Diaper Bags: what gives?

So here I am browsing through the Cribsie Awards and have discovered several things: 1) this is a pretty awesome time killer 2) it is also a helpful and revelatory site. So I am browsing down the categories and I see one of the categories is "Chicest Diaper Bag that Doesn't Look Like a Diaper Bag." Yes seriously, that really is a category. But you know, in the hospital they don't give you the option of "Post-partum Body that Doesn't Look Like I  Just Had a Baby."  So who are they fooling? I am pretty sure that everyone will notice the adorable, but sometimes drooling and smelly infant in your arms. But maybe if you have a super cool really expensive diaper bag they won't think its yours!And I am sure no one gave a second thought to that expanding beach ball under your shirt.

So here are some of your baby disguising options:

The Kate Spade Stevie Bag  - I know I have seen several of these floating around town.
Petunia Pickle Bottom's Touring tote
Anything Vera Bradley - especially if you are from the South

I am fortunate enough that I had a friend make a bag for Not so Much Baby H that has held up beautifully for almost two years now, complete with changing pad. You can find her on Facebook. Of course with our excellent timing, it is starting to look like we may need to invest in another bag. Either a regular one or one that is a bit larger so that we can put both babies things in one bag. Thoughts or suggestions?

Edit: I began this post a few days prior to the storms that came through. We are all ok and hope that you are too! There was quite a bit of damage in Oxford, one of our church families lost their entire house. We continue to hear about more damage across the south and pray for those who lost more than just earthly possessions. 

Also, there will be an Easter post coming soon!

Time Warp

I thought it would be fun to do a little comparison with these babies of mine. Since, let's face it, that is what I will be doing for the next year or so. They are already SO different. This little one is so still and Baby H was a mover and a shaker. I always felt great with Baby H and well... so far with this baby I have had 4 months of nausea, followed by 2 weeks of cold that ended with a sever ear infection and then another 3 weeks of cold/allergy/sinus funk that has resulted in a bruised rib/ torn side muscle. Fun times people. Fun times. And I still have 4+ months to go - no telling what is in store for me next.

I thought I would share these pictures taken at nearly the same time but two years apart. Yes, only two years.

Here is one of me with Baby H at 20+ weeks:

Here is one of me with Baby on the way at 20+ weeks:

I know that your first response was "Wow you look great and haven't aged a bit." RIGHT?! And then you can go ahead and say what I am thinking - that belly in the second shot looks a lot bigger. Yikes! Oh and yes it is the same tank top, for my fashion conscious readers. I have heard all about the showing earlier, but I didn't know that meant you showed bigger too.

No words

There really are no adequate words to describe the range of emotions that I have gone through over the past month. A range of EXTREME emotions. I have gone from complete and utter stress and despair to high celebratory joy,  to be brought down by grief - and there is the ever present overtone of anxiousness that I can't escape. I am not going to go into the details of the causes but let's just say the sermon I heard Sunday could not have come at a better time. Jesus calms the storm, Mark 4:35 - 41. It is no secret to me, nor the Hubs that I have some real worry/anxiety issues. I am better than I used to be, but they have gotten to the point of frustration - the point and which I am ready to really do something about it. So, God and His incredible timing gave me these verses:
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

So the part that I had always overlooked was where Jesus said "Let's go across to the other side." Now why would he have suggested this journey's destination had he not intended to reach it? Anyone who knows me knows that I always have a keen eye on the weather, especially if things are predicted to get stormy. Throw in a large body of water and you might as well throw me the Valium. So if I was on the boat I would have been the first person to inform Jesus of my personal assessment of the situation. And then politely but emphatically suggest "Stop sleeping and get up and DO SOMETHING!"
But in an effort to conquer, over the next few weeks or however long it takes I will just keep repeating this tailored version to myself and imagine Jesus saying "Megan, why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" and then plead for an increase in faith in my weak moments. Because I know that God would not have told me I would get to the 'other side' and then not let me get there to meet Him. Amen?

Oh and looking forward to heaven and angels. Here is a picture of one sweet angel baby!

Back from Texas

One of my favorite Christmas presents this year was a trip to Austin, TX to visit my sister! My friend Meg went with me and we had a wonderful and relaxing time. The relaxation was much needed. That and a lot of Mexican food, seriously I never eat so well anywhere else. I don't know what it is, but the food there is always so fresh and healthy. Most of the restaurants we visit are all about local growers and sustainability. And there is always a vegetarian and most of the time vegan option. So everyone was happy! And I finally managed to get my pregnancy weight gain on to the positive side, I gained 2lbs so I am now 2+ over my pre-pregnancy weight. My OB will be so proud, and will stop threatening me with Ensure shakes, nasty!

This pic was taken from my favorite meal of the trip, ha. Really it was a ton of fun and really good to see Boo Boo for several uninterrupted days. We did a little bit of shopping, went to this handmade art pop-up store, and did a lot of walking. I needed the walking. This poor baby is not getting nearly the amount of exercise that H got. But I guess it's the baby's fault because I was also not nearly this sick for this long either! Not that I am complaining, by this time with H I had gained 15lbs so now I just have less to come back from. Not to mention chasing a toddler helps - of course there is still plenty of time left to pack it on so I better not speak too quickly!

Not whining...

 I am not whining, but I came across this article that made me want to say "YES that is me!!" Though the thought of planning a vacation is a luxury that I can only dream about right now. Warning: this is more about the working mom dilemma of balance. Now, don't get your panties in a wad non-moms and stay-at-home moms. This is not the gauntlet being thrown. I am adult enough to recognize all walks of the womanly life, and I know that none of them are easier or better than mine. Ok now that's done...
So here are some lines to ponder (if you cheat and don't read the article), and I really want to know your thoughts...
"First, any illusion that mothers might have had about full-time employment as a “lifestyle choice” has, in this economy, been stripped away. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, 77 percent of American women with school-age children work; a quarter say they sometimes work from home; a third work on the weekends."
So that means there are A LOT of us out there, in all forms. Part time, full time, work at home...etc. I work is because I like to eat, not because I love getting up at 6am everyday.  But here is the line that made me think, and I am not sure I totally agree with it:
 "Beneath these newer realities of modern life lies an indisputable truth: American corporate structures and marriages still do not fully accommodate the working mom."
I don't know why but this line really stuck with me, for several reasons. Maybe it was the word, "accommodate" that made me think twice. On the one hand, there are several things that I feel could be remedied to help women (mom or not) feel that they are equally valued in corporate America. And as a mom, yes, I would make some changes if they asked me. But no one is really asking - and is that the problem? Not so much that there do not appear to be solutions, but that no one has even considered that there is an issue here.
However, should my business be required to "accommodate" me when I was the one who set my path to working motherhood? But did I have a choice (about the working, not the motherhood)? However, why should I not be considered worth accommodating? Is having a family just a professional bump in the road with predetermined and less than favorable outcomes?

Just some things to ponder. And gender equality issues notwithstanding, I would like to say that having a working mom - to me, and I am biased - would seem to be a perk. Can you imagine the capacity and strength of character that it takes to have two full time jobs? Where really there are no "days off" and multi-tasking is not even thought about as a talent, it is just a way of life.
I know this is not a new issue, and I don't have any solutions. But it is something that consumes my thoughts these days. So I just thought I would put it out there.
And I am just not going there about the marriages. :)