Wedded Wednesday

<br /><center><a href="http://marital-bless.blogspot.com/search/label/Wedded%20Wednesday"><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y154/Leum20/weddedwednesday.jpg" /></a></center><br />

Wedded Wednesday is a collaboration
of married bloggers sharing their inspirations,
anecdotes, struggles and thoughts regarding
the amazing union of two separate people, as one.

Thankful.

I am now 1000% more reflective. This new habit - skill - annoyance has made me remarkably more aware of the blessings in my life.

This year I am grateful for:
Grace that's new every morning.


A faith that is challenged to grow.


A God that provides in wonderful ways, always.












Friends that not only encourage, but inspire.


A love that multiplies on itself {literally}.


An awakening to that which is solely me.


I hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving ladies. You mean the world to me, even if I haven't been able to give you any blog love lately. I can't wait for this day to be over! Four fabulous days with my family!

Q&A: If I won a million dollars . . . {BNL anyone?}

You're welcome for that annoying song, now stuck in your head. No? It's only in mine? Oh well.

In my "Ask Me Anything" post, Bluebird of The Better Half of Life {who just undertook a major life changing choice to pursue a position half the country away from her husband and normalcy} asked me: If you won the lottery (whether you bought a ticket or found one on the street), how would you use that money?

First and foremost, I would quit my job. Straight up.

Secondly, Tony, Isaac and I would find a pet sitter and take a weeks vacation within the state. Nothing extravagant. Just some time away to clear our heads and enjoy our time as a family. Since I wasn't allowed this vacation for this fantasy, I'm not sure what fantastic ideas we would cook up, so here are the ones I've allowed myself.

We would contact a financial adviser to ensure our money has a long life and that our family was taken care of. Our money would then be put toward paying off Tony's parents house, my Dad's house, my brother's student and car loans and for my parents, their motor home since my they are only a year or so away from paying off the house {something which I know my Mom is very proud of, since quite a bit of that mortgage was taken care of as a single mother}.

I struggle with how to give back to the church or ministries, as I remember hearing our pastor once say that he would refuse the offering of lottery money, if he were ever in that position. Not saying I wouldn't give back, just saying that I struggle with knowing how to go about it so that it wasn't refused.

Finally, we would probably rent out our current house until it could be sold without damaging the value of our neighborhood. We would then move ever so slightly to one of the surrounding communities in the Northern Suburbs into a house like this:


A 6 bedroom home that Tony and I saw two years ago, built by Classic Custom Homes. It completely stole my heart. I can't remember the square footage, but for a 6 bedroom home it was phenomenally homey. I felt at ease in it's space, instead of lost. All the bedroom's were upstairs, which I felt was very important to the impression it left with me.

Early in our marriage Tony and I had quite a few disagreements regarding the size of our "dream house." Seeing as how Tony was designing elaborate, impressive homes he was not intimidated by gargantuan homes, whereas I saw no need for them. In fact, if I may, I found them excessive and counter productive to God's call that we be good stewards of that which He blesses us. Tony did not find my logic at all, but over time we have grown to have the same desires in a home, knowing that it is those who are in a home, not what is in it that makes it so welcoming.

Aside from this luxury, we would probably allow ourselves a cabin "up nort" as they say. While I've never been to the lodges, I've always loooved the marketing for Leech Lake's Trapper Landing. I'd probably be a sucker and want to buy one of their units, but I'm pretty sure Tony would win out and we'd find ourselves on a smaller, more secluded recreational and fishing lake. It would probably be for the best.

I would for sure want to splurge on the latest and greatest camera equipment, but would know it best to just hold off on any major purchases. Instead allowing myself to outgrow my current camera, before jumping ahead.

We'd probably blow a bit of money on a shopping spree, babyGap is evil, but soooo cute. I've never owned anything from J.Crew either, but I think that would about do it.

Primarily I would just want to make sure our money could last, my {extended} family was provided for and that Tony and I maintained our relationship.

If we were friends on facebook . . .

This is what you would see posted yesterday. I'm really really crossing my fingers that this does not become fodder for lamebook or STFU Marrieds!

Oh my husband, the spontaenous oversharer. Take a look.



For the record they were pants I bought while pregnant, so they better have been loose, I just didn't realize how large they were!

PS: Please don't actually submit. I would die. I only shared the links because I find those sites terribly funny!

Wedded Wednesday: Q&A

<br /><center><a href="http://marital-bless.blogspot.com/search/label/Wedded%20Wednesday"><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y154/Leum20/weddedwednesday.jpg" /></a></center><br />

Wedded Wednesday is a collaboration
of married bloggers sharing their inspirations,
anecdotes, struggles and thoughts regarding
the amazing union of two separate people, as one.

Biggest Challenge and Blessing of being Married

Meredith asked in my "Ask Me Anything" post to discuss "what have been both the biggest challenges, and the biggest blessings in being married and becoming a mom? "

For this Wedded Wednesday, I'll hold off on the becoming a Mom portion, focusing on the challenges and blessings of our marriage.

Challenges:
I would think that first and foremost our largest challenge IS {note: this is not past tense} encountered in our families. Our childhood's were extremely different, although I wouldn't be so quick to pick one over the other. I'm definitely a person shaped by conditions, mainly my parents divorce, my Mom's loss of a child and my parents' remarriages. There are a number of allowances that I make for my parents because I understand their motivation, albeit sometimes infuriating. Tony had an extremely difficult time trying to decipher their actions and my reactions in the beginning of our marriage and it resulted in quite a few fights. In fact, something that my Mom did resulted in our first fight ever on our honeymoon. To those yet to be married, sometimes internet access isn't all it's cracked up to be hah! I know that this challenge though is a blessing in disguise, because honestly most of our family issues stem from too much love, even if misplaced or misguided.

Communication, oddly enough can also be a challenge for us. It is our lifeline, but was not always so. While Tony and I were dating, engaged and newly married, like clockwork every six months Tony would sit me down and beg me to talk. I don't know why I would begin to shut him out, but I would and I could feel it too. I'm happy to say that in the past 2 years at least that we've bypassed these little sessions, but sometimes we do not communicate what is truly essential, only what is necessary. Or otherwise, we'll neglect to impart what is important to the other. We've gotten quicker on the draw in checking this so that we do not find ourselves suffering from poor communication.

Additionally, there are times we take each other for granted, but this could almost be a post in itself.

Blessings:
I have a self-created identity as Tony's wife. In this role I know one of the greatest loves of my life. Tony has an unwavering passion to be my husband, even during the times that I wouldn't fault him for uncertainty. His love for me strengthens the love that I know from God, because I know that his love for God is a part of his source in loving me so fiercely. {take a second and re-read this if you must lol}

Our marriage does not allow for wallowing, pity parties or general unhappiness. Whatever is off is dealt with, quickly. I think that this approach has further developed my person, as I know that I have Tony's respect. He does not second guess or undermine my decisions, something which I should learn from as he is the head of our house.

Finally, the largest blessing of our marriage is the dedication that I know we will/have invested in it's longevity. Failure is not an option. For some it's not as simple as that, there are conditions and situations and pain so deep you wake up days later without knowledge of how deep you've sunk. ETA: I'm not saying we'll somehow be immune or magically stay together without difficulty. I came from a divorced family. I know that at one point my parents loved each other, that doesn't just disappear. Things happen, life can suck. For us though, it is NOT an option. I don't know to what extreme we may be pushed to, but I know from where we've come, the majority of which has not been discussed here, and I know the bitter fight we can put up when push comes to shove. I just daily pray that the continued effort and desire are sustained, because we've got a lifetime ahead of us.

We are not perfect people, something that I strive to showcase here. The title of this blog is not Marital-Bliss. But we've got something good here going and I can daily call it a blessing.

I would challenge you all to write a challenge/blessings post. This was a great exercise for me to really analyze our relationship.

Thanks Mer.

Here goes nothing: Ask me anything.

I've had this little thing for a little over 2 years now and have never done this, so I figured now is about as good a time as any.

Let's do Q&A with Marital-bless.

Please leave your questions in the comments.

I'm not sure what areas I can expound upon, but I look forward to finding out what you guys would like to know more about!

Wedded Wednesday

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Wedded Wednesday is a collaboration
of married bloggers sharing their inspirations,
anecdotes, struggles and thoughts regarding
the amazing union of two separate people, as one.

Sometimes happiness isn't as anticipated.

It can be as simple as your husband offering to run an errand unexpectedly.

Or then stating that he'll make dinner.

But when the errand is running to purchase breast pump parts and dinner is a basically a feast? That's when I'm truly giddy. :)

I can't help but share Monday's nights dinner:

Bertolli frozen entree
Spinach salad
Pirogies
1/2 an egg roll
2 cream cheese wontons
Combination of brown rice and white rice

Dinner conversation, priceless.

Tony: I made too much food didn't I?
Me: Um, yeah. But that's all right!
Tony: I kind of wanted leftovers on hand anyway. I was going to make the pork tenderloin instead . . .

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

"But we didn't have anything to go with it."

I love him.

Misc Monday

- Thank you all for your fabulous comments last week. Talk about a day maker! I think all the love stemmed from these, so I thought it only fair to give them their spot in the sun.



- I received a letter over the weekend from the dermatologist {always a good sign}, amazingly my freckle was normal!!! Praise be!

- I was a little off regarding Isaac crawling, as he is not yet up on his arms. That being said, he can get where ever he intends and his arms and legs are now moving separately. Right arm forward, left leg forward.

- To top it off, my Mom sent me a text message picture yesterday of Isaac in the dining room. What's crazy is that to get there he scaled a step!!! {multiple exclamation points!} Sheer craziness this boy.

- This weekend Tony, my brother and my Dad will be going deer hunting for the first time without me in several years. I will be brining Isaac up to visit for the day, but even that gives me the nervous nellies. To say that I'm turning into my Mom is the understatement of the century.

- I've been doing a lot of research lately regarding vaccinations, the flu shot and the H1N1 flu shot. We've decided to do a delayed schedule for Isaac's vaccinations . . . and he's already behind, as he hasn't been in yet for his 6 month well baby.

I hate how much uncertainty there is regarding shots and how much strength speculation and doubt is given. It doesn't seem like as a parent there is a "right" decision, only what is right for your family. With that said, I decided to pray about the H1N1 shot. I've never received a seasonal flu shot, but then again I'm not a primary group to be concerned about. To know that Isaac could face a minute possibility of death if infected by the flu {I'm not trying to be fear mongering {lol at using that}, it's the truth, we have no clue if he has any undiscovered abnormalities}, well it's enough to make any mother go into a bit of a tizzy. So, Tony and I have been praying about what we should do. I felt at peace to not proactively seek out the vaccine, but felt that if given the opportunity it would be wise to take it.

That opportunity presented itself when the clinic that we were originally seen at called us to inform us that they were making appointments for the vaccine this week.

Tony and I again discussed it and Isaac will be getting the H1N1 shot tomorrow.

It is not a decision that I take lightly and I would ask that you pray the vaccine does only what it is intended for.

Six Months for Me

Honestly, if I don't write this post now, I never will. I really, really wanted to write it at 3 months post partum, but I thought that if I waited a bit that I would have better results . . . little did I know that I would stop running just a month later.

So here's my little diddy on where I am at 6 months post partum.

In an effort to continue breast feeding until my goal of 6 months, I completely eliminated running or "dieting" at four months pp. That being said, I'm probably ridiculously proud of the fact that I completed a 10 mile race just 3 months after Isaac's birth. At the time, I thought I was well on the way to training for completing at least half of the Twin Cities Marathon. That dream was not to be realized, as I made the barely decision to do what was best for Isaac in buoying my supply and nixed running.

At this present time I am still probably 13 lbs up from where I regularly resided on the scale prepregnancy. You don't have to wonder where it's at either, I can definitely tell you the not so hiding spots are my milk makers, thighs, patoot and a little can still be found in my stomach.

I'm still not running, but I've taken advantage of my time to pump. I can no longer last the full 30 minutes, so I break them up into 3 10-minute increments. I now pump for 10 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of push-ups {mix of real and girl}, tricep dips and then alternate ab/leg days, finishing with another 10 minutes of pumping. I do this 3 times a day.

Isaac reaching 6 months does make me happy in many ways, but especially because I've reached my goal to nurse! Now that this goal has been surpassed, I'm thankful daily for the opportunity to continue on. I'm not sure when we'll stop and I'll try to gracefully deflect nagging questions as to when we will. I said, try, no promises. :)

I can't say that I'm thrilled with where I'm at physically, but in all honesty, my body is amazing. To go from a woman's body to a mother's body is a transition that I would accept any day. The realization that I may not turn heads, but I can birth a child with some rebound and sustain him is incredible. I've always been able to push my body to new extremes, accomplishing these feats has brought me satisfaction and yet I never expected it would be having a child that would allow me to know it's full capability. God's design never fails.

Half a year.

Someone please tell me how. How on earth am I able to say that it's been half a year? A half a year. Year seems to be one of our longest denominators of time, followed by decade. And here I can halve it to apply to the length of time since my world was completely rocked.

It seems that it was an instant ago and yet, I can't fully say that. I feel when looking back at myself, as though I were still a child, even leaving the hospital with my son. I don't think I could ever fully evaluate the changes and growth that Tony, Isaac and myself have experienced in such a short time frame.



To all of my lovely pregnant friends, I say this knowing full well you won't be able to, but enjoy every moment. You've heard it said and I know your intentions are good, but it doesn't matter just how hard you try to cling to every second, living each one to it's fullest. The time will still pass too quickly, fleetingly. You'll find yourself a half a year in, with an almost crawling child, wishing you could just have all of those moments back, convinced that you could have cherished them more if you'd only known how fast they would transition away. All these emotions tumbling about, while still excited and relishing the moments of the future.



Wasn't it just yesterday? My heart feels as though it might have been, but my mind is too rational.



And so I welcome my little man, already a half a year old.


Who's every charm causes me to melt.


He is my amazing son {just as every daughter or son is amazing}.


Who doesn't quite have the world figured out.


But I can't wait to help him explore.


At 6 Months:

Isaac can roll regularly from stomach to back and back to stomach

He has been holding his bottle at my Mom's since he was 3 months old

Isaac picks up toys that he has dropped

He can reach for a toy when on his hands and knees, balancing on one arm (I think he may initiate crawling by the end of this weekend, as he can move his arms, he just doesn't realize he's moving forward yet)

He is very vocal, with a variety of sounds produced

Isaac can sit up and is almost able to get himself into a sitting position from his stomach (just within the last few days)

Wedded Wednesday

<br /><center><a href="http://marital-bless.blogspot.com/search/label/Wedded%20Wednesday"><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y154/Leum20/weddedwednesday.jpg" /></a></center><br />

Wedded Wednesday is a collaboration
of married bloggers sharing their inspirations,
anecdotes, struggles and thoughts regarding
the amazing union of two separate people, as one.

Food for thought:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

We had this verse read as a part of our ceremony. I love it, as it can apply to so very many aspects of life.

Today, I dwell upon it in terms of my relationship. I think it beckons one to push aside wrongs of the past, focusing instead on redeeming qualities. Last week I voiced my frustration over housework and cooking, but need to give recognition where it is due.

Because of Tony:
I have never mowed our lawn
I rarely clean the bathroom
I have never changed a lightbulb in our home
I have a wonderful bathroom in our basement
I have a beautiful nursery for Isaac with smooth new walls
I have overhead lighting in our living room and nursery
I know that I am loved, desired and esteemed.
I have a confidant.
I have experienced and witnessed pure love.

What are the redeeming qualities of your man that you sometimes forget about?

Costume Reveal!

Isaac was the Pokey Puppy from the Golden Books!


He loved to chew on his paws.


And was just all around adorable!


Seriously. How am I the mother of someone so precious?


Although he wasn't all fun and games lol.


But a flying super baby saved the day!


I hope you all had a fabulous safe weekend!