Not Me Monday!

It's been a while... and I only have 1 hour to get this post in before it's Tuesday!

But last week, I did NOT fall asleep on the couch at 8:30pm several nights in a row while watching TV with Rob.  

I would NEVER eat dessert after dinner, and if I did, I wouldn't make a habit of it.  Every night.  Big bowl of ice cream.  Don't even like the stuff.

Subsequently, the nurse at my last doctor's visit did NOT point to my chart and laugh after weighing me, when I asked her how many pounds I had put on since the last monthly visit.  (I know, totally mean of her, right!?)  As it turns out, what she thought I had gained in one month's time was actually 2 months worth of preggo weight gain (transcription error! Horray!).  I did NOT fantasize about making her weigh herself in front of me for a split second.

I do NOT let Robbie play with a tub of (tightly sealed) coral lip gloss while I get ready in the morning to buy time.  He only plays with boy-ish things.

I did NOT contemplate learning how to quilt so that I could be crafty and make a summer picnic blanket out of old pairs of jeans and a vinyl tablecloth, as seen on one of the many artsy blogs I read.  I am NOT still trying to self-talk myself out of it.  I am NOT going to try to find someone who quilts and find out how much they might charge for the project, if I were to supply all the materials.  

I do NOT get weepy on the inside after leaving Robbie in the church nursery, especially if he is crying.  I NEVER feel like a bad mom if when I pick him up afterwards, he has scratched his face in angst/frustration/sadness in my absence.  I do NOT rock him with a warm bottle of milk before his nap on these days.

I did NOT make my husband eat Taco Bell last night for dinner because I was too tired to cook and out of (cheap) take-out ideas.  Taco Supremes NEVER sound appealing, especially when I am pregnant.

I am NOT already making a mental list of the things I want to pack in my hospital bag.  

I did NOT totally forget to take Robbie to his library reading class last Friday.

I would NEVER get 2 separate packages from my sweet girlfriends in one day (today!) filled with things celebrating our baby girl on the way.  I did NOT tear up after opening each one.  

I would NEVER miss the opportunity to take a family picture on Easter Sunday when the 3 of us were all dressed up.

I do NOT dream about wallpapering our office off of the family room.  I do NOT hate the color of the walls in here.

I NEVER procrastinate clipping Robbie's fingernails.  He NEVER scratches Rob's face when they play in the evenings, and I NEVER feel guilty afterwards for it.

I did NOT declare this weekend that I can officially no longer give myself my own pedicures.  My belly is NOT so big that it's hard to paint my toes.  I am NOT falling in love all over again with my slip-on shoes.  I NEVER consider whether I could get away with wearing my slipper-clogs in public.

And I NEVER look forward to Tuesdays, when I can eat a $1.27 Totino's cheese pizza for lunch while I watch the last DVR'd episode of "24" during Robbie's nap.  

I like to eat.. eat, eat, eat...

This little guy is a big fan of his milk and food.  At lunch he enjoyed his first experience with fettucini alfredo, and I'd say it went over well!

Robbie usually has his evening bottle of milk on the couch with daddy before he goes to bed.  I got out my camera to capture one of our everyday moments that I love... and got this little show.

You know you love the milk-covered-chin look!  :)

When Grandma Babysits...

... everybody has a good time!

Boring laundry baskets are repurposed...

Me (upon arriving home and finding this): "Hi honey!  Whatcha doin'?!"

Robbie (thinking): "I'm not exactly sure, but I think I like it!"

I mean, seriously - does this not crack you up?  He looks like a teenager trying to act cool.  

Typical.

What's for dinner?

Caribbean Chicken Salad

1/2 cup lemon juice (use real lemons, people!  It only takes 1.)

1/3 cup honey

3 T vegetable oil

6 green onions, sliced

3 tsp dried thyme

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

6 chicken breast halves

Romaine lettuce

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Chunks of pineapple, to taste

Mandarin oranges, to taste

Small pieces of blue corn tortilla chips

Diced green onion (garnish)

Combine first 8 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth to make the marinade.  (Make a double batch if you'd like to have enough to use as the actual salad dressing!  It's that good...)  Pour 1/2 cup of marinade into a small bowl for basting.  Cover and refrigerate.  Set aside a portion of marinade for dressing, if you've doubled the recipe, and refrigerate; then pour remaining marinade into large ziplock bag and add chicken; turn to coat, refrigerate for up to 6 hours.  

For grilled chicken: Discard marinade and grill chicken over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes on each side, until no longer pink in the center.  Baste with reserved marinade while grilling.

For baked chicken: Discard marinade and place chicken breasts in baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  

Let chicken rest while you assemble the salad.  Tear lettuce, arrange on individual plates; top with chopped tomato, pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges and green onion.  Slice chicken into long thin strips and layer onto salad.  Sprinkle tortilla pieces on top, and serve with dressing on the side.

I will post a picture of our salads later this evening!  I can tell you now, this marinade/dressing recipe tastes JUST LIKE the one Chili's used to serve with their Caribbean Chicken Salad, which has been discontinued.  I just made it and tasted it, and it is amazing - it tastes like summer!  I doubled the marinade recipe and had plenty to use as marinade for the chicken AND dressing for the salads.  Yum. 

Rejoice and be glad

Today was one of those off-days.  I am really not complaining.  It's just that I have not felt discouraged in a long time by the little things like I did today, but they just seemed to keep piling up on each other.  One thing after the next, unrelenting.  Mainly, Robbie decided against napping altogether, which was a battle for many hours of the day and made both of us very tired.  I think that's what caused all of the other small things to weigh on me.  

Like I said in a message to a friend this evening, it was a day that the enemy tried to make me believe his lies (when you really call a spade a spade).  That I'm not making the right choices, that my to-do list is not shrinking, that I'm not fulfilling others' expectations, that I'm not mothering Robbie well when he is finding it difficult to keep to his sleep schedule, that I'm not keeping up with the things I need to be doing or the people I want to be connecting with... and because of these things, I'm not a very good mom / wife / friend / daughter.   The final discouraging thought at the end of the day was that none of these things (or roles that I play) are going to get easier as I get closer to my due date, and as Robbie gets more and more active and curious.

I was really thankful that it was fairly mild early this evening, and I took Robbie and his buddy Riley (whom I was watching) for a wagon ride so that I could get a breath of fresh air and clear my mind and heart.  Did I mention that I took a big cup of coffee with me?  Full-octane.  

I spent quite a while walking up and down our sidewalk, pulling the wagon, contemplating my day, my life, my God, my priorities and the Truth.  I came to peace with the fact that I accomplished nothing today, and yet the day still held value.  I redefined in my mind what success looks like as a mom.  I reorganized my priorities (worship, then others, THEN things to do).  I asked God for more humility and grace, because often the frustration I battle is born out of a belief I hold that I should be able to be or accomplish something specific, which probably smacks of pride to God.  I thought about the 2 little lives that depend on me every day (in different ways) for survival, and I thought about my husband.  

I gave up being mad at the day.

This is the day that the Lord has made... let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

In order to rejoice and be glad in today, I needed to be willing to listen to God's quiet voice, and learn about myself and make some adjustments in my heart and mind.  That brought redemption to the frustration.  Hopefully it will cause me to also bear more fruit of the Spirit.  It allows me to move forward without wasting the past because I am building on it.  

The day ended on a positive note, as I had the chance to catch up with my little sister over the phone and be excited with her over what is going on in her life right now.  I am looking forward to tomorrow and another chance to grow (and rejoice and be glad), whether the day is difficult or full of blessing.

Everyday life

Some days are more interesting and comical than others, but today's post is more of a nod to the mundane.  Nothing special has happened.  We have no set plans for the day (other than my running to-do list that I HAVE to make a dent in soon!)  Robbie woke up with really cute bedhead, had orange pieces and pancakes (a treat) and milk for breakfast, and has been playing happily in his pack and play for the last half hour while I take his picture, sip my tea, and catch up on email and friends' blogs.  But I love these mornings and find so much blessing in them.  Being a mom is the best.

Favorite way to make me laugh - flipping his finger between his lips and making funny sounds.  The crazy hair just adds to the comedy.

Robbie is becoming a very active little boy - rolling around his pack and play with abandon, standing on his toys, quickly walking along the perimeter while holding on to the sides, and as we speak - experimenting with how loud and high pitched his happy-yelling can be.

Just playing with my toys in my pj's!

When asked "where's mommy's belly?" he now points directly to my baby bump! 

Pooped, in more ways than one. :)  Time for a fresh diaper and a nap!

Why we need sleep.

This sweet face wanted to have a party at 3am this morning, and every hour afterwards until we started our day at 7am!  I do love this face... even at 3am... but hanging out in the wee hours of the morning does not agree with my 6 month pregnant self.

This is what happened when I poured my morning coffee a few minutes ago.

Seriously.  Who does this?  I caught myself just as it was overflowing.   

And it happened moments after I dumped Cheerios all over the floor.

::sigh::

At least I have this little guy to enjoy all day as I clumsily make my way through the next 12 hours!