Don't Get Me So Worked Up Before Daylight!

I woke up at 4:41 am in a complete panic. The side of the bed occupied by my husband when I fell asleep was empty.

Maybe Sophie and I crowded him and he went to the guest room. Nope. Maybe Birdie woke up and he's in her room rocking her. Nope. Maybe he couldn't sleep (he's a 3rd shifter and can't sleep in the dark anymore) and went for a run. Nope. Running shoes in the floor. By this time I was really starting to freak out. Had he decided to up and leave me in the middle of the night? His car was in the garage. I went to his closet to check out the situation. Duty belt, gun and police gear. All where he left it. Whew. There's no way he'd leave me without taking his gun.

I chuckled at myself for a minute thinking that my husband would be fine without his clothes and all other personal possessions, but there's no way on earth he'd leave without his firearms.

So at 4:45, I dialed his cell. "Why are you awake so early?" was his answer. "Where ARE you?" I demanded. "Goose hunting with your brother. I told you that last night. Weren't you listening?"

And there it was. A dose of my own medicine. It didn't go down easily.

I feel like I'm constantly reminding him of things we have to do, places we have to go, things he should remember. And now the roles were reversed. Now I was the one who either didn't listen or just plain forgot. Maybe I will be a little more forgiving the next time JB forgets something important. Nah, where's the fun in that?

Another Egg in Our Nest

Several weeks ago, I posted on FB how I thought it was only fitting how God looks at all the plans you've made in life, then laughs and makes His own. That post was written on August 10th - a Tuesday - the day a little digital stick said, "SURPRISE! YOU'RE PREGNANT! AGAIN!" Well, in not so many words...

That day was a struggle for me, to say the least. Rewind to August 9 - a Sunday - the day my husband came home from drill weekend only to say, "It's a good thing you aren't pregnant because they're moving us up." As in, next deployment. What was tentatively scheduled for 2012 is now set to happen in 2011, as is the birth of our second child.

As I stood there staring at that pregnancy test, those words were all I could hear. I couldn't think about the joy another baby meant for our family - I could only focus on the fact that Jason would be leaving (again) soon after. But after spending a few days in complete shock (although I do know where babies come from and what causes this type of situation, and don't worry I won't let it happen again) I was able to come to terms with it all. Sister Meg was right. Sometimes God gives us what we need rather than what we want...or at least what we think we want. So at 3 months preg, I was finally comfortable sharing our news with the general public. I want to thank all my girlfriends who offered such encouraging words as I emerged from meltdown status! You know who you are and I'm so thankful for each of you!

This baby has been a surprise from day one! Jason and I can't wait to see what this little one brings to our lives. And Birdie is super excited to be a big sister - she just doesn't know it yet!

There I Go Thinking Again...

This is the time of the year when I'm up to my eyeballs in Riverfest planning. On the agenda for today: mail out nearly 100 judges' schedules for the weekend. And of course, I was out of plain white envelopes. I thought it might do me some good to walk to Lucky's to purchase said envelopes. A little fresh air never hurt anyone, right? And besides, it would literally take me longer to drive there than walk so why waste the gas? Turns out that the air is very thick and heavy today in Decatur, which means the only fresh air I could smell was from the Meow Mix plant. Imagine that. Happy Thursday!

Well, Can I Bring Y'all Supper?

It seems that in the South, regardless of the situation, the right thing to do is take somebody supper. And for any Yanks, supper is the latest meal of the day. It doesn't matter if someone's had surgery, gave birth or lost an uncle. Southerners will bring you enough supper to feed a small army.

I have found myself on many a supper-bringing-list. That's what happens when you are of child-bearing age in this area. When I brought my precious Birdie home from the hospital, my momma came over to clean my house and I had a list of folks who'd be bringing us food every other night for the next four weeks! It was glorious. I had no opportunity to lose the baby weight quickly with meals like spaghetti bake, every kind of chicken casserole you can imagine, Big Bob Gibson's BBQ, and the most adorable individual keylime desserts in orange and blue glasses (Go Gators) from Courtney and Sara.

So now, I'm paying back all those sweet people who brought me food since many of them are having babies themselves! But I'm glad to do it because it's just the way Southerners take care of each other. And if you ever see my name on your supper list, don't be angry if I show up with a chicken and wild rice casserole from The Casual Gourmet - trust me, it's better than anything that could ever come out of my kitchen!