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ANNOUNCEMENT! Today is my first, official day as a Stay at Home Mommy! I have been on maternity leave for 12 weeks, but after much prayer (and many fears), the hubby and I decided I would stay home with our sweet angel. I will miss my students so much, and it is a bittersweet change. But these days are so few. I cannot get them back. I have given 7 years to shaping the lives of children as a teacher and I am so excited to have the same opportunity with my baby girl! 

We covet your prayers as we begin this journey. I'm sure there will be many trials and many victories! We are excited about this chapter but have no idea how it will actually play out! 

On the 3rd day of Thanksgiving...

I snuggled my baby girl and thought about writing my post...but never did. Sooooo- on the 3rd day of Thanksgiving I am so thankful God led us to FBCL for our church home. I love the TRUTH that we start off our weeks with, the hugs, encouragement, and smiling faces of our church family. And that so many people from Church are willing to step

In and be family to our baby girl, when our own family's live away.

Day 2 (by day light savings)

TECHNICALLY it's still Nov 2 and only

11:35 p.m. Soooo- on day 2 I am reminded of soooo many reasons to be thankful! Like having football in the fall... And friends to share it with... And a house big enough to fit them- and enough food to feed them. But those are not what I'm MOST thankful for today! 

I'm MOST thankful today that God chose ME to be the mommy of the sweetest, most precious baby girl! 

My sweet W brings me so much joy with her wide eyed smiles and the way she works so hard to stick her tongue out! The milky sweet smell of her breath and her downy soft hair against my cheek when I snuggle her. The way she reaches her hand to my neck when I rock her. I just want to drink her in. 

And today this most precious angel is a little under the weather and I am so thankful for the extra cuddles I get out of it. And I'm so thankful they I have the luxury of holding her and comforting her all day. And I'm thankful to the greatest soon-to-be NP for answering this mama's questions on her Saturday night (off)! 

My sweet, smiley girl even though she's sick! 

Thankful November Day 1

Time to see if I can kick start myself into blogging again!

Today, I am so thankful for a husband that lets me be ... Me! 

Not many husbands would put up with their wife turning the garage into a craft room for days on end to create a Halloween backdrop for their Trunk or Treat space at church. Nor would he take on baby duty for several nights in a row so Mommy could sew costumes. And he DEFINITELY would not be gung-ho about donning a silly cap/mask and gloves with claws when every other adult male at Trunk or Treat is in jeans and polos. 

But MINE DOES!!! 

And it makes my heart happy. 

And it's what makes him such an awesome dad! 

And it's what makes the kids in our community LOVE "Coach"! 

He is such a good sport about my Halloween shenanigans and it has created such an exciting tradition for our little family. 

Whitlee and I are lucky ladies to have our "Wildthing" Daddy/Hubby in our lives.

Thank you for making it FUN! 

Ramblings of a sleep deprived mama...

Ramblings of a sleep deprived Mama!

I miss sleeping through the night. And so many mommy friends have 9 week olds that are consistently sleeping through the night--- making me a little green with envy.  I wonder what I'm doing wrong that Baby Girl still wakes up at 4 wanting a bottle every night! 

And I dread it. When I hear that first stir I squeeze my eyes closed---maybe she will settle back down. But no. So I stumble to the kitchen and heat her bottle and get her reflux protective armor all situated just so. And I pick her up and she SMILES at me, snuggles in, and wraps her fingers around my pinky when I bring the bottle to her mouth. 

And I wonder- why do I dread this so much. Right now she's sleep eating so I can blog, but most nights she stares at me with those beautiful blue eyes- and when our eyes meet she smiles---- sending milk all down her chin. And she's making her sweet smacking grunt as she devours her early morning snack, and then I burp her and she raises that one hand like she's singing the hallelujah chorus. And I know.... In only a few shorts months these midnight moments will be gone and I'm going to miss them. One day my precious Princess is going to sleep right through the night and we won't have our little snuggle fests anymore.

Will I jump for joy over 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep?! You BETCHA... But then a few nights in I'll wake up at 4 am missing the weight of my sweet girl in my arms. 

These years are so few... Soon she will pull away when I try to hold her, she will fall asleep in her big girl bed after only a kiss on the cheek.... So for now I rock my baby to sleep. I hold her when she cries. I turn the tv off and look in her eyes when I give her a bottle. And I covet our late night snacks! And I laugh because I am Baby Wise's worst fear. 

You hear the experts say "nurture them, don't spoil them". But she is just a little baby... And loving her and snuggling her and telling her she is perfect and beautiful and an amazing blessing is not spoiling her... It's doing my job. Will there be nights I look around a cluttered house, or at a book I want to read or a tv show I want to watch and wish she wasn't asking me to rock her... I'm sure!!! But in 20 years  not going to remember those things. I'll remember milk breath, tiny hands holding mine, sleepy grins, the way she pants in her sleep, and the way my husband rolls over, gives me a bleary eyed grin and puts his hand on my arm to connect our little family. 

Drinking in my blessings this morning. 

Lessons Learned

So I've learned some things about myself through pregnancy and the early stages of motherhood.

- I'm terrible at blogging now that things WORTH blogging about are happening... instead I am drinking it all in... the midnight feedings, the dirty diapers, the 3 am "I'm in labor WAKE UP!!!!" calls, the constant stream of family and friends in and out of my house...

-My hubby is an even better DADDY than he is husband.  This is the man who dealt with me through a rough pregnancy where I never felt good or had ANY energy...did all the grocery shopping, calmed me down when I was FREAKING out... basically he's an amazing husband. But he's an even better Daddy. And nothing has brought me more joy in the last 3 (3 already???? SERIOUSLY???!!!)) weeks than watching him get to know our baby girl. Oh how he loves her. Most commonly heard phrase from my husband these days, "That (whatever baby girl is doing) is the cutest thing ever!" She is so lucky to have a Daddy that loves her so much. I know this--- because I had a Daddy that awesome, too.

-I'm sorry I always rolled my eyes at stay at home moms.... because now I want to be a stay at home mom, too! I can't even think about going back to work and leaving my baby girl at home without getting teary :(

-Without my mom, MIL, and hubby I probably wouldn't have survived the last 3 weeks. 

- I can no longer make a decision for myself. Planning a menu for the week or making a grocery list are ridiculously difficult these days!

...And many more things... that I'll have to get to later because my Princess is calling....

Week 30 at the beach!!!

Whitlee, Mommy and Daddy are loving the sunshine and salty
Air!

"Ke-ka Cur-kee"

We don't play favorites at ESP. I love every single camper there in their own way. Even those that were not my personal campers, I have grown to love through volunteering, pageants, and Facebook.
However, there are some counselors and campers that bond better than others. It's part of the magic really- because my personality may mesh well with M, B, and D... While LeAndra is REALLY great with J and G. It balances well and every camper is equally loved and supported. And those campers that I consider "my originals" are a group of boys and girls that I met and loved from my early years at ESP. They are the ones that I search for at Big Hearts, keep in touch with on Facebook, and know and love their families too. They hold a special place in my heart that no other students or campers have ever been able to replace. They are the group that I have learned the most from over the years.
For me, one of those campers was sweet Bekkah, Or Bekkah Boo, or "Ke-ka Cur-kee" (as she used to call herself in Bekkah language in our early days together). And tonight my heart aches... Because Bekkah was part of my "framily" (friends that are more like family) and today she left this world and received her crown in Heaven. I have no doubt her crown is full Of jewels. She had one of the purest hearts of anyone I have ever known. And I go back and forth between rejoicing she is in Heaven, disbelief that Feb 2013 was the last time I would ever get a Bekkah hug (how much longer I would have held on...
Had I just known), and just sheer grief that one of our earthly angels will not be here anymore. I have spent the afternoon sharing Bekkah stories with my husband-
Most of which he has heads before- and going through old photos of her and with her at ESP. How proud I am of the person she grew to be... How blessed I am to have learned from her.

When I remember Bekkah I will remember these things:
The way she called me "Cake".
The way communication was rarely an issue for us even though in the early years of our friendship her speech consisted of the "k" sound... A lot.
The way she launched herself into my arms multiple times a day at camp- and for years after.
The way I rarely got to be her "buddy" at camp because the counselors in my unit always begged to have her as their buddy.
The way we cheered and celebrated my second summer with her when she would come all the way to the edge of the pool and put her feet in!!!! And then later actually get in the pool!
They way she loved Hannah Montana and High School Musical and always had a costume ready for the talent show.
The way she loved getting "fancied up" for ESP PROM and at the girls' sleepover.
The way she loved the other campers- always quick with a high five or a hug.


Two summers ago I returned to ESP to volunteer for Twin Lakes, after a year away from camp. I had seen the campers at various fundraisers that I had attended but I was apprehensive that some of "my babies" would have forgotten me.
I got to CTL to learn that Bekkah was my night buddy- and she was just as thrilled as I was! That was the last time
I spent "quantity time" with her and today I have found myself reminiscing on that week. Remembering how much i loved getting to spend time with Bekkah and how impressed I was with the progress she had made in the year I had been away. I cried the entire way home from that trip because I missed her, and ESP so much already.

Bekkah taught me so much about being truly joyful. My life is more full simply because of her. A part of my heart will always belong to her. I miss her so much already- and I ache for her family that loved her so completely. They were a blessing to her as much as she was to them.

It's been a hard day- but JOY comes in the morning.

Beignets in NOLA

Welcome to the Walton 3!!!

If someone had told me 18 months ago that an innocent night of football and salad would have led me to today, I would have told them they were crazy.

2 weeks ago the husband and I went to the 6th Annual Big Hearts Pageant for Special People in Athens.  Last February when we went to the pageant the husband was meeting my brother and ESP for the first time, and had yet to meet my parents.

This year at the pageant, our lives are so intertwined I can't imagine a me without him.  He knows all about ESP and the name of every camper, counselor, and family that helped shape me.  He is now "brother" to my brothers.  And my parents like me more simply because I brought him into the family.

This year at the pageant I had a new last name, a new ring on my left hand, and a new baby the size of a lemon (then) in my stomach.  

Which leads me to a new blog.  A family blog.  One that can grow with us- including plenty of space for pictures and updates on Baby W as he/she makes a debut and becomes the center of our Earthly worlds.

Bear with me as I learn to maintain a web-site... and for now just use a blog feed to make it simple while I figure out the kinks.

And until Baby W gets here and the blog actually gets exciting watching him/her grow--- you can just watch ME grow!!!!