I Used to Despise Sweatpants...

I used to despise sweatpants.

I couldn't understand why anyone would want to lounge around in the same thing they wore to bed.

I couldn't wait to start a new day so I could wear a cute new outfit, which of course I picked out the night before.

I used to take at least 2 showers a day and I would spend at least an hour doing my hair and make-up after each one.

I used to make a big cup of coffee and sip it slowly as I caught up on the news in the quiet of the morning.

I would go for manicures, pedicures and to get my hair done whenever I was in the mood for "me time."

I used to be late for everything, all the time.

I used to avoid talking on the phone or to people in general because I spent all my energy at work being "on."

I used to dream of what it would be like to be a wife, and then a mom.


And then it happened. I become a mom and everything changed...

I own 20+ pairs of sweatpants and can't get enough on their cushy, comfy feeling.

I often wear my "pajamas" until around noon... sometimes all day long.

I pick out outfits based on functionality, not fashion. And I pick them out five minutes before I am about to walk out the door.

I take an average of half a shower a day. My makeup consists of Chapstick. My hair can almost put itself in a messy bun on top of my head.

I make iced coffee because it takes too long for hot coffee to cool down. And I chug it. I would consume it via I.V. if I knew how.

I get my dose of daily news from The View while my little one takes her nap.

My idea of "me time" is taking a nap.

I plan ahead and arrive on time - if not early - for everything. I build in wiggle room for emergency diaper changes, feedings or overall meltdowns.

I can't wait for the clock to strike 8 a.m. so I can start calling, texting and visiting friends and family. If you let me, I will talk your ear off.

I am a wife. A mom. And a woman whose life was turned completely upside down. But looking back, I sometimes wonder if it was my former self that was upside down. My pre-Mommy self. And if that only now, I am finally right-side up.

Embracing the Bump

Some people document each week of their pregnancy with photos of their belly. It ends up like a flip book, where you can see how the belly grows over time. And I personally LOVE seeing these pictures! I honestly can't get enough of them. So why is it that during my pregnancy, I pretty much refused to have my picture taken, let alone posted in any sort of public viewing arena? My husband and I actually started out on a good foot - we took two weeks worth of pictures (basically when there was zero bump - just some nice bloating). But then morning sickness set in, and... welll... let's just say that everything went down hill pretty fast after that : )

Next time I am prego, I'm going to document every week of it in pictures. I promise. Every stretch mark. Every yellowish-purplish bruise from my Heparin injections. Every strange shape my belly button takes. Because no matter how uncomfortable it is at the time, it's something we only get to experience a few times in our lives. And it's BEAUTIFUL! I may even commemorate the whole thing with a belly cast right before birth. Ok... that may be crossing the line... but we'll see!

I actually wanted to do that - create a belly cast - before I gave birth to Paige. I saw Kendra Wilkinson do it on her TV show (don't judge! : ) ) So I went out to Michael's Craft Store, picked up all the supplies, and sprung the idea on my unsuspecting husband the next evening when he arrived home from work. I even had the Kendra episode cued up on the DVR and played it back so he could see how "magical" it was. Let it be known that Daniel isn't very artsy nor crafty, and after 9 long months of my craziness, the thought of putting plaster of paris over my bare belly in the middle of our living room pushed him over the edge. Actually, I think it was my comment that I wanted to hang the belly cast - painted in metallic bronze like an ancient Greek sculpture - in our entryway once complete that really frosted his cookies. **SIDE NOTE: I always wondered what would be the final straw to what he was willing to do while I was prego... and this, my friends, was it! My luck had run out**  Two days later I was admitted to the hospital, and then... no more belly to make a cast of! Although a cast of my still swollen uterus may have been interesting... YEAH RIGHT!!! Wow... I really digressed there! : ) Anywho...

So in an effort to make up for my lack of photo memories as a prego, I've created an album on the Sweet Leigh Mama Blog Facebook Page where all the pregos and mamas can post their belly pics. Fun, right? I posted one of my own belly to start... a photo that until now has remained locked far, far away.... So please add your pics ASAP so I'm not the only fool in there : ) (If you can't add directly to the album, upload to the wall and I'll move them over!)


Yaaaaaaaay bellies!

How to Hard Boil an Egg and Other Things I'd Like to Figure Out

There is a lot of talk lately about "Bucket Lists" - things you'd like to do or accomplish before you die. This list is not that serious. It's more of a "Sand Pail List". It's a list of things I'd like to figure out or do sometime in the near future. Here goes...

Sweet Leigh Mama's Sand Pail List

1. How to hard boil an egg
2. Choosing tap water over bottled water
3. Doing a self-mani and pedi without smudging the heck out of it
4. Finding an exercise plan I can stick to
5. Staying organized
6. Recycling as a habit vs. a chore
7. Improving my patience
8. Finding a church I will attend regularly
9. Getting gas before I'm on "E"
10. Avoiding gross razor bumps
11. Stop scratching bug bites before they turn into giant scabs

I'll let you know when I can cross some stuff off this list... Today I've decided to try and master the elusive hard boiled egg .. wish me luck : )