Things You Should Know: Part Four

I cried at the gym today.

For some reason, exercise has always made me emotional. Just ask Kristen, at whom I snapped on a long run, "Could you please breathe a little more quietly?" Or something along those lines. Bless her heart for not tripping me right then.

So today I was going full steam ahead on a treadmill when Zac Brown's "Highway 20 Ride" video came on. Hearing those lyrics always puts a lump in my throat, but the combination of an accelerated heartbeat and watching a little boy "grow up" onscreen did me in.

There were tears, y'all. On a treadmill. I am mortified.

I've cried every Sunday in church since I found out I was pregnant 14 months ago. That I can blame on hormones, on gratitude, on thinking of our precious son in God's house and feeling overcome with emotion. (I know I'm not alone on this. Brooke, feel free to back me up!)

The people who sit near us each week must imagine I'm struggling with some intense issues. I had to warn our friends who were visiting Grace the other week that I probably wouldn't make it through tear-free, and not to be alarmed. Sure enough, in the last song before service ended, the saltwater started flowing. I was so close!

I have no idea what my treadmill neighbors thought, but I'll tell you one thing: next time I'm changing the channel!

Watch this video and see if you can make it through - then teach me your ways! This line, at the 3:00 mark, gets me every time:

"It was the pleasure of my life and I cherished every time. And my whole world, it begins and ends with you."

Praying for Cohen

If you know me or if you live here in South Carolina, you may have heard about the miracle God performed in the life of sweet Cohen McGowan just over two years ago.

You can read more about Cohen here or by enlarging the article above.

Being a part of Cohen's first concert, before his birth, and the one-year celebration concert last winter, I have been tremendously moved by God's ability to change lives through healing this one little boy. Just witnessing it indirectly has affected me and our family - strengthening our faith, moving us to pray for others in need and inspiring us to live out God's plan for our lives.

Knowing that, you might understand why I feel compelled to pray for another sweet little baby named Cohen. Like "our" Cohen, he has been diagnosed in the womb with some very serious conditions. And as in all of our lives, we are confident that God is at work here.

Cohen's mom, Megan, is in her third trimester; she writes with such a joyful heart about carrying him in the face of uncertainty and walking through this situation with faith. I have been following and praying, but thought that you might like to do so as well.

You'll notice the button on the left side of my blog; feel free to add it to your blog by visiting Cohen's mom's blog here.

The verse referenced in the Praying for Cohen button is:

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
-Romans 15:13

He is the God of hope, no matter what we're going through. I hope that sharing a little blog love will keep baby Cohen's parents encouraged and reminded of that very fact.

Two years ago today...

Kristen and her bridesmaids

Two years ago today I was in Charleston for my best friend Kristen's wedding. There was pure romance, not to mention Fashion Week and the first hints of spring, in the air. From start to finish, it was absolutely perfect.

Mr. and Mrs. Gamecock

Kristen was a gorgeous bride and we really thought this pair couldn't be any happier - but we were wrong. Now Mr. and Mrs. CEW, Jr. are expecting little Mr. CEW, III. I'm so excited for them and can't wait to celebrate at her baby shower in just a few weeks.

For now, happy, happy anniversary to my bestest and her sweet husband! I was so thrilled to be a part of your wedding and I can't wait to welcome your beautiful boy to the world this summer. We love you!

Things You Should Know: Part Three

Me to fellow gym mom: They do grow up so quickly. Mac used to sleep swaddled and still; I'd find him just where we put him. Now I'm watching him do baby yoga in his crib!

(Aside: I meant that I watch via his monitor. And I meant baby yoga in that he pulls up his head and shoulders to grab his toes, rolls over and arches his back like a swan, then follows it by stretching in in ways incomprehensible to fully grown adults.)

Gym mom: (Truly intrigued) Are you using a book to guide him? Are there classes at the Y for babies his age? Do you think it's helping his flexibility?

Me: Um, no. I meant baby yoga like baby break dancing... You know, what they do in their cribs when we're not there. Spinning on their heads, stretching their legs, pushing up?

Gym mom: (Realizes I'm not nearly cool enough to have a yogi for a son.) Oh. Well I plan on signing ours up for baby gym classes this summer.

Clearly Mac already has the embarrassing mom in the gym daycare class.

Chow Time

The day after Easter will mark Mac's half birthday - six whole months old. With that milestone comes something quite momentous: real food!!

If he's anything like his parents, Mac is going to love every last bite he gets. (Yes, yes, I'm a picky eater. Doesn't mean I don't love to eat!)

As we approach this next step, I'm researching different ways of presenting Mac's first foods to him. My friend Brooke and I talked earlier this week about how pure and absolutely perfect babies are at this age - totally untouched by the sun, by time, by age, or by poor choices. (Picture the average twice-daily McDonald's customer or lifelong smoker to understand what I mean.)

As all parents do, I'm hoping to keep Macky as healthy as possible. His eight-a-day newborn mealtimes have gone by the wayside; he's now nursing four times a day and enjoying rice cereal as "dessert" after two of those meals.

(Enter my obsession with control here.) I'd love to make sure that what Mac gets from here on out is as natural and good for him as possible, just as I have these last (nearly) six months. Nursing was no walk in the park in the early days, but I stuck with it because I felt he was thriving from the nutrition it provided. (And because it helped me fit back into my pre-Mac clothes even though I was tearing into Halloween candy, but let's ignore the selfish reasons, shall we?)

Has anyone tried making their own baby food? Examined the labels of what's sold in stores to see if there are fillers - salt, sugar, preservatives - that seem unnecessary?

**Obvious next question: Why am I not quite as obsessed with checking my own food labels? I'm working on that, step by step. But I'm damaged goods this far into my twenties, I think. :) Might as well keep the baby perfect and then get B and I on an all-local, all-organic, all-raw diet. With a side of Chick-Fil-A fries.***

I'd love any suggestions y'all may have, even if they're "give him some cheese grits and get over it already!"

Happy weekending!

Happy Little Monkey

Happy Thursday, everyone!

(Manic) Menu Monday

Our house has not been the calmest of places today; after my meeting tomorrow morning Mac and I will be headed to Columbia. B has a conference there, so all three Smiths will be in town, if not under the same roof.

Mac has had, shall we say, not the best of days. I haven't seen him this unsettled since he was a newborn, so I've been a bundle of energy/nerves/frustration/confusion/off-key singing/rocking/jiggling/reading/shushing trying to figure out how to comfort him, quiet him, or at least get him to sleep. Could it be teething?? (Just when you think you've figured those babies out, they pull a fast one on you!)

Tomorrow night will be Mac's first night away from our house; he'll be staying with his grandparents in Columbia and they are overjoyed! I'm trying not to pack everything he owns, since we'll be bringing Blue with us as well and that poor pup needs a little room in the car too!

Menu Monday is a little off, as we won't be here tomorrow, but here we go all the same:

Monday: Homemade Bradley Burgers (my very favorite on Earth)
Tuesday: Something delicious in Columbia (Rush's, Lizard's Thicket, Za's? Can't decide!)
Wednesday: Pork Chops (the ones I never made last week) with mac & cheese
Thursday: Cube steak and gravy (B's special request)
Friday: Turkey chili and cornbread
Saturday: Homemade veggie pizza

What's on your table tonight?