Crazy Week, Big Changes!

Sorry to have been silent for a bit, y'all! The past week has seen us fighting off RSV and bronchiolitis (in Mac), pink eye (in me - fun times), a sinus infection (in Bradley) and doing most of that as a single parent while B was in California for a conference. Thank goodness for Mac's grandmothers!

In all of the germ-fighting we've been doing the last week, I haven't gotten a chance to tell you about the big change around the Smith household. I'm going solo!!

No, not as a parent - as a PR practitioner. As of last week, I've left the world of full-time work and am going freelance. We are so excited and I have lots to share on that front soon!

I spent a very worthwhile two and a half years at my agency and I adore the fabulous friends I met there. Even so, it became clear recently that it was time for us to start a new chapter.

Having Mac and a full-time job turned out to be quite different than I'd imagined. (Maybe I didn't imagine it enough before he arrived...)

Between pumping, packing and unpacking diaper bags, washing nine bottles each night, daily baby laundry, trying to throw together food for us grown-ups, getting Mac into a nighttime routine and attempting to stay afloat with my to do lists, I was work-focused (preparing for work, commuting or doing work) no less than 13 hours a day.

Not to mention the cold, stomach bug, RSV and bronchiolitis Mac managed to pick up in his two months at his daycare. (We're going to miss everyone there, but not the germs!)

My working mom routine left little wiggle room - I pretty much put aside household chores, running errands, grocery shopping, keeping in touch with our friends and families, taking care of Blue or spending time with my sweet husband.

That's not to say it's impossible to juggle everything, as I know many moms do it with far more children than our one tiny Mac. For us, though, this is the right choice.

I'm so excited to have a more flexible schedule and grateful for the opportunity to try out something between stay-at-home-momhood and working 40 hours a week. Those of you who know me well realize that change is not my strong suit, so stepping into something entirely new is a big deal for me. It's nothing I took lightly or rushed into, but after plenty of time talking, praying and thinking about it, it was time to leap.

I imagined my first week "out" would be a touch less hectic than it's been, though. Besides the doctors' appointments, baby care and usual house stuff that fill up my daily routine, my to do list looks like this for the week:

No matter what season of life we're in, I know few people with a lot of downtime. There will always be something in our world that keeps us on our toes. I'm just excited to be the one handling things again!

Here's hoping there are a few more check marks on this list later today....

Details to come! xoxo

Our Little Family

I've already posted a few sneak peeks from our session with Rachel Halsey. Now that I've had time to glance at all of the shots, take a look at some of our favorites. We can't wait to do an outdoor shoot with her later this spring!

(As you enjoy the shots below, please know that my dimple-masquerading-as-a-double-chin is an optical illusion. Either that or I'm seriously fooling myself about the exact circumference of my face...)

I'm in the hot seat!

My sweet friend Ashley has asked me to join her in the hot seat, so here I go! The rules are as follows:

1) Post the above picture to your post
2) Share 5 things about yourself (silly, inspiring, super honest)
3) Nominate another blogger friend.

Here are my 5 things:

1. Being a mom has changed my whole life - top to bottom, inside and out. More than just being a mom, I really love being Mac's mom. Even sick, as he is today, he is the highlight of our lives. I'll never understand what we did to deserve such a precious, precious boy!

2. My whole life I've struggled with my desire to be a crafty girl, a cooking fiend, a hostess who can whip up dinner for ten in an hour. The reality? I'm nothing close. I'm fortunate to have a husband who runs a mean vacuum, scrubs a shower ten times better than I do, explains football to me without condescension and lets me attempt to play domestic diva when the mood strikes me. Some girlie things are more my cup of tea than others, but I'm always trying to figure out what it means to me to be a good wife, a good homemaker, a good gift-giver, a good woman all around. I'd sure love an ounce of Martha Stewart in me, I can tell you that!

3. Even with my distinct inability to recreate the pages of Better Homes and Gardens, I have reexamined my priorities and my desires without ceasing since Mac was born. What does it mean that I care less about the world outside of our home and more about what happens (and who grows up) in it? I've become newly focused on making our home the best it can be and being a "thermostat" who sets a joyous, happy mood for every hour our family gets to spend together in it.

4. I grew up unable to snort or make silly pig noises. Totally incapable. (Why did I try to do this? I'm still not sure...) As soon as I met Bradley, laughing fits began to include a (loud!) random snort - uncontrollably and often. Now if I could only turn that "talent" off!!

5. I am looking forward to welcoming several precious babies this year - Liz's new daughter Reagan, her sister Brooke's twins (!!), Kristen's Baby Gamecock and a few more that have yet to make themselves known to us. Mac shaped 2009 for us - and every moment since then - so welcoming these world-changers into my friends' lives is something I can't wait to do. Babies for everyone, hooray!

Now I nominate my sweet friend Kristen for the hot seat! Spill, K. Dub!

Don't You Just Love This?

It took having a baby for me to understand the ceaseless, selfless and limitless love my parents have had for me from day one. Why would a mom hop in a car with just a few hours' notice? Simply because her twenty-something, married, new mom daughter asked her to... (To be fair, I didn't even have to ask.)

When I saw this video today, I realized it also might be because my parents still see snaggle-teeth, freckles and pigtails when they look at me. No matter - I'm grateful whatever the reason is!

Mac and I have been home fighting his respiratory virus today and this made me smile. Hope you enjoy!



*courtesy of Steph at Smiling in the South

Almost Wordless Wednesday

(Invisible words: thanks, Rachel Halsey!)

Actual words to come soon - promise! Lots to talk about and so much to catch up on. I'm behind on my reading too, so I'm sure I'll be commenting soon. Hope you're all bundled up and cozy!

Wordless Wednesday

Baby time!

While you're here, say a prayer for my sweet friends Liz and Jon Fisher, who are in the hospital awaiting the arrival of their little girl Reagan. Liz's sister Brooke is sure to document every moment of Reagan's first days, and I can't wait to hear the good news!

Twenty-four (plus) hours into their hospital stay, though, I am hoping things go smoothly but (a little more) quickly! Come on, Reagan!

Days go by...

These days are going by, that is. So, so fast. I feel like my moments are spoken for from 6am 'til 10pm - probably because they are!

How do other moms find time to stay on top of their favorite TV shows and find intriguing responses to the constant "What's new with you?" questions at work. (Finding non-baby-related ways to answer this is particularly tough for me these days!)

I realized today, after a fellow new mom pointed it out on Facebook, that I've seen only one of the TEN (is that necessary?) movies nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. That film was both animated and sent directly to my home by Netflix. So...there's motherhood (for me) in a nutshell.


(Although, on a tangent, have you seen Up? That memory montage at the beginning might be the most beautifully crafted, absolutely poignant 90 seconds of film I've ever seen!)

So, other busy gals, any time-saving tips? Besides cutting back on sleep, how can I squeeze some more fun - or even a little guilty pleasure TV - into my life?

And if I can't, how can I fake it for conversation purposes? A girl's gotta look cool, you know...