Day 12

Today I am thankful for 60% off coupons. It probably sounds silly but saving that much money on one purchase really makes me happy. I have been really excited to order Christmas cards this year. I was disappointed to find that prices have spiked tremendously. So when I opened my email and found a coupon for 60% off of cards I was elated. A simple little thing I know, but it made me happy.

Day 11

Today ( yesterday really, but...) I am thankful for a long weekend with my family. It has been a weekend of lounging, errand running, and lots of playtime. C will only be this small for so long so it's important to make every second count. Long weekends are an excellent opportunity to catch up on snuggles and playtime. Here's to a wonderful start to the week!!

Day 10

Today I am thankful for a date night. We went to The Kitchen for dinner. It was not only delicious, but wonderful to just sit and talk. We hadn't been out to dinner, just us, since the end of September. It was long overdue and hopefully something we can do again soon.

Day 9

Today I am thankful that I have a warm home and a place to lay my head at night. It can be so easy to take those two things for granted. Some people are without a home or a bed. Some are cold at night. I'm lucky and grateful to have all I have.

Day 8

Today I am thankful for tall boots. This obviously is a shallow thing to be thankful for but tall boots make me happy. They can make leggings look sleek and a dress super sassy. Not to mention they help this short girl grow a couple on inches for a few hours. I have pairs in many colors and love browsing the stores for more pairs to add to my collection. They just make a girl feel confident even on cold, rainy days! Aww tall boots you are awesome!

Day 7

Today I am thankful for do nothing nights at home. Nights where there is nothing to do or nowhere to go. On nights like tonight it is totally acceptable to just sit on the couch and be lazy. I don't have many nights line this because there is always laundry to put away or dishes to do. But tonight those things just didn't seem important. Taking care of myself and relaxing was more pressing than tasks that will be here tomorrow. A do nothing night can do wonders I tell you!

Day 6

Today I'm thankful for the most wonderful and unpredictable past 8 months. Today C is 8 months old. So hard to believe that it has been almost one full year. He is growing up so fast that sometimes I wish to freeze time. He is the best of me and the best of J. He makes me laugh and smile and believe in goodness. I want to be someone he can look up to and be proud of. He is the best and most wonderful gift ever.

Day 5

Today I am thankful that I know how to pray. I pray everyday on the way to work. I begin the same way each morning, with the words thank you. I thank the Lord for the gifts in my life. Then I ask for protection over Jeremy and Cooper. Next I pray for my family and friends. I pray for their jobs, new babies, struggles, or whatever pops in my mind that might need a prayer. Finally I pray for patience, kindness, and serenity for my day. Some days my prayers are quick while other days my prayers take up the entire drive to work. I say them out loud so whoever passes me might think I am nutty. But who cares?!? Saying my prayers helps me start my day the right way. It helps me focus on what is important. It is a little way to make a big and peaceful impact on my day.

Day 4

I'm thankful for a healthy, happy baby who amazes me more and more each day. C brings me so much joy. Who knew a heart could love so much? Who knew it was this easy to fall in love with such a little soul? And the joy and love grow stronger each day.
These days are sweet and I'm thankful to have them in my heart forever.

Day 3

Today is a double dose of thankfulness. I'm am thankful for my husband who brought me Starbucks this morning. I need my coffee. I'm not sure how I survived the first three months of C's life without it. He had trouble sleeping long stretches and i didn't want anything to further disrupt his sleep. It was rough making it through the day on limited sleep and caffeine. I began drinking a cup a day when I went back to work. Being back on the the wagon just feels right. I treat myself every Friday with a GOOD cup of joe from Starbucks. Yesterday I was running late and was unable to get my Friday treat. Which leads me to being thankful for my sweet Jeremy. Despite us needing to get on the road for the State game he made sure he got me my coffee. Maybe he knew I would be a nightmare without it. Maybe...Or he is just that sweet and thoughtful. On second thought its probably a little bit of both. Either way I am thankful I got my coffee and a really great guy.

Day 2

I am thankful that today is Friday. It has been a long and trying week. The challenges were many and the rewards were few. Sometimes that's just how life goes. Im hoping that next week will be awesome. Not to be greedy, but I deserve it. I'm grateful for 2 days to just relax and recharge. Weekends mean family time which is always rejuvenating.

Day 1

Today I am thankful for friends near and far. I was feeling pretty low today. Work has been pretty stressful and learning to balance motherhood and my professional life has been a challenge. I expect so much of myself that I get caught up in being perfect. I forget there is no such thing as perfect. Today my bottled emotions made me physically hurt. It was only when I leaned on a friend that I began to feel better. That opened up to another cathartic conversation with another friend. Later I texted 2 friends struggling with the motherhood job balance thing and realized I'm not alone. I'll never be perfect but as long as I have dear friends to support me I'll be fine.

A Month of Thanks

I noticed last year on Facebook people would post one thing they were thankful for each day during the month on November I, of course, noticed too late, but thought it was a great idea. This year i decided to give it a try.
So here goes nothing...

2 Minute Grateful List

My IPhone to help me time this list

Cheesy Pizza and Beer

A mailbox outside my house

SEC football halftime report in the background

Coffee

Laughing with Jeremy

That deep breath after a long day

Cooper's laugh while he wheels through the house in his walker

A thank you note from an old friend getting married this weekend

A phone call from my brother

A marriage full of laughter, love, and support

A job where I can make a difference

Pedicures

Knowing that my job does not define me or my worth

Pay Day

Time to pray while holding my sleeping baby and all the hope,  love, and perfection I see in that boy's face

Clean sheets

Snuggling with my boys in the morning

Friday

A long weekend

My USWeekly arriving tomorrow

My sister, my friend

Big Brother in 2 minutes

The TCBY down the street from my house

Time's up! What are you grateful for? 2 minutes...ok..go!

The Mom Diaries

It has been a while since my last post.  What in the world could I have been doing?  Oh yeah, hanging out with this guy!

Who knew that such a little guy could be so much fun?!?  Cooper has brought so much joy and love to Jeremy and me. It's hard to believe that he will soon be 6 months old.  Where has half a year gone?  Life seemed to go by a lot faster the older I got, but having a baby makes it go by even faster.  And it is the one time when I want time to crawl because these are truly the days.  

I read an article where a bunch of new moms answered some great questions and I thought it would be fun to blog my answers.  So here it goes....

Best moment:  When he wakes up from a nap he lays in bed and talks to himself.  It is so cute!  I wonder what he is saying.  "Mom!  I'm up come play with me!"  or "Clean up aisle 2.  Bring the Desitin!"  Whatever he says it is the best sound in the world.  When I walk in to get him he breaks into the biggest and best smile.  It is clear he knows his mama and is happy to see me.  I think it's his way of saying "I love you."

Funniest Moment:  This kid loves to jump.  He will jump while in my lap, his Johnny Jump Up, and saucer.  He will be very still, like he is checking to make sure someone is watching, and then go crazy! He will just jump, jump, jump with the silliest smile on his face.  

One thing you could live without:  Ladies and gentlemen we have a tie.  I would live without the limited sleep and the feeling or worrying and guilt.  I think the sleep thing speaks for itself.  It has gotten a lot better since we did some sleep training, but I have not been able to catch up on my sleep just yet.  I am not a day napper so sleeping when he sleeps doesn't work for me.  My mother would say "you aren't tired enough, " but I beg to differ.  Just not a day napper.  Some days I am exhausted by 4:00.  I worry about going back to work on limited sleep.  I have been gradually introducing coffee back into my diet to prepare for long work days.  Speaking of work, that brings me to the 2nd thing I would change--the uneasy feeling of worry and guilt.  With all the wonderful things motherhood brings it also brings a nice heaping side of guilt.  Did I play with him enough today?  Am I hurting him by letting him cry it out?  Are you warm enough?  Too hot? And forget about all those times I have accidentally bumped his head!  But the biggest guilt and worry I feel is going back to work.  He will be in excellent hands, however I just hate to leave my baby.  What if I miss a milestone? What if he forgets me? All silly worries, I know.  But I just can't shake those feelings.  It is something I have to do and I am not the first mother to go back to work.  I'm lucky to have had 5 months at home with him.  Many don't get that much time.  I will be fine, it's just getting over the hump.

Most embarrassing mom moment: Just one?  I embarrass myself on a daily basis.  One day was at the pool talking to an adult for a good 3-5 minutes before I realized that I was holding the handle of Coop's paci in my mouth just chatting away.  To make matters worse the baby was in the car with Jeremy no where near his spacey mom and pacifier.  Another great time was when I was listening to a group of moms share some new moms struggles.  One mom was in tears about her baby not eating for a few days.  I was about to tear up myself when my little toot ripped a loud toot and giggled at himself.  My face turned red, but I also thought to myself "Man, I love that kid!"

Looking forward to: I am looking forward to everything.  The crawling, the walking, the talking!  It is so exciting to watch him grow.  When we met him he was so fragile.  Now he is this super strong kid who, we can tell, will have no fear.  He coos and laughs at the silliest things.  I can't wait to watch him grow and develop the wonderful personality he has started to show.  

Can live without: Pumping!!  It is so inconvenient.  It takes forever to setup and cleanup.  I know it is for the good of Cooper's health so that keeps me going, but goodness gracious it's annoying.  When I go back to work I will have to find a place to pump every 4 hours.  And I refuse to pump in the bathroom.  The custodian at school offered to put a chair in the bathroom.  I informed her that I will not prepare my child's meal in a bathroom.  I mean, it is already such a lovely process.  Pumping in the bathroom would only make it more lovely, right?  As I write I am pumping.  Yep, in my Madonna look alike bra in all my glory.  It's a hot look I tell ya!   

What I am most nervous about: TEETH!  Oh my gosh, I don't even want to talk about it!  Moving on!

Can't live without: Sophie the Giraffe.  For anyone needing a can't miss baby gift, this is the ticket.  He loves his Sophie.  He could be so upset and one glance at Sophie makes it ok.  He grabs that thing and shoves it in his mouth.  We do not leave the house without Sophie.  It has prevented many meltdowns and allowed us to make a quiet exit from many stores.  I have heard it referred to as baby crack since all babies seem to go nuts over this thing.  I chewed on Sophie one day to see what all the fuss was about.  I wasn't impressed.  I'd rather chew on some cheesecake, but to each his own.

Biggest Brag: I travelled on an airplane with a four month old baby, by myself, and lived to tell about it.  We went to Arkansas to visit my family this July and I was so nervous about flying!  But my son did a great job.  He drank his bottle and slept on all four flights.  We had a great visit and made it home safe and sound.  I plan on blogging about that trip soon.

Defining Mom Moment:  It ain't all rainbows and ponies, people!  This mom thing is hard!  My defining mom moment came in early August.  Cooper had developed some less than desirable sleeping habits.  He was getting up 4-5 times a night and the only thing that would get him back down was to feed him.  We would try to hold him off eating by walking him around and bouncing him late a night/early morning.  It just wasn't working.  Cooper wasn't happy.  We were all exhausted.  It was not good.  After one horrible night I was on the verge of losing my mind due to my fatigue and frustration.  We had tried everything to get this boy to sleep and he wasn't having it.  I decided it was time to cry it out.  So I put my sweet baby in his crib, kissed him, told him I loved him, and walked out of his room.  He did not think this was a good plan and let me know it.  For a whole 60 minutes that boy protested being in that crib.  It. Was. Awful.  I watched the monitor with tears running down my face.  I knew it was the right thing to do because he needed to learn how to put himself to sleep.  I was helpless and miserable.   Then by a wonderful miracle, I watched him finally roll over and go to sleep.  I repeated this process for an entire week. It was draining.  I didn't leave the house for fear of having to start the process over again.  I was pleasantly surprised when nap time wasn't fight sleep time and he was sleeping almost through the night after jus a few days.  It was the best choice for our family.  It made us all happier.  It was also so tough.  I would have rather been in labor and delivery everyday for a week than listening to that pitiful crying.  It hurt more than anything, but it was done to help my baby.  I know that there will be many more moments where I have to let him figure out things for himself.  I am going to want to swoop in and fix the situation because I don't want him to hurt.  But I also know if I always fix things for him he will never grow and become the strong and independent man God created him to be.  So when I feel the need to rush in and "save" my boy I will from here on out refer to my defining mom moment.  There is a reason it is called TOUGH love.  

We are all much happier now that we are getting more sleep!

I hope you enjoyed the Mom Diaries as much as I enjoyed sharing.  It is such a blessing to be Cooper's mom.  It's challenging and exhausting, but it is the best job in the entire world.  And in case you forgot...

Yes, dear.  You ARE awesome!

And 

Of course!

Ready Or Not!

    Well, we made it to February.  It seemed so far away last July.  I thought my waist was big then and I thought that this month would never get here.  What did I know?  Sometime last month Jeremy told me that the pregnancy has gone by fast.  I couldn't help but roll my eyes.  Eight months of anything is a long time.  It had not flown by for me and we still had a month to go.  One more month of rolling out of bed, covering this growing belly, using heating pads for a sore back, and smiling politely but secretly wanting to kick the  fools saying "Oh you must be due any day now."   Then February came along and I realized that the Big Day is almost here.  So I guess looking back it did go by quickly.  Hard to believe that he will be here so very soon.
  We are working hard to prepare for baby.  Jeremy has installed the car seat bases in both cars, set up the Pack'N'Play, tested the monitors, and made sure we both know how to use a Diaper Genie.  He has the hospital route mapped out and I can see the wheels turning in his head when he talks about getting us to the hospital.  He is a man with plan, that's for sure.  I have the bags packed and ready to go.  I have washed and put away clothes, blankets, hats, socks, and toys, created a changing station that I think will be functional (I fully expect to change it around completely once he gets here because let's face it do I really know what I'm doing?), spent lots of time making his little room a comfortable and peaceful place.  I love it in there.  I especially love the comfy glider.  Jeremy finds me in there often just reading a book.  Speaking of books we have been reading like college kids cramming for a final.  I have The Breastfeeding Book and What To Expect on my night stand while Jeremy has Baby 411 and The Happiest Baby on the Block on his side.  We spent some time the other night watching how to soothe and swaddle a baby on YouTube.
   Wednesday nights have been dedicated to Lamaze classes.  This is not your mama's Lamaze.  We haven't learned much about breathing.  We have learned a lot about interventions for labor and different comfort techniques.  We haven't had to watch any scary bad 80's birthing videos which is great.  Why see something you are going to live?  The tour of the hospital was interesting.  We were just walking around going "Oh my goodness!  This is so real!  Can we do this? We have to do this.  I wanna go home!"  We go for our final class tonight where we will learn about breastfeeding.
  With all this baby prep we should be totally prepared, right?  Hardly!  We have realized you can prepare and read and ask 101 people for advice, but I don't think we will ever feel prepared.  I mean our parents didn't have YouTube, Diaper Genies, all these books, the Internet so how did they do it?  Instinct.  Everyone says it just comes and I trust that it will.  We will make some mistakes along the way, but as long as we are in this together we will make it.

As Seen on TV...YEAH RIGHT!

   This morning I was watching an episode of Friends.  It was the one where Rachel is having her baby.  I have seen it plenty of times on TBS reruns, but today I watched with a more invested interest.  I found myself talking to the TV stating how wrong some of the scenes were and  relating to this character throughout the show.  The main thing I learned (and really already knew) pregnancy ain't nothing like it is on TV!
   The one thing I could definately relate to was the idea of her being impatient and uncomfortable.  They were pretty accurate on that one.  Another thing that was dead on was the crankiness of a pregnant lady.  Best line of the show came after Ross asked,  "Why are you being so nice to to the doctor and so nasty to me?"  Rachel's response?  "Because she is the one with the drugs!"  Sing it sister.
    When her water broke there was no gush, no trace of the mess I have been warned about.  The couch was not even damp.  Jeremy has planned accordingly for this labor sign by putting down a rubber sheet on the couch.  I feel like a puppy on a pee pad as I type.
  When they arrived at the hospital Rachel threatened to leave and go to another hospital if she didn't get a private room.  No laboring woman in her right mind would leave a hospital.  Those lovely, hardworking people know how to get the baby out.  I am considering packing a box of chocolates and Starbucks gift certificates to give out to the staff as soon as I arrive.  I might send even send them flowers when we are en route to the hospital. They need to know that I am lovely person.  They need to know my face.  I need them to think, "Oh, there is the nice girl who brought us those great gifts.  She looks like she is in pain.  Let's drop what we are doing and go help her.  We can eat lunch or help those other patients later."    This mama is not going in there to make enemies.  I need those people to be my best friends!
  Back to the show.  After Rachel's water broke they spent 47 hours in labor.  FALSE!! IMPOSSIBLE!! UNSAFE!!  I have learned that after the water breakage you are on the clock.  There are only 12 hours to get that baby out safely.  I know that they were trying to build drama, but that, my friends, is a misconception. After a quick 47 hours of labor (funny, it only felt like 23 minutes to me) she was in the delivery room.  Three pushes-- here's baby.  Simple enough.  Yeah right.
   The most relateable and emotional part is when Rachel and Ross held their baby for the first time.  It was a soft tender moment that brought tears to my eyes.  Then out of nowhere I began sobbing.  Hysterically sobbing.  Ugly crying.  Why?  Because Rachel had her baby and I wanted to have my baby.  It struck me as incredibly unfair.  I told this to Jeremy.  He gave me a huge hug.  After a few minutes he asked if I realized I was crying over a TV pregnancy.  Moments like that just have to make you laugh.  So then I was crying and laughing at the same time.  Not a good look, I promise.  It was time to turn off the TV at this point before things got worse and/or uglier.  I was jealous of a fictional character with a fictional baby.  Hello crazy lady!
  Needless to say TV and movies have it all wrong.  So if you need a dose of pregnancy reality come see me.  I'll set you straight.  As seen on TV...yeah right!

Oh the Games We Play

The other day I was sitting at my desk creating some scrabble-like letter tiles for the following week.  The kids will use the tiles to build spelling words and figure out the value of each word.  I got to thinking about how I can tell my 1st graders that anything is a game and they go nuts for whatever activity I just deemed a "game."  And why shouldn't they?  Games are fun.  They make people happy.  An entire night's fun level can be kicked up a notch by announcing it's game night.  Games can make time go by quickly because time flies when you are having fun, right?  Well, that got me thinking even more.  I am ready for this kid to be here.  At 36 weeks and 5 days I still have a ways to go so I need something to make the time go by quickly.  I give Preggo Girl Games...

Project (Oh Dear Heavens Do Not Break The) Runway

Number of players: 1

Object:  Get dressed and out the door on time

Some days getting dressed is just hard, but this handy point system might make things a bit more interesting:

Clean and unwrinkled = 2 points

Comfortable (and by comfortable I mean stretchy and awesome) = 5 points

Shoes that are cute, fit (oh the swelling!), and do not highlight the cankles = 6 points

Matches = 7 points (this one can be tough if only 1 out of your two pairs of pants are in the washer)

Accessorized correctly and proportionally = 8 points (does this moo moo make me look fat?)

Cute and makes you feel awesome = 12 points

52 Pick Up

Number of Players: 17 overly eager and helpful 1st graders

Object: Don't bend over.  Seriously, like I can anyway.

I am ashamed to admit this, but I play this game 5 days a week from 7:30-2:30.  My students are really good at helping me win this game.  They are excellent at crawling on the floor to pick up a dropped paper clip or marker.  The challenge is making sure that they retrieve the dropped item quickly and not get distracted by crawling under desks to get out of doing work.

1 Teacher Pick Up

Number of Players:  17 1st graders who have not quite grasped the concept of weight

Object: Get up from the floor without falling down.

At school this one is pretty easy.  The kids like to fight who will help me get up.  No need to fight children.  I probably need all 17 of you and the class across the hall to get up.   Unless I have just explained a "game" and then all bets are off. 

Are You Smarter Than A Pregnant Lady?

Number of Players:  As many players that are willing to play

Object:  Of course you are smarter than a pregnant lady, but the object here is to make me feel that I am not crazy.  Yes, I will need things repeated because I probably was daydreaming about baby or nightmaring about labor.  Yes, I will confuse dates and forget things.  But can you help me not feel like a moron who has lost her mind?  Bonus points if you get to me before I start crying.  This game is play at your own risk!!

Jeopardy

Number of Players: Limitless

Object:  Don't upset the pregnant lady 

Come to think of it, this is not a very good game.

25 Things Pregnacy Has Taught Me

25.  I like Frank's Hot Sauce.  No I LOVE Frank's Hot Sauce and think that it should go on everything.
24.  Maternity clothes are not as bad as I thought.  In the beginning I fought the idea of rocking an elastic band, but some days I think I might never go back to buttons and zippers.   There are still some questionable maternity designs out there (stripes should always be used with caution), but overall I have found some cute stuff to dress the bump.
23.  I miss Belks.  Two things have changed in my Belk world.  First of all I can't shop there at the moment so the thrill of finding an awesome top for an additional 75%, then using a Belk Reward dollar, and only paying $8.34 for something you really don't need, but you probably should have because it is such a great deal is gone.  It's no fun to buy something and not wear it immediately.  The second reason that I miss Belks is that I am learning that budgeting is kind of  important and all my money should not go to clothes.  I hear babies are expensive.
22.  Baby stuff is overwhelming and expensive.  Who knew a little person would need so much stuff?  I thought I was excessive with my  5 step face washing routine.  And all baby stuff is so expensive.  Granted he will only need food (got that covered, literally, haha, I crack myself up), diapers, warm clothing, and a place to sleep.  At first I was pulled in by the cuteness of it all, but now as the room fills up with "stuff", I realize that this is going to have to be a necessary only operation.  I mean do we really need a wipe warmer?
21.  Getting up off the couch can be hard with some extra weight on your ass (your arms, thighs, you get the picture) is hard.  I get winded just from swinging my legs around to begin to get up.  I would have hoped that my arms would have become more toned from pushing myself up, but alas they have gotten bigger as well.
20.  Waking up in the middle of the night is annoying, but I keep thinking that it is prepping me for being up all night with little bit.  Jeremy usually doesn't move when I get up so he might be in for a rude awakening.  Again I crack myself up.  I am pretty lucky that I can get back in bed at a reasonable pace, adjust myself, and go back to sleep for a few more hours until round 2, 3, and 4.
19.  Pillows make you comfortable, but man are they a pain to adjust every night.  I currently sleep with 6 pillows.  Three to prop up my head, two under my back, and one body pillow.  For some reason they get all out of whack and need to be readjusted consonantly.  I should just label them to make the process run quicker.  At one point poor Jeremy was sleeping with one pillow and woke up with a neck pain that lasted a few days.  Poor guy.  We later learned that WalMart has pillows on sale for $10.  Not he sleeps on two and feels like a king on nights when he scores a third pillow.
18.  You can get a lot done if you get up early.  I used to love to sleep in on the weekends.  Now I'm  up by 7:30 on weekends.  I usually feel rested and ready to get up  It's amazing what you can accomplish if you don't spend the day sleeping.  I woke up at 6:00 this morning thinking that I need to blog.  On the flip side that also means you can't make it through a movie that was started at 7:30.
17.  Nesting ain't no joke.  It's a blessing and a curse.
16.  Feet swelling ain't no joke either.  Despite the massive amounts of water I drink I still swell.  Being on my feet all day at school doesn't help either.  I bought some compression stockings to try but do not love them.  I feel like I am going to fall over and pass out just to trying get them on.  The idea of wrestling them throughout my daily bathroom breaks makes me tired.
15.  Pregnant people can wear flip flops whenever they want.  It does not matter it is freezing.  I would rather be cold and comfortable that have my feet be hurting and warm.
14.  I am losing my mind.  As I type this I am thinking maybe I should just do a top ten list because I am only on number 18.  No, I just forgot that the list was in descending order.  To #13 we go.
13.  Did I mention that I am losing my mind?  Seriously, it is bad when you are scared to be alone with your misplaced thoughts and you can't remember what someone asked you 3 seconds ago.
12.  I just forgot about descending order again.  See what I mean!?!!?
11.  First graders are very sweet even though they stress me out and drive me crazy.  I was very upset about changing grade levels in a year that I was pregnant.  But it has been such a blessing.  The kids are so sweet, my grade level team is a true team that love working together, and it was a refreshing change from 2nd grade.
10.  Nesting can happen anywhere.  Home, work, grocery store, even at other people's homes.  Just ask before you start reorganizing someone's pantry.  The "I'm pregnant" card can only get you so far.
9.  The "I'm pregnant" card works.  A man on a plane asked to switch seats with me so he could sit next to his wife.  I usually would oblige, but I was on the aisle and needed to be ready to get to the restroom.  I could totally read the five letter word he was calling me in his mind.  When I got up to let his wife in her seat he saw "the bump."  He immediately turned red, motioned to the bump, and said "Sorry, I didn't realize."  That's right big boy.  RESPECT THE BUMP!!
8.  People say stupid things to pregnant people.  My favorites: "Oh you are so big!"  "Do you think you can fit there?"  "You are about to pop!" "You have grown so much since I saw you last."  The list goes on.
7.  People say even more stupid things when they realize that they have said something stupid and try to fix it.  Do yourself a favor and follow the Ken Crow method.  "You look radiant.  Can I get you anything?"
6.  I move too fast and slowing down to take a break is ok.  Still learning this lesson, but getting better everyday.
5.  There are a few things I thought I would miss I really don't miss.  I can go without sushi and nacho cheese sauce and survive.  Good to know.
4.  I cannot go without coffee.  A girl has to get her kicks somehow.
3.  I can enjoy ONE glass of wine occasionally and be content.  It might take two hours to sip.  Each sip might be chased with 3 gulps of water.  But it is damn good.  I do miss wine though...
2.  I love my husband more than I did the day I married him.  Even though he rolls his eyes at my hot sauce guzzling, pillow stacking, losing my mind self he is wonderful.  He is the reason things have been running smoothly.  He takes care of me and this baby without batting an eye.  He gets so delighted each time this baby kicks and responds to his voice.  Those moments of watching him get so excited are some of the best moments in my life.
1.  I can't wait to meet this little guy.  He is going to change our lives for the better and it will make all the gripes and aches of pregnancy worth it.  I love this little man so much.  He has already taught me so much about love, patience, and how to better take care of myself.  He is a true gift from God.  And that is the best thing I have learned about pregnancy.