fall Projects

I am looking forward to getting a few projects done in the next few months!  I have been a pinning fool in the past, and my "Cute Ideas" board was calling my name as I organized my craft supplies last week.  I created a new board, "Fall Projects" to help me get organized about which projects were a priority.

If you take a look at the board, you'll see what I'm planning on working on during this delightful season.

- Christmas card holder - I have been looking forward to making this for months!  I think it'll look awesome when it's hanging on one of the doors in our house, reminding of us of the Christmas cards we've received.  The only supply piece that I'm missing is the craft wire, which I'll pick up soon.

- Laundry room art - I'm still torn on this.  I have washing/drying information hanging in our laundry room (just a sheet of paper hung on the shelf with clothespins) but I think it would be cute to frame the information.  In order to do this very cheaply, though, I'd have to find some cheap frames.  I really want the frames to be white or a fun color to match the blue of the laundry room, but I only have extra black frames right now.

- Ottoman cover - The ottoman in Aynsley's room doesn't match, but it's holding some toys (for Gwen, when I'm putting away laundry or changing the sheets in there).  I'm determined to keep it in there, but I would like for it to look like it belongs in there.  I'll need to spend a little money on some fabric (maybe chocolate brown?) for this project.

- Maternity pants redo - I have a pair of maternity capris that I absolutely LOVE (I had to buy them in March because it was crazy hot and I still had about two months to go), but the belly band on them doesn't fit right.  I'm excited to get this done so that they'll be ready for the next pregnancy, and the only thing that I need to buy is some elastic.

- Baby headband - I would love an orange headband for Aynsley (for a very particular outfit; more on that once I get this made), and I have some orange felt leftover from past projects to make it happen.  I still need to get elastic and some orange fabric or lace.

- Baby shadowbox - I have a little pile of Aynsley's brand-new-baby items - the little shirt she wore in the hospital, two little hats, her hospital bracelet, etc.  I found a large frame that I think will be able to hold it (thinner than a typical shadowbox, but I think it'll do the job).

- Homemade fabric refresher - Although our dogs are rarely allowed on the couch, I find myself wanting to use this often to freshen the couch fabric.  This can get expensive at the store, so I was glad to find a recipe to try out for myself.  There are only a few ingredients and it looks like it won't take long at all!

- Reusable nursing pads - Disposable nursing pads can be costly, so I might try making reusable ones to throw in the washing machine.  The problem is the fabric - since they are designed to stay in a (ahem) sensitive place, it seems important that the fabric be quality.  The link is actually to an Etsy product, but I reviewed her fabric layers in order to see if I might be able to come up with some myself.  If I fail in finding the right fabric, I might save up a bit and order some cute ones from the seller.

- Felt and fabric coasters - I've been wanting to make some cute coasters that will look at home in our living room.  The living room colors are tan, green, and brown and I have some fabric (leftover from a bench reupholstery) that will look great.  I have some leftover brown felt from another project but I might buy another sheet of it, just in case.

I would almost feel overwhelmed by all of these projects, but the deadline I've set for myself is Thanksgiving (and I actually did two of them over the weekend).

Do you have any projects planned for the fall?

If You've Ever Wondered What CMADS Stands for...

One of my best friends has packed up and left St. Louis for a fabulous new job in California.  She has been about five hours away from me for the last few years and now she is…well…a lot more hours away from me.  A blog post about our friendship will not do justice to the awesomeness that is CMADS/LAPTM (more on that later), but it’s worth a shot.

When I went to orientation at Olivet Nazarene University in the summer of 2004, I didn’t have a roommate for room sign-ups.  I had been emailing a potential roommate, but she wasn’t answering my calls once we were both on campus for orientation.  I was talking to my mom about how stressed I was (having a roommate is kind of a big deal) when a girl nearby interjected, saying that she had a friend who didn’t have a roommate yet, either.  This was risky, but we eventually found our way to each other and briefly talked.

This is basically how it went down:

CAITLIN: So…What do you like to do?
LAURRYN: I really like to read.
CAITLIN: Me, too!

We went from there.  We signed up for a room in Parrott Hall.  I’m not sure how much we kept in contact before school started, but I’ll never forget walking into our room on move-in day, seeing a Five Iron Frenzy patch on Caitlin’s bag, and knowing that everything would be okay.

And it was MORE than okay.  We spent the first week eating almost all of our meals together, slowly making new friends.  Over the next four years, we did a bazillion things together.  We both found our future husbands that first semester, we went to concerts, we shopped, we threw parties, we went on trips, we planned weddings, we danced, we had silly and crazy photo sessions, we made up fake names (CMADS – Caitlin Marie Adair Dodson Sansom, containing Caitlin’s full name, fake middle name, and future last name; LAPTM stands for Laurryn Annette Patricia Trojanowski McDaniel) - we had an absolute blast.

I was one of Caitlin's maids-of-honor and Caitlin was my matron of honor, and she threw me an AMAZING baby shower (with awesome co-host Lauren) a few months ago.  We've been there for each other through thick and thin, good times and bad.  I have trouble imagining a more loyal and true friend.

I can't imagine what college would have been like without Caitlin (or the last few years since we've graduated!).  I can’t believe she is SO far away now, but I’m so proud of her for following her dreams and God’s will.  I already miss her so much!

Have fun.
Be careful.
No hickies.
Eat cookies.
Listen to Emery.
Beware of pirates.
Don't watch "Brokeback Mountain."
Don't try to lift a baby panda.
IT'S ALL JUST GOOD ADVICE.

Guest Post on the Listening Inside Out Blog!

I am honored to be a part of Church Chatter week on the Listening Inside Out blog!  Check it out here.

Three Weeks of Being a Baby Mama

I can hardly believe that I have a three-week-old daughter already!  I know that everyone says, "Time flies! They grow up so fast" but...time flies!  They grow up so fast!  I am already having to put away some of Aynsley's newborn clothes because she is getting too big for them.

I thought I'd write a post about the ups, the downs, and the unexpected things that have come up over the last three weeks.  Warning to those who are boys or related to me or a little squeamish: the word "nursing" will be mentioned several times.

1. It never occurred to me that nursing pads would be a staple in getting dressed each morning.  I pull out an outfit to wear, get shoes and accessories together, and I realize that I absolutely canNOT forget to grab two nursing pads.  I never realized how important they'd be in my daily wardrobe selection.

2. On that note, my wardrobe is seriously limited.  I have two nursing bras, three nursing tanks, one pair of too-big jeans, one pair of waistband-hits-my-incision-and-makes-me-uncomfortable jeans, two pairs of (borrowed) leggings, one dress (to go with the leggings), and one nice nursing top.  So my every day dress is the too-big jeans, a nursing tank, and a sweater or the leggings and the dress (or both, if Aynsley poops on me).  I basically wear the same two outfits every single day, except that I have three different colored nursing tanks from which to choose (wide, WIDE variety going on here).

3. As a result of my limited wardrobe, I do a LOT of small loads of laundry.  Small loads of laundry are also somewhat more manageable - if I don't get to the laundry just as the dryer finishes, I put away LESS wrinkled clothing than if I had a full load.

4. I don't really sleep when the baby sleeps (unless it's dark outside).  Honestly, I don't usually feel like I need (or even want) a nap most days.  That might sound crazy, but it's true.  I have taken a couple of naps when Aynsley's been asleep, but I usually get crazy-excited to get a bazillion things done while she's napping.  In 45 minutes, I can clean my entire house, empty and reload the dishwasher, start a load of laundry in the washer and get it into the dryer, take the dogs out, catch up on thank-you notes, check my email and facebook, return phone calls, and eat a snack.  And I feel about a billion times better than I would if I took a nap.

5. Umbilical cord stumps are seriously gross.  And when the stump finally falls off, there's a boogery blob there that still hasn't healed.  Thankfully, Aynsley's belly button has finally healed and it's quite cute.

6. Even when you put your baby in a hot pink onesie, someone will still say, "Oh, look how alert he is!"  Never fails.  Admittedly, my little one looks a lot like her daddy, but I'm making a point of making sure she's wearing something girly every time we leave the house.  Not that it ever matters.

7. Slowly, slowly, slowly, I'm becoming a pro at this mom thing.  I've been a pro at the nanny thing - getting kids in and out of stores with all their stuff, keeping them pleasant, feeding them - this has all been pretty easy thus far.  Up until now, I've always had snacks and bottles handy.  Now I'M the bottle, and I am getting more and more comfortable with nursing in front of others and going out around feeding time.

8. I'm becoming more and more impressed with what I can accomplish with one hand.  Last night, I managed to partly load the dishwasher, put away clean dishes, and put together a container of leftovers for Matt to take to work - all while holding Aynsley (I won't even tell you what I've been able to do while walking around nursing her).  This morning, I was able to put the leashes on our two dogs and take them outside while Aynsley scried (scream-cried) in my arms.

9. I can't even believe how in love I am.  There aren't any words to describe it.

10. I am feeling awesome due to being blessed beyond belief by friends and family.  Having heard so many horror stories about sleep deprivation, I prepared myself for the very worst.  I assumed that I would be in no state to drive, talk to people, take care of the dogs, etc.  As a result, I put together an information sheet for my mom with just about everything you can imagine to help her function as a result of my (potential) new-mom-absolute-craziness.  Truly, only one friend said, "Oh, no, it won't be that bad" (everyone else just kept saying really helpful things like "sleep while you can").  But, really, it hasn't been that bad.  At all.  I have been able to talk to people on the phone, talk to people in person, be friendly (at least some of the time), answer questions, write thank-you notes, journal, read...I'm fairly certain that most of what I've said and written has been comprehended by others.  We are beyond blessed to have many of our church friends bringing us meals, my mom was able to spend two weeks with us, and we have crazy awesome support from friends.  So thank you to everyone for the support, prayers, kind words, and love - things have really been awesome and I absolutely love getting to be a wife AND a mommy.

The Arrival of Our Aynsley

Our little one has finally arrived!

We are so grateful that she is finally here, healthy and happy.  I am posting her birth story so that those who care to read it may do so.

On Sunday, May 27th (one week after my due date), Matt and I went to church and were planning to attend a church picnic in the evening.  After church, Matt went home to get some sleep and I stopped to get groceries.  After I put the groceries away, I relaxed on the couch with lunch.  After lunch, I was planning to clean the house and do some laundry.  Before I got up after finishing lunch, I started having contractions.  This wasn't unusual, so I assumed they would stop once I got up.  I started working on cleaning but the contractions didn't stop.  They were still spaced quite far apart, but it didn't seem possible that I could be anywhere near labor.  I decided to see if I could sleep through any of the contractions, but they were stronger than any of the Braxton-Hicks that I had had previously.

I woke Matt up at about 3:00 and decided to take a shower, get dressed, and start getting our hospital things together.  Matt and I ate dinner and got things done in between contractions.  We took classes on the Bradley method and we utilized the relaxation techniques that we had learned as I labored.  Around 8:30 or 8:45, I took a bath to see if the water would help the contractions, but I wasn't in there long before I realized that we needed to head to the hospital.  Matt had recognized this before I even said anything and he was taking care of our dogs so that we could pack the car and leave.

We left for the hospital around 9:00.  At this point, I had only been laboring for about 6 hours and I couldn't even imagine how far dilated or effaced I might be (we had decided that I wouldn't get "checked" during my appointments, so I had no idea how far along I was at this point).  We arrived at the hospital around 9:30 and checked in.  I changed into my hospital gown and felt the urge to push during the contraction I experienced at that point (the contractions had also been double-peaking for some time).  When I got on the table to get checked, I told the nurse that, although I had only been having contractions since 3:00, I felt like I was supposed to push.  The nurse checked me and confirmed that I was 9cm dilated and that our baby was breech.  While waiting for an ultrasound machine and a doctor, they started to prep me for a c-section.  It was confirmed that the baby was breech and I was quickly moved to have the procedure done.

Aynsley Patricia McDaniel was born that evening at 10:51pm, weighing 6 pounds and 8 ounces and measuring at 21 1/2 inches.  Her name is pronounced like Ein-sley (and we understand if that takes awhile to pronounce correctly; we have been fairly certain that it would be her name for some time now).  Even though things didn't go exactly as we planned, we are so happy that our little one has arrived.  I was completely blown away by how quickly labor progressed and surprised that she had turned.  We have hope to use the Bradley method again through a vaginal delivery next time and we have no reason to think that that won't be possible.

For all the well-wishes and congratulations, thank you!  We are beyond blessed and excited about the beautiful new addition to our family.

A Pregnancy Review

As baby's birth approaches, I wanted to put together a quick post about some of my (and Matt's) thoughts related to the last several months.

1. I had no idea how AWESOME pregnancy would be.  Seeing that positive line on the pregnancy test, feeling all of baby's little stretches and kicks, seeing her during the ultrasound, watching my belly grow (and move!), to witness the outpouring of love from our family and friends...It has been amazing.

2. I had no idea how much I'd miss stuff.  One of my favorite foods is steak, and I really prefer to eat it medium rare, so the last several months have been difficult whenever I venture to Texas Roadhouse.  I also really like carnival rides, and I had to sit one out in the fall.  It broke my heart to tell my niece that I couldn't go on the ride with her (and it was one of my favorite carnival rides, often known as the Zipper), but I knew it was for the best.  I will probably have some steak shortly after giving birth and we already have an amusement park trip planned for July, so it won't be long before I get to do some of those things I've missed for so long.

3. I had no idea how weird people would think we are.  Matt and I knew going into this that we wanted to try the Bradley method, a partner-coached method of childbirth that utilizes relaxation during labor.  We took classes, read the material, and did the exercises.  I had no idea how many people would think we are crazy and a few were downright rude.  Also, I have a low-risk pregnancy and see a midwife, and a lot of people think that's totally weird.  A few assumed that I was having a home birth or going to a birthing center, which are not things that I'm opposed to, but we'll be delivering in a hospital.  Also, I'm in a 42-week practice, meaning that I could go until 42 weeks before baby is delivered.  Matt and I are extremely determined to go into labor on our own, and I will do just about anything to avoid induction, and this has been surprising to many people.  I am blessed to still be feeling pretty awesome at 39 1/2 weeks (and still sleeping through the night), so I am in no rush to meet my little girl before she is ready.  Anyway, although Matt and I are trying to stay as natural as possible, I have been surprised by how many people have been rude or have been lacking support of our decisions for our family.


4. I had no idea that I'd hear everyone's (EVERYONE'S!) opinions.  I have heard that, when you are pregnant, you get to hear everyone's opinion about everything, but I had no idea just how true that would be.  "You're so small!" "You look like you're about to pop!" "You're huge!" "How can you be full-term?"  It's so strange how differently everyone sees me. 

5. I had no idea how annoying people would be.  I would like to apologize for anyone this may offend, for I know that comments and questions are spoken with the best of intentions.  Yet I found so many people annoying!  They would ask questions related to my pregnancy and then answer with their own stories before I could respond.  Um, please don't ask if you don't actually care.  Additionally, I heard waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more birth stories than I ever cared to hear about, often from strangers.  Our waitress last weekend was particularly graphic, and I wasn't even sitting down yet.  However, the most annoying thing is probably (well-intentioned) comments of "sleep while you can."  Hold the phone, are you telling me that having children might interfere with our sleep?  My life won't be my own anymore?  This is BRAND-NEW INFORMATION.  I had no clue.  And sooooooooo many people seem to think that's actually helpful advice.

6. I have no idea how this will go, but I'm very excited.  I'm not quite ready to meet our little one yet, but I'm so excited to see what she looks like and hold her and kiss her...And put her in all the cute little outfits in her drawers!  I'm excited to see Matt with his firstborn child and see our friends and family get to interact with our special blessing.  I know that this is going to be a challenge at times, but I also have no doubt that it will be the most wonderful and rewarding thing I ever do. 

Years in Review...

In January, Matt and I celebrated our seven-year anniversary. Yes, it was just over seven years ago that Matt asked me out (via IM - super romantic ;) and I started dating my future husband. As we celebrated, just a couple weeks after finding out that a DAUGHTER will be joining us in May, I looked back at the last several years of our life together.

In 2008, Matt and I graduated from college. Shortly thereafter, he was accepted into police academy and we were married a couple of months later. Lots of firsts! First real job (uh, for Matt; I still don't think I've had a real job...), first apartment, first car...

In 2009, Matt graduated from academy and, after weeks of field training, started as an officer on his own. At the end of that summer, I started a graduate program at the University of Louisville.

In 2010, we bought our first house! What a huge relief/expenditure/blessing. A few months later, we went and found our puppies at the local animal shelter, and we still fawn all over them like we just got them.

In 2011, I graduated from the University of Louisville with my MSSW. A few months later, we found out the most amazing news - pregnant!

In 2012, we are going to extend our family and welcome an amazing little one into our family. And...who knows what else!

The past several years have brought a lot of change for us, but we have been beyond blessed to have friends and family who support and encourage us through every step. I realize that we have been through a lot (academy is overwhelming for the entire family, as are many grad programs - mine no exception), but that we have been extremely blessed with wonderful change over the course of our marriage thus far. I know that we won't always have such great summaries of the year, but I am thankful for all that we have been able to do together thus far.

And I can't wait to meet our little one and make some new memories.

The Meltdown

It finally happened.

I finally had a pregnancy meltdown. It's not that I hadn't cried in the last four months, but I had good reasons for those tears. Like reading the last Harry Potter book. Or watching the last Harry Potter movie. Or watching a best friend from college marry the love of his life.

But this was brought on by painting. I am trying to get a number of house projects done before the baby's arrival, and I am taking on the paint-related ones on my own (Matt hates to paint). While there had been plenty of spots that needed to be touched up and rooms that needed to be repainted altogether, I hadn't painted since the week we moved in, almost two years ago. Until last month, when I repainted one of our bathrooms and our laundry room.

This weekend, I took on the nursery and our living room. The nursery was fine, but as I was touching up the white ceiling and white baseboards, I fell apart. I realized there wasn't one room in the house that we could consider "done" or "perfect" and that spiraled into "nothing will ever be perfect" and "I just want everything to be perfect for when the baby gets here."

Add the paint drama to the growing to-do list to friend drama to family drama to typical stress to a busy week to an upcoming busy week to a messy house put on hold due to - you guessed it - painting and it hit.

I cried. And said, "Oh, crap, I'm gonna cry a bunch. And I was doing so well."

Thankfully, I have the best husband in the world. Matt offered to take a personal day (a personal night, in his case) in order to help me paint. So he did. And while I am still feeling very upset and overwhelmed, I am reminded that I have a wonderful husband who is with me every step of the way...As he proved today by painting, even though he hates it.

He must love me.

It's a Girl!

Matt and I were blessed to get a little look at our little one last week!

We were thrilled to find out that everything is looking great and that our little one is a little girl!

That little foot makes my heart melt.

Anyway, we have been looking forward to putting together the nursery and preparing for a lot of pink! The clothes...Oh, the clothes...I can't wait!