she has a little bit of me....

it's very obvious that avery is my child...and I think addison has a lot of me in her as well but there's no doubt that she favors her daddy.  what's funny is that both girls baby pictures look very much alike.  in fact, there are several pictures, past and present, that i have to look at the exact location or outfit to figure out which child it is. 

i came across this photo of my sisters and me, whom i cropped out in fear of  what would happen if i published their portion of it. this picture will show you several things....1) that i really did have blonde hair at one point.  2) that kids did wear complete sweatsuits and that they weren't JUST for the GKGW videos (i won't complain that my sisters had on matching outfits in this picture and i was left in a sweatsuit)  3) whatever face i decided to make in this picture is one that addison makes EVERY SINGLE DAY. 

when i found this picture i showed it allen and he physically sat up and just stared at it and said 'wow.'  (now that wow could have been about the outifts too:)

so regardless of who she looks like on most days, i got a little bit of kick when i found this picture because she does, in fact, have a little bit of me. 

mythbusters

**disclaimer** this post is not directed toward anyone and in no way is it meant to hurt anyone's feelings or doubt the love their child has for them.  it's really all in fun and it will make me feel better to say write down some of the things ive been feeling.  that being said.....

in case you haven't heard the news....our family will have a new addition in april....and it's going to be a boy!  we were very excited and both of us a little in shock.  after all, we're very pink around here and the closest thing we have to blue is turquoise...with sparkles!  the girls were excited too.  well, avery was.  however, my excitement was muffled by all the harsh well-meaning comments about our news.  i truly believe that people said all these things with good intentions hoping to ramp up the excitement...instead, they really kind of hurt my feelings because i am (as my mom says) hyper sensitive.  so i'm going to play along and de-bunk some of what i like to call "myths about our new baby."

MYTH:  "now your family is complete"
FACT: actually, our family was complete when allen and i got married.  children are a welcome addition to your family (have you taken growing kids??).  also, from a little bit of protective side, what if we have another child..........he/she will be a welcome addition as well and will not "over complete."  don't worry, i know what you meant, now we have both girls and a boy, so we get to experience both and our family is now complete.  i get it.  

MYTH:  "little boys love their mommas"
FACT: so do little girls.  what's funny is that most of these comments have come from either moms with all boys or moms with newborn boys (which makes me giggle).  no doubt there's a bond there, but i have to say that my relationship with my girls is pretty darn special and i expect it will be no different (better or worse) with a boy.  again my protective side came out and i felt like people were trying to take away from what i have with the girls.

MYTH:  "little boys clothes are not as cute as little girl clothes"
FACT: that is 100% true :)  so all you moms of boys are going to tell me your shopping secrets. 

humor, sarcasm and intent are often lost in writing, so i hope you can read all of those in this post.  i feel like i have to say it again, this was truly all in fun and don't worry - i was only half kidding!  :)  love to all my mommy friends!  only kind comments please.

sleep in heavenly peace...

***update*** i made the coffee.  day one was weak.  day two was strong.  starbucks strong.  so strong it almost tastes burnt.  however i managed to make both days drinkable.  it can only go up from here.  coffee problem, semi-solved.  and, i've slept peacefully :) ***

so it's way too early in my pregnancy to be losing sleep.  however, it's not the baby keeping me awake, i don't know what it is.  actually i do. it's either a 5-year-old, a 2-year-old or a 31-year-old.  and once i'm up, i'm up.  i can't go back to sleep sometimes for HOURS.  and i usually end up on the couch watching tmz...after all...they own the best stories in hollywood.  did you see brad pitt's motorcycle accident?  i think i watched it 10 times thanks to dvr.  it was hysterical (and no, he wasn't injured). 

i digress.

it happened again last night.  i was peacefully sleeping and i awoke to avery staring at me.  she didn't say anything (or maybe she did??), she was just staring.  i got her back in bed, snuggled back in my bed and....stared at the wall.  i wasn't tired.  it was 4:30 and for the first time in i don't know how long, i watched the sun rise.  it was after 6 before i fell asleep and i will tell you - i was getting bitter.  i knew the girls would be up early (avery's school program was today) and i knew i would be exhausted.  both were true.  so i got up and i did what all mothers do (well, most of the ones i know anyway) - i drank coffee (my first cup since august).  and it was delicious and everything i dreamed it would be.

speaking of which, it's been so long since i have brewed coffee that i know my first pot will be gross - my mom made it today and hers is wonderful.  but it's like you lose your touch.  i like my coffee perfect just so and if i'm even a little off it's just not the same.  and i get it honestly - when my entire family is together, we brew separate pots for different members of the family.  seriously, my mom has like 20 coffee pots.  to each his own...weird, i know.  what can i say, we love coffee.  and i don't like starbucks.  gasp. :)

anyway....i'm sure i will hit a wall at some point this evening - probably while i'm laying on my heating pad on the couch.  but not before then...we have the lighting of the trees tonight in downtown fairhope...and dinner with new friends.  ahhhh, friends. 

so all of you new moms, or moms with new babies, you can call me at that 4am feeding.  i am, more than likely, awake.

these are a few of my favorite things

so i might have cheated on my list a little bit in that most of these things are things i know i love, but don't have! but i don't want to call it things i need because we certainly aren't in need. and i really feel kind of shallow to make a list of things i want....so i've combined the two. call it what you want. i'll call it my unselfish-list-of-things-i-want-but-don't-really-need-but-really-still-want-list.

i really love/would love

10. a mandoline. we love the food network and we love to cook new things. i think this would make my chopping/cutting/slicing so much simpler and it would make my serving platters so pretty. rare for me, but i've even gone low-end on this one, because i can acknowledge that i don't need nor will i use one that costs $200. you can find both at (my favorite store) williams-sonoma09. to read. i have certain authors that i continue to read but every now and then i will try someone new. it's relaxing and it's the last thing i do before turning off my light at night. and i love to trade books with my friends who have similar tastes. my current reading list is
- crazy love, francis chan
- the mommy manual, barbara curtis
- dutch, a memoir of ronald reagan, edmund morris
what are you reading??

08. an ebelskiver filled pancake pan. if you haven't seen this...scoot on over to your local williams sonoma (or visit them online) and peruse this section. if you get it, don't forget the flippers...and then tell me how much you LOVE IT! i would recommend their cookbook that goes along with it for lots of great recipes!
07. a bamboo cutting board. again, would make life so much easier (i'm sure). plus they look super cool on your counter! :) you too can decorate your counter and improve your culinary skills with this savvy board from...say it with me...williams-sonoma. (and no, i don't get paid for endorsements)
06. dr scholls shoes. haven't tried them? they are a must-have for fall and winter. your feet will thank you...plus they look great with jeans and cords. go ahead and get a black and a brown pair. if you're in bhm, swing by 'flip flops and what not', they have a great variety. which leads me to...
05. zappos.com. seriously. shopping for shoes and having them THE NEXT DAY. genius. i would so much rather do this than shoe shop with both girls in tow. i don't even mind if i have to return them...and why should i? shipping and returns are free!

04. the age difference in my girls. they are, almost to the day, 2 1/2 years apart. despite the fact that i am always, even now, asked if they are twins, i love their closeness (in age and relationship). i think they are close enough to play together and enjoy some of the same things, but far enough apart to where i didn't feel crazy jumping from one to two. everybody is different...this worked for us...and they are best friends.

03. a macbook pro. it was about 4 years ago that my obsession with the mac began. it's a beautiful thing and will change the way you view/work on/treat your computer. just ask anybody who has one.
02. a canon eos rebel, with the extra lens. if you have kids, and most of you who read this blog do, you know how important it is to capture their personality in a picture. in fact, most of us make ourselves crazy at photo shoots trying to get the photographer to 'take it now...now...Now...NOW' so they'll get that look in their eyes that sometimes only a parent sees. i'm not a photographer but i know how to capture my kids...and i want this camera.
01. a kitchenaid mixer. i've wanted one for years. i still want one. i stand by and lust after admire them every time i see one. i want the red one. or the gun-metal silver (not to be confused with the chrome). who knows...i might be the next ina garten :) 

i'm hoping that some things from my wish list show up this christmas...i'll let you know.  there's also a new coffee maker i kind of want...i didn't add it to the list, but it's here if you want to go see it!  great for entertaining!  :)  let me know some things on your wish list!

i've been stifled

for several months my blogging has been stifled. but...thanks to my friend courtney, i have been inspired. you see, i love to write and tell stories. most of my writing ideas come from life happenings and things i read ~ things that inspire, encourage and add value to my life. hearing or reading stories makes me want to tell them my way. not because the other way is bad, or mine is better...just because it's what i do.

i've been writing a lot lately - just not for pleasure. fortunately, i get to do what i love for a living: creative writing ~ story telling ~ helping other people read and understand how they can make a difference in someones life. for the past couple of months i've been swamped with writing projects and, to be honest, it has stifled any personal creativity i have. i haven't written in the girls' journals. i haven't written the book that i really want to write....and, as you well know, i haven't blogged. so i'm jumping back in...slowly. and what better way to start than a list of my favorite things? a while back i made a list of 15 things i'm not afraid to admit...and i loved it. so why not do a top 15 list again, just revamped! thanks courtney for the inspiration! look for my list, coming soon....

oh, and if you haven't seen this picture...it's worth a thousand words :)

sweet friends

"the One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it," 1 Thess 5:24

for any of you that are left reading my blog, because i've been terrible at updating, please take a moment and visit the Wright family. their journey is just beginning but their God is forever faithful.

if you only knew

i want to post lots of things, i really do. i have lots of things to tell you, lots of trips and pictures, milestones and fun stories. yes, i have all of that. what i don't have is time. i know, i know, i'm taking time to post now, but i'm about to go to bed after spending what seems like DAYS in the car - with a five and a two year old.

i can't wait to catch you up on the drew family! i miss my blog!