How to revive a blog

Well first off it might be good to remember your password, but I'll give myself a pass considering it's been a while since I have posted on here. It's crazy to think how much has changed in all these years.... a move, 2 babes, but still working full time and always trying to slow down!

Feels good to get back on this platform and even better to see that not too much has changed or maybe I'm on an older version now and have no idea..haha! Well, in any case, it's nice to be back even if for the day or who knows maybe I can really get back into it?! 

I forgot how therapeutic this was, to type my little heart out about really small things like when I would post about "Friday's top 5" or what I did over the weekend to the really big things like having an ectopic pregnancy to then having a full-term pregnancy! 

I can remember working in advertising so many years....at actual newspapers and someone always thinking that I was working in editorial, I can literally hear it now. "Oh you work at the Houston Chronicle, what do you write about?"  To which I would get annoyed or whatever and say "I don't I work in the advertising department" (you know the dept that makes money for the newspaper to uh hum RUN)! I mean talk about a smarty pants, right! I think it's now that I have gotten older and obviously grown, been away from sales and had a blog to really understand that writers are the glue of the paper...DUH! Without them there are no stories, no voices to be heard, etc. So while revenue is certainly important, it's only part of the makeup. Do I think I am a great writer nope, do I think every person out there putting out editorials are great writers nope, but I think it's like I said earlier... it's therapeutic and freeing to just type/talk to anyone out there and see where you connect! That feels like magic. That makes me miss blogging, connecting with people out there on various levels about big or small things.

The past few months have been crazy, heck the past 4 years have been crazy....but again I've been dealing with health stuff. Not going to go off about that or turn this thing into some "health blog", but I will say this, it's taken this to sort of humble me, to slow down and really access a lot. I'm not superwoman saving the day every day, I'm just a mom with 2 boys, who works every day and trying to do my best, but now realizing to make my health a priority...way more than before! I am also realizing that I need to be my own health advocate in every way possible...so maybe I will drop a line on here soon depending on my schedule and can get up to speed on a few things! For today this was a lot of fun and I needed this!!! Insert all the emoji smiley faces here -->

Little Miracle

A year ago today the world seemed like a dark place and here we are today with our little miracle! It's crazy what a difference a year can make and we are thankful beyond words.

                            

You can read more about last years journey here and here.

Landon is here!!

While this post is a little late, better late than never!! 

Landon Raymond Stewart was born on January 22nd at 5:02pm weighing in at 8pounds and 1ounce. 

                     

                                 

We have been staying very busy, but we survived our first month!! The days fly by so fast and our sweet baby boy has grown so much right before our eyes.

Now here we are today celebrating a month!! So thankful for this precious gift!

                      

 Our greatest adventure is 1 whole month today!! He enjoys bath time and snuggles with mommy and daddy!! We are not a fan of diaper changes and putting on clothes! So far we have celebrated our first Valentine's Day and can hold our own head up (very strong), life is good! 

                              

January Birthday's Rock!!!!

Happy Birthday to my Husband Greg!! Hope you're having a great day and counting down the days until our baby boy joins us!! I could not resist posting the picture of G when he was little. So curious to see if Landon will look like his daddy, SO CUTE!!!!!!

                        

My birthday is next weekend and Landon is due on the 27th, so we shall see if we can indeed rock the month of January all together!! 

Life Lately

A whole lot of baby prep is still going on! We are literally weeks away from our baby boy making his debut and in traditional style things are crazy as usual. Work has been insane, make that downright ridiculous, you can read all about the joys of that here. My original plan was to have everything ready to rock and roll by the beginning of December so I could rest and relax and possibly do things I have been wanting to do, like scrapbook or binge watch some shows. HA HA HA! However in real life that's not how it goes. For every 2 steps forward we take a step back, literally. We have worked hard to clean and declutter our tiny bungalow, with no storage space and then the holidays hit.
The holidays were great, but we both worked through them and we didn't even get a tree this year. Christmas is my favorite holiday, but the reality of busting out a whole lot of decor and tearing it down just seemed so pointless this year..... For real!  We also didn't do a party for Lights in the Heights or host family Christmas at our house so who were we trying to impress? Christmas was still grand and how can it not be? It's the celebration of Jesus's birthday, which is what the holiday is all about, not a stupid tree and decor. It's getting together with loved ones and celebrating him. I must say I felt special being pregnant during Christmas carrying our baby boy and celebrating such a special gift during such special holiday! 
We got to see a lot of family and friends over the holidays as well as spend a lot of time together as a couple and that is honestly so much more important than having the nursery perfect, reading pregnancy books or just sitting around waiting to pop. We are always busy and on the go, no doubt this baby will help slow us down..... hopefully. We just feel so lucky to have so many friends and family that care about us.
Right now I keep getting asked if I am ready to have this baby and yes I am, but I'm not in a rush to get him out. He will come out when he is ready, not forced. I have really enjoyed being pregnant and I am still enjoying it. It's truly a miracle. I have honestly had a pretty easy pregnancy, no morning sickness, not feeling miserable and complaining 24/7.... but before anyone gets all up in my grill, this is technically my second pregnancy and the first one was a nightmare that I would not wish on anyone. It literally reminds me of the Sex and the City movie -

Carrie Bradshaw: What makes you think something bad is gonna happen?

Charlotte York: Because! Nobody gets everything they want! Look at you, look at Miranda. You're good people and you two both got shafted. I'm so happy and... something bad is going to happen.

Carrie Bradshaw: Sweetie, you shit your pants this year. I think you're done.

Maybe it has been easy for me because the first round was horrible and God wanted to give me a break? Sure I have problems sleeping at night, heartburn from hell, hands go stiff at night and my joints hurts all over my body, but I am focusing on how blessed we are versus complaining about it. Regardless I am not out of the woods yet, he is not even here so that could be an event in itself, but I pray it's not. In fact I will take all the prayers I can get from here until D day!
I have really been on the go and hope to start really slowing it down, but it's hard. I am so used to being everywhere for everyone, which is why it was so nice of my best friends came to visit me over the weekend and brought us frozen dinners for us to have when the baby is born!! I cannot tell you how much it means to me that she did this for us, she is literally the sister I never had and is always there for me!! Even more awesome, she is having a baby boy just months after me!!! Beyond excited for us and our baby boys to grow up together and feeling so lucky we can share this together!

                  

Had to take a picture before I pop!

                Also this morning I heard about David Bowie's fight with cancer....So sad.

RIP Goblin King!! 

                       

                                                 2 weeks and 2 days left, for now I am just trucking along...... We are tying up loose ends around the house, working our butts off at work, about to celebrate our birthdays and just waiting on Landon's arrival! Life is good!!! 

Pregnancy and the Workplace

Hello! Today is all about pregnancy and the workplace....and a little venting! We were so excited about telling family and friends that we were expecting, but I wish I had waited to tell my workplace. While things should have been great and while you would expect people to be happy for you, that's not always the situation. At least not for myself, if anything I have been constantly having to defend myself even here recently. Defending the fact that I can still do my job, defending the fact that I will come back to work after, defending myself that I am not looking for a new job, defending myself on not even pulling the pregnancy card about anything. I never bring up my pregnancy or say that I cannot do something because I'm pregnant. I haven't even called in sick once because I am pregnant........ but the rumor mill just keeps on turning. Since when did pregnancy start to be looked at as a handicap? A person can only take so much defending and not in my finest moment I finally snapped a few weeks ago because it's just getting ridiculous! With all of the other stresses of life plus work, why am I having to defend myself on daily basis about anything??? I know for a fact people are not asking my husband, "Hey Greg are you coming back to work after the baby is born or are you going to become a stay at home parent", yet I get it on the daily. Can we say #sexiest 
While I could chalk it all up to a generational thing, I'm just not sure anymore. My generation works hard. Like I said before we were all focused on getting degrees, getting jobs, getting married and then starting families. Which is why so many have problems even trying to start families, were all having babies at a later age........ Then we still have to defend our work ability on top of that???? Some days I felt like my job maybe didn't want me to come back, but here lately I can see that's not true at all. In fact they are going to be super short handed when I go out because I am ALWAYS a team player, I literally went to Austin this week for work and I'm due in 3 weeks. Again, I NEVER pull the pregnancy card which is why it's infuriating when people make up stories or just assume things. 
 A friend sent me the most perfect article which you can read here. I had explained to her the constant frustration/anxiety about all of these questions/rumors about my own pregnancy in the workplace. While there are a million things I need to worry about I never thought that having to defend my own pregnancy would be such a huge deal. The woman who wrote this article hits the nail right on the head, at least for me! 
Also while I am on a tangent, I would also like to add that while most people have no filter, making negative comments about someone who is pregnant also very unessasary. Someone at my office told me I looked awful a few weeks ago and to thank I said thank you jerk!
On a much lighter note today is Friday and I have a sweet great divide pint waiting for me in my freezer! Peace out and have a great weekend friends!

2016!!!!

Hello 2016! Time literally fly's by..... We spent our New Year's Eve at home this year and were both in bed before midnight LOL! Thanks to some gutsy people popping fireworks in our neighborhood and my pregnancy bathroom schedule I was able to wake G up for at midnight for a kiss and to tell him Happy New Year, then we fell back asleep. This year was so much different than last years New Year's Eve partying, but we were so okay with it. Baby is not even here yet and we are already tired! Last year's NYE!

This year's NYE! ;)

Annual New Year's Day dining at Liberty Kitchen. However, they did not have my black eye peas and cabbage at all this year. Talk about disappointing!!! The past 2 years have been pretty awesome so if anything goes wrong this year, here's looking at you Liberty Kitchen!!!! Your mac and cheese softened the blow as usual though. 

Cheers to the NEW YEAR!!!!