Dear Holly

I posted yesterday about the series of letters to yourself. If you have one you would like to share, leave me a link in the comments. I love reading these. :)

If I could write a letter to my 16 year old self, with ten years of much fun and little regret later, this is what I would say:

Dear Holly (16),

You are exactly how I hope my daughter turns out when she is 16. You don't party, you're not into boys (actually they are not into you, so it's the same thing), you make the grades, and you hold a job. There is very little I would change about you at this phase, but here are some suggestions and hints to make the big transitions coming up more smooth for you.

Don't take a picture of Cameron Diaz with a pixie cut into a salon while your mom is on vacation and get your hair cut to match. You don't have a pixie cut face. The hair dresser won't tell you that. What I will tell you is that every guy you've ever been interested in will now think you are into girls. The collared shirts you wear everyday don't help either.

You won't marry Dan or Derek. So please stop driving by their houses like a creeper {who looks like Elvis in drag}.

You won't marry Zac either. But be nice to him; he really set the bar on what you expect in a relationship and how you should be treated.

Keep up on your jobs, but don't pay for that private driving school just to get your license early. That $500 will be a waste when you wreck your step dad's car while taking your test at the DMV. Your mom will make you wait the whole summer to re-take the test. You're not ready to drive.

Certain members of your family will call you "Aunt Janet" when they are trying to take a dig at your political stance or fashion choice. Don't ever take offense. In ten years you will realize that she is the most successful person on your Glover side.

There are some other Fouts surprises in store, but I don't want to ruin all of the fun. I'll throw in a Bill Clinton hint though... You'll have a picture of the two of you, blown up, next to your bed in ten years.

Barry will buy you a guitar that you just have to have. You will tell him that he won't regret it. Please learn to play at least one damn song. Also, he tells you that birds of the same feather flock together. In college, you will realize what he meant.

Take this letter however you want and change things as you see fit. But please, please, please.... Listen to your friend Betsy and go to the Dorset Inn on NYE 2007. You will meet a guy wearing a red scarf and he'll have some smug remark about your wrist tattoo. Ignore his comments and his pompous friends. He will be the best thing to ever happen to you. He will put up with you, your family issues, your student loan debt, your rigorous cleaning schedule, and your dietary restrictions. He will always make sure that the fast food joint left your meat off the bun and that the Brita pitcher is full. His favorite thing will be going to the mall with you. Let him have his way often... except about the blue house he wants to buy with the retaining wall in the back. Hold your ground on that one.

Love you, Ho Glo!

Holly (26)

Letters to Yourself

I was blog hopping and found a series about letters to your 16 year old self. What would you say to that person? Would you spoil some of the fun? Warn them of regret? Here are some celebrity ones... and some real-people ones.

Over the weekend I kept thinking about what I would warn myself about, what hints I would give, etc. I'll get it down in words tonight, so that post will be up tomorrow. I'm making my mom look for pictures just to give everyone the full effect. :)

If you write yourself one {and want to share it}, please leave me a link in the comments. I spent a few hours this weekend googling for more and more to read because I enjoyed them so much.

Tootles!

Olive-Noel Stanfield - 32 Weeks

Is it shameful when thoughts of holding your child for the first time and sleeping on your stomach again will bring you the same amount of happiness?

I might have thrown a 4 year old tantrum the other day because Chris wasn't excited to do a craft project with me. I might have told him that he should just marry someone who doesn't like to craft or do yard work. I'm delusional. To make an embarrassing story short, the next evening we did my beloved craft project... and it was an epic fail. He only put 154 holes in the wall trying to make it look perfect for me. This decorating the co-ed nursery business is for the birds.



How Far Along: 32 weeks- 8 months! :)

Total Weight Gain: 19 and counting. An average week, the baby gains a 1/2 pound and my jeans support another 1/2 pound courtesy of Dairy Queen.

Maternity Clothes: With the exception of my work clothes, I pretty much live in the same black Adidas jumpsuit. Chris suggested buying me another one "since it gets worn so much." Or when were heading out somewhere, he will ask me what I am wearing. Um, I'm clearly in the jumpsuit. It's not coming off until December, but if you're nice, I might wash it more than once a week.

Best Moment: Chris not leaving me when I've been acting more imbalanced than usual. We went out for a greasy supper last night, so all is well again.

Food Cravings: I don't think it's a real craving for me, but I'm just one of those people that if I get an ice cream sundae one night, I want one every night. Haven doesn't always finish his, so Olive gets some of that too. :)

What I'm Looking Forward to: My sister is hosting a "sprinkle" for me the first weekend in November. I'm looking forward to eating yummy desserts and gossiping with family and a few friends.

New Blog Reads

I posted last week that I was in a blogging-reading funk... I wanted to find some new ones and you guys gave me a lot of recommendations. I went through all of them and honestly, there wasn't one that I didn't love.

So I broke them out into categories: mom/parenting, food, fitness, and party blogs.

Enjoy!

Mom/Parenting Blogs:

1. Meg at Whatever. Where do I begin? I found this blog before I started blogging. I spent three days looking at every photo, recipe, and post. She has five kids, lives in an amazing old house, and crafts her way through life. I want to be her. She keeps it real.

2. Heather at Dooce. She is funny... like, sick-twisted funny. The things she types out, I would be afraid to say out loud, but it's funny, heavy, and everything in between. She is what they call a "Professional Blogger."

3. Bridget at Tales of Me and the Husband. You seriously have to read her love story (start at the very bottom) between her and her husband. Read it first before you read her blog. She also has a bunch of healthy/clean recipes posted... and a new baby! :)

4. Hannah at sKIDmarks. My friend Amanda sent me this link. She is a local St. Louis mom and a witty writer. She is pregnant with #3 right now.

5. Jana at the Meanest Mom. She posts shot little stories about her kids that anyone who has taken a child in public can relate to. I'm always laughing at my desk.

6. Dan at Single Dad Laughing. I don't remember who sent me this link, but thank you. He is funny. I love dad blogs... and a good one is few and far between.

Food Blogs:

1. Our Best Bites. Some girlfriends manage this site together... They have easy, real recipes, and great pictures.

2. Plain Chicken. This is a new favorite. She consistently has a post every day through the week, from pasta to football food.

3. Kendall at Keeping Up with the Joneses. She has a cute blog, but I love her recipe section the most. I've made the Roman-style chicken, the taco ring, Mexican meatballs, and pumpkin cheese ball, to name a few. And she is a fabulous decorator. If I didn't have the anti-hoarding disease, then I would want my house to look as warm and inviting as hers.

Fitness Blogs:

1. Lindsay Brin at Moms Into Fitness. She is a local STL mom who has her own little fitness empire. She has great workout tips for pregnant and new moms. She just had her third baby and is documenting how she is going to get back into a swimsuit. It must be my obsession with before and after photos, but I love looking at other people's progress; it motivates me the most.

2. Paige at Running Around Normal. I went to grade school and high school with Paige, but sadly, don't know her very well. I found her blog through a mutual friend and I love it! She has her own personal training business and has great workouts and videos posted. What I love the most, is that she takes pictures of most of her meals. My goal after this pregnancy is to re-train my taste buds.... and get on the juicing/green smoothie wagon.

Party Blog:

1. Kara's Party Ideas. Disclaimer: Most of these parties are totally ridiculous and unrealistic. But it sucks you in the way Pinterest does, gives you some inspiration, and then leaves you feeling like a failure. Or is that just me? But really, these parties are amazing... and she has every themed party under the sun.

Monday Nothings

1. Thank you so much for all of the great blog links. I had fun vegging out this weekend and going through them. I plan to put together some "must-views" tomorrow-- in case you're in a blogging funk, too.

2. Blogging... plus family/close friends that read your blog... don't mix. I have so many stories to share.... so many things that a hormanally imbalanced pregnant bearing woman of 8 months shouldn't hold in. Not to throw anyone under the bus, but for entertaining purposes only. I need an alias.

3. When I was finding new blogs, I noticed on a few of them that they wrote out their love story with their spouse. Knowing how I met my husband and how our prevailing courtship began {boozin' and ho'in}, it made me think of typing it out.

4. I must have cooked everything under the sun this weekend. I made veggie chili, peppered tacos, PW's guacamole, fresh veggie soup, meatballs, and tuna salad. Our fridge is crammed with tupperware and I just plan on warming up meals this week. I haven't been on the cooking bus in awhile, so it feels good to eat real food again.

5. Speaking of real food... Check out my friend April's cooking blog... She finds recipes, cooks them, then reviews 'em. Lot's of yummy stuff over there.

Happy Monday!

Fall Blog Swap

Update: The blog swap was pushed back to this week-- so here are my goodies!

I participated in the Fall Blog Swap that Molly, Mateya, and Caroline hosted. I have seen some of these swaps before, but I'm just too selfish to blow $20-25 on someone else when I know exactly what I want to buy for ME. :)

The swap just consists of submitting your name, being okay with a random partner, meeting a new blog friend, and then sending them some of your Fall favorites.

I'm so happy that I joined in on the fun. I got paired with Michelle from Life of a Virginia Wife... and these are the Fall goodies that she sent me! Check out her blog to see what I sent her!





I'm a magazine kind of girl- and when we were moving, I didn't renew most of my subscriptions, so I was happy to see these favorites. And the scarf.. It's adorable! I plan on wearing it this weekend. Thanks, Michelle! :)

Send Me New Blogs to Read

I need some new flavor! :)

I love em' all.... {in my bubba gump voice} mom blogs, cooking blogs, wedding blogs, fitness blogs, decorating blogs, blogs with great pictures, blogs that are funny...

Leave me your favorites in the comment section. Donka! :)

PS- My at-work-BFF brought in a tub of Halloween candy. It's rainy and dreary here, so I'll just put myself in a sugar coma.



Happy Wednesday!

Sally Fields

Haven had his big appointment with the ENT yesterday. After going to the pediatrician last week and having a tympanogram done, it was confirmed that he does have fluid on his ears. My main concern was how a doctor was going to process all of the information- speech delay, binky, chronic ear infections, fluid on the ear, etc. Our speech pathologist said that an ENT usually recommends having three tympanograms done over a period of 6-12 months before they move forward with tubes.

I don't want to wait 6-12 months... I want my baby hearing better and talking more now.

I warned Chris that I was going to turn into Forest Gump's mom to get my way.

Luckily, that didn't have to happen. His doctor agreed with the speech pathologist and now Haven is getting tubes next Friday. I'm anxious/nervous/excited/overwhelmed...

---

After our fun ENT appointment, which consisted of meeting with a nurse, then the doctor, and then the bill specialist {with a 2 year old missing his nap time}, we had to head back to his "school" for parent/teacher conferences.

I updated them on the ear situation and then finally relaxed when they told me how polite he is... and how he is the only one potty trained... and how that makes their day a lot easier... and how other kids now want to go potty like Haven...

So I turn to Haven all proud and motion for him to come sit with me.... when I noticed that he wet his pants!

Wah-wah.

Mid Week Rambles

1. Chris has a 2nd interview today. He is going for the more casual approach during this interview after some much appreciated advice. We went and bought him some early 90's professor attire last night-- hopin' that does the trick! He is so cute... I would hire him! :)

2. After his interview, he has the pleasure of taking Haven to his typanogram test. This will be his 3rd battle today, after the interview and after forcing Haven to wear real pants to school.

3. I really have the easy part of this parental relationship. At least today I do.

4. Last October, we gifted ourselves with a beautiful queen mattress set for our anniversary. It's almost 15 inches thick of just a cloud from Heaven. On Sunday afternoon, Haven and I took a nap together. I woke up and let him sleep a little longer... Only for him to wet the bed! AHHH

5. Chris bought some stain remover/fabric sanitizer juice of some kind and started scrubbing away. {I told you I have it easy} Anyway, with this small bowl of liquid on the bed, Haven comes in from behind and knocks it over onto the bed as Chris was cleaning. Our beautuful mattress is now engulfed in piss and rain forest scent. Chris blew up the air mattress and I found a dry patch on the bed- and cried myself to sleep.

6. I've been going to the gym before work every morning and walking 2 miles uphill (barefoot, bothways). Today, I forgot to pack a real bra and my makeup bag. I look like Charlize Theron from the movie Monster.

7. Happy Wednesday!

Bubba

We took Haven to his speech therapy class last night. I was nervous about it all day, just waiting to see how this evaluation would go.

The Speech Pathologist put us in this room with a bunch of toys and just watched Haven play while she asked us some questions. I was naming and counting the words that he uses when she started asking him questions.

What is this? Ball. What color is it? Poorple.

Then she asked us... Does he have a history of ear infections?

Haven has a long hisotry of ear infections {as did Chris and I}--- and immediately, she recognized that as the problem. There is fluid in between his outer and inner ears and makes everything he hears sound muffled. Which explains why he can pronounce the beginning of every word, but the end always drops off.

So, we have to get a tympanometry done this week which, depending on results, will prompt us to schedule surgery for tubes.

Do you have experience with tubes... How old were you or your child?