Easter 2013

First Easter as a Mommy. Waking up next to a sweet little face who's on the verge of some serious, "I have dirty pants and could possibly be hungry" tears and whispering excitedly, "Happy Easter sister! Think the Easter Bunny's been here?!" was fun. Seeing her full mouth smile emerge because her Mommy is talking and sounds excited, was a beautiful way to start this day.

Her first Easter. This year is cool. It's like a whole year of excitement and smiles and feeling like a kid again (only with dark circles under my eyes) because we HAVE a kid.

I love it.

We started the day playing with Parks & going to church with Grammy...spent the afternoon eating and visiting with tons of family...and ended it snuggled up at home watching The Bible (I wowed my husband by knowing that Lot's wife gets turned in to a pillar of salt for looking back).

I'd say this has been a perfect first Easter.

...being a Mom is pretty much the best job I've ever had. I know she won't remember today, but I will. And the way I see it, this first year the holidays are fantastic trial and errors for when she will remember and I REALLY want to get it right.

SB 2013

Spring Break baby. Hells to the yes. What am I doing you ask? Trip to the ocean? Skiing in the mountains? Rushing off to Massachusetts as I did last year? No. No. And sadly no.

Spring Break (further known around here as SB) 2013 is being spent in the realm of all things HOME. Home soaking up this little girl. Home having a date night & random Walking Dead marathons with my hubs. Home going for a run to get back in shape and taking walks with friends b/c it meets my need for a convo that doesn't come out of my mouth in baby lingo ("You are a good girl, yes you are. Yes you are!") & allows for Parker baby to be near and happy.

Yes SB looks quite different this year. You know what though, it's just as fun. And exciting. And beautiful. Sure I miss traveling, but there'll be time for that. Any day now Parks is gonna get that dang arm outta the way and roll over for the first time. I want to be here for that. My parents also have SB this week (luxury of working at a school) and there is extra time to watch them loving up on this kid. I want to be here for that too.

SB 2013 appears to be from a different planet than any Spring Break from the past, but I unashamedly admit I like this planet. On this planet we get excited when the baby goes to bed & sleeps til 3am. We are giddy over home manicures and pedicures and lunches that are picked up and eaten at the park. We soak up hours of HGTV & rejoice when the laundry is finally friggin' done and the kitchen is CLEAN.

Yeah SB 2013 is a weird, domestically beautiful thing.

Now if you need me, I have a baby to feed & bundle & then a friend to meet for a walk at the river.

Back in the Saddle Again

I'm nearly back.

I'm slowly beginning to slide back into life post-Parker.

I'm a teacher again. Those sweet little kiddos are too much fun. I love how they love Parker baby stories. I love how nearly every parent I met at conferences told me their child missed me. I love that my sweet sub kept everything in Curtsinger mode while I was away. There's a certain energy...a certain way of looking at life when you are eight or nine & I can't help but want to soak a little of that up. I want Parks to grow up full of energy & spunk...maybe I can convince my boss she'd soak things up faster & I'd be more motivated if her pack'n play was in my classroom! :)

I'm a runner again. Let me tell you, running is no joke. It's tough stuff. My mind likes to pretend we weren't getting stretched & pulled for ten months...but my body is quick to remind it (usually around the second mile) that it is NOT the body it used to be. Oh we might be back at pre-preggo weight...but that does not mean my ass, lungs & overall cells aren't dragging by the time we cross the finish line.

A friend has a shirt that says, "My sport is your sport's punishment." That, kids...is the truth if I've ever heard it.

I'm gonna keep at it though. As much as I loathe miles two & three; I love the first mile excitement & the post run feeling of accomplishment. Plus I have really cool running stuff. Can't quit now. :)

With cool stuff & Parker baby as my running buddy, no sir quitting is not an option.

I am alive again. Pregnancy kicked my booty. It was HARD. It took every ounce of energy I had & ripped it to shreds. It also made me appreciative...& it gave me a whole new perspective of people who are in that stage of life & of people who have babies. And let me say, babies are all around right now. A slew of my best high school friends have sweet minis. We are gathering all our little chicks for a rendezvous at the Chapman ranch on Easter weekend. That will be a moment to cherish. My grown up friends (post Tahlequah & since moving to Tulsa) have or are having precious Littles of their own. Parker baby has so many friends...& she's not quite 10 weeks old. ❤

Life is amazingly precious. Never did I stop to think how freaking awesome it would be to watch my child play with my cousins' kids. When I slow down to think about the life we're building (this pondering occurs around 3am while feeding this girl) I am in awe of how everything works out just as it's supposed to.

Life is good. My baby is beautiful. And I am just soaking every ounce of it up.