mom-mode # 37 - on resolutions and retrospectives

Like most things the media promotes, I cannot stand New Year's Resolutions. I find them cheesy and pretty useless. Just another marketing tool for some new diet or gym. However, I thought maybe 2010 was the year I needed to make a list, just to prioritize my goals and whatnot. After all, this will be the year that forever changes my role in society and forever changes our little family of two to become three. I thought I just better get organized and set some goals. So we won't call them resolutions, we'll call them " Goals I'd like to accomplish in 2010". New to this whole setting "Goals I'd like to accomplish in 2010" thing, I could only come up with three, albeit monumental, simple ones: to know God more, to love my husband more and more and to become the best mom my flawed self could possibly be.
I could add: drink less caffeine, but let's face it, I wanted to set realistic goals, mind you. :)

One thing I love to do this time of the year though, is to look back on the year that's passed. If I could find Doc, enter his time-traveling Delorean and meet my January '09 self, I don't think I would have been able to grasp the amount of changes and turns my life would take this year. 2009 will forever be the year that changed our quiet little North Carolina-couple-without-kids life to plane-hopping-ex-pat-couple-with-baby-on-the-way life.

I had a lot of dreams when was in high school. I never thought they would ever come to fruition. But here we are, living a life that one could have only dreamed of.

Truth be told, dreams are dreams and reality is reality. So, although dreamy, our new place in life hasn't been easy, nor simple. In fact, it is more complicated than I ever anticipated for it to be. But fret not, my soul ( I often tell myself this when I find that I can't communicate well with someone here), the New Year is here and with it, the hope and faith I have in the One that came to save me. For He has never left me or forsaken me.

Happy 2010. May it be happy and true.

~32 weeks~
( can you believe it? 8th month here we come!)

mom-mode post # 36 - on couples preggo shoots

The other day I realized hubby and I didn't have a decent picture together of us preggo. We've been in transition ever since we found out we were expecting, plus we didn't really have the option of having the talents of our friend Angey Price (http://angeyprice.wordpress.com/) to take some nice photos of us. I looked around at some photo shops around here but all the samples I saw were those cheesy studio photo shoots with the dad making a heart shape with his hands on the mom's belly. Another of my pet peeves, but we'll talk about this another day. Needless to say, we didn't go with a local photographer either.
So we took advantage of our friends coming to visit us ( it was so nice to have them here for Christmas!) . With the excuse of taking them to see our favorite park, we asked them to take a few pictures of us. So this is us at 31 weeks. :)
So glad we got to register such an exciting time for us as a couple. We are both so anxious for our baby boy to be here and to see his little chubby face ( yep, the dcotor tells us he is a big one). And we know that by the time he gets here, we'll have a special name for him.

p.s.: this is my favorite new coat and about the only one that keeps my big belly warm, so don't be surprised if every belly pic from now on comes with the coat.:)

mom-mode post # 35 - on Christmas traditions

Every family has at least one Christmas tradition. No matter what they are, there's just something comforting in knowing you will eat the same foods, do the same things, see the same people, year after year.

I never realized how much hard work and effort it takes for these traditions to be kept from year to year. I knew my mom and mom-in-law spent many hours in the kitchen baking all of our favorite and traditional holiday treats and foods. I knew many hours were spent decorating the house, and many others were spent shopping for the perfect gifts.

Even though I've been married for four years, I had never had to take on the role of "tradition-keeper" until this year. We always spent Christmas with our families, so there was never a need to ensure that these traditions were kept.

This year, is a little different, as we are many hours away from both our families. And with all the craziness it's been, we've only managed to get a tree and I managed to bake some of our favorite treats. We didn't even achieve to put presents under the tree. It's just little sad without everyone here. Okay, it's really sad, I confess. But it still doesn't take away the REAL joy of today, anyways. :)

I have to say it made me so thankful for my "moms" and their enormous efforts in making sure everyone had a wonderful time, every year. They have made for some of the sweetest memories one could ever ask for.

My prayer and hope is that next year, with our little one in tow, we'll be able to maintain some of these wonderful traditions and create some new ones of our own, as the years go by. I can only hope my son will have as wonderful memories as my husband and I have had, thanks to our moms.

But of all the traditions we could ever possibly create, I just want my baby boy to know and cherish the real reason why we celebrate.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God,The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6

~ 30 weeks

mom-mode post #34 -29 weeks and a nice little rest

29 weeks of baby heaviness. He is getting so big, I cannot believe it! We were hoping for an average baby or a small one like I was. Looks like he's gonna be heavy one just like his daddy. Oy.

The other picture is the moment my soul sighed with joy as I took in my most favorite sight and sound: the ocean. It was cold and windy, but still, just God's perfect creation.

Hubby and I are enjoying some much needed r & r in celebration of our 4th anniversary. What a blessing it has been!

Mom-mode post # 33 – on language learning

I wish I had this poster to hang on my living room wall.

So every time I try to put the verb in the middle of the sentence, I'd be reminded to let go of this concept.:)

And to remind me of what it takes to learn new things.

This poster comes from here: www.advicetosinkinslowly.bigcartel.com

mom-mode post # 32 - on entering my third trimester

28 weeks and entering my third trimester. Time went by way too fast. Part of me (the part that doesn't have his nursery ready or a name picked out) wants him to stay put a little bit longer. But the other part of me (the one that feels so heavy and achey all the time) is kinda ready to be done!
New hat. All the girls here wear cute little hats ( it is waaaaaaaaaay too cold) so I figured I'd fit in and got me one. It's hard to feel cute these days and the hat helps.:)

mom-mode post # 31 - on my baby daddy

Little did she know that life was never going to be the same again. In only ten days, her life from a monotonous monoculture to a world-whirlwind undertaking.

He was just a guy, standing in front of a girl, asking her to love him. She in turn, realized he completed her. "I'm in love! I'm in love! And I don't care who knows it!" she shouted from the roof tops.

Grueling months of distance, many times leaving on a jet plane. He asked her marry him and she promised to wear his ring.

A paradisiacal beach, the perfect "I do". Well, yeah, history is gonna change.

A move to another land. He took her hand and guided her through it. It was just the beginning of their life-long adventures together.

Fast forward a four years later, a baby boy is on the way. And another move to yet another land. They say “whoa, this is heavy!”. But they wouldn’t do it any other way.

Happy 4^th anniversary hubby! You know you are my favorite. The past four years have been the best ever. No kidding.

Disclaimer #1 – movie and song quotes slightly changed to fit our story. And sorry, I won’t take the time to properly cite each one. :)

Disclaimer #2 – overly cheesy post, but I’m so happy, I don’t care who knows it! Ha!