3 Blogging Goals - November Blogathon

Happy Tuesday All! We are in week 2 of our November Blogathon and this week is all about blogging....

#novemberblogathon

Since I'm a blogging novice I am going to keep my 3 blogging goals small and attainable:


*** I'd like to blog regularly - I know this seems really trivial but I think blogging regularly is the first step to attaining all of the goals.

*** I'd like to grow a loyal following - The reason I started blogging was to chronicle my life, marriage, and my son but being a loyal blog follower I've grown to enjoy reading about these women's lives and learn about their families. Reading and even adding my own comments has shown me what an amazing gift it can be to have loyal followers who believe in you and your story.

***I'd like to get out of this clothing rut - Being a first time, stay-at-home, mom was an interesting title that I've had for a little over a year now. I've started part-time job at financial firm and I'm trying to find a happy medium between sweats and flip-flops and pencil skirts and heels. I'd like the accountability of posting my outfits and stepping outside of my comfort zone will help to grow my closet and comfort in my new mom body. 


Lucky for you I don't have any pitiful clothing photos as of yet but they're on their way in posts to come and thank you for being a reader. I'm so grateful that you have graced my blog with your presence. 

And because he's so gosh darn cute... Dean....

Until tomorrow!!

 

Welcome to Limbo...

    Recently, I've been feeling as if I'm in a strange place. A type of limbo, if you will, where I've got my toe in so many pools but I have yet to jump into just one. I'm part of this late-twenties-married-stay-at-home-mom-working-part-time-who-am-I-now? type of limbo. How can it possibly be that I was more self-confident at 19 than I am at 28?? I've known myself 10 years longer! Part of me wants to turn the music up! While the other part of me wants to turn the music down because the baby is sleeping. A limbo where my unmarried friends still invite me to bars on a random Tuesday night. (Yes, Taco Tuesdays, I still remember you and no I can't go). 

      I lost several "friends" - I use the word loosely- when I got pregnant and decided to get married (in that order). Then I joined a Mommy and Me group once Dean was born and I made a new set of mommy friends. Now that I've started working and I can't attend as many mommy meet ups as I used to, I feel as though I'm starting to pull away from those new friends. I admit, I don't try as hard to be a good friend. I don't reach out daily. I don't keep tabs of the goings-on in my friends' lives. I  use Facebook as a crutch... I worry that I can't give them as much attention that a good friend deserves. Also, I'm tired and usually up to my eyeballs in toys and chasing around a toddler.

     So, like many other Limbo drifters, I'm turning to a blog to help me re-find myself. To help me realize that I can have my toe in as many pools as I please and it doesn't make me any less of a person because I can't commit to just one thing. To help me get out of this rut... Let's start with a haircut....(rhyme not intend but appreciated)

I hope you'll join me on this journey out of Limbo. I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences about being a new parent, new spouse, new coworker, new friend....      

Week 17-18

I'm officially 27 years old! Happy birthday to me!! My friends and I went to a Solar Bear hockey game and then went out for sushi afterward. Don't worry! I stayed away from the fish... Gotta keep my little nuggest safe in there.

Also this week we had a photoshoot at work and I really got to see how big my bump is getting. It no longer looks like a beer belly but a real baby belly! The pictures came out great and I'm hoping they'll use them in the magazine.

Maybe we'll have a little hockey player one day!

Mmmmm...sushi

 

 

 

 

The Bump.com says:

 

Can you believe she's yawning, hiccuping, sucking and swallowing?

And she's twisting, rolling, punching and kicking, too -- and she's big enough that you might be able to feel her doing it!

  (That's a sweet potato... scary looking!)



Week 9

FINALLY!! Keagan moved me home this week and I will get to ring in the new year in Florida with my friends and NO SNOW!

We did hit some serious snow on our way home heading through the mountains of Pennsylvania. It was one of the scariest things I've ever done. Royce behaved so well the entire trip and we made it in 2 days.

 

 

Later that week we celebrated 2013 with a few our friends, Jessica, Alexis, and her boyfriend, Dennis. We went downtown and hung out at Finnigan's. We left at 12:04am and headed home to avoid the traffic and didn't even see one police officer our entire drive home.

 

 

Jessica and I enjoying the New Year

 

Keagan and I ringing it in

 

 

The Bump.com says:

This is a milestone. She's no longer an embryo -- now she's a fetus!

She's developing more distinct facial features.

And she might now have a strong enough heartbeat to be picked up by a fetal doppler







Shake it

Two Wednesdays a month I help teach Special Needs Belly Dancing. I am in no way, shape, or form certified to teach belly dancing. My mind tells my hips to roll one way and my chest to roll another and it comes out resembling a slight seizure. I love that the athletes that participate don't care how crazy their dance moves look. They put their all in to every move. They love that the scarf around their hips make jingling noises. They like feeling like they're part of a group. So, I will shake it until the cows come home if it makes them happy...

 The group getting into their drum solo lines...

My Sweet Jingly Belt... The belt I had 2 weeks ago didn't jingle and I was so bummed!!!

Rejected by the Mouse

Have you ever had one of those days where it didn't turn out exactly the way you'd planned it but it ended up being awesome?? That was my Saturday. Earlier in the week Allie called me and told her boss had given her 2 free tickets to Disney. Automatically assuming she'd invite me I said "Of course, I'll come!" Saturday morning we woke up early and drove all the down to Disney to discover that the tickets had already been used!!!!

Looking like deer caught in headlights we asked the worker at the turn-style to swipe them again. Still no good. We ended up walking over to Guest Relations where we heard these terribly embarrassing words, "These tickets were used October of 2010". We hung our heads and did the walk of shame back to our car. Deciding we wouldn't let that get us down we called a few of our friends and asked them to meet us at Wekiva Island. The day got better the minute I set up my beach chair on the dock.

 On our way to Wekiva Island

Royce and Josh formed a serious bromance that day

Sun kisses + Royce kisses = Good Day

How far is tongue is out of his mouth is conversely related to how happy he is

Royce resting in the shade after trying to drown me... Check out the video below

Arriba!

One Friday a month Altamonte Special Needs Recreation does a Night Bird Dance. It's a themed dance where the participators dress up as the theme and party all night (Well, not all night. Until 9pm but still it's a party!!). This month was Fiesta Friday. I was so busy dancing and having a good time that I didn't get a chance to take any pictures. Here is a video of the Valentine's Day dance where Shawn, one of my cheerleaders, and I got down with our bad selves.

Don't you wish you had moves like us??

Grab Your Partner and Dosey Doe

If you've ever lived or visited the South Eastern United States then I'm sure you've heard country music. Thursday nights at our local country establishment, Cowboys (believe it or not), is ladies night. That means free cover! My old roommate, Allie, and I try to go on the regular. Before we went out I had to take Royce for a walk. Does anyone know how to tire out a Mountain Cur Hound/Pit Mix????

A Gentle Leader and a weighed down dog backpack sure helps

After Royce was all tuckered out it was time to get our line dancing on.

CELEBRITY SIGHTING: The Marlboro Man made an appearance at Cowboys

Shake it Like a Belly Dancer

Back in December I started coaching Special Needs cheerleading. I completely fell in love with the Special Needs community after volunteering for Disney's Special Olympics (see that post HERE). Our team name is the Sparklers and we totally dominate the Special Needs cheerleading world. Back in March we drove to Jacksonville, FL to compete against 5 other Special Needs teams in a cheer competition. The Sparklers DOMINATED!! The Sparklers Elite team took home first place and the Sparklers Extreme team took home second.

CONGRATULATIONS COACHES! Job well done!

The Sparklers Extreme and Elite teams.

Now that I've gone off on a tangent, today I will be trying out a new sport that Altamonte Springs Special Needs Recreation has to offer-- Belly Dancing! I didn't get a chance to take any pictures this week. I was too busy trying to get my hips not to lie. (Shakira reference! Score!)... I will try to get some next week.