Coffee Date - March 2019

Hello! Want to go for coffee? I'll drink chai tea, because I don't drink coffee, but you're free to have whatever you like. Let's pretend we already talked all about you, and now we're to the part where we are talking all about me. Here's what I'd talk about...

The first thing that's heavy on my mind is that R is starting in a new daycare class with a brand-new teacher this week. They don't have a set schedule for when they move kids up; it's just about when kids under her move up and also her age/abilities for the class she's going into. Every time I get the notice that she will be moving up, I get anxious. I have been so blessed in that I have loved every single teacher either kid has had since they started, and I'm always sad to leave. But for some reason this time I'm more nervous than I ever have been. Like, butterflies in my stomach nervous. She's getting to be such a big girl in the big kid classes where it's more like, I guess like school, and I feel nervous for her.

I popped into her new class on Friday morning after I dropped off the kids and introduced myself to her new teacher. I know a lot of the teachers at her daycare since we've been there for over 3 years, but I don't know this one, though I've seen her in the hallways. It's always scary to trust my kids with someone new, especially someone who will be with them for so much of the day. I feel like I am constantly praying for Jesus to watch over them and thankful that he's with them even when I'm not. If you think of it, I'd appreciate if you said a prayer for R (and for me!) this week.

After I told you that, I'd probably tell you that just being honest, I can't handle when a mom who stays at home compares me dropping my kids off at full-time daycare to them taking their kid to the church nursery on Sundays for two hours. I appreciate that they are trying to make a connection and empathize, but it's totally not the same thing at all soooooo..... no.

I'd tell you about the book I just read Where the Crawdads Sing. I wish I had a book club to sit around and discuss this with, but I read tons of Goodreads reviews/comments and asked about it in my reading Facebook group, so hopefully that will calm me down. So many thoughts. Gosh, what a fantastic writer this author is. Truly stunning prose. I felt so emotionally invested in what happened to these characters. But I didn't love the ending. I feel so unsatisfied. Still totally worth the read, but I wish it had ended differently. (My opinion, of course!) Have you read it? Let's chat!

I'd also have to tell you about the book I read before that. In contrast to the one above, it was a disappointment. The author apparently originally wrote this as a screenplay, and as a result the novel adaptation was so boring to read. Terrible, tragic things were happening (because it's WWII and Auschwitz and it's horrifying), and I felt nothing. No emotion at all or attachment to the characters. Which is crazy, because it's based on a true story! Have you read The Tattooist of Auschwitz? What did you think?

On to happier things, I'd tell you that I ran 8 miles on Saturday! Or, at least I ran for 80 minutes, so I assume I ran at least 8 miles, if not a little more. My Garmin watch needs to be charged, and I just haven't been tracking my mileage and only going by time. So, really I have no idea how fast I'm running at all. Anyway, I have a half marathon coming up at the end of April, and I've been going to the gym 2-3 times a week, but the farthest I've run on the treadmill is 5 miles, which is not really the same as 13 miles. ha! 

I set my alarm for 5:40 on Saturday and got back right as the kids were waking up. I felt so accomplished! It was awesome to have my long run finished before the day was even started.    I know it sounds insane to most people to get up that early on a Saturday if I didn't have to, but I knew that if I didn't I would just be thinking about my run all day and planning things around it, and I didn't want that pressure on my one full day at home with my kids. 

Once everyone got up and around, we went to the zoo! The weather was 100% perfect, and we had a lot of fun. We don't often do things like this, so it was really nice. I packed peanut butter sandwiches, and we saw all the animals and got home just in time for naps (for J, at least; R straight up refuses to nap on the weekends).

I have lots more I could talk about, but I've finished all my tea, and I need to get home anyway. I stayed up way too late on Saturday finishing my book, so I'm pretty tired. Tomorrow is another week! I find the daily grind of getting me and the kids ready and out the door five days a week extremely tiring and challenging in this season. 

I'm trying to find joy and give myself grace, and while those are nice things to say, they honestly (for me) often feel impossible to put into practice. Like, okay thank you for reminding me to give myself grace BUT HOW. I feel strung a bit thin with our schedule and both of us working full time outside the home, and Jordan and I are trying to change some things up so I can take a few pieces off my plate. So far the small adjustments we've made the last 2 weeks have really helped! I needed the reminder (from my mom, who else?) that as different seasons come and go, you don't have to keep doing what you've always done. You adjust and shift based on the current needs of you and the members of your family. So that's what we are doing! 

Oh gosh. Per usual, I ended up writing about things I didn't intend when I started, and I'll probably feel self-conscious if anyone in my real life mentions that they read this. But whatever! That's half the crazy of writing about your personal life on the internet. Thank you, as always, for reading. If I didn't think there was at least one person on the other side of this, I probably wouldn't bother. 

Hope you all have a great week! Find joy in the small things, and give grace to yourself where you can. And if you figure out how to actually do those things, please let me know. Basically I just want to be this bear--napping in the shade on a warm spring(ish) day. Anyone feel me? ;)

What would you tell me if we went on a coffee (tea) date?

Coffee Date: April

I am baking some muffins to freeze for the kids and have exactly 18 minutes to pop on here for a quick coffee date. That is not at all enough time for me to finish a blog post (editor problems), but I figured I'd try!

If we were meeting for coffee, I'd ask you how your Easter weekend went and then confess that I didn't put together Easter baskets for the kids. I'd tell you that I don't even feel bad about it except when I see so many people posting online about all the stuff they bought. Then I feel just a twinge of guilt, but mostly I'm okay with it. They get a basket from grandma, and we did an egg hunt (set up by grandma lol!). I'm not against the Easter bunny or anything, but I don't remember doing baskets as a kid and it's just not anywhere on my radar.

Coffee Date: December 2017

Hello! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your families. It seemed like a lot of people started their festivities early, but we didn't do anything with family Friday or Saturday, and it was nice to have some down time just the four of us.

Tuesday was the seven-year anniversary of the day Jordan asked me to marry him! December 26, 2010, we were downtown Chicago with my family, and Jordan got down on his knee in the snow and proposed and shocked the daylights out of me. You can read our engagement story here, our love story in 10 questions here, and Jordan's side of the story as he planned the proposal part 1 & part 2.

The last time I wrote a coffee date post was back in August when J was 6 weeks old. Now that he's 6 months old, I thought it was a good time to take you all out for coffee, or maybe a peppermint mocha as a fun, wintery treat. If we were out for coffee, I'd tell you...

...that I've been writing more sponsored posts lately, and I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm actually finding them kind of fun. Now, I realize that purist bloggers would never say such a thing, and I know that as a blog reader sponsored posts can be obnoxious. The ratio of sponsored posts to lifestyle posts on The Lady Okie is always always always going to be majorly favored to the latter, but I've been able to try out some products I never would have tried before, and having certain writing requirements for posts depending on what the brand is looking for grows me as a writer, which I consider a useful skill and has been interesting. Plus, I don't hate free stuff and I don't hate money ;) I'd really like to start saving up for a camera upgrade this year! Most recently I wrote a post about these potatoes, which both Jordan and I thought were delicious, and I will definitely be buying them again! (For more of my thoughts on sponsorships and working with brands as a small blogger, read this post.)

...that I've added some really fun things to my wardrobe lately. I don't regularly buy clothes, especially clothes that cost more than $10 or $15, but as I mentioned in a previous post, after having J, I just feel kind of blah about everything I own and have been wanting to add some fashionable, cute pieces to my closet that I can feel good in that aren't t-shirts I'm still wearing from college. I recently got my first Stitch Fix box, which was fun. I'd been wanting to try it forever and was very impressed by it. A blog reader (Hi, Amie!) used my referral code to get a box for free, and she emailed me to say that she loved her entire box and kept everything in it! It's always nice to hear from you guys who read this blog, especially when I recommend something I liked and you like it too.

...that speaking of clothes, I have gotten some really fun and cute things lately from this website. They had a giant Cyber Monday sale, and I snagged a double hooded sweatshirt I'd been eyeing. I also love love love this hoodie, which is super soft and has a full half-zip, which makes it perfect for nursing!

...that I've started reading again. I basically stopped reading after J was born and only just recently picked it up again this month, thanks to being back in the office and having twice-a-day pump sessions. I've read four books just this month and will have a reviews post up for you soon. I hope this reading trend continues into 2018! If you have a favorite book from this past year, let me know about it so I can add it to my list. There are a couple of books that Carolann listed in her 2017 book survey post that I haven't heard of and want to check out! Michelle always has great book review posts, and Kristen just posted her 2017 book review recap.

...that I am joining a gym in 2018. I've never in my life had a gym membership, but this year I am going to be like every other person in America and make fitness a goal for the new year. J is six months old and only just very recently (like, two weeks ago) started sleeping longer than 2-3 hours at a time. I've been working full time since he was 8 weeks old, and I've been trying to take naps and go to bed early, but that's no substitute for night sleep. I've honestly been too tired to make a solid attempt to work out, but I will be honest and tell you that I feel like a giant blob. It's never been about the scale for me, and in fact we don't even own a scale so I couldn't tell you how much I weigh, but it's about how I feel, and I feel gross and out of shape. I am already signed up for the OKC half marathon in April, which will be half #11 for me, and I hope to get to the gym at least 2x a week in the evenings for a run and workout.

Finally, I would tell you that I am working on a post about my return to the office this second time around. Some blog posts are really easy for me to write, and some feel so difficult to put my thoughts into words. This post topic is turning out to be the latter, but I hope to finish and post it soon. I've shared so much about working motherhood on this blog over the past two years and I feel like I can't not say something about how it's been going having both kids in daycare full time and me back at the office.

I always write a year in numbers, so keep an eye out for that one coming next year. I didn't do my annual reader survey that I've done for the past couple of falls, but if you do have a specific topic you'd like me to write a post about next year, please do let me know!

Thank you so much for reading and following along with The Lady Okie in 2017. I appreciate all the love on my posts and I enjoy interacting with all of you. Hope you have a great rest of the week. Jordan and I have been off work all week and are loving having some extra family time during this holiday season!

*Some affiliate links are used in this post. It takes a lot of work to maintain a blog, and I appreciate you supporting the brands that support my writing!

Coffee Date: August 2017

J turned 6 weeks old on Sunday, and I wanted to sit down and share a bit about what life is like currently. There's no better time than the start of a new month, so let's do that blogger thing and pretend we're friends meeting in real life for a coffee date. Although you all know the drill by now: I don't actually drink coffee (yes, it's true!), so I'd probably order a chai latte.

Adding R to our family was wonderful, but it was also so stressful and tiring, and I've shared in the past that I didn't exactly love the newborn stage with her. Thankfully, transitioning from one kid to two has been so much better in so many ways.

For one thing, I am already used to operating with less sleep overall, and for the past 5ish months before J even arrived, it was rough in the sleep department. R has been a good sleeper most of her life, but we have definitely been waking up multiple times a night now for a while. R had a terrible case of hand, foot, mouth; I had strep; we dropped the pacifier and transitioned her to a toddler bed.... adding in the exhaustion of newborn sleep cycles and waking up throughout the night hasn't been as drastic as it was after having R. 

I have memories of stumbling around in the night, falling asleep while nursing, and just feeling like I had zero energy to do anything at all. Certainly there have been moments of that, but in general I'd say I haven't felt that extreme, indescribable exhaustion that I did two years ago.

Breastfeeding is going really, really well, and I'm so thankful. I tried not to assume that just because R nursed well, J would too, but so far it's been great. R weaned around 13 months, so it has been almost a year since I've breastfed, but it all came right back to me the moment J was placed on my chest and started rooting around. I felt so at ease and so confident. The first few weeks were painful, but there wasn't any bleeding or cracking or bruising like I experienced with R. With her, I was obsessed with my nursing app, timing the exact moment I started a feeding to the exact moment I ended it, and I used it for months. 

This time I have a more "go with the flow" kind of attitude. He eats when he eats, which is generally still every 2.5-3 hours, but I'm not as consumed with it and feel much more relaxed. (For a post on my experience the first few weeks nursing R, go here.) I also am much more relaxed about his naps, unlike last time. I try to pay attention to his sleepy cues and put him down when I can, but mostly I'm of the mind-set that he does what he does, and I just go with it. It's so freeing.

I started pumping once a day a few days after he was born to try and get a freezer stash going, since last time the pump and I didn't get along so well once I went back to work. I get about 3-4 ounces during a session, and right now I have about 80 ounces in my freezer! I'm really excited about that.

If we were meeting for coffee, I would ask you what makes a blog a "mom blog" because I think I've officially crossed into that territory. This is what is happening in my life right now, and so this lifestyle blog is naturally going to include lots of kid talk. I get that some people won't be as interested in this blog anymore because of that, which does make me sad, but isn't that how life works? Some people are in your life for a season, and then they move on. No hard feelings. But I do wonder if maybe I've become too "serious" lately, and I miss just sharing random funny stories. I want to try and get back to some of that.

Then I would tell you a funny story from J's first week of life.

First you need to know that I am hilariously terrible at changing baby boy diapers and have gotten peed on more times than I have fingers. R likes to stand on a stool next to me and watch me changing his diaper. She gets me wipes and things and in general is very interested in the goings ons. So one afternoon I was changing his diaper, and R was standing next to me holding a bowl full of pretzels that she was eating as a snack.

In the transition to putting on the new diaper, J peed a giant stream straight into the air. I screamed, naturally, because that's my reaction when something unexpected happens. So R screamed because I scared her, obviously, and she continued to cry as pee rained down upon her head. I yelled for Jordan, who raced in, and we had to stick R's head under the faucet and wash her hair. Pee had pooled into the cup of pretzels, so I went into the kitchen to get her more. Except I couldn't find the pretzels anywhere, which was odd because I had just ten minutes ago gotten them out to give her some. Jordan and I commenced a search of the house and turned up nothing. In desperation he pulled the freezer open, and there they were sitting in front in all their salted glory. Jordan thought it was the best thing he'd ever seen, and we laughed about it for the rest of the day.

I would probably mention as some point during our coffee date that my maternity leave will be over soon, and I'm having serious anxiety about it. I'm already tired and busy, so I don't know how I am supposed to fit a full-time job into my life! I'm also worried about paying for two kids in daycare. But mostly I'm worried about how much I'll miss R and J during the day when I'm at work. But since it's not happening for a few weeks still, I would tell you that I'd rather not talk about it and we would move on to more fun things like....

R's second birthday party! It's this weekend, and I'm so excited to celebrate. It will be a small, low-key party with our families. I don't have a fun theme or tons of cute decorations, but I have been crafting a bit, which you may have seen peeks of on my Instagram. The "theme" is mint and pink, because when I walked around Hobby Lobby last week looking for decorations, I kept putting mint- and pink-colored items into my cart. Creative party blogger, I am not. 

I took R to the park last weekend to do a 2-year photoshoot, and while I didn't get the laughing, smiling pictures I imagined in my head, I do think I got some good ones and am excited to share them with you! She is such a beautiful, smart, sweet little girl and I love being her mama.

By this point in our date, J would probably need to eat, so I'll have to say my goodbyes. We wouldn't hug because as some of you know already, I am not a hugger. But we'd make plans to do it again (the coffee date, not the hug), because I think having friend time in person is rare these days and something I really enjoy.

So now a few coffee date questions for you!

What's something you're looking forward to?

What's something you're feeling anxious about?

What kinds of blogs do you enjoy reading the most?

November: Hot Water with Lemon Date

Note: This is not a coffee date, because I don't drink coffee. If we were together in the morning, I would be drinking a glass of hot water with lemon, which probably sounds terrible but it's actually really good so don't say things about it.

WHAT I'M LEARNING

That I really like baking muffins at night after R goes to bed.

Baking muffins for R's snacks at daycare has uncovered a secret love. Seriously, muffins are so easy to make, always turn out delicious, and so customizable! I love using whole wheat flour and adding oats and veggies to make them super healthy. They freeze really well too so we always have a healthy breakfast or snack to grab when we're in a pinch! Her current favorite is the blueberry avocado muffin. You can find that recipe and a few more of our favorites here.

WHAT I'M WONDERING

Where my keys are.

In case you missed it, I lost my entire set of keys a month ago and had to replace them all (even my car key, which was $100), and I will never stop wondering where they went. They straight up disappeared and it's weird. And don't bother commenting to say that I'm sure they will turn up. That's called false hope, and I shall have none of it here!

Why I'm writing this blog post right now instead of sleeping.

Why people comment on certain blog posts more than others.

Almost every time, the blog posts that I think will get the most comments hardly get any and the posts I don't think people will comment on get a lot. What is the deal with you people?

WHAT I'M READING

I actually quit on a book a week or so ago, which I hardly ever do but I have my reasons. (BTW, I really need to do a book review post soon. It's been a while.) I haven't started a new book yet, but Chelsea is making me want to pick up The Woman in Cabin 10.

WHAT I'M CLICKING

I'm really trying not to click on anything politically related for the time being. I deleted both the Instagram app and the Twitter app off my phone, and I'm just kind of taking a mini break from the socials. It was all getting to be a bit too much and I have to say, I don't miss it.

Jenny suggested I watch this video after I posted about my problems getting R and Jordan to cooperate while taking a photo of me. Seriously so funny. Minute 1:42. Dead.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I need this hair dryer. I blame Maria for making it sound so great.

Erin just wrote an update post about life with two kids now that her son made his arrival!

This giveaway for an OttLite!

WHAT I'M WRITING

Idols - My thoughts on the election

Leftovers and Meal Planning - Follow-up post to what I wrote about our September meal plan

12-Minute Memoir: Waking Up // Bedtime
Random Life Snapshots

What have you been clicking lately? What are you wondering right now?

September Coffee Date

*The format of this post is borrowed from Brittany's blog.

Hello! It's the end of September (how???), and I figured now would be a good time to take you all out for coffee. Or a pumpkin thing or a chai or just whatever suits your fancy. Me? I'll probably be drinking some hot water with lemon. I always thought my grandma was crazy for ordering that at restaurant, but never say never. 

I'd love to hear what you're learning, wondering, loving, reading, clicking, and writing in the comments!

WHAT I'M LEARNING

No matter how tired I am or busy I may feel, it's worth it to make time for girlfriends. Over the weekend, R and I flew to Saint Louis to get together with 3 college friends. We didn't do much, just hung out and drank wine and talked, and I loved it so much. I've really been trying to be intentional about keeping up with my friends lately. It's easy to use R or being busy as an excuse to not make time for my friends, but investing in relationships is important to me.

My kitchen counter will never be as clean as I want it to be. It just won't.

Losing your keys is expensive. I lost my entire ring of keys two weeks ago, and I've been holding out hope that I will find them, but yesterday I accepted my fate and took R with me to get them replaced, including my car key. It goes on my list of least favorite ways to spend $100. Ouch. (I mean we really looked everywhere they could possibly be and even in weird places they wouldn't be. They are gone. RIP, keys.)

WHAT I'M WONDERING

Why some people have no trouble getting pregnant and other people struggle. I have such empathy for those going through the infertility struggle. I know life isn't fair, but it just breaks my heart sometimes that there are people who get pregnant without even trying and others who would be wonderful parents who want it so badly and it just hasn't happened. You all are in my prayers, friends.

How out of millions of people in the United States, our choices for president has come down to the current two options. On the bright side, you should all get on Twitter during the debates for some fun entertainment and hilarious memes.

If I'll really be able to not post as many pictures of R on social media. The struggle is real, but I feel strongly about this.

WHAT I'M LOVING

My new coat/purse rack in my laundry room!

This Is Us. Unfortunately it comes on at 9:00, and that's past my bedtime (grandma alert), but I've been watching it online the next day and it's pretty good!

These banana nut muffins. I made them recently for a friend who had a baby, and I might have saved one for myself. YUM. I'm not saying I considered just eating them all, but I kind of did.

Carrie Underwood's latest single "Dirty Laundry."

WHAT I'M READING

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. I saw a few friends recommend this on Goodreads, so I checked it out from the library. It's very interesting so far!

WHAT I'M CLICKING

Information about Noah's Bandage Project. I saw this on a blog a few weeks ago, and it's been popping up over the past few weeks on other blogs. I just love the hope and joy that has come out of a sad story.

This app, which apparently allows you to correct your friends' text messages. *insert evil laugh here* Buuuut.... people are already scared to text me. I couldn't do that to anyone. #editorproblems

WHAT I'M WRITING

• Deciding How Much (And What) To Share About My Children Online
• We Still Do
• 10 Things I Don't Care About
• A post about current events that I might share if I don't chicken out. We'll see.
• A post about our September grocery budget. I even tracked ALL of our meals this month so you can see exactly what we've been eating!

Okay your turn! What did you learn this month? Have you ever had to replace all your keys?

Outside? What's That?

I'm linking up with Jenna for a coffee date.

And by coffee date, obviously I mean you come to my house and bring drinks for both of us. I'm not so much intentionally boycotting the outside right now as I am forgetting it exists. My mother-in-law is concerned by my impending depression and Vitamin D deficiency and felt the need to leave the above note on my kitchen counter.

It seems like in the blog world, when a blogger announces a pregnancy (specifically a first pregnancy), everyone is happy but also kind of like, "Well shoot. Now they're going to stop being interesting and only blog about baby stuff."

So when you came over for coffee, I'd explain to you why that is. 

It's simple, really.

When you have a newborn, nothing else exists. 

Your life is now organized in two-hour chucks of time between feedings. After a feeding, your baby needs a diaper change. They also fuss and need to be calmed down. They fall asleep just in time for the cycle to start all over again. I hear magical stories of a time when I can sleep more than three hours at a time, but so far I've only experienced such wonder a few times, and I think they were accidental.

If you came over for coffee, I would be mostly likely wearing a pair of Jordan's flannel pj bottoms over a pair of Jordan's athletic shorts and an XL t-shirt my dad loaned me. But HOLY COW ONE TIME I PUT ON REAL PANTS.

R and I were headed to the pediatrician for a weight check last week, and I decided to go crazy and try on my green Gap jeans. Those jeans and I, you guys. We understand each other. I wore them up until I gave birth, using the rubber band trick, and so naturally they were the first pants I tried on post-baby. They buttoned and everything! The sky broke open and angels sang.

(Full disclosure: I am muffin-topping the crap out of the them, but they buttoned so, winning.)

If you came over for coffee, we'd spend approximately 97% of the time staring at R. Because that face, you guys. It slays me.

Speaking of R, she rolled over probably a dozen before she was two weeks old. Front to back, which I'm sure is easier, but still! My child is going to be famous! I'm the first mother ever to say that.

Speaking of poop explosions...

Oh we weren't? 

Well let's talk about it.

This child is a poop and pee machine, people. And did you know that girls can spray pee on the wall? Because they can. I've seen it. It scared me, and I screamed. 

This is my life, and I don't hate it.

If you came over for coffee, I'd end my flashing you my boob because girlfriend would need to eat, and I'm not good enough at breastfeeding yet to be cool and nonchalantly whip out a nursing cover. Breastfeeding is actually going okay, by the way. Thanks for asking. I've heard horror stories of bleeding and cracking, and I can't tell you how thankful I am that after the first few days, the pain has been minimal. However, I'm finding the process itself extremely stressful. Is she eating too much? Not enough? Too often? Not often enough? It's not like I can ask her!

It really is hard to remember what life was like just a few weeks ago, before R. She's adorable even when she's screaming her little lungs out. And that, my friends, is why it's hard to blog about or think about anything but baby stuff.

Sorry not sorry and all that jazz.

But if you came over for coffee, after we talked extensively about me, I'd definitely want to know what it's like in the real world of sleep and outside. So tell me, what's new with you?

Lately

I thought I'd join in today with Jenna's coffee date Friday linkup and give you a general life update, because I know you all are dying to know what's going on in the Bumgarner household.

We finally bought a car seat! You would not believe what a time I had trying to pick one of these things out. I had recommendations from friends and read reviews, but seriously, infant car seat, convertible car seat, eight thousand colors, and a price variation of a couple hundred dollars. Does it really need to be this difficult? Answer: no. And yet somehow it was. 

Jordan helped me pick one last week, and we ordered it and now that's done. In case you're interested, Baby Bum will not be cruisin' in a $200 seat. Try half that plus a 15% coupon at Target plus 5% off for using my Red Card = $87. I'm sure she won't mind.

I hung stuff! Or rather, my mom and brother and sister-in-law hung stuff. I am incapable of making any decisions (read above), and those decisions include decorating my house. Will there be a time I don't need my mom to help me with adult life? Judging from the way things are going, I'd say probably not. 

I'm still on high alert from the surprise birthday party I threw Jordan a week ago. I got so used to shielding the phone from him lest he see a suspicious text message that I've found myself still doing it. I don't know how people live double lives. I'm not cut out for it. 

Next week I will officially enter "the window," aka Baby Watch. I could have 3 weeks to go or I could have 5, but that's where it stops. The end is near, people. 

I'm over going to work. Over. It.

I still go, of course. And I sit there and do stuff like read and edit and finish things up before my maternity leave, but I won't lie and say I wouldn't rather be home with my feet up eating piles of ice cream. Or napping. Lots of napping.

I could write an entire blog post about how anxious I feel about the prospect of going back to work, finding childcare, affording childcare, and just that whole madness, but I'm going to spare you and myself. You're welcome. Just know that I do feel anxious about it, but I've seen God provide and know he will, and I have to learn that I have no control over the things I can't control. 

Namely, the fact that I have a passion for editing and not, say, finding gold.

There's more. Much more. I am a hormonal, waddling mess right now. But I don't have time to tell you about it. I need to get to bed.

In case you're wondering, these days I sleep like this, apparently. 

Jordan took this picture of me a few weeks ago, and I can't stop laughing about it. I mean seriously is this for real? He showed it to me the next morning and said, "I was going to move your arm, but instead I just took a picture and laughed at you." That's true love right there, people. Hey, at least I'm sleeping at night. Whatever it takes to get comfortable.

You Get Coffee. I'll Have Another Bowl of Cheerios.

I think it's high time for a coffee date. Shall we? A smattering of random thoughts/life happenings. You drink your coffee. Meanwhile, I'll have another bowl of honey nut cheerios. I am going through about 2 boxes (family-sized boxes, I should add) a month. By myself.

Moving on.

// A few weeks ago, I came home from work to see this:

Jordan was nowhere to be found.

I said, "Jordan, come in here."
"What?"
"What's up with the dishwasher? It's half empty."
"Oh. Yeah, I started to unload it, but then I did the top and got tired of standing."

So... okay. Apparently that's a thing. What I'm wondering is who he thought was going to finish the bottom half. Surely not me. I left the rest as a social experiment. It took him another full day to get to the bottom half.

// I did some DIY blog design over the weekend. Among a few smaller items, the biggest new feature is a brand-new navigation bar with drop-down menu items. I realize this took entirely longer than it should have, but isn't it pretty? I won't lie: I am really proud of it. If you hate it, just keep that joyful news to yourself.

// House update: it looks like a closing date of April 30 might actually be happening. The sellers have agreed to fix the roof! This is huge, people. I should probably be acting more excited about it, but the concept of owning my very own house where I will actually have a porch to sit on and walls to paint hasn't really sunk in.

Don't ask me if I've started packing yet.

HOWEVER, back to the roof thing... I will note that the roofers were supposed to come Monday, and so far it's rained for the past two days straight. So basically I've decided that precipitation hates me.

// Maternity clothes: I bought a few longer tank tops at Target last week, but I still haven't bought any maternity pants. This probably needs to happen soon. Every few days I have to retire another pair of pants because even the rubber band trick isn't cutting it.

Over the past week or so, random people have noticed the bump. Weirdness. I mean, do you realize the awkwardness of asking, "So when are you due?" if, in fact, they are not due for anything more than dinner later than night. There's no way that doesn't end badly.

A few days ago I decide to heck with pants, and I wore a swimsuit coverup with leggings and a cardigan (aka I looked like that five-year-old whose mother lets her dress herself). When I came home from work, Jordan said, "You look so pretty today! I really like your dress." HA! Nailed it. And people wonder why I'm not a fashion blogger.

// I'm still not sure if I've felt Baby Bum kick or not. Sometimes I think so, but then it's like up near my chest and I think that's probably a little high. The other day I SWORE I felt the baby move. I even shouted at Jordan to come into the room. Less than 2 seconds later I farted. So, yeah probably not the baby. I can't decide if this is a pregnancy problem or just a personal problem that only an antacid can fix.

My next appointment is a week from today, and hopefully it's as anticlimactic as all the others have been. Seriously, I get all worked up only to have the doctor in and out within 5 minutes. "You feeling okay?" Yep. "You have any questions?" Nope. "Okay, see you in 4 weeks." That is literally the extent of it. Apparently my pregnancy is not as exciting as I keep thinking it is. Which isn't a bad thing; it's just not what I expected.

// The Lady Okie blog turns 5 next month! I'm currently working on a reader survey, so please please come back and take it in a week or so. I absolutely love hearing what you guys have to say. If you're interested, see answers to past surveys here and here.

Okay, that's it for now. I've probably kept you long enough. We'll do another one of these soon, I promise. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you all a few lovely blogs that I've stumbled upon via recommendations over the past few weeks.

Coffee + Crumbs [A collaborative blog about motherhood. Beautiful, beautiful writing.]
Mich Mash [Her posts are hi-larious. That's all I'll say about it.]

Happy Wednesday!

Pre-Thanksgiving Coffee Date

Hello, friends! 

This will be the only time I'll post this week. I know we all have Thanksgiving stuff going on, and to be honest I'm just too busy right now to worry about writing blog posts. That and I'm in the middle of two really good books, and at this particular moment in time reading > blogging.

I'm pretending that we're meeting for a quick pre-Thanksgiving coffee date before all the craziness of the holidays hits. I might splurge and order a peppermint mocha this time. Despite my aversion to coffee, I actually like those. However, since I'm not used to the caffeine, after I drink one, I'm literally bouncing in my chair so I drink with caution.

I would probably come in wearing the above outfit, because it's actually one of my favorites right now. If you hate it, just don't tell me about it, because I think I look really cute. Let's just say I feel stylish, which doesn't happen to me all that often. Hashtag cheap people problems.

I bought that striped sweater at the Loft outlet a few months ago. It was 40% off but still cost me $30, which is on the high end of what I like to spend for any type of clothing besides running shoes. But I'm glad I did. Those boots are the new brown ones I mentioned buying in my winter wardrobe essentials post. Rack Room shoes for the win.

Speaking of running shoes, I just recently bought a new pair. I got Mizuno's this time, which is a brand I've never run in before. I really like them so far. Plus, they look really cool. Dark gray with blue stripes. I don't buy running shoes based on the look, but it doesn't hurt. When I was at the store, I told the guy who was helping me that I had "only" run about 550 miles so far this year.

I remember a time not too long ago when the very idea of running 500 miles in a year sounded insane. I guess it's all about perspective. Well, perspective and the number of crazies I follow on Twitter who run marathons every other weekend. Sometimes I have to remind myself that is actually not the norm, and my 3 days of running a week are nothing to shrug about. I'm officially registered for two 1/2 marathons in 2015, which is two more than I ran in 2014, so I'm pretty pumped. Sub 1:50, here I come.

^^^I made that scarf. My friend Justine gifted me a skein of alpaca yarn a few years ago, and I made that cowl out of it. But the yarn is suuuuper thin, and it took me forever to finish. It's lightweight but still keeps my neck warm when it's just a tad on the chilly side. I'm pretty proud of it. (The leaf necklace is from an online popup store that I used to get emails for, but I forgot the name now, so that doesn't help you.)

Since it's almost officially the end of November, I'm calling it quits on my "no comment" experiment. I'll be writing up a post in December about what I learned. It actually was an interesting experiment, and I'm glad I did it. Feel free to share any thoughts you had about it. For now, I will just say that I will be keeping comments on for good now. I suppose I get why some people turn off comments, but to be honest I think it's kind of a silly idea. More on that later.

Thanksgiving is going to be crazy this year, just like it has been for the last 3 Thanksgivings. In 2011, my family started a turkey trot in our neighborhood. The first year, we had 300 runners, and last year we had over 900! This year we expect to have about the same. 

It's a ton of work, but it's a lot of fun. There's a 1-mile fun run and timed 5k. All the money raised supports the ministry of Youth for Christ in North Texas. If you want to read more about how the turkey trot all started, you can read this post. So that's what we'll be doing Thanksgiving morning: setting out cones to mark the route, getting registration organized, and cutting bananas for the finishers. (And if you happen to live in the Flower Mound, Texas, area and want to come out, here's the registration link.)

I keep thinking of more things to type, but ain't nobody got time for that. This is the holiday season, after all. The most wonderful time of year. And the busiest. I'm a little insane. I am already completely done with Jordan's Christmas presents and I have our Christmas cards in envelopes, addressed, and ready to send out! Please tell me I'm not the only one.

I hope you all enjoy Thanksgiving and spending time with family and friends, however that looks in your world. Thanks for stopping by for a glimpse into mine.

_______________

Just for kicks: If you're interested in a funny Reese family story from last year, here is a post that is at the top of my list of all-time favorites.

Lots and Lots of Cortisone Cream

One of my best friends is coming from Illinois to visit me this weekend, and I'm so excited to sit down with her and just have a good, old-fashioned friend talk. I thought today I'd share some of that with you guys too.

You all know by now that I don't like coffee, so if we met at Starbucks, I'd order a chai. Or maybe I'd finally break down and try my very first pumpkin-spiced latte! Can you believe I've never had one?

If we met for coffee, the first thing I would do is show you my legs.

I know that sounds weird, but it's not because I'm fishing for compliments on my shapely calves. The opposite, in fact: my shins and knees got completely destroyed on Sunday during my Tough Mudder, and they look terrible. 

Someone at work said they look like an angry cat got ahold of me. And they would be right. It's quite painful, and on top of that I'm sore ever-y-where. Like, possibly as sore as after I ran my marathon. It's Friday now, so I've had about a week to recover and they don't look as bad. Now they're at the stage where itchy scabs are forming. Super attractive.

(*True story: I just had to run into the other room and slather Cortisone cream on both my knees.)

I think if I did another one of these, I would wear longer pants or kneepads or something. I texted my brother on Monday to ask if he was sore, and he said, "Well, my left calf is a little tight." Ugh. Rude.

I'd talk more about my race, but I'm saving a full recap for my Runners Tell All post later this month, so you'll just have to wait for that (October 21!). I'll just say this for now: it was pretty epic. Anyone else ever done one of these?

Then I'd tell you that we got pre-approved for a house! 

I've been living in an apartment since 2008, and I am over. it. Not to mention our across-the-porch neighbor who moved in a few months ago and keeps asking us if we want to hang out on the balcony with him and smoke. Um, no. A few months ago we got invited to go to the pool with him and drink but only if we A) had Sprite to bring as a mixer with the liquor he'd just bought and also only if we were B) willing to "sneak the alcohol into the pool area." Double no.

I want to know what it is about me that screams, "Why yes, I am totally the type of person who sneaks alcohol into the pool." Come on, guy.

I'd probably end up telling you about the Beth Moore Bible study I'm in right now on Wednesday nights at church. The study is over 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and for real, you guys, she is speaking to me. I hate how easy it is to push personal devotion time aside during the week, because when I'm doing a Bible study and commit to daily study, I remember how much I love it.

If we went for a coffee date, we would for sure end up talking about blogging. Because that's just a topic that is often on my mind. I would tell you that I've been wanting to design a new header for my blog for a while now, but I haven't had the time to work on one. I also can't think of a design idea I like. So this one is staying for now.

I have considered just paying someone to help with my blog design, but I spent all of October's blow money last month on new brown boots, so I'm completely out of cash at the moment. Budgets are such a buzz kill.

There's a lot more I could mention. So much of life doesn't make the blog, and isn't it funny the things we choose to share and keep private? I'm really excited about my "Day in the Life" video I'm sharing next week. I got the idea from a few other blogs I read, and I think it's really fun, so hopefully you do too.

I hope you all have a great weekend. As always, thanks for reading. We're all so busy, and there are so many great blogs out there to read. I really do feel honored you're taking the time to read mine.

To conclude, I'll share a picture from my brother's wedding this past June. (Remember when I got all emotional and met my blog fans?) They recently got their pictures back, and I'm absolutely in love with this one. I'm thinking about blowing this up mega-sized for the wall in my living room so it's the first thing you see when you walk in the door. I mean, this is just amazing, right?

I love these people.

Linking up with Jenna for Coffee Date.