“No Thank You!”

Well, hello party people!  Okay, so I know it’s been FOREVAH and a day since my last post, but what can I say?  Well, probably lots (I mean, c’mon…let’s be honest), but I figure since you all know me in some form or fashion, that you probably already know all of the excuses I can come up with, right? (been busy, tired, got caught up washing my hair, too much “first-lady-ing”, blah, blah, blah…you get the gist!)

I’ll just get right into the updates!  First off, have I mentioned lately how precious my little Punkin’ is??  And although he’s not quite TWO yet (yeah, what’s up with him being almost 2?? ..how’d that happen?)…anyway, I digress…although he’s not quite 2 yet, he does have some 2-year old tendencies; one of which is the ever popular favorite word of all 2 year olds — “NO”.  Now, here’s the thing with ‘Lij, he knows he’s not allowed to say “no”, so he says “no thank you”! He’s VERY polite in his disobedience! (mommies little angel!)  For example, if I say “Hey, ‘Lij, come here so mommie can change your diaper”, he’ll undoubtedly come back with “no thank you!”  And sometimes (like if he’s not quite done doin’ what he needs to do in his diaper — if you catch my drift…), he’ll say “wait please!”  Like I said, he’s VERY polite!  At any rate, his response to most of my requests is “no thank you, mommie!”  How fun for me…no, really…

One of the other recent discoveries that we’ve made over the past few months is that Elijah’s a little dare-devil!  Seriously, Evil Kennevil (sp?) better watch his back! (…may he rest in peace…)  My kid is all about the climb, the jump, the dive, the face-plant, the leap….you name it! If it’s remotely dangerous, or if there’s even a slight possibility that one could split one’s face open by doing it, oh yeah…he’s ON IT!!  So far, we’ve only had bruises, bumps, cuts, scratches, knots on foreheads, split lips, etc., from his antics….but, as they say, the day is young!! (yeah, whose bright idea was it for me to have a BOY??!! He’s WILD!!! …okay, I love it, but SAKES ALIVE, it scares the bejeebees out of me to have a kid this wild some days!)

Another recent discovery of ours is that, in true LeeSa fashion, Elijah is a showman! (some might say “ham”, but I prefer “showman”)  Seriously, he grabs anything he can get his hands on (a broom, a mop, a toy, my finger or thumb) and uses it as a microphone and sings into it while he dances!!  And no, he’s not singing to music that’s already playing, he’s singing — um, “performing” (that’s right…I said it!) to the music in his head!  Mostly he sings songs from “Little Bill” (Bill Cosby’s children’s cartoon…really cute!), but he’s been known to do a little ditty from Veggie Tales too! Mommie’s big-boy PERFORMER!!  Seriously, could I be more proud!!??!! (that’s my boy! HA!)

Okay, remember the pottie-training thing and how well it was going?? …yeah, not so much anymore.  Nice.  We’ve regressed!  Don’t get me wrong, he’ll go pee-pee on the pottie…but now, only in restaurants or hotels or somewhere other than home.  At home, the answer to “Hey ‘Lij, let’s go pee-pee on the big-boy pottie” is (you guessed it) “no thank you!”  And when I sit him on the big-boy pottie, he just sits there and plays.  No pee-pee; just play time! (yeah, and who needs that, right??)  And I know he does it on purpose (it’s part of an evil plot against me…I just know it! ..and I’m not paranoid…am I?? …am I?? AM I???!!), becuz as soon as I put his diaper back on, he pee-pee’s in it!  I’m like C’MON, KID!!!  Oh, and don’t let him pee-pee (or worse!) in his diaper and me not know about it…he’ll just randomly take his diaper off wherever he is, and walk around draw-less for the next 1/2 hour or so when I finally notice that there’s a shiny little bottom peeking out from underneath his shirt! (then, I just hope & pray I don’t find random “treats” around the house!) So yeah, he’s sooooooo ready to be pottie trained! Just know, I’m working on it….I’m working on it…

And if there was ever any doubt in anyone’s mind as to whose kid this really is (since he still doesn’t really look too much like me or Brent – who, btw, Elijah calls “Pastor Daddy”! It’s soooo cute!), anyway, if there was ever a doubt, doubt no longer! He falls asleep talking and wakes up talking!  And he’s serious about his conversation, too! It’s sooo funny! He wakes up kind of whispering for about 2-3 minutes, then he’s in FULL VOLUME (even if it’s 5 am — nice….NOT!), and he’s having a full on conversation with you, whether you’re listening or not!  Again….that’s my boy!! (okay, so we like to talk…nothing wrong with that right? …um, RIGHT??!!)  Oh, and he totally talks in major 5-8 word sentences….he really is too smart for his own good, this kid of mine! (but I’m not biased, right? HA!)

As for me & Pastor Daddy, we’re doing great….just POOR! (you know, relatively speaking!)  Actually, money is funny, our change is strange and our credit DEFINITELY won’t get it (c’mon, you know that’s funny! …mostly cuz it’s true!), but we know that the Lord is definitely taking care of us!  But, with that being said, it looks like we WON’T be coming back to California this year to visit. (I know…that stinks!)  Financially, it’s just an unwise decision…..ugh! (we did the math: 1 income + 1 California vacation = 1 bad decision)  But, the good news is, the next time we visit (next year FOR SURE!) we’ll have TWO kids with us!! YAY!! Operation “new-baby” is in full effect (for those of you who don’t already know) and we’re 16 weeks pregnant as of today.  In fact, on Tuesday (10/27) we’ll find out if we’re having another little boy, or a little girl!!!  So….here we go again, folks! So please pray for us and our new little bundle of joy!!

All in all, life out here in the foreign land of Arkansas is pretty darn good!  I still don’t have an accent, but I think Elijah probably will! Some of the one syllable words, he already pronounces as two-syllable words!! It’s sooo cute! Like when we’re praying (which he does all the time, and it’s sooo adorable!) and we end it, we’ll say “amen” and he’ll say “ah-may-un”! (okay, so that’s really making a 2 syllable word into 3 syllables, but you get my drift, right?) It totally has a little southern drawl to it…he’s sounding more & more like his Pastor Daddy, I suppose!  Anyway, the church is good; the marriage is good; the kid(s) are good; LIFE is GOOD!!  Wait….did I also mention that there’ve been NO TORNADO’S lately??!! LIFE IS GREAT!!! (man, I hope I didn’t just jinx it…)

Hey Lawdy-Dawdy, He Likes 2 Pottie!

That’s right everyone…can you stand it??  My little Punkin’ is “almost” (well…kinda) pottie-trained!! I know, I know…after all this time, THAT’S how you start a new blog???!!  Uh…YEAH!!  As a new full-time, stay at home mommie, I celebrate EVERY victory…no matter how big; no matter how small.  And as small as being “almost” pottie-trained may seem to you, keep in mind, each successful pee-pee on the pottie = 1 less diaper that we have to use.  The less diapers we use, the less money we spend!  Did I mention that I’m a “stay-at-home” mommie these days?? One small victory for my Punkin’ (well, actually it’s kind of a big victory); one GIANT victory for my pocketbook! (oh yeah, we say things like “pocketbook” in Arkansas)

So much has happened since we last…uh…spoke?  Let’s see…where to start? ..where to start?  Okay, 1st of all, I got laid off. Boo-hoo…NOT!!! (okay, boo-hoo for the pocketbook — there’s that word again!)  But as most of you know, the Lord had been dealing with me putting so much faith in my income for quite a while; in fact, several years ago, I felt like I was supposed to resign my job and go into full time ministry w/Brent.  Well, when I handed in my resignation, I was told that it wasn’t accepted and I was given a 25% pay increase!  Of course, who in their right mind would or could resist that BLESSING!!?? …right?   Anyway, back at the beginning of December, the axe fell….and it landed on me!  So, here I am, jobless (well, with the exception of being a pastor’s wife and a full time wife/mommie)…..and pinching pennies like never before….and LOVING IT!!!  I could go on and on about how such a burden was lifted from me about 2 minutes after I found out that I had been laid off….but I won’t!  At least not in this blog…maybe later…  OH…and since Brent & I had been trying to get pregnant for several months with NO success, we breathed a sigh of relief that “at least we’re not pregnant and getting laid off!”  Well, as it turns out…we breathed too soon!! (I hate when that happens!)  I indeed was pregnant!!  Unfortunately, we had a tough go of it and subsequently lost our baby….but not our hope, so don’t cry for me Argentina!! (or [your name here]) 

Let’s see…what else?  OH…remember how my sweet little angel was almost walking and almost talking the last time I blogged?  Well, he’s a holy-terror now, and he RUNS all over the house and anywhere else he can finagle his way into!  He talks NON-STOP from sun up to sun down….all day/every day!!! (remind you of anyone?? …hmmmm….) And, just to keep me on my toes, he climbs.  That’s right…he’s a climber!!  And he’s a speedy little thing, too.  I swear…one day a few weeks ago, Brent & I were sitting at the dining room table while he played on the floor, and we turned away for about 10 seconds — maybe less — and by the time we looked back, he had climbed up….onto the TABLE!!!  He was SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF MY TABLE!!  I don’t think I even knew that he could climb onto chairs by himself at that point…..well, color me “informed” now! ..color me “exhausted” now!!

Now, for the piece de resistance (say it with a french accent…it sounds more interesting!): Let’s talk pee-pee on the potty!!  (and for those of you grammar/spelling freaks, I know I spell pottie with a “y” sometimes and sometimes with an “ie”…I don’t know how I feel about the “ie” yet, but I’m leaning towards making that my consistent spelling choice…but like I said, I don’t know how I feel about it yet, so I’m gonna keep going back & forth until I’m sure.  My comfort level is of the utmost importance here…) — (for the rest of us, sorry…you know how whiny those spelling/grammar freaks are…I wanted to head them off at the pass!)  Okay, so as of today, at least 2 or 3 times per day for the past week, my little Lijah-pie has asked to go pee-pee on the pottie, and then has successfully pee-pee’d on his pottie!!!  How cute is that??!!  Seriously, he says “mommie…pee-pee!!” as he tugs at his diaper to take it off.  Once we get his diaper off, he runs to the pottie chair, sits on it, and after some coaching from me (you know, like “now Lijah, are you gonna make pee-pee come out of your weiner” — sorry..that’s what we call it! — “are you gonna make pee-pee come out of your weiner and go into the pottie?”  Sometimes, we even go get his teddy bear and sit him on another pottie chair right in front of Elijah, strictly for motivation!), he GOES!!!!!  It’s awesome!!  Sometimes, he’s up and down from the pottie-chair and I have to remind him to refocus (“get your head in the game, man!!!”), but mostly, when he says he’s gotta go….he goes!  Now, keep in mind, he does take out the inside pottie cup before he sits on the pottie-chair, so he’s basically pee-peeing on my floor…but whatever!  A victory is a victory, right??!!  And since I’m not as dumb as I look (well…mostly) it only took me about 4 days to come up with the brilliant idea of putting towels down underneath his pottie-chair before he sits down on it!! (go LeeSa!  I’m sharp!! ..sharp I say…sharp like a bowling ball!! — say that like Froghorn Leghorn..it’ll be funnier that way!  Really…try it!!)  I truly wish I could take credit for this brilliant accomplishment of my son the genius…..well, what the hey…I will take credit for it!!  I ROCK!! …okay, actually, he’s just a smart kid who picked up the concept of pee-peeing on the pottie early.  Praise God for smart kids, huh?? …who’s with me on that one!?!

As for me & my sweet love, Brent, we’re doing great!  Learning how to be parents.  Learning how to be Pastors.  Learning how to not kill each other now that only one of us has a money-making job!  We’ve decided to take another whack at the whole baby-making thing…..so far, no baby.  But I think I’ve got one good egg left in me, so we’ll keep “practicing”!!  For now, I’ve got dishes to wash, laundry to fold, floors to sweep/mop, dinner to make, diaper pails to empty, and pottie-chairs to clean.  Aaahhh…the glamorous life! …jealous?? …you should be!!

The Year of Living Dangerously

Okay, so I know it’s been FOREVER since I’ve blogged, but since my big ol’ Punkin is almost a year old (that’s right — the big “0-1″ is almost upon us), I thought I would share some of my thoughts on life in general, or more specifically – MY LIFE – over the past year.

Well, where do I start?  Okay, here goes:

Work:  Okay, WHY??  …seriously, why?  Besides the fact that I like to eat, and I like shelter and all that good stuff, WHY GOD WHY must I be among the working-class citizens??  Don’t get me wrong, I’m so grateful for not only a job, but MY job right now, especially since I can work from home, make okay-enuf money, blah, blah, blah.  But seriously, working while trying to manage a small child is INSANE!!! I know, I  know…thousands of women before me have done it and lived to tell about it, but WHATEVER.  I’m too thru with the whole “I can bring home the bacon; fry it up in a pan” thing.  Too thru! I’d like to be Carolyn Ingalls (remember her from Little House on the Prairie?? — and don’t laugh, I know you watched that show too!) for just one month; where gathering eggs, making supper and dealing with the likes of Mrs. Olsen were the worst of my worries.  All the while instilling good morals in my kids while I did the laundry and “darned the socks” (whatever that means).  One month…is that too much to ask for?

Housekeeping:  Again, WHY???  Can somebody please take up a collection to hire a housekeeper for a sista???  Not only do I NOT do windows, it turns out I don’t do floors (very often), dishes (too well), or ironing (ever! — thank God for mother-in-laws!!).  Can somebody say “Molly Maid”?? …aahhh, dare to dream LeeSa, dare to dream…

Marriage:  Have I mentioned before that I have the most wonderful and amazing husband that ever walked the face of the earth??  That having been said, sleepless nights do “special” things to a marriage, don’t they?  Yeah, that’s it…”special”…. I mean, I love my husband and he says he loves me (who wouldn’t love me, right?), but OMIGOD!!!!  Let’s just say that Elijah’s ability to FINALLY sleep 5-6 hours at a time at night has reminded us that we actually liked each other and that “cranky” was a bad emotion vs. a given emotion. 3 cheers for sleep!!  (hip hip hooray! — and “oowa, oowa”!)  Now my precious husband & I are all luvvy-duvvy again! ….have I mentioned how amazing he is??!!

Brent:  Amazing.  ‘Nuf said.

Elijah:  Well, well, well.  I could go on and on and on and on….and on and on about my little Punkin’.  But I won’t.  Okay, I might.  He is by far the most incredible thing I’ve ever done.  By far.  And like his Daddy, he’s AMAZING.  Not only does he crawl like crazy (he looks like a little bull-dog; it’s sooo funny!), but he’s talking now (he says about 15 words clearly now, and he’ll repeat just about anything you ask him to repeat — sometimes it’s understandable, sometimes not so much!), and he’s JUST ABOUT walking.  He’s taken a few steps here and there, but he’s still a little wobbly and gun-shy.  And he has the BEST sense of humor.  Seriously, he’s already hysterical!!  Not just the things he does inadvertently or unintentionally, but he is intentionally funny.  He got jokes!! (totally my kid, right?!!)  The latest & greatest thing is that he ABSOLUTELY LOVES the water.  We took him to Brent’s dad’s house and he got in the pool with the other kids and with his Aunt Jill and had the time of his life! (check him out on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REOQc0QwGcg) He’s so willing to try anything and he’s absolutely FEARLESS (with the exception of the whole “walking” thing…go figure!).  He LOVES mirrors (I wonder where he gets that from?), windows, and yogurt!  He adores our dogs, who in turn adore him…in their own way. All in all, he’s absolutely amazing!

Parenthood:  The best job I could ever have.  This is the best time in my life; the most exhausting, but the most exciting too.  Children are DEFINITELY a blessing from the Lord. (especially my kid!)

Okay, my time is up!  My beautiful son is waking up from his way-too-short nap, so duty calls! Smooches to all!  Love you…mean it!!

xo

Elijah and the Jumper-Thingee

Okay, so I haven’t figured out how to load video/pictures to this blog thing of mine, but I have figured out how to use the “private” (yeah, right…we’ll see) function in YouTube. (I’m slow, but once I catch on….watch out!)  My Punkin’ is so BRILLIANT (seriously…); he’s spent the last few days mastering the jumper-thingee, and he’s got it down to a science.  If you watch this video closely(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZKc4efLC3E), you’ll see the point of his toes, the flail of his arms, and the spring in his uh…”step”, all working together to get him maximum launchability.  Oh, he’s GOIN’ TO TOWN!! (mommie’s little baby!!)  And if you’re looking with a trained eye, you’ll notice how once he’s airborne, he almost stays airborne…almost.  That’s right, he can almost fly.  Well….you know. And the best part is, it’s minutes upon minutes of entertainment for Elijah….and me!  I can actually put him in his jumper-thingee and get most of the dishes done (if I hurry and I don’t really have anything to scrub), or watch most of 1 quarter of a Lakers game (if it’s DVR’d and I skip thru the commercials), or fold almost an entire load of laundry (if it’s a small load that’s NOT socks or t-shirts).  It’s like I almost have my old life back…well, at least some of the TIME I used to have.  Ah….it’s the little things in life that make it all worth it, isn’t it? …but I digress…  What you’ll also find is that what looks like (to the naked, untrained eye) a child being distracted by the Disney Channel playing in the background, is really a boy genius collecting his thoughts and strategically calculating where to place his feet for the next launch, and which angle to flail his arms out to the side at. (I know, that sentence was grammatically challenged, but you get the idea…he’s a child prodigy!!)

Anyway, enjoy my Punkin’ at work….and remember, once he’s discovered for his genius, you can always say you knew him when……

Much love!!

Mommie of the Boy Genius

I owe, I owe – so back to work I go!

The day I’ve dreaded for 12 weeks is finally here…(hold me?)…as of tomorrow (1/22/08 – the day that will go down in history as the day I both fear & loathe), I’m back at work.  WHY, GOD…WHY???!!  These past few weeks have been the most exhausting and exuberating weeks of my life!  I have loved every poopie-diaper filled second!  My Punkin’ (aka “Butterball”, aka “Eli”, aka “the Punk”) is the most precious thing EVER!!  These days he’s smiling an awful lot, and it totally melts my heart.  I can’t even imagine what it’s gonna be like when I hear his 1st laugh…I may need CPR to recover from that one!  This is what I’ve learned so far from my brief stint as a Mommie:

1) Shots still hurt!  Okay, how the rest of you have survived the whole “baby-getting-his-1st/2nd- shots” thing is beyond me!  Not only does it  hurt the Punk, but it just about KILLS the Mommie!  In fact, the mere thought of getting a shot (or watching the Punk get a shot) is making me light headed right now.  Picture it:  Brent, me & Elijah at the doctors office where Elijah had to get 4 – that’s right…FOUR – shots.  Oh, and just for fun, I still had all of that “post-partum” emotional stuff going on! …you finish the story!

2) Sleep is a privilege.  Especially as a mommie, apparently sleep is NOT one of the inalienable rights promised to us; it’s not even a necessity.  It’s a privilge, and an honor, and quite frankly, there should be more songs or poems or stories written about it to remind us all how lucky we are to have it — even if it’s only for an hour or two per night.  There…I said it…and oh, yeah…I meant it.  Long live the nap!!

3)  Doing laundry is only as fun as you make it.  You know, I think I need to change my bio/resume to read: “hobbies: laundry”.  I do so much laundry these days that I think I’ve mastered it.  I now fancy myself a “laundry pro”, if you will (and I think you might).  Got a set-in baby stain?? …call me!  Need to know how to keep those “fine washables” (like sweats & t-shirts) from losing their color?? …holla at your girl!  Need to know how to get the smell of baby puke out of your favorite cashmere sweater WITHOUT taking it to the drycleaners? …I’m your daddy!  That’s right…I’m all about the laundry these days. (go, LeeSa!)

4) Limited funds does not mean limited fun! Seriously, I thought I knew about “poor folks fun” before…well, like the laundry, I’ve mastered the art (and YES, it is an art that should be mastered) of “poor-folks-fun”.  You’d be amazed at how much fun Top Ramen (oriental flavor, of course), Mac-n-Cheese and chicken can be!  And if you throw in a TiVo’d episode of Alias…oh, it’s on a crackalackin’!!  And as cold as it’s been out here (yeah, what’s up with the 17 degree weather???  That’s just not right….), who needs to go OUT?  There’s a heater, a cozy couch, and the NBA League Pass all right here inside of my 4 walls!  Not to mention a handsome man & a Punkin’ Pie to snuggle with.  All for free! (well…not counting the NBA League Pass…and the mac-n-cheese!)  Seriously, c’mon…basketball, chicken, Brent, & Elijah…now THAT’s a party!! Limited funds?? – -yes!  Limited FUN?? — NO WAY, Jose!! (no offense, Izzie or Vickie Jo)

Well, that’s just a little glimpse into my life these days.  Unless we hit lotto between now & tomorrow, it’s back to work for me.  (again, hold me…please?)  No more sleeping in until 9 am (that is, sleeping from 6 am - when I wake Brent up to take the 6 am shift – until 9 am); no more playing with the Punkin’ all day (that is, feeding, burping, changing, bathing…..wait….I’ll still be doing that.  Just working too….how fun for me.).  No more, staying up till all hours of the night partying like it’s 1999 (and by partying, I mean changing diapers, rocking the Punk to sleep, staying up for the midnight feedings, etc.  Well…again, I guess that won’t be changing either).  Okay, so nothing is really gonna change….except for the whole “going back to work” thing…but you get the picture!!

And Baby Makes Three

That’s right…he’s finally here: Elijah Brent Atkinson.  And life couldn’t be better!  By “better” I mean, sleepless nights, poopie diapers, constant crying (that would be from me as well as from Elijah), baby throw-up, stained clothing, etc.  The whole ball of wax…and seriously, I’ve never been happier!

For those of you that missed the fun, here’s a recap of the life and times of Elijah so far:

Labor:  Well, as most of you know, I had a scheduled c-section which was scheduled about 10 days ahead of my due date, specifically so I wouldn’t go into labor.  Well, the night before I was scheduled to go in for my c-section, wouldn’t you know it, I went into labor!!  Okay, here’s the back-story…the night before I went into labor, Hallie (my little 40 pound doggie) escaped from our backyard and went out for an early morning stroll in the neighborhood.  Well, when I found out that she had made a break for it, I went out to find her. (I was totally the psycho pastors wife who’s patrolling the streets of SouthWest Little Rock at 4 am in my jammies yelling “Hallie!!…c’mon baby!! HALLIE!!” – all while 9 months pregnant…nice…)  When I found her, she didn’t come with me so I had to pick her up and carry her back home (not a good idea…did I mention that I was 9 months pregnant?).  So, by the time I got her back home, I was in excrutiating pain, and I could hardly walk.  Hence, by nightfall, my water broke and I was in full fledged labor. (what’s up with the whole “water breaking” thing?? …say it with me: Yuck-o-bean!!!)

Pre-Delivery:  So, since I was scheduled for a c-section, I wasn’t supposed to be in labor, and the epidural was supposed to be a snap!  Well, surprise, surprise – it wasn’t.  They were trying to give me the epidural (you know, “roll your body up into a ball and hold real still for a few minutes, while we shove this way-too-big needle up into your spine….and by the way, relax!”), and all the while I was having MAJOR contractions.  NOT fun.  Really.  And for those of you who know me well enough to wonder, YES, I was screaming like a maniac.

Delivery:  Okay, so now Brent is in the delivery room with me and they’ve started the “procedure”.  Here’s my husband: “omigod…wow…oh…God…you should see what they’re doing to you, honey….oh….eeewww…..siiiick….wow….how could this NOT be hurting you????”  I felt very comforted.  Just as all the blood drained from his face and he turned 2 shades of green, his eyes light up and he yells out “hey…look at all that hair!!”  And that’s when Elijah was born!! And he still has a full head of hair!!

Breastfeeding: ….yeah, don’t ask.

Jaundice:  Why did my baby have a bad case of jaundice???  It was sooo sad.  We had to take him back to the hospital for 3 days and he had to live in that plastic bubble/tank thing with the bright lights on  him to help get him better.  PLUS, he had to keep getting blood drawn several times a day to see if he was getting better or not.  It was so sad….I’m glad to say that it was much worse for me to see him like that than it was for him to be like that.  Praise God – he’s all better!  Per his doctor (who we love, by the way), we will not see that enemy (jaundice) again!

Recovery:  My Punkin’ Pie recovered from everything (including the circumcision — EEEK!) rather nicely.  He’s a trooper!  As for me, I’m still recovering from the c-section, but I’m pretty much back on track emotionally (and Brent said “AMEN!!  HALLELUJAH!!”), which is a feat in itself!  I still have swollen ankles (whatsupwitdat??), and I’m still a little banged up from everything, but all in all, the Atkinson’s are recovering quite nicely.

Life with Elijah:  Well, what can I say?  We don’t sleep here; I don’t have time to eat (good news – maybe I’ll lose weight?!!); my house is constantly a mess; I live in sweats covered in baby spit-up, and I smell like poopie diapers most days; but, I always have this silly grin on my face; my dreams are always sweet; I wake up to 2 of the most handsome men on the planet every day.  LIFE IS GOOD!

Brent: My husband is a phenomenal daddy! And he’s not too shabby as a husband, either!   He helps out so much with Elijah.  He’s amazing.  He always takes the 1st morning feeding so I can sleep in for an extra hour or so, and he’s taken the baby for the entire night 2 times now, so I could get 2 full nights sleep, without interruption.  As minor as that may sound, it’s not.  It’s awesome!  And he’s so patient and loving with Elijah.  It’s the most precious thing ever.  I love my husband!!

All in all, my life is amazing these days.  I have the most wonderful husband ever, and the Lord has seen fit to bless us with what has to be the most incredible and adorable baby known to man!!  I love my husband…I love my baby…I love my life!  Now I have to go and change a poopie diaper…..

5 Weeks & Counting!!!

That’s right…the countdown is ON!!  As of today, we have 5 weeks (or less) until Baby Beckham is born.  Remember how in my last blog I was all mushy about him kicking??  Remember?? Does anyone remember talking to me either in person or on the phone and me getting all teary-eyed about how “I wish he could stay inside of me forever, becuz I know he’s safe…and I love to feel him kicking…it’s so precious…blah, blah, blah…”  Yeah well….those days are OH-VAH!!  And I mean OHVAH! (that’s “over” for the phonetically challenged)  I love my baby, but OMIGOD!!  Are you kidding me??!! Stop with all the kick-kick-kicking, for crying out loud!!

 On a good note…we’re happy, healthy, and moving!  We’re actually moving into the church parsonage (the house that the church owns) in a few weeks.  It’s not my 1st choice, but it’s Brent’s choice, which is good enough for me! (well….you know…)  It’s actually right on the church property, so Brent will be closer to home during the day, rather than 20 minutes or so away from home, which he is now.  So, the baby will have his daddy right next door! …all day long!!  You have to admit, that’s pretty precious.

On a paranoid note, I can’t believe I’m gonna be a MOMMIE!!  Seriously, me….a mommie.  Seriously.  I’m really excited about it and I can’t wait and I’m so thankful that the Lord actually blessed us with a Snookie…but seriously…me…a mommie??!!  What the…????  I still wonder how I’m gonna know when it’s time to feed it?? …or change it?? (I still call him “it”…I don’t know why…it’s weird, isn’t it?  Not a good sign for a new mommie, is it??  See why I’m worried!?)  And what’s up with breastfeeding???  Can someone say OUCH!! I think this should be something that the daddy should be responsible for; after all, I’m the one that had to go through the pregnancy!  He should do the breastfeeding…..who’s with me??!!

On a tender note, I can’t wait to meet my baby!!  I’m so excited to see what he looks like.  I hope he has his daddy’s eyes, dimples, and eye-lashes.  I hope he has a little of my color (no offense to the pigment-challenged)!  I think the best part of this whole thing is that I get to have Brent’s baby!  I know, I know….calm down, LeeSa!  Don’t be so sappy!!  But I can’t help it…this is the awesome part:  It/He gets to look like Brent (and maybe a little like me), and he gets to have Brent’s personality (well…maybe a bit of my winning, how do you say ”je ne sais quois”), and I get to watch Brent be a daddy! (if you’re wondering if I’m crying yet, well….you know how hokie and mushy I am!! –oh, yeah…and pregnant – Of course I’m crying!!)  But c’mon…that’s pretty precious, wouldn’t you say??

On a realistic note, the joys and glamour (if that’s what you wanna call it) of pregnancy are now being heavily out weighed by the pains, pangs, roundness, sleepless nights, bladder uncontrollability, gas, heartburn, fatigue, and bi-polar-ness that comes with it!!  I don’t know which one of you didn’t do your job, but one of you — at the very least, ONE of you — should’ve warned me about the ever popular 3rd trimester.  I mean, c’mon…I know how many of you have been thru this already.  Someone should’ve pulled my coat about this and gave a sista a “heads up” so I would’ve known what to expect.  Sakes alive!!  This ain’t no joke!! (that’s the L.A. girl in me!  Holla!!!) I’ve never been so tired, gassy, hungry, and FAT in my whole life.  They keep promising me that it’ll all be worth it in the end…they better be right (whoever “they” are), or I want my money back!!  (not to mention my dignity — yeah, there is no dignity in pregnancy is there?!  Between being violated by OB/GYN’s, having uncontrollable gas at the most inopportune moments, and having to have your husband help you with the most embarrassing and mediocre of tasks, my dignity is OUT THE WINDOW!!)

On a final note, as exhausting and frightening and exciting as this whole thing is, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my life.  Life is sooooo good for us & I can’t even imagine it being any better.  But stay tuned…I have a feeling it’s just starting to get good!!! (HOLLA!!!!)

Bendin’ it Like Beckham…

I know, I know..it’s about time for another blog. In fact, it’s way after the fact by now, I’m sure.  Well, since my last blog, some things have changed.  Mainly, I’m my own 2 person family right now…that’s right..Brent finally knocked-me-up!!  HA!!  We’re expecting our very own bundle of joy — a bouncing baby boy, that’s due to to arrive sometime in late October (no, Izzie…not on Halloween!).  We’re very excited, and very blessed to be getting this litte Snookie, so if you’re not sick of hearing about “my little Snookie” (my new baby, not PJ this time!) yet, trust me, by the time he gets here, you will be!

Well, since this is gonna be an Arkansas baby (a country boy, like his daddy), he’s bound to say things like “well, I was just as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs”, and “hey, y’all!”.  The question I look forward to the most is “Daddy, why does mommy talk so funny?” (all with a southern drawl, of course!  Can you believe that I’m the one with the accent in these parts???  Ain’t that a kick in the pants??)

As many of you are already parents, you know how even at this stage you start to wonder “what’s he/she gonna be when they grow up?”  …a doctor? …a movie star? …a lawyer? …a PREACHER???  Well, given that my baby just got big enough to start moving around, it appears that his destiny is already decided for him…in vitro!  And not by my choosing, but rather by his – his obvious passion….KICKING!!  Okay, why is this kid already kicking like he’s Pele? (that’s right…I went old school on you)  I told Brent this morning that he was “bending it like Beckham” and he thought I was speaking in tongues or something.  (I love my husband, but he doesn’t get out much!)But this kid started moving a couple of weeks ago, and hasn’t stopped since.  Over the past few days, he’s been just a-kickin’ away!  Color him David Beckham!!  And he’s no sissy either…he’s puttin’ it on a sista!!  I think he’s trying to kick his way out of me or something. 

The bad news about all of this is that I’m constantly distracted (even more so than usual — which is A LOT!), becuz it’s so cute in a “omigod-what-was-that?” kinda way.  The good news is,  my baby’s kicking!!  It’s so precious, I can hardly stand it! (and the kicks get harder & harder with each passing day, so I don’t know how long I can stand it…seriously….)

Precious side note:  For those of you who I haven’t told this to yet, it’ll be quite precious…for those of you who’ve already heard the story, well, I warned you that you’d get sick of hearing about this kid!  Read on…  Okay, so at the doctor’s office, we were trying to get Baby-Beckham to turn over so we could see if he was a boy or a girl.  Well, since Brent started talking to my stummy, I noticed that he was starting to move a little bit (well, at least I could finally feel him move).  So, I told Brent to lean down to talk to the baby.  As soon as he did & started talking, Baby-Beckham reached out his open hand toward’s Brent’s voice…it was the cutest thing I think I’ve ever seen.  EVER!! (and yes, I’ll probably tell you all that story over & over again becuz it never gets old…okay, maybe it does, but bear with me!!)  So we have this incredible ultrasound picture of Baby-Beckham’s big ol’ open hand reaching up towards his daddy!! (let’s all say it together: “aaawwwwww!!”)

So, here I sit…in Arkansas…with my southern, red-necked (…seriously, he has a sunburn!) husband…and my soon to be light-skinned, countrified, drawal having SON.  Not to mention my two dogs (or “dawgs” as we say here in the country), my home-made sun tea (I prefer Lipton Iced Tea, but they all give me that “stupid Yankee” glare when I buy some), my jar of bacon grease (or bacon “drippin’s” as us country folk call it) on the stove, and my Randy Travis CD’s (that’s right – I have 2 of them now, and I LOVE THEM!!)…and let’s not forget the tornados!!!

We have a good life, y’all…Me, Brent, & Baby-Beckham…we have a good life…..

Take Cover

Okay, so it’s been awhile since I’ve written, but as busy as I’ve been, this latest “episode” in my life bears writing about. (note: I may need a hug after reliving this whole thing again.)

So, here I am, living it up in good ol’ Arkansas.  Enjoying the peace; the quiet; the tranquility; dare I say it…the country!  Um…why didn’t someone warn me that I now officially live in “tornado alley”??? ..what the..???  Yeah, it’s my – what? – 3rd month here, and already I’m a tornado survivor….TWICE!  For those of you that don’t know, it’s NOT like an earthquake, where you’re just walking along, minding your own business, and then BAM…an earthquake hits, and by the time you realize it & by the time you figure you should be scared, it’s over.  Yeah, tornados are SOOOO not like that.  1st, there’s a “tornado watch”, where all over the news & every TV and radio show they’re (..and we all know who THEY are…) telling you to “watch” for a tornado.  Translation: “watch for utter destruction & total annihilation to happen before your very eyes…it’s coming…wait for it…wait for it…”  Nice.  Then, just for fun, it turns into a “tornado warning”, and that’s AFTER a tornado has officially touched ground somewhere; so at this point, pain/fear/tears are inevitable.  Oh, yeah…it’s a-comin. 

Right about now, you’re probably wondering “why LeeSa..how do you suddenly know all this interesting information?”  That’s a GREAT question..I’ll tell you how:  I’ve stared down the beast & I’ve lived to tell about it.  That’s right..I’m a tornado survivor!! ..by the skin of my teeth…

 It all started this past weekend when I had to go to Sams Club (Costco equivalent out here).  Brent & I had just gone to breakfast (commercial break:  why was there a cow — yes I said “cow” — RUNNING down the street that day, causing a major traffic jam becuz it’s only a 2-lane highway…a COW…RUNNING…I may need therapy soon…); okay, we just went to breakfast & he was going home to prepare his sermon (oh yeah, again, for those who don’t know, we pastor a church now…I know, it gets weirder & weirder, huh?), and I was going “into town” to get my Sams Club on.  So, when I left it was barely drizzling, but the sky looked rather ominous.  By the time I got “into town”, it was a little worse, but nothing too crazy.  By the time I got out of Sams Club, it was on & poppin’!  I was soaking wet (seriously, SOAKING WET) before I even got to my car.  Then, on the way home, I took the freeway, but I was only able to drive 15 mph becuz the rain was so heavy that I couldn’t see the road in front of me.  After driving for about an hour and 1/2 in pouring rain (it usually only takes me about 25 minutes to get to and from “town”), I was finally home, only to find out that there was a tornado watch for Little Rock.  And apparently there were several “little” tornados throughout the county that just missed me. (I felt like a cat w/9 lives…only 8 now!)

As interesting as that was (I know..it’s captivating), that’s not even the best part.  The BEST part is the advice and instruction I got as to what to do in a tornado.  This was the sage advice given to me when I asked how would I go about ensuring that my life was safe:  “take cover”.  That’s it…”take cover”.  Again, nice…. Then, when I asked what “taking cover” looked like, I was told “lay flat on the ground”.  Of course, as you can imagine, I had more questions becuz “take cover & lay flat” means NOTHING to me.  So I said, “what if I’m driving?”  The instructions were: “get out of your car” (yeah, like that’s gonna happen) “and lay flat in a ditch” (again, that’s likely…NOT).  And if I’m at home, here’s my safety procedures: “go to the middle of the house, lay flat” (again w/ the lay flat crap) “and put a pillow” (that’s right…a “pillow”) “over you”.  Well, you can imagine the secure feeling I have knowing that all I’ll have to do to survive a TORNADO is find a ditch or a pillow & lay flat.  I’m comforted, aren’t you?

Well, today Brent is out on the other side of the state and he won’t be back until tomorrow morning.  And, just for fun, today we had yet another tornado watch.  Luckily, I was ready.  I had my pillow in hand, and I’ve been practicing “laying flat” all week.  I’m confident that come hell, highwater, or tornado, with pillow in hand, I’ll survive anything….even Arkansas!

Things I’ve learned in Arkansas…

I have learned some very interesting things, while in the South (for the whole 2 weeks that I’ve been here).  And I feel it’s my DUTY to share my wealth of knowledge.  Here goes:

#1) The confederate flag is nothing to be ashamed of — Apparently, if you live in the south, no one “judges” you for flying the confederate flag.  It’s a “welcome” sight (for some, I suppose), and only provokes the following response from most on-lookers: “huh…”  I, of course, had a similar, but a little stronger response, which went something like this: “what the…??!!!”  But rest assured, all, as long as I’m not walking down one of the back-roads….alone…at night…then all should be right with my universe! (*there’s no place like home! there’s no place like home*)  Okay, okay, I’ve only seen 1 confederate flag since I’ve been here…frankly, that was one too many…. most folks only fly the stars & stipes (more on that later).

#2)  The long”i” sound is different in this part of the country –  Words like “right” and “time” are much more distinctive & even polysyllabic in the south.  “Right” sounds more like “Ra-aht”, and “time” sounds more like “ta-ahm” out here.  So the phrase “Does anyone have the right time?” would read more like this: “Any y’awl have the ra-aht ta-ahm?”  And if that’s said fast enough (which it normally is), it reads more like this: “Anyawl have the raahttahm?”, which, for a California girl like me, almost always provokes the question: “I beg your pardon??”.  I’ve been laughed at more than once for “just not getting it”. (it’s like when I got lost on the “tube” in London, and folx around me were rolling their eyes & thinking out loud “..stupid American..”….only, out here, with Southern Hospitality and all, it’s more like “..oh, bless her heart..she’s not from around here..”, so it’s kinda sweet……..kinda…..)

#3)  Critters are “more afraid of you than you are of them” — Yeah, that’s funny, huh???  Apparently, no one knows how afraid of them I really am. I tell you what (that’s one of the expressions I’ve learned out here — you should hear me say it w/ my Arkansas accent!), if I see a possum, or a squirrel, or an armadillo, or a spider, or even a bee coming my direction, I promise you, I’m outta there…we’ll take a poll LATER to figure out which one of us was more scared! (I’m a little frightened just talking about it…can somebody please hold me??…seriously…)

#4)  Deer meat is rather delicious — That’s right…I did it…I took the plunge & cooked up some deer meat chili.  And then, against all odds, I ate some.  May Bambi forever R.I.P…..

#5)  I’m not as “American” as I thought I was — Okay, why does just about EVERYONE out here have an American Flag flying right outside their front doors??  Seriously, what’s that about?  I, stupidly, asked someone that question, and once they regained their composure from being so appalled at my unpatriotic nature, they told me that it was a privilege & an honor to live in this country and that anyone who knew this to be true would PROUDLY fly an American flag.  I think that “someone” was my husband.  To which I proudly replied “wait…I didn’t land on Plymouth Rock…Plymouth Rock landed on me!!” (Nice, huh.  Apparently, I get a little “rambunctious” in the country.)  Actually, I really appreciate how patriotic people are out here…I may buy flags for all of you & send them to you for Christmas!  Okay, maybe not….but maybe…

#6) “Soul Food” is just plain ol’ Southern Cookin’ — Seriously.  Enough said.

Well, that’s what I’ve learned so far from life in Arkansas.  I’m sure I’ll be learning lots more as time passes & rest assured I’ll be sure to share it with you all (or, as we say in the south, “y’all”).

Other than that, life is GREAT!  Brent’s family has welcomed me with open arms (well, who wouldn’t welcome me??  I’m precious!!) & made me feel like an vital part of the family (I even had some meal-cookin’ responsibilities for Thanksgiving…big ones, too.  Not just rolls & paper plates!)  I’m almost unpacked….well…almost.  At least the boxes of stuff are mostly in one room, which makes it less cluttered in the rest of the house.  That’s “almost unpacked” isn’t it??  And Brent & I are settling in quite nicely.  We miss our condo, our jacuzzi tub, our California family & friends, but we’ll see “y’all” in a couple of weeks!!

 xoxo