Mother's Day

I hope everyone had an incredible Mother's Day-I certainly did! I started a new tradition that I wanted to do last year but forgot so this year I remembered! I want to take a picture on Mother's Day of me and my kids to celebrate the privilege of being their mommy! None of them are fantastic and I didn't spend time cropping or editing but here's what we got...

Also, as requested, some belly pics... The pictures make me look bigger than I feel- I'm definitely a lot smaller this time around but I think it's just because I'm eating a lot better and running. The baby is a little small for his due date but still very healthy!

At 19 weeks, I think... (Sorry about the whole slanted thing-Nate likes to mess around and I can't get him to just take a straight-on picture!)

At 22 weeks and 2 days...

I'm still looking through the new pics of Tayv but should be posting some in the next couple days!

A HAPPY Mothers Day to me and you!

I've been thinking a lot lately about expectations. I tend to have high expectations for everything in my life. And being the control-freak that I am, those expectations tend to make things more miserable for me and those around me when things don't turn out exactly as I have planned. So I've been contemplating how much easier I could make life if I were to give up some of those expectations and just accept things as they come. And since we all tend to have certain expectations of Mother's Day, I thought that would be a great place for me to start. (Well, technically I started it a few days ago, and let me tell you how much easier it's been. But Mother's Day is a big one!)
In our house, growing up, we always made my mom breakfast in bed for Mother's Day. So naturally, I expected that Nate did too and he would do that for me. Not so. It has since been discussed in detail and he understands that it's important to me along with all those other Mother's Day things like making dinner, getting up with Tayv, letting me sit down and read, etc, etc. But every year I have found myself making dinner for his mom because he and his brothers didn't and even more so, I have found myself disappointed for some reason or another. This year, I decided no expectations! I love being a mom, every day I try to be better, and knowing this is going to be enough for me this year. So instead of expecting anything, I went out and bought Nate and Tayvin gifts for Mother's day to thank them for letting me be a mom. I talked to Tayvin about how we need to think about all the moms in our lives that help us out and thank them. I've tried my hardest to put the focus on others instead of what I want my Mother's day to be like. I think that in doing so, it will be a much greater day than any one before. So here's to a Happy Mother's Day for all the mothers in our life that help make us who we are, especially my Mom and Jeanne. Thanks for all you do and I wish everyone a very Happy Mother's Day!


P.S. When I came home from a bachelorette party tonight, Tayv & Nate had written me a cute little book about all the reasons they love me. That definitely wasn't expected but I couldn't have asked for a better gift! So to heck with expectations!

Pictures from the last... oh I don't know... 6 months or so

I received a rather humorous email a few minutes ago... "Stacia, Put some current pictures on your blog of Tayvin could ya?" I laughed because all I could think was "Sure, if I had some." I do have a few but they're just not very good. (And let's face it, no picture does my cute kid justice! :) Nate thinks it's ridiculous to pay somebody to take pictures of Tayvin when I used to be a photographer but seriously, I can't get a real smile out of the kid when there's a camera anywhere within reach. Nevertheless, I have a photo shoot planned for this week.

So Britt, here are some somewhat current random pictures and maybe if I get even a single smile, I'll post some more later this week or next...